This "Editor's Note" column first appeared in the March/April 2025 issue of Offshore magazine.
By Ariana Hurtado, Editor-in-Chief
Offshore’s most popular stories among its readers in the first quarter of the year focused on the Gulf of Mexico. From President Donald Trump changing the name of the US part of the region to Gulf of America (view our stance on this and the latest poll results among our readers), the transportation of the Shenandoah FPS, LLOG’s Salamanca project nearing completion, and Offshore’s annual deepwater discoveries survey and map, this industry hot spot remains a major area of interest.
Notable mentions that were also highly read among our subscribers include the rumored merger between bp and Shell as well as the proposed merger between Subsea7 and Saipem.
Be sure to check back next issue for a full Gulf of Mexico E&P update as well as advances on well completion, CCS and topsides power. In the meantime, the March/April 2025 issue of Offshore magazine is jam-packed with project updates, market analysis, technology overviews and industry trends.
To start, Offshore’s much-anticipated annual list of the top 5 projects to watch carries a theme this year around capital efficiency. A growing number of operators are looking to “design one and build two” – or more – floating platforms systems to keep engineering and construction costs down. Final investment decisions are expected on all five some time this year. These major projects are located all over the world, from the Gulf of Mexico to offshore Africa, and Managing Editor Bruce Beaubouef provides a detailed update on the status of each one.
In addition, in part 1 of an FPSO-focused series this year, Mark Kaiser with Louisiana State University takes an in-depth look at the global FPSO inventory. In part 2 in the next issue, readers will be provided with an analysis on oil FPSOs versus gas FPSOs.
Moreover, Offshore’s Europe Editor Jeremy Beckman provides a thorough overview of the latest in drilling technologies for CCS. In his interviews, Noble Corp. and DNV subject matter experts shared details about a recent CO2 drilling project, and eDrilling’s COO discussed the Project Green Light consortium and how it is addressing current gaps in well control technology.
Lastly, the 3rd annual Remote Inspections & Operations Special Report covers monitoring and inspection technologies, aerial drones, subsea AUVs, uncrewed surface vehicles, and remote-controlled operations for the offshore energy industry. Kicking off the report is an executive Q&A with Oceaneering’s SVP/COO, in which he highlighted the latest trends in ROV and AUV services to extend the capabilities of remote operations.
Enjoy!
