SSY to launch offshore drilling rig business

UK shipbroking group SSY has revealed that it would be further expanding its offshore offering with the launch of a dedicated rig business later this year.

Nicholas Wagner-Larsen, an experienced offshore and rig broker, will join SSY in September to head up the new rig division.

He is an offshore specialist who has spent his entire 18-year career in the offshore market. For the last 10 years, he has been part of Arctic Offshore Rig in both Singapore and Oslo.

Since launching into the offshore sector in 2023, SSY has continued to build out both its global team of experts and value proposition, which includes specialist services in oil, gas, subsea, renewables, and newbuilding.

“While SSY has been synonymous with broking excellence for over 145 years, they continue to innovate and to move forward. To be part of this new chapter in establishing a rig business is a unique opportunity and one that I am incredibly excited about,” said Wagner-Larsen.

“We’ve been monitoring the rig sector for some time now. While historically, it has seen a significant degree of volatility, the market has entered a new and exciting phase of activity. So, the timing feels right to launch a dedicated business, which in turn enables us to offer our customers a more comprehensive and complete offshore proposition,” added Stanko Jekov, managing partner at SSY.

This is a second branch out for the company, as it announced in April that it would be moving into the recycling business. The new unit will be headed up by former Braemar man Harry Conrad-Pickles.

The move into ship recycling by the London-headquartered group comes at a time of great need for such services, as 15,000 ships are expected to be scrapped over the next decade.