It is also liaising with Berkon to provide continuity of work for the crew and offshore personnel currently assigned to the vessel.

John Evans, Subsea 7's chief operating officer, says the transaction will provide a more flexible arrangement for DSND Surveyor while enabling the company to focus and strengthen its position in key strategic subsea markets in Asia, Brazil, Gulf of Mexico, Norway, the UK and West Africa. With a worldwide workforce in excess of 3,000, it currently maintains over 100 remotely operated vehicles, four pipeline construction yards and a fleet of high specification dynamically-positioned ships for deepwater reel and flexible pipelay, subsea construction and saturation diving.

DSND Surveyor is presently deployed offshore Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East, providing ROV and survey support services to Saipem's pipeline installation programme as part of an integrated US$10 billion crude oil and liquified natural gas development project for yearround oil and gas production.