SLB OneSubsea 首席执行官 Mads Hjelmeland 表示：“Fram Sør 是我们行业的一个突破性项目，标志着首个大型全电动海底生产系统。全电动海底解决方案不仅显著减少了对顶部模块的需求，使诸如 Fram Sør 开发项目之类的大规模回接成为可能，而且通过减少占地面积和简化操作，它们还是释放更多边际资源的关键。”
Here’s a roundup of the latest E&P headlines, including Equinor’s selection of the SLB OneSubsea joint venture to construct the first large-scale all-eelectric subsea production system offshore Norway.
Equinor has selected the SLB OneSubea joint venture to engineer, procure and construct what is being called the first large-scale all-electric subsea production system.
The 12-well system is for the Fram Sør field in the North Sea offshore Norway.
OneSubsea will deliver four subsea templates and a dozen electric subsea trees. The equipment is expected to save on cost and space, with minimal topside modification and no need to supply hydraulic fluid from the host platform, the energy services company said Aug. 25.
“Fram Sør is a breakthrough project for our industry—marking the first large-scale all-electric subsea production system,” said SLB OneSubsea CEO Mads Hjelmeland. “Not only do all-electric subsea solutions significantly reduce topside needs to make large-scale tiebacks such as the Fram Sør development possible, but they also hold the key to unlock more marginal resources through their reduced footprint and simplified operations.”
SLB OneSubsea also carried out FEED work for the project, aiming to fast-track global adoption of electric subsea technology. The project’s use of the technology resulted from a joint industry project that began in 2018 when industry players collaborated to advance standardization of subsea electrification technology.
The EPC contract between Equinor and OneSubsea is subject to regulatory approval of the project’s development and operations plan.
Plans are to develop the field as a subsea tieback to the host platform Troll C in the North Sea. The project develops several discoveries, including Echino South, Blasto and two smaller discoveries. Equinor said that recoverable volumes from Fram Sør are estimated at 116 MMboe, comprised of 75% oil and 25% gas.
Carbon intensity from the development was estimated at about 0.5 kg of CO2 per boe, far below the industry average of 8 kg for the Norwegian Continental Shelf and the 16 kg industry average.
Below is a compilation of some more global E&P news.
Exploration
Aker BP Strike Big in North Sea with Omega Alfa Discovery
Aker BP said a five-target exploration campaign in the Norwegian North Sea led to the discovery of up to an estimated 134 MMboe of new resources in the Yggdrasil hub area.
The $12.1 billion hub area is home to several discoveries, including East Frigg, Munin, Fulla and Hugin. The latest, Omega Alfa, was called significant and described by Aker BP CEO Karl Johnny Hersvik as one of the largest commercial discoveries in Norway in a decade.
The resources were found as part of the Aker BP-led Omega Alfa exploration campaign, which utilized a multilateral well west of Yggdrasil. The Deepsea Stavanger rig was used to drill the five targets, drilling a total of 45,000 m during a three-month period starting in May. This included what Aker BP called the three longest well branches ever drilled on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, with the longest branch reaching 10,666 m.
“The horizontal drilling method enabled the collection of an unprecedented amount of high-quality reservoir data,” the company said. “This has significantly reduced subsurface uncertainty and allows us to rapidly advance into concept studies to determine the optimal tie-back solution to Yggdrasil.”
Operator Aker BP reported in July a discovery of between 20 MMboe and 40 MMboe from two of the five exploration targets. The estimated combined recoverable volumes increased to between 96 MMboe and 134 MMboe when the campaign ended.
The Omega Alfa campaign was conducted across three production licenses (PL) operated by Aker BP in partnership with Orlen Upstream Norway and Equinor for PL 873 and PL 873B. Equinor and Orlen Upstream Norway are also partners in PL 1249 along with Petoro.
AkerBP and partners are targeting first oil from Yggdrasil in 2027. The subsea hub’s development and operation plan was approved by Norwegian authorities in 2023. Plans for the subsea development include 55 wells, nine templates, pipelines and umbilicals.
TGS Secures Streamer Contract Offshore Indonesia
Seismic data company TGS was awarded a streamer contract covering approximately 10,000 sq km offshore Indonesia, the company said Aug. 25.
The project, which is scheduled to start in fourth-quarter 2025 and last about eight months, will focus mostly on acquiring 3D seismic data for exploration. The final phase of the project will be dedicated to acquiring 4D seismic data for production monitoring, TGS said in a news release.
TGS CEO Kristian Johansen the survey will be acquired with a purpose-built Ramform designed vessel equipped with the company’s proprietary GeoStreamer technology. “This contract secures utilization well into Q3 2026,” Johansen said.
PXGEO Lands Company’s First Geophysical Contract in Malaysia
PXGEO on Aug. 25 said it won its first contract in Malaysia where it will provide offshore seismic data acquisition services.
As part of the two-year agreement, the company will use the PXGEO 2 seismic vessel to deliver multiple surveys using 2D and 3D towed streamer technology that can incorporate ocean bottom node technology, if needed, it said. The campaign aims to help unlock hydrocarbon resources in the country in alignment with the ambitions of the Malaysia Petroleum Management.
“Winning work in a new geography with a new client is an exciting development for our business,” PXGEO CEO Charles “Chuck” Davison Jr. said.
He added “reliable high-quality seismic data is essential for guiding drilling and development decisions.”
