Global ocean services provider DeepOcean has been awarded a significant subsea contract package by Equinor for multiple fields on the Norwegian continental shelf, including the Barents Sea, with offshore work spanning 2027-28.
The contract package includes subsea work scope at the Visund field in the North Sea, the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea, and an option for potential work at the Snorre A subsea field in the North Sea.
SIMOPRO job
At the Visund field, DeepOcean has been awarded a SIMOPRO – simultaneous marine operation and production – installation contract involving replacement of both a gas export riser and oil export riser. A SIMOPRO operation involves execution of complex marine operations activities while the offshore facility remains in production.
DeepOcean will undertake onshore project management, engineering, fabrication and procurement, as well as offshore installation activities. Offshore operations also include required survey, dredging, tie-ins and pre-commissioning activities at the field.
'Assignments of this complexity require strong coordination and robust safety planning across both the operator and our subcontractor network to secure seamless execution. Our proven track record on comparable projects for Equinor makes us proud to be selected again,' says Olaf A. Hansen, Executive Vice President for DeepOcean’s Northern Europe region.
In September last year, Equinor awarded similar SIMOPRO jobs to DeepOcean, for riser replacements at Åsgard B and Visund, respectively.
Barents Sea Subsea Tie-back
Isflak is an oil discovery located approximately 8.5 km from the Johan Castberg FPSO and will be developed as the first satellite tie-back to the facility. DeepOcean will install a four-slot template and a manifold module, in addition to installing flowlines and a static umbilical with associated survey, tie-ins and pre-commissioning operations.
'As subsea tie-back and life extension projects increasingly target marginal fields, smart, cost-efficient solutions and close collaboration are critical to unlocking value and ensuring these developments remain viable. We look forward to working with Equinor on this journey,' Hansen adds.
Snorre Option
The award also includes options for recovery of eight existing risers and umbilicals connecting the underwater production area (UPA) and the Snorre A production facilities.
The offshore work at Visund, Isflak and Snorre A spans across the 2027-28 seasons where DeepOcean will deploy construction vessels from its high-specification chartered subsea fleet. The water depths at the various fields are in the range of 300-400 meters.
Source: DeepOcean
