De Hoop Delivers Tug to Caspian Offshore Constructions

With the handover of yard number 481, named Kabanbay Batyr, Shipyard De Hoop commenced the delivery of six tugs to Caspian Offshore Constructions. This first vessel in the series was handed over to BlueWater on completion of very successful sea/river trials at the end of March and immediately began her maiden trip - sailing by sea in the direction of Kazakhstan. 

In succession to this, yard number 482, Karasay Batyr, was delivered on April 13. The remaining four tugboats will be delivered consecutively, at regular intervals, with the final handover in June 2018. The series of six are of two different (De Hoop in-house) custom ice-classed designs - four larger and two smaller. 

Kabanbay Batyr and Karasay Batyr are the first of the larger tugs (29.15 x 10.73m), featuring azimuthing stern drive propulsion units and a bollard pull of 42t; their primary task is to assist with the ‘straight-line’ transport of components and supporting equipment to the Tengiz Oilfield. The two smaller vessels (24.80 x 10.73m) also accommodate azimuthing stern drives, but have the additional provision of a bow thruster and feature a bollard pull of 30t. They will be assigned as harbor tugs and will predominantly be assisting during precise maneuvering actions. 

Both designs are characterized by a special hull, with a shallow draught and large diameter propellers. The four larger ships are being built at the headquarters in Lobith, whilst the smaller two are erected at the Foxhol facilities. 

The order was granted to De Hoop last year, after which the design, engineering and construction had to start immediately, due to the very short lead-time. The tugs are intended for the TCO (Tengizchevroil, an amalgamation of Tengiz Chevron Oil) project of Caspian Offshore Constructions (COC) for the further development of the Tengiz Oilfield. The tugs will primarily be tasked to assist with the transportation of offshore platform components, barges and vessels, along a 75km long channel - through the shallow waters of the Caspian Sea - to the offloading facilities at Prorva. They will provide further support inside the offloading facility, with other port-related work, to ensure all cargo will be delivered in a safe and efficient way. 

Due to the special requirements for operating in the CaTRo (cargo transportation route) channel and at the offloading facilities in Prorva, Dutch offshore tycoons, Van Oord and Blue Water Shipping, play a prominent role in providing material and equipment to the consortium (approximately 250 modules in total, with average footprint of 30 x 30m). As such, these six tugs are a vital part of the entire logistical set-up in the CaTRo and at Prorva.

Shipyard De Hoop’s relationship with COC already dates back to 2006, when they built their first shallow-draught tugs, Iskander and Alpamys - also intended for the Caspian Sea and Kazakhstan. As an extremely satisfied client, COC came back to De Hoop with the implementation of the integrated Future Growth Project / Wellhead Pressure Management Project (FGP-WPMP) - designed to further increase total daily production from the Tengiz reservoir and maximize the ultimate recovery of resources. Yet again, the knowledge and experience of the yard was called upon to develop custom designs dedicated to this specific project, with its complex and comprehensive logistics.

With these designs, Shipyard De Hoop has focused on developing reliable and economic vessels, with a high level of comfort for the crew, yet low in OPEX. While Kabanbay Batyr and her sisters each provide night accommodation for a total of nine crewmembers, the harbor tugs can accommodate ten people. In this series, De Hoop’s knowledge and experience of luxury cruise vessels is reflected in the high standard of accommodation, including low noise and vibration levels to enhance the comfort of the crew. As a result of the design of the vessel and its propulsion configuration, in combination with a sophisticated insulation (floating interior!) and climate control system, pleasantly low sound levels are achieved.

Fun facts

'Batyr' is an honorific term meaning ‘brave warrior’ in the Kazakh language.

Kabanbay was one of the Kazakh warrior commanders who participated in the fight against Jungar invaders. Karasay was also a famous batyr leader who contributed in the wars with Dzhungars in the XVII century and participated in the Orbulak battle.

Like Kabanbay Batyr and Karasay Batyr, all six vessels are named after famous Kazakh warriors.

Yard number 485 and 486 are the smallest vessels ever built at Shipyard De Hoop.