Shale News

Germany’s Ernst Russ has acquired two multi-purpose vessels, MV Ronnie and MV Charlie, as part of its long-term fleet strategy to expand exposure to the project cargo segment and strengthen predictable earnings.The Hamburg-based shipowner said both vessels have been fixed on seven-year charters to dship Carriers, a globally operating European company specialized in project cargo, providing long-term employment and improved cash flow visibility.The vessels, scheduled for handover in the first quarter of 2026…

Shell and Greece’s METLEN have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a framework for cooperation in the supply and trading of liquefied natural gas (LNG).Under the agreement, the two companies plan to supply and trade approximately 0.5 to 1.0 billion cubic metres (bcm) of LNG per year over the five-year period from 2027 to 2031.Deliveries are expected to be made to the Greek LNG regasification terminals at Revithoussa and Alexandroupolis.The MoU also envisages…

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…

DOF Group has entered into an agreement to purchase the very high-end AHTS vessels Aurora Saltfjord and Aurora Sandefjord.The vessels are 2011-built and feature a bollard pull of almost 400 metric tonnes, making them among the most powerful AHTS vessels globally.The vessels are among the most recently built in their segment (AHTS >300mt bollard pull), a segment which sees no newbuilding activity due to prohibitive newbuilding costs. DOF sees a very strong market outlook for projects that require high-end AHTS vessels in the years to come…

Martens en Van Oord, a contractor in roadworks, civil and hydraulic engineering, is taking a step toward further sustainability and modernization of its fleet by investing in the latest generation of the V4000 autonomous unmanned survey vessel (USV) from Demcon unmanned systems, a specialist in high-tech autonomous vessels for hydrographic and maritime applications. The selected 4‑meter variant provides increased range and longer endurance thanks to the additional hull length…

Maritime design and engineering consultancy Longitude has launched a new compact platform supply vessel (PSV) design D-Flex, aimed at improving cost efficiency for shipowners.The D-Flex PSV is the second design in Longitude’s IMT Isca series and is positioned as a smaller and more cost-efficient addition to the range. The design is an evolution of the operationally proven IMT 984, also known as the G-Class.The DP Class 2 vessel is designed for offshore energy operations in Asia, the Middle East and West Africa, with additional potential deployment in the southern North Sea.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, today announced another major step toward expanding offshore energy development pursuant to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. BOEM released the Final Notice of Sale for Lease Sale Big Beautiful Gulf 2 (BBG2), the second of 30 Gulf of America lease sales required by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law No: 119-21). BOEM will again invite lease sale bidders to attend the live bid reading, per BOEM instructions, on March 11, 2026, starting at 9 a.m. Central Time.

European governments including Germany, Britain and Denmark will reinforce their plans to massively expand wind power projects on Monday, despite U.S. President Donald Trump stepping up criticism of their green energy agenda, a draft declaration due to be signed by government leaders showed.Trump has been openly critical of European countries' efforts to shift to low-carbon energy.

James Fisher and Sons has invested in U.S.-based autonomous marine technology company Ocean Aero, taking a strategic minority stake as part of Ocean Aero’s Series D funding round.The investment increases James Fisher’s exposure to autonomous and low-emission marine technology and supports the development and deployment of Ocean Aero’s Triton Autonomous Underwater and Surface Vehicle (AUSV), a wind- and solar-powered platform designed to operate without onboard crews.Ocean Aero designs…

Drydocks World, a unit of Dubai-owned ports and logistics group DP World, has signed a contract with Dixstone Lower Gulf FZCO to convert an LNG carrier into a floating storage unit (FSU) for use in Gabon’s offshore gas development.The engineering, procurement and construction project will see the LNG carrier transformed into the FSU Cap Lopez, supporting Gabon’s floating LNG development by enabling offshore gas liquefaction, storage and export.The project is also expected to contribute…

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…

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…

Saipem has obtained ISO 55001:2024 certification, the international standard for asset lifecycle management, marking a significant milestone in its journey towards operational excellence and offshore sustainability.The certification, issued by DNV, confirms Saipem’s Asset Management system compliance with the most advanced requirements, covering all operational phases - design, procurement, installation, commissioning, maintenance and decommissioning, ensuring a robust and effective “Asset Integrity” framework.The certification applies to Saipem’s entire offshore asset portfolio…

Our fascination with the depths of the ocean revealed itself in some of our most-read stories of 2025.What’s really down there? asked New Wave Media President Greg Trauthwein in his interview with Matt Grove, Regional Segment Manager Offshore at Seequent in September, in the most watched Offshore Engineer TV show.Working underneath the world’s waters is a challenge in and of itself, a challenge exacerbated if an operator does not have a clear picture of the make-up of the seabed with insights on the potential traps that might await.

BP, Chevron and Shell were among the top bidders on Wednesday at the U.S. government's first sale of oil and gas drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico since 2023.The auction, which ended with $279.4 million in high bids, was the first of 30 mandated by U.S. President Donald Trump's tax cut and spending bill, which he signed into law in July.His administration's plans for offshore leasing are a significant departure from that of his predecessor, President Joe Biden, which had planned…

Crude oil production in the United States is booming, reports Poten & Partners in its weekly opinion.According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Field Production of Crude Oil reached 13.8 Million barrels per day (Mb/d) in September 2025, a remarkable recovery since bottoming out in 2008 below 5 Mb/d.The shale oil boom was primarily responsible for this turnaround. The decision to allow crude oil exports from the U.S. at the end of 2015 also contributed, because it made U.S. crude accessible to the international market. This export access converged U.S.

ABS issued an approval in principle (AIP) to Petrobras for its safety-enhancing “sandwich hull” design concept for floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) tanks.The design uses parts of longitudinal and transverse elements constructed with steel-concrete-steel sandwich structures that allow tanks to remain free of internal obstructions, promising to improve operational efficiency during tank inspections and enabling activities to be performed using remotely operated tools and automated devices such as robots.ABS completed design reviews based on class requirements.

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.

Rigs drilling beneath the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico will drive U.S. oil industry growth this year and next as onshore production slows due to lower prices and maturing shale fields, and analysts and consultants expect the trend to continue as new technology and friendly regulations attract investment offshore.The offshore oil and gas sector took a backseat to shale in recent years because drilling at sea requires years of construction work and higher upfront investments. Entry costs were lower for shale production and returns quicker, so rapid expansion in shale made the U.S.

Ocean services provider DeepOcean and Saudi Arabia-based Jana Marine Services have signed a heads of terms agreement to establish a joint venture company that will offer integrated subsea solutions to the offshore energy industry in the Middle East.The intended joint venture, to be named JADE Subsea Services, plans to enter into a five-year charter agreement with Jana Marine for a newbuild DP2 hybrid diving support vessel (DSV) capable of performing subsea construction, inspection…

Odyssey Marine Exploration said on Friday it has sought U.S.

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)…