China’s Sinopec Adds Certified 165 Bcm Shale Gas Reserves
(Reuters) China’s Sinopec said on Aug. 21 that the Chinese government has certified 165 Bcm of gas reserves in a shale field in Southwest China as proven reserves.
The Hongxing Field, which straddles Hubei province and Chongqing, targets rock layers about 3.3 km to 5.5 km (10,827 ft to 18,045 ft) underground. Complex structural deformation makes exploration and development particularly challenging, the company said.
Sinopec also disclosed last week that China certified a further 124.6 Bcm of geological reserves in the Yongchuan shale field operated by the company in Sichuan.
Sinopec said it has so far built one deep shale gas field with reserves of around 1 trillion cubic meters in Fuling, along with four 100-Bcm-class fields in Weirong, Qijiang, Yongchuan and Hongxing.
Brazil’s ANP to Offer Seven Presalt Oil Blocks During October Auction
(Reuters) Brazilian oil regulator ANP will offer seven blocks in an upcoming auction for areas to explore in the country’s offshore presalt region, set to happen on Oct. 22, it said in a statement on Aug. 20.
Bidding will be opened for Jaspe, Citrino, Larimar, Onyx, Itaimbezinho, Ametista and Esmeralda blocks.
The presalt region is where most of Brazil’s oil comes from. Discoveries nearly two decades ago in the region, defined by vast deepwater fields under a thick layer of salt below the ocean floor, turned the country into one of the world's biggest oil producers.
Woodside Scores Win with Court Ruling for Scarborough Project
A favorable move by Australia’s Federal Court has given Woodside the last environmental approval needed to proceed with its Scarborough gas project offshore Western Australia.
The energy company on Aug. 22 said the court confirmed the validity of the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority’s (NOPSEMA) approval of the offshore environmental plan for the Scarborough Offshore Facility.
Approval of the plan—which is required for Woodside to connect, commission and operate the Scarborough floating production unit—had been challenged in court by the Doctors for the Environment Australia. The group claimed NOPSEMA may have accepted the environmental plan without fully understanding the gas project’s impact and how it would be managed. The court dismissed the claim, according to media reports.
Following the court decision, Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill said the outcome reinforces confidence in progressing the project.
“Scarborough is expected to be one of the lowest carbon intensity sources of LNG delivered into north Asian markets, providing reliable energy to the region while also supporting local energy security through critical domestic gas supply,” she said.
Besides the gas field, the Scarborough project includes construction of Pluto Train 2, modifications to the existing Pluto Train 1 and the Integrated Remote Operations Center. It is set to produce up to 8 million tonnes of LNG per year and contribute up to 225 terajoules per day of domestic gas supply into the Western Australian market, Woodside said.
Excluding Train 1 modifications, the project was 86% complete as of June 30. Woodside said it plans to ship its first LNG cargo in the second half of 2026.
Business
Energy Services Provider Kent to Acquire Exceed Holdings
Energy services and engineering firm Kent on Aug. 20 said it will acquire U.K.-based Exceed Holdings Ltd., marking its entry in the decommissioning market.
The planned acquisition was announced about five months after Kent completed its purchase of Sudlows Consulting, a Dubai-based data center engineering specialist.
Financial details were not disclosed for the Exceed transaction.
The acquisition, expected to close later this year, will enable Kent to become a full-service energy partner offering services across the energy lifecycle, the company said. This includes the global offshore decommissioning market in which annual spend is expected to increase to $16 billion from $8 billion by 2035.
“Our agreement to acquire Exceed is a bold step into the future of responsible energy operations,” said Kent CEO John Gilley. “Exceed’s specialist capabilities in well and reservoir management, coupled with their strong reputation in decommissioning, complement our vision of offering full lifecycle services to our clients. Together, we will be uniquely positioned to help the industry navigate energy security, net-zero mandates, and the safe retirement of offshore assets.”
Exceed, which provides well management and subsurface services, is also active in the energy transition space. Its work includes repurposing reservoirs for carbon capture and hydrogen storage projects.
Tampnet, Island Drilling Seal Connected Rig Contract
Tampnet will provide a fully managed private 4G/5G network on the harsh-environment rig Island Innovator. (Source: Tampnet)
Offshore connectivity company Tampnet on Aug. 21 said it signed a five-year contract with Island Drilling to provide a 4G/5G network on the Island Innovator harsh-environment semi-submersible rig.
The fully managed contract will combine satellite, LTE (long-term evolution) and fiber communications to help ensure seamless connectivity where the rig operates, the company said.
“A well-connected rig is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s the backbone for remote operations and data-driven decision-making,” Tampnet Chief Commercial Officer Trygve Hagevik. “By blending LEO [low-earth orbit], LTE and LOS [line of sight]/fiber with real-time AI traffic steering and Private Network, we’re giving Island Drilling the performance and resilience they need—plus the freedom to scale advanced use cases such as predictive maintenance, digital twins and autonomous inspections.”
Technology
Cognite Expands Into Abu Dhabi, Forms New Entity
Industrial AI firm Cognite launched a new entity in Abu Dhabi to meet growing demand for industrial digitalization in energy and manufacturing, the company said Aug. 25.
The new entity will serve as a key hub for Cognite’s industrial AI technology, it said.
“The UAE is leading the world in ambition and action around industrial AI,” said Cognite CEO Girish Rishi. “Cognite is establishing a presence in the UAE to anchor our access and response to industrial customers, so we can co-innovate with our incredible talent on the ground.”
Hart Energy Staff and Reuters contributed to this report.
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