Nigeria’s SR Platforms getting new Damen Patrol vessels

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Nigeria’s SR Platforms will be getting more vessels from the Damen Shipyards Group, bringing its fleet up to four.

Damen delivered the first FCS 3307 Patrol to SR Platforms in October 2015 and on 13 November announced that it had successfully launched one FCS 3007 Patrol and completed the sea trials of two FCS 4008 Patrol vessels.

The FCS 4008 vessels were ordered in July this year and the FCS 3007 at the beginning of April. “The exceptionally rapid progress on the 4008 vessels was due to their already being available in stock at Damen Song Cam Shipyard in Vietnam. Although constructed to the standard Fast Crew Supplier format, the vessels were rapidly converted to the Patrol specification and various custom modifications made to meet the client’s requirements,” Damen said.

The Damen FCS 4008 Patrol follows the same design of its Fast Crew Supplier range with its Damen Sea Axe design for improved seakeeping. This enables top speeds of 29 knots and a range of over 2 000 nautical miles in sea states that Damen says would slow down other vessels of the same size. The FCS 4008 is just over 40 metres long and has a 140m² aft deck and can be used for transporting personnel and cargo. With the appropriate equipment fitted, the vessel can perform firefighting and oil spill recovery. Defensive features include an internal citadel to protect those onboard from small arms fire.

On delivery, the two Damen FCS 4008 Patrols will immediately be deployed as fast support intervention vessels on a contract with a major international oil company.

The FCS 3307 Patrol model is typically 33 metres long and with its Axe Bow hull has a top speed of 29 knots. Typically crew is six with 12 security personnel/passengers. A 75m² cargo deck aft is rated at 2.5 tonnes/m². The decks allow them to deliver equipment and spares to offshore installations. The FCS 3307 is already well-entrenched in the Gulf of Guinea region, with Nigeria’s Homeland Integrated Offshore Services Limited (HIOSL) operating six Damen vessels.

SR Platforms is a wholly owned Nigerian company specialising in the delivery of marine and offshore support services. Its portfolio ranges from ensuring the safe delivery of petroleum products and sub-sea services to vessel charter, naval architecture and wreck removal.

Babatunde Aiyenuro, managing director of SR Platforms said: “Following the success of Mediator, our first FCS 3307 Patrol, we chose to work again with Damen, based on the quality and reliability of their vessels, and their excellent after-sales service. We look forward to Mediator II, Mediator III and Mediator IV joining our fleet.”

Damen regional director Harm Blaauw added: “We worked very hard to secure these contracts, well aware that our competitors were as keen as we were to win their business. In the end it was down to the quality of our products, plus the good relationship that we had already developed with SR Platforms. At a recent meeting with Mr Babatunde Aiyenuro he was kind enough to confirm that they intend to remain with Damen in the future.”