Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) has strengthened its subsea services proposition with the addition of two large diving support vessels (DSVs), the company said in its press release. An important section of the Corporate Business Plan 2017-2019 drawn up earlier this year was devoted to strengthening and expanding Boskalis' subsea services. With this addition the existing position in the area of inspection, repair and maintenance of subsea offshore installation, pipelines and cables is strengthened. Furthermore, the foundation is laid for an expansion in the area of subsea contracting, installation and SURF (Subsea Umbilicals, Risers & Flowlines) with the aim of further growth in this segment of the offshore energy market in the regions northwest Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Boskalis has reached an agreement with the bondholders of the two former Harkand vessels under which it has acquired the DSV Atlantis for approximately USD 60 million and has signed a three-year bareboat charter for her sister vessel Da Vinci along with a right of first refusal in the event of a sale. The vessels, which were taken into service in 2011, are equipped with two bells for saturation diving work to a depth of 300 meters and provide accommodation for 120 crew.
Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. is a leading global services provider operating in the dredging, maritime infrastructure and maritime services sectors. The company provides creative and innovative all-round solutions to infrastructural challenges in the maritime, coastal and delta regions of the world with services including the construction and maintenance of ports and waterways, land reclamation, coastal defense and riverbank protection. In addition, Boskalis offers a wide variety of marine services and contracting for the oil and gas sector and offshore wind industry as well as salvage solutions (SMIT Salvage). Furthermore, Boskalis has a number of strategic partnerships in harbor towage and terminal services (Kotug Smit Towage, Keppel Smit Towage, Saam Smit Towage and Smit Lamnalco). With a versatile fleet of more than 900 vessels and floating equipment and 11,700 employees, including associated companies, Boskalis operates in 90 countries across six continents.