Press Release

Gulf Marine Services (LSE:GMS), the leading provider of advanced self-propelled self-elevating support vessels (SESV) serving the offshore oil, gas and renewable energy sectors, is pleased to announce the first contract award for its new enhanced Small Class vessel (the Pepper).

The vessel, which is currently being built by a third party, is expected to be delivered to GMS in Q1 2015 on a finance lease and will then proceed directly to its first charter for a national oil company in the MENA region. The contract is for five years (three years firm with a two-year option), with the day rate in line with that previously indicated for this enhanced class vessel in the region.

Duncan Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of GMS, said:
“It is particularly pleasing to have secured this first long-term contract for Pepper in the MENA region where demand for our SESVs is excellent. All seven of our existing Small Class vessels are chartered to clients who are very familiar with the cost-effective advantages our assets bring to brownfield maintenance, well intervention and enhanced oil recovery operations. We are looking forward to taking delivery of the new enhanced Small Class vessel with its additional deck load and area, which will add further value to the Group’s offering to the client.”
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Notes to Editors:
Gulf Marine Services PLC, a company listed on the London Stock Exchange, was founded in Abu Dhabi in 1977 and has become one of the largest providers of self-propelled self-elevating support vessels (SESV) in the world. The fleet serves the oil, gas and renewable energy industries from its offices in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. GMS is working worldwide, with its assets capable of serving clients’ requirements in the Middle East, South East Asia, West Africa and Europe.

The enhanced Small Class vessel Pepper is expected to be delivered to GMS in Q1 2015 on a finance lease and it is GMS’ intention to purchase Pepper in 2016 for $51 million.

GMS has an ongoing new build programme which will increase the fleet size by 66% from nine to 15 vessels during the period 2014 to the end of 2016, in response to continued strong customer demand and an anticipated growing market in the foreseeable future.

The Group’s SESV fleet, currently comprising ten vessels, is technically advanced and amongst the youngest in the industry, with an average age of eight years.

The SESVs are four-legged vessels that move independently, with no requirement for anchor handling or tug support. They have a large deck space, crane capacity and accommodation facilities that can be adapted to the requirements of the Group’s clients.

These vessels support GMS’ clients in a broad range of offshore oil and gas platform refurbishment and maintenance activities, well intervention work and offshore wind turbine maintenance work (which are Opex-led activities) and offshore oil and gas platform installation and offshore wind turbine installation (which are Capex-led activities).

The fleet is categorised by size into Large Class vessels (operating in water depth of up to 80m, with crane capacity of up to 400 tonnes and accommodation for up to 300 people) and Small Class vessels (operating in water depth of up to 45m, with crane capacity of up to 45 tonnes and accommodation for up to 300 people). A third class, the Mid-Size Class vessels (operating in water depth up to 55m, with crane capacity of up to 150 tonnes and accommodation for up to 300 people) will be added to the fleet in 2015.

Demand for GMS’ vessels is predominantly driven by their premium capabilities as well as market growth underpinned by the need to maintain ageing oil and gas infrastructure and increasing use of enhanced oil recovery techniques to offset declining production profiles.

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