North Sea News

Swedish contractor Floatel International has received a new extension from Equinor for its accommodation unit Floatel Superior at the Martin Linge Field Development in Norway’s North Sea.The onshore operational support and supervision company said in a press release that Floatel Superior started its charter at Equinor’s Martin Linge project at the end of July 2018. The contract has now been extended with four months until the end of March 2020.Floatel also said that six monthly options remain in place for the Floatel Superior.Prior to her contract with Equinor…

Offshore renewable energy is gaining investment support in the United States, particularly on the east coast. While the U.S. is a full generation behind its European counterparts in tapping the wind as an energy source, if current plans come to fruition it could gain ground quickly. Recently we spoke with Astrid Skarheim Onsum, SVP, Head of Wind Aker Solutions, for her view on the path ahead and the growing role and promising future of ‘floating wind.’Please give an overview of your responsibilities as SVP…

Danfoss Editron, a company specializes in hybrid and electric powertrain systems for off-highway and marine markets, said that it has provided the hybrid electric drivetrain system powering a new ferry connecting the communities of Thyborøn and Agger in north west Denmark.The ferry, which was delivered by the country’s Søby Værft shipyard, was ordered to replace the previous one that had been running for over 40 years and reached the end of its operational lifetime.Like most ferries in Denmark…

An Electronic Bus Link (EBL) has been commissioned on North Sea Shipping's subsea construction vessel North Sea Giant, said manufacturer from Yaskawa Environmental Energy / The Switch.The technology, a key element in a retrofitted Wärtsilä hybrid solution, connects the 18,151 GWT vessel’s DC-Hubs, providing complete redundancy, enhanced efficiency and significant fuel savings. Thanks to the EBL, the advanced DP3-class vessel can now conduct demanding operations using one engine…

DEME, an international group of specialized companies involved in complex marine engineering works, has won a major contract to carry out the deepening of the Elbe fairway in Germany.The Belgian dredging, environmental and marine engineering group said that its German subsidiary Nordsee Nassbagger- und Tiefbau GmbH, based in Bremen, has acquired the maintenance dredging contract on the River Elbe in Germany.The contract has been awarded to a joint venture, including DEME’s German subsidiary, for a period of two years.

Teekay Offshore Partner, a marine energy transportation, storage & production company, has signed for a shipping export credit agency (ECA)-backed US$414m debt facility to fund four LNG-fuelled newbuild shuttle tankers.Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) is advising its long-standing client Teekay on this ECA-backed newbuild loan, noted a release.The facility, which bears interest at Libor plus 225 basis points for up to 12 years from each delivery, is funded and guaranteed by both…

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.

Any analysis of markets for offshore service vessels (OSV) usually begins with analogies to rough weather, best of times/worst of times or similar. OSV expert Seabrokers, with a home base in Stavanger, Norway, in the February edition of its Seabreeze market report follows this convention with a description of the “feast or famine” conditions in the North Sea. Recent day rate action highlights the localized nature of markets for anchor handlers (AHT), platform supply vessels (PSVs) and similar equipment…

The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) of UK has released regional maps and supporting data for the Mid North Sea High area.The data represent the latest delivery from the OGA’s Regional Geological Mapping project which has been carried out in collaboration with Lloyd’s Register (LR) over the last three years.The OGA named LR in 2016 as its trusted supplier for the Regional Exploration Maps and Regional and Field Support Engineering Services bids for the UKCS. "At LR, we understand that every reservoir is different and that each has its own unique challenges and potential…

The Marine Aggregate Dredger CEMEX Go Innovation, currently under construction for CEMEX Marine UK, is fitted out with a submersed dredge pump. This dredge pump is directly driven by an electric motor – and not an arbitrary one.As a first, the dredge pump drive is a permanent magnet 1,400 kW unit, that last week it underwent a large array of tests – passing them all effortlessly.The hopper dredger is designed for mining marine aggregates at -55 m below sea level. The submersed Damen dredge pump is directly driven by a continuous electric motor – that is…

International midstream services provider, Teekay Offshore Partners announced that it has secured a new $414 million long-term debt facility that will be used to finance four LNG-fueled Suezmax DP2 shuttle tanker newbuildings.Upon delivery in 2019 and 2020, two of the vessels will commence operations under the Partnership’s Master Agreement with Equinor, while the remaining two vessels will join the Partnership’s contract of affreightment (CoA) shuttle tanker portfolio in the North Sea…

Torqeedo  developed a specialized high-thrust electric propulsion system for VIKING’s revolutionary new LifeCraft survival craft, which are designed to speed safe evacuation of hundreds of passengers from ships at sea.The 203-passenger LifeCraft is a motorized inflatable vessel designed to deploy from a shipboard storage/launch station. Passengers board the boats through escape chutes. Once each boat is fully loaded, the crew maneuvers it to a safe standoff distance from the ship…

