Offshore Heavylift and Project Cargo Contracts

This publication on offshore contracts includes established industry standards such as SUPPLYTIME, HEAVYCON, TOWCON and BARGEHIRE, as well as more recently developed contracts such as WINDTIME for renewables and DISMANTLECON for decommissioning projects. Other key benefits include ‘at a glance’ comparisons between agreements and explanatory notes that expand on every standard.

Many offshore chartering professionals use BIMCO contracts in their daily work – often dealing with several contracts from the BIMCO collection. The purpose of this publication is to bring together all of the BIMCO offshore related contracts and their explanatory notes into a handy and easy to use reference book. It is designed to help chartering professionals and their advisors cross-compare BIMCO contracts and provide insight into the thinking behind each clause. The latest edition of each of the contracts is included.

The origins of BIMCO’s work in the offshore sector date back to the early 70s when the offshore oil and gas industry was still in its infancy. Support vessels at that time were commonly chartered using in-house contracts from oil majors or adapted standard time charter forms. Neither of these types of forms were ideally suited to address the peculiarities and hazards of this special trade. The publication of the first SUPPLYTIME form in 1975 created a relationship between BIMCO and the offshore industry that has continued for over 40 years. Today, BIMCO’s offshore forms are among the organisation’s most widely used standard contracts.

Building on the success of SUPPLYTIME and in response to demand from the offshore industry, BIMCO has gone on to develop a wide range of standard contracts for the offshore oil, gas and renewables sectors. These include contracts for semi-submersible super-heavylift ships, barges, ocean going tugs and crew transfer vessels. All of BIMCO’s offshore contracts are updated on a regular basis to reflect changes in commercial practice and legal developments. The most recent BIMCO contract, DISMANTLECON, is for marine services such as the dismantling and removal of offshore structures. Work is currently underway to develop an accommodation support vessel charter party based on SUPPLYTIME 2017.

Authenticated digital copies of all of the BIMCO offshore contracts contained in this book are available to subscribers of BIMCO’s contract editing system, SmartCon.

Chapter 1 BARGEHIRE 2008

BARGEHIRE 2008 – Standard Barge Charter Party

Explanatory Notes

Chapter 2 DISMANTLECON

DISMANTLECON – Dismantling, Removal and Marine Services Agreements

Explanatory Notes

Chapter 3 HEAVYCON 2007

HEAVYCON 2007 – Standard Heavy Lift Charter Party

Explanatory Notes

HEAVYCONBILL 2016 – Bill of Lading

HEAVYCONRECEIPT 2016 – Non-negotiable Cargo Receipt

Chapter 4 HEAVYLIFTVOY

HEAVYLIFTVOY – Heavy Lift Voyage Charter Party

Explanatory Notes

HEAVYLIFTVOYBILL 2016 – Bill of Lading

Chapter 5 PROJECTCON

PROJECTCON – Special Projects Charter Party

Explanatory Notes

Chapter 6 SUPPLYTIME 2017

SUPPLYTIME 2017 – Time Charter Party for Offshore Support Vessels

Comparison between SUPPLYTIME 2005 and SUPPLYTIME 2017

Chapter 7 TOWCON 2008

TOWCON 2008 – International Ocean Towage Agreement (lump sum) Explanatory Notes

Chapter 8 TOWHIRE 2008

TOWHIRE 2008 – International Ocean Towage Agreement (daily hire) Explanatory Notes

Chapter 9 WINDTIME

WINDTIME – Standard Offshore Windfarm Personnel Transfer and Support Vessel Charter Party

Explanatory Notes

Chapter 10 WRECKFIXED 2010

WRECKFIXED 2010 – International Wreck Removal and Marine Services Agreement

Explanatory Notes

Chapter 11 WRECKHIRE 2010

WRECKHIRE 2010 – International Wreck Removal and Marine Services Agreement (daily hire)

Explanatory Notes

Chapter 12 WRECKSTAGE 2010

WRECKSTAGE 2010 – International Wreck Removal and Marine Services Agreement (lump sum – stage payments)

Explanatory Notes

BIMCO

BIMCO is the world’s largest direct-membership organisation for shipowners, charterers, shipbrokers and agents. In total, around 60% of the world’s merchant fleet is a BIMCO member, measured by tonnage (weight of the unloaded ships).

The organisation has NGO status and is based in Copenhagen, Denmark, with offices in Athens, Singapore and Shanghai.

With around 1900 member companies across 120 countries – from the largest shipowners in the world to small local port agents and law firms, BIMCO represents a wide range of maritime companies and organisations.

BIMCO’s goal is to secure a level playing field for the global shipping industry. BIMCO therefore works to promote and secure global standards and regulations for the maritime sector. The organisation’s century long effort into creating standard contracts and clauses is an expression of that aim.