Wärtsilä will supply the design and propulsors/positioning system for a series of two new flexible pipe laying vessels (PLVs) for advanced operations. The vessels are to be built at the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyard in the Republic of Korea. The owner and operator of the vessels is a joint venture formed between France-based energy industry company, Technip and the Brazilian oil & gas industry company, Odebrecht Óleo & Gás (OOG). The vessels will work on a long-term charter in Brazilian waters for Petrobras.
The contract represents a major breakthrough for Wärtsilä Ship Design in Brazil and is further recognition of Wärtsilä's leading position in ship design with one of the world's major shipyards. The new VS 4146 PLV design has been tailored to the stringent requirements of both the owners and Petrobras. The vessels, which have a high pipe lay tension capacity of 550 tons, are designed to achieve optimal fuel consumption in the design conditions, and to meet the need for efficient flexible pipe laying operations. They will be utilized mainly to install umbilical and flexible flow lines and risers to connect sub-sea wells to floating production units in waters more than 2,500m deep. "The selection of Wärtsilä Ship Design for this important and challenging project reflects our strong global track record in designing state-of-the-art pipe laying vessels," says Riku-Pekka Hägg, Vice President Ship Design, Wärtsilä Ship Power. "These ships will be a high profile representation of our capabilities in this area for oil and gas companies operating in Brazilian waters."
DSME, Technip, and OOG are all existing customers of Wärtsilä having earlier ordered equipment and/or design services for numerous new build projects.