Esgian Week 14 Report: Major Jackup Contract Suspensions
Esgian reports various drilling contractors disclosing details of discussions with Saudi Aramco regarding jackup contract suspensions in its Week 14 Rig Analytics Market Roundup. These contractors include Shelf Drilling, ADES, Borr Drilling, Arabian Drilling, COSL, and ARO Drilling.Meanwhile, Transocean, Noble, and COSL rigs have firmed up new work in the US Gulf of Mexico, Suriname, and the North Sea, respectively.Report overview:ContractsShelf Drilling has received a notice of suspension of operations on four jackup rigs from a customer in the Middle East.
Esgian Week 9 Report: Dolphin, Diamond and Seadrill Updates
Esgian reports rig-related updates from Dolphin Drilling, Diamond Offshore, and Seadrill in its Week 9 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report Outline:ContractsDespite Tullow Oil’s recent announcement that it would take a break from drilling offshore Ghana, Noble Corp. has stated that there has been no contract termination announcement and that its 12,000-ft drillship Noble Venturer is currently still contracted to Tullow into March 2025.Masirah Oil Ltd has signed a rig contract with…
Exploring 'Future Fuels' - Methanol’s Superstorage Solution
Technical inquiries to SRC Group ramped up after it received Approval in Principle (AIP) for a concept which ‘reinvented methanol fuel storage’ on board ships. Delivering the answers has seen technical talk converting into project discussions ‘Green’ methanol has the ability to one day run vessels almost emission-free, and commercial shipping increasingly investigates. Derived today principally from natural gas, methanol is nonetheless available, relatively easy to handle and predictable.
Island Offshore Lines Up Long-term Work for Island Condor
Norwegian shipowner Island Offshore announced it has secured long-term employment for its offshore support vessel Island Condor, commencing in autumn 2024."This is a fantastic Christmas gift for the company! We have worked purposefully to secure longer assignments and are grateful for the trust the customer has shown us," said Tommy Walaunet, managing director of Island Offshore Management AS.Having worked as a walk-to-work vessel in the British sector for many years, apart from Norwegian projects in the past year…
Plans in Progress for New North Sea Wells
Esgian has published its Week 49 Rig Market Roundup highlighting new drilling activity in the North Sea and a new licensing deal in Morocco.Drilling Activity and DiscoveriesSerica Energy is continuing with plans for its four-well drilling campaign in the UK North Sea, scheduled for 2024 and early 2025. The campaign will be carried out using the semisubmersible COSLInnovator. All four wells are production wells. The first well in the campaign will be a sidetrack of an existing well (B1z) on the Bittern field.
Reach Subsea Partners with Agalas for New IMR/Survey Vessel
Reach Subsea, a Norwegian subsea services company, has signed a long-term charter contract with Agalas for a modern IMR/Survey vessel to be built in Turkey.According to Reach Subsea, to be hired on three or five-year charter, will has a low emission, smart lifting arrangement and a state of the art equipment package that can be adapted to several market segments, with delivery early 2026.Reach Subsea CEO Jostein Alendal said:"The market for subsea vessels is expected to remain tight for the foreseeable future…
Wagenborg Offshore Takes Delivery of Subsea Support Vessel Kingsborg
Wagenborg Offshore has taken delivery of the Kingsborg subsea support vessel.Kingsborg is a subsea support vessel, converted from a platform supply vessel, that will support subsea activities and decommissioning works in the southern North Sea in a long-term agreement with an energy major, Wagenborg said, without sharing the name of the client."After the positive experiences with the W2W vessels Kasteelborg and Keizersborg, Wagenborg has once again opted to convert a standard Platform Supply Vessel into this specialist offshore vessel.
