Normand Vision in transit for Equinor

Sometimes battling crocodiles, other times basking in the sun.

Normand Vision quay side at Randaberg

Normand Vision takes care of all our experts around the world.

Pradeep, Anna and Rob on the deck

There’s nothing more unifying than going out to sea and solving crucial tasks together.

10 years of Vision

All Ocean Installer employees have a special relationship with the Normand Vision. Whilst we all know people are Ocean Installer’s most valuable assets, the Vision is the company’s second most important resource.

This magnificent vessel accommodates underwater equipment, cables, pipelines and tons of other equipment, serving both the oil industry and renewable energy. Even though she doesn’t sail on all seven seas, she has been on the job in the Mediterranean, West Africa, the Gulf of Mexico and Australia, as well as the sea areas around Norway and Great Britain.

Jørn Waalen with a model of Normand Vision
PROUD: Ocean Installer employees are proud of the Normand Vision. Here’s Jørn Waalen, Chartering Manager in Ocean Installer, inspecting one of the models of the vessel.

With up to 365 travel days a year, Normand Vision is constantly on the way to new assignments. After 10 years at sea, she has been involved in more than 55 different projects worldwide. Some fairly straight forward, others extremely complicated. A permanent rotating crew of around 30 women and men, work rotating shifts to make sure she’s always ready to receive the engineers and technicians from Ocean Installer.

We asked some of our specialists to tell us about their relationship with Vision, these are their stories:

Anna Sand on board Normand Vision

Anna Sand, Project Engineer

What was your role on the project?

– I spent three weeks on Normand Vision before Christmas to follow up the collection, repair and re-installation of a cable that was connected to the oil production vessel Pazflor. This FPSO is located around 150 kilometers from Angola’s coastline. The project went as planned, and we all got home in time to celebrate Christmas with our families.

– Being a project engineer on board involves twelve-hour shifts with a lot of responsibility. It can be quite stressful, but at the same time it is incredibly developing and educational.

What’s your relationship with “Vision”?

– It’s a vessel I really enjoy being on, and I joke that it feels a bit like my home away from home. Being offshore you get to know the people on board really well, from the Captain to deck crew, ROV-pilots and everyone else. The crew on board this vessel are fantastic.

– On board the vessel, we really have everything we need. Great cabins, amazing recreation areas and training facilities. We do feel a bit spoiled when working on Vision, everything from the food to cleaning holds a really high standard.

– The working days are long, and you do feel quite tired when you go off shift. Most days I make sure to hit the gym after work, but some days you don’t have the energy for much more than watching a TV-series and get some knitting done.

What is it like to work for Ocean Installer?

– Sometimes we have the travel plan ready several months in advance, other times we may be asked to travel at short notice. The projects we do have are really exciting so I’m usually very positive about going offshore and travelling the world. That’s one of the best things about this job, you get that nice break from everyday routines.

Pradeep Subramani, Project Technical Manager

What was your role on this particular project?

– I was responsible for the marine operations at the Njord-field. We installed pipelines and structures there. In total, it took four years and many trips to the field to complete the job. Quite an important project, contributing to the fact that the Njord-field can extract oil for the next 20 years, and with that securing large parts of Europe’s energy needs.

– Although it is hard to leave my family for such long periods, I do love projects like this one. It is so educational and meaningful to be involved. During my ten years in the company, I have probably been on 20 such trips. I absolutely love it!

What is your relationship with Normand Vision?

– The vessel is like a mother to me. She makes me feel confident. She takes care of me, takes me to new places – and brings me home safely afterwards. It is demanding to be out at sea, but after a while we forget what day of the week it is. Tuesdays and Saturdays are suddenly exactly the same!

– It is, of course, hard work and long days with twelve-hour shifts. At the same time, it is very rewarding. You are practically in the same boat as the rest of your colleagues. Everyone is equally valuable, and we solve challenges together. I don’t think there is anything more unifying than going out to sea and solving crucial tasks together. It’s a great team effort.

What do you do when you are not working?

– After work, I try to exercise, but I also watch films and read books. Sometimes we have table tennis tournaments with the entire crew with participants from all over the world. With the Filipinos being really good at table tennis, you can’t expect to win though. The food concepts are somewhat reminiscent of the food we have at home in Norway. There is taco Friday, rice porridge on Saturdays, and of course – Komle Thursday

(Komle is a traditional Norwegian potato dumpling for those not familiar with the concept)

Brett Winspear at his cabin on board Normand Vision

Brett Winspear, Technical Superintendent

What was your role on the Cassiopea project?

– I work on a fixed rotation with Normand Vision. This time we were at Italy’s largest gas field to install a 30-kilometer cable to the platform. It was a fairly big assignment that took us somewhere between five and six weeks. Simply put, my tasks were to get the cable down into the sea from the yellow tower that you see on top of the vessel.Simply put, my tasks were to get the cable down into the sea from the yellow tower that you see on top of the vessel.

– Cassiopea was a really good project. It was my first trip to Italy, and it was lovely to have that mild and really nice weather, which is not always the case. We got some lovely sunsets, and on clear days we could actually see Mount Etna from the vessel. On this project I actually only worked the night shift. It might sound harsh, but for me it was great because I got the opportunity to relax in the sunshine before the night shift began. The body gets used to the circadian rhythm faster than you might think, and sleeping went fine.

Normand Vision in Italy

How do you feel about working on rotation?

– You find joy in the routines on the vessel, with twelve hours “on” and twelve hours “off”. There is breakfast, lunch and dinner. After work you can hit the gym, relax with a good book, watch some TV or be social with your colleagues. By doing the offshore rotation you also know that you will get those weeks at home with the family in Moorsholm, north-east of England. That’s nice.

– In a way, each and every trip lives a life of its own. It’s the same vessel, but you always meet new people and get new projects to work on. For a couple of weeks, the people on board become your family and the vessel our common home.