Petrobras keeping 2016-built pipelay support vessel busy offshore Brazil

Brazil’s state-owned energy giant Petrobras has prolonged the assignment of a pipelay support vessel (PLSV), owned and operated by a joint venture (JV) consisting of Norway’s DOF Group and TechnipFMC.

This contract extension for the PLSV Skandi Buzios will lengthen the vessel’s existing contract with Petrobras, prolonging it from April 2025 to September 2026. The ship is capable of installing large-diameter flexible pipes in the ultra-deepwater Brazilian pre-salt area. 

Designed for subsea construction and pipe laying, inspection, repair, and maintenance (IRM), and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) services up to 3,000-meter depth, the ship was constructed in 2016.

With a flexible pipelay tension capacity of 650 tons, the vessel, which restarted work with Petrobras on August 1, 2024, began its eight-year charter contract with the Brazilian giant in April 2017.

DOF, which recently won a subsea umbilicals, risers, and flowlines (SURF) assignment in Africa, got its hands on three service contracts with Petrobras in September 2023, raking in over $260 million for survey and inspection work.

After the Norwegian firm obtained two contracts with the Brazilian player in April 2024, putting a vessel duo to work, the company also grabbed hold of two long-term contracts with Petrobras in June 2024.