Siem Commander - gone to Rotterdam

 The last offshore tug/supply vessel based in Halifax sailed for Rotterdam today (June 16) [in dense fog]. Siem Commander first arrived in Halifax July 31, 2019 and participated in the removal of the last offshore gas platforms off Sable Island. Aside from contract towing, the boat has been idle at the C.O.V.E. in Dartmouth ever since the work was completed. In recent days it conducted trials in Bedford Basin and refueled at Irving Oil.

Parent company Siem Offshore, owners of Secunda Marine , still have Avalon Sea and Siem Pilot in Newfoundland, but with no planned activity offshore Nova Scotia it may be a long time before we see any similar vessels in Halifax.

Built in 2009 by Havyard Liervik as Stril Commander for Simon Mokster Shipping AS it is a 2807 gt, 3000dwt vessel of 16,000 bhp, fully equipped for DP2 with a swing up bow thruster and tunnel stern thrusters. Siem acquired and renamed the vessel in 2017 but it has seen very little service since then, either in Norway or in Canada.

See more images: http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2019/07/new-for-secunda.html

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Siem Hanne underway

 After a lengthy layup the supplier Siem Hanne got underway today for the short move from the COVE dock in Dartmouth to Pier 9C in Halifax.

Built in 2007 by Aker, the vessel came to Canada in 2016 under a five year bareboat charter (some called it a loan) by parent company Siem Offshore to affiliate Secunda Marine. The vessel was repainted from red to Secunda blue, but an expected renaming never took place. Siem took up the remaining 50% ownership of Secunda later the same year and kept Siem names for its vessels.

It has been rumoured for some time that the ship was going back to Siem. For now at least it looks like it will be reactivated with DP trials tomorrow. It will hardly be surprising with no activity offshore Nova Scotia, and no new work in the offing for Newfoundland, if the boat heads back to Europe.

Fleet mate tug/supplier Siem Commander remains tied up at the COVE dock. It has seen some spot hire towing work, but its prospects seem equally bleak for long term activity. 

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No More Offshore

 Offshore petroleum activity off Nova Scotia has ceased now that the last of the Deep Panuke structures have been removed and most of the material has gone to the UK for scrap. There is no more offshore gas production, and no more oil. There is also no exploration underway.

There is some activity off Newfoundland, but even that has been reduced with the Terra Nova field offline.

Therefore many offshore support vessels are out of work and laid up. Most are in Newfoundland, but there are three idle boats in Halifax.

At Pier 9c Atlantic Kestrel has been idle since the crane rig Thialf returned to Europe.

Built by Jaya SB+E, Singapore in 2012 Atlantic Kestrel is a powerful tug of 16,000 bhp.

Meanwhile Secunda (parent company is Siem of Kristiansand, Norway) has two vessels laid up at the COVE docks in Dartmouth.

Siem Commander (red hull) dates from 2008 when it was built as Stril Commander. The hull was built by Cemre Altinova, Turkey and completed by Havyard Liervik in Norway. It was transferred from Norway in 2019.

Siem Hanne (blue hull) was completed in 2007 by Aker Yards, Aukra, Norway on a hull started by the Aker Tulcea shipyard in Turkey. It was brought to Canada in 2016.

Secunda Marine also has its Venture Sea idle after its towing contract in Baffin Bay late last month. On its return the ship went directly to Shelburne, NS (for repairs?) and hasn't been back to Halifax since.

The veteran Secunda tug was built in 1998 by Halter Marine Inc in Pascagoula, MS. It is rated at 12,280 bhp.

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Big Tugs, Big Move

This morning the big tugs Siem Commander and Atlantic Osprey arrived towing the jack-up drill rig Noble Regina Allen.

The two boats were pulling pretty hard judging by the smoke, but they weren't making much speed.

Arriving at the same time was the massive Maersk Mobiliser.

It did not appear to be part of the rig move, and tied up briefly at pier 31.

Harbour tugs were not to be left out with the bigger tugs Atlantic Bear and Spitfire III working the rig arrival.

 The other harbour tugs Atlantic Oak and Atlantic Fir  were assigned to move the autocarrier Torino from pier 31 to Autoport.

