Dubai-based owner Polarcus has taken delivery of Polarcus Nadia, the first of six advanced seismic vessels. All will be built at Drydocks World Dubai and classed by DNV.
Polarcus has taken delivery of Polarcus Nadia, a modern 12 streamer 3D seismic vessel built to the ULSTEIN SX124 design and classed by DNV. The vessel was built at Drydocks World Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
“Polarcus Nadia is a purpose-built seismic vessel based on an innovative ship design,” says Christer Borjesson DNV’s business development manager in region Middle East and South East Asia. “It is one of the safest and most environmentally sound seismic vessels in the market, and the first in an ultra-modern fleet of initially 6 advanced seismic vessels – all to be classed by DNV.”
The 88.8m double-hulled Polarcus Nadia is designed to meet the exacting specification for offshore seismic operations worldwide. It will transit imminently to West Africa to commence a charter for TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company ASA. The other five Polarcus vessels are scheduled to be delivered next year.
Established in May 2008, Polarcus is a pure play marine geophysical company with a pioneering environmental agenda, specialising in high-end towed streamer data acquisition from pole to pole. All six vessels will feature the ULSTEIN X-BOW®design, along with other important features such as the additional SF class notation for controlled stability and floatability, diesel electric propulsion, dynamic positioning and both Comfort and Clean class notations by DNV.
“Taken together, this will provide for a safer, quieter and more professional work environment onboard, with the lowest environmental footprint of any seismic company operating today,” says Mark Bell, head of DNV’s Maritime Service Centre in the Middle East.
Scott Jervis, DNV’s newbuilding manager in Dubai adds, “This a major milestone for the company as they go forward and start to operate in the seismic business. The vessel, the first of its kind to be built at Drydocks World-Dubai, took eighteen months to build. All the Polarcus vessels have been designed for the most challenging offshore projects and operating conditions, with close attention paid to system redundancy and clean air emissions to enable Polarcus to operate safely and efficiently in regions ranging from environmentally sensitive frontier zones to established production fields.”
The innovative design offers several advantages over conventional designs that will make operations more efficient. These include higher transit speed in head seas, giving reduced power consumption or greater fuel efficiency. Reduced noise and vibration levels is another advantage, as is no bow flare, eliminating bow impact and slamming.