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The Iolair ( Gaelic for eagle) is an oil rig that served as an emergency support vessel (ESV). She was built by BP to assist oil platforms in the field. The Iolair is a self-propelled, twin hull, semi-submersible type vessel and can operate as a dynamically positioned (DP) drilling vessel .
In her early years, she was positioned in the BP Forties Oilfield . In 1995, she was sold to US drilling company Reading & Bates . She was converted to a workover/well intervention vessel and was stationed west of Shetland. The modifications included removal of some of the top structures, removal of the fire-fighting systems, closing of the dive tube and wave surge tank and the addition of a large derrick set and well stimulation equipment .
The Iolair can operate up to a water depth of 488 m, is 102 m long and 51 m wide, and has 207 beds with single and double occupancy.