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The Narrows - the place to be

For a short stretch of time this morning [ 9:47 -10:21 AST], the Narrows was the place to be to see some tug and workboat activity.

Siem Commander arrived to tie up at pier 9C south.

Since joining Secunda Marine from parent Siem in July, the boat has been kept busy replacing Trinity Sea on Secunda's Exxon Mobil contract. That work involves decommissioning the Sable Offshore Energy Project gas installations. The seven platforms will all be removed and the 22 wells capped by the end of next year.

Dominion Diving's general duty workboat Halmar was returning from Bedford Basin after delivering a pilot to the anchored bulk carrier Salarium. The self-unloader was moving to National Gypsum on departure of the Algoma Verity [see Shipfax].

Also returning from the Basin, the Dockyard tug Glenside completed a security patrol to Birch Cove. Although the research barge is not there now, a flat deck barge has been moored in its position, and requires periodic checking.

Glenside is showing some rust on her strongback / stern rail from some recent towing work.

The tug Mister Joe returned from pier 42 with the split hull hopper barge Pitts No.12 after delivering another load of ballast rock.

J.F.Whalen came out to assist the barge alongside as the outbound Algoma Verity was fast approaching the Narrows.

McNally's work on extending pier 42 southward is nearing completion with the cribs almost completely ballasted. The Port has also let the contract for the cope walls, and McNally is beginning to pack up some of its plant.

The tug Whitby has been loaded aboard the crane barge Idus Atwell both of which were brought in from the Great Lakes last spring for this project.

Although it is a research vessel, the CCGS M.Perley is certainly a workboat. Built by Meridien Maritime Reparation Inc in Matane, QC in 2012, the 210 grt vessel is used for nearshore fisheries research and usually lays up for the winter at the BIO in Dartmouth.

The vessel's specs are outlined at: https://inter-j01.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fdat/vessels/vessel-details/120

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Trinity Sea

Secunda Marine's Trinity Sea remains laid up at The Cove in Dartmouth. It was replaced by the newly acquired Siem Commander (ex Stril Commander) this summer. 

Despite a slight resurgence in utilization rates among offshore supply vessels worldwide there are still more than 1,100 stacked according to recent reports. Older and "low end" vessels have the lowest utilization rates and even some higher end vessels are being cut up for scrap.

It seems unlikely that there be much of a future for Trinity Sea as an AHTS or PSV. Some alternative might be found for it, outside the offshore industry, but in the meantime it remains idle. The longer it is laid up, the more difficult it will be to bring it back into service.

Rebuilt as a virtually new vessel in 1999, on a Ice Class 1 A hull, it was built originally in 1983 as Neftegaz 2 . Some other former Neftegaz vessels are still running as research or seismic, but there would not be many as AHTs. Sister vessel Burin Sea (ex Neftegaz 1) may be the only one of its type still working. It is serving the Exxon Mobil Sable project off Nova Scotia.

For more see: http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.com/2016/11/trinity-sea-on-trials.html

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New for Secunda

Secunda Canada has acquired a new vessel from Norwegian parent Siem Offshore. Siem Commander is not a new ship, but is certainly a high end DP2 anchor handling tug supplier.

The ship arrived this morning from Stavanger and will undergo a refit before entering service. It has been laid up for some time, probably since it was acquired in 2017 from previous owners, Simon Mokster  Shipping AS. Built in 2009 by Havyard Leirvik AS as Stril Commander it is a 2807 grt, 3,000 dwt unit of 12,000 kW=16,000 bhp. It also has two tunnel thrusters and a swing up type thruster. It is fully equipped with a variety of tankage, a monster winch and large open deck served by tracked cranes.

After clearing customs at pier 9B the ship will move to the The Cove, the former CCG base in Dartmouth where it will complete "Canadianization." Word on the street has it that it will replace Trinity Sea on Secunda's Exxon Mobil Sable contract.

Backing in to pier 9B, a crane has picked up the gangway to disembark linesmen.

Also on the refit agenda, Siem Commander will be repainted to Secunda colours like fleet mate Siem Hanne.

Siem Commander glides past fleet mate Siem Hanne loading at the Mobil dock in Dartmouth.

Siem Commander was registered in St.John's, NL July 15, before sailing from Stavanger July 22.

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