Emas Chiyoda Subsea News

Italian oil and gas contractor Saipem said it has reached a deal to purchase the pipelay, heavy lift and construction vessel Lewek Constellation for $275 million. The 2013-built DP3 rigid and flexible pipeline construction vessel had been previously owned by bankrupt EMAS Chiyoda Subsea. Saipem said the vessel will be available for hire immediately and will be marketed globally, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico, North Sea and Norwegian Sea where the its characteristics are particularly suitable for submarine tie-backs. Saipem CEO, Stefano Cao, said, “In the current economic scenario, the subsea tie-backs developments are becoming increasingly important as they maximize the utilization of the existing infrastructures at reasonable expenditures.

Subsea 7 S.A. said it has acquires certain businesses of EMAS Chiyoda Subsea (ECS) under a U.S. bankruptcy code Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization, confirmed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas and became effective on June 29, 2017. According to Subsea 7, it will pay less than $100 million in aggregate, including its contribution to the Debtor in Possession credit facility, to acquire the ECS businesses, the Ingleside spoolbase and other assets. “In a challenging business environment our differentiated offering and strong capital discipline has enabled us to pursue this opportunity. This targeted investment enables Subsea 7 to accelerate its strategy to provide a market leading service in the Middle East,” said Subsea 7 CEO, Jean Cahuzac.

Oilfield services firm Ezra Holdings of Singapore filed for U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy at the weekend, blaming a prolonged slump in the energy industry, Reuters reported. Ezra  has been facing hostile actions from creditors at home and abroad as it struggles to recover from a slump in oil prices over the past three years. The company filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code, according to a stock exchange filing on Sunday. Ezra will hold an informal meeting as soon as "reasonably practicable" to update and provide further information on the Chapter 11 filing to holders of its debt, it said in a separate statement. Ezra is one of several Singapore offshore and marine services firms that have been hit by a downturn in oil prices since in 2014.

Subsea affiliate of Singapore's Ezra files for U.S. A subsea and offshore contractor affiliate of Ezra Holdings Ltd, a struggling Singaporean oilfield services firm, filed for U.S. bankruptcy as it ran short of cash due to a lingering downturn in the oil-and-gas industry. The affiliate, Emas Chiyoda Subsea Ltd, said in court papers filed in Houston that the company was suffering from weak demand for its subsea contracting work and tightening credit conditions. Ezra has said it may have to take a $170 million writedown on the value of its investment in Emas Chiyoda.

NYK has acquired a 25 percent share of EMAS Chiyoda Subsea Limited (ECS), based on an agreement signed on June 10 with Ezra Holdings Limited (Ezra) and the Chiyoda Corporation (Chiyoda). ECS is a global player in the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) of subsea facilities — essential components in offshore oil and gas field development. After this acquisition, ECS’s shareholding structure will shift to Ezra 40 percent, Chiyoda 35 percent, and NYK 25 percent. Based on its medium-term management plan emphasizing differentiation through the use of creative solutions, NYK has been expanding its business in offshore oil and gas exploration/development, such as seismic, drilling, production, and shuttle transportation services.

The three big Japanese marine transport firms -  Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Lines), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Kawasaki Kisen - are decreasing the number of containerships and bulk carriers in their fleets by 10%, reports Nikkei. This is due to weak market conditions and in response to a persistently bleak business environment brought on by a supply glut. The trio operated 1,266 of the ships in all at the close of the fiscal year ended in March, but that number will fall by 122 ships. While Mitsui O.S.K. will cut its fleet down to 409 ships by the end of fiscal 2016, or 13% less than a year earlier, Kawasaki Kisen will shrink its fleet to 255 ships by the end of fiscal 2019, a 7% decline from the end of fiscal 2015.

Japanese shipping giant Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) has agreed to invest in EMAS Chiyoda, a subsea services joint venture between oilfield services firm Ezra Holdings Ltd and Chiyoda Corp. NYK has reached an agreement with Ezra Holdings Limited (Ezra) and Chiyoda Corporation (Chiyoda) to acquire a 25 percent share of EMAS Chiyoda Subsea Limited (ECS). After NYK’s participation, the shareholding structure of ECS will change to Ezra 40%, Chiyoda 35%, and NYK 25%. ECS is a global player in the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) of subsea facilities — essential components in offshore oil and gas field development.