Bordelon Marine

BORDELON MARINE

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BORDELON MARINE

I PROFILE

Based on the coast of Louisiana, Bordelon Marine has been providing international offshore support and subsea services for almost 45 years. Thanks to the versatility of its vessels, the company is in the process of diversifying into new sectors. President & CEO Wes Bordelon explained more, in an exclusive interview with Inside Marine. Report by Imogen Ward.

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aving triumphed within the oil and

H

renewables and environmental disaster

gas sector since Bordelon Marine

response, providing it with a dynamic and

was first established in 1979, the

diverse customer base.

in new work.

The versatile Stingray

company has recently noticed an uptick “Our primary market is the oil and gas

In 2011, Bordelon Marine diversified into

space, supporting light construction

shipbuilding with the establishment of its

and IMR work,” President & CEO Wes

subsidiary Bordelon Marine Shipbuilders.

Bordelon explained. “However, with the

With this development came a brand-

recent development of the U.S. wind and

new shipyard built specifically for the

space industries, our available markets

construction of the company’s new

have expanded.”

deepwater vessel, Stingray260.

Over the years, Bordelon Marine has

Currently housing a fleet of three

built up a solid reputation as a privately

Stringray260s, Bordelon Marine values

held vessel owner and operator. As time

these vessels for their adaptability

progressed, the company expanded its

within the market.

capabilities from its initial focus in oil and

“The Stringray260 was designed to be

gas. This enabled the company to explore

versatile, and that is really the essence

various industries, such as military,

of why we have had such great success

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BORDELON MARINE

I PROFILE

with these vessels,” said Mr. Bordelon.

These range from 150 to 180 feet and provide

“When compared to other examples of

a variety of support services, including

light construction vessels currently

construction, decommissioning, explo-

available, the Stingray provides a more

ration, production, and wind farm support.

cost-effective option without sacrificing

Other services in Bordelon Marine’s

the high spec performance that our

offering feature a comprehensive range

subsea customers require.”

of subsea surveyance, maintenance

Exemplifying the capabilities of its Stingray vessels, on a recent project

and inspection, as well as ROV and mobilization services.

Bordelon Marine was able to support node deployment and recovery, in

A collaborative enterprise

a more efficient manner than the standard

Each contract undertaken by Bordelon

larger MPSVs. The Stingray’s convenient

Marine is very much a team effort – from

size was utilized alongside two work

the company’s crucial supply chain to its

class ROVs and a 60-ton subsea AHC

diligent employees.

crane, which allowed for the lowest day rate and fuel consumption.

“Reliable supply chain partners are critical in our daily operations,” said Mr. Bordelon,

Also included in the company’s fleet is one

“especially when it comes to shipbuilding:

survey vessel and six mini supply vessels.

there are thousands of complicated widgets

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(both big and small) that need to come

parency, and the promise to act in an

together, on time and in a well-engineered

ethical way towards employees, the

order. Without a reliable supply chain net-

community, and the environment.

work and engaged technical partners, this is simply impossible.”

The same can be said for everyone that

“At Bordelon, we truly believe in this philosophy and try to create a culture where people can thrive.”

works at Bordelon Marine. Whether on land or out at sea, the company is committed

Exploring new sectors

to developing a positive and supportive

As industry-wide trends focus on the

environment that nurtures and motivates

topic of renewables and green energy,

the passion of all its workforce.

Bordelon recently made the decision to

“A modern company needs to have

expand its capabilities once again.

a genuinely supportive culture that can

According to Mr. Bordelon, the diversifi-

address issues like ‘work life balance’,

cation to wind was quite a simple process:

professional growth, and training,” Mr.

“The wind industry has very similar infras-

Bordelon continued. “This is only achiev-

tructure needs as oil and gas, from survey,

able through communication, trans-

inspection, cable laying, and topside and

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BORDELON MARINE

I PROFILE

subsea construction. Many of these

road that is vastly untraveled, Bordelon

scopes have been common practice in

believes that a commitment from all

this space for decades.”

industry players is required. However, this

Because of these similarities, the

does not come without its challenges.

company has been able to transition its

“Sustainability requires a genuine com-

vessels without too many complications.

mitment to renewable methods, changes

“The true advantage of our Stingray

in future vessel designs, and an acceptance

design is in its ability to support a variety of

of the higher costs that comes with those

work at a lower cost point without sacri-

new systems. It also requires more stringent

ficing technical performance,” Mr. Bordelon

operating procedures to ensure account-

said. “We can provide the state of the art

ability and follow through over time,”

features of a large construction vessel

Mr. Bordelon explained. “The move

in a much smaller and more affordable

towards sustainability has affected the

package. The Stingray’s value becomes

oil and gas industry in a variety of ways.

increasingly apparent over time and after multiple jobs.”

“In the near term, it’s been mostly about the economics, with budgets being

In line with this new focus, Bordelon is

re-allocated to wind and other renew-

implementing a stronger commitment to

ables. But in the long term, the changes

sustainability. Fully aware that it is a long

will be much broader and far reaching,

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affecting operating procedures, equipment

“The oil and gas industry will continue to

and the fundamental standards across

thrive for the foreseeable future, and the

the spectrum of business. Ultimately,

US wind market will eventually take root and

I believe this will be a good thing “

grow over time,” Mr. Bordelon concluded.

With the focus on green energy

“When combined, these industries should

becoming increasingly prevalent, the

provide a robust market for marine service

oil and gas industry has also witnessed

companies going forward. It’s a great

a shortage of competent workers entering

time to be in the boat business, and we

the industry. However, despite this chal-

look forward to utilizing our current fleet

lenge, Bordelon Marine has confidence

and our shipyard to build next generation

when it comes to the future.

vessels for these future markets.”

n

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