Demand for offshore support vessels along the West African coast has risen alongside a pickup in exploration and production activity stretching from Ghana's established fields to Namibia's emerging Orange Basin discoveries.
Vessel operators serving Takoradi, Port Gentil and Walvis Bay say day rates have firmed as more rigs and floating production units require crew transfer, supply and standby vessels, with some operators repositioning tonnage from other regions to meet the demand.
Industry observers caution that the current tightness could ease if planned newbuild deliveries arrive as scheduled over the next two years, but for now shipowners with vessels already operating in the region are benefiting from stronger utilisation.