Platou News

The global offshore wind industry is staring down a potential shortage of foundation installation vessel capacity. A new UK company led by former offshore drilling executive Jon Oliver Bryce intends to help tackle this challenge as the industry’s first pure-play foundation installation vessel (FIV) firm.The number of planned offshore wind projects globally is growing, spurred by green targets and a shift away from Russian oil and gas. This growth, alongside a shift toward the next generation of larger offshore wind turbines…

Braemar, expert advisors in shipping investment, chartering, and risk management, today announced the appointment of John Beckwith as Group Director of Human Resources.The hire of Beckwith strengthens Braemar’s leadership team, enhances and enables Braemar’s ability to grow organically and via Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), and it represents a further investment in the professional development of its shipbroking and corporate finance teams.Beckwith has been the HR/people subject-matter expert on multiple mergers, demergers, and acquisitions throughout his career, including an IPO process.

Offshore wind turbine installation firm Eneti plans to raise $200 million through a public offering of shares. It will use the funds raised to fund wind turbine installation vessel newbuilding program consisting of one contracted newbuilding vessel, one optional newbuilding vessel, and one proposed Jones Act compliant newbuilding vessel. As part of the Offering, Scorpio Holdings Limited, a related party of the company, has expressed an interest to purchase common shares at the public offering price with a value of at least $30.0 million.Citigroup…

MPC Container Ships ASA (MPCC) announced it has reached a deal to acquire fellow Norwegian-based container shipping company Songa Container AS for $210.25 million on a debt and cash free basis. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of July 2021.Upon closing, MPCC will acquire Songa’s fleet of 11 container vessels, with an average size of 2,250 TEU and an average age of 11.9 years , creating a combined fleet of 75 ships and a total capacity of roughly 158,000 TEU. Nine of the acquired ships are fitted with scrubbers while three are equipped with the highest ice-class.Constantin Baack, MPC Container Ships CEO, said, “This…

The supply/demand balance in the subsea vessel market is shifting as activity levels rise markedly across many of the sectors these vessels support. Operators and contractors need to be decisive in securing the assets they need, according to Jonathan Lints of broker Clarksons Platou (Offshore), or they might find their ship has sailed…The opening months of 2021 have witnessed markedly positive trends in the global subsea market, as evidenced by recent increases of up to 35% in…

Golar LNG announced on Thursday it has appointed appointed Karl Fredrik Staubo as CEO, filling the void left by prior chief executive Iain Ross, who stepped down in April.Staubo has since May 2020 been the chief executive officer of Golar LNG Partners LP, recently sold to New Fortress Energy. Since September 2020 Staubo has also been acting as Golar's chief financial officer.Staubo's broad shipping/energy background includes time with Clarksons Platou Securities (2010-2018) and Magni Partners (2018-2020). He has a MA (Business Studies and Economics) from the University of Edinburgh.Golar has also appointed Eduardo Maranhao to take over Staubo's role as CFO.

Integrated Wind Solutions, a newly formed offshore wind service company owned by Norway's Awilhelmsen investment group, is eyeing a private placement of new shares in the company in connection with a listing on Euronext Growth Oslo, aiming to raise up to $89 million.Integrated Wind Solutions describes itself as a company that aims to be a leading offshore wind service player by integrating service operation vessels with engineering and manpower services in the windfarm’s construction and operations phase.

