25 More Years for Ocean Surveyor

Damen Oskarshamnsvarvet in Sweden has won the public tender for a contract to undertake a major life extension program on the survey and research vessel S/V Ocean Surveyor, owned by SGU, Sweden’s national geological survey agency.

“We are happy to let Damen Oskarshamnsvarvet perform the extensive conversion of the vessel and are confident that she will be ready for another 25 years of marine surveying prior to the field season 2021. Ocean Surveyor is a key platform for many marine surveys conducted in Sweden, not only for SGU, but also for other operators hiring the vessel’s unique surveying facilities,” said Björn Bergman, operations manager at SGU.

Ocean Surveyor will undergo the life-time extension over the course of 12 months. It will include the replacement of the all the machinery, bridge and auxiliary systems including HVAC and a complete overhaul of all remaining equipment. A key aspect of the project will be the conversion of the propulsion and electrical systems from diesel to diesel electric.

The overall objective of the year-long program will be to deliver a modern, low-impact vessel with a good working environment for both the crew and the scientists working on board and better overall accessibility.
 
Built 1984 in Norway, the Ocean Surveyor is a twin hull, multi-purpose, survey and ROV support vessel constructed using Kevlar / FRP composite for operations mainly in coastal waters. 38 meters long and 12 meters across she has accommodation for 15 personnel across 12 cabins and is equipped with DPS as well as various fixed hydroacoustic measuring systems.

The main deck is fitted with winches, cranes, an aft frame and a moon pool for deploying samplers and underwater cameras. There are two laboratories on board; a wet lab for sediment and environmental sample analysis, and a space with a gamma spectrometer and sediment X-ray for the detailed study of samples.

The contract was signed on Friday 28 February. Work will begin on the vessel on 6 April 2020 and is scheduled for completion by 31 March 2021.