Deepocean hires Polar Onyx vessel for Ghana work

Norwegian shipping company GC Rieber Shipping has entered into a time charter agreement with Deepocean BV for the SURF vessel Polar Onyx. 

According to GC Rieber Shipping’s statement on Thursday, the vessel will be used offshore Ghana to support Deepocean’s contract with Tullow Oil. The oil company Tullow is the operator of two fields offshore Ghana, the deepwater Jubilee and TEN.

The vessel’s contract starts immediately and mobilization has already begun, GC Rieber said. The contract is for a fixed period of three years with options to extend by up to two years.

GC Rieber Shipping CEO, Christian W. Berg, said: “We are very pleased to have secured a long-term charter agreement with Deepocean where we maintain a position to benefit from improving market conditions. The Polar Onyx proves yet again its market attractiveness being selected for the first long term subsea charter in a while. We look forward to servicing Tullow Oil in close cooperation with our client Deepocean.”

Three-year deal for Deepocean

In a separate statement, Deepocean said it will use the Polar Onyx vessel as part of its new three-year firm contract with Tullow in Ghana.

DeepOcean Ghana Limited, an indigenous Ghanaian company in which DeepOcean holds a 49% shareholding, started its working relationship with Tullow Ghana in February 2015 when it mobilized the Rem Forza vessel to undertake multipurpose construction activities on Jubilee and TEN which continued until late 2016.

Meanwhile, early 2016 DeepOcean Ghana secured with Tullow Ghana a long-term LCV contract for the Dina Star for three years and two optional years. The Polar Onyx is now replacing the Dina Star with some overlapping period in 1Q 2018. This allows the Polar Onyx to continue working with Tullow Ghana to provide inspection and light well intervention services on Tullow’s Jubilee and TEN fields continuing until March 2021.

Henk van den IJssel, DeepOcean‘s MD Africa and representative of DeepOcean Ghana’s senior management. said: “We are very pleased that with this new contract we have the opportunity to increase the scope of work we are undertaking offshore Ghana for Tullow. The Polar Onyx is chartered from GC Rieber Shipping for the full contract duration, including further options.”

The 2014-built Polar Onyx is a high capacity flexible piplay and subsea construction vessel built for harsh conditions and deep waters. The vessel is designed to operate in the SURF/Construction/IMR market.

It is fitted with a 275t vertical lay system which is capable of installing flexible pipe and umbilicals of 50 – 630mm OD in up to 3,000m water depth.

Offshore Energy Today Staff