WA companies set new standards for offshore vessels

Two Western Australian companies have cooperated to set new design and construction standards for multi-million dollar high speed vessels built specifically for the Australian offshore market.

Fremantle maritime support solutions company Samson Maritime ordered two 40m fast utility vessels from Henderson-based Strategic Marine last July, with the first of the vessels launched early this week at Strategic?s Singapore yard.

The vessel, named ‘Samson Supporter’, has a top speed in excess of 25 knots, business class seating for 50 passengers with the ability to increase passenger numbers to 100 by utilising a modular interior, accommodation for twelve crew members, 120 m2 of deck space, as well as a central deck house. Some of the unique features of the newbuilding are its use of dynamic positioning to allow the vessel to remain on station for extended periods and conduct accurate ROV work, and a 1 m2 moon pool to allow hydrographic survey equipment to be deployed in a secure housing.

The vessel also has an A-frame crane installed on the aft of the cargo deck and FiFi 1 for fire fighting, including a vessel deluge system. Samson Maritime Director Jeremy Williams said these features were not required by industry standard crew boats, meaning the two vessels were truly unique.

Williams said “Importantly, these new vessels are built to the stringent requirements needed to operate them on the Australian coast. These boats have the inbuilt flexibility to allow them to perform a wide range of both inshore and offshore maritime support tasks, including high speed supply runs, crew transfer, safety support and intervention and inshore and offshore survey tasks. We searched the world for a company that we felt had the right product for us as well as a proven capacity to deliver that product, and we found what we were looking for in Strategic Marine.”

“They are true industry professionals who know how to deliver the right product on time and within budget,” he said. Strategic Marine Director Ron Anderson said he was delighted that the company?s Singapore yard had once again demonstrated its ability to deliver ahead of schedule. “This early launch was a great achievement since there were a number of significant contract variations which included a variety of interesting technical modifications,” Anderson said.

The ‘Samson Supporter’ and its sister vessel, the ‘Samson Supplier’, which will be delivered in August, will service the highly active Western Australian oil and gas industry. Strategic?s Singapore yard is also currently working to complete two other 40m utility vessels ordered by Malaysian offshore servicing company Dinastia Jati Sdn Bhd last September. These are due for delivery in July and September this year.

With three other yards in Australia, Vietnam and Mexico, the company is currently constructing 63 fully-financed vessels with an order book value of AUD$252.3 million. The company?s Vietnamese yard, which has the capability to construct large steel vessels, was officially opened in February this year and has already won more than AUD$95 million in orders. This yard is well advanced with the construction and outfitting of two 143m dive support vessels for Singaporean client Marfield Ltd, as well as 40 oilfield service vessels, four landing craft and a new generation Voith Water Tractor.