Equinor, Norway’s state-owned oil and gas company, and ocean services provider DeepOcean have renewed their long-running frame agreement for IMR activities, ranging from subsea inspection to maintenance and repair. The latest extension secures IMR support through to 2035 and means DeepOcean will have delivered uninterrupted IMR services to Equinor from 2006 to 2035, a collaboration spanning three decades.
Under the extended arrangement, DeepOcean will deploy specialised IMR vessels and a full suite of subsea services throughout 2026 and into 2027. The scope also includes onshore engineering and project management support for a range of subsea operations.
The work will be managed from DeepOcean’s office in Haugesund, Norway, with additional support from the company’s remote operations centre at Killingøy.
Olaf A. Hansen, Managing Director of DeepOcean’s Europe operation, said that Equinor’s decision to extend the agreement ensures continuity of IMR operations until the planned delivery in 2027 of the newbuild IMR vessel Rem Ocean, which is designed with an environmental focus. He added that the extension allows for a seamless transition between the current vessel and Rem Ocean.
Hansen also noted that long-term client relationships and the use of new technology are key elements of DeepOcean’s business approach, and that the long-standing cooperation with Equinor reflects this focus.
In November 2024, the two companies signed an eight-year IMR contract covering Equinor-operated assets on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) and in Europe.
