Drillship Maersk Viking offport Curacao

Usually the drillships come into port, but for strategic and planning reasons, the Maersk Viking remained off port. She remained very close to the harbor, about 0.5 miles South East of the Schottegat entrance, to enable quick crew changes and spares deliveries. About 200 tons of spares were delivered by barge, including two critical pieces weighing 45 Tons and 60 Tons respectively. While here, the rig was bunkered off shore by Curoil's bunker barge.

Once again, the cooperation with the Harbor Authorities, Customs, Immrigations, Local Tug Co. (KTK) was excellent as was the cooperation with the many commercial service providers (slops, customs clearance & transport, barges, FFV & stores, repair- fabrication and vessel maintenance, taxi's & bus transportation, hotel, etc. to name a few).  

As she was so close to the harbor for a long period, some locals asked themselves whether she was actually drilling in our waters ! Drilling requires a lot of preparation (amongst others, contracts have to be in place, seismic surveys need to precede the actual drilling) and the drilling itself takes time and effort and is not something that is done that easily. For questions about the oil rigs (and other maritime projects) on our Island, please feel free to contact Dammers anytime (tel. +5999 737 0600, operations@dammers-group.com).

Maersk Viking, on DP, very close to the harbor entrance.

Critical parts being discharged from a chartered vessel, onto a waiting barge, for transport offshore to the rig.