Oceaneering Wins Multi-Survey Contract Offshore Trinidad, US Gulf

Oceaneering International has secured multi-discipline offshore survey contracts for its Ocean Intervention II vessel, supporting development programmes for a large international operator. The vessel will deliver integrated geophysical, geotechnical and autonomous survey services offshore Trinidad and in the US Gulf under a programme that began in April 2026 and is expected to span around six months. The campaign combines seismic acquisition, seabed mapping and autonomous underwater vehicle surveys on a single vessel, an approach the company says reduces campaign duration and lowers emissions compared with traditional multi-vessel programmes.

 

Scope of the Survey Contracts

 

The contracts cover a broad range of survey activities across two distinct regions. Ocean Intervention II will provide integrated geophysical, geotechnical and autonomous survey services for a major international operator. The programme commenced in April 2026 and is expected to run for approximately six months. It also carries options for additional work and possible extensions. This structure gives the operator scope to expand the campaign should requirements grow.

The work is divided between operations offshore Trinidad and in the US Gulf. Each location involves a different mix of survey disciplines tailored to the relevant development programmes. The combination of geophysical and geotechnical work reflects the demands of preparing for offshore field development. Consolidating these scopes under a single contract streamlines the overall survey effort. It also allows the vessel to move between tasks without separate mobilisations.

 

Operations Offshore Trinidad

 

The Trinidad portion of the campaign involves an extensive survey scope. Activities include 2D and 3D seismic data acquisition alongside high-resolution and ultra-high-resolution seismic surveys. The work also covers seabed mapping and geotechnical investigations across the survey area. Geotechnical activities involve seabed sampling using box cores and piston cores. These techniques provide direct physical data on seabed conditions to support development planning.

The Trinidad scope also draws heavily on autonomous and conventional survey methods. Autonomous underwater vehicle surveys will be conducted in deeper water areas where such systems offer particular advantages. Shallow-water surveys will use towed conventional geophysical systems suited to those conditions. Operations offshore Trinidad are expected to last approximately four months. This combination of methods allows the campaign to cover varying water depths efficiently.

 

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Operations in the US Gulf

 

The US Gulf segment focuses on a different set of survey and inspection tasks. Ocean Intervention II will carry out geotechnical investigations and autonomous underwater vehicle block surveys in the region. The vessel will also perform pipeline inspection activities as part of the scope. These tasks support the assessment and monitoring of existing and planned subsea infrastructure. US Gulf operations are expected to span approximately two months.

A notable feature of the US Gulf work is its use of advanced inspection technology. Pipeline inspections will incorporate non-contact cathodic protection measurement technology integrated with the autonomous underwater vehicle. This allows the condition of pipelines to be assessed without physical contact. The US Gulf scope also includes options for additional site and block surveys. Such options provide flexibility to extend the work depending on project needs.

 

Simultaneous Operations Model

 

The campaign showcases Oceaneering's approach to combining multiple survey disciplines on one vessel. The work allows the company to extend its track record in the vessel's operating model for simultaneous operations. This model blends geophysical and geotechnical technologies with autonomous survey operations supported by uncrewed surface vessels. Running these activities together aims to maximise the efficiency of each offshore campaign. It represents a shift away from deploying separate vessels for individual survey types.

Company leadership emphasised the efficiency gains from this consolidated approach. Senior director Peter Buchanan said combining multiple survey scopes onto a single vessel and crew supports single-pass and simultaneous operations. He noted this reduces campaign duration, minimises mobilisations and shortens offshore exposure. These efficiencies are presented as improving performance while lowering overall emissions. The comparison drawn is with traditional survey programmes that rely on multiple vessels.

 

Vessel Capability and Upgrades

 

The vessel at the centre of the campaign was purpose-built for this type of work. Owned by Oceaneering, Ocean Intervention II was designed specifically for geophysical and geotechnical surveys. Its purpose-built nature suits it to the integrated work covered by the new contracts. This specialisation underpins the company's ability to combine multiple survey types. It positions the vessel as a core asset for complex offshore survey programmes.

The vessel underwent significant upgrades in early 2025 to support its current operating model. These enhancements included survey system upgrades and dedicated launch and recovery capability for autonomous systems. The work also modernised the vessel's data infrastructure to handle integrated survey execution. Together these improvements enable efficient operations across complex offshore programmes. They provide the technical foundation for the simultaneous survey approach now being deployed.