Norwegian offshore owners expect access to capital to get even tighter in the coming months, according to a report just out from the Norwegian Shipowners' Association.

In 2016, only 15% of the firms questioned by the association consider the access to capital as good, compared to 25% last year and 50% in 2014.

One out of every third company now considers the access to capital to be very tight, against less than 10% last year, according to the report.

"We expect that about half of the Norwegian rig fleet and every sixth Norwegian-controlled offshore vessel will not be employed as we approach summer this year. This is a serious situation", the CEO of the Norwegian Shipowners' Association, Sturla Henriksen, told Reuters in an interview. "We are going to see a restructuring in ownership because we cannot expect that every shipowner will be capable to contribute with new capital", he added.