Norway's Solstad Offshore will receive a $45m charter termination fee as rival shipowners reveal more global term deals in rapidly rising offshore support vessel markets.
The shipowner said Italian charterer Saipem's Portuguese unit is returning the 177-loa multifunctional support vessel (MSV) Normand Maximus (built 2016) four years into an eight-year deal.
This means Solstad will lose $200m of contracted backlog, but will gain the termination fee up front.
Meanwhile, compatriot owner DOF Subsea has won a deal for a field support vessel (FSV) with an unnamed oil major in Angola.
The company will use its 120-loa MSV Skandi Seven (built 2008) for a minimum of 303 firm days, plus 365 days of options.
The contract to maintain subsea assets could also involve additional vessels, depending on demand.
DOF Group chief executive Mons Aase said: "This project will secure utilisation for our integrated FSV team and assets, strengthening our position as a leading one-stop solutions provider for integrated subsea operations across multiple disciplines."
Siem adds to AHTS charters
In Australia, Norway's Siem Offshore has agreed to extend firm charters for three large anchor-handling tug supply (AHTS) ships.
The company did not name the vessels, but said work has been secured until 31 October, with options stretching to the end of 2022.
The deals highlight the importance of a global reach for European owners following a period of weak rates in the North Sea spot sector.
But September has seen an upturn in earnings there, as the shrinking fleet starts to find more employment.
PSV numbers jump again
Rem Offshore's 4,300-dwt platform supply vessel (PSV) Rem Mira (built 2012) has been fixed by Equinor in the UK on Friday at £17,000 ($22,100) per day over 10 days.
This is up again from £12,000 earlier this week and way above the rock-bottom rate of £2,000 at the worst point of Covid-29 lockdowns earlier this year.
PSV utilisation now stands at 92% in the North Sea, Norwegian broker Westshore said, with AHTS use at 80%.
Hess in Denmark is seeking a PSV for six days of work from 23 September, but Norway is sold out of prompt units, and only one is free in the UK.
AHTSs are attracting rates of up to £37,500 per day in the UK, with only four ships free in North Sea ports.
