Types of Offshore Vessels

Offshore Vessels are specially designed ships for transporting goods and personnel to offshore oil platform that operate deep in oceans.  

The size of these vessels ranges between 20 meters and 100 meters. They are good at accomplishing a variety of tasks in the supply chain.

The category may include Platform Supply Vessels (PSV), offshore barges, and all types of specialty vessels including Anchor Handling Vessels, Drilling Vessels, Well Intervention Vessels, Ice Breaking Vessels, Cable Laying Vessels, Seismic Vessels, and Fire Fighting Vessels.

Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS)
Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) vessels are designed and equipped for anchor handling and towing operations. They are also used for rescue purposes in emergency cases.


Construction Support Vessels(CSV)
Construction support vessels or CSVs are used to support complex offshore construction, installation, maintenance and other sophisticated operations. CSV's are significantly larger and more specialised than other offshore vessels.


Crane vessel
A crane vessel, floating crane or crane ship is a ship equipped with large crane specialised in lifting heavy loads. The largest crane vessels are used for offshore construction. Because of their increased stability catamaran or semi-submersible types are often used, but also, conventional mono hulls  are used too.


Diving support vessel(DSV)
A diving support vessel is a ship used as a floating base for professional diving projects which are often performed  around oil  platforms and related installations in open water.


Offshore Barges
Offshore barges are used for a wide range of marine tasks. They can be equipped with heavy lifting cranes, firefighting system, or can be used for pipe laying (Derrick Barge), or even can serve as an offshore accommodation to personnel.


Platform Supply Vessels
As the name suggests, Platform Supply Vessels (PSV) are used to carry crew and supplies to the oil platform deep inside oceans, and bring cargo and personnel back to shore. Their size varies from small 20 meter long ship to 100 meters large ship. These vessels are designed to transport a wide range of cargo such as drilling fluids, cement, mud, and fuel in tanks beneath the deck. The open deck on PSVs is normally used to carry other materials like casing, drill pipe, tubing and miscellaneous deck cargo to and from offshore platforms. Platform Supply Vessels are often equipped with firefighting equipments to deal with emergency situations.


Safety Standby Vessels (SSBV)
Safety Standby Vessels are used to “protect” offshore installations from wandering vessels, also they are used as a safety vessel in case of emergency for quick evacuation.