Edison Chouest Offshore and Ocean Therapy Solutions Debut Oil Spill Cleanup Vessel Equipped with “T-Rex” Skimmer for Greater Capacity

Port Fourchon, LA -  True to their commitment to developing a rapid oil spill cleanup vessel, Edison Chouest Offshore (Chouest) and Ocean Therapy Solutions (OTS) took a critical first step by introducing the “Ella G,” a massive  platform supply vessel equipped with four centrifuge devices that will be deployed to the Gulf of Mexico for oil spill cleanup operations.  The four centrifuge devices provide the potential to clean up to 800,000 gallons of oil a day.

At 280 feet long, 60 feet wide, and two and a half stories high (280′ x 60′ x 24′), the Ella G commands 7,200 horsepower, making it capable of withstanding rough seas.

A revolutionary “Trans Rec 150 skimmer” (also known as the T-Rex skimmer) modified by Chouest and OTS specifically for use on the Ella G collects 800 gallons of oily water a minute with unprecedented efficiency.  Traditional skimmers require that the collected oil be offloaded onshore.  “The T-Rex allows us to separate the oil from the water, offload it onto barges and continue our work without having to return to shore,” said John Houghtaling, CEO, Ocean Therapy Solutions.  The deck capacity of the Ella G is 273,000 gallons.

The Ella G is a supply vessel that has been reconfigured with the latest skimmer and centrifuge technology into a flexible oil spill response platform. Combining innovation with cutting-edge technology, it is the first step toward a new generation of oil spill response. “We envision an even more sophisticated vessel to help clean up future oil spills that can serve  as a ‘fire engine’ for the oil industry – an emergency cleanup vessel which is always on standby, ready to respond to oil spills.  The Ella G paves the way for more research and progress toward that goal,” Houghtaling said.

Deployment of the Ella G brings the number of OTS centrifuge devices deployed in the Gulf to 9.  BP demonstrated its commitment to bring new technology and response capacity to the Gulf with an order for 32 OTS centrifuges, the remainder of which are being manufactured.

“As soon as a machine is manufactured, we transport it to Louisiana for deployment to the spill site,” said Houghtaling.  “It is then moved onto a vessel which is equipped with skimmers and tanks to collect the oil.”

BP expects to deploy all 32 by the end of August, weather permitting.

Watch a video fly-by of the “Ella G” here

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