Work Boat World Offshore Vessel Charters Roundup – April 2, 2021

Much of the spotlight is on drilling vessels in this latest roundup of offshore charters. Interestingly, the newly awarded charters for such vessels has extended beyond European waters to also cover the Middle East, West Africa, and the Asia Pacific – regions where the oil and gas markets have also been keeping steady.

Aker BP exercises fourth year for Odfjell’s Deepsea Nordkapp

Aker BP has exercised the second 12-month option for Odfjell Drilling’s rig Deepsea Nordkapp under the contract entered into between the parties in April 2018. The second 12-month option will commence upon expiry of the first optional period in June 2022.

The approximate contract value for the exercised optional scope is US$109 million (excluding any integrated services).

An additional scope-based option period has been agreed. If exercised, it will follow completion of the firm period and have a duration of up to 12 months.

Odfjell’s Deepsea Atlantic to drill two wells for Equinor

Equinor has exercised the options for two new wells to be drilled by Odfjell Drilling’s rig Deepsea Atlantic.

The options have been exercised under an existing frame agreement between the two companies. Work will commence in the second or third quarter of 2021 after the completion of the rig’s current scope.

Borr Drilling wins US$48 million in new charters

Borr Drilling has entered into agreements potentially adding a total of US$48 million to the company’s activity backlog.

For the rig Natt, the company has received a letter of intent (LOI) with an undisclosed new operator in Nigeria to commence operations in April 2021 for an estimated duration of 150 days, in direct continuation of its previous contract.

The previously announced LOI for the rig Prospector 1 has been converted into a contact for four wells plus options for operations with Neptune Energy.

In addition, Prospector 1 has secured a three-well plus option contract with Tulip Oil for operations in the Netherlands. As a result, the rig will be fully utilised in 2021 on the Dutch Continental Shelf may even continue working into the third quarter of 2022 if all options are exercised.

Lastly, the rig Gunnlod has secured an extension from PTTEP for eight additional wells in Malaysia, which is expected to keep the rig operating up to September 2021. Gunnlod has one further optional period still to be confirmed. If exercised, this could keep the rig active for the remainder of the year.

Shelf Drilling secures extension in Egypt

UAE-based Shelf Drilling has secured a two-year contract extension for the jackup rig Trident 16 in direct continuation of its current term with Belayim Petroleum Company for operations in the Gulf of Suez offshore Egypt.

Trident 16 has been working with Petrobel in the Belayim fields since 2015. Following this extension, the expected availability of the rig is February 2023.

P&O Maritime IMR vessel to support wind farm installation in Taiwan

P&O Maritime Logistics’ IMR vessel Topaz Tiamat recently begun a 3.5-year contract in Taiwan’s Changfang and Xidao offshore wind farms on a bareboat charter with Boskalis.

Whilst in Taiwan, the vessel will support the installation of maritime infrastructure, including foundations and monopiles.

MMA vessel trio to serve offshore wind clients in Taiwan

MMA Offshore has secured three new contracts in the offshore wind market in Taiwan.

These three contracts, with firm periods totalling 270 days, have an aggregate value of approximately AU$7 million (US$5.3 million). The contracts also provide for additional option periods totalling 118 days.

The supply vessel MMA Pride will provide accommodation and walk-to-work services supporting turbine works at the Changhua wind farm.

The anchor handling and survey vessel MMA Crystal will support a pre-installation noise mitigation survey for the Formosa 2 wind farm development.

The platform supply vessel MMA Responder will support a bubble curtain noise mitigation scope for turbine installation works on the Changfang and Xidao wind farm project.

MMA Pride and MMA Crystal are scheduled to commence operations in early April 2021 while MMA Responder will follow in late June 2021.

Vroon ERRV awarded eight-month charter with Kinsale Energy

Vroon Offshore Services’ (VOS) Aberdeen-managed emergency response and rescue vessel (ERRV) VOS Pathfinder has been awarded a contract by Ireland’s Kinsale Energy (KEL) for an estimated duration of eight months.

The ERRV will support KEL’s decommissioning campaign at the Kinsale Area Gas Fields offshore Ireland starting in early April.

Harvey Gulf supply vessel tapped to support US Navy

Harvey Gulf Subsea Solutions has been awarded a contract to deploy the supply vessel Harvey Deep Sea to support the US Navy in the Gulf of Mexico.

Under the US$4 million agreement, the vessel will provide ROV support, personnel, and work in conjunction with navy personnel in support of a special operations project.