Construction of Subsea 7's new heavy construction vessel, the 'Seven Arctic', is proceeding on schedule with the vessel targeted for delivery in 2016.
The vessel, which is in dry dock at Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in South Korea, is being readied for the installation of key capabilities including a 600-tonne vertical lay system (VLS) and a 900-tonne crane.
Both the 600-tonne VLS and 900-tonne crane are currently being assembled in South Korea by Dutch manufacturer Huisman.
Chief among the vessel's specifications is a unique knuckle boom rope-luffing crane which can operate in a series of configurations, with a capacity of up to 900 tonnes. When combined with the 600-tonne VLS, deck space of 2,600m2, two work-class ROVs and a 7,000-tonne underdeck basket for the storage of flexible pipe and umbilicals, the 'Seven Arctic' will provide a step change in the management of ever more complex deepwater subsea field development projects.
This unique 900-tonne crane, with its combination of flexibility and capability, offers many different operational modes, which can be selected for 900-tonne, 600-tonne, 300-tonne and high-hook operations.
