Red7Marine Adds DSV Red7Alliance to Its Fleet

Red7Marine Offshore, the UK’s leading independent air diving provider based in Great Yarmouth and Aberdeen, will add saturation diving to its wide range of offshore and subsea services to the oil & gas and renewables markets with diving support vessel Red7Alliance.

Red7Marine Adds DSV Red7Alliance to Its Fleet

Capable of working worldwide, the vessel will operate from the company’s Great Yarmouth marine base where it is ideally placed for use by companies working in the southern and central North Sea.

Its nearest competitor vessel would have to travel from Aberdeen, Holland or Germany.

Martin Spurr, chairman of Red7Marine Group, said the investment would mean cost-savings for Red7Marine Offshore clients.

“Getting the job done in a timely manner will deliver our clients projects and cut their costs significantly. Sailing a vessel down from Aberdeen for work in the Southern North Sea wastes valuable time and is hugely expensive and therefore basing a dive support vessel in Great Yarmouth will offer significant time and cost-savings for companies working in the Southern North Sea.

“We already have companies waiting to use our services and the vessel will go straight to her first deployment as soon as she arrives in Great Yarmouth.”

But offshore clients were looking for more than convenience and costs, he said.

Having control over the vessel, the quality and reputation of the vessel and its owner and above all, the health and safety record of the service provider are all key considerations for a client when awarding work.”

The “significant investment” in the fleet added to the company’s “already-substantial subsea expertise” and was driven entirely by client demand for more competition from “competent and cost effective providers in the subsea market,” Mr Spurr said.

The acquisition is a milestone for the Red7Marine Group whose turnover has grown tenfold from £5.5m in 2008 when it was formed through the merger of Anglian Marine Services and Haven Ports to over £50m this financial year.

It employs about 100 people around the UK with more than 200 divers, vessel crews and sub-contractors working across its operations at any time.

The acquisition of Red7Alliance means more job opportunities in Red7Marine Offshore, a company established to run the group’s growing range of offshore services.

The company will soon announce key on and offshore job opportunities and services for Red7Alliance when she joins the Dynamic Positioning II vessels Red7 Tonjer and Red7 Reel in the Red7Marine Offshore fleet.

Mr Spurr said quality and safety were Red7Marine Offshore’s key priorities with “an enviable track record and reputation.”

Throughout the years it has invested in the best people and support systems to enable the rapid growth and expansion of the business, always with one eye on entering the saturation diving market.  This legacy has enabled us to support this recent investment into saturation diving.

Although not a new vessel, Red7Alliance – formerly owned by Seamec and Hal Offshore – possessed one of the most sophisticated and reliable saturation diving systems in the market and a track record for reliability that would shame many newer vessels, Mr Spurr said.

Finding a vessel of this quality and capability was the result of a long search around the world and we are delighted to have her in the fleet.

“Offshore clients have very specific requirements and really value a partner that can provide a turnkey solution, particularly when this consists of specialist assets that are owned and controlled by the service provider.

“This is the surest route to being able to deliver a timely and cost efficient project. “

Red7Marine had developed a strategy to offer full services in deeper water including specialist vessels like the Alliance, a full range of diving services, ROVs, and excavation and trenching tools, he added.

“All of this is backed up with very strong engineering capabilities and many years of hard earned experience – a vital requirement of both oil & gas operators including planned deep water Round 3 renewable energy sites – as part of our heavy investment in our offshore services,” he said.

Key features of the 78.3m vessel – purpose-designed for working in close proximity to structures due to her superior station holding capabilities and folding helicopter deck- include a 16-man saturation diving system allowing continuous diving operation, accommodation for 80 people and 140t main deck crane.

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