Deepwater News

SBM Offshore has secured project financing worth $465 million for the Chalchi floating storage and offloading (FSO) vessel, being built for Woodside Energy's Trion project offshore Mexico.The financing has been provided by a consortium of international banks and institutional investors and includes partial insurance cover from China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation.SBM Offshore said the financing would be drawn during the construction period and would become non-recourse after the vessel starts operations.

While oil and gas are once again flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, the closure of the vital waterway for over 100 days could prove to be a turning point in global energy markets. The Arab oil embargo of 1973, a similarly disruptive supply shock, offers clues about where we might be headed.The latest Middle East crisis tested the limits of the modern energy system, which has evolved over recent decades into a highly interconnected global market held together by thousands of tankers…

Indonesian offshore vessel operator PT Wintermar Offshore Marine (WINS) has acquired the remaining stakes in Singapore-based Fast Offshore Supply (FOS) and its subsidiary PT Fast Offshore Indonesia (FOI), gaining full control of both companies and expanding into the building and operation of aluminium crew transfer vessels (CTVs).WINS acquired the remaining 52.5% shareholding in FOS and the remaining 49% stake in FOI, which it previously owned jointly with FOS.FOS won an international…

Ocean services provider DeepOcean has completed the installation and testing of all inter-array cables at the Nordseecluster A offshore wind farm in Germany.DeepOcean's contract included project management and engineering, the provision of cable protection systems, offshore preparatory works, pre-installation cable route surveys, transport and installation of inter-array cables, cable pull-in and cable burial activities.Cable-laying operations began in January 2026, with a total of 48 inter-array cables installed between January and April.

Yinson Production has held a naming ceremony for the floating storage and offloading (FSO) unit PTSC Lac Da Vang ahead of the vessel's deployment to the Lac Da Vang oil project offshore Vietnam.The FSO vessel has been contracted to Murphy Cuu Long Bac Oil, a wholly owned subsidiary of Murphy Oil Corporation, to provide storage and offloading services for the Lac Da Vang field in Block 15-1/05 offshore Vietnam.The contract has a firm term of 10 years and includes an option to extend…

Norway-based TMC Compressors has secured a contract from Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore to supply marine compressed air systems for two subsea rock installation vessels being built for Dutch marine contractor Van Oord.Under the contract, TMC will provide a complete marine compressed air system for each vessel, including instrument air compressors and air dryers. Financial details of the contract were not disclosed.The vessels are being built to support subsea rock installation operations…

SBM Offshore and Solstad Offshore have formed a joint venture that has entered into a letter of intent with a shipyard for the construction of a multi-purpose deepwater installation and construction vessel, with delivery targeted in the first half of 2029.The vessel will be owned by a joint venture in which Solstad Offshore will hold a 50.1% stake and SBM Offshore 49.9%. Solstad Shipping will act as ship manager, while SBM Offshore will charter the vessel for its own projects.

Crane specialist Liebherr has completed an extensive inspection and refurbishment of a BOS 35000 offshore crane aboard ZITON’s jack-up vessel Wind Enterprise during a 10-day service campaign in Denmark.The board offshore crane was installed on a 16-meter pedestal and will support offshore wind operations across Northern Europe, according to Liebherr.The company said the project, carried out at the Port of Esbjerg, included replacement of the complete power pack, hydraulic elements…

Dutch non-destructive testing specialist Ned Marine has launched drone and remotely operated vehicle (ROV)-based inspection services aimed at vessels, offshore installations and industrial assets.The company said the new services combine aerial drones and subsea ROVs with existing non-destructive testing (NDT) capabilities, including visual inspections and ultrasonic thickness measurements.Ned Marine said drone-based inspections would allow surveys of confined spaces, offshore and onshore wind turbines…

Fast Offshore Supply (FOS) has selected Incat Crowther to design a fleet of 10 new DP2 fast crew transfer vessels (CTVs) for offshore operations supporting Brunei Shell Petroleum, a joint venture between Shell and the Government of Brunei.The 55-metre aluminum vessels will transport offshore personnel and cargo to Brunei Shell Petroleum assets and will be built at multiple shipyards in the region, including FOS’s own yard in Singapore.The vessels will each carry up to 80 passengers and 150 tonnes of cargo at speeds of up to 30 knots…

New Wave Offshore Energy has been selected by Shell to provide marine warranty survey services for the Orca project in Brazil’s pre-salt Santos Basin.The contract covers marine warranty and assurance services for the offshore development, which is estimated to contain recoverable resources of about 370 million barrels.New Wave Offshore’s scope includes vessel surveys, engineering review and oversight of transportation and installation operations across multiple project phases.The…

Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) has demonstrated autonomous docking, charging and redeployment capabilities for its WAM-V autonomous surface vehicle as part of efforts to support longer-duration offshore operations.The company said the system enables the maritime drone to approach a dock, secure itself, recharge and return to operation without human intervention.OPT is preparing the technology for integration with its PowerBuoy platform to create offshore charging points capable…

DOF Group has secured four 12-year charter and services contracts in Brazil following a competitive tender process, supporting Petrobras’ deepwater subsea inspection, maintenance and repair operations.The contracts will lead to the construction of four new remotely operated vehicle support vessels (RSVs), with operations expected to begin from 2030, DOF said.The vessels are expected to be built by Brazil’s Navship yard, with delivery of the first two planned within four years of contract signing.The newbuilds will be DP2-class vessels designed for deepwater operations…

Norwegian offshore vessel owner and subsea services provider DOF Group said it has secured a contract for subsea commissioning support services in the Asia-Pacific region, with offshore operations planned in North Australian waters.The company said its vessel Skandi Inventor will be deployed for the campaign, which is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2027 and is expected to last between 120 and 180 days.The scope of work includes project management, engineering, procurement…

Van Oord has installed three monopile foundations using GBM Works' jetting solution in combination with CAPE’s vibro lifting tool for the first time at commercial scale, a milestone in silent offshore installation.Designed to reduce underwater noise and minimise impact on marine life, the method was deployed at Ecowende's Hollandse Kust West wind farm using Van Oord's new offshore wind installation vessel Boreas.GBM Works' VibroJet® technology combines vibrations with controlled water jets inside the monopile to fluidise the soil and reduce resistance.

Prysmian, a leader in energy and data wire and cabling solutions, recently announced changes to its leadership structure in North America to further strengthen the company’s market position in the region. 2025 marked the best year yet for Prysmian, with global revenues reaching USD$23.08 billion (€20 billion). North America’s net profit exceeded $9 billion, accounting for 40% of the company’s total sales. Over the past two years, Prysmian’s North American footprint has grown through the acquisitions of Encore Wire and Channell…

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for a proposed update to the Santa Clara Unit Development and Production Plan, which includes the use of hydraulic fracturing on 16 existing wells at Platform Gilda, located 8.8 miles offshore Ventura County, California.BOEM has deemed the plan complete and is launching an environmental review under the Department of the Interior’s “Alternative Arrangements for NEPA Compliance During a National Energy Emergency,” published on the April 23, 2025.

Seadrill has announced that Sonadrill Holding, its 50:50 joint venture with an affiliate of Sonangol E.P., has been awarded a contract extension.A seven-well priced option for the ultra-deepwater drillship Sonangol Quenguela has been exercised, extending operations in Angola by approximately 480 days and committing the rig into June 2028.Seadrill earns a management fee for providing management, operational and technical support to Sonadrill.

Major industry announcements and new product launches continued to drive significant visitor numbers and plentiful business activity as Oceanology International 2026 (Oi26) surpassed expectations on the second day at Excel London.Among the companies taking center stage, expanding platform OceanSight used Oi to unveil its new collection of ocean technology brands built to advance marine sensing and subsea intelligence, celebrating an exciting new chapter focused on accelerating innovation and strategic growth.OceanSight…

Seadrill Limited, an offshore drilling contractor, Kongsberg Maritime AS, a global technology leader, and Hanwha Drilling, a provider of offshore drilling services, announced a strategic alliance to develop the next generation of remote Dynamic Positioning (DP) technology in offshore drilling.This collaboration represents a shared commitment to defining a global operating model for the future of DP operations for the industry. The initiative will develop the technical and regulatory…

OceanTools is celebrating two projects that highlight their engineering expertise and versatility. From designing subsea pressure housings for a well-known space technology company to creating solutions for the world’s deepest oceans, their housings deliver reliability and resilience in the most extreme environments.A major U.S. space technology company approached OceanTools with detailed specifications, and they designed and built a highly intricate pressure vessel to meet their requirements.

All-Cash Deal, Expanding Brazil FootprintTidewater Inc. (NYSE: TDW) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Wilson Sons Ultratug Participações S.A. and its affiliate Atlantic Offshore Services S.A. (collectively, WSUT) in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $500 million, including the assumption of existing debt.The acquisition significantly strengthens Tidewater’s position in the global offshore support vessel (OSV) market while marking a decisive expansion in…

Norway-based subsea well intervention and installation services company AKOFS Offshore has signed a firm contract with Petrobras for its Aker Wayfarer vessel.AKOFS Offshore, majority owned by Akastor, said the 2010-built vessel will continue to perform services as a Subsea Equipment Support Vessel (SESV) for Petrobras in Brazil.The contract, valued at $330 million, has a duration of four years, with operations expected to begin in September 2027, following the expiry of the current…