Another unwanted offshore support vessel is being converted to be able to remove lice from farmed salmon.
Norwegian broker Seabrokers said the 3,300-dwt platform supply vessel Smola Viking (built 2004) will become a delousing unit after work at Vard's Langsten shipyard in Norway.
The new owner of the ship is Norway's Eines, which plans to operate it in the aquaculture sector at the Lofoten and Vesteralen islands.
The former KL Arendalfjord had been laid up for three years until it was sold in May last year by Japanese shipping giant K Line to Norway's Gard Supply for $800,000.
Reviving rates
Gard renamed the vessel Gardwill before offloading it in June this year to Eines for an undisclosed amount.
VesselsValue now assesses the ship as worth $2m for further trading.
The removal of older units, such as the Smola Viking, is helping revive rates in a troubled North Sea sector.
Fifty PSVs remain in lay-up in Norwegian and UK ports, compared with an operational fleet of 43, according to Norwegian shipbroker Westshore.
This shrinking fleet helps explain why utilisation has hit 94%, with rates continuing to improve.
Six PSVs have been fixed spot in the past four days, with rates topping out at £12,000 ($15,500) per day, against a low of £2,000 in the lockdowns earlier in the year and £7,000 last week.
Norway has sold out of prompt ships and only two remain available for spot work in the UK.
Two more PSV jobs were outstanding on Monday, brokers said.
PSVs rejoining the fray
One platform supply vessel moving out of lay-up is Norwegian owner Sverre Farstad & Co's managed 9,096-bhp Farland (built 2015).
It had been stacked for 154 days in Alesund, but is now being mobilised to serve a term charter for UK production company Chrysaor. The firm duration is one year, with options for two more years.
Anchor-handling tug supply vessels (AHTS) were also stronger at £60,000 per day, double last week, as utilisation rose to 85%.
Only 26 AHTS units remain working in the North Sea, against 32 in lay-up.
Escaping a lousy market
In May, Norway's Island Offshore reacted to the lousy offshore market by selling a PSV for delousing conversion.
Domestic aquaculture player Smir Group acquired the laid-up, 3,250-dwt UT 755 LN-type PSV Island Spirit (built 2006) for operation by its Hydro Shipping unit.
The new owner renamed the vessel — its second converted PSV — Hydro Patriot as oil and gas ships continue to exit a sector hit by dire rates since the pandemic struck and oil prices fell.
Hydro planned to remove some equipment on the ship so it can be converted, such as the remote operated vehicle (ROV) winch and mezzanine decks, the A-frame and the housing module, before installing "hydrolicers".
US owner Harvey Gulf International Marine said last week that it is following the growing trend of shipowners finding new uses for offshore vessels in the oil and gas downturn.
Harvey is converting one of its US-flag PSVs into a bunker vessel to carry fuel and water offshore.
The conversion candidate is the 2,957-dwt Harvey Hawk (built 2013). Harvey Gulf said it will be able to carry 800,000 barrels (3,000 tonnes) of fuel per trip.
