Fast start to 2022: MMA Offshore lands four new contracts

Australia’s MMA Offshore is feeling upbeat about the new year, after reeling in four new contracts for work offshore Australia and West Africa. In early January, the Fremantle-headquartered OSV owner announced firm contracts totaling A$74M (US$53.5M), with a potential of A$103M (US$74.5M) if options are exercised.

One of those contracts is with long-time client Woodside, which fixed the 52.35 m anchor-handling tug (AHT) MMA Cove for a firm three and one-half years to continue to provide production support services for the oil and gas company’s facilities in Australia’s North West. Options could extend the charter a further one and a half years.

For the fixture, the AHT will be refit with battery technology to make it more efficient and to lower the overall carbon footprint of the operation, according to MMA. The Australian-flag AHT vessel will be one of the first of its type in the world to be fitted with hybrid-battery technology. Equipped with three 1,825 kW Caterpillar 3516C main engines with two 2,000- kW Schottel SRP 1515 FP thrusters, the 2013-built anchor handler has a bollard pull in excess of 70 tonnes.

“The AHT will be refit with battery technology to make it more efficient”

Under a second contract, MMA will charter the accommodation support vessel (ASV) MMA Privilege for two years to provide accommodation and walk-to-work support services in Côte d’Ivoire. For a March commencement in the West African country, MMA Privilege will mobilise from Singapore in February 2022. With MLC ACCOM and SPS notations, the 2015-built ASV can accommodate 239. Dynamic positioning class 2 capable, the diesel-electric MMA Privilege flies the Singapore flag.

MMA has also been awarded a third contract, under the Hydroscheme Industry Partnership Program (HIPP) by the Australian Department of Defence, to complete a hydrographic survey off Tasmania for a period of four months, starting in January.

Under a fourth contract awarded by Marinus Link Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of TasNetworks, MMA will acquire, integrate and interpret geotechnical data to assist with a cable route feasibility assessment for the Marinus Link interconnector project, a proposed 1,500 MW electricity and telecommunications connection between Victoria and Tasmania. Marinus Link is set to play a critical role in unlocking Tasmania’s renewable energy and storage resources to deliver low-cost, reliable and clean energy for customers in the National Electricity Market.

MMA managing director David Ross says the long-term contracts underpin its core business and long-term growth strategy, including building on its long-standing working relationship with Woodside. “Locking MMA Privilege into a two-year contract will underpin utilisation and revenue on one of our larger vessels into FY24,” says Mr Ross.

He says the Marinus Link Project will “play a critical role in supporting the decarbonisation of Australia’s economy and the country’s transition to renewable energy.”