Firefighting

VESSEL REVIEW | KOC Al Zour – Kuwait Oil Company adds 60m oil recovery vessel to fleet

Baird Maritime

Uzmar Shipyard in Turkey has completed a new oil spill response vessel ordered by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) subsidiary Kuwait Oil Company (KOC).

The newbuild, which has been named KOC Al Zour after a region within Southern Kuwait, was developed by Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd (RAL) as the first in a new series of vessels that are derived from one of the company's existing modern double ASD offshore tug designs. The first steel for the new vessel was cut in September 2019 and construction was completed by early 2021.

KOC Al Zour, which both RAL and Uzmar have claimed is the largest vessel of its kind ever to be built in Turkey, was designed in accordance to Lloyd's Register class rules to be completely outfitted and equipped to undertake oil spill containment and recovery as well as secondary duties that include area surveillance, offshore firefighting, back flush capabilities, logistics supply duties, towing services, general offshore support services, search and rescue, and other related duties. The vessel is intended for operation in international waters as well as within the waters of the Persian Gulf within Kuwait's exclusive economic zone.

The vessel has dynamic positioning capability and is equipped to carry out recovery, storage, and transfer of recovered oil to barges and/or shore facilities in support of KPC's oil refinery activities near the Persian Gulf. The comprehensive suite of oil spill response equipment includes a dedicated tank for storing up to 750 cubic metres of recovered oil, a skimmer mounted on a Heila telescopic marine crane with two specialised heads – enabling the vessel to deal with both high-viscosity and low-viscosity oil – and a flow rate of 250 cubic metres per hour, and two spray booms each equipped with nine nozzles and capable of discharging chemical dispersant at a rate of 125 litres per minute.

KOC Al Zour has an LOA of 60 metres, a beam of 14 metres, a gross tonnage of 1,803, and a summer deadweight of 1,450 tonnes. Two Yanmar main diesel engines that each produce 1,620 kW deliver a maximum speed of 13.29 knots, a cruising speed of eight knots, and a bollard pull of 48.15 tonnes.

The vessel is also designed to be on stand-by at sea for long periods of time. The hull shape and the optimised location of the anti-roll tanks provide improved seakeeping ability under a wide range of operating conditions, ensuring that the vessel is able to provide adequate oil spill and emergency response at all times.

Power for the onboard systems is drawn from a trio of Yanmar generators that each produce 750 ekW. The wheelhouse features two roof-mounted foam/water firefighting monitors with water supplied via a 2,400m³/h pump and foam sourced from a 7,200-litre tank. The wheelhouse also has improved all-round visibility to provide the bridge crew with an unobstructed view of the array of oil spill recovery equipment on the vessel's aft deck.

KOC Al Zour's size enables it to easily accommodate a crew of 20 and to sustain them during extended operating periods far from shore. There is also onboard space for a small fast tender and a self-propelled rescue boat as well as davits for their launch and recovery.

KOC Al Zour
SPECIFICATIONS
Type of vessel:Oil spill recovery vessel
Classification:Lloyd's Register ✠100 A1 Oil Recovery, Offshore Supply Ship, Fire – Fighting Ship 1 (2400 m³/h) with water spray, DP (AM), ✠LMC, UMS
Flag:Kuwait
Owner:Kuwait Oil Company
Operator:Kuwait Oil Company
Designer:Robert Allan Ltd, Canada
Builder:Uzmar Shipyard, Turkey
Hull construction material:Steel
Superstructure construction material:Steel
Deck construction material:Steel
Length overall:60 metres
Beam:14 metres
Draught:5.5 metres
Depth:7.3 metres
Deadweight tonnage:1,450
Gross tonnage:1,803
Capacity:750 cubic metres of recovered oil
Main engines:2 x Yanmar, each 1,620 kW
Propulsion:2 x azimuth drives
Generators:3 x Yanmar, each 750 ekW
Maximum speed:13.29 knots
Cruising speed:8.0 knots
Bollard pull:48.15 tonnes
Winch:Foredeck winch
Crane:Heila
Other deck equipment:Boat davits
Other equipment installed:Skimmer; 2 x dispersant spray booms; anti-roll tanks in hull
Searchlights:2
Interior fitout/furnishings:Recovered oil tank
Firefighting equipment:2 x foam/water monitors; pump; foam tank
Rescue boat:1
Tender:1
Type of fuel:Diesel
Fuel capacity:325,000 litres
Freshwater capacity:225,000 litres
Crew:20