McDermott’s ‘DLV 2000’ almost ready for Ichthys

McDermott, a U.S.-based offshore engineering and construction company, is set to take delivery of a high-specification deepwater derrick lay vessel from Singapore’s Keppel.

The derrick lay vessel, which is built to Keppel’s proprietary design, was named DLV 2000 during a ceremony held on Thursday. The first project DLV 2000 will be deployed for is the INPEX Ichthys gas field project offshore Western Australia.

According to Keppel, DLV 2000 has been designed with enhanced features to work in water depths of up to 10,000 feet and in severe weather conditions. The vessel was built by Keppel’s subsidiary Keppel Singmarine, which has so far delivered more than 400 vessels.

Developed by Keppel’s design arm, Marine Technology Development, Keppel says that DLV 2000 is capable of achieving efficient pipelay rates for long trunklines and operating in severe weather conditions while maintaining significant thrust output and power distribution. Although DLV 2000 is designed to carry out pipelaying using the S-lay installation method, the vessel has the flexibility to accommodate a deepwater, 500-tonne flex-lay system that can be installed as needed, Keppel promises.

Work in Australia

As part of the contract with Japan’s INPEX at the Ichthys project in Australia, the DLV 2000 will be installing large subsea spools, laying infield umbilicals and lifting several subsea distribution units that will provide the hydraulic, chemical and electrical distribution from the umbilicals to the subsea drill centers. The DLV 2000 will join the project in May 2016 and it will be there for several months.

Work is expected to be performed in conjunction with McDermott’s other new subsea installation vessel, the Construction Support Vessel 108 (CSV 108), that is already working on the project.

Once done with Ichthys, the DLV 2000 will remain in Australia supporting a transportation and installation contract awarded by Woodside for the Greater Western Flank Phase 2 Project. The installation will occur approximately 20 miles from the Goodwyn A platform located in the North West Shelf region off Western Australia.

Offshore Energy Today Staff