Dolphin Geophysical News

Norwegian shipping company GC Rieber Shipping ASA has entered into an agreement with Dolphin Geophysical to increase Dolphins competitiveness in a challenging market. Rieber has agreed to take early redelivery of the survey vessel Polar Duke from Dolphin  as part of an overall restructuring agreement. The deal will reduce $16million of hire payments for GC Rieber. Together with Dolphin’s improved terms of bank loans and reduced charter rates on Dolphin’s vessels from fellow Norwegian shipping firm Sanco, the deal will significantly improve Dolphin’s costbase. In addition, GC Rieber Shipping will grant Dolphin a rolling credit facility of USD 5 million, consisting of payments due to GC Rieber Shipping. The credit facility is effective for 9 months.

GC Rieber Shipping has more than doubled its net profit for the second quarter and recorded a year-on-year increase in profit on more vessels in operations and currency gains. However it has warned of a continued focus on shorter contracts in the future. In the second quarter of 2015, GC Rieber Shipping had a profit of NOK 103.4 million ($12.5 million), compared with a profit of NOK 43.5 million ($5.2 million) in the corresponding period in 2014. However, profit for the first half year was NOK 67.1 million ($8.1 million), compared with NOK 84.7 million ($10.2 million) in the first half of 2014. Furthermore, GC Rieber Shipping had operating income of NOK 240.8 million in the second quarter 2015…

With innovation in its Norwegian DNA, Uksnoy Shipping took a chemical tanker and made it into an Offshore Service Vessel with an innovative propulsion system. The conversion of a Turkish-made chemical tanker and its retrofitting with a promising new energy-saving propulsion system in 2013 suggested Uksnoy Shipping might not be like other owner-managers of offshore service vessels (OSV). The ship, the 90-foot Rig Adromeda and its permanent-magnet propulsion from Inpower have made…

Rederij Groen’s entire SRSV fleet built by Damen Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam. Dutch offshore services company Rederij Groen has taken delivery of the 7-Waves, the second of a total three identical Seismic Research Support Vessels. Once the third of these so-called offshore chasers will join the fleet in January 2015, all of Groen’s five custom built chasers will have been built by Damen yard Maaskant. Prior to ordering the three 35mSeismic Research Support Vessels of this current ‘7’-class in November 2013…

The delivery of the 7-Oceans to offshore services company RederijGroen (Scheveningen, the Netherlands) marks a new milestone in Offshore Support Vessel construction. The vessels have been designed in close cooperation with both RederijGroen and their customer. The Seismic Research Support Vessel (SRSV) is constructed by Maaskant Shipyards Stellendam, part of Damen Shipyards Group, and the first of a series of three identical vessels. Charterer Dolphin Geophysical opted for a 35m design from Vestvaerftet in Denmark.

TGS, in partnership with Dolphin Geophysical, say they will commence acquisition of a new 3D multi-client survey, Olho de Boi, covering 5,000 km2 offshore Brazil. The survey is designed to image pre-salt plays in the hydrocarbon rich Campos Basin and is located northeast of the Pão de Açúcar discovery in an area of similar structural and stratigraphic characteristics. The Olho de Boi survey will be TGS' first 3D survey in Brazil," stated Rod Starr, Senior VP Western Hemisphere for TGS.

Dolphin Geophysical has secured a 3D contract award from an undisclosed client for work in the North Sea. The survey will be acquired by the high capacity 3D vessel M/V Polar Duke, commencing in August for the duration of approximately five weeks. "We now have a full backlog for the Summer Season", says Håvard Åsli, Regional Marketing and Sales Manager for North Europe, "with all of our vessels working in the North Sea region and busy into Q4". Norway's Dolphin Group ASA is the parent company of Dolphin Geophysical AS, a global full-range, asset light supplier of marine geophysical services.

Atle Jacobsen, the CEO of Dolphin Geophysical, is, in many ways, a bit of a paradox. An experienced, no-nonsense, veteran of the marine seismic surveying industry, he is also disarmingly easy to “talk shop” with, engaging and has an obvious thirst for new ideas and technology. But the core contradiction lies in his approach to business. This is a man that shows no qualms about ripping up the rulebooks and making brave decisions, but at the same time there is a steadfast caution that underpins the very essence of the Dolphin business model.

The weather might be depressing, but the outlook for the city is anything but. Bergen’s shipping industry and maritime related services sectors are going from strength to strength, bullishly rebutting the worst of the waves caused by the ongoing global financial crisis. The secret, locals argue, is a long-term industry view, the strength and diversity of the maritime cluster and the fact that Bergen blood is very much thicker than water. Maritime Reporter goes native to investigate. Rain, mountains and fjords: The three things that spring most readily to mind when the name Bergen is mentioned.

Kongsberg Evotec AS, a Kongsberg Maritime company, will provide the complete back deck solution for handling of up to 20 streamers simultaneously aboard a GC Rieber owned new-build seismic exploration vessel, awarded by builder Kleven. The ST324XT designed by Skipsteknisk in Ålesund, will be built at Kleven’s shipyard Myklebust Verft in Sande, Norway, and will be operated by Dolphin Geophysical from Bergen. The vessel can tow up to 20 streamers and features the most advanced technology for handling of cables, wires and ropes.

Dolphin Group ASA,  headquartered in Norway, awarded multiple North Sea 3D seismic contracts for 2013. Dolphin has been awarded several contracts for the upcoming North Sea season. The awards are for both 3D and 4D seismic services and will involve three of its 3D seismic vessels with a total duration in the range of 8-12 months. Dolphin sat they will revert with further contract details when they present their 2013 guidance on or about 8 January 2013. "These early awards with…

Dolphin Geophysical accepted a Letter of Award from TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company ASA for a six-months charter of the new high-capacity 3D seismic vessel, M/V Polar Duchess. The contract is expected to begin during first half of April and continue through a full 2012 summer season in Europe. Atle Jacobsen, CEO said, "We experience positive development in demand for high capacity 3D seismic vessels and this large contract for our second new 3D vessel is an important milestone in the fast growth phase of Dolphin Group.

Aberdeen-based Veripos, a world leader in the provision of GNSS positioning facilities to the offshore oil and gas industry, has been awarded a contract by Dolphin Geophysical AS of Bergen, the newly-formed Norwegian seismic exploration contractor, for the supply of services aboard its recently-commissioned 3D seismic vessel, Polar Duke. The purpose-built flagship vessel, which is currently working on behalf of a major global geoscientific data products and service organisation, is being supplied with Veripos’s Ultra and Apex Precise Point Positioning (PPP) services, each independently ensuring decimetre-level accuracies. Proprietary…