Page 61: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (April 1997)

Tough problems make our engineers grin

European Commission investigates possible misuse of shipbuilding aid

The European Commission has decidecpro initiate a procedure concerning the possible misuse of p\viously appra^ed aid to Indonesia in relation to the purchase of three dredgefe constructed at the German yard, Volkswerft

Stralsund. At this stage, the ^mmission considers that the manner in which these dredgers are being exploited do not comply with the approval given by the Commission which emphasized that the vessels were exclusively of domestic use in Indonesiar In 1994^he Commission approved a develop- ment aid which was to be granted to lr\jonesia in relation to a purchase of three dredgers constructed at VolkswerfOfrtralsund. When the Commission approved the aidJn was emphasized thatMie vessels were exclusively of domestic use in Indonesia (see IP/94/365). Nr a letter from the European

Dredging Association (EuDA), the Commission was informed that the dredgers \^re used outside Indonesian waters,

Subsequently, the Commission requested the Germbs^aujhorities to pro- vide a series of precise answers concerning the operation of these vessels.

In the light of the answer given by the German Government, the

Commission at this stage considers that the manner in which these dredgers are being exploited do not comply with the approval given by the

Commission and has therefore decided to open a procedure in this case.

April, 1997 63

Circle 318 on Reader Service Card

Derbyshire To Supply

Liferaft Inflation Valves To

U.S. Agencies

Derbyshire Machine & Tool Co. has reportedly been named as the new supplier of pneumatic infla- tion valves for all U.S. £Javy and

Coast Guard 25-pp*son Mark 6 lif- erafts. Desiggfi^ aij^ialifjbd in

Sea

Naval

Center,

Division specifications, valve operates with 5000 psi cylinders meeting MIL-

C-24604, Type II, or the equiva- lent.

For more information on Derbyshire

Circle 9 on Reader Service Card

Geoteam-Wimpol Acquires

Advanced Survey Sjinp

An advanced survey vessel for worldwide deepwaxer operations has been acquire*! by Geoteam-

Wimpol Ltd., part of the Fugro

Group. Dubbed Geo Prospector, the 238.1 ft. (72.6 m) long vessel has a cruising speed of 16 knots.

The vessel is equipped to support exploration by pinpointing shal- low deposits of gas that could prove hazardous to drilling opera- tions. fceo Prospector will also undertaras pipeline route studies and site sVrvcws of the seabed and underlying sldiments to provide engineering lata for the installa- tion of fixedVtructures and subsea productioryficilities.

Built inr 1^0 and converted in 1989, y£l7-dt Geo Prospector is poweya by two 1,295-kW, eight- cylinffler DeutA diesels driving an

Esiner Wyss wriable pitch pro- filer. High Resolution digital

Seismic survey equipment includes a 240-cbVnnel streamer and 12-channel recorder. For seabed surveys, a Smirad multi- beam echo sounder with 5,000 m depth capability is uated, along with a single beam soumer, side scan sonar and single Vhannel profilers. \

Geo Prospector is based in

Aberdeen, Scotland, and joins

Fugro European/African ships

Geo Scanner, Geo Searcher, Geo

Surveyor and Red Fulmar. pg parm M ttmam J UK

VM .mm ^p [pn 8 •. •"' 5fliSsfiysP •. '.;» WS^v"''*.1** . : t" • '

Service Marine Industries 6887 Highway 90 • Gibson, Louisiana 70356

Telephone: (504) 631-0511 • Fax: (504) 631-0036

Stop by the SMI Booth #6487 at the OTC

Pe9-bids for the ft; tne competition

Increase the length of the 120 toot boat by more than 13 feet, and still bring it in at under 100 gross tons? Impossible, they said.

Well, at Sen/ice Marine Industries, impossible problems just make our engineering team grin. SMI attacked the problem with a vengeance, and emerged with a solution that had everyone smiling. The conversion and sea trials went exactly according to plan, with the vessel meeting all U.S. Coast Guard requirements.

So, next time you've got an impossible problem, do your part to make our engineers happy. Challenge us!