THE DEEPER YOU GO, THE MORE MUD YOU NEED ...

by John Snyder, Senior Editor

The ability to transport "mud" or more precisely "drilling mud" is serious business in the oil patch. Just ask Albert Cheramie and Anthony Guilbeau. Together the two men make up the "C" and "G" in C&G Boats, Inc., a privately held offshore supply vessel operator based in Golden Meadow, La. C&G's fleet of nine boats supports offshore drilling contractors by transporting equipment, personnel and supplies. Included in those supplies is drilling mud, which is pumped down the drilling pipe to cool and lubricate the drilling bit, prevent formation damage and flush rock cuttings from the downhole to the surface. The drilling mud can be water-, oil- or synthetic-based.

"The deeper you go, the more mud you need," says Cheramie. "Our customers wanted a vessel that could carry different types of mud and a lot of it. In some cases, customers said they had to have three vessels to do the job. Now, we can do it with just this one."
Cheramie told Marine Log that C&G's newest vessel, the Sara Jane, "has the ability to carry 6,241 barrels of mud and pump three types of mud without any contamination. We didn't reinvent the wheel, just improved it."

Named for Guilbeau's granddaughter, Sara Jane Wilson, the OSV is due for delivery this month to C&G's subsidiary, MNM Boats. It is the first of a new class of deepwater offshore supply vessels from Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., Lockport. At 207 ft x 53 ft x 19 ft, the new 220 Class design is not nearly as large as other OSVs emerging from Gulf Coast and international shipyards.

"Some of our competitors are building 220-, 240- and 260-foot vessels," says Cheramie.
But bigger isn't necessarily better. That is the design philosophy behind Bollinger's growing series of OSVs. Its 145, 166 and now 220 Class of OSVs provide cargo capacities of much larger vessels in a smaller platform, while lowering operating costs. It gives operators essentially more bang for their buck.

In announcing the introduction of the new 220 Class, Scott Theriot, Bollinger's executive vice president, new construction said, "Just as our 145 and 166-foot class boats have capacities of larger OSVs, this new 220 class has the cargo and drilling muds capacities of vessels up to 240 feet."

Theriot said, "Our success with the first two advanced designs prompted customers to ask for similar space and operational advantages in a larger OSV. We collectively have achieved that goal with this new design. Its liquid mud tanks will be able to carry over 6,000 barrels of drilling mud and her dry bulk tanks will be able to carry over 6,000 cubic feet of material."
The Sara Jane has three separate pump systems that can handle three different liquid mud products without danger of contamination. All pump systems valves can be operated through a central control system in the pilot house that will also control the boat's ABS class DP1 dynamic positioning system. It will have clear deck space of 145 ft.

Propulsion power for the Sara Jane is supplied by two Caterpillar 3516D diesel engines, each developing 2,000 hp through Reintjes reduction gears with a ratio of 6.44:1. The engines will drive two Bollinger 102 in propellers and independent rudders. Electrical power will be produced by two Caterpillar 3408 diesels generating 370 kW each.

Theriot said the MNM boats would be able to sustain 11 knots of speed while other larger OSVs with similar capacities can only sustain 10 knots fully loaded. He attributed the extra speed to a new hull design and reduced roll with bilge keels.
The pilot house is located far forward and features 360-degree visibility. Dynamic positioning and other control systems are operated via touch screen computer. There are quarters for 22.

The Sara Jane is built to meet SOLAS (Safety Of Life At Sea) requirements and classed by ABS as an offshore supply vessel, Maltese Cross A1, AMS, and DP-1 certificates, and certified by the U.S. Coast Guard under Subchapter L requirements.

MNM will take delivery of a second 220 Class vessel in Jan. 2003.

Designed for super shelf and deepwater, the Sara Jane will go right to work in the Gulf of Mexico after delivery.

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