Russia Asks for Badass Arctic Supply Boats, Helsinki Shipyard Delivers

Rendering of the NB-506, image via Arctech

The hull assembly of arctic offshore vessel NB 507 was started at the Keel Laying Ceremony at Helsinki Shipyard 3 July 2012. The ship is the sister vessel of NB 506 that was launched on Saturday 30 June. Both offshore vessels are being built for Russian shipowner, Sovcomflot, and will be delivered in spring 2013.

Both vessels for Sovcomflot will be similar measuring 99.9 meters in length and 21.7 meters in breadth. Their four engines have the total power of 18,000 kW and the propulsion power of 13,000 kW. These vessels have been designed for extreme environmental conditions and they will be operating in thick drifting ice in temperatures as cold as minus 35 C°.  The main purpose for these vessels is to supply the Berkut gas production platform and to protect it from the ice.

The keel laying at Helsinki Shipyard followed old traditions. The first block of 260 tons, that was set on the keel, has been manufactured and outfitted in Helsinki. The block comprises pump room and bottom and side tanks. The blocks of the ship have been built together with Vyborg Shipyard. 20 of the blocks have been built in Vyborg and one in Helsinki.

Esko Mustamäki, the Managing Director of Arctech Helsinki Shipyard comments, ”The building of the ships has proceeded as planned and the whole staff is employed in the projects. Also our third project, the building of icebreaking rescue vessel, has started at Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad. The hull will be shipped to Helsinki for outfitting and finalizing works in spring 2013.”

Arctech has been responsible of the design and procurement of both vessels as well as of the main parts of the building: block outfitting, paintings, hull assembly, outfitting and commissioning. NB 506 will be ready for delivery in December 2012 and NB 507 in April 2013. After the delivery the vessels will go to Far East Russia, where they will serve the Arkutun-Dagi oil and gas field, part of the Sakhalin-1 project.

The icebreaking capability of the vessels is extremely high, they are able to operate independently in 1.7 meter thick ice. As multipurpose vessels, these vessels are capable of carrying various type of cargo and they are equipped for oil combating, fire fighting, and rescue operations. The rescue capacity is for 195 persons.

Once built, the gravity-based structure at Arkutun-Dagi, named Berkut, will be an ice-resistant fixed platform designed to safely operate year-round in a seismically active area and able to withstand winter temperatures of 44 C° below zero, waves up to 18 meters and sea ice of up to two meters thick.

Once the topsides are mounted onto the gravity based structure in 2013, Berkut will be the largest oil and gas offshore production platform in Russia.

Subscribe for Daily Maritime Insights

Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update

— trusted by our 109,145 members