Supplier (ship type)
As utilities (ger .: supply vessels) is called in civilian shipping vessels , the support of drilling rigs and similar bodies at sea (offshore - German "outside the territorial waters lying") are used. They ensure the protection of the drilling rigs and their supply of material and are used to move them to new locations. They are equipped with powerful machines to withstand the adverse weather conditions that often prevail in the areas of the offshore drilling rigs. They often have several bow thrusters .
The United States Code defines an "offshore supply vessel" as follows:
'offshore supply vessel' means a motor vessel that regularly carries goods, supplies, individuals in addition to the crew, or equipment in support of exploration, exploitation, or production of offshore mineral or energy resources.
"'Offshore supplier' means a motor ship that regularly transports goods, supplies, people in addition to the crew, or equipment to support the exploration, development or extraction of offshore mineral or energy resources."
Various types of ships are used for these tasks, including a .:
- Platform Supply Vessels (PSV)
- pure material transporters that transport the required materials and equipment to the drilling rigs
- Anchor Handling Tugs (AHT)
- Anchor-handling tugs used when towing oil rigs
- Anchor Handling Tugs Supply (AHTS)
- combined anchor-handling tug / material transporter
- Standby vessels
- Security ships that secure the waters around the drilling rigs and are used to rescue people.
There are also other special ships, e.g. B. Diver support ships or pipeline installers.
In the 1970s and 1980s, German shipping companies (including VTG AG , DDG Hansa , Unterweser Reederei and T&S ) were heavily involved in the utility business. Various shipping companies are currently active in this business area. The Hamburg company Harms Bergung operated a fleet of several AHT. Harms' two strongest ships, Uranus and Orcus , were among the strongest AHT in the world with a bollard pull of 280 tons. ER Offshore , a company of the ER Schiffahrt group , operated a fleet of 11 PSV. The company started in 2007 with the three second-hand PSV ER Kristiansand , ER Arendal and ER Bergen , which were previously in use for Harms Bergung under the names Centaurus , Aelous and Cerberus .
See also
- Vard AS , shipyard specialized in utilities
- Far Samson , the world's most powerful anchor-handling tug (March 2015)