Norway-based Optime Subsea has signed a contract with Equinor for the delivery of its Remote Operated Controls System (ROCS) for the Rosebank field in the UK North Sea.
The contract represents a significant step forward for Optime Subsea, which will collaborate with operator Equinor and its partner Ithaca on the Rosebank project – considered to be the UK's largest undeveloped offshore field.
The ROCS system, developed by Optime Subsea, transforms the installation of production tubing in subsea wells by eliminating the need for umbilicals.
According to the company, this results in significantly safer and faster operations while reducing the need for personnel in the red zone on the rig. The innovative approach is said to hold a particular value for deepwater fields like Rosebank.
Equinor's Rosebank field is a deepwater field located west of Shetland in the U.K. sector of the North Sea with challenging weather conditions.
The planned operation for the implementation of ROCS on the Rosebank field is scheduled for June 2025.
"We are thrilled to have entered into this contract with Equinor and to introduce the ROCS system to the Rosebank field. Our technology not only provides increased safety and efficiency but also represents a crucial step toward a sustainable and innovative future for the subsea industry,” said Jan-Fredrik Carlsen, CEO of Optime Subsea.
Optime has already delivered multiple ROCS systems and observes that this is gradually becoming a new standard method for such operations.
To remind, Equinor and its UK-based partner Ithaca Energy made the final investment decision (FID) to progress the Phase 1 of the Rosebank development on the UK Continental Shelf in September 2023.
Together, the companies are investing $3.8 billion in the Phase 1 development, targeting an estimated 245 million barrels of oil. Phase 1 and 2 combined are estimated to be able to deliver around 300 million barrels of oil.
