A new field support vessel destined for Premier Oil’s £538million Solan field was christened in time-honoured form in Aberdeen harbour with a bottle of Champagne.
The Nor Solan will go directly on to a long term charter at the oil find West of Shetland which is due to start production in time for Christmas.
A large group of guests watched vessel godmother Gennette George christen the new ship at an event on Saturday.
The ship is the result of a collaboration between its Singapore builder NOR Trans and Norwegian ship fleet operator Høyland Offshore A.S.
Built in China and Spain, and designed especially for the harsh environment of the West of Shetland, the Nor Solan is equipped with state of the art technology required for the needs of the Solan field, where she will support in-field production, drilling and flotel activities.
Premier Oil’s Solan Asset Manager, Craig Matthew said: “Premier Oil are particularly proud to have been involved with the design and specification of the Nor Solan and we would like to express our appreciation for the cooperation shown by all colleagues and companies which bring to the Solan field a vessel equipped with the most modern equipment and capabilities.”
Karsten Høyland, the owner of Høyland Offshore, said: “We are honored to welcome the Nor Solan to the joint fleet of Nortrans and Hoyland Offshore.
“The Nor Solan represents the latest design of vessel with enhanced rescue capability and ability to operate on the Atlantic Frontier.”
Technical innovations on the vessel include a rescue system capable of recovering a life raft full of people on to the deck of the Nor Solan, full dynamic positioning and the capability to deploy a remotely operated vehicle.
Infra-Red search and rescue cameras are in place to improve sight of casualties in the water and the Nor Solan carries a daughter craft to allow longer search and rescue missions in cold climates.
The size of the vessel enables it to tow ships in distress, it has oil pollution protection capability and is equipped to handle large hoses to offload tankers.
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