Our history

Allseas was founded in January 1985, opening offices in Châtel Saint-Denis, Switzerland, and The Hague, the Netherlands. A small team of ambitious engineers invented the concept for pipelaying on dynamic positioning (DP) and built the world’s first DP pipelay vessel, Lorelay. Launched a year later (1986), the vessel quickly set a new standard in offshore pipelay, as Allseas gained a strong foothold in the North Sea market specialising in the installation of small-to-medium diameter pipelines. The company also unveiled its idea for the single-lift installation of large integrated platform topsides with motion compensation (1987), and launched the trenching support vessel, Trenchsetter (1989).

In the early 1990s, Allseas expanded into US waters as operators recognised the superior workability of DP pipelay over traditional anchored and reel vessels. Lorelay executed projects in South Africa and the USA (1990), as Allseas secured year-round work, no longer confined by the North Sea winter. The company backed itself and acquired a former bulk carrier (1992) for conversion to Solitaire, the world’s largest and most sophisticated pipelay vessel. Innovation continued and the in-house automatic welding system, Phoenix, significantly enhanced weld quality and installation capabilities when it debuted (1993).

During the mid-1990s, Allseas developed a reputation as a leading player in deepwater pipeline installation with its highly reliable DP vessels and exceptional welding quality. Lorelay was upgraded to handle greater water depths (1995), setting a record by laying rigid steel pipe at 1645 m for Shell’s Mensa project (1996). Following a lengthy conversion at the UK’s Swan Hunter yard (1997), Solitaire began work on Europipe II (1998), installing half of the gas export pipeline between Norway and Germany. The company ended the decade as the contractor to install the most kilometers of pipeline in a year in the Gulf of Mexico.

Post millennium, Allseas strengthened its position in key regions and expanded further globally with work in Australia, Canada, Southeast Asia and the Persian Gulf. Solitaire continued to set new production and depth records on the back of the huge rise in ultra-deepwater development in the Gulf of Mexico. To increase welding speeds of heavy-wall pipe, the dual-torch welding system was added to Phoenix, and Tog Mor converted for shallow-water operations (2002). Solitaire was fitted with a ‘quick stinger adjustment system’ to significantly reduce stinger radius change times and ‘hingeable heels’ for faster transits (2003). 

Allseas responded to high demand for Solitaire by doubling her holding capacity to 1050 tonnes (2005), paving the way for heavier pipelines in deeper water. The upgrade cemented the company’s reputation as the most technically capable pipelay contractor in the world, and Solitaire delivered on the prestigious Independence Trail project in the Gulf of Mexico (2006). During the same period, Allseas’ third DP pipelay vessel, Audacia, and trenching support vessel, Calamity Jane, were added to the fleet. To be independent of subsea subcontractors, the vessels were equipped with state-of-the-art ROV systems (2007). 

After years of development, Allseas announced its decision to build a single-lift platform removal and installation vessel. Construction of the hull was awarded to DSME in South Korea (2010), with the first steel cut a year later. In parallel, the company embarked on extensive front-end engineering and design studies for decommissioning of Shell’s four iconic Brent platforms. The contract award (2013) marked a major milestone and underscored Shell’s belief in the revolutionary single-lift concept. The company continued to expand, acquiring long-time Dutch supplier Machinefabriek Schaap (2011) and adding Innovations hubs in Eindhoven (2012) and Enschede (2014).

The world’s largest construction vessel arrived in Rotterdam and is christened Pioneering Spirit (2015). After installation and outfitting of the Topsides Lift System (TLS) beams, she successful executed her maiden heavy lift (2016) followed by the single-lift removal of Shell’s 24,000-t Brent Delta topsides (2017). Offshore construction vessels Oceanic and Fortitude are added to the fleet, and gates opened at Allseas’ new fabrications yard in Heijningen, the Netherlands. Pioneering Spirit showcased her unique pipelay capability on the record-breaking TurkStream (2018) and Nord Stream 2 (2019) pipeline projects. 

Allseas embarked on a new exciting chapter, leveraging its deepwater expertise to develop technology to recover polymetallic nodules from the ocean floor (2020). Pioneering Spirit is fitted with new jacket lift technology to complement existing lift systems (2021). Her enhanced versatility sees the company expand into the offshore wind sector, following the award of key transport and installation jobs. After nearly four decades at the helm, Allseas President Edward Heerema stepped aside, passing leadership to his son Pieter Heerema (2022). Equipped with in-housed collection and transport systems, Hidden Gem achieved the first fully integrated nodule collection trials since the 1970s (2022). Shallow water pipelay barge Sandpiper is added to the fleet (2023).