It’s Good News Monday!
This Monday we talk about:
New power system testing for DP OSVs
bp welcomes completion of Southern Gas Corridor mega-project
N-O-S to Provide Vessels for Ørsted's UK West Coast Wind Farms
VT Halter Marine Preparing Yard for Polar Security Cutter Construction
MENA NOC Charters Gulf Marine Services' Jack-Up Unit
U.S. Navy Names First Female Commanding Officer of a Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier
TechnipFMC Wins Support for Offshore Hydrogen Generation Pilot
Image Credit: Riviera
OneStep Power has been featured in Offshore Support Journal, discussing 2020, our new technology, and looking forward. We talk about how we are making it through the pandemic, working remotely, and current challenges. 2020 was quite the shake-up, needing to work remotely early on and improving our technology. We delivered our DC Cross-connections Short Circuit Under Test or DCShortCUT, in three weeks. Bench testing and detailed planning got the equipment around the world from Houston to Australia right on time, and the project went off without a hitch. Check out the article to learn more about our DCShortCUT technology and how we are innovating during COVID.
Image Credit: bp
The Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) pipeline system has now been completed. It transfers natural gas across seven countries from the Capsian Sea near Azerbaijan to European customers in Italy. The 3,500 kilometer pipeline travels over mountains, under seas, and across nations. 11 companies and over 30,000 people worked to complete the seven year project. The completed pipeline consists of three pipelines, that are each engineering feats on their own: “the expanded South Caucasus Pipeline (SCPx) through Azerbaijan and Georgia, the Trans Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) across Turkey, and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) via Greece and Albania to Italy. ” First gas was scheduled for December 31, and should now be flowing.
Image Credit: Offshore Engineer
Northern Offshore Services has a new contract with Ørsted to give crew transfer support to the UK West Hub. Seven CTVs will be provided over the next three years, starting early 2021 and increasing the number of vessels until summer.
“Howard Shields, Head of UK West Operations at Ørsted, said: ‘Our West coast offshore wind farms have a total capacity of more than 1.8GW and are an important source of clean, renewable electricity. We have an excellent operations team that ensures our offshore wind farms continue to operate efficiently and effectively. A reliable CTV service is a vital tool in maintaining our excellent operational performance track record.’”
Image Credit: gCaptain
VT Halter Marine is preparing to build a next-generation icebreaker for the Coast Guard. Upgrades to their Pascagoula yard should be ready in July, so they can begin construction on the 460-foot PSC, which will set a record for the heaviest vessel built at that yard, 19,000 tons. “The upgrade project began in July 2020 with the removal of 11 launch way rail lines. Crews then dug 1,283 holes that were filled with grout and concrete to serve as new piles. These piles will transfer the PSC’s heavy load to a deeper level than previously possible.” This will be the United States’ first new heavy icebreaker in over 40 years, a $745 million contract for Halter Marine. The Department of Homeland Security program plans to acquire three PSCs for the Coast Guard - the contract contains two options that, if exercised, would take the total contract value to over $1.9B.
Image Credit: Offshore Engineer
UAE-based Gulf Marine Services has acquired a long-term contract for its jack-up, GMS Evolution. The contract came right after a trial of the Cantilever Workover System, which offers unique capabilities and cost benefits. The contract will run from January 2021 to Q4 2022 for an unnamed client, with GMS’s total current backlog at $220.2m. The new system can carry out well workover activities like a drilling rig, but is self-propelled and can move around frequently and easily without the need of tug assistance.
Image Credit: gCaptain
Captain Amy Bauernschmidt will be the first woman to lead one of the Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. She will become the commanding officer of the Nimitz-class USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) next summer. Bauernschmidt is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and attended the United States Naval Academy, graduating in May of 1994. Her class was the first able to serve on combatant ships and aircraft. “She was later designated as a Naval Aviator in 1996 and served with several helicopter squadrons throughout her career, having commanded the “Spartans” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 70 and amphibious transport dock USS San Diego (LPD-22).” She was the first executive officer on an aircraft carrier as well, aboard the Lincoln from 2016 to 2019.
Image Credit: The Maritime Executive
The Norwegian government will help underwrite a new offshore wind storage facility that will produce hydrogen. The “Deep Purple” project will cost $11 million and be led by TechnipFMC, an oil and gas EPC contractor. “Deep Purple would couple an offshore wind farm with a hydrogen electrolysis system, seabed hydrogen storage tanks and a hydrogen fuel cell. Electricity from wind power would be converted into hydrogen, which would be compressed, stored and then used to power fuel cells when more electricity is needed.” Electricity to hydrogen efficiency is around 70%, with hydrogen back to electricity around 60%, so the hydrogen may be pumped to shore rather than used for electricity.
Smile, it’s Good News Monday! :-)