The Libra Consortium, led by Petrobras, has signed a contract with the Electric Energy Research Center (CEPEL) to develop the Power Grid project, an initiative that will assess the feasibility of electrically interconnecting up to five FPSOs operating in the Mero Field, in Brazil’s Santos Basin pre-salt.
The two-year study will evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of creating an integrated offshore electrical network capable of sharing power between production units. The project will include assessments of submarine power cables, electrical equipment, control systems, grid stability and overall system reliability.
According to the consortium, the objective is to improve operational efficiency, increase energy reliability, reduce operating costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions across the field.
If successfully developed, the project could establish the technical foundation for future offshore electrical grid concepts in Brazil and potentially serve as a reference for other large-scale offshore developments worldwide.
Transpetro has signed a US$427 million contract with Ecovix’s Rio Grande shipyard for the construction of four MR1-class tankers, each with a deadweight capacity of approximately 40,000 tons. The vessels will transport crude oil and petroleum products along the Brazilian coast as part of the company’s fleet renewal and expansion strategy.
The contract stems from the tender concluded in 2024 and forms part of the Mar Aberto Program, Transpetro’s long-term initiative to renew and expand the Petrobras System fleet. Delivery of the first vessel is expected within 33 months.
The broader program includes plans for the construction of 16 coastal shipping vessels, as well as 18 barges and 18 tugboats, reinforcing Transpetro’s long-term investment in Brazil’s maritime logistics infrastructure.
According to Transpetro President Sérgio Bacci, the four MR1 tankers will strengthen the company’s logistics capacity to support Petrobras’ growing production and refining activities. He also stated that, with the vessels contracted under the current fleet renewal program, Transpetro expects to expand its fleet from 26 to 42 vessels by 2030, while supporting the revitalization of Brazil’s domestic shipbuilding industry.
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Petrobras has extended the submission deadline for Opportunity No. 7004345558, covering the chartering of up to two newbuild Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) vessels with specialized technical services. Proposals are now due on July 21, 2026.
The extension follows recent amendments to the tender documentation, including new requirements related to shipyard commitments and financing arrangements. Among the most significant changes are the mandatory submission of a preliminary agreement with the nominated shipyard, the binding nature of the selected shipyard throughout the bidding process and the requirement for written evidence from a financial institution indicating the bidder’s ability to secure construction financing.
While Petrobras has not disclosed the reasons for the extension, the additional time provides participants with further opportunity to address the revised commercial, technical and financial requirements before proposal submission.
The former Brazilian PSV now operating as a Service Operation Vessel in the United States.
The Bravante VI (IMO 9645621) followed a path that differs from most of the vessels featured in this series.
Built in 2014 by Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Florida, the vessel was delivered to Boldini S.A., a company of Brazil’s Bravante Group, as a Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) designed to support the Brazilian offshore market.
Measuring approximately 92 metres in length, with an 18-metre beam and DP-2 dynamic positioning, she was designed to transport cargo, equipment and supplies to offshore installations. At the time, Brazil was experiencing one of the strongest periods of demand for offshore support vessels, driven by Petrobras’ expanding offshore activities and the rapid development of the pre-salt fields.
That scenario, however, changed quickly.
From 2014 onwards, reduced Petrobras investment, the impacts of the Lava Jato investigations and an oversupplied OSV market triggered one of the most challenging periods ever faced by Brazil’s offshore support industry. Several shipowners underwent financial restructuring, contracts were terminated and part of the fleet was either sold or redeployed to other regions.
Bravante VI became part of that movement.
In 2022, the vessel was acquired by Hornbeck Offshore Services, one of the leading offshore vessel operators in the United States. Initially renamed HOS Rosehill, she returned to the same shipyard where she had been built for an extensive conversion project. Before re-entering service, she received her current name: HOS ROCINANTE.
The conversion
Rather than continuing to operate the vessel as a conventional PSV, Hornbeck chose to convert her into a Service Operation Vessel (SOV) — a category also commonly referred to as CSOV within the offshore wind sector.
The project was carried out by Eastern Shipbuilding Group, the vessel’s original builder. While retaining the original hull, the conversion substantially changed her operational profile. The vessel received a motion-compensated walk-to-work gangway, a hybrid battery system, accommodation for up to 119 personnel, an S-92-certified helideck, a 3D motion-compensated offshore crane and infrastructure designed to support extended offshore campaigns.
The former PSV was adapted to perform a completely different role, providing technical support, accommodation for specialised crews and safe personnel transfer during offshore operations.
According to Eastern Shipbuilding Group and Hornbeck Offshore Services, HOS ROCINANTE is the first U.S.-flagged SOV converted from an existing offshore support vessel.
Where is she now?
Today, the former Bravante VI operates as HOS ROCINANTE, remaining in the Hornbeck Offshore Services fleet and operating along the U.S. East Coast.
Recent public vessel tracking records indicate her involvement in activities supporting the Revolution Wind offshore wind project. Her trajectory also reflects significant changes in two different offshore markets.
