BOURBON offers the offshore oil and gas industry, companies that by their very nature insist on the most rigorous standards, a full spectrum of marine and subsea services based on a range of innovative, latest-generation and highly productive vessels, operating to the highest safety and quality standards.
A pure offshore player, the Group offers a worldwide but locally-based service, through over 8,000 employees and 26 operating subsidiaries that conduct their own contractual and commercial relations and provide local technical support close to clients and their operations.
In 2010, BOURBON announced its latest development plan, ‘BOURBON 2015 Leadership Strategy’, involving an investment of US$2bn in a young, efficient and safe fleet, which should count 600 vessels in 2015.
Working towards the fulfillment of this strategic plan, BOURBON’s women and men are more than ever focused on listening and satisfying clients’ needs, relying on four priorities:
- Safety of people, assets and environment onshore and at sea
- Personnel’s skills to guarantee quality of service
- Reliability and availability of vessels for continuity of service
- Operational and chartering cost cuts for clients benefit
Marine support and subsea inspection, maintenance and repair services
Bourbon Marine Services supplies oil and gas clients with a comprehensive range of marine support services for exploration, development and production in deepwater offshore and continental offshore, including:
- Offshore installation supply
- Offshore installation anchor handling, towage and positioning
- Offshore oil and gas production and storage terminal support
- Personnel transport
- Assistance, salvage and pollution remediation
Bourbon Subsea Services specialises in the inspection, maintenance and repair of installations, in deepwater offshore to depths of up to 4,000m, and provides oil and gas clients and entrepreneurs with a comprehensive and modular range of subsea services, including:
- Offshore operations engineering, supervision and management
- Offshore field and wind farm development support
- Subsea Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR)
Planned maintenance services for vessels
The technical unavailability of a vessel may be caused by breakdowns or by Class Dockings. BOURBON aims to reduce the breakdown rate by deploying a ‘dynamic maintenance’ policy, based on:
- A centralised lifecycle department, providing a full planned maintenance system for all the Bourbon fleet, to maximise the availability of assets at the minimum cost
- A centralised docking support department (Dubai based), combining marine engineering expertise and operational experiences to provide a ‘one stop shop’ approach for the BOURBON fleet class dockings
- Decentralised ship managers’ organisations, managing and maintaining the BOURBON fleet, on a routine basis, in safe and reliable conditions
While proposing an alternative solution so to ensure the continuity of the service, BOURBON is committed to a major reduction and constant improvement of the length of time that vessels are out of action, for both planned and unplanned repairs.
Critical equipment and spare parts for vessels
Pooling fleet support locally around the concept of a standardised repair centre means that all ship managers near their operating area, can access onshore and in-house technical support, and spare parts stocks. Eight repair centres have been created close to operating areas. Their inventories are primarily composed of spare equipment and parts (show stoppers as engines, alternators, thrusters, etc.). The spare equipment and parts can be used for breakdowns or class overhauls. Having these inventories promotes the practice of equipment swap, which helps to improve the vessels’ availability.
Another strand to the maintenance policy is to forge and increase partnerships with local shipyards which guarantees it priority treatment and reduces transit time in between operating and repairs areas.
Subsea inspection, maintenance and repair services
To meet the needs of oil company clients, BOURBON offers a unique range of modular services for inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) work through its subsea services activity. This range of services, in line with the needs of oil operators, varies from the supply of IMR support vessels and subsea robots (ROV) with personnel, through to the full service provision incorporating engineering studies and operations management.
This offer is based on recognised expertise, a fleet of modern IMR multipurpose vessels and ROVs, designed to satisfy to operational needs, with experienced staff trained in the latest techniques.
Since 2004, when BOURBON’s first IMR vessel was commissioned, Bourbon Subsea Services has proved itself as a preferred partner among the oil majors thanks to its unique positioning. Its activity in classic maintenance operations and in emerging niches has seen strong growth. A leading player in the West African market, Bourbon Subsea Services also has a worldwide presence, ranging from the West Atlantic (Brazil and Mexico), to the Far East (Indonesia and Australia) as well as the Mediterranean (Egypt).
The success of BOURBON’s IMR offer is based on a key advantage: Bourbon Subsea Services operates IMR vessels owned by BOURBON together with ROVs from the Bourbon Offshore DNT fleet, and it has recognised expertise in subsea engineering through Bourbon Offshore Gaia, all supported by BOURBON’s international network. The IMR fleet is managed by BOURBON’s ship managers.
