Offshore – NORMAND PIONEER at Malta – 2016

One of the ships that drew the attention of the world when she was used to transport diving equipment to the Barents Sea to assist attempts to reach the Russian submarine KURSK , the UT742 design offshore support vessel NORMAND PIONEER was spotted was once again at Malta. The new UT742 design used for the […]

Pipe Laying – CASTORONE at Sakarya Gas Field – July 2022

Sakarya gas field, which is operated by Turkish Petroleum, is claimed to be the largest discovery in the Black Sea. It is located within the 7,000km² block AR/TPO/KD/C26-C27-D26-D27 in the ultra-deep waters in the western Black Sea, approximately 175km offshore Eregli, Turkey. In November 2021 it was announced that the Italian oilfield services company Saipem […]

Passer By – ROTA ENDURANCE towing TORO – 19.05.2022

On Thursday 19th May, 2022 the 2003 built MHL flag offshore tug/supply ship ROTA ENDURANCE towing the 152 metre pipe layer platform TORO was seen in the Maltese Territorial Waters around 1120 hrs. When asked by Valletta VTS what were the intentions, radio officer replied (Dutch accent) that she was intended to uplift bunkers but […]

Research/Survey Vessel – GEO PROSPECTOR

One of FUGRO Marine Services vessels was the seismic research vessel GEO PROSPECTOR. She was built in Germany by Kremer Sohn at Elmshorn with yard number 1143 as PROSPEKTA in 1970 working for Prakla Seismos, Hannover and was managed by Sloman Neptun of Bremen, Germany until 1995. Then she traded as STEVNS CALYPSO until 1997 […]

Pipe Layer – SOLITAIRE

One of the ship’s owned by the Allseas Group, a Dutch pipelaying and marine construction firm is the 1972 built 300 metres long SOLITAIRE. She was built in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries at their shipyard in Hiroshima as yn 223 launched on 17th December 1971 and completed in 1972 as the bulk carrier TRENTWOOD until May […]

Semi-Submersible Pipe Layer CASTORO SEI – Aerial Photography – 15.08.2014

On Friday 15th August 2014, the 1978 built semi-submersible Pipe Layer CASTORO SEI was photographed from the air by MALTA SHIP PHOTOS around 40 miles offshore Malta heading to Burgas, Bulgaria from Rotterdam, Netherlands. She was built in Trieste, Italy by Fincantieri and homeported in Nassau (BHS Flag). She’s 152 metres long with 70.5 metres […]

Towage – SmitWijs Typhoon with LB 200 – February 2002

One of the famous Dutch Wijsmuller built anchor handling tug was the 1976 built tug SMITWIJS TYPHOON She was offshore Malta assisting the 1975 built pipe laying semi submersible barge LB 200 mobilising for the Burullus project, Egypt. SMITWIJS TYPHOON was built in 1976 by “Scheepswerf Van der Giessen-De Noord” at Alblasserdam, Netherlands as Yard […]

Offshore – Seafarer found dead aboard SAIPEM FDS at Rotterdam – 10.04.2020

A seafarer from the pipelay vessel SAIPEM FDS was found dead in Port of Rotterdam. According to the police, his death occured from natural causes and no symptoms attributable to Covid-19 and died unexpectedly during the night. The vessel homeported at Nassau in Bahamas with 77 crew members on board is currently berthed at Waalhaven […]

Offshore News – SEVEN ANTARES joins NigerStar7 Fleet – April 2019.

The 2009 built PAN flag pipelay vessel SEVEN ANTARES has joined the fleet of Nigerian offshore construction company NigerStar 7 a joint venture company created by Jagal and Subsea 7. NigerStar 7 was awarded a large deal by a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, for the production uplift pipeline projects (PUPP) in shallow water, offshore Nigeria. Subsea […]