The Supply vessel Bylgia arrived with the crane ship Thialf, and had been standing by in the outer anchorage with the vessel. The Atlantic Kestrel took over, and the Bylgia tied up at pier 9 for supplies.
Both vessels are here for the Sable offshore Decommissioning project.
This week in the Herald, I discuss covid-19, and its impacts on the port, and large offshore projects. as well as the sting of record breaking container ships to call in the coming months.
Since submitting the article:
The worlds second largest crane ship Thialf arrived in the approaches last night after 33 days at sea. the Vessel sailed from Amsterdam, and will be used to remove the Sable Island Offshore Gas field production platforms.
The 2 cranes are able to lift a combined 14,200 tons.
Atlantic Kestrel tied up at Pier 9 earlier this week. The ship, buit in singapore in 2012 normally works off Newfoundland, but is likely here as part of the Sable island an Deep Panuke Offshore gas Decomisioning work.
Also arriving today was Maersk Mobiliser
the Noble Regina Allen returned to Halifax today, after sealing the wells of the Sable offshore Field. the rig tied up at woodside, where it will undergo a work period. in Febuary, it is scheduled to work for EnCana sealing the wells of the Deep Panuke project. When that work is complete in June, the rig is booked in Trinidad.
the rig arrived in Nov 2017, aboard Forte, and went to work later that month.
Horizon Enabler is headed out to do some international work, and was loading modules at Woodside last night. The modules are shipping container sized, and look to be a work space of some kind.
The Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) has responded to a complaint by Heiltsuk Horizon Maritime Services, recommending a review of a key performance requirement in the process to procure two emergency towing vessels for the protection of Canada’s West Coast.
As a bid participant, Heiltsuk Horizon – a partnership of majority partner Heiltsuk Nation of Bella Bella, British Columbia and Horizon Maritime Services Limited, registered a complaint last August that the winning supplier did not meet important safety requirements of the tender process.
I wrote about the issues with the towing contract in this Chronicle Herald Piece when the Atlantic Towing vessels headed west. Heiltsuk Horizon has not publicly disclosed the vessels they bid on the project, though based on other charters they were likely tidewater tugs.
In a letter to Heiltsuk Horizon, the Tribunal recommends the Department of Public Works and Government Services Canada reevaluate the “bollard pull” (towing power) of the vessels in all bids received and also awards Heiltsuk Horizon costs incurred in submitting the complaint.
“The contract was awarded in the absence of the required proof that the vessels met the mandated towing power,” said Chief Operating Officer Steven Widmeyer, Horizon Maritime Services Limited. “We hope this recommendation leads to a reconsideration of our Heiltsuk Horizon vessels, which are in accordance with recommendations of the 2018 Emergency Towing Vessel Needs Assessment by the Clear Seas Center for Responsible Marine Shipping.”
The CITT letter recommends no further expenditures be made on the awarded contract until a review is complete and also lays out potential actions to be taken post-review, including cancellation of the existing contract.
The Heiltsuk Nation, currently in reconciliation discussions with Canada, teamed up with Horizon Maritime to form Heiltsuk Horizon, following the devastating Nathan E. Stewart oil spill in its territory in October 2016.
Horizon maritime of Dartmouth registered the multifunction offshore support vessel Horizon Enabler on November 21. The former Tidewater Enabler was built by STX Offshore of Norway in 2010, and had been on charter to Horizon Maritime since August. The ship was recently involved with the removal of oil form the sunken Manolis L for the Coast Guard.
The ship arrived at pier 9 in Halifax December 4th, and will be doing work on a sub sea cable off the Magdalen Islands. She spent today on trials in the basin.
The ship joins Horizon Star as the second ship owned by Horizon though they currently operate several other Tidewater vessels on Charter.
HOS Remington arrived at Pier 9 yesterday from Louisiana. shes owned By Hornbeck Offshore Services, and its not clear why she is here.
