Isles groups must be connected - call from industry

 Scottish Renewables has called for all three Scottish island groups to be connected to the mainland of Scotland as part of the development of the country's energy industry in the wake of the independence referendum.

Full story from Shetland News here: http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/9357-industry-wants-isles-connected-by-2020

Boom town: Plans for joint venture Shetland hotel take shape

Plans to tackle Shetland's desperate lack of accommodation during its energy boom have been mooted, with a joint venture planning a new hotel for Lerwick. Story in Shetland News. http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/9145-joint-venture-could-lead-see-new-hotel-built

£21 million investment in Lerwick decommissioning

Lerwick Port Authority is to invest £12.5 million in lengthening  and strengthening the quay at Dales Voe South, aimed at attracting more of the lucrative North Sea decommissioning market, while Shetland decommissioning specialist Peterson will expand its local facilities  to the tune of £8.64 million.

Full story from Shetland News here: http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/9115-decommissioning-cash-a-major-boon-for-harbour

Lerwick Harbour demonstrates capacity with huge tank offload while accommodating two giant support vessels

Lerwick Harbour has again demonstrated its deep-water capacity and capabilities by simultaneously accommodating two giant support vessels and the successful offloading of a 10,000 tonne subsea oil storage tank, destined for west of the Shetland Islands.

The sheltered port’s facilities and proximity to the Solan Field, being developed by Premier Oil 90 kilometres into the Atlantic, meant is was perfectly placed for final preparation of the tank ahead of installation.

The tank was delivered to the port on 26 July from the construction yard in Dubai by Cosco (Chinese Ocean Shipping) Heavy Lift’s transport vessel, Xiang Yun Kou.

One of the largest float-on/float-off vessels in the world, her displacement of 47,285 tonnes made the Xiang Yun Kou the biggest displacement tonnage ship to berth alongside at Lerwick, although not an alongside record-breaker for length and gross tonnage.  

The port was also used by Heerema’s semi-submersible crane vessel (SSCV), Thialf, which spent 1.5 days mobilising before heading for Solan on 31 July, arriving next day to await the tank for installation. It was a return visit for the world’s largest SSCV at 136,709 gross tonnes and 202 metres in length by 88 metres wide. Thialf has visited Lerwick previously, most recently last year.

With more than nine metres’ water depth, the quay at Holmsgarth met requirements for berthing the 216.7 x 43.1 metre Xiang Yun Kou, initially starboard side-on before being turned to port-side alongside to give access to shore-based cranes and allow work, including removal of sea fastenings. Local contractors, including Ocean Kinetics and Peterson, assisted Aker, Premier’s main contractor. 

On 31 July, Xiang Yun Kou moved to the Brei Wick area of the harbour to ballast down overnight in a successful operation requiring 30 metres of water to partially submerge the vessel.  The float-off early the next day involved a number of tugs, including Lerwick Port Authority’s vessels, Knab and Kebister.

Once afloat, the tank was returned to Holmsgarth quay for transfer to the ocean-going tugs to take it offshore in the first weather window.

Xiang Yun Kou deballasted and departed port later on 1 August for Suez.

The ocean-going tugs left port on 3 August with the 300,000 barrel storage capacity tank for a two-day tow to Solan where it has been successfully installed in 130 metres of water.

Lerwick Port Authority Harbour Master, Captain Calum Grains, said: “The successful handling of the Solan tank is another example of Lerwick’s ability to provide sites and support for major offshore projects. To accommodate two vessels the size of Xiang Yun Kou and Thialf simultaneously while servicing other oil and gas projects, cruise ships and daily operations is a clear demonstration of Lerwick’s scope. 

“Our investment in facilities, including a major dredging project a few years ago, is paying off for the oil industry, the port and Shetland. We continue to develop resources, with plans including further deep-water facilities.”

The £12 million dredging project, completed in 2008, deepened and widened access, deepened berths and reclaimed land now well under development. The port’s near 4,000 metres of quays, including over 1,300 metres of deep-water berthing, are backed by around 130,000 square metres of laydown. Locations suitable for off-loading operations extend to more than 50 metres water depth.

Lerwick’s continuing support for the Solan project includes Bibby Offshore’s use of the port during the installation of subsea equipment.

Drilling and production jackets for Clair Ridge field installed

The production and drilling jackets for the £4.5 billion Clair Ridge oil development west of Shetland have been safely installed.

Story from the BBC here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-23681061

Massive Chinese lift vessel unloads cargo

The huge Chinese heavy lift vessel  Xiang Yun Kou has spectacularly unloaded her cargo, a massive oil tank for Premier's Solan Field, at Breiwick, just outside Lerwick Harbour. Watched by many onlookers, the Xiang Yun Kou effectively submerged herself to do so.

Stories and pictures  from Shetland News here http://www.shetnews.co.uk/news/8989-heavy-lifting-creates-harbour-spectacle and Shetland Times here http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2014/08/01/xiang-yun-kou-gets-that-sinking-feeling?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Original story from marinelink.com here http://www.marinelink.com/news/installation-offshore373727.aspx

Oil-related arrivals and cargo hold steady at Lerwick Harbour, though tonnage down

Increases in cargo, passengers and mackerel landings helped the Port of Lerwick achieve forecast traffic levels in the half-year to June, 2014, compared with the same period in 2013.

The total for all cargoes handled at the port rose 8%, with combined ferry and cruise passengers jumping 13.8%.

The number of vessel arrivals, at 2,230, was down 11%, mainly due to a decrease in fishing vessels – also reflected in white fish landings which declined due to bad weather in the early part of the year, vessel refits and boats on charter to the oil industry.

The tonnage of vessels at 5.5 million gross tonnes was down 10%, principally due to an expected decrease in offshore industry bulk carriers/pipe-burying vessels compared with project work last year. 

The decrease was seen in the forecast drop in oil-related vessel tonnage, down 24% to 1.4 million gross tonnes.  However, oil-related arrivals held steady, at 307, as did offshore industry cargo – at 92,135 tonnes, less than one percent down.

The total for all cargoes handled at the port rose 8% at 582,253 tonnes.

Sandra Laurenson, Lerwick Port Authority Chief Executive, commented: “The nature of offshore projects means that the scale and type of traffic fluctuate. The reduced ship tonnages were forecast and are partially offset by the long-term presence of a significant tonnage of accommodation vessels housing construction workers at the Shetland Gas Plant. The deep-water port continues to be busy supporting major development and decommissioning projects.

“The sustained high level of other offshore activity and increased cargo and passenger figures are all positives. There was a welcome boost to winter mackerel landings at the start of the year, although the autumn fishery may be more modest due to poor international markets.”

While first quarter biennial refits to the two roll-on/roll-off ferries on the Aberdeen/Kirkwall routes and bad weather which disrupted ferries and an earlier-than-usual start to the cruise season saw passenger numbers reduced during the first three months,  figures rebounded in the second quarter to deliver a 13.8% increase to 78,894 for the half year.

Ferry passengers increased by 3.5% to 60,479, while cruise passengers rose 70% to 18,415, with the 25 cruise ships calling at Lerwick up 39%.

Fish landings went up 25% on volume and 35% on value, totaling 37,091 tonnes worth £35.1 million.

White fish, at 4,676 tonnes valued at £7.1 million, was down 19% on volume and 17% on value, with the price per tonne increased by 2.7% to average £1,528 per tonne.