Recent OSV developments highlight sustained demand for specialized tonnage amid ongoing offshore energy projects. December 2025 brought notable contract awards in Brazil as well as key vessel deliveries in Russia that proved the market resilience.
DOF Group Secures $150M Petrobras Contract for Skandi Commander
DOF Group of Norway recently signed a four-year agreement worth an estimated $150 million with Petrobras for their remotely operated support vessel (RSV), Skandi Commander. This follows a competitive tender process and marks their seventh RSV deal this year.
The Skandi Commander will feature both remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), making this contract exceptional. Operations are expected to commence by January 2027 and add to DOF's now $2 billion backlog in Brazil from recent AHTS, RSV, and PIDF tenders. DOF CEO Mons Aase also noted this milestone of 25 years of operations here with many long-term charter agreements extending past 2030 for much of their fleet.
Petrobras' push for advanced subsea capabilities aligns perfectly with DOF's positioning in one of the world's most active offshore markets, further strengthening our presence there.
OceanPact Secures $90 Million AHTS Charter with Petrobras
OceanPact of Brazil signed a four-year contract worth over 500 million reais ($90 million) with Petrobras for their anchor-handling tug supply vessel Rochedo de Sao Paulo (AHTS-TO). Beginning 2026, this vessel will handle tanker offloading operations including hose management and maintenance operations.
OceanPact and Petrobras recently extended their collaboration by agreeing on yet another major charter, broadening OceanPact's presence in Brazilian waters and supporting Petrobras' strategy of procuring reliable OSV support for its offshore production activities.
Russia Delivers Kerch Strait Bridge for Northern Sea Route Support
Russia's Sea Rescue Service received delivery of their long-awaited multifunctional rescue and support vessel Kerch Strait on December 31, 2025 from Amur Shipyard. Built for operations along the Northern Sea Route (NSR), including emergency rescue, ice breaking, towing and underwater works, this 86 meter long ice-strengthened vessel features emergency rescue capabilities along with emergency icebreaking capabilities, towing capabilities and underwater works capabilities.
Project history spans nearly two decades, with construction resuming in 2018 after earlier suspensions. The vessel features azimuth propulsion and will accommodate Ka-32 helicopters on a helipad; 95 people can be accommodated during rescue scenarios on board; breaking 1.5 meters thick ice can be broken by it in its future base in Russia's Far East to support shipping, fishing and oil & gas operations while NSR expansion efforts take place simultaneously.
Russia will benefit from increased capabilities for year-round National Sea Route navigation - an essential artery for Arctic energy logistics.
These events signal optimism for OSVs in high-demand regions such as Brazil's pre-salt fields and Russia's Arctic routes, where OSVs remain highly sought-after. While offshore wind projects have encountered regulatory hurdles here in the U.S., most oil & gas projects continue to drive OSV demand.