After her nomination was announced during the first quarter of 2026, Petrobras President Magda Chambriard has officially assumed the position of Chair of Braskem’s Board of Directors.
The appointment reinforces Petrobras’ participation in the governance of the petrochemical company and represents another step in Braskem’s ongoing corporate reorganization process, a topic closely followed by the market since the initial announcement.
Petrobras continues to advance the contracting phase of the Sergipe Deepwater Project (SEAP) following the approval of investments for both SEAP I and SEAP II.
Among the main recent developments are the progress of the competitive process for the P-81 and P-87 FPSOs, which are expected to serve the project’s first two modules, as well as ongoing procurement activities for subsea equipment and Subsea Christmas Trees (SCTs).
The company is also preparing new tenders associated with the field development, including packages related to subsea infrastructure and the gas export system.
With investments approved and key contracts moving into definition stages, SEAP remains one of the largest offshore contracting fronts currently under development in Brazil.
Ocean Installer has secured its first contract in Brazil through Equinor’s Bacalhau development, marking the Norwegian company’s official entry into one of the world’s most active offshore markets.
Announced on June 3, the award covers installation of rigid jumpers between flowlines and subsea trees, flying leads installation and pre-commissioning activities for multiple wells in Bacalhau Field, located in the Santos Basin. The contract has an initial duration of approximately 4.5 years, with the first offshore campaign expected to begin in 2027.
More significant than the contract itself is the move behind it. Alongside the award, Ocean Installer confirmed the establishment of a Brazilian subsidiary and the hiring of its first local employees, signaling a long-term commitment to the country rather than participation in a single project.
The development adds another international subsea contractor to the Brazilian market at a time when operators continue to advance large-scale pre-salt projects and demand for offshore installation services remains strong.
Located in water depths of approximately 2,100 meters, Bacalhau is Equinor’s largest international offshore field and the first pre-salt asset in Brazil to be fully developed by an international operator.
The company has also indicated that it views Brazil as a long-term growth market, supported by a significant pipeline of future subsea developments. The contract reinforces both the scale of opportunities still emerging from the Brazilian pre-salt and the continued attractiveness of the country for international offshore contractors seeking long-term growth.
Stay informed on key offshore developments — visit wsb-one.com, our data platform trusted by leading offshore companies.
Less than a month ago, WSB Advisors launched WSB One 2.0, the newest generation of our maritime and offshore intelligence platform.
The offshore market has changed dramatically over the past few years. Newbuilding programs are returning, fleet renewal is accelerating, chartering activity is increasing, and investment decisions are becoming more dependent on accurate, real-time information.
WSB One 2.0 was developed with that reality in mind.
What began as a platform focused on tracking the lifecycle of 627 offshore vessels, tankers and FPSOs has evolved into a much broader market intelligence ecosystem.
The new version expands vessel specifications, chartering histories and fleet monitoring while introducing new layers of intelligence, including contractual information, tonnage analysis, circularization data, field and basin productivity indicators, shipyard activity, port intelligence and market-wide analytics.
More importantly, it transforms that information into practical tools designed to support commercial, operational and strategic decision-making.
Whether identifying market opportunities, evaluating fleet positioning, monitoring offshore activity or supporting business development initiatives, WSB One 2.0 provides a clearer view of the market environment in which decisions are made.
Today, the platform serves not only companies, but also brokers, operators, investors, analysts, students and professionals seeking deeper insight into one of the world’s most dynamic offshore regions. Multiple subscription plans are available to meet different intelligence needs, from individual professionals to large organizations.
And this is only the beginning.
Visit wsb-one.com and discover the next generation of offshore market intelligence.
Dear All,
WSB is pleased to provide an update on the current long-term tenders that are open to offer.
A recent amendment to Petrobras’ AHTS newbuild tender (Opportunity 7004345558) introduced provisions that may have broader implications for future offshore vessel construction projects in Brazil.
Under the revised rules, bidders must now submit a preliminary agreement with the shipyard responsible for building the vessel as part of their proposal. More importantly, the selected shipyard becomes contractually binding and cannot be replaced after bid submission, except under exceptional circumstances, subject to Petrobras’ prior approval and proper justification.
The change goes beyond a procedural adjustment.
Historically, shipyard selection has often evolved throughout project development as financing structures, construction schedules, equipment availability and industrial capacity changed over time. Petrobras is now requiring bidders to demonstrate a higher level of commitment between vessel owner and shipyard from the earliest stages of the tender process.
