WSB-Advisors

29/09/2026

28/09/2026

Starnav Rigel launched at Detroit Brasil shipyard in Itajaí
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Starnav’s new PSV Starnav Rigel has been launched at the Detroit Brasil shipyard in Itajaí, Santa Catarina, marking another construction milestone in the company’s offshore newbuild program.
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Brazilian maritime records list hull C-431 under Starnav Serviços Marítimos, while international shipbuilding records identify C-431 as a PSV under construction at Detroit Brasil.
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The launch does not represent delivery of the vessel. Outfitting, commissioning and trials remain part of the construction cycle before the vessel can be delivered and enter offshore service.
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The milestone comes just days after the Starnav Elektra, also built at Detroit Brasil, was christened in Rio de Janeiro on September 17. Petrobras identifies the Elektra as the first vessel delivered under its Mar Aberto program.
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Starnav is responsible for six new PSVs under contracts signed with Petrobras in December 2024. The agreements form part of a 12-vessel package divided equally between Starnav and Bram Offshore.
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The contracts provide for up to four years of mobilization followed by 12 years of operation and require 40% local content during construction.
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The new PSVs will also incorporate hybrid propulsion systems combining electric motors and batteries with diesel/biodiesel generators.
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With the Rigel now afloat, another vessel in Brazil’s offshore newbuild pipeline has reached a new stage of construction at the Itajaí shipyard.
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Read more about Brazil’s offshore market at oneenergynews.com
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Petrobras MarAberto OffshoreBrazil

25/09/2026

Maritime Employment in Brazil Requires Effective Protection

Proposed legislation would increase Brazilian participation in vessel crews and establish a 120-day ceiling for entitlement to disembarkation or repatriation.

By Alexandre Vilela

Brazil must ensure that the expansion of its maritime industry does not come at the expense of working conditions, through excessive periods on board or the abandonment of seafarers. Protecting Brazilian employment must go hand in hand with ensuring dignified treatment for everyone working in our waters.

Bill No. 5,411/2026, introduced by Congresswoman Jandira Feghali, brings these issues into focus. Among its provisions, particular attention should be given to the proposed maximum of 120 days of continuous service on board before seafarers become entitled to disembarkation or repatriation. This would apply to both Brazilian-flagged ships and foreign-flagged vessels authorised to operate in Brazil. The proposal has not yet become law.

This protection would extend to offshore support, coastal shipping, port support and dredging. For foreign seafarers, far from their families and dependent on their employers to arrange their return, an enforceable right to leave the vessel is particularly important. Access to the Brazilian market must carry responsibility for proper working conditions and for the disembarkation and return of those employed on board.

The Maritime Labour Convention requires the maximum period of service on board giving rise to entitlement to repatriation to be less than 12 months. The bill would establish a shorter national ceiling. It would neither authorise the extension of existing shorter rotations nor restrict a foreign worker’s immigration permission to 120 days. Its purpose is to protect seafarers against prolonged continuous service on board.

Another significant change is the requirement for Brazilian nationals to account for at least 75% of the crew on foreign-flagged vessels operating in Brazilian waters for more than 180 days, continuously or cumulatively, within a 12-month period. The proportion would apply by department and rank.

Read full article at oneenergynews.com

25/09/2026

Alexander Didn’t Bring a Cameraman

By Diogenes the Cynic

The story goes that Alexander the Great once found me lying in the sun and asked what he could do for me. I asked him to move aside. He was casting a shadow. I was content with something he had no need to conquer, finance or commission.

I remembered this as I entered the energy industry gathering. There was light everywhere: on the panels, on the screens, in the speeches about the future. Still, I kept my lamp lit. Some things deserve a closer look.

In the corridors, a proud man walked forward, surrounded by people intent on recording his progress. Someone filmed from the front, someone followed alongside, and someone made sure the spontaneity went according to plan.

I waited for them to pass. I did not want to interrupt an important occasion. Then I began to suspect that the occasion was simply his walking past.

Alexander also travelled with an entourage. But he already had a few achievements to explain it.

Today, the presentation can precede the achievements. In seconds, an entire company appears: immaculate offices, focused people, swelling music. English buzzwords announce strategy, ex*****on and results with the confidence of someone who has solved the problem before learning what it was.

My curiosity begins when the soundtrack ends.

Who are those people? What have they done together? Does that operation exist, or is it a picture of what someone intends to build?

The distinction matters. A vision of the future can convey a legitimate ambition. Offering it as evidence of an established capability leads the audience to believe in something that has yet to be delivered. Viewers should be able to distinguish a promise from an accomplishment.

If the video depicts tomorrow, say so. The problem begins when a client is invited to engage an operation today that exists only in the presentation.

The tools can produce almost any setting. Responsibility for what it leads others to believe still rests with the person presenting it.

Read more at oneenergynews.com

25/09/2026

From wells to FPSOs: where AI is entering offshore operations

Artificial intelligence appeared across several discussions at ROG.e 2026, but some of the most relevant examples were tied to specific offshore and engineering applications.

Petrobras presented the SAPIENS BOT, developed to support the classification of oil production-loss events. According to the project team, E&P operations generate around 6,900 loss events per year, with more than 1,000 possible combinations of causes.

