Officials and operators in the US Gulf of America (GoA) are assessing any damage to offshore infrastructure following Hurricane Isaias.
The Marine Minerals Administration (MMA) is monitoring offshore oil and gas platforms and other facilities after the evacuation of platforms and rigs in response to the storm.
The MMA reported on 11 October that its teams will work with offshore operators and other state and federal agencies until operations return to normal, and the storm is no longer a threat to GoA oil and gas activities.
Onshore, a number of individuals died, in Florida and Alabama, including people who were killed when trees fell on their houses, while hundreds of thousands were left without power after the hurricane battered parts of the southern US with powerful winds and heavy rain.
According to the MMA, oil personnel were evacuated from a total of 32 production platforms, representing around 8.7% of the 371 manned platforms in the US GoA.
It added that none of the 17 dynamically positioned rigs in the region moved off location out of the storm’s path as a precaution.
Dynamically positioned rigs maintain their location while conducting well operations by using thrusters and propellers; these rigs are not moored to the seafloor, so they can move out of harm’s way in a relatively short time frame.
The Administration said that personnel remained on board to return to the original location after the storm had passed.
From operator reports, the MMA estimates that approximately 57.5% of current daily oil production and 49.1% of current daily natural gas production in the GoA was shut in as a result of the storm.
“After the storm has passed, facilities will be inspected,” it added.
“Once all standard checks have been completed, production from undamaged facilities will be brought back online immediately. Facilities sustaining damage may take longer to bring back online.”
With around 700 facilities estimated to be approaching the end of life in the Middle East, decommissioning activity is set to accelerate.
An indication of the activity to come was the award of a decommissioning engineering contract earlier this year to McDermott by QatarEnergy, in the first project of its kind in the country. McDermott will develop a comprehensive technical and commercial framework and conduct detailed techno-economic studies to ensure the safe and systematic retirement and removal of 27 ageing offshore platforms and associated subsea infrastructure. Leveraging its deep knowledge of these assets, most of which it installed, and global expertise in strategic offshore decommissioning, McDermott says will deliver a solution that prioritises safety, efficiency and environmental responsibility, ensuring seamless transition from decommissioning definition engineering to execution.
The company is “uniquely positioned to deliver a landmark framework that will set new industry benchmarks and establish best-in-class standards for future decommissioning efforts in the region and beyond," according to managing director Mike Sutherland, McDermott Senior Vice President, Offshore Middle East.
The fact that the Middle East is at an early stage in the decommissioning journey means that a structured and integrated approach to decommissioning can be introduced at the outset.
Lee Vettese, regional manager – Middle East at leading logistics, materials and operational management specialist ASCO argues that getting the decommissioning model right now will reduce risk, protect schedules and build the local skills, infrastructure and supply chains needed for future projects.
It is about building the physical capacity, regulatory frameworks, specialist skills and operating models needed to manage decommissioning safely and efficiently, he says, highlighting that the Middle East can learn from the experience of more mature decommissioning markets such as the North Sea, combining international delivery experience with local content and knowledge.
Asco has recently opened an office in Qatar, its first in the Middle East, to serve the growing GCC and wider Middle East market, seeing increasing demand in a number of areas including environmental handling and decommissioning services.
Also having the Middle East in its sights as a critical market, is a new decommissioning partnership between Aquaterra Energy, a leading provider of engineered products and services for well access and offshore developments, and James Fisher, a global provider of specialist marine and energy solutions. The two organisations aim to streamline offshore decommissioning delivery by providing energy operators with a single, integrated route to plan and execute well abandonment and infrastructure removal programmes, in contrast with fragmented traditional decommissioning models, connecting early-stage planning, detailed engineering, and well access with final offshore execution. For operators, this means fewer handovers between disparate contractors, substantially stronger accountability throughout the project lifecycle, and greater certainty from initial scope development through to final execution.
Also targeting the Middle East as a priority region is Blue Ocean Decom, a new company set up to provide engineered, specialist subsea removal solutions for the offshore energy sector as global decommissioning activity accelerates. With a focus on execution discipline and environmental responsibility, the firm provides specialised equipment packages to support complex platform and well cutting operations, as well as services for the safe subsea asset removal of pipelines and risers, seabed preparation and clearance, and subsea asset recovery.
