Norwegian oil and gas company Equinor has awarded a contract to DeepOcean for the inspection and survey of its North Sea pipelines.  

The contract, set to commence in 2024, encompasses pipeline inspections, seabed mapping and occasional pipeline survey and light construction tasks. 

It is an extension of DeepOcean's existing frame agreement with Equinor for offshore survey services.  

The companies did not reveal the financial details of the contract.   

DeepOcean said the work will be carried out by the Superior Survey ROV, which features hydrodynamic design and advanced navigation and sensor systems. 

Managed from DeepOcean's headquarters in Haugesund, Norway, the project will also receive support from the company's operations in Aberdeen, UK.  

DeepOcean commercial manager – survey & inspection Trond Hagland said: “Equinor is the largest operator on the NCS and Europe’s leading energy provider through both oil and gas and renewable energy assets. We are proud to continue to support Equinor with subsea services in the North Sea. We will utilise the vessel Edda Flora with our Superior Survey ROV to perform the survey work.” 

This contract follows a series of collaborations between DeepOcean and major industry players, including a recent engagement by ExxonMobil for subsea services in the Stabroek block, offshore Guyana. 

The Stabroek block is recognised as a significant oil and gas discovery, with more than eight billion oil-equivalent barrels of recoverable resources.  

DeepOcean will organise and execute a variety of subsea tasks, such as subsea inspection, maintenance and repair work, subsea construction and buoyancy installations for the Stabroek project. 

In August 2023, Equinor also entrusted DeepOcean with the Troll B – Increased Gas Export project, which involved engineering, shipping, installation of the gas export riser, subsea tie-ins and pre-commissioning support.