Page 31: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 15, 1971)

Friede & Goldman Design Unusual Drillship

Now Under Construction By Italcantieri In Naples

This model of the Saipem II shows the Voith-Schneider cycloidal propellers at both the bow and stern for positioning and propulsion.

The new self-positioning drillship

Saipem II is now under construction by Italcantieri in Naples, Italy, for

Saipem of the EN I group, with de- livery scheduled for 1972. It is ex- pected that the drillship will be as outstanding in its field as Saipem's

Scarabeo II has shown itself to be in semi-submersible operations.

Designed by the naval architec- tural firm of Friede & Goldman, Inc. of New Orleans, La., as was the

Scarabeo II before it, the Saipem II will incorporate a number of new and unusual features into a sound basic drilling ship to provide a most technically advanced tool for floating drilling in deep waters. Friede &

Goldman, Inc. are pioneer designers of offshore drilling units, with some 100 floating rigs having come from their drawing boards over the last 20 years. The most distinctive fea- ture of the vessel will be the Voith-

Schneider propulsion and position- ing units. This will be the first ap- plication to a drilling ship of this form of propeller. With the well- known ability of these cycloidal units to have excellent and rapid response, and maneuvering ability without rud- ders, the self-positioning ability should be superior. With two main units at the stern and two position- ing units at the bow, a total com- bined horsepower of 7,000 can be called on at any time for propulsion, maneuvering, or position drilling.

Under normal 5,000-hp propul- sion, the vessel is expected to exceed 13 knots under way in standard displacement condition. A bulbous bow incorporated into the hull aids in better speed and in better efficiency of the forward thrusters.

Positioning is accomplished by sev- eral means, depending on water depth. The vessel is equipped with an eight point chain mooring sys- tem, each with a 20,000-pound an- chor, for effective mooring to 600- foot water depth. Provision is made for increasing the chain length for mooring up to 1,000-foot water depth, with or without the dynamic positioning system acting in assist- ance. For unlimited water depths, the dynamic positioning system in- cludes a Honeywell automatic station keeping setup in association with the

Voith-Schneider propulsion units.

Among the features provided to insure effective drilling at sea are: (1) the anti-roll tank provided in the hull to minimize roll motions, and (2) the semi-automatic pipe racker, developed by Lee C. Moore expressly for this vessel, to provide fast and safe drill pipe and drill collar handling.

The Saipem II retains the highly successful diesel electric power plant that featured the Scarabeo II and which has proved to be one of the most versatile maintenance-free and useful systems in offshore drilling today. This is the one-voltage sys- tem, utilizing AC/DC thyristor con- verters.

The maximum flexibility of the three-phase, 60-Htz, 6-kv electric power available on board is achieved through six diesel engines (Breda

Paxman, Italy) driving six AC gen- erators (Siemens A.G., West Ger- many) with a total output of 12,000 kva. On this vessel, the usual direct current motors of the drilling equip- ment are fed from a three-phase network through AC/DC thyristor converters with these advantages: it is a one-voltage system; it takes up a minimum of space; it is light- weight ; it is virtually maintenance free; it has good dynamic charac- teristics; it permits identical types of diesel motor, which means sim- plified maintenance and spare parts storage; the required number of die- sel sets is switched automatically into the system according to the demand, and the load of any machine can be taken over by the spare at any time without disturbing the system.

Gages and automatic/manual gov- ernors are centralized in the en- gine control room.

In addition to these merits, the modular electronic components of the system permit rig automation to be incorporated at a later date by the simple addition of appropriate meas- uring devices and controllers.

The vessel is a seagoing ship in all respects. Having the dimensions of 431 feet long by 72-foot beam, it displaces 13,000 tons at a draft of 22 feet 6 inches.

Radars (two), radio direction finder, echo sounding, gyrocompass, gyropilot, engine remote-control and high performance radios will make this drilling vessel one of the most sophisticated in the world. A net- work of three telephone systems (one with dialing mechanism and auto- matic branch exchange) will ensure close and regular contact between all vessels' key men.

Special fenders and mooring fa- cilities will allow supply vessels to make fast alongside, even under se- vere sea conditions.

The helicopter landing platform is designed for a Sikorsky S.61 model.

Air-conditioned quarters and work areas are provided, with modern ac- commodations for up to 88 persons.

The vessel will be classed and ap- proved for worldwide drilling opera- tions as a self-propelled ship by both the American Bureau of Shipping and the Registro Italiano Navale.

ABS Issues

Revised Book On

Welding Filler Metals

The 1971 edition of the American

Bureau of Shipping's definitive "Ap- proved Welding Electrodes, Wire-

Flux and Wire-Gas Combinations" is now available. This book provides shipbuilders, fabricators, ship opera- tors, and those in associated industries, with reference information on filler metals. Included are operating char- acteristics, applications, and compari- son charts. Various welding filler metals of 195 manufacturers in 35 countries are listed.

The book, which costs $6, will be revised annually. It is available from any office of the Bureau, or from

Manager, Publications, American Bu- reau of Shipping, 45 Broad Street,

New York, N.Y. 10004.

The 21st Annual Dinner Dance of the Philadelphia Section of The

Society of Naval Architects and

Marine Engineers was held on

May 15, 1971, at the Marriott Mo- tor Hotel. Four hundred and sev- enty persons enjoyed the banquet and dancing to Joe Farina's or- chestra.

Guests of the Philadelphia Sec- tion were D.D. Strohmeier, na- tional president of SNAME, and

Mrs. Strohmeier; R.G. Mende, na- tional secretary, and Mrs. Mende, and Capt. J.B. Berude, Commander of the Philadelphia Naval Ship- yard, and Mrs. Berude.

Mr. Strohmeier presented a Cer-

Anixter Names Myers

Marketing Manager

For Shipboard Cable

John E. Myers

John E. Myers has been named marketing manager for shipboard cable by Anixter Bros., Inc., Sko- kie, 111. In making the announce- ment, Robert Wilson, Anixter vice president, wire and cable group, stated that Mr. Myers will join the corporate staff in this new position and will direct shipboard cable marketing here and abroad. Until recently, Mr. Myers was president of Anixter-New York.

Mr. Myers joined Anixter two years ago as vice president of

Anixter-Normandy, a pioneer sup- plier of marine cable for ships and shipyards, and a major supplier of industrial electrical cable. He later became president of Anixter-Nor- mandy and its successor company,

Anixter-New York.

Mr. Myers will office at Anix- ter's facility in Elmsford, N.Y. He is a member of IEEE, American

Marketing Association, and the

Electronic Sales Managers Associ- ation. tificate of Appreciation for Loyal- ty and Accomplishments to G.A.

Johnson, outgoing Section chair- man, and offered his best wishes to B.B. Cook Jr., incoming Section chairman. He thanked M.A. Mor- ris, chairman of the dinner dance committee, for the evening's won- derful arrangements. Mr. Stroh- meier also commented that the

Philadelphia Section is the oldest in the Society and the only one that has a purely social evening.

Traditionally, the dinner dance is the climax to the formal 1970- 71 season and the social event of the year for the Philadelphia ma- rine community.

SNAME Philadelphia Annual Dinner Dance

Pictured at the head table, starting from extreme left and seated clockwise: B.B. Cook

Jr., Mrs. D.D. Strohmeier, G.A. Johnson, Mrs. B.B. Cook Jr.. R.G. Mende, Mrs. G.A.

Johnson, M.A. Morris, Mrs. R.G. Mende, D.D. Strohmeier, and Mrs. M.A. Morris.

June 15, 1971 33