Bergen wins construction ship

Germany’s Schiffahrtskontor Altes Land is to enter the deepwater oil and gas construction market after signing a deal with Norway’s Bergen Group for a new ship.

SAL intends to order an advanced construction class vessel from Bergen Group’s Laksevåg yard for a 2012 delivery to capitalise on rising demand for offshore construction work.

Bergen Group said it signed a memorandum of understanding with SAL covering building of a NKr1.8bn ($283m) vessel, which will be able to lay flexible pipelines and umbilicals. The Norwegian company’s Skipsteknisk branch in Ålesund has worked with SAL to design the 175m long vessel.

The ship will have two carousels for the installation of pipelines and umbilicals during deepwater oilfield developments. It will also have an offshore crane for lowering 600-tonne structures down to the seabed in water depths of up to 3,000m.

The ship will also have a deck space of 3,000 sq m and accommodation for 150 people.

The vessel will be built at the company’s Laksevåg yard in Bergen for delivery in April 2012.

SAL, which is 50% owned by K Line, operates a fleet of heavy transport vessels with crane lifting systems.