Seacor Holdings owns and operates a diverse group of industry leading companies in the marine transportation and support industry. Two of its largest subsidiaries, Seacor Marine and Era Helicopters, are pioneering new technologies in offshore vessels and helicopters throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
Seacor Marine operates one of the world’s largest fleets of offshore support vessels and offers crew transportation, platform supply, offshore accommodation maintenance support, standby safety services, anchor handling, and mooring in deep and shallow water. The company says it is leading the way in crewboat technology; Seacor Marine’s fast support vessels boasts over 9,000 bhp and transport crew and supplies at speeds of more than 32 knots. Its new Crew/Fast Support vessel design will be launched in 1Q 2008, and will welcome aboard its first passengers in Jan. 2008.
This modern crewboat design is called the CrewZer Class. The flagship vessel has been named theCheetah, and is being built by Gulf Craft Inc. of Patterson, Louisiana.
TheCheetah has been designed to service multiple platforms in a single voyage.
“The design of the vessel is truly thinking outside the box,” says Joe McCall, project manager for Seacor Marine. “We envisioned our clients working even further offshore and thought about providing a significant cost savings through a vessel that will transport passengers faster, safer, and comfortably on a more stable platform.”
To achieve this, Seacor moved from the traditional mono-hull design to a modern, state-of-the-art catamaran, which provides a more stable ride.
“TheCheetah has an onboard computer that detects pitch and roll, and then stabilizes to counteract it,” McCall says.
TheCheetah will transport up to 150 passengers in a first-class seating area. The vessel has fixed gangways on each side for safer and quicker vessel boarding. Passengers also can enjoy oversized seating, snack and/or meal service, wireless Internet, satellite television, and radio. More importantly, passengers will benefit from the catamaran’s speedier ride. Powered by MTU, the Cheetah features a twin-hull design and has the ability to reach top speeds of 42 knots. In addition to transporting passengers, the ‘Cat’ also can transport cargo and a clear deck area of 2,700 sq ft (251 sq m).
Equipped with the latest Furuno marine electronics, the vessel also features DP-2. Currently, there are only two other crew boats in the world with DP-2 capabilities. Seacor Marine has plans to introduce more DP-2 crew boats into the market soon. Once on location, passengers board an offshore personnel transfer system; a nine person version of the “Frog” discussed in this section.
"TheCheetah’s personnel transfer system represents a safer alternative to the transfer of crew by personnel basket because of a more stable platform,” McCall notes.
Era Helicopters, part of Seacor Holdings’ aviation division, also has carved a niche in the oil and gas industry by responding to the ever-changing requirements of its clients offshore. That means operating a diverse fleet of more than 170 light, medium, and heavy helicopters with the latest performance enhancing technology and safety features. Era has more than 10 long-range AgustaWestland AW139s, which accommodate up to 12 passengers and can travel more than 450 mi (724 km) at 150 knots to service ultra deepwater discoveries. The fleet also includes other new technology aircraft offering significant speed and payload advantages over older equipment.
“In 2008, Era will introduce the latest version of the Super Puma family, the EC 225. The EC 225 offers the latest technology in systems, design, and safety, capable of carrying 19 passengers greater than 400 nautical mi (741 km),” David Stepanek, vice president Business Development, explains.
Seacor Marine and Era Helicopters are proven offshore operators in their respective segments that have invested in modern technologies to improve their way of doing business in the industry. Combined, both companies provide a one-stop shopping solution for its oil and gas clients companies.
