Chouest, Island OCV newbuilds will be longer and wider

NOVEMBER 20, 2014 — Production is in full swing at Norway’s Ulstein Verft on the first of the two giant SX165 design construction vessels ordered by Edison Chouest Offshore and Island Offshore through Island Ventures II LLC.

Sections for the ship (hull 302) have arrived at the Ulsteinvik shipyard and Ulstein says its shipbuilders are “getting to practice big scale Lego construction in the dock hall.”

Ulstein says that the vessel has been redesigned in the engineering phase and, as a result, has increased both in length and beam. The vessel will be 159.8 m long with a beam of 30 m, compared with the original stated dimensions of 145.7 m x 28 m. 

Presumably the second ship, to be built at at Edison Chouest’s LaShip shipyard in Houma, LA, will also be built to the new, larger size.

The deadweight will be approximately 14,000 tonnes, resulting in increased deck area and tank capacity.

“Ulstein Verft has a unique position by the in-house multidisciplinary know-how of ship designs and a large technical department. This give our customers added value in which it enables us to take on such major change orders,” says project manager in Ulstein Verft, Per Svein Brekke.

The total steel volume is about 8,800 tonnes, or approximately the same as five platform supply vessels. Of this volume, Ulstein Verft’s department in Vanylven will produce approx. 1,520 tonnes – the largest steel volume delivered to one project from this department.

Most sections for the fore ship are now ready to be assembled and outfitted at Ulstein Verft.

Due to the massive change order, delivery has been pushed back from third quarter to fourth quarter 2015.