The summer of 2007 a unique offshore vessel will set sail. With a length of 225 meters, the “Audacia” is a deep-sea pipelay vessel that can be qualified as large to gigantic. It is the first vessel that lays out the pipeline over the bow. Two years of conversion preceded its christening on 8 May 2007. During that time, Imtech Marine & Offshore among others converted a huge bulk carrier into an advanced offshore vessel: a superb performance in terms of the time it took to complete the project and the application of innovative techniques.

Imtech Marine & Offshore received the commission from Allseas, a world leader in the installation of offshore oil and gas pipelines. “In light of the booming oil business, Allseas wanted to put a new vessel into service in record time,” says Cor van Miltenburg, BU Director. “Of all the special expertise we brought to bear, I’ll mention the most important. The propulsion package we implemented in a consortium with Wärtsila. A special element of this is the dynamic positioning system, which uses thrusters assisted by advanced electronics to allow the ship to follow exactly the prescribed path for the pipelaying.”

Transfer speed
“We also took care of all the automation, navigation and communication equipment, and the frequency-regulated systems for the thrusters and the pipelaying system,” continues Mr Van Miltenburg. “These ensure that the pipeline remains stable during the entire process, from the welding path to the sea bottom. What is unique to the ‘Audacia’ is that the pipeline is set into the sea over the bow using the stinger. In this way, it was able to keep its original stern with its fast propulsion. The ‘Audacia’ can thus head off to a new pipeline laying location anywhere in the world.”

In-depth know-how
In a partnership with GTI, the complete installation was projected and completed with 300,000 man-hours. Through this remarkable performance Imtech Marine & Offshore demonstrated that it is capable of mobilising an enormous crew of skilled specialists in a short period of time; that it can produce materials quickly and in a custom-made manner; and that it has in-depth know-how of innovative automation systems. “And we’re in line for a follow-up commission from Allseas, the ‘Piete Schelte’. That’s the largest work vessel that has ever been built in the world!” says Mr Van Miltenburg.