Skandi Aker Named "Ship of the year 2010"

Aker Solutions' new deepwater intervention vessel, Skandi Aker, was announced winner of the coveted international "Ship of the Year 2010" award, Wednesday.

The award was presented to Stig Antonsen, VP Marine in Aker Solutions, by Rikke Lind, state secretary of the Norwegian Ministry for Trade and Industry, at the SMM 2010 trade show in Hamburg, Germany.

Skandi Aker is the most advanced vessel of its kind. It is a multi-purpose vessel designed to perform riser-based well intervention services - along with subsea construction and installation activities - at water depths up to 3000 meters. Other existing well intervention vessels are limited to operations at approximately 800 meters water depth.

"Essentially, Skandi Aker is able to perform deepwater well intervention services that oil companies previously needed drilling rigs to conduct. More importantly we do it quicker and at a fraction of the cost. This, in turn, enables us to free up scarce and expensive rig time, which allows the rigs to perform more drilling operations while we carry out the intervention work," says Karl Erik Kjelstad, EVP Oilfield Services & Marine, Aker Solutions.

"We are proud to receive the Ship of the Year-award. It is a prestigious award which is an excellent recognition of Skandi Aker's unique deepwater well intervention system and capabilities as well as the ship itself."

Skandi Aker is the first intervention vessels to classified according to DNV.s WELL-Notation, meaning the vessel is able to take oil on board. As a result, the vessel can perform well-testing and clean-up, flaring off hydrocarbons through a flare at the stern. The vessel can also perform through-tube rotary drilling with coil and downhole motor, and managed-pressure drilling.

The 157 meter long ship is the largest monohull subsea well intervention vessel built, boasting a large deck space, heavy capacity subsea cranes, excellent sea-keeping performance, all interventions using dynamic positioning system, and 18 knots transit speed. She is equipped with a module handling system and a 400-ton AHC crane.

"A unique feature about Skandi Aker is her multi-functionality. When she is not performing well intervention work she can perform subsea installation and construction work, handling 225-ton structures down to 3000 meters water depth," adds Kjelstad. Skandi Aker is currently performing subsea construction and installation work offshore West Africa.

Skandi Aker has been built at STX Norway Offshore's yard in Søviknes, Norway. The vessel is owned by Norwegian company DOFCON ASA.

The prestigious Ship of the Year-award is instituted by the major Nordic shipping magazine Skipsrevyen. Prize candidates are nominated by the readers of the magazine, but the final election is the responsibility of a jury consisting of the former managing director of the Norwegian Shipowners' Association, Mr. Rolf Sæther, the managing director of the sales and marketing organization Norwegian Shipyards, Mr. Birger Skår, and publisher of Skipsrevyen, Mr. Asle B. Strønen.