Irving receives order for OSV

Canada’s Atlantic Towing has forged a long-term charter deal with EnCana Corp that will see it build an offshore supply vessel (OSV) at Halifax Shipyard. Atlantic, the vessel operating subsidiary of Irving Shipbuilding, said that it will operate the newbuilding for Calgary-based natural gas company EnCana.

The vessel will serve EnCana at the company’s Deep Panuke gas field, 250 kilometres off Nova Scotia. Engineering and design work is set to begin immediately, with delivery scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2010.

The length of the contract and the price tag on the deal were not disclosed. Atlantic said building the new OSV will employ 200 yard workers at its peak, hiking the total Halifax Shipyard workforce to 600. It will also employ 25 mariners at Atlantic Towing.

Based in Saint John, New Brunswick, Atlantic Towing controls a fleet of OSVs, tugs and barges. Halifax-based Irving Shipbuilding runs four yards, including the Halifax Shipyard where it builds OSVs and tugs. The newbuilding for EnCana will be the fifth OSV to be constructed at Halifax Shipyard.