Norwegian ocean services provider DeepOcean has won a new installation assignment at two oil and gas fields off the coast of Norway with the country’s state-owned energy giant Equinor.
DeepOcean’s simultaneous marine operation and production (SIMOPRO) installation contract with Equinor will enable the firm to work on both the Åsgård and Visund fields on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), undertaking onshore project management, engineering, and procurement services as well as offshore operations.
Olaf A. Hansen , Managing Director at DeepOcean Europe, commented: “This type of job requires high-level coordination and safety planning from both the operator and subcontractors to ensure smooth execution. We have successfully delivered such projects in the past for Equinor and are therefore delighted to be chosen once again.”
The firm describes a SIMOPRO operation as a complex offshore job where marine construction or installation activities are carried out while an offshore facility is producing hydrocarbons. DeepOcean’s scope of work on Åsgard entails riser removal at the Åsgard B platform, installation of a new production riser, and dynamic umbilical connecting the Berling subsea production assets to this platform.
The company’s scope also includes the installation of two static infield bypass umbilicals, alongside flying leads and protection covers. This field is located in the Norwegian Sea, approximately 200 kilometers off the coast of mid-Norway at water depths ranging from 240 to 300 meters.
The firm explains that its Visund work scope encompasses the replacement of a production riser in the North Sea, approximately 140 kilometers west of Florø, in water depths of about 335 meters. The installation work will be done during the main summer season of 2026, utilising the Edda Freya construction vessel.
“These projects require detailed planning of the offshore activities. Our approach is to conduct onshore simulator training of the vessel’s marine crew in advance, to ensure safe and controlled operations once we are offshore,” added Hansen.
At the end of June 2025, DeepOcean confirmed the installation of a foundation template structure (FTS) at another Equinor-operated natural gas field, said to be the deepest one on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.