First two of 11 Sea1 vessels join Aurora’s fleet

Norway-based provider of vessel management services Aurora Offshore, part of the Borealis Group, has welcomed two anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels from compatriot operator Sea1 Offshore, formerly known as Siem Offshore.

Aurora has become the manager of Siem Pearl and Siem Challenger, with the process being completed at Harøy, Norway for the former and in Aberdeen for the latter. 

Nine more vessels–for a total of 11–are set to transfer to Aurora Offshore as a part of the company’s new collaboration with Sea1, which changed its name from Siem Offshore in May 2024, and Siem Oil Services Invest. 

“These quality vessels will be a great addition to our growing Anchor Handling fleet and allow us to offer more solutions to our customers. We wish the vessels and crew members the very best success under their new management in Aurora Offshore,” reads a statement from Aurora. 

According to the new manager, the vessel pair is currently working in the North Sea spot market and will soon be available for hire. Both are 2009-built AHTS vessels, with Siem Pearl boasting a VS491 CD and Siem Challenger a Havyard 842 design.

The sale of Siem Pearl was announced in April 2024 together with the sale of eight other vessels. More recently, the Norwegian operator placed an order with Cosco Shipping for two next-generation offshore energy support vessels (OESVs) that will be methanol-ready.