The cost of shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States to Asia hit a record high on Tuesday as appetite for the fuel from buyers there and delays through the Panama Canal reduced the amount of ships for hire.Freezing temperatures across Asia and Europe have pushed up LNG prices and lifted wider gas prices as buyers grapple with shrinking inventories and the shortage of tankers.Shipping sources said an apparent ban on Australian coal imports into China, which has been reported by Chinese media…

Throughout the world, offshore wind is on a growth trajectory. With green energy mandates from states in New England and the mid-Atlantic, the U.S. is joining the fray. Consultants Wood MacKenzie, in its U.S. Offshore Wind Outlook 2020-2029, suggested that as much as 25 gigawatts (GW) of capacity could be deployed in the U.S. by 2030 (though estimates range from 14 GW to as much as 34 GW), accounting for a hefty portion of incremental capacity coming online.Shipyards in New England have already seen the tip of the offshore wind iceberg…

The supervisor of Singaporean shipping group Xihe Holdings Pte Ltd has put seven oil tankers controlled by the company up for sale as part of efforts to recoup funds owed to creditors, three sources said on Wednesday. Xihe Holdings is part of the Lim family business empire, which also includes oil trader Hin Leong Trading and fleet manager Ocean Tankers (Pte) Ltd, both of which were placed under court-appointed supervisors earlier this year.The sale includes three crude oil supertankers and is expected to get fully underway in the coming days, the sources said.The ships were valued at a total of just over $196 million, according to vessel…

Oil tankers that were sailing toward Venezuela have turned around and others have left the country’s waters as the United States considers blacklisting dozens of ships for transporting Venezuelan oil, according to shipping data and industry sources.The threat of tighter sanctions is already disrupting the global shipping market. Chinese oil firms are considering whether to decline to charter any tanker that has visited Venezuela in the past year, no matter where the ship is now or for what voyage, four shipping sources told Reuters on Tuesday.Washington is seeking to oust the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro by choking the oil exports that provide its main source of income.

Chinese oil companies may soon decline to charter any tanker that has visited Venezuela in the past year to avoid disruption to operations if the United States blacklists more ships for trading with Caracas, four shipping sources told Reuters on Tuesday.The U.S. government is seeking to choke Venezuelan oil exports to starve the government of socialist President Nicolas Maduro of its main source of revenue. Existing sanctions have cut Venezuelan exports sharply, but Maduro has held on.Washington may tighten sanctions by adding dozens more tankers to an existing blacklist, U.S.

The United States is considering imposing sanctions on dozens of additional foreign oil tankers for trading with Venezuela, U.S. officials told Reuters on Friday, the latest effort to sever what Washington sees as a lifeline for President Nicolas Maduro.Some sanctions could be announced in the near term while others could be imposed over a longer period if the trading activity persists in violation of U.S. restrictions, one of the officials said on condition of anonymity.Earlier on Friday…

Bermuda-headquartered Nordic American Tankers (NAT) said that its tanker segment is on upswing mode following he strong market improvement for its Suezmax tankers."However, seeing is believing and if anyone had doubts, last week, the international shipbroking firm of Clarkson Platou Research reported the largest week-on-week increase in the history of their freight index,"pointed out the company.From Thursday to Friday last week, reported Suezmax rates jumped 60% on the day and 400% on the month, it said.NAT’s uniform fleet of 23 Suezmax tankers have 21 units trading in the open spot market, ready to benefit from strengthening freights.Presently the Suezmax spot market is reported to about $68,000/day, and rising.

Norway's Klaveness Combination Carriers (KCC) has raised 350 million Norwegian crowns in a private share placement, valuing the shipping firm at 2.27 billion crowns ($259.57 million) ahead of an Oslo stock market listing on May 22.Following the successful private placement, KCC has declared two options for the construction of the seventh and eight CLEANBU combination carrier with Jiangsu New Yangzi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd in China.The two newbuilds are scheduled for delivery in January and February 2021. Following the declaration, the KCC fleet will grow to 17 vessels within 1st quarter of 2021. The company holds options for further vessels.“We…

Bermuda-headquartered platform supply vessels (PSVs) operator Nordic American Offshore (NAO) announced that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of thirteen vessels from Scorpio Offshore Holdings Inc.Emanuele A. Lauro, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented “With the completion of this acquisition and the first drawdown under our Equity Line, NAO has achieved critical short-term milestones of reducing our financial leverage and increasing our liquidity. We will now turn to our immediate operational goals which include the employment of our entire North Sea fleet within the month of May."The acquisition was done for 8,126,219 common shares at $2.7774/ share.

