EXCLUSIVE by Scottish Energy News
A new generation of self-propelled heavy-lifting floating jacks which has been designed in Scotland by navy and marine engineering experts – have landed their first commercial contract.
The contract for the vessel – a DP2 self-propelled jack-up designed for a wide range of services with cross-over capabilities from offshore oil and gas to offshore renewables – is based on the ‘Chameleon’ prototype developed by Glasgow-based CDC Scotland Ltd.
The ‘Chameleon’ concept was a global finalist at the World Oil Awards in 2016, is designed as a multi-purpose vessel with capability from oil well-completions to P&A and decommissioning and is offered as a ‘blank canvas’ to be adapted to suit the specific needs of each vessel owner.
In this instance the owners is the Dutch-based OOS Energy and the vessel specifications include two 1200mT cranes.
The cranes plus modified hull are capable of lifting and removing the majority of the platforms in the southern North Sea. Once on board, the vessel will be able to transport and offload the removed platforms meaning that no other support vessels or heavy lifting services are required.
The 2400mT lifting capability will also allow the vessel to cross-over into the renewables market for the installation of monopiles, jackets and turbines.
OOS Energy was founded earlier this year to expressly exploit the global oil and gas decommissioning market.
Iain Steven, Managing Director of CDC Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be working with OOS Energy as they bring to market two new multi-activity jack-ups.
“The vessel name, Luctor et Emergo, translates as “I struggle, I emerge” – which couldn’t be more apt for the first vessel to be based on CDC designs.
“Anyone familiar with our story will know that – like all small businesses, we have overcome many challenges to reach this point and we are thrilled to see our designs coming to life.”
While good news for privately-held CDC Scotland Ltd, the deal is not-so-good-news for ‘Scotland plc’ as the actual £multi-million build of Luctor et Emergo will almost certainly not take place in any Scottish yard and is far more likely to be built in the Far East.
Initial management ambitions to build Luctor et Emergo in Scotland did not survive engagement with Scottish Enterprise (**see below)
OOS Energy- which is considering a number of possible shipyards for the build – expect to take delivery of Luctor et Emergo in 4Q2020, with a second vessel due in Spring 2021.
An OOS Energy spokesman added: “The new multi activity vessel is a newly designed self-propelled, dynamically positioned jack-up capable of performing a wide range of services.
“The unit is equipped with a high efficiency Plug & Abandonment (P&A) package able to perform well intervention/workover, drilling operations and performing activities simultaneous on multiple wells in waters up to 80 yards deep any where in the world.
“In addition, with this unit OOS Energy is able to transport and offload removed structures without the support of other vessels or heavy lift equipment. Its design and lifting capability provides an immense efficiency that can also be used in the offshore wind energy sector for installation of monopiles, jackets and turbines.”
**See also: 1 July 2015 Scottish Energy News
Scots engineers claim new double-deck platform jack-up barge could save offshore wind and oil companies $100,000 a day (and create 5,000 new shipbuilding jobs)
21 Nov 2017
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