Construction Vessel News

BP, Chevron and Shell were among the top bidders on Wednesday at the U.S. government's first sale of oil and gas drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico since 2023.The auction, which ended with $279.4 million in high bids, was the first of 30 mandated by U.S. President Donald Trump's tax cut and spending bill, which he signed into law in July.His administration's plans for offshore leasing are a significant departure from that of his predecessor, President Joe Biden, which had planned…

Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) completed and redelivered HOS Rocinante, a first-of-its-kind U.S.-flagged Service Operation Vessel (SOV) converted for Hornbeck Offshore Services.The vessel marks a milestone in the evolution of the U.S. offshore service fleet to be future-ready for both the offshore wind and petro-energy sector demands for broadly capable marine support vessels.Originally built by ESG as an offshore supply vessel, HOS Rocinante unerwent extensive conversion at ESG’s Allanton and Port St Joe Shipyards in Panama City…

Dong Fang Offshore (DFO), one of Asia’s largest offshore wind service providers, has signed a major shipbuilding contract with Norwegian yard Westcon for a new subsea and cable lay vessel (CLV), set for delivery in 2027.Westcon will take over and complete construction of a large cable lay vessel already under build.DFO said the order supports its recent growth and replaces installation capacity lost in Taiwan after DeepOcean exercised an option to keep the Orient Adventurer working in Europe until 2028…

Norwegian technology company Vissim has secured a contract with a Qatar-based oil and gas operator to deliver a vessel collision avoidance system at an undisclosed oil field offshore Qatar.As part of a three-year agreement, Vissim will provide specialized software that enables a fully digitized and user-friendly overview of vessel traffic at the offshore field.The core of Vissim’s technology is a specially designed software platform which, through input from millions of data points such as the automatic vessel identification system (AIS)…

Belgium’s Jan De Nul is commissioning what it calls its most advanced offshore wind installation simulator, a digital twin of its vessels Les Alizés and Voltaire designed to train crews to install the latest generation of giant wind turbines and foundations at sea.The crane simulator, installed at the company’s Aalst office, features a seven-meter-wide dome offering a 360-degree view and allows operators to rehearse complex installation operations at heights exceeding 150 meters.Wind turbine tip heights now reach 300 metres…

Crude oil production in the United States is booming, reports Poten & Partners in its weekly opinion.According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. Field Production of Crude Oil reached 13.8 Million barrels per day (Mb/d) in September 2025, a remarkable recovery since bottoming out in 2008 below 5 Mb/d.The shale oil boom was primarily responsible for this turnaround. The decision to allow crude oil exports from the U.S. at the end of 2015 also contributed, because it made U.S. crude accessible to the international market. This export access converged U.S.

Kongsberg Maritime has signed a major contract with Sea1 Offshore to deliver Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS) for the company’s four new offshore construction vessels. Each vessel will be equipped with two advanced LARS units, supporting subsea construction and ROV operations.The scope of supply per vessel includes two telescopic A-frames, fully electrical umbilical winches, energy efficient hydraulic power units, and a dedicated control system. Each system offers a safe working load of 15 tonnes (vehicle dry weight) and winch cable capacity of 4…

Hanwha Ocean has delivered the Wind Mover wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) to offshore wind contractor Cadeler, completing the second vessel in the company’s M-class series about one month ahead of schedule.The vessel was formally signed over on November 28 and sailed away on December 2, following a naming ceremony at Hanwha Ocean’s shipyard in Korea.Wind Mover is the second of two WTIVs ordered by Cadeler in 2021, with the first vessel, Wind Maker, delivered in January 2025.

A consortium led by UK unmanned vessel developer ACUA Ocean has secured government support to develop a new 145-foot uncrewed offshore support vessel, aiming to scale up autonomous operations for offshore energy, logistics and surveillance.The Project MROS consortium, which includes Houlder, Ad Hoc Marine Designs, Trident Marine and the University of Southampton, received funding earlier this year under the UK Department for Transport’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.

Floatel International has selected Semco Maritime’s Hanøytangen facility outside Bergen in Norway, to perform a series of modifications and service works on the Floatel Endurance rig ahead of an upcoming contract on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.Following completion of its current assignment in Canada, Floatel Endurance will sail across the Atlantic to Hanøytangen, arriving in the first quarter of 2026 for yard stay and energy optimization works.Under the contract, Semco Maritime will be in charge of thruster removal and overhaul…

Strategic Marine has delivered two 42-metre next-generation fast crew boats to NMDC LTS, marking the company’s first vessel delivery to the Middle East offshore services provider.The Generation 4 aluminium vessels were developed in partnership with Prima Marine of Thailand and designed with Southerly Designs to support offshore operations across the region. Strategic Marine said the delivery strengthens its growing footprint in the Middle East market.The fast crew boats feature a high-efficiency hull form, hybrid-ready systems and a reinforced cargo deck.

