SeaBird successfully completed the OBN contract for Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production and demobilized the Hugin Explorer (photo) and Munin Explorer back to Lagos end last week.
SeaBird is presently in dialog with an oil company for a potential new survey in West Africa, and is hopeful that a positive conclusion can be reached within a few days. This could potentially lead to continued OBN engagement with only a limited time of standby in between.
During this standby period, Munin Explorer will assist as source vessel for a separate contractor’s platform undershoot program which will generate revenue on a 10 days assignment in the area.
Management is also actively pursuing another possible contract that could result in not more than a few weeks off-hire for the OBN operation. Furthermore SeaBird expects an increase in work opportunities coming up for various OBN surveys in the 1st and 2nd quarter of 2011. This is based on a comfortable number of tender invitations and budgetary requests received over the last couple of months, which it is anticipated will lead to a high utilization of our OBN operation in 2011.
2D AND SOURCE CONTRACTS
In addition to the source contract as mentioned for Munin Explorer above, the current contract for the Aquila has been extended to 2nd half December, and in addition a letter of intent has been received for Aquila Explorer to work as Source vessel offshore Australia for 2-3 weeks in direct continuation, which will keep the vessel continuously employed to early January 2010.
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Source:Seabird Exploration , November 23, 2010;