One of the four transport operations undertaken in 2016 by Dockwise for the Clair Ridge project. (Photograph: PAS Publicaties)
DUTCH HEAVY TRANSPORT OPERATORS CONTINUE TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE by Paul Schaap, PAS Publicaties
Despite the continuing recession in the oil and gas industry, once again in 2016, Dutch heavy transport operators successfully carried out a series of remarkable projects. These successes were not unique to the top segment of the sector, but were also enjoyed by the project cargo sector. A new market segment for these operators is the offshore wind energy sector. Just like in previous years, market leader Dockwise, a subsidiary of Royal Boskalis Westminster, hit the headlines again in 2016 by carrying out a number of eye-catching transport orders. In April and May, four heavy-lift vessels were deployed to transport a series of large modules, weighing between 4,400 and 10,000 tonnes, for the Clair Ridge project. The journey took the modules from South Korea to a location to the west of the Shetland Islands, and was undertaken by the heavy-lift vessels Triumph, Talisman, Transshelf and Mighty Servant 1. The modules were subsequently installed in the Clair field by the semisubmersible crane vessel Thialf, operated by Heerema 26
NETHERLANDS SUPPLIERS CATALOGUE 2017
Marine Contractors. One year previously, the heavy-lifters Black Marlin and Mighty Servant 3 had already transferred three modules from South Korea to the Clair field, where they too were installed by the Thialf. Following a number of very impressive transport operations in 2015, including the transfer of the Goliat FPSO and the Armada Intrepid FPSO, the world’s largest heavy-transport vessel, the Dockwise Vanguard was deployed in 2016 to transport a number of semi-submersible drilling rigs, including the Ocean Endeavour, from Constanta in Rumania to Palermo on Sicily. In June, the Transporter was deployed by Dockwise to move the brand-new jack-up drilling rig Maersk Highlander
