Bluestream Netherlands

[Topdawg]

Hello all,

Through one of my international contacts I received information that Bluestream Netherlands is in serious problems; staff personnel can (maybe) not be paid at the end of the month, vessels pulled out, etc.

Anybody can confirm this?

TD

[subman]

Yes I can confirm the bank has changed the locks and Bluestream have big problems and many staff have been paid off because thats who told me .

Subman

[Rons_ROV_Links]

The following is a translation by Google of an article in a dutch newspaper about troubled Bluestream Group:

The Blue Stream Group is currently in heavy financial weather. Due to disagreements with the company owner is a good deal of money lost, as commercial director confirms Rolf de Vries. A bankruptcy is not as stressed De Vries.

The clear undertaking offshore activities for third parties and requires the disposal of two vessels, which they rent from owners. One of the ships displayed in the period December / January to technical problems. "We were in India working for a client, but the result was that we could no longer work, and thus no longer were paid", explains De Vries again.

Los Blue Stream it also suffers the effects of economic recession, but the real problems arose when the shipowner whose ship was hired by technical problems, a bank liable. "We hire these ships at a price, but with contracts of years. An owner requires any certainty and therefore is, that is very common, a bank issued equal to a few months rent. Because we are in December and January unable to use the ship, we decided not to pay the rent. "

Bank
The technical problems are solved and initially started Blue Stream again just to pay the rent. "But about two months, we do not pay, because we have not had to ship. It has cost us money, "said De Vries. "This is a difference of opinion with the owner, providing the bank has used that much money from our bank account can get. We have lost income, less work by the economic recession and a cap which millions of our account wrongly have been achieved. "

The company is immediately begun to recall the money, but that, according to De Vries months. "We now have three claims lie with the owner with a total value of more than 20 million dollars. We are also in the bank and other funders to see how we can solve the financial problems, for example by a piece of refinancing. "

De Vries stressed that a bankruptcy has not yet been. "We are in severe weather and should pull out all the stops, but we remain positive. We also have no staff redundancies, but said goodbye to some hired forces. "The manager does not anticipate, but admits that if the refinancing fails, or decided by a ship instead of two to go, This undoubtedly has implications for the workforce.

Basketball
Impact on other activities where the company is involved, such as the sponsorship of the basketbalploeg, there are not. "These obligations are all already met this season, so there is no problem. Again, we still have to consider how to proceed, but that of course we talk first with the basketbalclub themselves. "

[Topdawg]

This is sad news. I have done several jobs for them and was always treated very good.

I hope they get their issue with the ship owner solved and ‘stay out there’.

TD

[deepseacon]

Sealion Shipping (DSV Tosia Paladin Vessel)

The major problems with this new Start up Vessel which Bluestream Charterd for 5 Years.

Sealion shipping contracted a Mickey Mouse Diving equipment supplier in Singapore Lexmar and that cost all parties as for the delays on the installation of the Saturation Diving System.

Also the Vessel had some minor issues coming out of Shipyard poor quality work on there new build Vessel.

Bluestream had some delays with DNV also due to these problems as the vessel was not handed over at the correct time so they could continue with there mobilisation of the ROV and Air Diving Equipments.

Bluestream lost a contract with Exxon Mobil due to these factors as the Vessel was not operational. Early September.

Hence they tried new contacts and went out to India which since going there there has been issues.

Sealion Shipping put a poor show on as they never even had a permenant 24Hour crew or enough Technicians when the system was be refitted while in Amsterdam while Bluestream were waiting for the Vessel.
As there was issue’s with Lexmar and there Quality control did not exist hence many parts being installed with no certs.
They required a DNV certification of the Diving System.
.

Bluestream Crew what was working on that project put all the stops out to get going but were subject to delay after delay.
.

[Andy Shiers]

And the worst thing about this whole escapade……………………….
I’m stuck out in Africa on one of their bloody jobs !
And the last to know because of it 👿

[T-Boy]

…and I nearly went to India for them 😯

I have worked for them for a couple of stints… I was impressed in all departments, even the shoreside staff gave a monkeys!

I thought something was amiss when the ops manager left latter part last year/early this…he was a top notch bloke.

Let’s hope they pull through and all receive their due pay etc….and LB makes it ‘ome 😉

[Karel]

I read in the newspaper that bluestream is bankrupt.

See below tranlation of google from local newspaper:
Quote:

Den Helder —
The Blue Stream offshore company is declared bankrupt this morning. Director Kieran Pieters has the staff, about eighty men, this afternoon sent home.