“Decommissioning no longer represents a simple back-end obligation. The industry now treats it as a top strategic priority. Operators face immense pressure to execute these complex projects with absolute precision,” the company comments, viewing subsea removal as deserving the same level of specialist attention as any other critical path discipline.
Malaysia is about to become a hive of activity in the decommissioning and abandonment space in the south-east Asia context.
The country’s decommissioning activity looks set to gather pace significantly during the 2027 to 2030 period as state oil company Petronas lets more contracts to industry in order to retire ageing infrastructure.
The Petronas Activity Outlook 2026-2028 outlines the expected growth in activity across strands of the group’s business, including decommissioning and abandonment.
According to the document, only a handful of contracts have been let so far, mainly for work in Sarawak, covering subsea and platform engineering, as well one in the Malaysian peninsula.
That is expected to climb substantially from next year.Petronas expects a total of 42 contracts in the three-year period from 2027, predominantly covering Sarawak, but also including some work in Sabah and the peninsula.
The number of contracts already let is listed at just four during 2025 and two so far in 2026.
Activity listed as ’not yet contracted’ in the outlook document for 2027 to 2030 is predominantly for work covering wellhead platforms and drilling platforms — representing 35 contracts in total.
The rest of the work covers decommissioning and abandonment for mobile offshore application barges and central processing platforms, as well as floating production, storage and offloading vessels and mobile offshore production units.
Over the next two decades, thousands of subsea structures, pipelines, and platforms are scheduled to cease operations.
As these massive industrial installations reach the end of their productive lives, regulators, operators, and environmental scientists are confronted with a colossal task: determining the safest, most sustainable methods for managing redundant offshore infrastructure. The financial and environmental stakes are remarkably high, demanding a careful balance between economic feasibility and ecological preservation.
By 2040, more than 2,500 offshore oil and gas structures will be retired worldwide. Managing this transition requires an extraordinary financial investment, with decommissioning costs projected to reach up to US$13 billion per year. Australia, for example, faces a monumental task in addressing its legacy infrastructure.
This includes:
Under standard regulatory frameworks, the default requirement for operators is the complete removal of all property from the ocean. However, lifting thousands of tonnes of steel and concrete from the seabed is not always the most environmentally sound option. Alternative strategies, such as in-situ decommissioning, are increasingly being evaluated by industry and governments alike. This approach involves leaving some or all of the infrastructure in the marine environment, potentially repurposing defunct platforms into artificial reefs. Such alternatives may be permitted provided they comply with strict domestic regulations and international treaty obligations.
The primary objective of any decommissioning strategy is to minimise environmental impacts and reduce risks to a level that is as low as reasonably practicable. In-situ decommissioning can deliver substantial ecological benefits. Over decades of operation, many underwater structures have been colonised by marine life, transforming into thriving artificial reefs that support diverse marine ecosystems. Conversely, leaving industrial materials in the ocean introduces the risk of pollution, such as the potential release of heavy metals or naturally occurring contaminants, which could pose unacceptable risks.
To navigate this complex dilemma, regulators and industry leaders require robust, independent scientific data. Organisations such as the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) play a pivotal role in delivering this vital intelligence. AIMS conducts comprehensive research to understand how marine life interacts with offshore structures at both local and regional scales. Their studies provide the essential evidence needed to assess pollution risks and evaluate how different decommissioning scenarios might influence crucial ecosystem processes, such as population connectivity. Because every marine environment is unique, scientists must determine the most appropriate strategy on a rigorous, case-by-case basis.
Research institutions collaborate closely with global partners, including the National Decommissioning Research Initiative, to bridge critical knowledge gaps. To study these deep-sea habitats without impeding commercial offshore operations, researchers employ a wide range of innovative methodologies.
Key technologies and methods include:
Ultimately, the transition away from active oil and gas extraction presents a unique opportunity to rethink marine conservation and industrial responsibility. By fostering strong partnerships between scientific institutions and the offshore industry, it is possible to gather rigorous ecological data swiftly and safely. As the world grapples with the immense logistical and financial hurdles of decommissioning, science-led approaches will be absolutely crucial. Whether an offshore platform is completely removed or thoughtfully preserved as a novel habitat, ensuring the long-term health and resilience of our oceans remains the ultimate priority.
