Petrobras awarded Aker Solutions' subsidiary Aker Oilfield Services (AKOFS) a US$465 million contract to provide subsea intervention services offshore Brazil.
The five-year contract slated to begin in 4Q 2016 is for the Aker Wayfarer subsea construction vessel. The contract has an option for a five-year extension.
Aker will have additional equipment added to the Aker Wayfarer to become a deepwater subsea equipment support vessel (SESV) at a yard in Norway. Upon completion, Aker says the vessel will have a fiber-rope deployment system, deck skidding systems and a subsea orientation equipment system, allowing it to install and retrieve subsea trees and modules, including subsea structures and manifolds.
The Aker Wayfarer began operations offshore Brazil in June 2013 for an undisclosed customer for a period of 230 days. Previously, the vessel handled subsea installation on a yearlong campaign offshore Brazil during 2011 and 2012 for Brazilian independent OGX at its Waimea development.
At the end of September 2014, AKOFS will become part of Akastor, an oilfield services investment company that will be one of two companies formed as part of the split of Aker Solutions, an announcement that came in April. Aker says the split is to speed up a bid to reduce costs via streamlining and better position the business in an increasingly competitive global energy industry. Aker went on the say the decision to separate the two companies will give them greater strategic freedom to develop individually through organic growth and transactions.
Aker was also recently received the necessary regulatory approvals for a subsea production alliance with Baker Hughes earlier this month. The two companies agreed to form the alliance to develop technology for production solutions designed to boost output, increase recovery rates and reduce costs for subsea fields. The new alliance will also focus on advancing the industry’s well-intervention capabilities to further optimize efficiency and reduce risks in subsea developments.
Image of the Aker Wayfarer, from Aker
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