Gulf Island to Build OSU Vessel

American manufacturer of specialized structures and marine vessels used in the energy sector Gulf Island Fabrication announced that it received an award for the construction of a third Regional Class Research Vessel for Oregon State University (OSU).

The fabricator of marine vessels, this represents OSU’s execution of its third option for Gulf Island’s construction of three Regional Class Research Vessels.  

All three vessels will be built in the Company’s shipyard in Houma, Louisiana.  Each vessel will be ABS Ice-Class CO and DPS-1, Green-Marine Certified, acoustically quiet, and carry up to 29 crew and embarked scientists.

"I am pleased that OSU has exercised its third contract option, enabling Gulf Island to have an increased role in the success of OSU’s marine research program,” said Kirk Meche, Gulf Island's President and Chief Executive Officer.

“We continue to move forward with the engineering and construction of the first two vessels, and this third option by OSU is a testament to the confidence of our customer in Gulf Island and our skilled craftsmen,” Kirk said.

“Understanding the ocean’s resources and their role in our future is a national imperative.  The Regional Class Research Vessels are a state of the art platform that will add critically needed capacity to understand nearshore oceanic process and living marine resources.  OSU is pleased to work with Gulf Island, and on behalf of the National Science Foundation, to build these revolutionary vessels for the Academic Research Fleet,” said Demian Bailey, OSU Regional Class Research Vessel Project Manager.