Offshore staff
STAVANGER, Norway — Petrobras has declared Prosafe the winner of a bidding process for a safety and maintenance support program offshore Brazil.
Prosafe’s semisubmersible Safe Eurus provisionally has a four-year contract, with an estimated value of $126 million. The actual timing of the award remains subject to a formal process during which other bidders may appeal but will likely be issued in June. Assuming the award goes ahead, the program would start sometime next year, in continuation of the vessel’s current contract, which started in November 2019.
Safe Eurus is a DP3 vessel that can accommodate up to 500 people, with a large capacity open deck area and telescopic gangway.
During operations, Prosafe said there will be a strong focus on reducing emissions through energy performance monitoring and associated fuel consumption reduction. In its latest quarterly statement, Prosafe revealed that its overall support fleet utilization during the first quarter was 68.1%, the highest for this period since 2015.
Fleet updates
Safe Zephyrus is on a 10-month contract for bp at ETAP in the U.K. central North Sea, with up to four months of options. Safe Caledonia will remain on contract to TotalEnergies at the Elgin platform in the same region through December with a 30-day option.
In the Norwegian sector, Safe Boreas started a firm three-month program at the start of this month and could be a contender for a subsequent 650-day contract with Petrobras.
Safe Notos’ long-term assignment for Petrobras in Brazil will continue, following the award of a new four-year, $110-million contract (via another bid process),
Safe Concordia is working on a 160-day contract for bp Trinidad and Tobago, due to end on Aug. 31, but with four one-week options. Safe Scandinavia remains laid up in Norway and is being marketed.
Offshore accommodation
Prosafe expects a multi-year increase in investments for oil and gas, with demand for offshore accommodation rigs led mainly by maintenance, modification and life extension of existing oil and gas infrastructure.
Further positive indications from offshore accommodation over the longer term are the industry’s focus on electrification and other emission-reducing measures, including the emerging market for carbon capture and storage.
The company’s order backlog has improved markedly of late, with at least six of seven vessels contracted throughout the year or parts of the year.
05.12.2022
