Offshore staff
LEIDSCHENDAM, the Netherlands — Fugro has agreed to acquire the 2015-built platform supply vessels (PSVs), Topaz Endurance and Topaz Energy, and plans to convert both to serve as geotechnical vessels.
The move is in response to continued growth for the company’s services in the offshore renewable energy sector, where uncrewed vessels will not perform geotechnical programs for some time to come.
Charter rates for the offshore wind market have been rising and the vessel market is expected to remain tight, Fugro said, adding that the two PSVs are more energy-efficient than its current fleet and offer the potential for hybrid conversions and/or use of alternative marine fuels in the future.
At the same time, it continues to invest in remote and digital services and does plan to grow its fleet of uncrewed surface vessels to meet its longer-term net-zero commitments.
New remote operations center
In St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, the company has opened a new remote operations center for its offshore survey operations locally.
Conditions locally can be harsh, with a need at the time for long-distance offshore mobilizations. Use of remote survey technologies should reduce numbers of crew required to work offshore, helping clients to minimize project risk, Fugro said. They should also benefit from improved project timelines as data processing is done in near-real time, providing faster access to critical information.
The company built the center with support from the federally funded Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Oil and Gas Industry Recovery Assistance Fund, designed to maximize local employment and support the recovery of the local offshore oil and gas industry.
Recent offshore contract awards
In its latest results review, Fugro cited various recent offshore contract awards. One in the US is a survey contract to support site appraisal and concept design activities for Community Offshore Wind. Another involves provision of nearshore site investigations and consulting services for New Fortress Energy’s FLNG project for the Lakach gas development offshore Mexico.
Offshore Brazil, the company gained a three-year IRM contract from Petrobras, while new programs in the Asia-Pacific region include site investigations for offshore renewable projects in Australia and Taiwan. Another site study for Petronas Carigali Brunei will support Brunei’s first deepwater LNG project, and the renewal of a long-term IRM contract was inked with Woodside in Australia.
In addition, Fugro is conducting marine geophysical surveys for ADNOC in the UAE and for TotalEnergies in Qatar, as well as a hydrocarbon seep survey for Chevron in Egypt.
02.23.2023
