Cyprus-based Prosafe has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with China’s Cosco (Qidong) Offshore Co. Ltd. for the engineering, procurement and construction of two semisubmersible accommodation vessels, with options for a further four units.

The vessels will be ready for operations in 2016, and will be of the Gusto MSC Ocean 500 design, equipped with 500 beds, DP3 (dynamic positioning 3) station keeping systems, 10-point chain mooring and 300 ton cranes.

The contracts, if signed, will each be worth in excess of US $200 million. The vessels will be financed through cash flow from operations, existing debt facilities and new debt commitments.

  • Cosco’s Qidong yard delivered the ultra-deepwater circular drilling rig Sevan Louisiana to Norway’s Sevan Drilling on October 28. The Sevan Louisiana will work in the Gulf of Mexico, and is the third of the four such units Cosco has undertaken to build.