Well Operations News

Chinese multinational oilfield equipment and services provider Jereh Group has delivered slop treatment units and oil purifiers to CIMC Raffles for Petrobras’ P84 and P85 floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) units, bound for deployment at the Atapu and Sépia fields, off Brazil.The equipment will support slop water and oil separation during deepwater production. The systems are designed to handle complex wastewater streams including deck drainage, machinery space oily water…

While challenges linger from the 2025 offshore rig market, there are signs it will look brighter from late 2026 onwards.Main Events of 2025One of the biggest talking points of 2024 and 2025 was Saudi Aramco’s suspension of 36 jackups from April 2024, but by 3Q 2025 21 units had been re-deployed into other regions of the world. Fast forward to today, the national oil company (NOC) has confirmed it will restart work with eight of the remaining suspended rigs in early 2026. It has…

The Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard Company (ASRY) has completed several rig repair and upgrade projects for Saudi-based ADES Holding, strengthening the partnership between the two companies.In 2025, several ADES jack-up rigs underwent major works at ASRY’s facilities in Bahrain.The ADM-501 and ADM-504 units were prepared earlier in the year for drilling operations in Nigeria, while upgrade works on ADM-503 and ADM-511 were recently finalized ahead of upcoming drilling campaigns…

Norwegian offshore vessel owner DOF Group has secured a new four-year contract with Petrobras for the remotely operated support vessel (RSV) Skandi Commander.The contract was awarded following the same competitive tender process that led to six previous four-year RSV contracts announced earlier.The Skandi Commander will be equipped with both a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) and an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), the latter being a unique feature of this agreement.The contract…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has secured an approval in principle (AiP) from ClassNK for the basic design of specialized vessels to joint and bury subsea power cables.MOL is working with Sumitomo Electric Industries, Furukawa Electric and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) to develop fundamental technologies-including a new type of cable-laying vessel-as part of a project subsidized by the Japanese government's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).One of MOL's roles in this project is to develop technologies for cable jointing and burial vessels…

Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc., a U.S.-based ocean exploration and marine resource development leader, received news that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM), a department of the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), has initiated the formal review process for its unsolicited request for a potential marine mineral lease sale in federal waters offshore Virginia.BOEM’s action highlights the increasing federal focus on responsibly assessing domestic offshore mineral resources.

Belgian offshore contractor Jan De Nul has concluded the 2025 transport and installation campaign of three HVAC grid connection cables at TenneT’s DolWin kappa platform.When finalized, these cables will ensure the transport of almost 660 MW renewable electricity from two offshore wind farms, which is enough energy needed to power more than 800,000 German homes.Jan De Nul and partner Hellenic Cables are responsible for design, production, transport, installation and protection of three 155 kV HVAC cables with a total length of 37 km.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) completed and redelivered HOS Rocinante, a first-of-its-kind U.S.-flagged Service Operation Vessel (SOV) converted for Hornbeck Offshore Services.The vessel marks a milestone in the evolution of the U.S. offshore service fleet to be future-ready for both the offshore wind and petro-energy sector demands for broadly capable marine support vessels.Originally built by ESG as an offshore supply vessel, HOS Rocinante unerwent extensive conversion at ESG’s Allanton and Port St Joe Shipyards in Panama City…

Belgium’s Jan De Nul is commissioning what it calls its most advanced offshore wind installation simulator, a digital twin of its vessels Les Alizés and Voltaire designed to train crews to install the latest generation of giant wind turbines and foundations at sea.The crane simulator, installed at the company’s Aalst office, features a seven-meter-wide dome offering a 360-degree view and allows operators to rehearse complex installation operations at heights exceeding 150 meters.Wind turbine tip heights now reach 300 metres…

ABS issued approval in principle (AIP) to Hanwha Ocean Co. Ltd. for remote control functions for FPSO units.ABS completed design reviews based on the ABS Requirements for Autonomous and Remote-Control Functions.The project is part of the Offshore Technology Collaboration Agreement (OTCA) between ABS and Hanwha Ocean, which enables the companies to collaborate on a series of cutting-edge projects leveraging each company’s core competencies under three broad themes: sustainability…

Floatel International has selected Semco Maritime’s Hanøytangen facility outside Bergen in Norway, to perform a series of modifications and service works on the Floatel Endurance rig ahead of an upcoming contract on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.Following completion of its current assignment in Canada, Floatel Endurance will sail across the Atlantic to Hanøytangen, arriving in the first quarter of 2026 for yard stay and energy optimization works.Under the contract, Semco Maritime will be in charge of thruster removal and overhaul…

Lebanon and Cyprus signed a long-awaited maritime demarcation deal on Wednesday, paving the way for potential exploration of offshore gas fields and energy cooperation in the Mediterranean.Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides signed the agreement at Lebanon's presidential palace and told reporters it would signal deeper cooperation between Lebanon, European Union-member Cyprus and the broader EU."This is a historical agreement, concluding an issue pending for many years and now look forward to what our countries can jointly create…

