Subsea 7 has signed term charters for a string of Jones Act-qualified offshore construction vessels from two Louisiana shipowners in a bid to bolster its fleet on the US Gulf Coast.
The Oslo-listed subsea engineering firm has chartered a trio of ships from Otto Candies after chartering a vessel from Bordelon Marine, according to various media reports.
Subsea 7’s Steve Wisely, senior vice president for the UK and global inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM), said demand for subsea services in the Gulf of Mexico region led to the charter deals.
“The charters will support the sustainable growth of our operations and are well-positioned to secure a wide range of conventional energy and renewables opportunities, as well as other energy transition projects in the future,” he said in World Oil.
Among the newly chartered vessels are Otto Candies’ 89-loa Grant Candies (built 2008), 88-loa Wyatt Candies (built 2013) and the Ross Candies (built 2009), described as IRM, survey and light construction vessels.
The length and financial details of the agreements were not released.
Also recently chartered was Bordelon’s 78-loa Connor Bordelon (built 2013), an ultra-light intervention vessel.
Subsidiary Subsea 7 i-Tech US booked the vessel in July for a one-year charter, which has been outfitted with two remotely operated vehicles operated by the Oslo-listed outfit.
“These vessel charters demonstrate Subsea7’s commitment to this region’s inspection, repair and maintenance business, and our ability to support our clients in the Gulf of Mexico,” Jonathan Perzan, Subsea 7 operations manager for global IRM and the Gulf of Mexico, said in MarineLink.
