‘Pieter Schelte’ to leave S. Korea within days, Allseas President says

October 29, 2014

Pieter Schelte, the world’s largest platform installation / decommissioning and pipelaying vessel, is expected to leave South Korea within days, said Edward P. Heerema. Heerema is the founder of Allseas Group, the Swiss-based company specialising in offshore pipeline installation and subsea construction.

The vessel is expected to arrive in Rotterdam, the Netherlands in late December 2014, where it will undergo final outfitting, Heerema said during a conference at the Offshore Energy 2014 Exhibition and Conference, being held in Amsterdam.

The vessel, built by Daewoo Heavy Industries in South Korea, will stay in Rotterdam for around three months before sailing away to do a pipelaying work for the South Stream project in the Black Sea.

Allseas awarded the contract for building the 382 m long, 124 m wide dynamically positioned (DP) vessel in June 2010.

Positioned at the bow of the vessel is a slot, 122 m long and 59 m wide, where topsides are lifted using eight sets of horizontal lifting beams. Two tilting lift beams, for the installation or removal of jackets, are located at the vessel’s stern. The tilting lift beams are also used for regular crane lifts, such as for the installation or removal of modules, bridges etc.

Big sister

When asked about the rumors that Allseas is considering construction of an even larger vessel than Pieter Schelte, Edward P. Heerema confirmed that the company is weighing its options and is seriously considering moving to building the behemoth sister vessel to Pieter Schelte.

The vessel would be 400 meters long and 160 meters wide, with a capacity to lift topsides weighing 77.000 tonnes.

Heerema then said that the vessel would be able to handle the largest platforms such as Gullfaks and Troll in the Norwegian North Sea.

No information on when the new vessel could become operational was given, but according to a recent report by Offshore Holland magazine, the giant sister vessel of Pieter Schelte could begin its first work in 2020.

Offshore Energy Today Staff