Page 81: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (June 2, 2010)

Rolls-Royce: Big Order for Brazil

Rolls-Royce received orders worth ap- proximately $21.5m to supply propulsion and control systems for seven offshore vessels being built in Brazil. Four have been ordered by CBO (Companhia

Brasileira de Offshore) and will be built at Alianca S/A, while the remaining three will be built at STX Promar. Two of these will be delivered to Siem Consub while the last vessel will go to Deep Sea Sup- ply. The orders consist of AZP thrusters and transverse thrusters to all seven ves- sels, as well as control and automation systems for dynamic positioning for the

CBO vessels. Delivery will take place from the second half of 2010.

Bourbon: 13 Vessels for Petrobras

Bourbon Offshore Maritima, formerly

Delba Maritima Navegação, the Bourbon subsidiary in Brazil, signed contracts with Petrobras for 13 new vessels. The contracts cover: • One Bourbon Liberty 200, an 80-ton traction AHTS (Anchor Handling Tug

Supply vessel), for three years from May 2010; • Seven Bourbon Liberty 100, a PSV (Platform Supply Vessel), for four years.

These vessels will be put into service be- tween June and October 2010; • Five 59-ft. passenger transport crew boats, for eight years. These vessels will join other vessels of the same type that have already been working for Petrobras in Brazil for two years and have given full satisfaction.

ABS Establishes Brazil Offshore

Technology Center

ABS announced the establishment of the ABS Brazil Offshore Technology

Center in partnership with the Federal

University of Rio de Janeiro (COPPE/UFRJ). The focus of the center will be on research intended to support the development of new technologies for offshore facilities. It is expected that the research and development facility will become an established fixture on the

COPPE/UFRJ campus. ABS Senior Vice

President of Technology Peter Tang-

Jensen said the first research project to be undertaken by the center will be a study on torpedo piles, an innovative mooring anchor system that has been developed by Petrobras. The study is expected to re- sult in the development of a rational ap- proach for the class review and approval of torpedo piles.

Dyneema Announces New Fiber

DSM Dyneema unveied its latest de- velopment, Dyneema XBO, at OTC in

Houston last month. Dyneema XBO is intended as a direct replacement for steel in lines used in deep-sea installations.

Ropes made with the new fiber provide the same load-bearing capability as steel wire ropes that weigh seven times as much. The weight of the steel wire can consume up to 50% of the winch capac- ity in ultra deep water installations. By substituting steel with ropes made with

Dyneema XBO, systems can carry higher loads, or they can be downsized while re- taining their deepwater installation ca- pacity, freeing up vital deck space.

Jorn Boesten is DSM Dyneema’s Seg- ment Manager for offshore applications. “Latest installations in very deep water put greater stresses on operators’ lifting equipment,” he said. “Dyneema XBO was developed to be used in ropes that can perform under extreme conditions, such as in heave compensated systems that handle severe bending loads.“

Wilhelmsen Ships Service opens

Stavanger office

Wilhelmsen Ships Service established a branch office in Stavanger. As well as reinforcing network coverage in the re- gion the new office will focus especially on service provision to customers in the offshore sector. Wilhelmsen Ships Serv- ice supplies Unitor marine products, technical services, ships agency services and maritime logistics.

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SENER Completes Takeover of Mexican Firm

In 2007, SENER President, Jorge Sendagorta, signed with III General Manager,

Eduardo Bosque, the purchase agreement of the 40% of III, with the compromise of acquiring 100% of the Mexican engineering company in 2010. Since then,

SENER and III have been consolidating their relationship until they have culmi- nated this operation with the constitution of the new company III Grupo SENER.

The purchase of the 100% of III by the Spanish engineering company SENER closes a process that began in March 2005, when both companies signed a strate- gic alliance. By virtue of this alliance, SENER entered the Mexican market with one of the country's main engineering companies, while also promoting III's capacity to contract turnkey projects.