Regalia to be joined by similar vessel in Scapa Flow

A second offshore accommodation vessel is due to spend time in Scapa Flow this winter while maintenance work is carried out.

The Safe Boreas is expected to arrive in Scapa Flow later this month. The vessel, which will be manned by around 50 crew, is owned by Prosafe which also operates the Regalia, the semi-submersible accommodation vessel already at anchor in the Flow.

Michael Morrison, Business Development Manager with Orkney Islands Council, said: “The arrival and mooring of the Regalia went very well, and operations in relation to the first crew change and delivery of supplies have now been completed

“During the Safe Boreas’ time in the Flow, it is understood that Prosafe will be conducting maintenance works and preparing the vessel for her next contract in 2016.

“Prosafe have already contracted with several local companies to provide a range of support services including marine agency, the transfer of crew and materials to and from shore by multi-cat, materials transport to and from Aberdeen, and the local supply of food and other provisions. It is hoped that other local businesses can also be utilized where the services they provide fit the requirements of the vessels.”

The Safe Boreas can accommodate 450 people in single cabins and will be anchored around a mile from the Regalia, which is also undergoing maintenance work.

Prosafe is the world’s leading owner and operator of accommodation vessels. The company owns/operates twelve semi-submersibles and has three new builds under construction.

Accommodation vessels are used wherever there is a need for additional accommodation, engineering, construction or storage capacity offshore.

Operations are related to maintenance and modification of installations on fields already in production, hook-up and commissioning of new fields, tie-backs to existing infrastructure and decommissioning.