Norway News

Offshore installation and decommissioning firm Allseas has won a contract to remove three complete offshore platforms and two jackets in Norway for Aker BP.The company said on Wednesday that Aker BP had awarded it a deal to Aker BP for the removal and disposal of multiple topsides and jackets from the Valhall area in the Norwegian North Sea. Allseas will use its flagship Pioneering Spirit heavy lift vessel for the job.Work comprises removal and disposal of the Drilling Platform (DP) 5…

World's largest semi-submersible crane vessel Sleipnir on Saturday picked up a module for Equinor's Snorre A platform from the quayside at Aibel's yard in Haugesund, Norway.The 220-meter long and 102-meter wide vessel Sleipnir recently arrived in the North Sea region for the first time since its delivery from Singapore last year.It on Saturday arrived at Aibel's yard in Haugesund to pick up the approx. 600-tonne Riser Hang Off module for the Snorre Expansion Project (SEP), and according to Aibel…

Norwegian offshore vessel owner Havila Shipping has secured a long-term contract for its platform supply vessel Havila Commander.Havila Shipping said Thursday that the contract was with Total E&P UK, the UK subsidiary of the French oil major Total.The new contract for the 2010-built platform supply vessel is for a firm period of 18 months. The contract will begin in mid-April 2020 in direct continuation of its current contract.The 85 meters long Havila Commander PSV has worked for Total E&P UK since April 2012.

Norwegian shipbuilder Vard announced it has secured a NOK 500 million $47.8 million) contract to design and build a stern trawler for fishing company P/F Akraberg, a subsidiary of Framherji in the Faroe Islands.Erik Haakonsholm, Vard's General Manager of Offshore and Specialized vessels, said, “The new contract is a bright spot for Vard, our employees and suppliers, and shows that it is possible to look forward despite challenging times.”The hull of the vessel will be built at the Romanian yard of the Group in Braila…

A new crabber vessel has been delivered to JSC Arcticservice and departed Tersan Shipyard in Turkey for its journey up to Kirkenes in Norway.The newbuild M/V Zenith will be used for catching, processing and freezing king crab and snow crab in the Barents Sea. The vessel has main dimensions of 62 x 15m (L x B) and will be operated by a crew of 38 persons, enabling a production capacity of up to 60 tons crabs/24h. The processing plant has been delivered by Bjørdal in Norway.Following the first delivery from Tersan…

Norway-based offshore vessel owner Siem Offshore has received some breathing room after reaching an agreement with its banks.The company last week warned that the extreme fluctuations in the financial markets over the past weeks „have resulted in a further deterioration in the company's liquidity situation“ and that Siem Offshore was in discussions with its banks to seek to alleviate the situation.In a statement on Wednesday morning, Siem Offshore said that it had "with effect…

Norway's offshore service vessels (OSVs) supplier Solstad Offshore and its creditors have agreed on a draft restructuring plan, which includes converting 10 billion crowns ($962.17 million) of debt into equity, the company said on Tuesday.The large majority of stakeholders, including secured lenders, leasing companies, industrial shareholders and key bondholders plan to sign a binding agreement by the end of April, the Oslo-listed firm added in a statement."We are entering a period…

Yamal LNG, controlled by Russia's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer Novatek, is resuming ship-to-ship transfers in Norway, Novatek said on Monday, after plans to shift the operations to Russia fell through due to coronavirus.Novatek suspended transfers in Norway in June last year due to what it termed "pressure from the West".According to Refinitiv Eikon data, the Arc7 tanker Vladimir Vize is due to arrive at the Norwegian Arctic port of Honningsvag on April 1, carrying a cargo from Yamal LNG.The data also showed that an empty Arc4 tanker…

Corvus Energy is moving forward with plans to invest in its Canadian operations by expanding its Richmond, B.C. facility and increasing manufacturing capacity.As reported in early 2018, Corvus Energy is rolling out plans for expanded maritime battery manufacturing facilities in both Bergen, Norway and Richmond, B.C., Canada. A new automated battery factory in Bergen began producing energy storage systems (ESS) in Q4 2019. Corvus has signed a contract for investment in new production line equipment in the Richmond, B.C.

Italy's Saipem has reached an agreement with Norway's Equinor to develop technology to build floating solar power farms close to the coast, the energy contractor said.The agreement is between Saipem's high-value services unit Moss Maritime and the Norwegian energy firm."The agreement with Equinor goes in the direction taken by Saipem and Moss Maritime to develop new technologies related to clean energy," said Moss Maritime Chief Executive Ida Husem.Saipem, a market leader in subsea construction for the oil and gas industry…

With social media updates and conference agendas addressing the subjects of climate change, emissions reductions and alternative fuels, it’s a wonder we are not climbing the Himalayans in search of the Jedi Master that will provide us with the magic potion. Yoda’s blessing with a calming breath, “You have chosen wisely.”Government emissions intervention started with a move to reduce energy and fuel consumption measured in greenhouse gas (GHG), at a time when the world and our politicians spoke about global warming.

