Well…First of all I guess that WW sailor kind of answared your question about if an american flagged vessel with american crew could operated in the Norwegian North Sea. The marked for the contractors is open for everybody so if Chouest had the vessel and the interest of a spot marked job in the North Sea, off course the could work there! There are now special rules in norwegian sector for the US -vessel. They has to follow the same rules as the above mentioned flagged vessels in WW Sailors post.
And i see you mentioned “Norwayornoway” post over as inaccurate, and I can understand that because he has written austria and thats a country with a very short shore line…hehe. I guess he ment Australia, wich got very restrictiv rules that I wouldent encourage any nation to follow. Im sure that “Norwayornoway” didnt mean to make us look as bad capitalist that just exploit the nations law systems to find loop holes and earn big money, beacause thats not tru.
Anyway, as earlier mentiond in this thread law is law, and we also have the same problems when it comes to loop holes, but over here the ship owners use it to hire cheaper sailors than norwegians, and in the GOM loop holes are used to hire more expensive personnel as we Norwegians are, due to the high cost country we live in. So off course I could to some extent understand your wish for more strict rules, certenly in times where licensed marine crew cant get a job.
My conlusion is that in the GOM the american ship owners and offshore companies are the problem rather than the american law-system. I guess its you that should answer to me why the american oil companies dosent hire american built/flagged vessel manned with higly qualified and comptent US mariners, insted of more expensive norwegian flagged/manned vessels. You know your fellow countrymen bether than me.
If im still offending, I would be glad if you let me know.