Ocean Installer Lands Its First Australian Job

As a subcontractor to McDermott International Inc., Ocean Installer has been awarded a contract for riser installation work in Australia, the company said Jan. 26.

The job involves installing flexible risers and flowlines as well as options for additional support work. The company will use the Normand Vision construction support vessel for offshore operations beginning in second-quarter 2017.

“This is Ocean Installer’s first job in a region where we aim to establish ourselves. This is also the first job we have been awarded by McDermott,” Ocean Installer CEO Steinar Riise said in a news release. “Ocean Installer and McDermott complement each other’s capabilities in a very good way, and we believe this type of cooperation will be important going forward in what is still a challenging market.”

VesselsValue Provides Daily Valuations For MODUs

VesselsValue, an online valuation provider, is releasing daily valuations for mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs), a press release stated.

This new vessel type is part of VesselsValue recent push into the offshore space. In May 2016 VesselsValue released daily updated market and demolition values for 6,500-plus offshore support vessels. The new vessel types, which are available on the VesselsValue website, comprise 1,020 individual MODUs (including drillships, semisubmersible units and jackups) and can be presented via company fleets and portfolios.

To arrive at daily valuations, VesselsValue uses a complex algorithm, which considers the full specifications of the vessel (age, size, ship type and features) as well as the recent spot rates, secondhand sales, newbuilding prices, oil pricing and other market indicators. These data are made available for VesselsValue clients through the VesselsValue Deals database.

Charter Extension To Keep Bibby Topaz In North Sea

Dive-support vessel Bibby Topaz will continue work in the North Sea DSV market following announcement of a long-term extension to its charter through 2019.

Bibby Offshore, a subsea installation and services provider to the offshore oil and gas industry, said that it had adjusted terms and conditions of the charter arrangement with owner Volstad Maritime to reflect the current market environment, with both parties taking on a more mutual sharing of risk and reward.

Bibby Offshore plans to maintain and grow its market share in the North Sea DSV market, where Bibby Topaz has been a core part of its fleet since its delivery in 2008. The vessel has been identified as the best technical and commercial option for the group, and the charter has flexible options to be extended to year-end 2024.

Kongsberg Puts Seaglider In Spotlight

Kongsberg has hopes that its Seaglider autonomous vehicle will emerge as a star of Subsea Expo 2017 at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Center on Feb. 1-3.

Seaglider will be joined by a host of Kongsberg’s established subsea technology designed to meet the needs of research and commercial users during the annual event.

Seaglider recently joined the company’s rental pool that includes other autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), including Remus and Munin.

Seaglider is an AUV developed for continuous, long-term measurement of oceanographic parameters. The vehicle uses small changes in buoyancy and wings to achieve forward motion rather than an electrically driven propeller. The system’s pitch and roll are controlled using adjustable ballast.

“Seaglider is well known for its work in ocean science but the system is also relevant to a range of commercial operations including environmental monitoring for offshore fields, oil spill detection and supporting decommissioning projects,” said Keith Thomson, rental manager, Kongsberg Maritime Ltd.

The company will also be running a one-day AUV Operations Introduction Course at its Aberdeen-based training center on Feb 3. The training center saw high interest for this in-depth introductory course in 2016 and expects this year’s course to attract similar numbers, especially considering the influx of industry visitors to Aberdeen for Subsea Expo.

—Staff Reports

Offshore