Louisiana-based offshore vessel firm Harvey Gulf International Marine has delivered the first of two new, large-capacity multi purpose support vessels (MPSV).
The delivery follows recent proposals by the US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) to overrule previous rulings seen as inconsistent with the enforcement of the Jones Act and that allowed the use of foreign-flag vessels for subsea construction, and inspection, repair and maintenance activities.
The Harvey Sub-Sea and sister vessel Harvey Blue-Sea were designed by VARD Marine and built at Florida-based Eastern Shipbuilding.
The Harvey Sub-Sea MPSV is equipped with a 250-ton knuckle boom, heave-compensated crane with 4000ft of wire. The crane’s winch is below deck, expanding its lifting capacity and enabling loads of 107-ton to be delivered to water depths of 12,000ft. The Harvey Sub-Sea has 150 berths, all in one or two-person rooms, 13,000sq ft. of deck space and a 24ft x 24ft moon pool. It has a S61 (Heavy) Helideck and meets ABS DP2, SPS Code and MLC 2006 certification requirements, among many others.
"The Harvey Sub-Sea adds to the Jones Act-qualified fleet in the Gulf of Mexico and will be able to perform field development activities that are currently being performed by a foreign fleet," says Harvey Gulf.
Harvey Gulf says there's been a industry-wide US$2 billion investment since 2009 to ensure the Jones Act fleet has capacity to meet the needs of the offshore industry.
“Today ends the debate as to whether the US Jones Act fleet of MPSV’s is capable of doing work that foreign vessels have been doing illegally in the Gulf for many years. The Harvey Sub-Sea has the size, crane capacity, deck space, accommodation, equipment, and station keeping capability equivalent to, or better than, her foreign competitors,” said Shane Guidry, chairman and CEO of Harvey Gulf. “The Harvey Sub-Sea can perform a broad spectrum of subsea installations and removals, inspection, repair and floatel services. It can be equipped to lay umbilicals and cables and perform well-intervention and hydrate remediation operations. If there is a MPSV job needed in the Gulf, she can do it.”