TransAtlantic charters 3 offshore vessels to Greenland

SWEDEN/GREENLAND: TransAtlantic has through its joint venture company, Trans Viking signed a contract with the the British oil company Cairn Energy UK PLC based in Edinburgh for three of its offshore vessels to work in Greenland.

As BluePulz has reported earlier, Cairn Energy has chartered the Stena Drilling’s rig "Stena Don" and its drillship "Stena Forth" for exploration drilling in the Disko West area off Greenland. The operations will take place during the summer season, June to October, this year. Up to four exploration wells will be drilled in the so far undrilled Buffin Bay Basin.

The two combined AHTS/Icebreaker "Balder Viking", built in 2000, and "Vidar Viking", built in 2001, and the newly built AHTS-vessel Loke Viking, due for delivery from the Spanish Zamakona Shipyard in May this year, will assist the oil drilling off the west coast of Greenland, starting in mid June/July 2010. The operation extends over a four month period.

"Loke Viking" is the first new building in a series of four, being built at shipyard in Spain. The vessel will be delivered in mid-May and then, after some preparation, heading towards Greenland for its first long-term mission.

"This is very positive and in line with our strategy to find long-term contracts to supplement the fleet normal job on the spot market in the North Sea", says CEO Stefan Eliasson in a comment.