Island Offshore’s newly delivered deepwater installation vessel Island Victory has commenced a 60- to 90-day contract for Ocean Installer at Johan Castberg and Askeladd in the Barents Sea
Norwegian oil company Equinor is the end customer for both fields.
“The vessel and its crew have already completed some heavy jobs in the Barents Sea this winter,” said Island Offshore Management managing director Tommy Walaunet. “Island Victory has carried out several pre-lays of anchor systems – jobs where it substituted three vessels alone, proving unparalleled capacity and significant savings both for the customer and for the environment. It also reduces operational risk,” said Mr Walaunet.
At Askeladd, Island Victory will get the chance to showcase its flexibility and capacity within subsea work. The UT 797 CX design installation vessel, delivered by Norwegian shipyard Vard in 2020, has impressive versatility and capability, supported by a large cargo deck area of 1,200 m3, a 250-tonne active heave compensation (AHC) offshore crane, two fully integrated work-class remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and LARS system permanently installed on board for depths up to 4,000 m, bollard pull of 477 tonnes and accommodation for 110.
Scope of work includes installing subsea manifolds and performing extensive survey and subsea activity, using the vessel’s two ROVs and main offshore crane.
At Johan Castberg, Island Victory will install a complete mooring system, including 15 suction anchors and 11.45 m of 170 mm chain. The chain itself weighs about 590 kg per m in air.
Training at simulator centre
In preparation for the work, Ocean Installer’s construction crew and Equinor representatives gathered in March at the Offshore Simulator Centre in Ålesund for co-training with bridge crew and a crane operator from Island Victory. Together they reviewed the comprehensive procedures for the job, and further simulated the upcoming operations and potential scenarios.
“Co-training and familiarisation are valuable to all parties, making the operations significantly safer,” Mr Walaunet added. “Both Island Offshore and client crew are now prepared for the upcoming tasks. Meeting face to face is also of great value as these teams will live and work together under demanding conditions offshore. This way we can align terminology and understanding, ensuring a more co-ordinated team on board,” he emphasised.
© 2023 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.