Prosafe Books First Gig for New Accommodation Vessel

Harsh environment accommodation vessel, Safe Boreas, was delivered in 2015. Photo: Prosafe

Semi-submersible accommodation vessel owner Prosafe says it has booked a $60 million contract for use of one of its newbuild vessels beginning in 2016.

Prosafe says that the contract was signed with an undisclosed client for use of an accommodation vessel in the UK sector of the North Sea.

The contract covers a firm period of eight months beginning in Q2 2016 and will involve an initial short period using the newbuild vessel Safe Zephyrus, which will be replaced with the newbuild Safe Notos upon its arrival in the North Sea, Prosafe says. The contract also includes four one-month options.

Safe Notos is one of two semi-submersible accommodation vessels Prosafe ordered from COSCO (Qidong) Offshore in China. The vessels will be built to the Gusto MSC Ocean 500 design and will be equipped with 500 beds, DP3 station keeping systems, 10-point chain mooring and 300 tonne cranes. The two vessels, Safe Notos and sister vessel Safe Eurus, are expected to be delivered in 2016. 

Safe Zephyrus is currently under construction at Jurong Shipyard in Singapore and is one of two semi-submersibles that will comply with Norway regulations (NORSOK) for harsh environment operations. The Safe Zephyrus, like sister ship Safe Boreas, is being constructed according to the GVA 3000E design and is equipped with a DP3 (dynamic positioning) system as well as 12-point mooring arrangement, allowing for operations in both DP and anchored mode. The vessels have a capacity to accommodate 450 people in single main cabins. 

Safe Zephyrus is expected to be ready for North Sea operations later this year, while Safe Boreas was delivered earlier in 2015.

Safe Boreas commenced its first contract with Lundin Norway AS for offshore Norway in Q2 2015, and Prosafe reported Tuesday that Lundin Norway exercised a one-month option for the vessel at the Edvard Grieg Project in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea.

Safe Zephyrus has also booked its first contract in mid-April 2016 with Statoil.

Prosafe’s accommodation fleet now consists of 11 semi-submersibles.

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