DeepOcean wins landmark 8-year Equinor contract for subsea IMR work
Ocean services provider DeepOcean has been awarded its largest contract on record, a long-term subsea inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) contract by Equinor. The eight-year contract will set a new benchmark for digitalized and environmentally friendly IMR operations.
Equinor and DeepOcean have signed a contract for IMR services covering the period 2027-2035 for Equinor-operated assets on the Norwegian continental shelf and in Europe. The contract will be served by an extensive team of specialist subsea engineers, a large subsea tool pool, remote operations technology, and a newbuild vessel chartered to DeepOcean.
“This is a major milestone in DeepOcean’s history. We are extremely proud to be awarded this unique long-term commitment,” said Øyvind Mikaelsen, CEO of DeepOcean. “The contract enables us to invest time and resources into our next generation subsea services offering to Equinor. This is a testament to decades of hard work laid down by our on- and offshore employees to perform high quality IMR services.”
DeepOcean’s relationship with Equinor routes back to the inception of DeepOcean in 1999 and the start of its IMR activities in 2006. With the recent award, this relationship will continue into its fourth decade and lay the foundation for shaping the future with the same passion and commitment.
“We are the market leader for IMR services in the North Sea. In our mind, that comes with a responsibility to drive the market forward in terms of efficiency, technology and safety,” added Mikaelsen. “This contract is a key enabler in that effort. We are eager to work with Equinor to leverage our engineering expertise and advanced tool pool, remote operations capabilities, along with our latest technologies, to deliver best-in-class services to Equinor.”
As part of this contract, DeepOcean will charter a vessel from Rem Offshore for the duration of the contract period. The state-of-the-art newbuild vessel will establish a new standard for digitalized and environmentally sustainable IMR operations. The vessel, Rem Ocean will have dual-fuel engines capable of running on bio-methanol and biodiesel, along with a battery energy storage system and regenerative energy systems.
“Equinor has consistently been at the forefront of offshore energy operations. This contract is paving the way for further advancements in efficiency, sustainability, and innovation,” said Olaf A. Hansen, Managing Director, DeepOcean Europe. “The vessel, which will serve as a platform for the contract, is projected to achieve a 90 percent reduction in emissions when operating on bio-methanol and a 30 percent reduction when using conventional fuels compared to existing IMR vessels. Additionally, it will be optimized for remote operations, facilitating for reduced need for marine and project crews offshore.”
Rem Ocean will be equipped with an Autonomous Inspection Drone (AID), accelerating the digitalization of subsea asset inspection. The tailor-made vessel design has been developed as a collaboration between DeepOcean, Rem Offshore, Skipsteknisk and other key suppliers. DeepOcean and Rem Offshore have a long history of collaborative subsea vessel design which includes another subsea vessel delivered in 2014, still serving in DeepOcean’s fleet.
The vessel will be equipped with a 250-ton electrical crane, two electric WROVs in hangars, 1,000 m2 outside deck area, and an inside hangar area of 350 m2, in addition to accommodation for 120 people.
