Harvey Gulf gets charters for LNG-fueled OSVs

AUGUST 15, 2012 — Busy times at New Orleans headquartered Harvey Gulf International Marine. The company reports that it has signed long term charters for three of the four LNG fueled Offshore Supply Vessels it is building at TY Offshore, has taken delivery of its final 300 ft Tiger Shark class OSV — and has ordered its own 300 ft x 120 ft x 12 ft floating dock.

The LNG-fueled Harvey Energy, Harvey Power and Harvey Liberty will begin providing deepwater OSV services immediately upon delivery in 2013 and 2014. The long term charters make Harvey Gulf the first company to build and contract LNG powered OSVs for deepwater exploration and production in America.

Harvey Gulf’s CEO, Shane Guidry, says that he was able to appreciate, years before his competitors, the advantage of using LNG for his vessels’ fuel source.

“The operations saving, coupled with the stringent emissions rules that begin in August and will increase over the coming years, will put our customers in the best possible position to operate,” says Mr. Guidry.”In addition, running on cleaner and cheaper natural gas, customers will not have to depend on scrubber systems using particulate filters and urea, which can increase the cost of fuel by as much as 30 percent.”

Mr. Guidry also believes that LNG Vessels will assist in making it possible for customers to drill in the Eastern Gulf in the near future, where permitting is likely to require the best available technology and practices for containment of emissions.

Harvey Gulf says that Harvey Champion, the final Tiger Class OSV, delivered from Eastern Shipbuilding on August 8, began a multi-year charter for operation in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico immediately following delivery.

Harvey Gulf’s newly ordered 320 ft x 120 ft x 12 ft dry dock will have a 9,000 long tons lifting capacity.

“With a fleet of 32 deepwater vessels and six additional ones on the drawing board,” says Mr. Guidry, “the dock will lower our maintenance and repair costs and reduce vessel downtime by eliminating delays from limited availability of dry docks for high deadweight capacity vessels.”

When the dock delivers in 2013, it will be placed at one of the two terminals the company is building in Port Fourchon, La.

Harvey Gulf will also provide dry dock related services to other vessel operators.