These vessels are in build as part of the current phase of the Brazilian oil and gas field exploration by Brazilian energy corporation Petrobras. The oil and gas giant is searching for hydrocarbons up to 300 kilometers (km) off the coast of Brazil, in rock formations up to 5 km below the seabed and in water depths of up to 2,000 meters. The pre-salt layer holds an estimated 10–16 billion barrels of oil equivalent.
GE provide very large integrated systems to shipbuilders to power, propel, navigate, position and control drillships and also power and control the drilling process itself.
The vessels comprise seven “Espadon 200” drillships to be built by Estaleiro Atlântico Sul (EAS) in Ipojuca, northeast Brazil. MES are providing the full Navigation package which comprises mainly Furuno equipment.
In addition, Six new ultra-deepwater drilling ships are being built by Enseada do Paraguaçu Shipyard to the GustoMSC PRD 12000 design in Maragogipe, northeast Brazil. MES are providing the complete navigation, internal and external communications outfit. The navigation package is centred around the Kelvin Hughes Manta Digital range of radars and ECDIS, the communications package includes dual Sea Tel 9711 series VSAT terminals with arbitrator to ensure 360 deg coverage around the drill derrick. The extensive internal communications systems includes a Gai-Tronix dual redundant PAGA system and Jotron's digital PABX complemented by a UHF radio network.
MES has been a navcomms partner to GE on several projects in the past including PSV’s in operation in the Gulf of Mexico and 2 Global 1200 pipelaying vessels. GE utilises the niche expertise of MES to provide a navigation equipment package which integrates into and around GE’s own propulsion and dynamic positioning systems.