Chartwell Marine and VARD Partner on 55-Meter Offshore Wind Craft
UK-based offshore vessel designer Chartwell Marine has partnered with a designer and shipbuilder of specialized vessels, VARD, to introduce the Midi-SOV: a "revolutionary" 55-meter offshore wind craft. "Coming to both the US and European markets in 2024, the vessel represents the combined expertise of the respective crew transfer vessel (CTV) and SOV design leaders — providing a brand-new solution to the ongoing challenge of expanding wind power across the globe. The vessel is designed Jones Act-compliant…
Methanol Superstorage Solution for Existing Ships Earns LR AIP
A new and space efficient retrofit methanol storage solution from SRC Group has received Approval in Principle (AIP) from Lloyd’s Register (LR). Methanol Superstorage offers the potential for ships with years of service ahead to be considered for transition to this alternative marine fuel.While renewably-sourced methanol fits the net-zero framework laid out by the IMO, and is fairly easy to store and handle, it takes twice as much to generate the same energy as HFO. On board ship…
Norwegian Firm Agrees to Buy Five Vroon Offshore Vessels for $94M
Norwegian offshore vessel operator Golden Energy Offshore Services (GEOS) has entered into a binding Memorandum of Agreement for the acquisition of four platform supply vessels and one subsea support vessel from subsidiaries of Vroon Holding B.V. for a total consideration of $94 million.Dutch vessel owner Vroon earlier this year completed the implementation of the financial restructuring for the “new” Vroon focusing on specialized fleet of deepsea vessels (livestock carriers, product tankers, and high-heat tankers) and emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRV). As part of the restructuring, the majority ownership of Vroon has transferred to the company lenders…
Great Yarmouth Shipbuilder to Build Offshore Wind Daughter Craft Duo
UK-based offshore vessel operator North Star has awarded a new contract to Great Yarmouth-based shipbuilding Alicat Workboats Ltd for the construction of two new offshore wind daughter craft.The hybrid-propulsion workboats 5 & 6, designed by Chartwell Marine, will be integrated into North Star’s renewable fleet. They will complement the two new SPS 120 CSOVs under construction with Vard. The crafts combine diesel and electric outboard propulsion.Last week, North Star delivered…
Solstad Offshore Delivers Normand Jarl Vessel to New Owner
Solstad Offshore's subsidiary, Normand Ships, has completed the sale and delivery of the construction support vessel Normand Jarl to its new owner.Solstad Offshore first announced it had agreed to sell its 2013-built construction support vessel Normand Jarl in December 2022. It did not say who the buyer was.It was said at the time that the vessel would be sold to a buyer outside of the offshore industry. Solstad Offshore, based in Norway, will recognize a gain on the sale of about NOK 420 million (currently around $41…
Helix Inks Long-term Charter for Glomar Wave
Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc., announced its robotics division has entered into a three-year charter agreement with two years of options for the DP2 offshore support vessel Glomar Wave for work on a range of opportunities in both the offshore renewables and oil and gas sectors.Helix Robotics Solutions' Glomar Wave, a DP2 66.4-meter multi-role vessel, is expected to operate across energy sectors supporting Helix clients in a variety of roles.The purpose-built vessel, equipped with a 25Te crane…
Solstad Offshore Sells Construction Support Vessel
The Norwegian offshore vessel company Solstad Offshore has agreed to sell its 2013-built construction support vessel Normand Jarl.Sold through Solstad's subsidiary Normand Ships, the CSV will be delivered to an unnamed buyer outside of the offshore industry. The delivery of the vessel to the new owner is expected to take place during the first quarter of 2023. "Solstad Offshore will recognize a gain on the sale of approximately MNOK 420 [~$43 million currently] to be reflected in the Q1 2023 accounts." Solstad Offshore said.According to Normand Jarl's AIS info as found on MarineTraffic.com…
Ports Seek Clarity on Next Stage of Brexit Border Processes
The British Ports Association said it is calling for clarity following recent speculation that the introduction of physical Brexit border checks on EU food and animal product imports will be delayed again.Sanitary and phytosanitary inspections at specially prepared borders infrastructure are due to be introduced in July, but there is an increasing expectation of some type of delay, said BPA, the trade body representing U.K. ports that facilitate 86% of seaborne trade and most of the ports that have built Border Control Posts.Richard Ballantyne…
Eastern and Partners Open C5ISR Facility for OPC Program
