Anchor-handler spot rates have more than doubled in the North Sea as charterers booked a host of vessels for rig moves.
Brokers reported Solstad Offshore's 338-bp Normand Prosper (built 2010) fixed at £65,000 ($83,000) per day with ROV by Shell UK for the Wilphoenix rig move over two weeks.
Shell also booked Viking Supply Ships' 251-bp Magne Viking (built 2011) at £60,000.
This is up from £23,000 last week and £20,000 higher than average rates for the last four years.
Three of 21 operational vessels were left open in Norway and four of 16 in the UK.
A total of 36 remain laid-up in North Sea ports.
BP, Petrofac, Ross and Ithaca Energy rig moves removed 12 vessels from the spot market at the end of last week, with rates reaching £40,000 per day.
The latest rates mean the vessels are now outdoing the recovered platform supply vessel (PSV) market, which stands at £25,000 per day.
Vroon reaches 100% employment
Earlier in May, AHTS units were taking on supply jobs due to a shortage of PSVs.
Utilisation for anchor-handlers is 59%, with PSVs on 92%.
Dutch owner Vroon said last week it had achieved 100% utilisation for its fleet of 10 North sea-based PSVs.
These vessels are operating in both the oil and gas and renewables markets, it added.
But some have headed to the Baltic Sea and West Africa for work.
"The majority of charters are long-term, although we anticipate having some availability again from June onwards and look forward to supporting our valued clients on the North Sea spot market for the summer months."
