Subsea 7, Bygg nr. CO1298 ved Royal IHC, Rørlegger "Seven Vega"

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Subsea 7 awards letter of intent for new reel-lay vessel

Today (Wednesday 6 September), Subsea 7 announced that it has signed a letter of intent with Royal IHC in the Netherlands for the construction of a new reel-lay vessel and associated pipe lay equipment. The cost, excluding capitalised interest, is expected to be below USD 300 million with an early 2020 delivery. The firm contract with Royal IHC is expected to be awarded before the end of 2017, subject to certain conditions and final Board approval.

When delivered, the vessel will be Subsea 7’s highest specification reel-lay vessel, capable of installing complex rigid flowlines including pipe-in-pipe systems and electrical trace heating. This capability will address the market trend towards longer tie-back developments. The new vessel will replace Seven Navica, which is expected to be retired from reel-lay operations in due course.

Jean Cahuzac, CEO, said: “We are committed to having the right fleet size and specification to meet the needs of our clients. We achieve this through a combination of owned high-specification vessels and leased vessels having strict regard to capital discipline. We have removed three owned vessels from our fleet during the last two years and will continue to actively manage our fleet composition. The expected gradual recovery of market activity and application of new cost-effective technology supports this investment decision, which will enable Subsea 7 to participate in new prospects that are already visible in the market.”
 
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Royal IHS
 
Royal IHC to cut first steel for Subsea 7’s new vessel in March

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Royal IHC has passed the first significant milestones in the design and build process of an integrated reel lay vessel for Subsea 7 ordered last year. The company is on track to cut the first steel for the vessel next month.

UK-based subsea engineering, construction and services company, Subsea 7, signed a letter of intent with Royal IHC in the Netherlands for the construction of a new reel lay vessel and associated pipe lay equipment in September 2017 and firmed up the deal by signing the contract for the design and build of the vessel in early October.

The vessel is intended for the installation of complex rigid flowlines, including pipe-in-pipe and electrical trace heating systems. This technology will address the market trends towards longer tie-back developments.

IHC noted on Tuesday it is on track to meet milestones for this project which will include the cutting of the first steel plate in March 2018 and the keel laying, which is planned for mid-2018. The delivery of the vessel is scheduled for the first half of 2020.

According to the company, notable achievements include the early completion of the model testing for resistance and propulsion as well as seakeeping performance validation, both of which were conducted at MARIN to the full satisfaction of the client. In addition, crucial gate reviews have been passed in the engineering process with the interfacing of the reel lay system having been defined and concluded.

Currently, Royal IHC’s team in the UK has reached the stage in which the operational concept design of the reel lay system is being translated into the production phase. This pipe lay system focuses on crew safety, operational efficiency and flexibility, the company explained.

As well as creating a number of in-house innovations, IHC has also recently awarded a number of key contracts to suppliers of critical equipment. These will further enable the development of systems that are an integral part of the project.

Croonwolter&dros and Bakker Sliedrecht will deliver and fit the integrated electrical and nautical installation for the vessel. The main diesel-generator sets will be supplied by Hyundai, while the thruster package will be delivered by Wärtsilä. IHC has commissioned Huisman for the manufacture and installation of the 250-tonne main AHC offshore crane.
 
Subsea 7 and Royal IHC launch reel lay vessel SEVEN VEGA

On Saturday 25 May 2019, Subsea 7 and Royal IHC successfully launched the fully integrated reel-lay vessel SEVEN VEGA. The ceremony took place at IHC’s shipyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel, The Netherlands, and was performed by Monica Th. Bjørkmann, Vice President for Subsea 7 in Norway.

Stuart Fitzgerald, Executive Vice President Strategy and Commercial Subsea 7 said: “The vessel marks an important investment for the future. When delivered in early 2020, SEVEN VEGA will be one of the most capable and cost-effective reel-lay vessels in the market and a global enabler for Subsea 7. It has been designed to deliver flowline technologies that address the growing market trend towards longer and more complex tie-back developments. The vessel’s cutting-edge pipelay system focuses on crew safety, operational efficiency and flexibility. This system will be capable of installing complex rigid flowlines including pipe-in-pipe systems and electrically heat traced flowlines in water depths up to 3000m.

Dave Vander Heyde, CEO Royal IHC: “We are very proud of achieving this milestone for this impressive project. Our partnership with Subsea 7 has again proven to be successful and we are pleased to add more value to their advanced fleet. The integrated approach of IHC to vessel design, will give Subsea 7 an industry leading asset that sets a new standard in offshore pipelay.”

IHC designed SEVEN VEGA in close cooperation with Subsea 7. The high-specification vessel will be capable of installing complex rigid flowlines including pipe-in-pipe systems.

Several innovative features make the SEVEN VEGA the most technologically advanced vessel to date. Its compact dimensions are a result of the creative positioning of its three engine rooms and main reel, efficient use of the superstructure, and low air draft pipelay tower. The smart use of space opens up a large aft working deck, while the optimised mass distribution minimises the ballast water requirement.

The design of the reel-lay system was focused on crew safety, operational efficiency and flexibility. The twin tensioner pipelay ramp tilts to allow pipeline installation from shallow waters to depths of up to 3,000m. The large multi-level workstation optimises the efficiency of operations in and around the firing line, while the creative positioning of the main and auxiliary reels – recessed into the main deck – offers payload flexibility.

In addition, the all-electric main crane allows lift parameters to be adjusted promptly without having to manually adapt the active heave system. By having fewer components, maintenance and energy consumption are also reduced.

SEVEN VEGA has an overall length of 149m, a breadth of 33m and a Class 3 dynamic positioning system. Its reel-lay system has a 600t top tension capacity consisting of a 32m main reel and a 17m auxiliary reel with a maximum storage capacity of 5,600t and 1,600t respectively. SEVEN VEGA is fitted with cranes offering a lifting capacity of 250t and 50t, and mutiple smaller cranes alongside two side-launching work-class ROV systems.

This reel-lay vessel is the ninth vessel IHC will deliver to Subsea 7. The delivery represents a fully integrated pipelay vessel equipped with a pipelay system designed, engineered and built by IHC.

"Seven Vega"
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Foto: via Royal IHC
 
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