Island Offshore orders “game changer” at Kawasaki Heavy

JANUARY 27, 2014 — Island Offshore, in which the Chouest and Ulstein families are partners, announced today that it has signed a contract with Japanese shipbuilder Kawasaki Heavy Industries for the construction of a large offshore vessel that Island Offshore CEO Håvard Ulstein, calls “another game changer in the offshore market.”

Built to MOU (Mobile Offshore Unit) regulations, the vessel is being built to a new Rolls-Royce UT 777 design, developed in close cooperation with Island Offshore. Emphasis has been placed on designing and outfitting the vessel for optimal subsea operations, such as tophole drilling, light well intervention, subsea construction and inspection, maintenance and repair work. the vessel is due for delivery in 2017.

Rolls-Royce has a £25 million contract to provide integrated design and ship equipment for the vessel.

In addition to the design and engineering package, Rolls-Royce will also supply the major systems, comprising the propulsion system with six generator sets and seven electrically run thrusters, control and automation systems, mooring and anchoring deck machinery and electric systems.

John Knudsen, Rolls-Royce, President – Offshore said: “This new design is based on many years of operating experience, especially from the vessel Island Wellserver which we designed in 2005. The UT 777 will be unlike anything seen before, and marks the latest chapter in the story of the Rolls-Royce UT Design vessels which have been pioneering oil and gas exploration for the past 40 years.”