It is considered a relaunch of the company in substantially leaner form. There are banks and other investors spoken. Pieters hopes at least some of the staff back in service with them.

Unquote

[Dipper]

I notice that, as usual, there is always someone who think he has all the story but invariably has it wrong or only half right. RE: Deepseacon ….although the name fits 😀

I was probably the only person involved in the project for both Sealion Shipping and Bluestream and it was clear that the delays to the diving system supplied by Lexmar was a contributing factor to the readiness of the ship although it should be realised that the Toisa Paladin was not onhire to Bluestream while the system was refitted in Amsterdam. Bluestream did have an agreement with Sealion to carry out their own mobilisation of an ROV spread and Airdive spread while Sealion and Lexmar finished the Sat system installation. As for the comment about the poor quality work from the Norwegian shipyard that built the vessel….. I was on the ship and talked to the Chief Engineer on a regular basis and even a time served farmer could tell that the build quality of the ship was excellent.

Bluestream initially estimated 10 days to complete the mobilisation of their own equipment which was far too optimisitc as the preparatory engineering and class approvals had not been completed by Bluestream’s subcontractor who was poorly managed by the Bluestream project management team. Bluestreams issues with DNV ad nothing to do with the late delivery of the vessel….. in fact it should have helped Bluestream and enabled them to make the 10 day mobilisation a reality but the opportunity wasn’t taken.

It is true to say the Bluestream and Sealion techs worked very hard to get the ship working as soon as possible but also no one who was involved can argue that Bluestream was as far behind with their own mobilisation as Sealion appeared to be with theirs.

I for one am very disapointed to read here that Bluestream have been declared bankrupt but not suprised in the least. The Toisa Paladin mobilisation budget had completely unrealistic (and actually in some cases absent) contingency for events beyond our control. I think any Bluestream techs reading would agree that money was thrown at the ship to get it working which was a tech’s paradise but it’s a business at the end of the day and Kieren and the management just didn’t have a hand on things. When the contract fot the charter of the vessel was in the process of being put together Bluestream had difficutly fullfilling Sealion Shipping’s requirements such as bank guarantees etc.

What Deepseacon should also rememebr is that the nature of the charter with Sealion Shipping was such that they were only responsible for the maintenance of the dive system not the operation of it. Reports from the vessel should that 86% of defect reporting was actually operator error not actual faults with the equipment. There was never any contractual obligation for Sealion to provide 24hour Sealion tech cover to Bluestream….. was this a poor show by Sealion? I think not….. I think a refection of the lack of lack Bluestream’s understanding of the contract between the two parties. Bluestream only had 1 mech tech and 1 elec tech on at any time.

So it’s a shame that Bluestream have gone bust but I think a lot of people saw it coming.

Good luck to all the ex Bluestream guys and good luck also to the Toisa Paladin.

[Andy Shiers]

And good luck to all the EX employees in trying to get their money back and good luck to us poor barstewards who are still on a contract for Bluestream off Africa who also are hoping to get their wages back 😕

[Topdawg]

And good luck to all the EX employees in trying to get their money back and good luck to us poor barstewards who are still on a contract for Bluestream off Africa who also are hoping to get their wages back

I hope I am wrong for you guys, but I have heard two seperate cases of persons being told by Bluestream they couldn’t get paid. Both were freelancers.
Knowing Bluestream as a prompt payer, this is probably the bank who is holding these payments.

Good luck to you guys indeed!

TD

[James McLauchlan]

Dipper

Thanks for taking the time to offer a well informed post to the thread. Always good to see well structured input from someone with first hand knowledge :tup:

best regards
James Mc

[James McLauchlan]

I hope I am wrong for you guys, but I have heard two seperate cases of persons being told by Bluestream they couldn’t get paid. Both were freelancers…..

TD

Most freelance people are through an agency. Or were these people day rate direct with the company?

As long as the agency survives they will get their money as they are employed by the agency not by the agency’s client.

If the agency’s client doesn’t pay them, then that’s between the agency and their client but legally has no bearing on whether the ROV people are paid by the agency or not.

[Topdawg]

@James:

The persons I talked about were directly contracted to Bluestream without an agency being in the middle. Bluestream worked a lot with direct (contract) hired personnel.

They are working on a re-start of the company (smaller form) on a short term bases. They still have ongoing contracts (drill supports, etc). Even the ExxonMobil contract is still in their hands, according to the owner (newspaper article). The only ‘minor detail’ is to get a vessel to perform the project.

TD

[deepseacon]

For further comments on Bluestream look on

http://www.longstreath.com

.

[Author]

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