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.
Pictured from left: Rune Aase (Equinor), Olaf A. Hansen (DeepOcean), Frode Sivertsen (Equinor).
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.
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.
Rem Ocean will be equipped with an Autonomous Inspection Drone (AID), accelerating the digitalisation 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 tonnes electrical crane, two electric WROVs in hangars, 1,000 square metres outside deck area, and an inside hangar area of 350 square meters, in addition to accommodation for 120 people.
