Vroon Offshore Services News

Britoil Offshore Services said this week it had acquired 30 offshore service vessels and supporting offices in Singapore from Dutch shipping firm Vroon."The acquisition will see an expansion of Britoil’s operating footprint into the Mediterranean, the North Sea and Asia Pacific. The operations will also synergise in the Middle East and Africa," Britoil said.The 30 vessels and supporting offices were part of Vroon’s offshore services business. Earlier this year, Vroon announced it would sell these vessels as part of a strategic reorientation.

Those who are old enough (or young enough) to remember Justin Timberlake’s poignant lyrics, ‘What goes around, goes around, goes around, comes all the way back around’, will appreciate their significance and relatability to the offshore oil and gas market. On that theme, it appears a vessel very close to my heart, the AHTS previously known as Sanko Energy (now Ena Shogun), has come 'all the way back around.'News is filtering through the market that Eastern Navigation (Singapore) has sold the vessel five years after purchasing it from Sanko Steamship in early 2017.So why does this vessel resonate with me? Well, from a professional perspective, it was my first analyst experience of a sale that went against everything established market experts thought about values and sale prices.

The Chinese-built hybrid accommodation vessel MWV Falgout has been delivered to end client Brunei Shell Petroleum.The 80-meter vessel, a new purchase for Bruneian owners JISCO Marine Sdn Bhd, will be employed on long-term charter for the Bruneian oil and gas company. The ship was officially accepted into charter on February 17.Vroon Offshore Services (VOS) Singapore secured a two-year ship management contract for the vessel at the end of 2020, though the company said early months of the project involved taking delivery of MWV Falgout in China…

With increased time in layup and outdated tonnage, surely after all that has occurred in 2020 it’s about time for the offshore support vessel (OSV) sector to address the long standing elephant in the room. This article will focus on platform supply vessel (PSV) layups and will investigate what the future might hold for the troubled OSV sector.Using VesselsValue recency of automatic identification system (AIS) data, we categorize any vessel that has not signaled in over eight weeks as laid up.Looking first at lay up on a global level, Figure 1 shows that 28% of the global PSV fleet is currently in layup with an average layup time of 4.29 years.

VOS Champagne, a 2015-built DP2 anchor-handling tug supply vessel managed by Vroon Offshore Services (VOS) Genoa, is the first commercial vessel to be classified with RINA's new ‘Biosafe Ship’ class-notation.The Biosafe Ship notation is a new goal-based notation, based on many different systems, components and operative procedures to control and prevent possible onboard infection outbreak.In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vroon has decided to comply with the RINA Biosafe Ship guidelines…

The offshore oil and gas downturn has claimed three more victims.Dutch-based Vroon Offshore Services (VOS) will dispose of three out-of-work platform supply vessels (PSV) in an effort to "right-size" its fleet amid the prolonged industry slump, the offshore services firm announced Wednesday.The 2006- and 2007-built VOS Power, VOS Producer and VOS Prominence will be mobilized to a ship-recycling facility during the second half of this month to be dismantled in compliance with EU/national laws and all applicable international regulations and guidelines…

Vroon Offshore Services (VOS) Aberdeen has secured contracts with Total E&P UK Ltd. for three emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRV) in the U.K. North Sea.The vessels VOS Enterprise, VOS Prospector, and VOS Vigilant will support Total’s North Sea operations in the Dunbar, Culzean, and Elgin/Franklin fields, respectively."The contracts, which will commence in June and July, are for an initial period of three years," Vroon said Friday, July 17, meaning that some of these contracts have already started.

Maritime offshore-services supplier Vroon Offshore Services (VOS) Ltd has secured a three-year contract extension with BP, worth around £30million.VOS, one of the largest providers of emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRV) in the North Sea, will continue its exclusive provision of four vessels to support BP’s North Sea and West of Shetland assets until 2023.The Dutch-owned company said that the extension was secured for the VOS Discovery, VOS Fairness, VOS Innovator, and VOS Vigilant vessels.The extended contract will guarantee continuity in the delivery of vital standby cover for BP’s offshore workers and secure the jobs of around 100 Vroon seafarers.Craig Harvie…

JISCO Marine and Vroon Offshore Services Singapore have signed a two-year extension agreement for the management of the Accommodation Work Boat (AWB) Nautical Aisya. This renewal will extend the JISCO and VOS Singapore cooperation until at least the end of February 2022, Vroon said Monday.The extension follows a recent contract award to Jisco marine by Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) for AWB Nautical Aisya. The new charter started on February 1, 2020. The vessel, which has provided DP2 (Dynamic Positioning) role for BSP, will now widen its work scope to include helicopter operations, Vroon said.