Norwegian energy group Equinor confirmed that it has discovered new gas reserves at the Gullfaks South field in the North Sea.
Rather than relying solely on frontier exploration in untested waters, energy operators in the North Sea have increasingly focused on maximising recovery near existing hubs. When new volumes are identified within the reach of active platforms, the pathway from discovery to extraction becomes substantially more straightforward. This latest announcement at Gullfaks South exemplifies how targeted exploration around long-standing assets can yield immediate operational value for the wider offshore sector.
In an official statement detailing the outcome of the evaluation, Equinor noted that the discovery holds between 0.5 million and 1.6 million standard cubic metres of recoverable oil equivalents.
Maintaining steady throughput at mature offshore installations is critical for extending the operational lifespan of the broader field. As reservoir pressures naturally shift over time, introducing fresh gas volumes helps keep topside facilities running efficiently and preserves employment and service activity across the regional supply chain. By confirming that these barrels are commercially sound, the operator underscores the strategic importance of continuous appraisal drilling within established production licences.
The stewardship of the Gullfaks asset reflects the collaborative joint-venture model that underpins offshore resource management in Norway. As the designated operator of the field, Equinor holds a 51% controlling stake, guiding the technical and operational strategy required to bring the newly discovered gas into the production stream.
The remaining equity is divided between two established partners in the region. Petoro withholds a substantial 30% stake in the licence, whilst OMV Norge holds the remaining 19% interest. Together, the three organisations share both the investment commitments and the commercial returns generated by extending the productive life of the Gullfaks South area. As work progresses to integrate these 3.3 million to 10.3 million barrels of oil equivalent into the field's output schedule, the discovery stands as clear evidence that the North Sea fifty-year-old hydrocarbon province still holds profitable surprises beneath the seabed.
Valaris Limited has announced it has been awarded new contracts and extensions, with an associated backlog sitting at approximately US$220mn.
The company has won a two-well exploration contract with Petronas Suriname Exploration & Production B.V for its drillship VALARIS DS-18. The contract is expected to commence in Q4 2026 with a duration of seven months.
VALARIS 107 will head over to Australia with a new contract expected to commence following its current commitments, with an expected duration of 300 days.
The company has also secured a new multi-well P&A contract in the Southern North Sea. The contract is a fleet award under which operations may be performed by any suitable rig within the North Sea fleet. The commencement window is up until December 2030, and has an estimated duration of 341 days.
A contract extension has been granted for VALARIS 122 with INEOS for a project in the Danish North Sea, which will commence in February 2027 for approximately 126 days.
Guardian Decommissioning and Wild Well Control have announced a strategic agreement for the decommissioning of the Bullwinkle platform in the Green Canyon Block 65 in the Gulf of America.
The agreement further strengthens the long-standing relationship between the two companies, building on the successful collaborations in decommissioning, well abandonment, and specialist well control operations.
Guardian will assume operatorship as agent of the wells, the pipelines and platform. The company will also work closely with current platform operator, Talos Energy, and Wild Well Control to execute simultaneous well abandonment activities alongside ongoing production operations.
The wells phase of the project will be first, followed by the pipelines and platform scopes. From Q4 2026, Guardian will execute well abandonment activities, platform removal, jacket reefing, and site clearance through to project completion.
Iain Murray, President of Guardian Decommissioning, said, “This agreement reflects the complementary strengths of our organisations. Guardian is built to manage complex offshore decommissioning projects, including multi-well campaigns and large-asset topside removals and jacket reefing. We look forward to delivering a safe and efficient retirement of the Bullwinkle assets while allowing Wild Well Control to continue focusing on its core intervention business.”
The agreement allows Guardian to apply its extensive decommissioning expertise while enabling Wild Well Control to focus on its growing well intervention and well control businesses.
Aker Solutions has been awarded a deal with BP for the provision of engineering and integrity services across the oil giant’s North Sea assets.
