Barry Rising of Hernis’ UK supplying agent Silver Fox & Associates Ltd said, ‘It was great to be allowed to build on the good relationship developed with the Patricia and Mermaid installations. We worked on the principal of supplying similar control systems and camera stations as those fitted to those earlier vessels so that all concerned would be familiar with what they have on board.

‘Hernis has built up a reputation for supplying practical, reliable equipment in the challenging conditions of the North Sea, where drilling companies rely on Hernis to keep them on station and earning money.’

Hernis has entered a contract with Remora ASA for delivery of the complete HE400 CCTV System to operate on board the first Remora HiLoad DP in the Gulf of Mexico. The contract includes options for another two HiLoad Systems, which will be used for offshore loading of crude oil and for mooring FSOs and FSPOs.

The CCTV system consists of several camera stations, including subsea stations, which will be placed in strategic areas of the HiLoad to operate respectively above and below water.

Remora’s HiLoad DP Technology has been developed, engineered and model tested in cooperation with ConocoPhilips and is current being built speculatively. The first unit is scheduled for delivery in May 2008 and Remora ASA is expecting to have an end user in place by that time.

The remotely operated HiLoad unit will dock onto any tanker in a similar way as a forklift picks up a pallet. The HiLoad unit will connect to the forward part of the tanker, allowing it to weathervane during operation.

The tanker loading hose is stored on a reel on board the HiLoad and can simply be deployed and pulled to the midship manifold using a dedicated winch on the HiLoad. Model basin tests have proven that HiLoad can safely connect to tankers up to and including VLCCs in waves up to 9m in height.