Widest Ship in the World Gets a Name

The second vessel in the Ramform Titan class, the Ramform Atlas has been celebrated in a naming ceremony in Nagasaki, Japan. The naming ceremony of Petroleum Geo-Services’ (PGS) new, 24-streamer vessel took place at the MHI yard in Nagasaki. The vessel will typically tow a network of several hundred thousand recording sensors over an area greater than 12 km2, equivalent to 3.5 times Central Park.
 
The Ramform Titan-class is the most powerful and efficient marine seismic acquisition vessel ever and the widest ship in the world at the waterline. Safety and productivity have been the main focus points for its design. Ramform Atlas is the second of four such vessels to be built in Japan. Sister ship, the Ramform Titan, has been operating successfully since its delivery in April 2013.
 
The design dovetails advanced maritime technology to the imaging capabilities of the GeoStreamer seismic acquisition technology. The 70m broad stern is fully exploited with 24 streamer reels: 16 reels aligned abreast and eight reels further forward. Increased work space and advanced equipment mean safer and even more robust operations.
 
For PGS and its clients, more rapid deployment and retrieval of equipment, as well as greater operational capacity will translate into faster completion of surveys and increased uptime in marginal weather. The period between major yard stays is also extended by 50 per cent.
 
Jon Erik Reinhardsen, President and CEO of PGS said: "The Ramform Atlas takes seismic acquisition to a new level. We have combined the most sophisticated technology in the business, with the most powerful and most efficient vessel in the industry. The second ship in the Ramform Titan class further strengthens our fleet and will give us a clear competitive edge for the next decade."
 
Ramform Atlas provides a safe and comfortable living and working environment for up to 80 crew members, with 60 single cabins, and 10 twin cabins for visitors, all with separate bathrooms.
 
Magne Reiersgård, EVP of operations, states: "We are very excited at the prospect of welcoming the second Ramform Titan class into operations. We look forward to leveraging the high productivity, efficiency and safety that this new vessel is expected to bring. We expect Ramform Atlas to set more industry records for operational efficiency. This is a fantastic day for PGS and a great addition to the fleet."