Industry News

Brent crude futures retreated on Tuesday but held near $114 a barrel following fresh hostilities in the Middle East, while investors monitored developments in the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.The U.S. and Iran launched new attacks in the Gulf on Monday as they wrestled for control over the Strait of Hormuz with duelling maritime blockades, shaking a fragile truce.Brent crude futures LCOc1 eased 93 cents, or 0.8%, to $113.51 per barrel at 0719 GMT after settling up 5.8% on Monday. U.S.

California energy officials on Monday opened an investigation into the Trump administration's agreement with an offshore wind company to cancel a planned project off the state's central coast.The state said it was seeking information about the $120 million government payout to determine whether it violated the law.The refunds of offshore lease payments, in exchange for fossil fuel investments, are part of a recent strategy in President Donald Trump's year-long effort to stymie…

Guyana has asked judges at the International Court of Justice to rule that Venezuela does not have a legitimate claim on the potentially oil-rich region around the Esequibo river, which has been the subject of a dispute between the Latin American neighbours since colonial days."Facing a larger and more powerful neighbour's designs on our territory has not only threatened our peace and security, it has held back our development," Guyana's Foreign Minister Hugh Hilton Todd told judges at the start of week-long hearings at the ICJ…

President Donald Trump's administration has brought U.S.

The Chouest Group announced it has completed the acquisition of the Alliance business from Helix Energy Solutions Group. Alliance will be integrated into Champagne Energy Solutions (CES), expanding the Group’s offshore decommissioning and plug & abandonment (P&A) platform.The transaction builds on the recent formation of CES and advances the Chouest Group’s strategy to deliver fully integrated, end-to-end offshore solutions focused on late-life asset management and decommissioning.The combined platform will provide services including P&A…

The changing global bottom-fixed offshore wind turbine and foundation installation marketThe last two or three years have seen a change in the underlying stakeholder support for the energy transition, resulting in the energy trilemma being focused more on energy security and affordability than transition, which means a pivot away from renewables to increased support for oil & gas. At the same time, inflation and interest rates have impacted project economics. Needless to say,…

A U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports has shrunk Tehran's oil exports, stranding a growing stockpile of crude on tankers as Iranian storage sites run out of space, shipping data showed and analysts said.With some vessels switching off tracking systems and U.S. forces turning back Iranian tankers, how much crude Iran is delivering to customers, particularly main customer China, is impossible to measure.Just a handful of carriers carrying Iranian crude have left the Gulf of Oman between April 13-25, oil analytics firm Vortexa said.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) and the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) released a new report, Unlocking the New South-Central Gulf of America for Energy Development: Potential Economic Impacts and Opportunities, highlighting the opportunity to strengthen U.S. energy security and economic growth through expanded energy development in the New South-Central region of the Gulf of America.The report, prepared by Energy and Industrial Advisory Partners (EIAP), finds that extending responsible oil and natural gas development in the region…

Dutch grid operator TenneT is preparing to begin horizontal directional drilling at Maasvlakte as part of efforts to connect three offshore wind farms to the onshore grid.Steel casing pipes have been installed at three beach work sites, allowing drilling beneath the beach and seabed to begin, weather permitting.The drilling will be carried out in three stages, starting with a pilot bore from the beach towards the sea, followed by widening of the borehole and the installation of…

Norwind Offshore has doubled its fleet through the acquisition of six commissioning service operation (CSOV) vessels from Edda Wind.The transaction was completed in partnership with Navigare Capital Partners, the company said.The vessels have either recently been delivered or are in the final stages of delivery and are designed for offshore wind operations, featuring Vard 4 25 and SALT 0217 designs.“This transaction marks a significant step forward for Norwind Offshore. It is not just about the scale – it is about readiness.

North Star, a fully integrated offshore infrastructure service provider, has completed the acquisition of four new Service Operation Vessels (SOVs) from Edda Wind.The transaction takes its offshore wind fleet to 14 vessels, among Europe’s largest.The four SOVs, which are currently deployed on offshore wind contracts, provide immediate access to high-specification capacity and enhance North Star’s flexibility in meeting customer needs across key European markets. North Star's financial…

Brazilian maritime logistics and port operator Wilson Sons has started testing drone deliveries for offshore logistics operations in Guanabara Bay, aiming to improve efficiency and reduce emissions.The company is conducting its first drone operations to deliver and collect documents for platform supply vessels, with trials underway since April 6 from its offshore support base in Rio.The drones, operated by Speedbird Aero, are being tested under a proof-of-concept phase to assess technical feasibility.Wilson Sons said all required approvals have been obtained from Brazilian authorities…

