Nearly 900 people were on KiwiRail Interislander’s 29-year-old ferry Kaitaki when it lost power in a storm in January 2023 whilst entering Wellington Harbour en route from Picton on the South Island. Thankfully, nobody died and in the end, the passengers remained safely on the ship rather than...
Anchor Handling
COLUMN | Safety culture matters: Pemex and Perenco on the wrong side of history [Offshore Accounts]
Offshore is one of the industries with the biggest risk profiles in the world. When bad things happen in offshore, people die, often there are explosions and sinkings, fires and oil spills, and the environment can be badly polluted, killing seabirds, fish, dolphins and coral, and inflicting...
COLUMN | Correcting course: Aramco and jackups; Siem Offshore and Kristian Siem; Ferguson Marine; MMA Offshore; Maersk/Svitzer [Offshore Accounts]
Harold Macmillan was supposedly once asked what the most troubling problem of his time as British Prime Minister was. “Events, my dear boy, events,” was his reply. I thought I had this week’s column nailed well in advance, but offshore is an industry especially susceptible to unexpected and hard to predict “events”. So, we must […]
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COLUMN | Perenco’s shame and Gabon’s lax standards: a fatal combination [Offshore Accounts]
In an industry is awash with cash and record profits, it is tragic to see five people confirmed dead in an accident on a Perenco platform offshore Gabon, and one other worker still missing, presumed also killed, as per the most recent update. Last Wednesday, there was a fire on the Becuna platform...
COLUMN | Winner takes it all: Boskalis binges with record profits, as Boluda takes silver and McDermott gets sued (again) [Offshore Accounts]
Whilst the first big consolidator of this offshore upcycle was Tidewater, rapidly followed by ADNOC and AD Ports of Abu Dhabi, Europe is also experiencing a quiet wave of consolidation. Driving this is the biggest of the “Big Four” lowlands dredging and offshore companies, Boskalis. But whereas the gains in Tidewater have been open to […]
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COLUMN | Where the wind blows part 1: Borealis, IT Telecoms, TotalEnergies, Ørsted and Vestas [Offshore Accounts]
One of the warmest winters on record seems to be drawing to a close in Europe, and the North Sea spot market is roaring back. On Friday, the 251 tonnes bollard pull anchor handler Maersk Mariner was spot chartered by Anasuria Operating Company at the princely day rate of £45,000 (US$57,000) for...
Seacontractors acquires dredging and offshore support workboat
Netherlands-based marine services company Seacontractors recently took delivery of a new shallow-draught workboat built by compatriot shipyard Neptune Marine. Sea Olous is a sister vessel of Sea Eidum, which was delivered by Neptune Marine in 2023. The 26-metre vessel is purpose-built for dredging...
VESSEL REVIEW | Zwerver V – Large, shallow-draught workboat for Dutch renewables support provider
Netherlands-based renewables support specialist Van Stee Offshore has taken delivery of a new near-shore capable, multi-purpose vessel built by Albwardy Damen in the UAE. Zwerver V belongs to a new series of large workboats capable of undertaking a range of projects in support of customers in the...
COLUMN | Canada loses control of its shipbuilding budget: Seaspan, Davie and Irving turn up the heat on Ottawa [Offshore Accounts]
The sentiments of American singer-songwriter Teddy Swims on his single Lose Control seems a most appropriate soundtrack for Canada this week, especially as it comes from his debut album, the wonderfully titled I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1). We have project blow-outs, schedule blow-outs, and some massive delays to report in Canada. Shipbuilding is […]
VESSEL REVIEW | Cape Hatteras & Cape Canaveral – Great Lakes Dredge and Dock acquires pipe-lay and anchor handling workboats
Houston-based marine projects specialist Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company (GLDD) has expanded its fleet of vessels following the delivery of two new workboats built by Conrad Shipyard of Morgan City, Louisiana. Cape Hatteras and Cape Canaveral belong to a series of shallow-draught workboats designed by Netherlands-based the Damen Shipyards Group to perform numerous roles […]