Shortly after the delivery of a ProZero 8m Full Cabin to Havkar Drift AS in Norway, another Norwegian fishfarmer has also purchased a vessel from Tuco Marine's ProZero workboat series.The new ProZero 8m Full Cabin is equipped for, and will be used as, a fast and flexible workboat for fish farming and passenger transport. The boat has been delivered to Egil Kristoffersen after successful sea-trials at the ProZero yard, Tuco Marine in Faaborg, Denmark.According to the builder, the boat has been designed and optimized to serve as a platform for passenger transport…

Norway-based offshore support vessel operator Solstad Offshore has secured contracts and extensions for five of its platform supply vessels in the UK Sector of the North Sea.The longest term charters of the five have been awarded to Solstad Offshore by its Equnior's UK subsidiary Equinor UK Limited. Equinor has extended contracts for the platform supply vessels Sea Frost and Normand Skipper."Both vessels have been supporting Equinor's operations since July 2017 and January 2019 respectively.

The Coast Guard Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy has published an update March 16, 2020 to MSIB: Novel Coronavirus – Update (Change 2)An outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) may affect mariners and maritime commerce. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated their Interim Guidance for Ships on Managing Suspected Coronavirus Disease 2019 (see https://go.usa.gov/xdfyG) and Cruise Ship Travel (see https://go.usa.gov/xdfVP).Illness…

Italian oilfield services company Saipem has agreed to buy Solstad Offshore's lay barge vessel DLN Norce Endeavour.Saipem had in December 2019, chartered the vessel from Solstad Offshore. The charter included an option for Saipem to acquire the vessel."Saipem has now decided to declare the purchase option for DLB Norce Endeavour. Delivery of the vessel to Saipem is scheduled to April 2020," Norway-based Solstad Offshore said Friday.Solstad did not disclose the sale price of the vessel.

Corvus Energy has been selected by Westcon Power & Automation (WPA) to supply the lithium-ion battery-based energy storage system (ESS) for a new hybrid coastal cargo vessel being built for Arriva Shipping at Dayang Offshore Equipment in China.The ship is of MDC 1309 Ecolution design made by Marine Design and Consulting (MDC) in Bergen and defines a whole new standard for this type of ship. Energy efficiency has been taken into account throughout the entire design phase. In addition to the large battery pack and electric propulsion…

Operational trials of unmanned equipment in Norway offered a glimpse of the UK Royal Navy's autonomous future. Royal Marines small boat specialists 47 Commando have been working alongside HMS Albion, the Royal Navy’s autonomous accelerator NavyX and the Office for the Chief Technology Officer to see how the kit can be put to use in real world situations.Exercise Autonomous Advance Force put unmanned boat Mast 13, heavy lift drone from Malloy, remotely-piloted air system Puma and…

There was important cruise news in January: Viking – a premier European ocean and river cruise company - will offer two new “destination-focused travel experiences,” starting in 2022. One set of cruises becomes Viking’s first foray in the inland North American market, in this case the Great Lakes. Another set of cruises will head to the Arctic and Antarctica. Viking is building two new vessels: the Viking Octantis and the Viking Polaris, under construction now in Norway, by Fincantieri’s VARD.In a press release Viking writes that it has created “the thinking person’s expedition.”  Indeed…

Equinor reported the oil industry's first coronavirus infection on an offshore installation on Wednesday, highlighting the challenge in preventing contamination for thousands of workers living in the close quarters on rigs and platforms.A worker was in isolation on the Norwegian energy firm's Martin Linge oil and gas platform off Norway where production is due to start at the end of this year, the company said. It said it would cut activity at the field, but personnel would remain at installations…

SCHOTTEL has won a contract from Ada Shipyard in Turkey to supply propulsion units for two double-ended Ro-Pax ferries. As part of the deal, the German propulsion manufacturer will provide a total of four SCHOTTEL Rudder EcoPellers (SRE) for the LMG 60 DE design vessels ordered recently by Norwegian ferry operator Norled.The ferries’ main propulsion consists of two SCHOTTEL EcoPellers type SRE 270 (810 kW each) with 1.85 m diameter fixed pitch propellers (one at each end of the ferry). Each of the azimuth thrusters is driven by two bio-diesel engines through a twin-in-single-out gearbox.

The new service operation vessel (SOV) of Bernhard Schulte, designed and built by Ulstein, will carry the name 'Windea Jules Verne' and work for GE Renewable Energy at the Merkur offshore wind project soon.The vessel received its name after one of the world’s most popular adventure writers, who was born in Nantes, France, where GE’s Offshore Wind business is located.The SOV has been designed and built by Ulstein for Bernhard Schulte Offshore. GE contracted Bernhard Schulte in July 2018 to provide an SOV for the 396MW project in Germany…

OSM Maritime Group extended its partnership with Tero Marine, as the Norwegian tech company now prepares to install its TM Master suite on the remaining OSM fleet globally.The frame agreement with Tero Marine means that all vessels with various planned maintenance systems across the OSM fleet would be standardized on TM Master. TM Master is currently installed on close to 70 vessels across OSM’s Norway and Singapore managed fleets. With OSM’s vision in the ship management segment…

The global player in the cable and optical fiber industry Nexans S.A. was awarded a significant Purchase Order to supply 180 km of 230 kV cables for the offshore Marjan increment development mega-project on the eastern coast of the Arabian Gulf.Discovered in 1967, the Marjan field is one of the oldest and biggest offshore oil and gas fields in the Arabian Gulf. It is currently undergoing expansion under the Marjan Increment Program announced in 2017.The French expert in cables…