Maersk goes to Eastern yard for four OSVs

The DP3-classed construction vessels, intended for subsea support duties, will be designed by Marin Teknikk of Norway, to design ref MT6027. Delivery of the first in the series is planned for late 2016. On delivery, the ships, which are rated for operations at up to 3,000m water depth, will be chartered to customers including international oil companies and construction companies.

The new orders are on the large side for offshore ships, with 8,000dwt capacity on a length of 137m and beam of 27m. Deck area will be 1,925m², and they will be equipped with a 400t AHC crane and prepared for a 275t vertical lay tower over the moon pool. Provision will be made for an under-deck carousel for 3,000t of product. Each ship will have single-cabin accommodation for 120 persons.

Maersk Supply Service says that it currently has one subsea supply vessel and two AHTS vessels on order from shipyards in Romania and in Chile.

“With this new order in China, we have taken the next step in our extensive new-building programme. We are reshaping our fleet to focus primarily on anchor handling tug supply vessels and subsea support vessels. In a long term perspective we see great potential in these segments,” said Maersk Supply Service CEO Carsten Plougmann Andersen.

Mr Liang Yanfeng, president of Cosco Shipyard Group and chairman of Cosco Dalian Shipyard said: “We are happy to have been awarded this contract by Maersk Supply Service to build four Subsea Support Vessels. In return for the vote of confidence, Cosco Dalian Shipyard will deliver the vessels in satisfaction of timeliness and exacting requirements of our client”.