Gulf Coast Shipyard Launches First U.S. Built LNG-Powered OSV

Photo courtesy Gulf Coast Shipyard Group

Gulf Coast Shipyard Group has launched the first of six dual-fuel offshore supply vessels for Harvey Gulf International Marine at their facility in Gulfport, Mississippi, marking the first vessel of its kind to be launched in the United States.

Running on cleaner-burning natural gas, the 302-foot OSVs will meet the stringent requirements of the ABS “ENVIRO+, Green Passport” notation, making them the most environmentally friendly OSVs in Gulf of Mexico.

John Dane III, Gulf Coast Shipyard Group’s President and CEO, states, “The launch of the first vessel of its kind in the United States, with another five to follow, demonstrates the commitment both Gulf Coast Shipyard Group and Harvey Gulf have to providing engineering solutions to advance environmental technologies.”

Harvey Gulf CEO, Shane J. Guidry, comments, “Certification of these vessels will be made by the American Bureau of Shipping to achieve ‘ENVIRO+, Green Passport’ status. To meet the criteria, GSCG has met the requirements that the vessel be constructed with environmentally-friendly materials and feature advanced alarm systems. Ultimately, the vessel will also be continuously manned by a certified Environmental Officer.”

Harvey Gulf became the first U.S. operator to order vessels capable of operating solely on natural gas in 2011 when they signed a contract with what was then Trinity Offshore calling for the construction of the first two vessels in the series. An additional four vessels have been added to the order since then.

The first vessel will be moved to GCSG’s newly commissioned space at the Port of Gulfport in mid-March for final completion and testing. The vessel is expected to be christened and pressed into service a few months later.

In addition to the vessels, Harvey Gulf International Marine is also constructing the first LNG bunkerin facility in the United States to be located at its vessel facility in Port Fourchon, LA. The facility will consist of two sites each having 270,000 gallons of LNG storage capacity.

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