Shell Offshore Inc. (Shell) yesterday marked the delivery of the third Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) powered Offshore Supply Vessel (OSV) in Port Fourchon, Louisiana. The Harvey Liberty, chartered from specialist company Harvey Gulf International Marine, will join her sister ships, the Harvey Energy and Harvey Power, and support Shell’s deep-water operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
“This is an important milestone for Shell and Harvey Gulf,” said Tahir Faruqui, Shell’s General Manager LNG North America. “The ‘Harvey Liberty’ highlights our efforts to grow LNG as a fuel in the transport sector, and is a welcome addition to our portfolio.”
Harvey Gulf International Marine’s CEO and Chairman, Shane Guidry, added: “Harvey Gulf is excited to share these historical maritime events with Shell. This represents another significant step in the path for Harvey Gulf to establish itself as a leader in utilizing LNG as a marine fuel.”
The Harvey Liberty runs on 99% LNG fuel and can operate for up to 15 days before refuelling. The LNG powered vessels provide vessel owners an alternative fuel to meet sulphur and nitrogen oxide emissions regulations in the North American Emission Control Area (ECA).
The Harvey Liberty is 302 feet long and operates on three dual-fuel Wärtsilä engines. It will load from Harvey Gulf’s new LNG bunkering facility in Port Fourchon, Louisiana where it will support Shell’s platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, transporting supplies, equipment, and drilling fluids.
- In January 2016, Harvey Gulf International Marine opened the first marine LNG fuelling terminal in North America, and completed a transfer of approximately 43,000 gallons of LNG to the Harvey Energy, the first Harvey Gulf vessel powered by LNG to support Shell’s Gulf of Mexico operations.
- The Harvey Liberty was built by the Gulf Coast Shipyard in Mississippi.
- All three vessels will meet the stringent requirements of the ABS “ENVIRO+, Green Passport” notation, making them some of the most environmentally friendly Offshore Supply Vessels in Gulf of Mexico.
- In Europe, Shell will be the first customer of a new, dedicated LNG for transport infrastructure announced in 2014 by the Gas Access to Europe (GATE) terminal.
- In the Netherlands, Shell plans to build a specialized LNG bunker vessel in the port of Rotterdam with a capacity of around 6,500 cubic meters to facilitate ship to ship transfer operations.
- Shell has a strong, diverse and flexible LNG portfolio and is one of the world’s largest LNG producers and marketer.
- Shell Shipping & Maritime manages around 40 LNG carriers – around 11% of the world’s LNG fleet - making Shell one of the largest LNG carrier operators.
Source: Shell Offshore Inc.