Bermuda-based company Nordic American Offshore (NAO) announced  that it has reached agreement with the lenders under the Company's $150 million  Revolving Credit Facility, dated March 16, 2015 pursuant to which the lenders have agreed, upon satisfaction of certain conditions precedent by the Company, to the extension of waivers up until January 31, 2020.The owner and operator of platform supply vessels (PSVs) said in a press release that it has also announced that the lenders have committed, upon satisfaction of certain conditions precedent by the Company, to a new $ 132.9 million term loan facility with maturity of December 6, 2023 to refinance the Credit Facility…

UK-based crew transfer specialist High Speed Transfers (HST) announced that its second new high-speed crew transfer vessel HST Sofia will be contracted by Shell to support its exploration program in the Black Sea commencing March 2019.The FCS 2710 vessel, built by Dutch shipbuilder Damen, will be trialed by HST to undertake oil and gas crew transfers to support the Noble Globetrotter II drill ship. The vessel will shortly begin an exploration drilling program in the Khan Kubrat block…

Provider of integrated shipping services Clarksons Platou announced that it is planning to acquire Safe Harbour Tanker Chartering, a Connecticut-based shipbrokerage and marine consultancy firm.Safe Harbour Tanker Chartering has been in operation since 1989, and is based in Monroe, Connecticut. They are a well‐established ship broker, with a primary focus on the edible oils sector specialising in veg oil exports from the United States and South America to the wider Americas and European markets.They also have a presence within the biodiesel sector, as well as iso‐tank and flexi bag chartering amongst other activities.The company is led by Jim Weinberg and his team…

SEACOR Marine Holdings, the provider of marine and support transportation services to offshore oil, has announced the acquisition of UP Offshore (Bahamas)  by a new joint venture company that is 49% owned by a subsidiary of SEACOR Marine and 51% owned by a subsidiary of Proyectos Globales de Energía y Servicios CME.UP Offshore is a leading provider of offshore support vessel services to the energy industry in Brazil, the largest regional market in Latin America, said a press release.Of UP Offshore’s 14 vessel fleet, 12 vessels are located in Brazil and registered under the Brazilian flag. Nine are platform supply vessels, four are ROV…

AP Moeller Maersk third-quarter results are due on Wednesday, November 14th. The Q3 operating profit is forecast to be $371 million.A poll of forecasts for the Danish shipping group is emerging. Of the eight analysts who disclosed their recommendation on the AP MOELLERMAERSK stock, one answered Positive, six Neutral and one Negative. The following brokerages and investment banks participated in the poll:Handelsbanken Capital: UnderweightSydbank: HoldEquita SIM: HoldDrewry: HoldClarksons…

Maritime UK has confirmed the appointment of Sarah Kenny as Vice Chair. Kenny is CEO at BMT Global.Maritime UK is the sector’s umbrella body, bringing together the shipping, ports, services, engineering and leisure marine industries to drive growth by promoting the sector, influencing government and fostering collaboration. The sector supports just under 1 million jobs and contributes around GBP40bn to GDP.Kenny will start her two-year terms on 1 December. Current Chair, David Dingle has served since 2015.Dingle, the Carnival UK Chair, announced the appointments at Maritime UK’s ‘Maritime Masters’ reception at Clarksons Platou this afternoon (Thursday), which was attended by HRH The Princess Royal, Maritime UK’s Patron.

Will a rising tide in the offshore oil markets float all the boats? In the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, that remains to be seen.Offshore services, exploration and production are on a roll. In early October, yet another business combination of big drillers was announced. In a sign of optimism, Ensco announced its plan for an all-stock acquisition of Rowan Offshore, worth around $2.4 billion. The new company will be domiciled in the United Kingdom, but will have a large presence in Houston.