Vroon Offshore Services reports its Singapore-managed anchor-handling tug supply (AHTS ) vessel VOS Champion has started a five-month contract with a major international oil and gas engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contractor. The firm period of the current contract will last until March 2020.VOS Champion, which had been under charter to Chevron earlier this year, was delivered to her new charterers in early November and immediately mobilized to Sandakan, Malaysia.

BP Trinidad and Tobago LLC has awarded Vroon Offshore Services Aberdeen a multiple year, multi-million pound contract.Vroon said on Monday that BP had hired three emergency rescue and response vessels (ERRVs) from its subsidiary, Vroon Offshore Services Aberdeen.The North Sea’s largest operator of ERRVs said that it will provide three specialist vessels to support BP’s operations in the Caribbean: the VOS Gorgeous, the VOS Fabulous and the VOS Grace.Dedicated to supporting offshore operations 24/7 365 days a year, ERRVs are fully equipped to recover and rescue people from the water, provide a place of safety and medical aid. They also monitor the safety zone…

Damen Shiprepair Oranjewerf has completed final outfitting and modifications on a second subsea-support walk-to-work (W2W) vessel for Vroon Offshore Services (VOS). VOS Stone was built at Fujian Southeast Shipbuilding in China before coming to the Netherlands for completion. This follows a similar project successfully completed in July this year at Oranjewerf, involving sister ship VOS Start. The eight-week program for VOS Stone involved a wide range of activities, including installation of a 50-tonne active heave-compensated…

Vroon Offshore Services and Ampelmann have joined forces to deploy a Walk to Work (W2W) solution for the Arkona offshore wind farm, located in the German Baltic Sea. Vroon’s VOS Stone vessel, the newest addition to its offshore-support fleet, will be mobilized with an Ampelmann A400 gangway system. The gangway, launched in 2017, will be utilized for the first time for W2W operations during array cabling work and commissioning of the Arkona offshore wind farm. The A400 gangway system…

VOS Start, Vroon BV’s first DP2, subsea-support, walk-to-work (W2W) vessel has departed Damen Shiprepair Oranjewerf following the installation of a first of its kind motion-compensated gangway system by Barge Master and Bosch Rexroth, the extended installation of a Kongsberg reference system (including a ‘windfarm module’), and an active heave-compensated crane from SMST. The 80m VOS Start arrived at Oranjewerf on June 1 from her build yard in China, staying for eight weeks in the yard to also undergo various other upgrades and preparations for her first project…

Troubled family-owned Dutch shipping group Redderij Vroon has dismissed media reports claiming the company’s future to be uncertain, as it may be unable to service its debt. The Dutch company specializing in offshore and shipping business has reached agreement with its creditors, the Telegraaf reported. The Breda-based concern has debts totalling EUR 1.1bn, and some activities will be trimmed down. A press release from the company said that Vroon has a substantial presence in the offshore-support-vessel market, through its subsidiary Vroon Offshore Services. This business has been heavily impacted by a reduction in demand, resulting from the severe downturn in Oil & Gas markets. Vroon’s other businesses are all performing in line with expectations.

Vroon has  announced that walk-to-work vessel VOS Start is to be equipped with the brand-new Barge Master Gangway. This unique combination will enable safe and efficient transfer of personnel and cargo. The Barge Master Gangway incorporates an access tower with elevator, providing stepless access. The adjustable pedestal provides full flexibility in landing heights. With the participation of Bosch Rexroth in the Barge Master team, the highest quality and safety standards are guaranteed. This unrivalled, next-generation walk-to-work vessel will be available to the offshore industry in Q2 2017.

