French offshore contractor Technip named their latest offshore construction vessel today in a ceremony held at Metalships & Docks (MSD) shipyard in Vigo, Spain. The Deep Orient will be dedicated to subsea construction and flexible pipelay projects.
The initial newbuild contracts were agreed in December 2010 and fabrication, as well as assembly, started in mid-2011.
The Deep Orient is equipped with a 250-metric ton main crane, dynamic positioning (DP2) station-keeping capability, two work-class remotely operated vehicles and a large 1,900-m2 deck area for ample storage of equipment while working on remotely located projects. Moreover, she can accommodate 120 people and complies with the latest marine environmental standards.
The Deep Orient will mobilize at Technip’s facility in Le Trait, France before undertaking her first projects in Norway.
Thierry Pilenko, Technip Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “The introduction of the Deep Orient is the latest initiative in offering our clients a fit-for-purpose fleet to help them with their projects. Today, Technip has the capabilities to answer the industry’s needs, from deep to shore. The Deep Orient confirms our integrated services strategy for offshore field development, subsea construction, fabrication and installation of submarine pipes across the world.”
Alain Marion, Technip Senior Vice President Subsea Assets and Technologies, said: “After two years of great work with MSD teams, we are now very excited to welcome the Deep Orient to our fleet as the quality and performance of this new deepwater construction vessel will add further capabilities to the wide range of services we already offer our clients.”
Manuel Rodriguez, President of MSD, declared: “The Deep Orient is once again a great success for the shipyard, which benefits from many years of experience in building ships operating all over the world. The close collaboration with Technip right from the beginning of the project has, without a doubt, been the key to achieving this magnificent result. One of the crucial aspects all along the building process of this vessel was the constant control of all the safety rules.”
