Stapem Offshore takes delivery of new dive support vessel for Angolan ops

Paris-based Stapem Offshore has taken delivery of an Incat Crowther-designed catamaran dive support vessel.

Incat Crowther said on Wednesday that the vessel, named Stapem Beluga, was the first of two ABS-classed 18-meter catamaran dive support vessels built by Legacy Marine for Stapem Offshore.

According to Incat, the Marshal Island-flagged vessel will operate in the coastal waters of Angola in support of oil and gas exploration and production.

The aft exterior deck utilizes available space by combining deck lockers and racks for diving equipment storage with a covered dive prepping area. The vessel has four fold-down dive ladders for water access, three swing davits for assisting divers, and one three-tonne hydraulic deck crane for additional operational support.

The bow design is configured for interaction with personal transfer ladders of offshore FPSOs and platforms. The main cabin has seating for fourteen persons and also an SL3 diving operations panel for monitoring dive operations.

Achieving speeds in excess of 20 knots, the vessel is powered by two MAN D2876LE402 main engines, each coupled to a Hamilton HJ403 waterjet.

Electrical power for the 18.7-meter-long vessel and all dive operations is provided by two generators. Other items fitted below deck include a diesel-engine driven hydraulic power unit for powering the deck crane, a caviblaster system, low-pressure compressor, and subsea tool system.