On Monday, October 18, Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG), Northrop Grumman, L3Harris, and industry partners commissioned the new Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Production Facility (PF) in support of the U.S. Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program at ESG’s Allanton Shipyard. The ceremony was attended by leaders of the United States Coast Guard Project Resident Office.The C5ISR PF is a new…
Oldendorff Post-Panamax to Load Logs from New Zealand
A deal has been finalized that will soon see the largest vessel to ever call at New Zealand for the loading of logs.The deal between South Pacific Shipping (SPS) and Oldendorff Carriers was brokered by Braemar ACM’s Bruce McFarlane, a Mount Maunganui local. Braemar also negotiated the deal with ISO Stevedoring that delivered the mobile cranes from the manufacturer in Germany, to the port of Tauranga, New Zealand last year. Bruce McFarlane commented, “We saw an opportunity to bring…
OSV Powers Up for Deepwater Efficiency the Island Offshore Way
While facing the same challenging market conditions as offshore vessel owners and service companies worldwide, Norway’s Island Offshore recently broke free from the enforced conservatism of the E&P sector, by adding not just a new ship to its fleet, but one that re-writes the rulebook in capabilities, technology and despite its size and power, environmental credentials.Simply put, Island Offshore’s new deep water installation Vessel ‘Island Victory’ is the most powerful multi-purpose offshore vessel ever built…
NLE, Liebherr-Russland Pact on Port Equipment
NCSP Group, Europe's third largest port operator in terms of cargo turnover, its subsidiary Novorosleseksport (NLE AO) will receive port equipment from Liebherr-Russland OOO.Dmitry Korchnev, General Director at NLE AO, and German Ignatov, Director of the Port Equipment Department at Liebherr-Russland OOO, signed a contract on purchase of two ship-to-shore cranes (STS) with a capacity of 65 tons for loading and offloading of 20, 30, 40 and 45 feet ISO containers from a vessel to shore and back.The SPS cranes delivery is scheduled for 2021, said a press note.These cranes will ensure the processing of Bosphormax container ships (300 m length, 48.0 m width) at NLE AO berths No.
India to builds Six Submarines for $6.5B
The Indian Navy has issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) for shortlisting potential strategic partners (SPs) for the construction of six P-75 (I) submarines, a major initiative under the 'Make In India' costing nearly INR 45,000 crore ($6.5B)."This is the second project being undertaken under the latest SP Model, with the first being the procurement of 111 Naval Utility Helicopters (NUH). This would provide a major boost to the indigenous design and construction capability of submarines in India, in addition to bringing in the latest submarine design and technologies as part of the project," said a press release from the government.The case was approved by the Defense Acquisition Council on 31 Jan 19.
Neptune Adds Multi-Purpose Pontoon
Dutch shipbuilder and charter fleet operator Neptune Marine has added a new pontoon to its already extensive fleet. Built by Neptune Marine, the NP 459 is a versatile, multi-purpose pontoon of 82.5 metres in length, a beam of 27 metres and a depth of six metres. Its size and specification make it ideal for a wide range of offshore as well as coastal projects.Among its many potential uses, the NP 459’s technical excellence, stability and high QHSE rating make it perfect for use as an accommodation barge. SPS-classed, air-conditioned accommodation for up to 60 people plus four offices and a mess room is available. This can be upgraded…
Horizon Maritime Sets Up Norwegian Arm
Canadian based Horizon Maritime announced it has taken delivery of the newly rebranded support vessel Horizon Arctic, paving way for the establishment of its new Norwegian operation.The former Bourbon Arctic, now sailing under the name Horizon Arctic, is a technically versatile multi-function offshore support vessel built at the Vard Brattvaag shipyard in 2016.“The Horizon Arctic takes its place alongside Horizon Maritime’s growing fleet of harsh environment vessels, and we are…
Maritime GPS Users, Remember 6 April 2019
Maritime users of the Global Positioning System Standard Positioning Service (GPS-SPS) are urged to check their systems ahead of the week counter roll over on 6 April 2019, informed International Maritime Organization (IMO).Some outdated GPS receiver systems may cease to function properly - with potentially serious impacts on navigation, the UN body pointed out.The roll over occurs because the GPS system transmits time to GPS receivers using a format of time and weeks as a 10-bit value, which started from 6 January 1980, and can only count 1023 weeks.The previous roll over was on 21 August 1999, when systems reset and began counting towards week 1023 again.
