Sweden's Viking Supply Ships has benefited from an upgrade to one of its anchor-handlers in the first quarter.
The debt-free company, controlled by Norwegian investor Christen Sveaas, said the 19,034-bp Loke Viking (built 2010) was docked to become an ice-class 1A-super ship this year.
It is now mobilising to start a new contract this month, supporting GNS for between two and a half and four months.
Viking has also won new deals for its 19,035-hp Brage Viking (built 2012) and Njord Viking (built 2011), which will support Shell in the UK for between 45 and 90 days.
The first quarter net loss including discontinued operations was cut to SEK 17m ($1.76m) from a loss of SEK 85m in 2018.
Total revenue was SEK 78m, down from SEK 84m the year before.
The average fixture rate was $41,800 per day, up from $33,600 a year ago.
Utilisation was down at 35% from 46%, however.
CEO Trond Myklebust said revenue was still "unsatisfactory".
The company now has a fleet of four anchor-handlers as well as the five ice-breakers it operates for the Swedish Maritime Administration.
The work to Loke Viking "was assumed to increase the probability of obtaining term contracts for the vessel," he said.
He is expecting the 2019 market to remain challenging.
But "in the longer run, the increased investment levels within offshore oil and gas will lead to increased activity also for OSV vessels, but due to the current oversupply and budget cycles the anticipated recovery will take time," he added.
