MAY 3, 2013 — IHC Merwede has today successfully launched Subsea 7's 550 t pipelaying vessel, Seven Waves, at its shipyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel, The Netherlands. The ship will be used in the develoment of Brazilian deepwater oilfieldson behalf of Petrobras.

The Seven Waves is the fifth vessel ordered by Subsea 7 from IHC Merwede's Offshore division.

IHC Offshore & Marine designed the ship in close cooperation with Subsea 7. She will have an overall length of 146 m, a beam of 30 m and a Class-2 dynamic positioning system. The vessel is equipped with a vertical (tiltable) lay system -- with 550 t top tension capacity -- and twin ROVs. She is fitted with two under-deck storage carousels, with a capacity for 2,500 t and 1,500 t of product respectively. The lay tower can operate at an angle of up to 10° and is fitted with: two tensioners, each with a 275t capacity, which can both be retracted clear of the firing line, and two wire centralizers.

The keel-laying ceremony was held one month ahead of schedule and the delivery of the vessel will be as planned in the first half of 2014.

"The order of a fifth offshore vessel from Subsea 7 is indicative of the successful working relationship that has developed between the two companies," says Arjan Klijnsoon, Managing Director of IHC Merwede's Offshore division. "IHC Merwede is valued as a reliable and efficient supplier of four of its existing fleet of innovative vessels, and these are already clear examples of the pioneering role played by both parties."

Subsea 7 Chief Operating Officer John Evans said: "The Seven Waves will mark the next chapter in our Brazilian operation as the first of a new generation of high tension pipelayers contracted to Petrobras. This is a significant milestone in our relationships with both the yard and with our client."

SEVEN WAVES
Type 550 t pipelaying vessel
Length overall 145.9 m
Breadth molded 29.9 m
Depth main deck 13 m
Draft (operational) 7.2 m
Draft (max) 8.3 m
Deadweight (operational) 7,025 t
Deadweight (max) 11,312 t
Accommodations 120 people