Offshore staff

HOUSTON --C&M Group's $100-million Ice Maiden I offshore support vessel has been officially launched at the Offshore Technology Conference, the word's largest oil and gas event.

Ice Maiden I will be the first multi-purpose support vessel capable of operating anywhere in the world. Formerly the MV Paardeberg -- a 14,000-tonne Russian Class ice-breaker -- the vessel is almost as long as two soccer pitches.

The vessel, which is currently berthed in the Atlantic Marine Shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, was re-named Ice Maiden I by the UK's Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy, Lord Truscott, in a link-up with guests attending a ceremony in the Reliant Stadium in Houston.

C&M Marine Services is converting Ice Maiden I into a multi-purpose construction vessel with state-of-the-art accommodation for 400 people. It will become the first mono-hull flotel to work in the North Sea when it goes on charter later this year.

"When fully-converted, Ice Maiden I will be able to offer accommodation, transportation and workshop facilities for up to 400 people," says David Kellas, C&M operations director. "Her ice-breaking capabilities and temperature controlled workshops mean that she will be capable of operating in some of the harshest climates, including the Arctic Circle, where it is reported that over 30% of the world's remaining hydrocarbons are located. Given these remarkable capabilities, Ice Maiden I will significantly increase the window of opportunity for companies operating within the polar regions."

The original Ice Maiden I hull was built for the Russian Navy in 1991. The vessel is 167 m long with a 23-m beam and has two 25-tonne capacity cranes and heli-deck capable of handling EH101 helicopters and with refuelling facilities.

Not only will the Ice Maiden I have ice-breaking capabilities, it will also include communications, fiber optics, digital CCTV, passenger on-board control systems, special low-temp cabling, and all galley, HVAC and PA equipment, the company said.

5/2/2007