Page 21: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 1999)

MARINE FINANCE

Halter Marine Wins $53.6

Million U.S. Navy Contract

Halter Marine Inc. won a $53.6 million contract from the U. S.

Navy to build a T-AGS 60 class oceanographic research ship. The vessel will be the sixth of its class, all designed, built or under con- struction at Halter. The contract also includes spare parts and tech- nical services. Construction will begin in approximately 60 days at

Halter's Moss Point, Miss, ship- yard and delivery is planned for

Dec. 2001. "This contract is the result of the Navy exercising an option from a previous contract. This indicates the Navy is pleased with the design, construction, performance and dollar value of the five other T-

AGS 60 class vessels designed, built, or under construction by

Halter," said John Dane III, chair- man, president and CEO of Halter

Marine Group, Inc.

T-AGS 60 class ships are designed and constructed to pro- vide multi-purpose oceanographic capabilities for the Oceanographer of the Navy. They perform physi- cal, chemical and biological oceanography; multi-discipline environmental investigations; ocean engineering and marine acoustics; marine geology and geo- physics; and bathymetric, gravi- metric, and magnetometric sur- veying. The ships use the latest in oceanographic surveying equip- ment and other instrument pack- ages with the ability to process and analyze the data onboard using the latest computer technol- ogy. The all-steel vessel will be 329 ft. long, with a beam of 58 ft. and a 19 ft. draft at full load dis- placement of 5,000 long tons. T-

AGS 60 class ships are designed with a common bus diesel electric propulsion system consisting of twin screw propellers driven through Z-drives. The Z-drives include gear reduction and 360 degree thrust direction control in a compact unit. Elimination of con- ventional reduction gears and long propeller shafts frees space for other uses.

Circle 81 on Reader Service Card

Victoria To Provide FPSO

For ISIS Field In Tunisia

Victoria Oilfield Development

Ltd. of Aberdeen has secured a let- ter of intent to provide and operate a Floating Production Storage &

Offloading vessel (FPSO) for the

ISIS field in Tunisia. This will be the first time Victoria's state-of- the-art Tripod Catenary Mooring and loading System (TCMS) has been used with multi-risers, accommodating up to nine risers, production flowlines, water injec- tion, gas lift line and umbilicals.

The FPSO will be converted from an Aframax tanker, provided by Seatramp Tankers Inc., using a modular topside arrangement.

Detailed engineering for the con- version and mooring system got underway last month.

Kelvin Hughes Supplying

Irish Lights Vessel

Kelvin Hughes has been select- ed to supply an integrated bridge system (IBS) and hydrographic survey equipment package to the

Commissioner of Irish Lights new

Aids to Navigation vessel current- ly being built at Damen Shipyards.

Circle 82 on Reader Service Card

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