Brazilian oil company Petrobras has terminated yet another offshore supply vessel contract. This time for Havila Shipping’s Havila Fortress supply vessel.
According to the Norwegian shipowner, the contract was blocked by local tonnage and the Certificate needed for operation in Brazil was not renewed. The terminated contract was valid until July 2016. According to Marine Traffic, the Havila Fortress has already embarked on a trans-Atlantic voyage from Brazil, and is expected to reach Fosnavag, Norway on May 10, 2015.
To remind, Petrobras in February terminated the contract for the 1998-built Havila Faith multi-purpose vessel on the same grounds – local tonnage. That contract was originally due to expire in August 2017. Also, Havila lost the Petrobras contract for the Havila Princess vessel in January.
It is not only Havila that is affected by the local tonnage in Brazil, as Petrobras has recently terminated contracts with World Wide Supply for its platform supply vessels, with Siem Offshore for the PSV Siem Carrier, and also with Ultrapetrol for three non-Brazilian flagged offshore vessels.
Of the offshore shipping company affected, only World Wide Supply said it considered the termination unlawful “as the employment has not been conveyed to the Brazilian-flagged vessel.”
Offshore Energy Today