A versatile offshore engineering, procurement and construction contractor, Van Oord has the experience and expertise - not to mention the uniquely designed, fit-for-purpose fleet - to act as an effective, reliable and trustworthy partner for offshore energy projects.
As a leading contractor for dredging, marine engineering and offshore energy projects, Van Oord operates in more than 50 countries worldwide, offering innovative solutions to marine challenges. Jan Willem van Bloois, the company's director strategic business development for offshore oil and gas, explains more: "At Van Oord, we have a deep-rooted passion for water and technology, and a focus on performance and production. We specialise in large-scale projects requiring a pioneer mindset and vision, impassioned commitment and innovative solutions.
"Van Oord has become a leading specialised EPC contractor. Our dedicated international engineering department focuses on projects right from the FEED [front-end engineering design] stage. In the offshore oil and gas market, we carry out projects relating to offshore pipeline installation and subsea rock installation, and have a rich track record in other offshore activities, including the installation of gravity-based structures."
In 2013, Van Oord started another €1-billion investment programme to strengthen all three of its businesses. Van Bloois explains: "Our state-of-the-art equipment can handle the most complicated and challenging offshore oil and gas projects. We continuously adapt our fleet, equipment and technology to meet our clients' needs. Our safe and fit-for-purpose vessels are deployed around the world, including in the harshest of environments."
Subsea rock installation is a proven technique for the protection and stabilisation of offshore structures and pipelines, and it is one of the main types of work Van Oord performs for its clients in the oil and gas industry.
"In September 2014, we ordered a new subsea rock installation vessel, Bravenes, which is currently being built at the SINOPACIFIC Shipbuilding Group's Shanghai Ningbo shipyard in China. The vessel, which has a DP-3 dynamic positioning system, will be suitable for installing a wide range of rocks, weighing up to 300kg, through a fallpipe or tremie pipe at the side of the vessel. Bravenes will be able to operate in water depths of more than 600m and will be delivered in 2016," says Van Bloois.
Ships are among Van Oord's most valuable tools. Every new ship or vessel is designed and built to be a winner in its class.
"A ship is considered a winner when a client's and a contractor's reputation profit from a fit-for-purpose, economical and sustainable ship," says Jaap Bakker, Van Oord's manager plant, construction and design, based on his 35 years of experience. "A new ship becomes a reality on the basis of three focus points.
"It all starts with operational excellence. In the first stage, Van Oord teams up with a specialist designer. This results in general building specifications.
"In the second stage, the detailed building specifications are developed - already in close cooperation with the designated shipyard in some cases. The design is also being fine-tuned in parallel with this.
"The final phase is what I like to call 'adding our DNA'; when you see the attention that has been given to safety, crew comfort, easy maintenance and future-proof sustainability, then you know you are dealing with a Van Oord ship."
Van Oord highly values the opinions of its clients, as Van Bloois points out: "They allow us to look from the outside in, and that significantly contributes to our design; two of our clients, Shell and Statoil, were asked for their feedback on the design of Bravenes."