On November 25, 2025, at the Offshore Energy Conference in Amsterdam, Windcat signed a contract with Damen Shipyards Group for a new Multi-Purpose Accommodation Support Vessel (MP-ASV), with the option of five additional vessels of this type. To be known as the Innovation Series, the vessels will combine a large open deck with a subsea crane with fuel efficient operations and comfortable, high-quality accommodation for personnel working in the offshore energy sector for extended periods.

Lebanon and Cyprus signed a long-awaited maritime demarcation deal on Wednesday, paving the way for potential exploration of offshore gas fields and energy cooperation in the Mediterranean.Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides signed the agreement at Lebanon's presidential palace and told reporters it would signal deeper cooperation between Lebanon, European Union-member Cyprus and the broader EU."This is a historical agreement, concluding an issue pending for many years and now look forward to what our countries can jointly create…

Windcat, part of CMB.TECH, has signed a contract with Damen Shipyards to build a new Multi-Purpose Accommodation Support Vessel (MP-ASV), with options for five additional units.To be known as the Innovation Series, the new class of offshore support vessels will combine a large open deck, subsea crane capability and fuel-efficient operations with accommodation for personnel working offshore for extended periods.Construction of the first MP-ASV is scheduled to begin in February 2026 at Damen’s Ha Long Shipyard in Vietnam, with delivery planned for 2028.

Lighting specialist Glamox has secured a contract to supply exterior marine LED lighting for four Offshore Construction Vessels (OCVs) commissioned by shipping company Seatankers.These highly versatile vessels can support all manner of offshore construction projects, from the construction and maintenance of offshore wind farms to the installation of subsea infrastructure and much more.Glamox is delivering a comprehensive package of exterior marine-certified LED lights for all four vessels.

ABS issued an approval in principle (AIP) to Petrobras for its safety-enhancing “sandwich hull” design concept for floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) tanks.The design uses parts of longitudinal and transverse elements constructed with steel-concrete-steel sandwich structures that allow tanks to remain free of internal obstructions, promising to improve operational efficiency during tank inspections and enabling activities to be performed using remotely operated tools and automated devices such as robots.ABS completed design reviews based on class requirements.

As COP30 kicks off its second week in Brazil, much has changed since the landmark Paris climate agreement was penned 10 years ago.The spirit of cooperation that once reigned has been shattered by economic rivalries and a stark divergence in climate policies among the world’s biggest polluters.The landmark UN COP21 climate agreement signed in Paris on December 12, 2015 saw 195 nations commit to setting binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial levels.

The hull of the Nexans Electra cable laying vessel (CLV) was launched from the dock hall at Ulstein Verft, marking a major milestone in the vessel’s journey towards completion.The hull has been constructed in a roofed, controlled environment at the Norwegian yard, enabling optimal conditions for precision painting and work quality.With the launch, which took place on November 13, 2025, the vessel moves from the dock hall to the outfitting quay, progressing toward its role in supporting…

ABS issued approval in principle (AIP) to Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) for its HyfloWind Float, a hybrid floating offshore wind structure designed to enhance production efficiency and streamline deployment processes.The HyfloWind Float features a concrete-based steel composite design, diverging from traditional all-steel structures. This approach facilitates local fabrication in regions where steel manufacturing capabilities are limited, helping lower the costs associated with importing steel.

Singapore-based engineering group Seatrium has reported strong execution in the third quarter ended September 30, 2025, bolstered by major offshore and wind project deliveries, a high-value order book and strategic asset sales.The group’s net order book stood at about $12.8 billion (S$16.6 billion), covering 24 projects slated for delivery through 2031. During the third quarter of 2025 the company completed the wind turbine installation vessel Charybdis and the offshore substations Greater Changhua 2b and 4…

Norwegian offshore vessel owner Solstad Maritime has signed a contract award with an international subsea contractor for the Normand Sentinel contract support vessel (CSV).The firm contract will start early 2026 and will keep the Normand Sentinel fully committed until the end of 2027. The agreement, with an undisclosed client, also includes one yearly option thereafter.Normand Sentinel will support the client’s operations worldwide. As part of the charter party, Solstad Maritime will deliver…

Norwegian offshore supply vessel owner DOF Group has secured a contract with BP for the provision of subsea services in the Atlantic region.The three-year firm and two-year options contract will see DOF deploy a high-capability subsea vessel asset to support BP with subsea construction, installation, repair, and maintenance (IRM) operations.Offshore operations are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026.Financial details related to the agreement, including rates and overall revenue…

Danish offshore wind installation firm Cadeler has signed two firm contracts covering the full-scope transportation and installation (T&I) of offshore wind turbines and their foundations for an upcoming offshore wind farm development, with a combined value of around $580 million.The foundations T&I campaign is set to begin in early 2029 and to be executed using one of Cadeler’s newbuild A-class vessels.The contract marks the the third full-scope foundation T&I campaign for Cadeler.The…