Maersk Supply Service orders newbuild for Cenovus’ Canadian oilfield

Danish offshore energy contractor Maersk Supply Service has been awarded a contract by Canadian oil and natural gas company Cenovus Energy for a field support vessel to support operations in the White Rose field.

According to a statement by the company on social media, this newbuild vessel will be built by Crist S.A. in Gdynia, Poland, and delivered in 2027. The newbuild will be used as part of the Sea Dragon project, which will also be the vessel’s name, within the White Rose development.

The 110m long vessel, based on the MMC Ship Design & Marine Consulting hull design, will be a DP3, ice-classed ship with the ability to hold 164 people on board, and will have a walk-to-work gangway.

It will also have two 1MWh battery packs on board and several generator sets for power, positioning and propulsion driving three azimuth thrusters, and a tunnel thruster. The vessel will also be capable of burning biofuel or a biofuel blend.

The vessel will provide infield and logistics services including down-staffing and crew changes, drilling support, field safety and standby, emergency towing, and ice management.

Cenovus is the operator and majority owner of the White Rose field and satellite extensions. The original field was developed using subsea technology, consisting of three drill centres tied back to an FPSO. The project will access further resources to the west of the field, using a fixed drilling rig tied back to the existing SeaRose FPSO.

Earlier this year, Norwegian offshore vessel owner DOF bought Maersk Supply Service from A.P. Moller Holding in a $1.11bn cash and share deal. The combination will create one of the largest Oslo-listed oil services companies, with a combined market cap of around $2.3bn, a workforce of more than 5,400 employees, and 78 vessels – 65 of which are owned. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter.