Petronas Drillship Exits South China Sea After Standoff

By Rozanna Latiff and A. Ananthalakshmi
Tuesday, May 12, 2020

An oil exploration vessel contracted by Malaysian state energy company Petronas that was involved in a standoff with a Chinese survey vessel in the South China Sea left the disputed waters on Tuesday, three security sources and the vessel operator said.

Petronas has been conducting exploration activities near an area claimed by Malaysia and Vietnam as well as by China since late last year. In mid-April, the Haiyang Dizhi 8 - the Chinese government survey vessel - started operating in the area, escorted by coast guard and China Maritime Militia vessels.

Three American warships and an Australian frigate conducted a joint exercise near the site of Petronas' operations amid the standoff last month.

The West Capella, the vessel contracted by Petronas, left the waters as it has finished its exploration activities in the area, the sources said. They did not want to be named as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Petronas' contract for the vessel with offshore drilling company Seadrill was scheduled to end this month.

Malaysia's foreign ministry and Petronas did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Seadrill's communications director Iain Cracknell confirmed that the West Capella has left the area after completing its planned work.

The Chinese government vessel, the Haiyang Dizhi 8, was still in the area - about 371 km (230 miles) offshore Malaysian Borneo, data from ship tracking website MarineTraffic showed.

The data showed the vessel has been moving within Malaysia's exclusive economic zone in a hash-shaped pattern consistent with carrying out a survey, as it did during a tense standoff in Vietnamese waters last year.

The Washington-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) has said the China-Malaysia standoff has been going on for months.

China has denied reports of a standoff, saying that the Haiyang Dizhi 8 was conducting normal activities.

The incident prompted the United States to call on China to stop its "bullying behaviour" in the disputed waters.

China claims almost all of the energy-rich South China Sea, also a major trade route each year. The Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan have overlapping claims.

The United States has also accused China of taking advantage of the distraction of the coronavirus pandemic to advance its presence in the South China Sea.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman last month accused U.S. officials of smearing Beijing.

(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff and A. Ananthalakshmi; editing by David Evans)

Categories: Offshore Vessels Drilling Asia Drillship

Related Stories

MDL Secures Cable Laying Job in Asia Pacific

Brownfield Output Decline Accelerates, says IEA

DOF Secures Moorings Hook-Up Job in Asia Pacific

Synergy Marine Group Completes Conversion of LNG Vessel to FSRU

Seatrium Signs FLNG Vessel Upgrade Deal for Golar LNG

Saipem Marks First Steel Cut for Tangguh UCC Project at Karimun Yard

Valeura Energy, PTTEP Partner Up on Gulf of Thailand Blocks

Sapura Scoops Over $118M for Chevron, PTTEP Subsea Ops off Thailand

SBM Offshore’s Jaguar FPSO Enters Drydock in Singapore (Video)

Four Jack-Up Drilling Rig Deals Set to Bring In $129M for Borr Drilling

Current News

MDL Secures Cable Laying Job in Asia Pacific

Hibiscus Petroleum Starts Drilling at Teal West Field off UK

Yinson Production Nets DNV Approval for New FPSO Hull Design

Hanwha Ocean's Tidal Action Drillship Starts Maiden Job with Petrobras

Petronas to Leverage AI to Expedite Oil and Gas Exploration Activities

Brownfield Output Decline Accelerates, says IEA

PV Drilling Takes Ownership of Noble Corporation’s Stacked Jack-Up Rig

Hanwha Ocean Enlists ABB for Singapore’s First Floating LNG Terminal

Aquaterra Energy Nets Subsea Analysis Contracts with INPEX off Indonesia

POSH Set to Tow Nguya FLNG from China to Eni’s Congo Field

Subscribe for AOG Digital E‑News

AOG Digital E-News is the subsea industry's largest circulation and most authoritative ENews Service, delivered to your Email three times per week

https://accounts.newwavemedia.com