The amendment does not point to any specific market participant. However, it clearly reflects Petrobras’ concern with execution risk in long-cycle offshore newbuilding programs.
Another noteworthy aspect of the tender is the requirement for bidders to present documentation from a financial institution indicating their ability to obtain funding for vessel construction. Together with the shipyard commitment requirement, the provision strengthens Petrobras’ visibility into both industrial execution and financial readiness at the proposal stage.
The requirements appear designed to reduce uncertainty in projects involving significant capital commitments, local content obligations, complex financing arrangements and multi-year construction schedules.
For shipowners, shipyards and financial institutions, the message is clear: construction strategy is no longer merely part of project execution. It is becoming part of the bid itself.
As Brazil’s offshore newbuilding market gains momentum, this may prove to be one of the most relevant contractual changes introduced in recent Petrobras tenders.
What do you think? Is this a positive step toward reducing project execution risk, or could it limit commercial flexibility during vessel construction?
Stay informed on key offshore developments — visit wsb-one.com, our data platform trusted by leading offshore companies.
Not every offshore vessel leaves behind a trail that is easy to follow.
Some spend years supporting offshore operations without attracting much attention. No headlines. No major contract announcements. No spotlight.
LAB 152 was one of them.
Built in 2008, the PSV entered service during one of the most significant expansion periods ever experienced by Brazil’s offshore industry. Petrobras was accelerating deepwater activity, demand for offshore logistics was growing rapidly, and support fleets were expanding to sustain the country’s offshore development.
Operating under LABORDE SERVIÇOS MARÍTIMOS LTDA, LAB 152 belonged to a generation of vessels responsible for the daily routines that kept the offshore industry moving. Cargo transport, platform resupply, offshore logistics and a wide range of support activities formed part of the essential work that rarely made headlines, yet remained fundamental to offshore operations.
With approximately 63 meters in length, a beam of 14.6 meters and a deadweight of around 1,448 tonnes, the vessel was part of a category that helped sustain offshore operations along the Brazilian coast.
And then, the public trail begins to fade.
Within WSB’s historical database, the most recent operational references identified for the vessel date back to 2015. After that, publicly available information becomes increasingly scarce. We found no major announcements, widely disclosed contracts, or easily accessible records explaining what happened next. That does not mean the vessel stopped operating, was scrapped, or left the market. It simply means that, from the perspective of publicly available information, her trail becomes difficult to follow.
And that is precisely what makes this story interesting.
Unlike other vessels featured in this series, the question is not necessarily where LAB 152 ended up, but whether anyone knows what happened afterward. Did she continue operating quietly? Is she laid up somewhere along the Brazilian coast? Was she transferred to another operation? Or is there a chapter of her history that simply never became public?
For now, we do not have that answer.
Which brings us to today’s question:
Por Onde Anda? — LAB 152
If you know, tell us.
Next Thursday: “Por Onde Anda?” Stay tuned.
Stay informed on key offshore developments — visit wsb-one.com, our data platform trusted by leading offshore companies.
SBM Offshore and Solstad Offshore have formed a joint venture to order a newbuild multi-purpose deepwater installation and construction vessel, with delivery targeted for the first half of 2029.
The vessel will support the installation of ocean infrastructure, including FPSOs, and is designed for operations in both shallow and deepwater environments. The project builds on the long-standing cooperation between SBM and Solstad around the CSV Normand Installer, which has supported SBM’s offshore installation activities for years.
Under the structure, Solstad Offshore will hold 50.1% of the joint venture, while SBM Offshore will own 49.9%. Solstad will act as ship manager and SBM will charter the vessel for its own offshore projects. When not required by SBM, the vessel may be chartered to third parties.
The joint venture has already secured an initial 14-year charter agreement with SBM Offshore, guaranteeing minimum utilization of 270 days per year, with extension options that could add up to 11 additional years.
The selected shipyard has not yet been disclosed.
For Brazil, the announcement is strategically relevant. SBM remains one of the leading FPSO contractors active in the country, with exposure to major offshore developments and future deepwater projects. While no Brazilian assignment has been announced for the vessel, additional installation capacity could support SBM’s global FPSO pipeline, a portfolio in which Brazil continues to play a central role.
Karoon Energy has completed the transition process and officially assumed operatorship of the Baúna FPSO, formerly known as Cidade de Itajaí, in May.
The company acquired the FPSO from Altera Infrastructure and Ocyan in April 2025 for US$115 million, excluding transaction-related costs. Since then, Karoon and A&O have carried out an extensive transition program covering personnel, contracts, management systems and operational processes.