Platform supply vessel VOS Passion was named in a ceremony on July 18 at Cosco Shipyard in Guangdong, China. VOS Passion, the fourth of six PX121-type PSVs being built at the shipyard for Vroon, is in the final stages of construction and will be ready for delivery in August. The PX121 design features Ulstein’s patented X-BOW design to provide smoother vessel movements in harsh conditions. The PSVs comply with ABS class requirements for dynamic-positioning system Class II (DPS-2) and reduced noise and vibration to satisfy a Comfort-Class notation.

OSV@Vivo has been taken to the heart of the Singapore public with an anticipated 4,000 visitors, expected to throng the two state-of-the-art Offshore Support Vessels (OSV) “Pacific Legacy” and “VOS Prince” moored at local shopping mall Vivocity Waterfront Promenade from 21 to 23 April 2016. Local institutes of higher learning are lending their support to this inaugural event with some 600 students from the Institute of Technical Education and Ngee Ann Polytechnic already registered to attend. This industry-led project, spearheaded by the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) and held in conjunction with Singapore Maritime Week, is designed to create awareness of the offshore marine sector – a key sector in the Singapore maritime industry.

Netherlands based shipping company Vroon has taken delivery of a newly built platform supply vessel (PSV), VOS Partner. The vessel was handed over to Vroon on January 14 during a ceremony at Cosco Guangdong Shipyard in China. The Dutch flagged VOS Partner is the third of six PX121-type PSVs being built at the shipyard for Vroon featuring the Ulstein-patented X-BOW design. Coincidentally, VOS Partner is the 100th vessel of Ulstein design. The new ships for Vroon comply with ABS class requirements for dynamic-positioning system Class II (DPS-2) and reduced noise and vibration to satisfy HAB(WB).

Vroon Offshore Services chose Pronomar to equip the Netherlands-flagged VOS Sweet with multiple MERUS rings. Pronomar said it had already outfitted Vroon’s VOS Sympathy, so when the VOS Sweet experienced problems with lime scale (in the piping, the boiler and the pumps), Vroon contacted Pronomar again for its MERUS technology. According to Pronomar, when vessels such as the VOS Sweet experience problems with lime scale, it is a good idea to apply the MERUS technology. The MERUS technology consists of a ring that is placed around the water pipe and emits small oscillations to the water.

Vroon Offshore Services, a Dutch offshore shipping company, has announced that the launching took place last week at COSCO Guangdong Shipyard,China of Gudali Express. The vessel is the seventh and last newbuilding livestock carrier to be built for Vroon at this shipyard. The 68-meter subsea support vessel is the second of two such vessels built at Fujian, China. Six newbuilding livestock carriers have already been delivered to the company by COSCO, all of which are trading successfully. These livestock carriers incorporate a revolutionary bow design that ensures maximum comfort for cargo and crew, while maintaining high speeds. Optimal pen arrangements guarantee smooth loading and discharging, whilst providing all livestock with easy access to water and fodder.

Vroon Group, an international shipping company, has announced on-target progress in the implementation of Seanique, SOFTimpact’s Maritime Software Solution based on Microsoft Dynamics AX, catering for the Vroon Group’s operations in crewing and payroll across the entire fleet. The move contributes to Vroon’s aim for one “future-proof” global system to be used by all Group companies, manning and recruitment agencies, vessels and related stakeholder. Seanique was selected as the ideal product because of its comprehensive functionality and perfect fit to Vroon’s pre-existing ERP platform, Microsoft Dynamics AX, in use for Finance, Procurement, CRM and HRM purposes.

The Netherlands-based Vroon Offshore Services has decided to pull 12 offshore-support vessels out of operation, saying the move is a “direct result of the ongoing slump in offshore oil and gas activities”. This consequently means it will also reduce the number of onboard positions. The company said that from the fourth quarter of 2015 onwards, five platform-supply vessels and seven emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRV) would enter long-term lay-up. In addition, a number of older ERRVs are being divested for recycling purposes, Vroon has said. “We deeply regret the corresponding reduction in onboard positions and the consequences this has for our colleagues,” the company said in its press release.