‘Seven Seas’ completes first major installation project

Subsea 7’s latest state-of-the-art deepwater Flex / J-lay vessel, the ‘Seven Seas’, has completed her first major installation project for StatoilHydro’s Yttergryta field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea.

As part of the StatoilHydro frame-agreement, the ‘Seven Seas’ carried out two offshore campaigns where a 130Te PLEM, 25Te Flowbase and 6km dual lay umbilical / 3″ MEG line and three spools were installed. The ‘Seven Seas’ will complete mobilization at Dusavik, Norway for her next project at the BC-10 development in the Campos Basin, Brazil. The vessel has been designed to perform highly specialized subsea laying, construction and engineering work for the deepwater global offshore pipe oil and gas industry and is capable of operating in water depths of up to 3,000 metres. ‘Seven Seas’ was delivered in June and is the fourth in a series of eight new vessels joining the fleet between 2007 and 2010, representing a total investment of over US$1.8 billion. Seven Seas’ was also recently confirmed as the lead vessel for Subsea 7’s framework agreement with BP Angola for the development of Block 31. The vessel was designed and constructed by Merwede Shipyward in the Netherlands.

Read More

SMA ties up with Japan’s top maritime college

The Singapore Maritime Academy of Singapore Polytechnic took a step eastward in its expanding network of tie-ups with maritime training institutes around the world.

It signed a memorandum of understanding with top Japanese maritime college Toba National College of Maritime Technology. SMA will embark on maritime innovations, academic and student exchange with the 127-year-old college, which was established in 1881, and is the most established among Japan’s five maritime colleges. It will be the first time Toba has forged links with an educational institution outside Japan. Academy director Roland Tan and Toba president Taketoshi Yamada signed the agreement to formalize the partnership. The collaboration will advance research in the range of common disciplines between the two institutions and enhance education experiences for staff and students, SMA said. The tie-up will enable SMA students to have training opportunities onboard the five vessels Toba college has access to, including the sail training tallship Nihon Maru. In return, Toba students will be able to join SMA’s maritime experiential learning cruises onboard a luxury cruise ship. SMA currently has tie-ups with the Netherlands’ Maritime Institute Willem Barentsz, the UK’s Newcastle University and Russia’s Far Eastern State Technical Fisheries University among others.

Read More

Solar powered roro for NYK

Japan’s largest liner NYK Line (Nippon Yusen Kaisha) and refiner Nippon Oil Corporation are designing a ship that will be partially powered by solar energy.

The leading Japanese companies said solar panels capable of generating 40 kilowatts of electricity would be placed on a 60,000 car carrier to be used by Toyota Motor Corp. Toyota is one of NYK’s most important clients and also one of the most stringent customers when it comes to environmental footprints. The solar panels should save up to 6.5% of fuel oil used in powering diesel engines. According to Hideyuki Dohi, general manager at Nippon Oil’s energy system development department, the system would help cut CO2 emission by 1-2% or some 20 tonnes per year. NYK Line is slated to invest some $1.4 million in the solar panel to be designed by Nippon Oil.

Read More