Seacor Holdings filed papers to spin off its offshore marine business. 

The spin-off is a first step toward rolling up peer companies during the industry downturn. Private equity fund Carlyle Group may end up with a big chunk of the new company through a 2015 debt deal. 

Seacor Marine Holdings, as the new company will be named, will be a tax-free spin off to Seacor Holdings shareholders, according to the registration statement. They will receive 1.007 shares in the company for each existing share of Seacor, for a total float of 17.7 million shares of the new company. 

It has applied to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker SMHI. No date for the spin-off or listing has yet been set. 

Seacor said one of the reasons for the spin-off is the "ability to use equity as consideration for acquisitions." 

Although the company said it has no initial plans for deals, Seacor's chief executive and chairman Charles Fabrikant has made no secret of his interest in consolidating the offshore vessel industry. He pitched rival offshore vessel owner GulfMark last year on a merger deal last year, but to no avail.

Fabrikant will remain chairman of the spin-off company, while Seacor Holdings's chief operating officer John Gellert will switch to the chief executive role at the company.

Seacor Marine said in its registration for the spin-off that potential targets are more interested in receiving equity in a pure-play offshore company, rather than the more diversified Seacor Holdings. 

Seacor Marine will operate a fleet of 183 vessels, including anchor handling towing supply (AHTS), fast support and supply vessels, and others tailored to the offshore energy industry. 

 On a pro-forma basis, Seacor Marine Holdings will hold $1bn in assets, with some $217m in long-term debt. For the full year 2016, Seacor Marine Holdings would have reported a  $132m loss on revenue of $215m. 

Almost all of Seacor Marine's long-term debt is held by Carlyle Group, which entered a $175m convertible senior note deal with Seacor in 2015. The notes are convertible into 4.1 million shares once Seacor Marine gets spun off.