Seacor Marine has bought 11 AHTS vessels from Singapore's Pacific Richfield, according to broker Fearnley Offshore Supply.

Pacific Richfield put its entire 40-strong fleet up for sale at the end of last November as part of what it termed as a "restructuring exercise", while brokers in Singapore described the move at the time as a distressed asset sale.

Fearnley said that all the 11 ships are now in Singapore and are available for charter.

The vessels will be gradually reactivated from present layup status and renamed with a Seacor prefix.

"We expect Seacor to mobilise some of the vessels to Middle East and West Africa," said the broker.