Struggling offshore shipowners can take some much-needed comfort in global rig activity for the year to November, with drilling fixtures stacking up for the first year-on-year increase since 2011.

Rig contracting has risen 210% from last year, a spike in percentage terms but still a pale shadow of the activity seen before the downturn struck, according to Clarksons.

Working jack-ups and floaters, which are primary sources of demand for offshore support vessels, have suffered dwindling numbers of contracts since the industry crisis began in 2014.