Remedial launches first ESV at COSCO Nantong Shipyard

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Monday, 29 December 2008

Remedial Offshore marked the launch of its first Elevating Support Vessel on December 16 when the ESV unit was skidded onto a quayside barge at the COSCO Nantong Shipyard. The launch ceremony celebrated a major milestone in construction of the world’s first ESV vessel, the “Remedial ESV Solutions.” The innovative ESV design is optimized for well intervention in water depths to 325 feet (100 meters). Each ESV unit (two are under construction) combines capabilities of a jackup platform, an ocean-going vessel, a workover drilling rig, heavy-lift cranes and an offshore accommodations platform in a single package.
Launching the vessel onto the barge allows its three 3,500-HP thrusters to be installed and further commissioning work to continue prior to moving the unit downstream to another COSCO shipyard where the remaining sections of its 425-foot (130-meter) legs can be installed. These are the last steps before the vessel enters sea trials for an expected March 2009 delivery.
Elevating Support Vessel (ESV™) units are self-propelled jack-up well intervention vessels rated for service in 325 ft (100m) water depths, carrying a dedicated electric workover rig.
Remedial Offshore's innovative ESV™ concept offers offshore oil & gas operators a unique way to combine the capabilities of jack-up rigs with the self-contained efficiencies of ocean-going vessels. Our robust ESV™ units improve the logistics and economics of conducting remedial work offshore.
Each ESV™ unit uses an industry-first design that allows elevated operations up to 75 ft (22 m) away from the well structure, neutralizing concern over existing leg footing contours ("spud can holes") on the sea floor.
Our unique vessels provide 14,000 ft2 (1300 m2) available deck area for quipment rig-up, plus a high-capacity pedestal crane (300-ton/280 MT) mounted on a moveable structure. With structure stand-off and longitudinal travel, the ESV™ main crane can place 110-ton (100 MT) loads at 158 ft (48 m) from the vessel's transom.
The 250-ton (227 MT) modular electric “doubles” workover package is fully deployable (in either tender-assist or cantilever-supported mode) within three crane lifts for faster rig-up.
As adapted from Scand Oil