Offshore Vessel News Roundup | April 23 – Malaysian cable layer, Thai and Japanese crewboats and more
New crewboats have been delivered to separate operators in Japan and Thailand while a Malaysian firm welcomes a new cable laying barge to its fleet. Newly placed orders include a processing platform for deployment in South America and a shallow-draught installation vessel for a Dutch owner.
ExxonMobil selects Japanese engineering firm for FPSO contract
Japanese engineering company MODEC has been awarded a contract by ExxonMobil Guyana to develop a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel for the Hammerhead project.
The contract is a limited notice to proceed (LNTP) by ExxonMobil Guyana, pending necessary government and regulatory approval. Phase one encompasses front-end engineering and design while phase two covers engineering, procurement, construction, and installation.
Thailand's Truth Maritime welcomes third crewboat in series
Singapore shipbuilder Strategic Marine has delivered a new fast crewboat to Thai offshore support company Truth Maritime Services (TMS).
The vessel is the third in a series of crewboats to be built by Strategic Marine to a design by Australian naval architecture firm Southerly Designs. TMS Ranod, the first vessel in the series, was handed over to TMS last year.
Japanese operator welcomes catamaran crewboat to fleet
Japanese operator Tokyo Kisen has taken delivery of the first vessel in a new series of bespoke catamaran crewboats that will service Japan's offshore wind sector.
The NK-classed JCAT Hibiki II and its yet unnamed sister have been developed to comply with strict local regulations. The design of the crewboats has been future-proofed, with each vessel to begin its operational life carrying 12 technicians but with the flexibility to increase its capacity to 24 as Japan’s regulatory framework evolves.
Malaysia's Keyfield expands into cable laying with new vessel acquisition
Malaysian offshore services provider Keyfield International has expanded into the cable laying sector with the recent acquisition of a newbuild vessel built by Taizhou Sanfu Ship Engineering of China.
Keyfield Blessing is a specialised barge designed to install underwater cables, especially power cables connecting offshore wind farms to the main grids. The vessel can also be retrofitted for laying fibre-optic cables for telecommunication data transfer.
The self-propelled barge is fitted with a DP2 system and is capable of transporting up to 700 tonnes of cables on each voyage.
For its initial deployment, Keyfield Blessing will be operated under a firm one-year charter by China's Deijing Group. The charter can be extended by another year via option.
N-Sea to welcome shallow-draught installation vessel to fleet in 2026
Dutch subsea solutions provider the N-Sea Group is set to welcome a new shallow-draught installation vessel to its fleet by the second quarter of 2026.
Named Altera, the DP2 vessel will be methanol-ready and dual fuel-capable and will be equipped with a 25-tonne offshore knuckle boom crane and mooring system. Accommodation will be available for up to 99 people.