GLO Marine appointed Thomas Wittlin as Chief Executive Officer, effective Q2 2026, signaling the start of a structured growth phase in which the company will evolve from a retrofit-led contractor into a production-enabled marine engineering and integration business.Wittlin brings more than 25 years of experience at the intersection of shipyard operations, commercial leadership, and global maritime business development. He spent nearly eleven years as Sales Director at Grand Bahama…

Mooring and anchoring specialist Mooreast Holdings has granted an option to sell its leasehold property in Singapore for $23.3 million, aiming to boost offshore wind activities at new location.The company said it expects net proceeds of about $15 million after settling outstanding loans and transaction costs related to the 51 Shipyard Road property, with funds to be redeployed toward its newly acquired facility at 60 Shipyard Crescent in Singapore.The property sale remains subject to conditions including approval from Jurong Town Corporation and Mooreast shareholders…

Petrodec, a specialist in integrated solutions for decommissioning and part of the Dixstone group, has started its second decommissioning project for Perenco UK with its OBANA jack-up platform, moving to the Pickerill field in the UK Southern North Sea.The platform has mobilized from its yard in Vlissingen-Oost in the Netherlands and is now on location to remove the jackets from Pickerill A and Pickerill B.Following this work, OBANA is scheduled to return to the Amethyst field to remove the jacket of Amethyst A1D…

President Donald Trump's administration said on Monday that it had reached a deal to end two more U.S. offshore wind leases in exchange for $885 million in pledged investments in domestic fossil fuels.The projects, one in the Atlantic and one in the Pacific, are managed by Ocean Winds, a joint venture between France's ENGIE and Portugal's EDP Renewables.The announcement comes a month after French energy giant TotalEnergies reached a similar agreement with the Interior Department to redirect $1 billion from offshore wind leases to U.S. oil and gas production.

Akastor’s subsidiary DDW Offshore has entered into a binding agreement to sell Skandi Emerald anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) vessel for $23 million.The AHTS, built in 2011, is designed for operations across a range of water depths and environmental conditions.Completion of the transaction is subject to customary conditions and is expected in the second quarter of 2026.Following the sale, DDW Offshore’s revolving credit facility will be reduced from $16 million to $8 million.The companies did not reveal the name of the buyer or any other details.

Helix Energy Solutions and Hornbeck Offshore Services have agreed to combine in an all-stock transaction to create an integrated offshore services company.Under the agreement, Hornbeck shareholders will own about 55% of the combined company, while Helix shareholders will hold around 45%.The combined company will operate under the Hornbeck Offshore Services name and trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker ‘HOS’.The companies said the combination will bring together fleets of specialty vessels and capabilities including subsea robotics and well intervention services…

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Fleet Robotics have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on autonomous robotic systems for hull cleaning and inspection.The agreement, announced at Singapore Maritime Week, aims to support the deployment of robotic systems for vessel maintenance.“It is an honor to work alongside Fleet Robotics to advance autonomous robotic systems for the industry. This collaboration is about more than innovation, we are working to establish…

Njord Survey has secured a three-year framework agreement with Equinor for pipeline inspection and integrity work across European waters.The contract includes an option to extend for one additional year and covers geophysical surveys and offshore operations.Njord Survey said the agreement builds on previous collaborations and will support offshore operations through high-resolution surveys and vessel operations with low CO2e emissions.The company said offshore campaigns under…

Shearwater Geoservices has agreed to sell the vessel SW Baret to an undisclosed buyer for conversion into a dedicated source vessel.The agreed sales price exceeds the vessel’s carrying book value and is expected to result in a gain in Shearwater’s accounts, as well as a positive impact on liquidity, the company said.Completion of the transaction is expected late in the second quarter of 2026.The vessel, built in 2012, has been in lay-up since 2021 and will undergo modifications following the sale…

Security is all too often treated as a purely compliance-driven exercise. This isn’t advisable in any industry, but it is particularly damaging for those that fall under critical infrastructure frameworks. Ports, and, by extension, the dredging operations that maintain and expand shipping lanes, are the backbone of global trade, underpinning essential supply lines. Security threats and workplace distributions therefore carry repercussions that extend far beyond any individual location, and facilitate a response that goes beyond passive monitoring and reactive measures.

Golden Pass LNG, a joint venture between QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil, has loaded and shipped its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) cargo from its export terminal in Sabine Pass in Texas, marking a step toward full commercial operations.Golden Pass LNG expects to export about 18 million tonnes of LNG per year once the terminal is fully operational.Construction and commissioning of additional liquefaction trains are ongoing, with Trains 2 and 3 expected to come online following stable operation of Train 1.“Today’s first LNG export cargo is a defining moment for Golden Pass…