ABS to class newbuild semisubmersible, liftboat
ABS, a leading provider of marine and offshore classification services, has been selected by Baoham Offshore (HK) Ltd. to class a drilling semisubmersible and a liftboat, ABS said in its press release.
According to Baoham Offshore General Manager Xu Jun, the company’s goal is to be a first mover in China. “We are not building on speculation. On top of our first 300-ft harsh-environment ABS-classed liftboat (GM-J1000) already under construction, the addition of these units extends our ambition of building a flexible fleet,” he says. “We believe partnering with ABS will strengthen the foundation we are creating to build our fleet development program.”
The GM-4E mid-water semisubmersible drilling unit will have both an eight-point mooring system and Class 3 dynamic positioning and will feature a variable deck load that exceeds 4,000 metric tons. The GM-J1450 has a water depth capability of 80 m (~260 ft) and will be equipped with a 400-metric-ton deck crane.
Singaporean engineering house Gulf Offshore will carry out detail engineering and production design. The liftboat will be built at the PaxOcean yard in Zhoushan, China. A yard has not yet been selected for the semisubmersible unit.
Hydraquip Custom Systems Inc., which has produced more than 100 jacking systems over the past two decades, will provide the jacking system for the liftboat, while Gulf Offshore Pte Ltd will provide detail engineering and production design.
About ABS
Founded in 1862, ABS is a leading international classification society devoted to promoting the security of life and property and preserving the natural environment through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine and offshore assets.
