Dina Polaris + GMTR120

Vessel introduction

Built in 2017, Dina Polaris is a DP2 integrated geotechnical survey vessel (IGSV) designed to safely deliver offshore geotechnical site investigations in harsh and remote environments. As an Ice Class A1 vessel constructed to Baltic ice rules, she is capable of operating in cold-climate regions with ice thicknesses of up to 0.8 m.

At nearly 99 m in length, Dina Polaris is one of the largest geotechnical vessels currently operating in the industry. This scale provides an exceptionally stable working platform for deep-water drilling, seabed CPT operations and real-time offshore engineering. Certified Clean Design, the vessel was engineered to minimise environmental impact while maintaining high operational capability.

DP class DP2 – Class 2 Dynamic Positioning

LOA x breadth 99.0 m x 21.0 m

Berths 97

Offices 5

Water + borehole depth 2,500 m

Heave compensation 6 m

Ice class A1 (up to 0.8 m ice thickness)

Moonpool 7.2 m x 7.2 m

Onboard Capabilities

Onboard systems

Onboard soil laboratory

Seabed systems

Dina Polaris is equipped with Geoquip Marine’s twin-derrick GMTR120 drilling rig, installed over the midship moonpool. The rig is fully heave compensated and capable of handling combined water and borehole depths of up to 2,500 m, with efficient, controlled handling of drill string and downhole tooling via a ram hoist system with twin wire suspension.

A comprehensive suite of wireline downhole sampling, coring and in situ testing tools is available, including piston sampling, push sampling, wireline core barrels, percussion sampling and PCPT systems with optional seismic capability. All downhole tools are fully compatible within the 5½” API drill string, allowing efficient tool interchange without recovering the drill string.

The vessel is fitted with a dedicated Geoquip Marine offshore soil laboratory, enabling immediate classification and strength testing of recovered samples during offshore operations. This real-time data supports on-board engineering analysis, including spudcan penetration and pile installation assessments, allowing borehole depths to be optimised as drilling progresses.

The laboratory is equipped for standard soil testing, routine sample handling, photography, classification and secure storage. Testing regimes can be tailored to project requirements, with samples stored in a temperature-controlled environment prior to shipment to onshore laboratories for advanced testing where required.

As an option, Dina Polaris can deploy Geoquip Marine’s GMC201 20-tonne seabed CPT system to efficiently conduct in situ testing in shallow or deep water environments. The seabed system is deployed through the vessel’s moonpool using the GMTR120 rig’s derrick and compensation system.

This capability enables rapid execution of seabed CPT and PCPT testing, reducing turnaround times and vessel days while maintaining data quality and reliability across large or technically demanding site investigation programmes.