Drydocks World has completed the full conversion and integration of the EMEM Floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit, delivering a key offshore asset to support production at Nigeria’s Okwok field.The FPSO, converted from double-hulled tanker, underwent structural modifications, marine system upgrades and the installation of 19 topside production and utility modules at Drydocks World’s Dubai facility.The unit was commissioned by World Carrier Corporation on behalf of Oriental Energy Resources for deployment its Okwok field in Petroleum Mining Lease 15.Once operational…

As COP30 kicks off its second week in Brazil, much has changed since the landmark Paris climate agreement was penned 10 years ago.The spirit of cooperation that once reigned has been shattered by economic rivalries and a stark divergence in climate policies among the world’s biggest polluters.The landmark UN COP21 climate agreement signed in Paris on December 12, 2015 saw 195 nations commit to setting binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial levels.

A new generation of hybrid vessels is demonstrating significant gains in both fuel economy and operational output. For Olympic Subsea’s owner and CEO Stig Remøy, it proves that technology-led efficiency is the fastest path to decarbonization—and a powerful business case.When Stig Remøy began pivoting Olympic Subsea toward subsea and renewables a decade ago, the move was met with some internal skepticism. “Naturally, there were internal discussions — some believed oil and gas was the future,” he recalled.

Norwegian offshore supply vessel owner DOF Group has secured a contract with BP for the provision of subsea services in the Atlantic region.The three-year firm and two-year options contract will see DOF deploy a high-capability subsea vessel asset to support BP with subsea construction, installation, repair, and maintenance (IRM) operations.Offshore operations are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026.Financial details related to the agreement, including rates and overall revenue…

Digital Dry-Docking: Tidewater Sees 60% Time Savings Using UniSea’s Maindeck AppTidewater is redefining how vessel dry-dockings are managed, estimating up to a 60% reduction in project time after deploying UniSea’s Maindeck digital platform during the recent yard stay of the Highland Prestige at Dales Marine Services in Aberdeen.According to Chris Tundogan, Assistant Operations Superintendent at Tidewater, the Maindeck app has “revolutionized” the way dry-docking projects are planned and executed…

Vard Electro, a subsidiary of the Fincantieri-owned Vard Group, has signed an agreement with the German shipyard Lloyd Werft for the delivery of complete automation and power management systems to a Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) currently being converted into a research vessel.The scope of supply covers the removal of the vessel’s existing automation systems, replacing it with Vard Electro’s advanced SeaQ Integrated Automation System (IAS) and SeaQ Power Management System (PMS)…

U-Ming Marine Offshore (UMO) and Purus have teamed up to form UPO Holdings (UPO), a joint venture aimed at expanding offshore wind operations in Taiwan and the region.UPO is commissioning two state-of-the-art VARD 419 Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs), each 88 meters long and designed explicitly for Taiwan’s operating conditions.The vessels will be equipped with Seaonics All-Electric Walk-to-Work (W2W) 3D gangways, enhanced DP2 dynamic positioning, and hybrid propulsion…

Belgium-based offshore installation services company DEME has taken delivery of its new wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) Norse Wind at the CIMC Raffles Shipyard.Designed to install the next generation of offshore wind turbines, the vessel combines advanced technology and sustainable design features to offer enhanced installation capability.Built by CIMC Raffles and designed by GustoMSC, Norse Wind is equipped to install turbines with rotor diameters of more than 300 meters and XXL monopiles weighing up to 3…

Norwegian subsea services firm Reach Subsea has been granted a trading permit to operate its Reach Remote 1 Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) entirely through remote operations - without a support vessel.The permit was issued by the Norwegian Maritime Authorities, with technical validation and support from DNV. Reach Remote 1 has already been in full commercial operation, and this permit initiates the final phase towards full certification.This is the first approval of its kind for an USV of this size with integrated Work Class ROV capability…

United Oil & Gas has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) with TDI-Brooks to secure a specialist survey vessel for a campaign offshore Jamaica.The work is related to the planned piston coring and surface geochemical program on the company’s Walton Morant Licence.The campaign forms a key part of United's forward work program under its extended license to January 2028. The survey will involve the collection of 40-60 seabed core samples across the Walton and Morant Basins…

Robosys Automation, a leader in maritime autonomy, vessel control systems, and smart shipping solutions, has announced that it has secured a new contract to retrofit a 26-meter Damen 2610 Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) Twin Axe High Speed Support Vessel (HSSV), with its flagship VOYAGER AI advanced maritime autonomy software.The vessel, built in 2015 to Lloyd’s Register classification standards, is powered by twin Caterpillar C32 engines with direct drives and is equipped with an Alphatron autopilot…