On 26 April, Allseas’ first pipelay vessel Lorelay celebrated forty years of offshore operations. The book “Lorelay 40 – An inside story” was launched simultaneously to capture the vessel’s unique history and achievements.
Commissioned in 1986, Lorelay played a pioneering role in offshore construction as the world’s first vessel to install subsea pipelines operating on full dynamic positioning. At a time when anchored pipelay was standard practice, this approach transformed how offshore pipelines could be installed – enabling safer, more precise operations and opening the door to deeper and more complex projects.
Over the decades that followed, Lorelay has worked on more than 200 projects worldwide, installing over 9000 kilometres of pipeline and hundreds of subsea structures in water depths of up to 2700 metres. As offshore requirements evolved, so did the vessel’s scope – spanning everything from nearshore connections and above‑water tie‑ins to trenching, pipeline burial and spool installations. The vessel is now known as a jack of all trades within the Allseas fleet.
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Renewal and modification
Meanwhile, the offshore industry itself has changed dramatically. Technologies have advanced, energy systems have diversified and project demands have grown more complex. Many vessels of Lorelay’s generation have long since been retired. Lorelay is still very much in active service.
Rather than winding down, the Lorelay has undergone extensive renewal and modification programmes to keep it relevant for today’s and tomorrow’s offshore energy market. Key systems have been renewed, equipment modernised and capabilities expanded, allowing the Lorelay to continue supporting a wide range of complex offshore operations around the world.
Over the years, generations of crew members, engineers and onshore teams have worked on board – in some cases, with sons following fathers who sailed on the Lorelay decades earlier. That continuity, combined with ongoing investment, ensures Allseas’ “First Lady” remains ready, relevant and competitive – four decades on.
Also read: Allseas deploys ‘bowstring’ pipelay method for first time
Book published
Accompanying the forty-year anniversary celebration of the Lorelay is the new book: “Lorelay 40 – An inside story”. Authors Martijn van Wijngaarden, Anne de Groot and Remko Luyten created the book to be a true reflection of the vessel’s inspiring story. The story is told by the engineers who created the vessel and the crew who operated it. The book is available from Polestar Publishing.
Specifications of the Lorelay are:
- Length (incl. stinger): 227 m
- Length overall: 182 m
- Breadth: 26 m
- Operational draught: 6-9 m (excl. thruster 3), 10-13.5 m (incl. thruster 3)
- Air draught: 55.5 m
- Installed power: 17,760 kW
- Maximum speed: 16 knots
- Accommodation: 230 persons
- Thrusters: 1x 3000 kW retractable bow azimuth, 2x 2550 kW bow tunnel, 2x 5000 kW stern azimuth
- Dynamic positioning: DP3, K-Pos DP-22+DP-12, cJoy system
- Pipelay equipment: 6 (single joint) welding stations, 1 NDT + 3 coating stations
- Tension capacity: 165 t (3x 55-t tensioners), optional 4th tensioner (100 t)
- Multi-purpose crane: 300 t at 14 m radius (main hoist)
- Pipe transfer cranes: 16 t at 33 m radius (main hoist)
- Pipe diameter range: 2-41 inch (OD)
- Pipe cargo capacity: 7200 t
Picture (top) and video by Allseas.
