Oil recovery vessel contract.
November 29th, 2005 Paris
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has today finalised contracts for the chartering of stand-by oil recovery vessels to be stationed in four priority areas around the EU coast. Among other vessels covering the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs will provide the cable laying vessel "Ile de Bréhat" for the Atlantic Coast and western approaches to the Channel.
The contracted vessel will, under normal circumstances, carry out their day-to-day commercial activities (transatlantic cable maintenance, based in Brest). In the event of a large oil spill, and following a request for assistance from a Member state, the vessel will cease its usual activity and, at short notice, will be transformed into and operate as an oil recovery vessel.
System Characteristics: Permanent Stand-by for Emergency Response
L'Ile de Bréhat, jointly operated by LDA and Alcatel, is currently chartered by ACMA (Agreement grouping more than 50 telecommunications companies for the maintenance and repairs of transatlantic submarine cables).
The arrangement is based on an emergency cable repair vessel which is already on permanent stand-by in Brest, France. Following a request for assistance, equipment installation and vessel mobilisation from Brest will take a maximum of 12 hours when the vessel is in port.
Vessel Characteristics
Ile de Bréhat has been designed to operate in heavy weather conditions and has the appropriate anti-rolling tanks and high specification engines for such activities. The manoeuvrability is above average due to the vessel's dynamic positioning system (DP2). It is classified by Bureau Veritas and registered under the flag of France.
Following the planned modifications to the vessel, it will be classed as an "Oil Recovery Vessel". This very modern vessel, built in 2001, has an onboard recovered oil storage capacity of 4000 m3 and a maximum speed in excess of 15 knots.
Equipment
The primary oil recovery system is two 15 metres rigid sweeping arms including adjustable weir skimmer with integrated positive displacement Archimedes screw pump (PDAS). The secondary system consists of two ocean going booms and a self-adjustable advancing weir skimmer. The skimmer has an integrated PDAS pump as well as two thrusters to enable remote positioning. Additional equipment includes discharging pumps which have a hot water current radial system, oil/water separator and a slick detection system. All equipment will be stored onshore until required. The vessel will also be able to deploy remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).
