The world’s most advanced standby vessel is due to start work on 1 August as part of area-wide emergency response measures for the Halten Bank area of the Norwegian Sea.
Stril Poseidon was named on 5 July at the Langsten Verft yard in western Norway by Annefi Tønseth Markman, operations vice president for Statoil’s Norne field.
A particular difference between this vessel and earlier standby ships is its ability to pull lifeboats directly on board via a special stern slipway.
The latter will normally be used to launch and retrieve the man-overboard (MOB) boat on the ship, which can carry 370 people – equal to total berths on Statoil’s Heidrun platform.
Other facilities include a sick bay and a helideck which makes it possible to secure rapid medical assistance as well as to evacuate people from the vessel if necessary.
Stril Poseidon owner Simon Møkster Shipping has developed and patented the stern slipway solution together with consultant Vik og Sandvik and Langsten Verft.
The vessel has been built to enter an eight-year charter from Statoil worth some NOK 600 million.