Ocean services provider DeepOcean has landed a long-term IMR (inspection, maintenance & repair) frame agreement with operator Vår Energi. The agreement has a fixed five-year term, running through the end of October 2030, and includes options that may extend the cooperation by up to another four years.
The work scope spans subsea operations across all Vår Energi-operated assets on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). The contract covers IMR tasks and project support for offshore modification projects, installation and commissioning activities, and drilling operations. DeepOcean will also deliver associated project management and engineering services.
According to Olaf Hansen, managing director of DeepOcean Europe, Vår Energi aims to build a collaborative relationship that improves efficiency and supports value creation. He said DeepOcean plans to use the partnership to further sharpen its ability to respond quickly and decisively to the operator’s subsea operational needs.
The agreement also places strong emphasis on new technology and alternative working methods. Uncrewed remote vessels and onshore remote operation centres are set to become key elements of future IMR operations carried out under the frame agreement.
Hansen noted that a close, long-term partnership is important for achieving the companies’ shared goals. He highlighted DeepOcean’s technical expertise and practical, can-do approach as important factors for the success of the collaboration.
DeepOcean and Vår Energi have already worked together on subsea operations for more than ten years. Vår Energi currently ranks as the third-largest operator on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and Norway’s second-largest exporter of gas. The new frame agreement keeps this long-running cooperation in place under a renewed contractual framework.