Speedcast awarded satellite service contract by Allseas

SpeedCast International Limited, a leading global satellite telecommunications service provider, has been awarded a satellite service contract by Allseas Group S.A., a global leader in offshore pipeline installation and subsea construction. The contract covers their flagship vessel, the Pieter Schelte, the world’s biggest ship, which took to the seas for the first time for sea trials in September. The satellite service provides high performance broadband connectivity for mission-critical communications between the vessel and the land-based operations.

Allseas is known for their expertise in the execution of large and complex projects for the oil and gas industry, and provides worldwide support to its clients. Allseas operates a versatile fleet of dynamically positioned pipelay and support vessels including the world’s largest pipelayer Solitaire. In June 2010, Allseas awarded the contract for building its dynamically positioned platform installation/decommissioning and pipelay vessel Pieter Schelte to the South Korean shipyard Daewoo. Delivery of the completed topsides lift and pipelay vessel is expected at the end of 2014, ready for offshore operations in the summer of 2015. At 382 m (1253 ft) in length and 124 m (384 ft) in width, it is the largest ship by area ever built. SpeedCast is already serving the rest of the Allseas fleet: Solitaire, Audacia, Lorelay Calamity Jane and Tog Mor.

The Pieter Schelte was designed to lift oil rigs out of the water and move them to shore for disposal. The massive vessel can lift topsides, the upper section of an oil rig, weighing up to 48 000 t, and can also lift jackets, the bottom section of rigs, weighing 25,000 t. It can then transport the top and bottom sections of the oil rig to shore. The vessel is able to raise and lower itself in the water by 25 m (82 ft) in order to manage the huge weight demands of moving an oil rig. Pieter Schelte also boasts a pipelay tension capacity of 2000 t, making it the largest pipelay vessel in the world. Top speed is 14 knots (25.9 km/hr) and it can accommodate a crew of 571 people.

SpeedCast designed a customised communications solution to meet the unique requirements of Allseas for the Pieter Schelte, which include operational and ship management applications, as well as crew communications. SpeedCast’s advanced solution utilises dual maritime VSAT systems, with frequency diversity, including C-band and Ku-band, as well as an L-band backup, to provide Allseas with a highly reliable, highly resilient communication solution with world-wide coverage. The solution provides full system and equipment redundancy for both data and voice services to deliver guaranteed reliability under all operational conditions.

“We are thrilled to be working with Allseas on such an impressive vessel,” said Pierre-Jean Beylier, Chief Executive Officer of SpeedCast. “It is a testament to SpeedCast’s ability to deliver highly complex and customised solutions on vessels with unique requirements. We thank Allseas for their continued trust in SpeedCast and for this latest milestone in our long-term working relationship.”

Adapted from press release by Hannah Priestley-Eaton

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/contracts-and-tenders/05112014/speedcast-awarded-satellite-service-contract-by-allseas/