SW Tasman redesigned to deliver next-gen deepwater dual ROV OBN vessel

The ​seismic vessel in the Shearwater GeoServices fleet to be converted to a deepwater dual ROV OBN deployment vessel based on conversion engineering from ULSTEIN.

The SW Tasman, an ULSTEIN SX124 design, was originally designed as a Towed vessel for 12-streamer 3D offshore seismic services. Developed through holistic design thinking, this type of design can be converted to other specialised operations. Ulstein Design & Solutions AS has provided the conversion engineering to a dual ROV seismic vessel, equipped with a broad scope of operational capabilities.

Redesigned to meet operational changes

As the seismic market is maturing, some of the previously surveyed areas have later been developed. Such areas need a different type of vessels without the kilometre-wide streamer spread.

Shearwater is set to introduce the SW Tasman as the geophysical company’s first dual ROV seismic vessel, equipped with a broad scope of operational capabilities. Designed to deploy ocean bottom nodes in both deep and shallow water the vessel will also be able to provide high-quality sources for surveys and conduct towed streamer surveys.

Leveraging the Shearwater fleet

The vessel is expected to be available to clients early in the summer. The conversion is an example of how Shearwater can leverage its flexible fleet and technological innovation to provide additional high-end capacity tailored to clients’ needs in response to a significant increase in demand for ocean bottom seismic.

“In short, this is the world’s first commercial multi-technology geophysical ROV vessel with source and towed streamer capability, and able to perform ocean bottom ROV surveys as a single unit,” said Irene Waage Basili, CEO of Shearwater. “Having our own dual ROV vessel will support improved risk management and operational performance, and in a market with capacity constraints, it enables us to offer robust solutions to our clients using our own assets.”

Holistic design thinking unlocks efficiency

"When designing a ship, we keep in mind that they will keep operating for many years, but the needs will vary. In the maritime industry, the need for efficient and sustainable operations is paramount. We can cover the whole process from the initial idea to a turnkey solution. Our designers and engineers can convert any vessel into a new life to secure the shipowner an upgraded vessel with a short delivery time", says Roy Lindset, manager service dept, Ulstein Design & Solutions AS.