Seismic research ship SW Gallien

New name; SW Gallien. Built as a 12 streamer 3D seismic vessel of the ULSTEIN SX134 design. Arctic-ready with an ICE-1A class notation, double hull and ballast water treatment system that eliminates the risk of introducing invasive species into fragile ecosystems. Classifications: DNV+1A1, BWM-T, HELDK, CleanDesign, DYNPOSAUTR, E0, SF, NAUT-AW, WINTERIZED-BASIC, ICE-1A, COMF-V(3) Delivered from Drydocks World Dubai on 21 March 2011. The vessel can deploy 12 streamers of 9,000 m length at 100 m separation. Six months after delivery, the Polarcus Alima transited to Asia-Pacific via the Northern Sea Route (NSR). This is the first known passage of a 3D seismic vessel along the NSR. Vessels making the passage are required to hold an ICE-1A or higher ice class. Her passage commenced on 15 September from Hammerfest in Norway after seismic operations in the Barents Sea were completed. After only nine days and 3,000 nautical miles, the vessel reached Cape Dezhnev in the Bering Straits. She then continued her onward passage to New Zealand to commence operations there. The expected transit time savings between Norway and New Zealand compared to the traditional route through the Panama Canal amount to some eight days. The savings versus the Suez Canal, a necessity for some larger seismic vessels, amount to thirteen days. Preparations for the voyage were carried out in close cooperation with Tschudi Arctic Transit AS through its Russian-Norwegian JV company, Arctic Bulk AG, Atomflot, and the Northern Sea Route Administration in Moscow.