Osiris Projects Updates Bibby Athena Build Timeline

Osiris Projects, part of Bibby Marine Survey Services, have issued an updated timeline with the latest time lapse footage of the Bibby Athena build, which the company said has progressed substantially since the original video was made available.

Fabrication of the hull is now complete, and Bibby Athena was moved outdoors in preparation for outfitting works at the end of March. The updated timeline footage is now live on the company’s website.

The next stage in the development from May 28-29 includes transiting the hull from St Malo to Boulogne in preparation for drydocking, after which a new update will become available.

The vessel will mirror the capabilities of flagship vessel, Bibby Tethra, with a few subtle changes to reflect the company’s development into shallow geotechnical sampling and a more challenging offshore market. Launched in 2011, Bibby Tethra has proven the overall success of the small waterplane area twin hull (SWATH) design in maximizing stability and seakeeping ability in challenging sea conditions, while consistently achieving quality data, Osiris Projects explained. The company said the popularity of the vessel with the company’s key clients is ultimately behind the decision to commission and build an additional vessel.

Although Bibby Athena will be the same overall length as Bibby Tethra at 27.5m, the vessel will benefit from a number of enhancements, including an increased deck crane capacity of 10.87 metric tons and improved internal layout. The addition of two forward Schottel pump jets and larger aft electric Schottel drive motors will provide exceptional DP1 capability and an increased generator size will provide 850kVa of electrical power.

To maximize efficiency, Bibby Athena will be permanently mobilized with a dual-head multibeam system, improving the productivity of bathymetric data acquisition and a water treatment facility will be added to extend offshore endurance. A double drum main winch with two cable sizes will allow deployment of multiple systems without the requirement for remobilization. A larger online survey lab will improve the volume of data processing and initial QC that can take place on-board, reducing the amount of processing required in head office.