NEWS
Cat Survey Vessel to Global Geophysical
The 140 ft. catamaran seismic survey vessel Ms. Cordelia was recently delivered to Global Geophysical Services, Houston, TX. The all aluminum vessel was converted from a prototype high speed low wake passenger ferry that had not been completed or put in service. The conversion design and engineering was done by the naval architectural firm of Guarino & Cox, LLC, Covington, LA. Seacraft Shipyard carried out the conversion work at their facilities in Amelia, LA. The unfinished vessel was considered an ideal candidate to be converted for its intended use primarily due to the large deck area available and its shallow draft. The Ms. Cordelia will be capable of performing inshore shallow water seismic survey work laying and retrieving cables in as little as six feet of water. Because of the generous deck area of the catamaran it was possible to use removable container modules that not only facilitated the conversion but also enhanced the vessel's ability to be easily reconfigured for equipment upgrades or modified for other missions. The slender catamaran demi-hulls make the vessel extremely fuel efficient at a continuous cruising speed of 12 knots and comfortable in the short steep waves
often found in inshore locations. The major modification to the hull form was the removal of the large water jets originally installed and altering the stern lines to utilize conventional propellers in shallow tunnels. A continuous maximum speed of 15 knots is obtained through this arrangement with power provided by two new 700shp Lugger diesel main engines engines. An operating speed of 2 to 3 knots was a requirement during deployment and retrieval of the special cables
used while surveying. This would normally be impossible to achieve with the easily driven catamaran form but the naval architects of Guarino & Cox devised a scheme using oversized independent rudders capable of being splayed outboard up to 60 degrees that deflect the propeller wash and act as water brakes. This has proven to be very effective and is much less expensive than other potential solutions such as controllable pitch propellers. Global's growing fleet now consists of
eight seismic survey vessels with the addition of the MS. Cordelia. The company provides seismic survey services domestically and world wide on land and offshore and is known for their ReservoirGrade 3D (RG3D) seismic surveys. Meeting their global commitment included substantially increasing the vessel's fuel and fresh water capacity during the conversion to provide sufficient range for overseas assignments and enable it to remain at work for extended periods.
Two more KTA19 engines, rated at 500 hp, will power hydraulic pumps; another two KTA19 engines will power water pumps and a single KTA19 runs an electrical generator. In addition to the main propulsion engines three electric-over-hydraulic azimuthing propellers, two aft one foreword, provide fine maneuvering propulsion. The dredge's 1.2-m rotating dredge head, turning at 12 rpm, will feed ore into 16-in. suction pipes with a 1,000 hp Cummins KTA38 with 3:1 reduction providing the suction to move ore to the 32 separators. In the separators water and vibration will be used to produce a concentrate that is primarily tin with several other minerals present in lesser amounts.
BC Ferry Launched
In mid-April the first of three double-end ferries for British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. (BC Ferries) was launched from Flensburg. Delivery is planned for September 2007. BC Ferries owns approximately 35 ferries operating on 28 different routes -- transporting approximately 22 million passengers and 8.6 million vehicles annually -- on the Pacific coast of Canada, The three new Super C-Class ferries will operate on various routes on the Coast of British Columbia.
The main parameters of the ship are: Length, o.a. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 m Breadth, o.a. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28.2 m Draft, design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.8 m Main Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 x 11,000 kW Crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Passengers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1650 max. Service speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21.7 knots Vehicle capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .370 cars Lane meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2,020 lm
Dominion to Sell Offshore E&P Ops for $4.7B
Dominion agreed to sell its offshore natural gas and oil exploration and production operations to Eni Petroleum for approximately $4.76b. These operations include approximately 967 billion cu. ft. equivalent of proved natural gas and oil reserves in the Gulf of Mexico shelf and deepwater as of Dec. 31, 2006, with 2006 average daily production of approximately 503 million cu. ft. equivalent. "Today's announcement is a significant step in Dominion's previously announced strategic plan to refocus on the power generation and energy distribution, transmission, storage and retail businesses," said Chairman, President and CEO Thomas F. Farrell II. "Dominion has been extremely successful in the E&P business, but that success has not been fully reflected in our share price."
16 · MarineNews · May, 2007
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