Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) announced yesterday that it was recently contracted to assist with the repair and maintenance of a semi-submersible drilling rig in the Mediterranean. Boskalis’ share of the project has been successfully completed.
Boskalis subsidiary Dockwise was contracted to provide an innovative form of dry docking as part of the repair project. Due to the size of the rig and the lack of a large enough dry dock in the region, the innovative solution to dry dock on the Dockwise Vanguard was offered.
The Dockwise Vanguard is uniquely positioned for this type of large scale dry docking as well as the transportation of very large and heavy structures. The drilling rig was loaded onto the Dockwise Vanguard allowing inspection and repairs to be made in areas of the rig that are otherwise below the waterline.
Also assisting in the project was Boskalis subsidiary SMIT, providing underwater inspection and temporary repairs prior to loading the vessel onto the Dockwise Vanguard.
Boskalis views this project as strategically important demonstrating the opportunities for combining maritime services and assets across the breadth of the company. Furthermore, the use of the Dockwise Vanguard for dry docking purposes shows the versatility of the vessel. Initially positioned for the heavy marine transport of large integrated structures, the recently announced transportation of a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading unit (FPSO) and this successful dry docking demonstrate the broader potential of the vessel.
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Boskalis, August 9, 2013