North Sea: Subsea 7’s Diving Support Vessel Completes its’ First Diving Project for Shell

Subsea 7’s new diving support vessel (DSV), the ‘Seven Atlantic’, one of the largest and most capable DSVs in the world, has completed her first diving project for Shell in the Southern sector of the UK North Sea.

The Seven Atlantic has been working in the Southern sector for Shell as well as completing various inspection tasks in the Dutch sector of the North Sea, since commencing work on the 26th of March 2010. The vessel has completed 80 saturation dives and 10 surface (air) dives as part of its first workscope.

The Seven Atlantic is being utilised to service the long-term underwater services contract Subsea 7 holds with Shell Entities, operating in Europe, for inspection, repair and maintenance programmes and for some of Shell’s capital projects and decommissioning works, across its offshore fields and facilities.

Steph McNeill, Vice President for Subsea 7’s UK region, commented:

“Everyone is very pleased with the Seven Atlantic’s performance so far. The vessel was built to have an exceptionally good sea keeping capability and has already successfully demonstrated this ability by holding station, landing helicopters and continuing to work in the extreme sea conditions experienced on her first project. She is built and equipped for at least 60 days at-sea endurance and she is demonstrating her ability and efficiencies to complete work faster than many comparable vessels.

We look forward to working with Shell, and our other clients who will utilise this vessel, in the safe and timely delivery of the various work scopes this vessel will undertake over the next few years.”

Another of the company’s new additions to its fleet, the Normand Subsea remotely operated vehicle support vessel (ROVSV), went into service for Shell at the end of 2009.

Investment in the new vessels is part of an ongoing capital investment programme of over US $1bn in new assets and equipment which has seen seven vessels join the existing fleet since 2006. The eighth, the Seven Pacific pipelay and construction vessel, is expected to be delivered at the end of 2010.

The Seven Atlantic is a next generation dynamically positioned vessel specifically designed for saturation and air diving support work. The integrated saturation system has a capacity for 24 divers using a twin bell system, is built to NORSOK requirements and is configured for split level diving with advanced standards of comfort and safety for the divers. The vessel can accommodate up to 174 people (including divers). In addition, there is a twin work station integrated air-dive system for shallow diving which can also be conducted utilising Subsea 7’s MCA certified Seven Spray air-dive support craft, deployed from the Seven Atlantic.

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Source: Subsea 7, May 10, 2010;