PGS names third and highest spec Ramform

The third of geoscience firm PGS' four Ramform new-build Titan-class seismic acquisition vessels, the Ramform Tethys, has been named at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Shipbuilding Co. yard in Nagasaki, Japan.

PGS' two first Ramform Titan-class vessels, the Ramform Titan and the Ramform Atlas were delivered in 2013 and 2014.

The Ramform Tethys, and the Ramform Hyperion, the fourth in the series, will improve on the two earlier vessels due to small modifications of equipment handling on the back deck and an increase in engine power to 26,400 kW from 23,040 kW on the first two Ramform Titan-class vessels, says PGS.

"With the increased power output and the back deck modifications we are enhancing the Ramform Titan-class acquisition platform further. Productivity, safety, stability and redundancy are the key benefits of these vessels. Their ability to tow many streamers gives high data quality with dense cross-line sampling and cost efficient acquisition with wide tows," says Per Arild Reksnes, EVP Operations.   

PGS bills the Ramform Tethys as the most powerful and efficient marine seismic acquisition vessel in the world, and along with the Ramform Titan and Ramform Atlas, the widest ships ever at the waterline.

The design combines advanced maritime technology and GeoStreamer seismic acquisition technology. The vessel's 70m broad stern is fully exploited with 24 streamer reels: 16 reels aligned abreast and eight reels further forward, with capacity for 12km streamers on each reel.

This gives the Ramform Tethys flexibility and redundancy for high capacity configurations, says PGS. Increased work space and advanced equipment handling mean safer and even more robust operations. The Ramform concept design is made by Roar Ramde.

Ramform Tehthys carries over 6000-ton of fuel and equipment. She will typically tow a network of several hundred thousand recording sensors over an area greater than 12sq km, equivalent to nearly 1200 soccer pitches, or 3.5 times Central Park.

For PGS and its clients, more rapid deployment and retrieval of equipment, as well as greater operational capacity will translate into faster completion of surveys and increased uptime in marginal weather. The period between major yard stays is also extended by approximately 50%.

Jon Erik Reinhardsen, President and CEO of PGS says: "The Ramform Tethys further strengthens our fleet productivity and together with the other Ramform Titan-class vessels will enhance our competitive edge. In the current challenging market environment we also experience more demand for our best capacity and Ramform Tethys will add to PGS ultra-high-end value proposition."

Seismic data acquisition markets were among the earliest to be hit by the oil price downturn. PGS cold-stacked its Ramform Explorer and Challenger vessels, as well as the Ramform Viking. It also agreed a deal to postpone the delivery of the fourth Ramform Titan-class vessel, Ramform Hyperion, to Q1 2017, instead of Q3 2016, to reduce 2016 capex outlay. 

However, the firm has said multi-client sales have remained “solid.” PGS also entered “attractive charter agreements” for two vessels, the Sanco Sword and Sanco Swift. PGS says the move was to “position our fleet for the future and address the industry’s vessel oversupply.”