The new agreement, which includes engineering, integrity management, project support and operational services, expands Aker Solutions’ existing support for BP’s west of Shetland assets to also include central North Sea assets.
“We are proud to take on expanded responsibilities and look forward to continuing to support safe, reliable and efficient operations for BP” said Steinar Røgenes, acting Executive Vice President for Aker Solutions’ Life Cycle business.
The contract will be managed by Aker Solutions' Life Cycle segment from its facilities in Aberdeen, Scotland and is expected to support approximately 50 positions.
The agreement has an initial duration of three years, with two optional one-year extensions.
“This award strengthens our position in the UK market and supports our ambition to grow our Life Cycle business,” said Røgenes.
“Expanding our role across a broader asset portfolio demonstrates the value of combining technical expertise, commercial competitiveness and strong customer partnerships.”
Offshore reservoir management remains the cornerstone of long-term hydrocarbon sustainability across the Middle East.
Tecnimont, the plant engineering subsidiary of Milan-listed Maire, alongside regional builder Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC), has entered into a major construction contract with Saudi oil giant Aramco for the strategic Safaniyah Water Injection Project.
Announced following formal approval from the Saudi state energy company, the agreement establishes CCC as the primary subcontractor delivering the on-the-ground build-out. Tecnimont serves as the head contractor entrusted with the overall package, deepening the operational alliance between two engineering giants on vital upstream infrastructure within Saudi Arabia.
Water injection infrastructure represents an indispensable element of contemporary reservoir stewardship, particularly for mature offshore assets. Injecting treated water directly into targeted formations sustains subterranean pressure, ensuring long-term flow assurance and arresting natural decline rates.
At the heart of this operational programme is the world-renowned Safaniyah development:
Field Stature: Safaniyah ranks as the world's largest offshore oil field, having sustained continuous commercial operations since the 1950s.
Production Role: The field serves as the foundation for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Arabian Heavy crude output, making its operational integrity essential to national export strategies.
Infrastructure Scope: The water injection project provides the critical supporting facilities required to maintain primary reservoir pressure across the asset's producing horizons.
Upstream Strategy: The development forms an integral component of Aramco’s overarching upstream development programme dedicated to long-term extraction efficiency.
Maintaining plateau production from an asset that has been online for over seven decades demands sophisticated surface and subsea solutions. By replenishing reservoir energy via water injection, Aramco preserves extraction rates without compromising geological stability, keeping Arabian Heavy supplies steady for global refining markets.
The formal contract execution took place in Al Khobar, signed by Daniele Quintarelli, Regional Vice President at Tecnimont, and Hisham Kawash, Regional Managing Director at CCC. This step signals immediate progression toward site-level deployment and construction mobilisation along the Kingdom’s eastern coast.
Under the agreed terms, CCC assumes full responsibility for comprehensive project execution and construction activities. The contractor will deploy its regional capabilities, technical proficiency, and specialised know-how cultivated across decades of complex oil and gas builds in the Kingdom.
Tecnimont, headquartered in Italy, brings extensive global pedigree as an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) specialist in highly intricate industrial and hydrocarbon facilities. By joining forces, the two contractors create an integrated framework capable of meeting Aramco’s rigorous technical and delivery specifications.
Beyond addressing immediate operational requirements at Safaniyah, the transaction represents a critical consolidation of industrial ties across the Gulf Cooperation Council. For CCC, the contract award deepens a productive working relationship with Tecnimont that has spanned numerous high-profile hydrocarbon ventures throughout the Gulf region.
A spokesman for CCC confirmed that this latest award solidifies the contractor’s standing as an indispensable execution partner for major oil and gas undertakings across Saudi Arabia. The arrangement reflects a proven model in regional project delivery, pairing international technology and project management leadership with proven regional construction capacity.
As the Kingdom’s energy sector balances disciplined operational expenditure with long-term capacity requirements, investments in upstream field maintenance remain paramount. The Safaniyah Water Injection Project underscores how targeted engineering packages continue to underpin global energy resilience, ensuring that Saudi Arabia’s foundational fields remain reliable contributors to international energy balances for decades to come.
