Description of Project:
ACMA was contracted by SDP/McClure to develop the contract design for the Q4000 SWATH. ACMA had previously developed the preliminary design under contract to SDP. The contract design was developed specifically for Cal Dive International (CDI) to perform construction and well intervention tasks in deep water down to 10,000 feet. The vessel represents a new generation prototype design for multi-role field development projects in deepwater basins around the world.

The ACMA team was responsible for global structure analysis, motion predictions, auxiliary systems and detailed weight calculations. ACMA engineers were also responsible for stability, resistance and powering, and preliminary layouts for this revolutionary vessel with a unique column-stabilized design that combines dynamically positioned station-keeping with large deck space (15,000 square feet), significant deck load capacity (3,400 tons) and high transit speed (12 knots).

The methodical design approach, state-of-the-art materials, equipment and systems together with innovative building techniques are the basis on which this unique vessel was developed. Close attention was paid to redundancy, safety, habitability and sea-keeping qualities. This philosophy achieves maximum efficiency and reduces building costs, allowing more competitive day rates. The design objective was to create a new class of support vessel which would outperform all other multi-service vessels.

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