To support the handover, Karoon recruited personnel, transferred key service agreements and implemented new management systems, while securing all required regulatory approvals in Brazil.
According to the company, the transition was completed without disrupting operations. More than 80% of the existing FPSO workforce remained with the project, helping maintain operational continuity at the Baúna field in the Santos Basin.
CEO and Managing Director Carri Lockhart stated that more than 700 people participated in the company’s strategic initiatives throughout the transition process. She added that assuming operatorship of the FPSO represents an important milestone in Karoon’s evolution into a fully integrated offshore oil and gas operator.
Dear All,
Below is the latest tender activity monitored by WSB Advisors, including new deadlines and recently released opportunities in Brazil’s offshore market.
What has changed?
Stay informed on key offshore developments — visit wsb-one.com, our data platform trusted by leading offshore companies.
By Romulo Bacchiega
During the rapid growth of Brazil’s offshore industry in the 2000s, offshore support vessels became an essential part of the country’s operational backbone.
CBO Anna Gabriella was one of them.
Built in 2006 under IMO number 9364306, the vessel emerged during one of the most important expansion periods ever experienced by Brazil’s offshore industry. Constructed at Estaleiro Aliança, joined the Brazilian offshore market at a time when Petrobras operations were expanding rapidly across deepwater fields in the Campos Basin and beyond.
The vessel commenced operations for Petrobras shortly after delivery, becoming part of a generation of offshore support vessels that helped sustain the operational intensity of Brazil’s growing offshore sector.
At approximately 71 meters in length and with the robust profile characteristic of the Ulstein P-series designs, CBO Anna Gabriella was never built to attract headlines.
She was built to work.
And for years, vessels like her became essential links between ports, offshore bases, platforms, and supply chains operating far from the Brazilian coastline. While floating production units often captured public attention, offshore support vessels quietly handled the logistics that made those operations possible.
That is precisely what makes vessels like CBO Anna Gabriella so representative of an important chapter in Brazil’s marine and offshore history.
They were not necessarily the largest vessels offshore. But they were among the most necessary.
Today, however, public AIS activity involving the vessel appears significantly quieter than in previous years. Open vessel tracking platforms indicate limited recent movement, with the vessel still referenced in maritime databases and remaining listed as active and commissioned under the Brazilian flag.
Industry observers suggest the vessel may currently be between contracts after many years supporting offshore operations.
And perhaps that is what makes her story even more interesting.
Because unlike many offshore vessels that completely disappear from records, CBO Anna Gabriella still remains present — carrying with her the memory of a generation of Brazilian-built support vessels that helped sustain one of the largest offshore development cycles in the South Atlantic.
So the question remains.
Where is CBO Anna Gabriella now? Waiting for a new offshore assignment? Preparing for another operational chapter? Or simply resting quietly after years supporting Brazil’s offshore industry far from shore?
For now, the answers remain somewhere between ports, databases, memories, and the constant movement of the offshore world.
But one thing remains certain.
Vessels like CBO Anna Gabriella helped build the operational backbone of Brazil’s offshore industry — even when few people noticed.
Brazil’s offshore and marine sectors continue to receive strong long-term investment signals from Petrobras.
In two major announcements this week, the company confirmed more than R$ 75 billion in combined investments across Sergipe and Amazonas, reinforcing the strategic importance of offshore production, gas infrastructure, logistics, and regional marine operations in Brazil.
In Sergipe, Petrobras announced investments exceeding R$ 72.5 billion, including the development of the Sergipe Águas Profundas project, alongside initiatives involving platforms, fertilizers, and industrial infrastructure. The program is expected to generate around 28,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Meanwhile, in the Amazonas region, Petrobras confirmed more than R$ 2.8 billion in investments focused on expanding natural gas production in Urucu and strengthening inland marine logistics. The package includes the construction of 18 barges at Bertolini shipyard aimed at optimizing fuel supply operations and reducing logistics costs across northern Brazil.
For the offshore and marine market, the message is clear:
Brazil continues to expand its long-term energy and logistics infrastructure footprint — creating future demand across vessel operations, shipbuilding, offshore support, gas monetization, inland navigation, and industrial services.
The scale and geographic diversity of these projects also reinforce how strategic marine transportation and offshore assets remain to Petrobras’ broader investment agenda.
For more strategic updates, market intelligence, and exclusive coverage of Brazil’s offshore & marine sectors, visit the WSB Advisors website at cms.oneenergynews.com and stay connected to the industry’s latest developments.