Bourbon taps French yard for new crewboats for West Africa operations

Bourbon Mobility, the Bourbon Group company that specialises in crew transfer services for the oil and gas industry, has selected French shipbuilder Piriou for the construction of six crewboats in a series.

The six crewboats will support the Bourbon Mobility fleet operating in West Africa. Each vessel will have a length of 27 metres, a maximum speed of 30 knots, space for up to 70 passengers/technicians, and 40-square-metre and 20-square-metre deck spaces for cargo.

Features will include USB plugs on the passenger seats improved bridge control stations.

Bourbon said the vessels will also enable real-time data analysis for continuous fuel consumption optimisation or monitoring of engine operating parameters. The result will be a reduction in fuel consumption of up to 20 per cent.

The vessels will be built to a design developed by French naval architecture firm Mauric.

The new crewboats are scheduled to be delivered in 2025.