Americas News
U.S. Company Expands Offshore Fleet with Fuel-Saving Vessels
U.S.-based marine service company Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) says it is expanding its fleet with a new, fuel-efficient class of vessels.
The company's newbuilding order book contains more than 40 vessels, including 17 vessels in a new class of diesel-electric platform supply vessels (PSVs), with an option for 20 more such vessels.
The 312-foot class, with a deadweight tonnage of 6,000 LT, features a hull form designed to minimise fuel use.
"The new series of 312' PSVs under construction represents an evolution of ECO's proven proprietary hull designs," said Dino Chouest, ECO's executive vice president.
"The 312' class meets 100 percent of ECO's customers' requirements for a high deadweight ton capacity, deepwater PSV that is extremely fuel efficient."
The company has also ordered two new high ice class anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels for Artic service, the fifth and sixth icebreaking vessels in the company's fleet, as well as four subsea construction vessels that will serve the Gulf of Mexico area.
ECO said it is also expanding its facilities at Port Fourchon in the Gulf of Mexico, adding a terminal with six covered slips to transfer cargo and service deepwater offshore support vessels that is slated to open by March 2014.
The company is also designing another Port Fourchon terminal that could have up to nine covered slips and working on another terminal project in Brazil.
While the shipping industry continues to face difficult markets, some offshore service vessel (OSV) providers have been seeing an improvement in their industry.
