French offshore services provider Bourbon has signed a five-year charter contract with ExxonMobil to supply new 34-meter crewboats for oil and gas personnel transfers offshore Angola.
The vessels will operate between Soyo and Block 15, about 80 miles offshore, and are designed to improve passenger capacity, comfort, and energy efficiency compared with the current 32-meter fleet.
Delivery of the new units, designed by French naval engineering firm MAURIC, is scheduled for 2027.
The crewboats will feature seating for 60 passengers, 18 square meters of foredeck cargo space, a redesigned navigation bridge with improved visibility, and a real-time energy performance monitoring system.
They will be capable of cruising at 38 knots while cutting fuel consumption by 10–15% versus previous models, Bourbon said.
The new crewboats will join Bourbon's existing Surfers fleet of five units on Block 15.
"This contract confirms the solidity of our partnership with ExxonMobil and the relevance of our customized offer. With this new vessel, we reaffirm our ability to innovate to support our customers in their operational and environmental requirements, while maintaining a reliable and sustainable technical solution,” said Nicolas Elizon, Operations & new buildings Director of Bourbon Mobility.