UK shipowner Bibby Marine has landed a long-term contract extension with the Dutch unit of TotalEnergies for its walk-to-work (W2W) vessel Bibby WaveMaster 1.
The new three-year charter starting in the first quarter of 2025 will see the 2017-built vessel deployed on the Dutch continental shelf in the Southern North Sea to accommodate and transport personnel supporting gas production across some 15 offshore platforms.
The ‘seasonal contract’ will begin in the middle of the first quarter each year and extend to some 180-220 days annually, Bibby Marine said, adding that the vessel is likely to complete around 1,400 gangway connections and transfer more than 19,000 personnel each season.
“The Bibby WaveMaster 1 was designed and built specially for our operations in 2017 and is an integral part of our offshore operations,” noted Viestarts Rutenbergs, managing director of TotalEnergies EP Nederland. “By extending our contract through 2027, we are providing our workforce with reliable quarters and supportive crew,” he added.
