A specialised vessel built for the harsh winter conditions of the far east of Siberia has been recognised for its capabilities and advanced features.
An icebreaking supply and standby vessel operated by Sovcomflot (SCF) was selected as the winner of Offshore Support Journal’s Offshore Support Vessel of the Year, which is sponsored by DNV GL.
Yevgeny Primakov is the last of four platform supply and emergency response vessels built for SCF’s activities in the ice-prone Sea of Okhotsk. It was specifically designed to operate year-round in the sub-Arctic conditions encountered east of Sakhalin Island.
This 3,670-dwt, 104-m vessel was delivered to SCF from Arctech Helsinki Shipyard in January 2018 for operations on the Sakhalin-2 project, which produces oil and gas from an offshore platform. It operates under a 20-year time charter agreement to Sakhalin Energy.
Yevgeny Primakov transports supplies to the platform in all conditions. It is also ready for emergency evacuation, rescue and fire-fighting operations, oil spill response and protecting the platform from the effects of ice.
SCF chief operating and technical officer and executive vice president Igor Tonkovidov explained this vessel was built for the harsh environment off Sakhalin. “We are working areas that few other vessels dare to sail,” he said
The other three vessels delivered under this four-vessel order to SCF were Gennadiy Nevelskoy, Stepan Makarov and Fedor Ushakov. With ICE-15 strengthened hulls, these vessels are capable of breaking ice up to 1.5 m thick with 20 cm of snow on top.
They are classified by the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping with Icebreaker 6, AntiIce and Winterization (-35) notations. They have a breadth of 21 m and draught of 7.9 m. Maximum speed is 16.9 knots.
They are each fitted with Wärtsilä engines, ABB Azipod azimuthing thrusters, with a total power capacity of 13 MW, Brunvoll bow thrusters and Gesab SCR exhaust gas treatment systems to meet IMO's Tier III NOx emission requirements.
For winterisation, the deck outfittings are mostly under cover and lifesaving equipment is sheltered and fitted with protective covers. Along with scrubber systems, the vessels are also fitted with systems to decrease underwater noise levels. They all have an Eco notation from class.
Yevgeny Primakov has a large passenger capacity, providing sleeping accommodation for 70 people, plus a crew of 26. In the event of an emergency, it can accommodate up to 150 people.
It is equipped with a high specification dual dynamic positioning system, augmented by a 360˚ specialised radius reference system, which provides visualisation through all conditions, including ice, snow and fog.
Yevgeny Primakov is further augmented over its three sister vessels for conducting sub-surface surveys, plus inspection and repair work using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). This vessel has a multibeam echo sounder for underwater surveys and a specialised heave-compensated crane for subsea work.
It has a moonpool that enables year-round operations, including in ice conditions, four specialised diving launches and ROV recovery systems. Deck machinery includes a 150-tonne anchor handling winch and anchor handling stern roller. Yevgeny Primakov has a taut wire reference system for additional redundancy of position reference systems required for DP during diving operations. It also has dedicated cabins and offices for diving work, including a permanent dedicated diving server.
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