Press release31 January 2013

Barge Master and GeoSea prove innovative offshore motion compensation solutions

Barge Master and GeoSea have recently completed their final offshore test as part of a series of tests designed to prove innovative motion compensated supply and installation solutions.

The workability during offshore supply and installation operations is strongly influenced by both weather and sea conditions. The “swell” (long waves) has an especially significant impact on the motions of supply vessels and crane barges, often putting onboard personnel, equipment and installation components at risk. In such instances, work is interrupted leading to extra costs and tight time schedules.

A new and innovative motion compensating heavy load platform called the Barge Master has been invented and developed by Barge Master bv. The Barge Master compensates vessel motions and allows safe working in more extreme sea conditions and thereby increases workability windows for offshore supply and installation operations. The development of the Barge Master platform has opened up a wide range of new and innovative offshore supply and installation solutions.

In its continuous search for innovation, GeoSea believes that the use of the Barge Master system will be beneficial to their offshore supply and installation methodologies, and therefore will benefit their customers.

Thorough testing by the cooperating parties has successfully proven the practicability of motion compensated installation and supply work, showing compensation percentages of over 95% of the barge movements in all test configurations.

The final test encompassed an offshore supply operation involving GeoSea’s jack up barge, Goliath and Barge Master’s newly built BM-001 platform mounted on a standard North Sea barge. An offshore supply scenario was staged in the concession zone of the future wind farm, Rentel, in the Belgian North Sea.

Testing the motion compensated supply methodology within the Rentel windfarm concession zone in the Belgian North Sea.

During an earlier test in the Dutch North Sea parties successfully tested the motion compensated installation solution involving a standard crawler crane mounted on the BM-001 platform, which in its turn was mounted on a standard North Sea barge.

Testing the motion compensated installation methodology in the Dutch North Sea near Scheveningen

GeoSea is a fast growing company specialising in complex offshore marine construction projects. The company is part of the Belgian DEME group, one of the world’s leading companies in the field of dredging, marine engineering and environmental operations.

GeoSea has participated in the construction of large-scale offshore wind farms including the Alpha Ventus project, the EnBW Baltic 2 wind farm, the Trianel West Borkum II wind farm in German waters, the Walney wind farms and at the Ormonde farm in the Irish Sea and the C-Power wind farm off the Belgian Coast. GeoSea’s jack-up platforms include Neptune, Goliath, Vagant, Buzzard, Zeebouwer, Halewijn, Tijl II, and Kobe. They are assigned to projects around the globe, including on the North Sea, the Middle East and Australia.

GeoSea’s business also covers more traditional activities such as soil investigation, drilling of large diameter mono piles and high-tech directional drilling. GeoSeo relies on its ability to provide innovative techniques and high operational reliability through high-tech equipment. Further information: www.geosea.be

Barge Master Barge Master brings new technology to the marine and offshore construction industry, by developing and producing motion compensation platforms.Motion compensation platforms for cranes or supply barges are typical examples of Barge Master applications. Barge Master platforms are developed together with Bosch Rexroth and Marin maritime research institute.

Barge Master platforms provide:• Increased safety during offshore supply and lifting operations• Increased workability during offshore supply and lifting operations• Flexible solution by using standard vessels, barges and cranes• Low cost solution

Barge Master platforms can be utilized as:• Motion compensation platforms for cargo during vessel to platform transfers• Motion compensation platforms for standard crawler cranes on flat top barges

Barge Master’s first operational platform – BM-001, a 700mT system – is now ready for use.