A hyper-modern offshore vessel that can place anchors with precision in as deep water as anyone wants, tow, carry all required supplies, and also position equipment on the sea bed in 2,000m of water. This is the new UT 787 CD just ordered by Island Offshore - the 500th contract for a UT-Design vessel.

Designed to meet emerging market requirements, the UT 787 CD embodies more than 30 years of UT-Design experience and includes the new Rolls-Royce developments in ship design and improved safety on deck. Contracts have been placed with Aker Langsten for two vessels to be delivered in 2006 and 2007.

The vessel design focuses on excellent sea keeping in all operational modes. These include anchor handling, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) operation and work through the moon pool using the A-frame. Fuel efficiency in the transit and position-keeping modes together with a high bollard pull and deck machinery suitable for anchor handling operations in ultra deep water are key figures of the design. Clean Design class means that the vessel's impact on the environment will be as small as possible; particularly important if the vessel operates in easily damaged areas such as the Barent's Sea.

Håvard Ulstein, managing director of Island Offshore, says "the UT 787 CD will enable us to carry out anchor handling operations in water as deep as anyone wants to go. Because we have an integrated hangar for a work class ROV, we can also place anchors very precisely using ROV inspection. Accommodation is provided for up to 50 people, so that we can undertake tasks involving large staffs in addition to the marine crew, such as survey work. Using the A-frame and the moonpool we can position items of equipment weighing 150 tonnes each on the seabed in up to 2,000m of water. We're confident that Rolls-Royce has designed us a vessel that will meet the industry's requirements far into the future."