The Begonia field is located in Block 17/06, approximately 150 kilometers off the coast of Angola.

The company's first subsea project in Angola, McDermott has delivered engineering, procurement, construction, installation, pre-commissioning and commissioning activities for TotalEnergies' Begonia field development

The Begonia field is located in Block 17/06, approximately 150 kilometers off the coast of Angola.

Awarded in 2022, the project followed the company's integrated execution model, drawing on its global engineering and procurement expertise, growing onshore fabrication capabilities in Luanda and offshore installation supported by its versatile marine fleet. McDermott's Amazon vessel alone installed more than 40 kilometers of rigid pipelines, while its North Ocean 102 vessel completed the project's subsea umbilical scope.

"This milestone reflects the strength of our integrated subsea capabilities, executed seamlessly from engineering through offshore installation," said Mahesh Swaminathan, McDermott's senior vice president - subsea and floating facilities. "It reinforces the strategic value the Amazon brings to our operations, especially in markets where deepwater infrastructure plays a vital role in advancing energy security. This outcome also speaks to the strength of our partnership with TotalEnergies, the commitment of our local teams and partners in Angola, as well as the strategic importance of West Africa in our portfolio."

The Begonia development consists of five subsea wells tied back to the existing Pazflor floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel in Block 17. First oil was achieved in July of this year, with the new infrastructure expected to add approximately 30,000 barrels of oil per day to Pazflor's existing production capacity.

The product line promises cutting-edge ultra-heavy-duty subsea vehicle technology. (Image source: FET)

Nigerian oil and gas firm Marine Platforms (MPL) has signed a contract with Forum Energy Technologies (FET) to deploy new generation work class remotely operated vehicles offshore West Africa 

Set to be delivered by May 2026, the contract allows MPL to secure two of FET's subsea XLX EVO III models to oversee intra-operational functions. The product line promises cutting-edge ultra-heavy-duty subsea vehicle technology, designed to undertake a broad spectrum of underwater tasks. The 4000m ROVs will be equipped with larger thrusters for increased through water performance and an improved buoyancy package, facilitating a 350kg payload. 

FET will also be introducing a bolted frame -- which is now CNC-machined -- to provide an improved layout for maintenance access as well as tooling capability. Their through-frame-lift will increase to 4000kg, a rise of over 30% from the EVO II.

The XLX EVO III comes with updated pilot chairs and console as well as FET’s next-gen control software, ICE Unity, enabling remote operations and 24-hour support.

Kevin Taylor, FET’s vice president operations - subsea, said, “We are thrilled to be bringing our next generation work class ROV out of the testing pool and into action off the west African coast.

“Marine Platforms is a reliable and longstanding customer, and it’s a pleasure to continue to support the team’s operations. Africa is generally a difficult region to break into, but demonstrating FET’s latest technology in the field will bolster our presence.”

The technology provides a lightweight offline intervention solution.

In a first divestment development for FrontRow Energy Technology Group, its subsidiary, WellSense, a rapid fibre-optic well diagnostics provider, has sold FiberLine Intervention licence to oilfield services company, Halliburton

The agreement terms secure a global licence for Halliburton to deploy WellSense FiberLine Intervention (Fli) technology for use in well stimulation monitoring.

A FrontRow Energy Technology Group company, WellSense, will continue to deploy the technology globally for all other oil and gas applications, including well plug and abandonment (P&A), well integrity and leak detection, as well as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS).

Annabel Green, CEO of WellSense, said, “The successful completion of this deal is a defining moment for WellSense and for our parent company, FrontRow Energy Technology Group. Not only is it a strong industry endorsement of our technology and the value it delivers, but also our business model of bringing new and innovative solutions to market.

“Our unique bare fibre dynamic despooling technology delivers superior data quality for a detailed subsurface understanding. Unlike other well monitoring techniques it provides a lightweight offline intervention solution with disposable probes for significant efficiency savings and reduced risk.

“Meeting the complex challenges of upstream oil and gas requires the adoption of technologies that fundamentally improve how the industry operates. This agreement is the result of a decade of focused innovation, collaboration and delivery and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all our employees, past and present, whose dedication has built the strong foundation that made this success possible.”

Steve Kent, CEO of FrontRow, said,“This deal is a major milestone for FrontRow and is a clear example of how UK-born innovation can solve industry challenges and attract global attention.

“This is FrontRow’s first commercial licence sale and a landmark in our journey. It demonstrates that innovation, when nurtured with the right expertise and support, can deliver technical success as well as real commercial value.”

The new system support remote operations. (Image source: FET)

Forum Energy Technologies has launched its next generation remotely operated vehicle (ROV) control system – ICE Unity

The system, introduced in response to the growing demand for data and control access from outside the main control system, can be rolled out across FET’s range of ROVs, which support underwater industry applications globally. It is compatible with the latest sensors and tooling.

Key features of ICE Unity include:
• A modern user interface with physical and touchscreen controls;
• One common user interface across different ROVs, minimising operator training;
• Network connectively which allows for remote operations as well as live streaming of survey data, and system monitoring.

Network connectively also enables machine learning, predictive maintenance, and remote support and updates.

Kevin Taylor, FET’s vice president operations – Subsea, said, “ICE Unity brings together innovation with seamless collaboration. This a step change in ROV controlling, bringing immense time and cost-saving benefits by enabling remote operations from outside the core control system.

“One major benefit is the ability to monitor performance remotely and reduce downtime by allowing the replacement of components when needed rather than using fixed maintenance intervals.”