Saint John mobilizes X-Bow vessel for U.S. monobuoy repairs

By CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS, Canadian Sailings

The Port of Saint John was busy again this summer handling international cargo destined for Neptune LNG, a deepwater liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal located 22 miles northeast off the coast of Boston, MA. BW Offshore out of Singapore was called upon to change an umbilical on the Neptune LNG monobuoy. Monobuoys are used to connect to moored SRVs (Shuttle and Regasification Vessels), which regasify and unload their cargoes of supercooled LNG through a sub-sea pipeline into an onshore pipeline for distribution to consumers.

Specialized equipment for the repair was delivered to Saint John from Scotland aboard the BBC Emsland. The Viking Poseidon then arrived to be outfitted with that equipment. The Viking Poseidon, operated by Veolia, was the largest Ulstein X-Bow vessel in the world when it was launched by Ulstein Verft in Norway in 2008. This specialized offshore construction vessel is equipped, among other things, with a helideck and openings at the base of the hull that provide access for technicians to lower tools and instruments into the sea. X-Bow vessels, designed by Ulstein Group, are equipped with an unusual hull design to achieve higher transit speeds and greater stability under adverse weather conditions.

Hans Olsen, of BW Offshore, said the Viking Poseidon mobilized in Saint John, sailed to Massachusetts Bay, replaced the umbilical and returned to Saint John for demobilization. The vessel was then on its way to the Gulf of Mexico where the market for vessels with deepwater capabilities continues to grow.

During the recent construction of the Neptune project, Norway-based BW Offshore, one of the world’s leading FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) contractors for the oil and gas industry, found the Port of Saint John to be a highly strategic port with skilled workers.

Having used Saint John’s Lower Cover terminal extensively for previous mobilizations, Logistec hosted the activity during mid-July. “Our west side facility with its large open areas, access to deep water and keen ILA (International Longshoremen’s Assoc­iation) workforce helped to make this project successful,” said Curtis Doiron of Logistec. “This type of competitive advantage is scarcely available in any other port in Canada. We have an extensive group of specialized marine services, fabrication, specialized welding – all within a short drive of the terminals and not far from the U.S. by land and sea.”

Rod Malcolm of Irving Equipment said that the umbilical repair was a high priority and required a wide range of materials and ingenuity, “but we had been working with BW Offshore planning this evolution for a few months and were ready,” he said of the group of Saint John companies that included Fleetway, Logistec, Loyalist Painting, Sancton Staging, Hertz Rentals and Source Atlantic. A similar Saint John team worked previously with BW Offshore to handle Neptune’s monobuoys, giant mooring chains, cable reels, suction anchors and other gear.

Neptune LNG became operational in 2010 and is connected to the existing Algonquin pipeline system’s hub line, delivering gas to customers throughout Massachusetts and New England.