Rolls-Royce signs major subsea contract

Rolls-Royce has signed a major contract to supply a complete module handling system to the subsea construction vessel Aker Wayfarer.

The vessel was built by Vard Søviknes in 2010 and will now undergo project modification work at Kleven's Myklebust Verft yard in Norway. The contract is with Ocean Yield ASA, and the vessel is under long-term charter with AKOFS Offshore.

The £24 million contract marks the largest single subsea vessel project ever undertaken by Rolls-Royce.

The 157m long, 16,000 t Aker Wayfarer will be modified by Myklebust Verft to allow for the deepwater installation and retrieval of subsea equipment; subsea trees and modules, including subsea structures and manifolds.

Ståle Rasmussen, CEO of Kleven, commented: "Myklebust Verft's location, in the very heart of the maritime cluster on the North West coast of Norway, is a great advantage for all parties involved in the project, and this serves as a great example of local cooperation between Kleven, Vard and Rolls-Royce."

The Rolls-Royce automated handling system consists of a complete tower structure, skid system, deepwater lifting system as well as power units and controls. The deepwater lifting system is a Fibre Rope Deployment System (FRDS), based on our patented Cable Traction Control Unit (CTCU) technology. The equipment is due for a delivery in Q1 2016.

John Knudsen, Rolls-Royce President Commercial Marine, added: "This a very important contract for Rolls-Royce and it shows that the offshore industry has taken yet another step in accepting the superior performance of synthetic fibre ropes for lifting operations in deep and ultra-deep waters."

A similar system was installed by Rolls-Royce in 2009 onboard the AKOFS operated subsea equipment support vessel Skandi Santos, which has now been on contract with Petrobras for nearly five years. The vessel has successfully installed and retrieved subsea trees and modules in water depths up to 2300 m.

Geir Sjøberg, CEO of AKOFS Offshore, said: "Skandi Santos has been rated by Petrobras as one of their top performing vessels. Its track record makes us confident in the decision to install the handling system from Rolls-Royce on Aker Wayfarer."

Adapted from press release by Katie Woodward

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