Associated British Ports (ABP) said that its Port of Lowestoft welcomed the Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) the Skandi Captain this week on its maiden call to the port.The visit is the latest in ABP’s partnership with Peterson UK Limited, the major logistics and service provider to the offshore energy industry.The Skandi Captain is the 50th additional call to Lowestoft since the Peterson agreement which was signed in January 2019, bringing vessel visits into the inner harbour on…

A second service operations vessel for Bibby Marine Services has been launched and christened during a ceremony at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania, the shipbuilder announced Friday.The new vessel, Bibby WaveMaster Horizon, will begin maintenance work on two EnBW and Enbridge-owned wind farms in the German North Sea – Hohe See and Albatros – for Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy and EnBW, upon delivery later this year.Damen said it developed the SOV 9020 vessel design through close consultation with the offshore renewables industry.

As the North American offshore wind model evolves, it is clear that fit-for-purpose, Jones Act compliant and Arctic ready tonnage will need to be part of the equation. If so, we’ve got that box checked, with a little help from Europe.As of September 2018, the Walney Extension off the United Kingdom is the largest offshore wind farm in the world at 659 megawatts. There are at least 70 major wind farms, each with hundreds of wind turbines, each generating as much as 10 megawatts in offshore England, the North Sea, Russia and China.

Shearwater GeoServices announced the award of a 4D seismic survey at the Troll Unit by Equinor AS to be conducted this summer.The company 20% owned by GC Rieber Shipping ASA said that the project adds further to Shearwater’s 4D program in the North Sea and Barents Sea this season.The Troll Unit survey will last approximately 2 months and be conducted by the Amazon Conqueror using Shearwater's Isometrix system."The award of the Troll Unit project from Equinor adds to our extensive 4D and Isometrix program for the 2019 summer season.

The provider of offshore safety and support at sea ESVAGT aims straight for the dynamic market for service operation vessels (SOV) with the newbuilding ‘Esvagt Dana’.When the ‘Esvagt Dana’ entered into contract with Vattenfall on the Horns Rev III wind farm in the middle of February, it was on an atypically short SOV contract, said a press release from the Denmark-based company.All of ESVAGT’s other SOVs that currently service the offshore wind farms in the North Sea and the Baltic…

Data sharing and better understanding of how marine life interacts with manmade structures is the target for the next phase of the Insite program.What to do with offshore structures is a sticky problem for oil companies, regulators and policy makers alike, as many structures are starting to cease production in the North Sea, where some fields have been producing oil and gas since the early 1970s.Regulations, which include the OSPAR (Oslo Paris convention) state that a clear seabed should be left behind, once production has ceased, with some exceptions (platforms over a certain age and weight).

Oil production in the North Sea will drop by 330,000 barrels per day (bpd) month-on-month in June 2019 as Ekofisk closes for planned work, according to Rystad Energy’s latest forecast.“Production is expected to remain stable through April 2019, before dropping 80,000 bpd month on month in May 2019. The decrease will continue in June 2019 with an additional 330,000 barrels per day month-on-month drop, as we expect maintenance at Ekofisk feeding fields to impact output by 220,000 bpd…

Neptune Energy Norge AS has hired the newly built Beacon Atlantic semi-submersible drilling rig for up to 16 wells offshore Norway.The oil and gas producer said in a press release that it has chartered the rig from China’s rig builder CIMC Raffles, and the rig will be managed by the Norwegian offshore drilling specialist Odfjell Drilling.The commencement of the drilling operations is expected to be in Q4 2019 and the estimated duration of the firm program is 400 days. CIMC Raffles…

One of the world’s largest and most advanced subsea construction vessels has been equipped with three energy storage systems (ESS), featuring for the first time ever energy and load sharing capability.Finland based technology group Wärtsilä said the new system on board North Sea Shipping AS owned North Sea Giant combines a diesel-electric configuration with batteries, and is designed to deliver as much as 50 percent fuel savings in optimal operating conditions.The installation was carried out in February 2018.

Shipping services provider Boluda Corporación Marítima has signed a letter of intent to acquire all the shares, worth 300 million euros, of Kotug Smit Towage.The Netherlands-based towage services provider Kotug Smit Towage is operating in North Sea countries (United Kingdom, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany).Boluda Corporación Marítima is now in talks to acquire 100% of the towage company Kotug Smit Towage created in 2016. The shares are owned equally by the two companies Kotug International BV and Royal Boskalis Westminster NV…

United European Car Carriers (UECC) has signed a contract to construct two new generation pure car/truck carriers (PCTCs) with China Ship Building Trading Co., Ltd and Jiangnan Shipyard Group Co. Ltd.The newbuilding contract also has options for two additional vessels, and the first vessel is planned for delivery in 2021. UECC is jointly owned by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Wallenius Lines.The vessels will be equipped with a Battery Hybrid LNG Solution which will place…