Swedish Transatlantic has secured a four-year charter contract with ENI Norway for the AHTS Njord Viking currently under construction at the Spanish shipbuilder Astilleros Zamakona – the contract is worth EUR 52.3 million. The vessel will support exploration and development operations in the Barents Sea including the Goliat field. Commencement of the charter is scheduled for May 2011.
The Njord Viking is part of the series of four vessels designed for working in the harsh environment and the Arctic.
In January, Shipgaz wrote about Transatlantic’s plans to place a major order before the end of the year – four large icebreakers at a total cost of around SEK 4 billion.
“We anticipate a decision before the end of next summer, with delivery set for about 2013. We are looking at icebreakers of about the same size as the Oden and with the same capacity. I can confirm that the price per unit is in the region of SEK 1 billion. But I don’t know whether they will have diesel-electric propulsion like the Oden. That remains to be seen”, said Stefan Eliasson, who was acting MD then but became the permanent MD in September, to Shipgaz and he continued:
”There is a strategy for offshore and icebreaking activities when it comes to existing vessels, but we realise that very much will be happening in the offshore field in the next few years in the US and Canada and in the Arctic areas. In order to develop the concept, we thus want to order powerful icebreakers that can operate in tough environments. In the Arctic, we have ice conditions with three-metre thick multi-year ice.”
However, there will probably be no orders in 2010. One of the main reasons is the oil catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico.
“We are engaged in several discussions with oil companies, and we see that they are looking at 2014–2015 for different projects. So hopefully we will receive concrete proposals next year”, says Stefan Eliasson.
“The oil catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico has had considerable consequences especially for American oil companies. However, the Obama administration has now removed the imposed moratorium on deepwater exploratory drilling, which is very positive.”
The Njord Viking is part of the series of four vessels designed for working in the harsh environment and the Arctic.
In January, Shipgaz wrote about Transatlantic’s plans to place a major order before the end of the year – four large icebreakers at a total cost of around SEK 4 billion.
“We anticipate a decision before the end of next summer, with delivery set for about 2013. We are looking at icebreakers of about the same size as the Oden and with the same capacity. I can confirm that the price per unit is in the region of SEK 1 billion. But I don’t know whether they will have diesel-electric propulsion like the Oden. That remains to be seen”, said Stefan Eliasson, who was acting MD then but became the permanent MD in September, to Shipgaz and he continued:
”There is a strategy for offshore and icebreaking activities when it comes to existing vessels, but we realise that very much will be happening in the offshore field in the next few years in the US and Canada and in the Arctic areas. In order to develop the concept, we thus want to order powerful icebreakers that can operate in tough environments. In the Arctic, we have ice conditions with three-metre thick multi-year ice.”
However, there will probably be no orders in 2010. One of the main reasons is the oil catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico.
“We are engaged in several discussions with oil companies, and we see that they are looking at 2014–2015 for different projects. So hopefully we will receive concrete proposals next year”, says Stefan Eliasson.
“The oil catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico has had considerable consequences especially for American oil companies. However, the Obama administration has now removed the imposed moratorium on deepwater exploratory drilling, which is very positive.”