Activity News

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, today announced another major step toward expanding offshore energy development pursuant to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. BOEM released the Final Notice of Sale for Lease Sale Big Beautiful Gulf 2 (BBG2), the second of 30 Gulf of America lease sales required by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law No: 119-21). BOEM will again invite lease sale bidders to attend the live bid reading, per BOEM instructions, on March 11, 2026, starting at 9 a.m. Central Time.

KESTO, a joint venture between Denmark’s ESVAGT and South Korea’s KMC Line, has secured its first contracts to provide offshore service logistics for Vestas at the Shinan-Ui offshore wind farm in South Korea.From 2028 and for a minimum period of 10 years, KESTO will provide vessels to support Vestas’ service scope at the Shinan-Ui project. KESTO will begin servicing Vestas during the construction phase and will continue to deliver service operations once the wind farm becomes operational…

Seatrium has completed divested its AmFELS Yard located at Brownsville in Texas to Karpower Valley, a related party of Karpowership.The divestment, first announced in September 2025 and completed on January 30, 2026, will allow Seatrium to enhance capital and operational efficiencies, while unlocking value from one of its surplus facilities, the company said at the time.All projects carried out at the AmFELS yard have been completed and delivered prior to completion the asset sale…

Singaporean shipbuilder Strategic Marine has delivered a 27-meter crew transfer vessel (CTV) to a Taiwanese company for offshore wind operations in Taiwan.The vessel is based on Strategic Marine’s StratCat 27 design, which was developed in collaboration with BMT, and is intended to support offshore wind farm construction, operations and maintenance activities.According to Strategic Marine, the CTV features a hull form designed to enhance seakeeping, maneuverability and operational performance in Taiwan’s offshore conditions.

Vard, the Norwegian subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group, has delivered the second Commissioning Service Operation Vessel (CSOV) to Windward Offshore, named Windward Paris.The naming ceremony was held at the delivery yard, Vard Brattvaag in Norway on January 28, 2026.Windward Paris is the second CSOV Vard has delivered to Windward Offshore, one week before contractual delivery date.The first vessel Windward Athens, delivered on time in September 2025, is currently operating under an O&M contract…

A U.S. judge on Monday will consider a request from Danish energy company Orsted to block the Trump administration's halt on its Sunrise Wind project off the coast of New York.The preliminary injunction request is the fifth brought by an offshore wind developer since the Interior Department's December 22 pause on five offshore wind leases in federal waters. The agency stopped work on the multi-billion-dollar facilities due to national security concerns around radar interference.Orsted has spent or committed more than $7 billion to date to build Sunrise Wind, the company said in a court filing.

China-based offshore wind foundations manufacturer Dajin Heavy Industry and Spanish industrial group Zima Equity Investments have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly develop an offshore wind foundations manufacturing facility at the Port of Gijon in Asturias, northern Spain.Under the agreement, the partners plan to establish a manufacturing plant at the Port of Gijon capable of producing foundations for offshore wind projects serving the European market and other global regions.

Specialist provider of crew transfer solutions to the offshore wind industry Tidal Transit has unveiled the latest addition to its growing fleet of purpose-build crew transfer vessels (CTVs).The new 24-passenger CTV, Emilia Jane, is the latest WindFlex-27 with quad-IPS propulsion, designed by Incat Crowther UK and built by Penguin International.Expected to arrive in the UK in March 2026, Emilia Jane will provide essential service and maintenance support to offshore wind operations in the North Sea.Building on her predecessors’ designs (Arabella Jane…

Dominion Energy said on Friday the total project costs for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind have increased to roughly $11.5 billion from $11.2 billion.The changes in estimated costs reflect the impact of temporary suspension of work issued by the U.S. government in December as well costs associated with tariffs.Earlier this month, a federal judge allowed Dominion to resume work at the Virginia offshore wind project, after it was initially suspended by the Trump administration over what it called national security concerns.The project was originally slated to be completed by the end of 2026…

Subsea7 has secured a sizeable contract by Shell for the Kaikias Waterflood project, a deepwater development in the Mars-Ursa Basin, off the Louisiana coast in the United States.The scope of work includes the transportation and installation of a subsea umbilical, riser, and a rigid flowline in water depths of up to 1,650 meters.Project management and engineering activities will begin immediately from Subsea7's Houston, Texas office, with offshore operations scheduled for 2027.The exact value of the contract has not been disclosed…

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure called a draft law proposing to allow offshore oil and gas exploration in its overseas territories "anachronistic" during a debate in the country's Senate on Thursday.In a world first, France banned new oil and gas exploration and production licenses in 2017, hoping other nations would follow suit. But energy security fears following the loss of Russian gas, along with worries over increased reliance on U.S. liquefied natural gas have led senators to reconsider developing domestic resources."The government is not favourable to this proposal ...

