Cianbro awarded contract for world’s largest offshore supply vessels

News - June 9, 2006

Cianbro Corporation has announced that it has been awarded a contract by Hornbeck Offshore Services in the US to complete the retrofit and conversion of two, coastwise sulphur tankers into US-flagged, new generation, 370ft, multi-purpose supply vessels (MPSVs).

When completed, it is believed that these vessels will be the largest offshore supply vessels in the world. Cianbro will be supported in the project by its primary sub-contractor, Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of General Dynamics.

Cianbro is scheduled to receive the first vessel this month. This vessel will dock at Ricker’s Wharf, Cianbro’s marine facility on Cassidy Point (beside Merrill’s Marine Terminal) on Portland’s waterfront.

Throughout the conversion process, activities will take place at four locations: Cianbro’s Ricker’s Wharf marine facility, the city’s Portland Ocean Terminal, Bath Iron Works’ fabrication facility in Brunswick, Maine, and Bath Iron Works’ main shipyard in Bath, Maine.

With one vessel scheduled to be completed by mid-2007, the second vessel is scheduled to be completed by late 2007.

Cianbro will also employ other local subcontractors in addition to Bath Iron Works, including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC); fire protection; pipefitting and electrical suppliers; and more. More than 300 skilled people are expected to work on this project performing structural fabrication and welding, pipefitting and pipe welding, and electrical work. A local naval architect has been hired to assist the project. Cianbro will also rent space at Portland Ocean Terminal.

Todd Hornbeck, chairman, president and CEO of Hornbeck Offshore Services, said: “We are very excited about moving into the conversion phase of this innovative project. This represents the culmination of a three-year effort by our in-house engineering team to design a multi-purpose supply vessel with ‘Swiss Army Knife’ capabilities that, we believe, will revolutionise the offshore support services industry. The HOS 370s will be unlike any vessels currently working in the Gulf of Mexico in that they are designed to have multiple USCG certifications and ABS class notations. In addition to traditional offshore supply vessel capabilities, the HOS 370s are designed to support offshore construction, subsea well intervention, ROV operations, pipeline commissioning, pipe-hauling and flotel services, to name a few. We look forward to working with Cianbro and its team of sub-contractors in Maine to make this MPSV conversion project a success.”

Cianbro is one of the US East Coast’s largest civil and heavy industrial construction companies.