Brazil: Aliança Shipyard Hosts Naming Ceremony for CBO Flamengo

The “CBO Flamengo”, the first Brazilian built platform supply vessel (PSV) of the PX105 design from ULSTEIN, was named in a formal ceremony at the Aliança shipyard in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro, on 16 August.

After her delivery on 30 August, the vessel started operations for Petrobras. Another three PSVs with the same design are being built at the shipyard.

The vessel is designed for a flexible transportation of bulk and general cargo to installations offshore, and the contract with ULSTEIN includes the deliveries of design, engineering, main equipment and commissioning follow-up. Ulstein Design & Solutions provides offshore design, equipment and project teams to assignments worldwide.

The “CBO Flamengo” is the fifth ULSTEIN designed PSV delivered to CBO since 2006. CBO, Companhia Brasileira de Offshore, is an offshore shipowner founded in 1978 with a current fleeet of 19 vessels. CBO is a subsidiary of Fischer S/A Comercio Industria E Agricultura, and also owns the Aliança shipyard, acquired in 2004.

CBO was the first shipowner who ordered X-BOW® vessels in Brazil, and project manager Ingar Kaldhol at Ulstein Design & Solutions has worked closely with the yard’s project team throughout the whole process.

“We are very pleased with the good cooperation. Many of the people involved have been working together since 1998, and we know each other well. ULSTEIN is recognized for its good designs. CBO is a company that takes pride in being innovative and looking for new and better solutions. They prefer quality over low cost, and build high quality vessels”, Mr. Kaldhol says, and continues:

“The main challenge is to make sure that the equipment is delivered on time. Import regulations in Brazil are challenging and the process time consuming”.

Larger vessels

CBO already has two ULSTEIN designed PSVs in their fleet, delivered in 2006 and 2007 and another two PSVs of the smaller PX106 design. These two, the “CBO Pacifico” and the “CBO Atlantico”, both X-BOW® platforms complying with Petrobras PSV 3000 tender, were built at the Aliança shipyard and delivered in February and in May this year.

The “CBO Flamengo” is a larger vessel of PX105 design that complies with the PSV 4500 tender. She is 88.8 metres long and has a total capacity of 4,500 tons. The second PSV of the PX105 design, identical to the “CBO Flamengo” and already named “CBO Copacabana”, will be delivered until the end of the year, and another two vessels will be delivered to CBO in 2013.

It was back in 2009 that CBO ordered a total of four PSVs of the ULSTEIN design. In 2011 the company decided to order another two vessels of the larger PX105 design. All the 6 vessels will be working on 8 year contracts for Petrobras with options for extensions. The company needed larger ships that could adapt to more and more complex operations, further away from shore, and at the same time provide safe and high quality services in sensitive marine environments. The vessels are built for a crew of 12-15 people.

Mr. Marcelo Martins, CBO’s production manager, explains:

“The ULSTEIN design was chosen because we found it the most adequate in complying our needs. CBO wanted flexibility and size. During a process like this, problems always occur, but we have found good solutions and good equipment, Mr. Marcelo Martins says.

Other Norwegian suppliers are also involved in the projects. Rolls-Royce is supplying Thrusters and DP-systems, Aeron air-conditioning and cooling-systems, RM has supplied some interior, Noreq is providing safety equipment and Ulstein Power & Control the automation, navigation and communication systems. The cooperation has also brought ULSTEIN new knowledge and competence.

According to a press release dated April last year, the contracts for the two last PSVs, to be delivered in 2013, are worth approximately NOK 150 million. The total value of the contracts are not known, but they are of great significance to ULSTEIN. According to COO Tore Ulstein it is “important that a trendsetting company like CBO has chosen ULSTEIN and the PX105 design for its fleet development”.

With the current trend of oil and gas production taking place ever further from land, the demand for large platform supply vessels (PSVs) is increasing, and according to Ulstein Group the size and versatility of these vessels make them suitable for many markets and operations.

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Source: ulsteingroup, September 4, 2012; Image: ulsteingroup