The British Rig Owners Association (BROA) has announced the appointment of Phil Milton, Chief Executive Officer of Well-Safe Solutions, as its new Chair.
His appointment comes at a pivotal time for offshore operators as the industry is navigating the challenges of maintaining energy security while accelerating the transition to a low-carbon future.
As a highly-respected industry leader, boasting more than 30 years’ experience, Milton brings extensive expertise in well lifecycle services, including decommissioning, project delivery, and energy transition activity. As CEO, he has overseen Well-Safe Solutions’ growth into a leading specialist contractor and has become a prominent voice in the industry.
Milton said, “It is an honour to be appointed Chair of the British Rig Owners Association. I have spent my entire career working on and with rigs, from starting as a machine shop apprentice in the early nineties to building Well-Safe Solutions over the last decade, with our own three rigs now in operation. This is a proud moment for me, and I look forward to supporting our membership through the current challenging climate.
“Our industry has always been subject to high-impact changes and pressures. However, British rigs have now reached a critical point: skills, supply chain and investment are all under severe strain. We need to act decisively to ensure that we continue to have a market here in the UK. Along with the BROA team and the wider UK Chamber of Shipping leadership, I hope to help navigate us towards calmer seas.”
This appointment follows approvals by the UK Chamber of Shipping Supervisory Board, where the BROA Chair holds and official seat, strengthening the representation of offshore rig sector.
Arabian Drilling has landed a new four-year contract with Khafji Joint Operations (KJO) for the provision of four high-specification offshore jack-up drilling rigs to support the client’s offshore drilling operations.
The contract is estimated to be worth approximately SAR 2bn, or around US$534mn.
KJO operates across both onshore and offshore areas of the Partitioned Zone, which is located between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
It is a joint venture formed between a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, Aramco Gulf Operations Company, and Kuwait Gulf Oil Company.
“This four-year contract represents the largest single offshore drilling contract awarded by KJO to the company for the provision of four high-specification offshore jack-up drilling rigs to support KJO's offshore drilling operations,” a statement released by Arabian Drilling noted.
It added that the award increases the company’s total backlog to approximately SAR 18bn (US$4.8bn) and expands its offshore fleet operating under contracts with KJO — representing a 200% increase in its drilling rig fleet serving KJO.
KJO’s activities in the Partitioned Zone, previously known as the Neutral Zone, have provided a steady stream of work for industry contractors in recent times.
Flagship projects in the area include the Dorra gas field development, the Khafji oilfield expansion and the Hout gas field.
Kickstarting a multi-well drilling campaign for strategic partner, Arena Energy, LLC, White Fleet Drilling, LLC has deployed its newly refurbished WFD 450 jack-up drilling rig, equipped for operations at water depth of 400 ft and a drilling depth capacity of 30,000 ft.
This comes following the rig's refurbishment as part of a comprehensive US$65mn acquisition and upgrade initiative. The repaired asset with modernised specifications stands apart from existing fleets, and perfectly aligns with Arena's ambitions to unlock unexploited proven reserves.
First constructed in 1999 and previously managed by Valaris, the rig had spent seven years cold-stacked in the shallow Gulf waters. White Fleet’s substantial investment to repair and modernize the asset stands as one of the largest offshore rig refurbishments in the region in recent years. Following its christening on January 9, 2026, the rig commenced offshore drilling operations in late March.
Currently operating in the Southern Eugene Island area, the rig is slated for continued drilling across Arena's Gulf leasehold.
“This is what a long-term commitment to American energy looks like,” said Arena Co-Founder and CEO Mike Minarovic. “Nobody invests $65 million in a rig for a single drilling season. The WFD 450 will be drilling wells on the Shelf — and generating significant royalties for the federal treasury — for the next 15 to 20 years.”
Minarovic continued, “We are ‘all in’ on the future of the shallow water Gulf of America. The Shelf still holds vast potential, and the WFD 450 gives Arena the reach to unlock proved reserves that no other rig in the Gulf could access.”
By restoring and expanding offshore production capabilities across the entire depth spectrum of the shallow-water Gulf Shelf, the deployment of the WFD 450 directly reinforces American energy dominance.
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