By the time she left Brazil, the country’s offshore support sector was still recovering from one of its deepest downturns, with limited demand for walk-to-work vessels. Investment remained largely focused on PSVs, AHTSs, RSVs and MPSVs supporting conventional oil and gas operations.
In the United States, meanwhile, the expansion of offshore wind projects has created demand for vessels capable of accommodating specialised personnel, providing safe offshore personnel transfers and supporting extended offshore campaigns.
Hornbeck’s decision also reflects a broader strategy that has become increasingly common across parts of the maritime industry. Rather than investing in a newbuild, the company selected a relatively modern hull, already built in the United States and compliant with the Jones Act, reducing delivery time, capital investment and project risk compared with commissioning a completely new vessel.
The former Bravante VI therefore reflects three important developments over the past decade: the contraction of Brazil’s offshore support market, the international redeployment of offshore assets and the growing demand for specialised support vessels serving the U.S. offshore wind industry.
It remains to be seen whether this project will remain an isolated case within the U.S. fleet or become a reference for future conversions of similar offshore vessels.
PRIO announced the completion of the fourth and final producing well planned for the Wahoo Field development, bringing the project to its initial production configuration in Brazil’s Campos Basin.
With all four wells now online, Wahoo is expected to operate at its planned production capacity of approximately 40,000 barrels of oil per day, with each well contributing around 10,000 barrels per day.
The development is directly aligned with PRIO’s strategy of increasing production through brownfield projects, subsea tiebacks and operational optimization, rather than relying solely on large-scale greenfield developments.
Wahoo also strengthens the company’s position in the Campos Basin, where the Valente Cluster, comprising the Frade and Wahoo fields, continues to play an increasingly important role in PRIO’s production portfolio. In May, the cluster averaged approximately 55,600 barrels of oil per day, while the company reported total production of around 164,800 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Why it matters As mature offshore fields continue to attract investment, projects such as Wahoo demonstrate how infrastructure optimization, subsea integration and brownfield development continue to unlock production growth while extending the productive life of existing offshore assets. The project also reinforces the strategic importance of the Campos Basin, where operational efficiency increasingly plays a central role in Brazil’s offshore production landscape.
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Petrobras has extended the submission deadline for Opportunity No. 7004345558, covering the long-term chartering of up to two newbuild Anchor Handling Tug Supply (AHTS) vessels, together with specialized technical services. According to the latest update published on Petronect, proposals are now due on June 22, 2026.
The extension follows a series of recent amendments to the tender documentation, including changes introduced through Addendum K and new requirements related to shipyard commitments and financing arrangements.
Among the most significant updates are the mandatory submission of a preliminary agreement with the selected shipyard, the binding nature of the nominated shipyard throughout the bidding process and the requirement for written evidence from a financial institution indicating the bidder’s ability to secure construction financing. Collectively, these requirements significantly increase the level of commercial, technical and financial preparation expected from participants before proposal submission.
For the market, deadline extensions at this stage of Petrobras tenders are not unusual. As bidders incorporate the latest contractual and commercial requirements into their proposals, additional time often helps ensure greater alignment between Petrobras’ expectations and the documentation submitted by the bidders.
Given the strategic importance of this opportunity for Brazil’s offshore newbuilding market, the additional time is expected to support more robust and competitive proposals while allowing bidders to properly address the changes, technical and financial requirements introduced into the tender.
WSB Advisors will continue to monitor the opportunity and report further developments as they become available.
Petrobras is preparing to formalize a cooperation protocol with Pemex, creating a structured channel for technical dialogue between two of Latin America’s largest state-owned energy companies.
The agreement is expected to cover areas such as exploration and production, refining, petrochemicals, fertilizers, decarbonization and technology. Rather than pointing to any specific project, the protocol should be read as a framework for technical teams to exchange experience, compare operational challenges and identify areas of common interest.
This distinction matters.
WSB has recently covered different forms of cooperation involving Petrobras and Equinor. In the Campos Basin, Petrobras’ move into the Itaimbezinho block represents a concrete E&P transaction, with a defined asset and working interest. In offshore wind, the Petrobras–Equinor cooperation was closer to a technical and strategic framework, aimed at evaluating future opportunities in a still-developing segment.
The Pemex protocol should be read closer to the latter. It is not, by itself, a signal of imminent participation in specific E&P blocks or immediate offshore ventures. Its relevance lies in the creation of a formal technical channel between two NOCs with large operational footprints, legacy infrastructure and overlapping strategic challenges.
For Petrobras, the move is consistent with a selective international posture — not a return to broad expansion, but a way to remain technically connected to relevant regional peers. For Pemex, the agreement may offer access to Petrobras’ accumulated experience in deepwater, offshore development and integrated energy operations.
The point, therefore, is not to assume that a project will follow. It is to recognize that Petrobras and Pemex are placing their technical organizations in direct conversation across areas that remain central to the future of both companies: offshore development, refining, decarbonization and long-term energy strategy.
