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Polarcus News

25 Jun 2021

Seismic Firm Polarcus Set for Business Wind-down, Delisting from Oslo Exchange

Polarcus Limited, a seismic surveyor in liquidation, is set to be wound down and delisted from the Oslo Stock Exchange.As previously reported, in January this year, lenders took control of the company's vessels after a debt payment default, and decided to sell them and let go all the employees.On February 8, 2021, David Griffin and Andrew Morrison of FTI Cayman, and Lisa Rickelton of FTI London were appointed Joint Provisional Liquidators (JPL) of the struggling seismic services provider by an order of the Court. Liquidators were specifically authorized by the Court to take all necessary steps to develop and propose a restructuring of the company’s financial indebtedness with a view to making a compromise or arrangement with the company’s creditors.Since their appointment…

10 Jun 2021

Shearwater GeoServices Recycles Seismic Vessel

 Western Trident -Credit:Shearwater

Marine seismic contractor Shearwater GeoServices has sold the seismic vessel Western Trident for recycling as part of the company’s fleet renewal strategy.The vessel has been delivered in Turkey for recycling. In late 2020, Shearwater also sold the CGG Alize vessel to be repurposed outside of the seismic industry.Shearwater said the vessel sales, coupled with the company's recent acquisition of six modern seismic vessels, forms part of Shearwater’s fleet renewal strategy to replace older and less efficient units.

02 Feb 2021

Lenders to Sell Polarcus' Vessels. All Employees to Be Laid Off

A Polarcus vessel - Credit: Alf van Beem - Wikimedia/CC0 1.0

Lenders of the troubled marine seismic contractor Polarcus, which last week took control of the company's vessels after a debt payment default, will sell Polarcus' vessels and all the employees will be let go.Banks last week tool control of Polarcus' subsidiaries that own seismic vessels, with the subsidiaries in question being Polarcus Asima AS, Polarcus Alima AS, Polarcus Amani AS, Polarcus Adira AS, Polarcus Nadia AS, Polarcus Naila AS - bearing the corresponding vessels' names,   and Polarcus Shipholding AS.

27 Jan 2021

Lenders Take Control of Polarcus' Ships After Default on Debt

A Polarcus vessel - Credit: Alf van Beem - Wikimedia/CC0 1.0

Lenders took control of Polarcus' ships on Tuesday after the seismic surveyor defaulted on its bank loans and bonds, hit by a drop in spending by energy companies struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic and volatile oil prices.The company's Oslo-listed shares plunged as much as 47% after they resumed trading following an earlier suspension.Polarcus said lenders had taken over shares in subsidiaries that own seismic vessels and replaced directors in each subsidiary, but wanted to continue its operations."In parallel with their actions described above…

27 Jan 2021

Seismic Surveyor Polarcus Sees Shares Nosedive as it Defaults on Debt Payment

A Polarcus seismic vessel - Credit: Eburlid/Wikimedia - CC BY-SA 3.0

Oslo-listed seismic surveyor Polarcus has defaulted on its bank loans and bonds, it said on Tuesday, sending the company's shares plunging more than 30%.Polarcus and other seismic surveyors have been hit by weak demand as oil companies slash spending on geological data amid the coronavirus pandemic and last year's crash in the price of crude."The company intends to pursue all available options with a view to ensuring the financial sustainability of the company and in the meantime will halt all payments of interest and amortization to finance providers…

29 Sep 2020

Sovcomflot Returns Seismic Vessel to Polarcus

Ivan Gubkin - Credit: Sovcomflot

Russian firm Sovcomflot has returned the offshore seismic vessel Ivan Gubkin to its owner Polarcus.The 14-streamer 3D seismic vessel - originally named Polarcus Amani - had been on a charter with Sovcomflot since 2017 and should've stayed with Sovcomflot for five and a half years.However, the two companies earlier this month agreed for Sovcomflot to extend the contract for Polarcus' other seismic vessel the Vyacheslav Tikhonov - which has worked for SCF since 2011 - and shorten…

17 Jul 2020

Polarcus Nadia on the Move after Long Layup

Polarcus' seismic vessel Polarcus Nadia is on the move, after more than five years in lay-up in the Netherlands, according to information released Friday by Dutch Marine Contractors.The Polarcus Nadia, delivered in 2010, was cold stacked by Polarcus in early 2015 during the previous oil price downturn, in a move to cut operating costs, with little hope it would be reactivated soon. The former CEO Rod Starr said at the time that it cost around $1.6 million per year to cold-stack the vessel, and, up to $40 million to reactivate it.The Polarcus Nadia has been in layup ever since, with limited info on the vessel since the cold-stacking.Dutch Marine Contractors on Friday said: "After a few years of layup, MV Polarcus Nadia departed this morning from Amsterdam to Norway.