Offshore wind installation contractor Cadeler has signed a preferred supplier agreement with an undisclosed client for the transportation and installation (T&I) of monopiles and transition pieces at a large offshore wind farm in European waters.The foundation installation campaign is expected to begin in the first half of 2028 and would be carried out using two of Cadeler’s wind installation vessels, including one of its newbuild A-class ships designed for XXL foundation installation.The…

Nam Cheong Limited, one of Southeast Asia’s leading Offshore Support Vessel (OSV) providers based in Sarawak, Malaysia, has announced that the Group has entered into a sales agreement with an Indonesian customer to sell one 11-year-old 3,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) platform support vessel (PSV) for $19.8 million.The vessel sale is part of the Group’s fleet reprofiling initiatives and is expected to contribute positively soto the Group’s earnings for the financial year ending 2026.

Norwegian vessel owner and operator Golden Energy Offshore Services has signed binding agreements to sell two offshore support vessels for a combined gross price of about $57.25 million, completing a previously announced plan to divest vessels in the near term.The company said its subsidiary Energy Empress signed a sales agreement on January 23 for the multi-purpose support vessel (MPSV) Energy Empress at a gross price of $30 million. The transaction is expected to be completed during February 2026 and is based on the industry standard Saleform 2012 contract…

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Monday that her country has agreed with Germany to jointly proceed with the Bornholm Energy Island, a large offshore wind project.Frederiksen was speaking at a press conference at an energy conference in Hamburg alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.(Reuters)

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced the issuance of two Calls for Information and Nominations to solicit industry nominations and public comments on areas of interest for potential offshore oil and gas leasing in Southern California and Central California under President Trump’s 11th National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Program.Publishing these calls in the Federal Register marks the first step in BOEM’s offshore oil and gas leasing process under 30 CFR 556.301.

Gulf Marine Services (GMS), a provider of jack-up support vessels to the offshore energy industry, has agreed to acquire a new mid-class self-propelled, self-elevating support vessel, marking its first vessel acquisition in a decade.The vessel is expected to join the company’s fleet of 14 vessels within the next two weeks and is intended to support GMS’ strategy of doubling its 2024 adjusted EBITDA by 2030.The acquisition was partly financed through a $37.4 million 90-day interim loan provided by a Middle Eastern bank that is part of the company’s existing lending syndicate…

A study led by Vard, a subsidiary of Italy’s Fincantieri, has found that nuclear-powered offshore vessels are technically feasible, confirming that small fourth-generation nuclear reactors can be integrated into dynamically positioned vessels while meeting safety, redundancy and operational requirements.Results from the NuProShip II research and innovation project show that nuclear propulsion can support DP2 power architectures, with potential adaptability to DP3 standards, offering…

Kongsberg Maritime has signed a contract to deliver a comprehensive deck machinery package for a new-generation 127-metre Floating Wind Construction Vessel (FWCV) being built for Hana Shipping of Korea.Scheduled for delivery in July 2027, the FWCV represents one of the most advanced vessels ever designed for floating offshore wind operations and marks the first large FWCV order globally in recent years.The vessel, designed by Focal, will operate at the Ulsan Floating Wind Farm Construction, located 70 km off the coast of Ulsan, Korea.

European governments including Germany, Britain and Denmark will reinforce their plans to massively expand wind power projects on Monday, despite U.S. President Donald Trump stepping up criticism of their green energy agenda, a draft declaration due to be signed by government leaders showed.Trump has been openly critical of European countries' efforts to shift to low-carbon energy.

Norwind Offshore has taken delivery delivery of Norwind Maestro commissioning service operations vessel (CSOV) from Vard Søviknes, further expanding its managed fleet and reinforcing long-term commitment to supporting offshore wind farm operations.The 85-meter long Norwind Maestro CSOV has become the sixth vessel in Norwind Offshore’s fleet.The vessel, of VARD 4 19 design, will immediately start its 10-year contract at the Global Tech 1 Offshore Wind Farm in Germany, supporting operations and further strengthening the company’s long-standing partnership with Wind Multiplikator, a subsidiary of

Abu Dhabi Ports Group, via its subsidiary SAFEEN Drydocks, has acquired full ownership of Balenciaga Astilleros Shipyard in Spain for a total consideration of $13.1 million, consolidating the group’s operations in Spain and the Mediterranean and supporting its expansion in the offshore wind sector.SAFEEN Drydocks, part of Noatum Maritime, acquired the Basque-region shipyard, which will be renamed Balenciaga Shipyard, adding nearly a century of shipbuilding experience and advanced infrastructure to AD Ports Group’s portfolio.The facility includes two drydocks…

Brazilian state-run oil firm Petrobras and its logistics subsidiary Transpetro on Tuesday signed contracts with shipyards for five gas carriers, as well as 18 barges and 18 pushers, for 2.8 billion reais ($520.82 million).The companies made the deal official at an event in Brazil's southern Rio Grande do Sul state. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has prioritized boosting the country's shipbuilding sector, attended the ceremony.($1 = 5.3761 reais)(Reuters)