Deepwater work in Gulf of Mexico spurs strong platform supply vessel market

摘要

Over the past year, the platform supply vessel (PSV) market in the US Gulf of Mexico has experienced great times. Vessel owners have seen utilization remain high for PSVs of all sizes, and day rates in the US Gulf are trending upward, even as the supply of PSVs grows due to new deliveries or vessels returning from other markets. PSVs are used for a variety of jobs in the oilfield sector, providing support and supply work at various stages, from seismic surveys to exploration to construction to production to decommissioning. However, the major demand driver for PSVs in the US Gulf is drilling support, and drilling in the US Gulf is more and more a deepwater activity. As rigs have moved into deeper waters, the PSVs required to support them have become larger, with bigger cargo capacities and newer technologies for station-keeping and propulsion. While 10 years ago a 220-ft (67-m) PSV would have been the top of the line, operators now look for PSVs that can be more than 300 ft (91 m) in length. High deadweight tonnages, deck cargo, dry bulk, and liquid mud capacities are needed to handle the large amount of supplies needed for a deepwater drilling campaign. Additionally, a dynamic positioning system for maintaining position has become necessary, with a strong preference for DP-2 systems that have inbuilt redundancy.