2009 WORLD YEARBOOK
SHIP REPAIR & CONVERSION
US Army Dredge Repowered
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates two hopper dredges on the west coast of the U.S. to keep shipping channels open. The largest and most modern of them is the Essayons, built by Bath Iron works in Bath, Maine in 1982. Its power plant has been replaced by eight Cat marine engines totaling more than 15,000 kW. The 350 ft. Essayons is based in Portland, Oregon. Its annual schedule includes work in harbors between Alaska and California, as well as Hawaii. The crew routinely work on the edge of shipping channels while commercial ships pass nearby, and also close to jetties, reefs and wrecks, even in marginal weather. The new engine line-up consists of eight Cat marine engines that meet EPA Tier 2 emission standards: four Cat C280-12 main engines, three Cat 3512C gen sets and one Cat C18 emergency genset. Ships' engine rooms are rarely laid out tions with a total makeover of facility services, dredging, bulk heading and facility layout. Relocation of the 8,100 ton dock and two other docks will keep this yard busy with programs for support vessels, liftboat conversions, as well as canal vessel support services. Bollinger Morgan City took delivery of the 5,000 ton dock delivered from Bollinger Marine Fabricators, which gives this facility a wide variety of support for small and large vessels. Premier Explorer completed regulatory inspection and repairs at Bollinger Larose. The Multi-Purpose Support vessel of Louisiana Oilfield Divers completed regulatory docking and repairs at Bollinger's Larose facility prior to returning to work on a variety of subsea projects in the Gulf region. Drydocks World - Dubai, the ship repair, conversion and building subsidiary of Drydocks World, added two new berths to its facility, significantly increasing its conversion capacity. Completed recently, Berths 9 and 10 are now fully operational and have accommodated the 1247 ft. (380 m) long TI Asia, Abuzar and Spring Bow for conversion works. The new FPSO Quay is located on the lee face of the main breakwater, with a total length of 2191 ft. (668 m) and a dredged depth of -11m DMD (Chart Datum) over a length of 2066 ft. (630 m). Each new berth is more than 59m wide and is projected to increase Drydocks World-Dubai's Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) conversion
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capacity by two vessels per year. "Berths 9 and 10 are capable of handling supertanker-size vessels," said Bob Normand, Director of Infrastructure Development, Drydocks World. "The main contractor for the berth design and construction was Dutco Balfour Beatty, working with subcontractors Hills & Fort and Wajdi for the mechanical and electrical works respectively. Scott Wilson Kirkpatrik designed the civil works." The completion of Berths 9 and 10 enable the shipyard to provide more laydown and fabrication areas for the conversion of Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) to FPSOs. FPSOs usually dock for one to two years, occupying crucial yard space for repairing of vessels. The new berths, which currently operate with three cranes provides the much-needed additional space to meet growing customer demand. Berth 10, which is at the seaward end of the quay, became operational on March 23, 2009 with the berthing of an oil tanker now undergoing FPSO conversion. Berth 9 was completed on April 8 and is fully operational for conversion works. The conversion of TI Asia, one of the four largest oil tankers in the world, and Abuzar are major assignments the company has taken up. TI Asia weighs 441,893 metric ton and can carry 3,166,353 barrels. Atlantic Marine Holding Company continued to grow its portfolio with a pair of strategic acquisitions at the end of
Bollinger Fourchon, in the heart of Port Fourchon has taken a step in the right direction with the expansion of its facility to include 1,550 linear feet of dockside space, and the addition of the first commercial drydock in the port. Cat-3512C.
2008. Late last year, J.F. Lehman & Company (Atlantic Marine is a J.F. Lehman portfolio company) acquired Boston Ship Acquisition, LLC (Northeast), a provider of maintenance, repair, overhaul and conversion services for nonU.S. Navy government vessels and cruise ships and operates two large dry-docks in Boston and Philadelphia. Also, it acquired Millennium Industrial and Marine Solutions, a provider of remote, offshore maintenance, repair and overhaul services for offshore rigs, offshore support vessels, drill ships and cruise vessels. Millennium operates in the Gulf of Mexico and numerous international markets, including West Africa, Brazil and Singapore. Atlantic Marine also provides marine fabrication services. The company operates three facilities in Jacksonville, FL, Mobile, AL and on the Naval Station Mayport near Jacksonville. The Northeast acquisition is expected to further diversify Atlantic Marine's business by providing the company access to a new regional market, enhance its position in the non-U.S. Navy government and cruise markets and significantly expand its large dry-dock capacity.
to allow easy replacement of an entire engine. All the piping and wire runs in the forward engine room bulkhead had to be dismantled and an opening cut towards the hopper to prepare for the re-power. After the four old engines had been removed, the new Cat C280-12 engines, weighing a total 40 tons with generator attached, were craned into the hold and skidded into position. The Halton Company, the local Caterpillar dealer, provided consulting services for the installation. The Cat C280-12 is a 222 liter, V-type, 12 cylinder, medium-speed marine engine with electronic ADEM A3 control. It produces 3,460 kW at 900 rpm for continuous service and meets EPA Tier 2 emission standards. The dredge's two outer C280-12 units are fitted with reduction gears turning CP propellers that enable the engines to run at 750-950 rpm while the ship is dredging at 1-2 knots. The two inner units are connected to Kato 600 V generators each producing 3,250 kW of electrical power. The smaller Cat 3512C gen sets are placed in a separate engine room. They
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