VESSEL REVIEW: Guardian 3 – New protector for Nigerian offshore interests

A new patrol boat has been delivered to Homeland Integrated Offshore Services of Lagos, Nigeria.

Guardian 3, along with its sister ships Guardian 1 and Guardian 2, is now providing security and other support services to the international offshore oil companies active off the coast of Nigeria in the Gulf of Guinea, in cooperation with the Nigerian Navy. A fourth is also currently under construction.

The series are themselves unarmed, but in the course of their duties carry security personnel along with their firearms. Protection for those on board is provided by an armoured wheelhouse and internal safe haven, while accommodation for up to 16 individuals enables them to remain at sea for extended periods of time.

Guardian 3's axe-bow design and high-speed hull form delivers rapid acceleration and a top speed of around 30 knots, making it an accomplished interceptor, capable of providing a credible deterrent across wide areas of open sea. However with 70m² of open aft deck she can also support offshore industries in a number of other ways, including crew transfers and equipment deliveries, quickly and safely in sea states that would leave conventional vessels struggling.

Additional features on board Guardian 3 include 15 extra seats for crew transfers, thermal imaging apparatus, a fast rescue craft, a self-cleaning fuel separator to protect the engines and generators from contaminated fuel and a FuelTrax fuel management system that measures, monitors and reports on fuel consumption and efficiency. 

"Homeland is one of the few government-approved, private maritime security companies operating in Nigeria, so the delivery of Guardian 3 has added tremendous value to our ability to provide turnkey security services to our clients and to meet their specific offshore and onshore deliverables; namely security protection of offshore oil and gas installations, passenger and crew transfers and emergency evacuation, cargo transfers and generally to provide security services to deter and intervene in piracy attacks which makes the maritime waterways safer for the benefit of all legitimate stakeholders," commented Louis Ekere, Managing Director and CEO of Homeland.

Homeland was founded in 2006 to support international oil companies working in Nigeria's offshore oil and gas fields by providing a wide range of services both at sea and on shore. 11 years later, it now operates a sizeable fleet that includes fast supply intervention vessels, platform support vessels, anchor handling tug supply ships, security and patrol vessels, and tugs.