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Brava Energia has secured approval from the remaining bondholders required for the acquisition of its controlling stake by Ecopetrol Investimentos do Brasil, satisfying one of the precedent key conditions precedent established under the public tender offer launched by the Colombian energy company. With bondholder consent now in place, the transaction moves closer to completion, subject to the remaining regulatory approvals and contractual requirements.
According to the company, holders of debentures issued by the former 3R Petroleum and former Enauta approved the prior consent required for the change of control. The resolutions were approved during meetings held on June 8 and, together with a previous authorization obtained from holders of another Enauta debt issuance, fully satisfy the debt-related condition precedent outlined in the offer documents.
The approval was considered a significant milestone for the transaction, as the change of control could have triggered early-maturity provisions in certain debt instruments issued by the company. With bondholders granting their consent, that potential hurdle has been removed, substantially reducing execution risk for the deal.
The tendered offer was launched by Ecopetrol as part of its strategy to expand its presence in Brazil’s oil and gas sector. The Colombian state-controlled company had previously announced the acquisition of a significant stake in Brava Energia and is now seeking to consolidate a controlling position through the ongoing transaction.
If completed, the acquisition will further strengthen Ecopetrol’s presence in one of Latin America’s most important offshore oil and gas markets, increasing its exposure to Brazilian offshore production assets and enhancing its regional portfolio.
The transaction remains subject to the fulfillment of the remaining conditions established in the offer documents, including applicable regulatory approvals and the successful completion of the share acquisition process.
WSB Advisors continues to track key offshore contracting activity in Brazil. Below are the latest tender updates currently open to the market.
What has changed?
• Petrobras — At least 1x FSC: Opportunity 7004601531, new deadline June 23rd, 2026 • Petrobras — At least 1x OSRV 105: Opportunity 7004497861, new deadline June 24th, 2026
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Petrobras has awarded another significant contract as part of its offshore decommissioning strategy, reinforcing the growing pace of activity in one of the Brazilian offshore industry’s fastest-expanding segments.
OceanPact secured the R$443.7 million contract to perform specialized subsea decommissioning services involving the disconnection and recovery of flexible risers and umbilicals associated with the P-18 platform in Marlim Field, Campos Basin. The scope includes subsea inspections, cutting, disconnection and recovery operations using Multipurpose Support Vessels (MPSVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), heavy-lift cranes and other specialized subsea equipment.
The award adds to a series of contracts announced in recent months as Petrobras advances one of the largest offshore decommissioning initiatives currently underway in Brazil. The company’s strategy continues to generate opportunities across multiple segments of the offshore supply chain, including subsea intervention, marine logistics, engineering, heavy offshore construction and environmental services.
As more mature assets reach the end of their operational lives, Brazil’s offshore decommissioning market is becoming an increasingly important business segment rather than simply the final stage of an asset’s lifecycle. The trend is expected to drive long-term demand for specialized vessels, subsea contractors and integrated offshore solutions in the years ahead.
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Petrobras has signed an agreement to acquire a 50% stake in the Itaimbezinho block, offshore in the Campos Basin, from Equinor. With the deal, the consortium will have Equinor as operator with 50%, Petrobras with 50%, and PPSA as manager of the production-sharing contract.
The acquisition strengthens the company’s presence in the region, where it is already active in Raia and Jaspe, and is included in Petrobras’ 2026-2030 Business Plan. Completion is subject to approval by CADE and the ANP.
Some vessels carry more than an IMO number. They carry the memory of a market being built.
Vega Chaser is one of them. Back in 2013, through the former Westshore, we were directly involved in the successful delivery of a series of vessels contracted by Petrobras under the newly created Vega Offshore platform in Brazil. It was a formative moment for the Brazilian offshore support market: Petrobras was driving demand, OSRV opportunities were unfolding, and Vega Offshore was being structured to serve that new cycle.
Our dear Camila Lopes worked alongside Patricia Barbula in that venture, helping turn a commercial opportunity into a real operating company in Brazil. Vega Chaser herself tells part of that story. Originally planned with an AHTS profile, she was ultimately adapted to the OSRV market as Brazil’s demand evolved around Petrobras’ requirements. Built at Fujian Southeast Shipyard, in China, she entered the market with the scale, class and versatility expected from that generation of offshore support vessels.
Years later, Westshore would also promote the sale of Vega Chaser, together with Vega Challenger, to Oceana, supporting the opening of its EBN structure in Brazil. That move proved successful and eventually led the vessels into CBO, where they remained for a period as part of one of the country’s most respected offshore fleets.
Vega Chaser would then move again, this time to Bravante, where she continued her career as an OSRV. Today, she is nearing completion of another drydocking cycle and preparing to mobilize once more for Petrobras under a new contract.
That is what makes her story worth telling. Owners changed, structures changed, strategies changed and the market itself changed. But the vessel stayed relevant.
