Atlantic Towing christens Damen-built PSV

Paul A Secuta Supply Vessel

The following is the text of a news release from J.D. Irving:

(ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland) — At a ceremony held April 13 at Pier 12 in St. John’s, Rosalind Sacuta officially christened Atlantic Towing’s new platform supply vessel Paul A. Sacuta.

“This is a proud day for the dedicated team of over 230 men and women at Atlantic Towing in St. John’s. It marks the delivery of our first new platform supply vessel (PSV). The christening of a ship is a centuries-old tradition, and we are very honored to have Ros Sacuta serve as the sponsor of the Paul A. Sacuta — the newest and largest offshore vessel serving the province’s oil and gas industry,” said Wayne Power, vice president of Irving Transportation and Logistics Division.

"Paul A. Sacuta was an inspiring leader who was admired by everyone who worked with him,” said Mike Ryan, vice president with ExxonMobil Canada. “Paul’s career spanned 28 years with ExxonMobil Canada, during which time he served as the president of Hibernia Management and Development Co. Ltd. (HMDC). The Paul A. Sacuta is Atlantic Towing’s newest state-of-the-art platform supply vessel and worthy of his name. We are very proud the vessel will be supporting the Hibernia platform.”

Rosalind Sacuta, Paul's widow, said he was a loving and dedicated husband, and father to Courtney, Nikki, and Jason. “His career with ExxonMobil and time as president of HMDC were very important to him,” said Mrs. Sacuta. “Paul became aware of the company's plan to name a vessel for him when his co-workers brought a drawing of the vessel to show him. He was very moved by this gesture and realized the legacy it would create in his name."

“We miss Paul dearly. But we share often our prolific memories of his strength, his intelligence, and especially his great humor. We are so pleased and honored that this state-of -the-art vessel will keep Paul's legacy alive offshore,” Sacuta said.

The arrival of Paul A. Sacuta in its home port of St. John’s is creating 32 new crew jobs. This ship also fulfills today’s highest environmental standards with both “Clean Design” and “Green Passport” international certifications. Coupled with its’ advanced navigation systems, high ice strengthening, and large cargo capacity, Paul A. Sacuta provides the best offshore support capability for Newfoundland and Labrador today and into the future. The vessel was built by Damen Shipyards Gorinchem in Romania.

“It is fitting that this new vessel is named after an industry leader who made such a significant contribution to Newfoundland and Labrador’s oil and gas industry,” said Dwight Ball, premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. “I congratulate Atlantic Towing and ExxonMobil for their roles in the development of our resource-rich waters, and the new jobs this ship is creating. I look forward to their continued success.”‎

“It is 16 years since Atlantic Towing began serving the province’s offshore oil and gas industry. We are proud to be part of this Newfoundland and Labrador success story, serving great customers like ExxonMobil Canada and Hibernia Management and Development Co. Ltd. with high-performance ships. During that time we have grown our fleet and good-paying jobs right here in our home port,” said Jim Irving, co-chief executive officer of J.D. Irving Ltd.

The new ship will serve as part of a 10-year firm contract, plus a total of 15 years of options at the charterers’ discretion, with ExxonMobil Canada Properties and HMDC for four new state-of-the-art PSVs operating out of St John’s.
 
"This exceptional contract — the largest in our company’s history — will increase our fleet size, our work force and our overall contribution to the economy in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Wayne Power, vice president of transportation and logistics for J.D. Irving.

Atlantic Towing operates the largest working fleet of offshore supply vessels in Canada. The company’s operations in Newfoundland and Labrador generate over 420 jobs (direct and indirect FTEs). Over 100 suppliers from Newfoundland and Labrador provide goods and services to Atlantic Towing’s operations in the province. Paul A. Sacuta will proceed immediately to work supporting development and production operations by ExxonMobil. 

As part of the ceremony, a $10,000 donation was made to the Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador. ASNL is a provincial charitable organization dedicated to promoting the development of individual, lifelong, and community-based supports and services for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), their families, and caregivers.

By Professional Mariner Staff