29 Jun 2020

Navalrocha Shipyard Active Despite COVID-19

(Photo: Navalrocha Shipyard)

Portugal’s Navalrocha Shipyard is reporting a flurry of activity in 2020 as it navigates the COVID-19 outbreak and prepares for a packed order book in the coming months.Navalrocha commercial director Sergio Rodrigues said the shipyard had recorded several landmarks during a highly memorable period in its history, completing its first multimillion Euro refit for a seismic survey vessel before managing its first ballast water treatment system (BWTS) installation.The projects were accompanied by a series of other deals involving bunker tankers…

03 Apr 2020

PGS Cold Stacks Two Seismic Vessels in Response to Low Oil Price

For illustration: Ramform Hyperion vessel - Image by PGS

Norwegian offshore seismic surveyor PGS has said that the coronavirus pandemic and the disruption in the oil market present unprecedented challenges for the offshore services industry, including the marine seismic industry.PGS expects the low oil price will have a material adverse impact on demand for seismic services and activity levels.Brent crude futures fell 3.2%, or 97 cents, to $28.97 per barrel as of 0636 GMT, after having risen 21% on Thursday.While oil companies have recently canceled several seismic survey contracts…

30 Jan 2020

Polarcus Seismic Vessel Refit Completed

(Photo: Navalrocha)

Portugal’s Navalrocha shipyard said it has completed a multimillion-euro repair and refit project for Dubai-based marine geophysical company Polarcus.The drydock project which completed in January 2020 involved a broad package of work to the ultra-modern 14 streamer 3D/4D seismic vessel – Polarcus Naila.The vessel is environmentally advanced with diesel-electric propulsion, high specification catalytic converters, a double hull and advanced bilge water cleaning system.“The Polarcus Naila visited Navalrocha shipyard for a total of 33-days running through the Christmas period…

15 Mar 2019

Seismic Shoot Offshore South Africa Begins

Africa Energy Corp., an oil and gas company with exploration assets offshore South Africa and Namibia, has announced the start of a new 3D marine seismic acquisition programme over the Paddavissie Fairway on Block 11B/12B offshore South Africa.The Brulpadda discovery is located on Block 11B/12B in the Outeniqua Basin 175 kilometers off the southern coast of South Africa. The block covers an area of 19,000 square kilometers with water depths ranging from 200 to 1,800 meters.Jan Maier, Africa Energy's VP Exploration, said:  "We are pleased to announce the initiation of a 3D seismic program with Polarcus to better define prospects within Block 11B/12B offshore South Africa.

01 Nov 2018

Polarcus Wins 3D Project in West Africa

(Photo: Polarcus)

Offshore geophysical firm Polarcus Limited said Thursday it has received an award for a 3D marine seismic acquisition project in West Africa.The award comprises two surveys of approximately three months each, with the first survey expected to commence Q2 2019 and the second survey Q4 2019.

01 Nov 2018

TGS Remains Upbeat as Shares Drop

TGS CEO Kristian Johansen (Photo: TGS)

Oslo-listed seismic surveyor TGS fell more than 10 percent after reporting disappointing third-quarter results on Thursday, as oil firms were still too cautious to spend despite a raft of upbeat earnings.TGS, which maps the seabed in search of hydrocarbon deposits for oil firms, reported quarterly operating profit of $24 million, down from $26 million a year ago and missing a forecast of $37 million returned by a Reuters poll.While oil companies like Shell, BP and Total are reporting bumper profits in the third quarter…

06 Jun 2018

Polarcus Scoops 3D Marine Seismic Project

Seismic vessel owner Polarcus Limited said it has been awarded an XArray 3D marine seismic acquisition project.The project duration is for up to 10 vessel months and is expected to commence in Q3 2018, providing backlog for two vessels throughout Q4 2018 and in to Q1 2019.

04 Jun 2018

Polarcus Names Oestergaard COO

(Photo: Polarcus)

Seismic vessel owner Polarcus Limited has appointed Lars Oestergaard as chief operating officer effective immediately. He will lead the company’s geophysical, operations and sales teams as well as the EHSQ department.Oestergaard joins Polarcus from Maersk Drillingm, where he held a number of operational and commercial roles, most recently as chief commercial officer.Oestergaard has been awarded 350,000 performance share units and 150,000 restricted share units under the Company's 2018 Long Term Incentive Plan. He currently holds no shares in the company.

