Tug and barge operator to build three new Arctic-class deepsea tugs
Sketch of Foss Maritime's Arctic-class tug
Construction of the first tug starts in early 2013 at Foss Maritime's shipyard in Rainier, Oregon.
The tugs will meet American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) A1 requirements, including standards for hulls, machinery, towing, anchors and cable and Ice Class requirements, as well as International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) requirements, including an onboard rescue boat, davit and Green Passport.
The tugs have been designed to withstand the rigours of Arctic operations and are suited to work all over the globe, according to Foss. The tugs will enable the company to compete for opportunities in the oil and gas industry. Currently Foss has five assets committed to an Arctic offshore exploration project in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas and expects to provide additional assets in the Arctic. Mike Magill, vice president of Technical Services, says the three new tugs will be designed to achieve more than 100 metric tonnes of bollard pull. The vessels will be used primarily to tow barges with oil field modules, rig topsides and project cargoes. In addition to the low-emission Caterpillar engines, the vessels will incorporate several environmentally focused designs and structural and technological upgrades.
