ESVs – what are the advantages?

Remedial Offshore says that ESVs will be able to carry out a wide range of work offshore, such as: well intervention, including coiled tubing (CT) work; hydraulic workovers; E-line and slick-line work; stimulation treatments (acidising or fracturing); cementing; plug & abandon; sidetracking (horizontal or CT drilling); facility upgrades; water-handling; compressor upgrades; maintenance; painting and sandblasting; wellhead repair; pneumatic system upgrades; and construction work such as platform installation. In addition, they can be used for accommodation; commissioning and decommissioning; platform tie-ins; pipeline repairs; pipeline pigging and tie-ins; and brownfield development.

The advantages of the ESV concept include:

• global deployment in a vast number of mature basins

• can work in nominal water depths to 100m (325ft)

• self-propelled (7 knots), eliminating need for tugs or anchor-handling vessels

• can carry more than 3,000 tons/2,722 tonnes of variable load

• high-capacity (308 tons/280 tonnes) pedestal crane on a traversing gantry that does not obstruct equipment on the large, open deck of 930m² (10,000ft²)

• self-elevating, which enhances safety, extends the weather window and optimises crane lift capability

• includes an electric 500 kip ‘doubles’ workover rig. OSJ