02 May 2018

Polarcus Scores Two Seismic Survey Projects

(File photo: Polarcus)

Marine geophysical company Polarcus Limited announced it has secured two offshore seismic survey projects.The company said it has entered into a contract for a two-month broadband 3D marine seismic acquisition project in Australia that will commence immediately.Polarcus also received a letter of award for an XArray 3D marine seismic acquisition project in Asia Pacific. The two-month project is slated to begin immediately after the Australian project.“These awards in Asia Pacific provide important visibility, extending a regional campaign for Polarcus well into Q3 2018,” Polarcus said.

19 Apr 2018

Mannering Named Polarcus Chairman

(File photo: Polarcus)

Michael Mannering has been nominated to succeed Polarcus’ outgoing chairman of the board, Peter Rigg, with effect from the 2018 AGM on May 10.Rigg will retire after a decade as chairman of the marine geophysical company, having served in the role since the company’s inception in 2008.Mannering has previously held many senior corporate positions in Schlumberger as well as chairman and, subsequently, non-executive director of Songa Offshore until its acquisition by Transocean. He has a BSc (First Class) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southampton.

24 Jan 2018

Polarcus Awarded 4D Project in Asia Pacific

File photo courtesy of Polarcus

Marine geophysical company Polarcus Limited said it has received a letter of award for a 4D marine seismic acquisition project in the Asia Pacific region.  The project is due to commence in the first quarter of 2018 and will run for approximately one month. A Polarcus spokesperson said the company could not share further information around the project. Following this award the Polarcus’ active fleet is 100 percent booked for the first quarter.

08 Jan 2018

Polarcus Extends Cooperation with TGS

Seismic contractor Polarcus has extended the agreement with TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company ASA (TGS) for an additional year. Under the agreement, the companies will continue to jointly develop selected 3D multi-client projects and TGS will extend its vessel commitment with Polarcus to the end of 2018 for up to 10,000 sq. km. The recently announced XArray project in the Gulf of Mexico with TGS forms part of this commitment. Additional awards under this commitment will be announced separately. "This agreement will continue to leverage the core strengths and expertise of both parties," stated Duncan Eley, Polarcus CEO.

10 May 2017

Polarcus Fleet Booked through Q3

Photo: Polarcus

Polarcus Limited said it has received a letter of award for a broadband 3D marine seismic project in Asia Pacific. With this contract, Polarcus’ fleet is fully booked through to the end of the third quarter 2017. The project is due to commence in the third quarter of 2017 and will run for approximately one month.

21 Apr 2017

Polarcus Amani Delivered to Sovcomflot

Polarcus Amani (Photo: Polarcus)

A 5.5 year bareboat charter agreement between Polarcus Limited Norwegian subsidiary Polarcus Amani AS and SCF GEO AS (Sovcomflot) has been signed, and the vessel delivered to Sovcomflot in Bergen. The vessel was delivered without streamers, providing the Polarcus fleet with one excess streamer package, which the company said will significantly reduce its capital expenditure requirements through 2017 and 2018. The Polarcus Group now has two vessels on long-term bareboat charter and operates a fleet of four vessels in the contract market.

17 Mar 2017

Eley to Take over as Polarcus CEO

Duncan Eley (Photo: Polarcus)

Duncan Eley has been appointed chief executive officer of Oslo listed offshore geophysical services company Polarcus Limited, replacing Rod Starr, who has resigned following a two year reorganization period. Eley has been promoted to the CEO role from his current position as chief operating officer, succeeding Starr effective immediately. Starr will continue to work with the executive management team and Polarcus' Board of Directors for a transition period during the second quarter of 2017.

04 Mar 2017

Polarcus Bags Work in Australia, West Africa

Polarcus Limited has announce that the Company has finalized a contract for 3D marine seismic acquisition in Australia. The program will deliver a high quality broadband data-set utilizing one of the Company's highly efficient Polarcus X-bow vessels operating under the Polarcus Explore Green environmental agenda. The project is due to commence in Q3 2017 and will run for approximately two months. In addition, the Company has secured a 30-day extension to the West African campaign initially announced on 09 January 2017. Commenting on the recent news flow from the Company, Duncan Eley, COO, stated: "The multiple awards announced recently are testament to our strong reputation with clients globally and our ability to secure key projects in the contract market…