Sophisticated seismic vessel adds to Gibdock’s offshore references

Polar Marquis

JANUARY 10, 2018 — Recent visitors to Gibraltar ship repairer Gibdock include the 5,700 dwt seismic survey vessel Polar Marquis, operated by Norways GC Rieber Shipping.

Originally built in 2000, and substantially upgraded in 2014, the high capacity Polar Marquis has the ability to deploy 16 streamers.

The vessel spent 21 days alongside at Gibdock, between November 24 and December 14, 2017, for an extensive amount of afloat repair work. This included the removal of several drain lines, which were cleaned using high pressure blasting and refitted, as well as the manufacture and installation of new drain lines, totaling around 14 m in length.

The shipyard also fabricated new hydraulic piping and hoses for the vessel and extended the main engine exhaust pipes to enhance air quality on the main deck. Various general repair and maintenance items were carried out while the vessel was alongside.

Ship repair manager, Filip Tsankov, says: “This was a relatively straightforward job for Gibdock, but we are nonetheless delighted to continue being entrusted with high-end, sophisticated offshore vessels like Polar Marquis, and our 420 m long repair quay, equipped with two cranes was the ideal place to carry out this work. The vessel was due to start a new charter in January 2018 so there was no margin for delay; but we worked round the clock to ensure that Polar Marquis left the yard right on schedule to the satisfaction of the owner.”

Gibdock is confident that 2018 will see more offshore vessels taking advantage of its facilities for repair, maintenance and conversion work.

“Our strategic geographic location makes us very attractive for offshore vessels that require work before being redeployed, as we can avoid lengthy deviations; but we have also earned a reputation for reliability, which has increased the confidence of owners and operators in this sector in using our services,” says Managing Director Richard Beards. “We have been successful not just because of consistent on-time delivery, but also for our record of accomplishment for high quality workmanship and safety, which are issues of paramount concern to most offshore companies.”