Subsea 7 and Royal IHC commissioned reel-lay vessel Seven Vega. Credit: SUBSEA 7.

UK-based subsea engineering, construction and services firm Subsea 7 and ship-builder Royal IHC have commissioned the fully integrated reel-lay vessel Seven Vega.

The launch ceremony was organised at IHC’s shipyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel, the Netherlands, and was carried out by Monica Th Bjørkmann, vice president for Subsea 7 in Norway.

Subsea 7 strategy and commercial executive vice president Stuart Fitzgerald said: “The vessel marks an important investment for the future. When delivered in early 2020, Seven Vega will be one of the most capable and cost-effective reel-lay vessels in the market and a global enabler for Subsea 7.

“It has been designed to deliver flowline technologies that address the growing market trend towards longer and more complex tie-back developments. The vessel’s cutting-edge pipelay system focuses on crew safety, operational efficiency and flexibility.

“This system will be capable of installing complex rigid flowlines, including pipe-in-pipe systems and electrically heat-traced flowlines in water depths up to 3,000m.”

Subsea 7 placed a contract with Royal IHC for the design and construction of the reel-lay vessel in October 2017.

The keel-laying ceremony of the vessel was held in July 2018.

The high-specification vessel is capable of installing complex rigid flowlines, including pipe-in-pipe systems. It can accommodate 120 people in different cabins, including four suites, 42 single cabins and 37 double cabins.

Seven Vega is 149m long, 33m wide and 13m deep. It features a 600t top tension capacity consisting of a 32m main reel and a 17m auxiliary reel with a maximum storage capacity of 5,600t and 1,600t, respectively.

“The vessel’s cutting-edge pipelay system focuses on crew safety, operational efficiency and flexibility.”

It is also fitted with cranes that provide a lifting capacity of 250t and 50t, and multiple smaller cranes alongside two side-launching work-class ROV systems.

The reel-laying vessel is powered by three main engines, which can generate a maximum power of 3,500kW each. It is also equipped with three generators with a rated power of 4,000kW each.

Seven Vega is the ninth vessel that IHC has delivered to Subsea 7.