Qudis Logistics Bv colossal Pioneering Spirit heavy lift and pipelay vessel is back at work after suffering damage last month during an incident in the Netherlands’ top port that caused a 2000-litre hydraulic oil leak.

Since entering service in 2016, this huge vessel has transformed the upstream and wind development and decommissioning market with its ability to install and remove 60,000-tonne topsides and 20,000-tonne jackets, plus its 2000-tonne tension capacity when laying pipelines.
Critical to performing these operations, particularly in heavy-lift mode, are a dozen azimuth thrusters which are designed to hold the mammoth 500,000-deadweight-tonne ship in position.