Siem Offshore’s second well intervention vessels joins fleet

Offshore and subsea shipping company Siem Offshore has reported that its second well intervention vessel has joined the fleet. 

The company’s Siem Helix 2, of a SALT 307 WIV design, joined the company’s fleet on December 21, 2016, at Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft shipyard in Germany, owned by Siem Industries.

The Siem Helix 2, like its sister vessel Siem Helix 1, is the largest and most complex vessel ever delivered to Siem Offshore. The vessel was built in compliance with the MODU Class. It has a length of 158 m, a beam of 31 m, and an accommodation for 150 persons. In order to carry out various subsea operations, the vessel is equipped with a moonpool, various subsea and offshore cranes, and a skidding system.

Both well intervention vessels were chartered by the U.S.-based Helix Energy Solutions in February 2014 for an initial period of 7 years, with options that can extend the charter periods up to 22 years. Helix then agreed with Petrobras to provide well intervention services offshore Brazil for an initial period of 4 years with options to extend.

The contract for the first vessel was initially scheduled to begin no later than July 22, 2016, while the contract for the second vessel was set to start no later than January 21, 2017.

In June this year, Helix and Petrobras delayed the start of two well intervention services contracts to start between July 22 and October 21, 2016, and to start between October 1, 2017, and December 31, 2017, respectively. Petrobras also reduced the dayrate for Siem Helix 1.

Earlier in December, Offshore Energy Today reported that Siem Helix 1, which is already in Brazil, experienced unexpected delays due to Petrobras’s inspection and acceptance process.

Offshore Energy Today Staff