I don’t think the foreign vessels working in the GoM will have any problems with “meeting the same high standard as US-flagged vessels”, nor the standard of US Environmental and Labour Laws. There MAY be a different reason why they are there than just “standard” and "crew cost ".
So there MAY be a risk that US-flagged vessels working overseas will have to change to foreign crew, incl. Master? (The rest of the crew are already foreign, in most cases)
Or will all those US-owned vessels flying Vanuatu flag have to find crews from Vanuatu if they should get a (short term) charter in the US GoM?
Meanwhile Noble Corp. sees extended contracts for their rigs all over the world:
PS> That includes two Liberian flagged Drillships working in US GoM w/o a single Liberian on board.
BTW; Noble Corporation plc is an offshore drilling contractor organized in London, United Kingdom. Its affiliate, Noble Corporation, is organized in the Cayman Islands. It is the corporate successor of Noble Drilling Corporation. Wikipedia
I cannot. The writer talks of making a floating well which is odd terminology. Apparently they are talking about storing oil offshore in an abandonded well in the Gulf of Mexico. Should be interesting.
It’s nothing that exciting…they are just refurbishing an old decommissioned production platform to use on some new wells. (That NOLA article appears to have been written by someone who doesn’t know what words mean)
