On April 28th, DOF launched the AHTS Skandi Paraty. The fifteenth vessel built by DOF in Brazil is one of the most powerful anchor handlers in the fleet currently operating in the country. Built by VARD Niterói, Skandi Paraty will soon start operating for the client Petrobras.

Skandi Paraty was designed and projected to be a cutting-edge vessel, with high operational capacity and versatility. Its deck has storage capacity of 1,750 tons on its 760m2. With 22.000 BHP and tensioning capacity of 288t, the vessel is ready to face the most adverse environmental conditions. Skandi Paraty can accommodate 46 people on board, is 93.5m long and reaches up to 18 knots of speed. The vessel is classified as a high-end (elevated technical capacity and specialization), type of vessels the DOF Group is know for.

The vessel is the third and last of the AHTS newbuilts trio commissioned by Petrobras to DOF and VARD. Skandi Urca was the first to be delivered and has been in operation since 2014. Skandi Angra, baptized in May 2015, began its operations right after. Compared to Skandi Angra and Skandi Urca, Skandi Paraty has even higher capacity and greater operational versatility. The traditional naming ceremony took place at Pier Mauá, Rio de Janeiro, on April 28th, when Skandi Paraty was baptized by its Godmother, Marcia Morgado Martins Silva.

DOF: part of merchant marine history

The DOF Group is a reference in the Brazilian offshore market: the company operates a fleet of 23 state-of-art vessels and offices in Rio and Macaé. In Brazil, the Group is represented by Norskan Offshore and DOF Subsea Brasil, responsible for the management / operation of offshore supply vessels and subsea engineering activities, respectively. Its newbuilts program consists of 4 PLSVs (pipe laying vessels), two Brazilian and two Norwegian, all with delivery for 2016 and a result of joint-venture with Technip. Skandi Açu, the first PLSV to be delivered, was baptized in Norway in early April.

In Brazil for more than 15 years, DOF’s pioneering profile can be seen throughout the history of the merchant marine:

Skandi Copacabana was the first AHTS built in the country and operated by a 100% Brazilian crew; Skandi Salvador is the are the first and only PLSVs built in Brazil and, besides that, the Group is also the owner and operator of the largest AHTS ever built in the country: Skandi Amazonas and Skandi Iguaçú.

Future prospects do not differ from this pattern: “DOF’s strategy in Brazil has a focus on nationally built vessels and Brazilian workforce, in accordance with the rules of Local Content” said the company.

Globally, the DOF fleet is now of 67 vessels and 67 ROVs (62 in operation and 5 in order). The Group counts on approximately 4,900 employees, of which nearly 1,500 are in Brazil, onshore and offshore. Its global presence can be seen on every Continent, with offices and operational bases in Norway, United Kingdom, United States, Brazil, Argentina, Egypt, Angola, Singapore and Australia.