Solstad tucks in extension trifecta with Equinor, Subsea 7, and DeepOcean

Norwegian offshore vessel owner Solstad Offshore has secured contract extensions with Equinor, Subsea 7, and DeepOcean for one of its anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels and two construction support vessels (CSVs).

According to the vessel owner, Equinor has declared the last contractual yearly option for the AHTS Normand Ferking. With this option, the deal for the vessel is now firm until November 2024. The previous one-year extension for the AHTS was exercised in August 2022.

The AHTS Normand Ferking has been on contract with Equinor since 2007 and will continue to support the company’s activities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The 2007-built AHTS vessel is of VS 490 design.

Furthermore, Subsea 7 Limited has also exercised the 2024 optional charter period for the CSV Normand Subsea. As a result, the contract is now firm until December 31, 2024. However, Subsea 7 has the option to extend the contract for one more year.

The previous extension from February 2019 prolonged the vessel’s assignment for four years. With a LOA of 113 m, the 2009-built CSV Normand Subsea is of VS 4710 design. The vessel can accommodate 90 people.

Moreover, DeepOcean has declared an optional year for the CSV Normand Jarstein, extending the firm contract period for the vessel until December 31, 2024. The 2014-built CSV Normand Jarstein is of MT 6022 L design and can accommodate 110 people.

The contract for the vessel was secured in July 2021 to enable the CSV to support DeepOcean’s inspection, maintenance, and repair (IMR), light construction, offshore renewables, and recycling projects. No further extension options are available under this deal.

These three extension deals come a month after Solstad Offshore got its hand on two new contracts for its subsea vessels – one in the offshore wind and the other in the oil & gas industry. Prior to this, the vessel owner announced a new batch of contracts for six vessels in its fleet.

Following restructuring, the Norwegian vessel owner has no platform supply vessels (PSVs) in its fleet, since it sold all 37 of them to Tidewater.