Helix Energy Solutions Group's dedicated DP3 well intervention unit, the Q5000, semisubmersible entered service last week and is currently on hire for an unnamed client in the Gulf of Mexico, the company announced on 27 October.
Helix took delivery of the semisub in May, and the unit arrived in the US Gulf of Mexico in early August for final commissioning. Helix said in February of this year that its contract with BP, which was slated to begin in Q3 2015, will now begin April 2016. The overall contract period remains at five years, with a minimum of 270 days annually, and an option to renew, Helix said.
“The successful deployment of the Q5000 is the culmination of a three-year effort on the part of our organization to launch a second semisubmersible purpose-built well intervention asset after the Q4000," said Owen Kratz, president and CEO, Helix. "We are pleased that we are able to put the vessel into service in advance of the long-term contract that commences next April for BP. The vessel is contracted with another client after the current short term project is completed and we are seeking additional opportunities to put the Q5000 to work in advance of its long-term commitment.”
Built at Jurong Shipyard in Singapore, the Q5000 DP3 well intervention semisubmersible is a second-generation design based on the Helix's Q4000 MODU. The semisub is able to provide a platform for tasks such as including subsea well intervention, field and well decommissioning, installation and recovery of subsea equipment, well testing as well as subsea construction activities.
The Q5000 features a 750-ton tower, a 400-ton capacity deepwater crane, and a 176-ton rated work crane, as well as a 81ft x 26ft moon pool and 23ft x 22ft mechanized fully opening rig floor door, a 7 3⁄8in intervention riser system, two 10,000ft heavy-weather ROV systems, and a variable deck load of 4000-tonne.
Image: Helix Energy Solution’s Q5000 at its fabrication yard in Singapore. Photo by Neil M. Johnston.
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