The system combines machine learning with a large language model trained around Petrobras’ classification rules. In the Espírito Santo operating unit, the team reported 92% accuracy, an 81% reduction in processing time per event and 60% fewer reclassifications.

Human validation remains part of the process: when the two models disagree, the specialist receives both recommendations and makes the final decision.

Well engineering was another area discussed at the event.

The SAVIA project uses intelligent agents to automate part of the complexity assessment performed during well design, while Cortex integrates information from more than 15 systems and databases related to well construction.

According to ANP, Cortex achieved 77% accuracy in complex queries and provides traceability to the original documents used in its responses.

AI and digital tools are also being applied to asset integrity.

Ativo360, developed with Petrobras and Tecgraf, combines digital twins, predictive models, computer vision, 3D models and immersive inspection. The platform is already used across more than 120 units, according to ANP.

In subsea, Petrobras and CESAR also presented work involving digital twins for rigid-riser fatigue and fatigue and CO₂ stress-corrosion cracking in flexible pipes, combining operational data with physical models and automated simulations.

FPSO operators are following a similar path.

During ROG.e, MODEC Global Digital & Analytics Director Rei Yasumuro said the company’s Lighthouse predictive-maintenance platform has helped maintain fleet uptime above 98%, reduce downtime by more than 30% and deliver returns of up to 25 times the investment.

Read more at oneenergynews.com

24/09/2026

Keep an eye on this
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• Petrobras and ExxonMobil advance licensing discussions in Foz do Amazonas
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Petrobras and ExxonMobil are discussing the next licensing steps for ten blocks jointly acquired in the Foz do Amazonas Basin.
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The companies hold 50% each, with ExxonMobil operating five blocks and Petrobras the other five. Petrobras E&P Director Sylvia Anjos said ExxonMobil is expected to request environmental licenses for drilling in the blocks it operates.
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Petrobras also confirmed that it is part of the group acquiring new 3D seismic data from SLB and Shearwater in the basin.
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• Sirius could enter Petrobras’ 2027–2031 production plan
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Petrobras may include the Sirius offshore gas project in Colombia in its 2027–2031 production curve if the required environmental license is obtained.
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Petrobras operates the GUA-OFF-0 block with a 44.44% interest, alongside Ecopetrol with 55.56%. The development concept foresees producing gas through subsea systems and transporting it directly to shore by pipeline, without an offshore production platform.
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• Brazil’s government oil production reaches 328,000 bpd
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The Brazilian government’s share of oil production reached 328,000 barrels per day in July, according to PPSA.
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Production from production-sharing contracts totaled 1.84 million bpd, while Mero accounted for 77% of the government’s share within those contracts.
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Natural gas exports from production-sharing areas reached 9.635 million m³/d, up 80% from the previous month following the return of the Route 3 pipeline for Búzios and Sépia.
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• Petrobras signs cooperation agreement with Mozambique’s ENH
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Petrobras has signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding with Mozambique’s state-owned ENH covering cooperation in oil and gas.
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The agreement includes joint studies, evaluation, development and commercialization opportunities, as well as technical knowledge sharing. The announcement did not identify a specific project or investment amount.
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Read more at oneenergynews.com
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24/09/2026

Por onde anda? Becrux

In Angra dos Reis, a 31-foot Bayliner is the starting point for Westhon Classic Boats.

At BR Marinas VEROLME, in Angra dos Reis, Becrux is preparing for a new chapter. The Bayliner 310 BR Special Edition has been stripped down for a project that brings together engineering, design and an appreciation for classic boats.

Becrux is the first experiment of Westhon Classic Boats, an initiative exploring whether existing boats can become desirable, attainable classics through a carefully developed refit.

The inspiration comes from builders such as Riva and Hinckley. The ambition is Brazilian: to bring together local expertise and craftsmanship, giving familiar hulls a distinctive character and a longer, useful life.

WSB’s Marine Survey and Engineering teams will support the project alongside refit specialists, architects and designers. Hull condition, propulsion, layout, materials and finishes will be assessed together, with safety, costs and documentation guiding the decisions.

For now, Westhon Classic Boats is a laboratory. Becrux will help establish what works, what it costs and whether the approach can be repeated. The finished boat must justify the investment through its design, performance and use.

There is also a personal interest behind the initiative: the pleasure of creating a boat worth keeping, in a market often preoccupied with the next new model.

Becrux remains in Angra. Its next destination is still taking shape.

23/09/2026

One Energy #20 — Edise: New chapter for a Rio icon

Some buildings are part of a city’s landscape. Others become part of its history.

More than 50 years after its inauguration, Edise — Petrobras’ headquarters in downtown Rio de Janeiro — is beginning a new chapter.

Closed since 2021, the 29-story, 184,000 m² building has undergone its first major renovation since opening in 1974, with investments of approximately R$1.3 billion. The renovation and gradual reoccupation are expected to continue into early 2028, when Edise will have around 6,000 workstations.

But the project goes beyond new electrical systems, air conditioning, glass panels and workspaces.

The original architectural identity conceived by Roberto Luís Gandolfi remains central to the renovation. The gardens designed by Roberto Burle Marx are being restored, the building’s distinctive brise-soleils have returned, and spaces connecting Edise with downtown Rio are also being brought back to life.

Praça Monsenhor will once again be open to the public, while the project also includes a new ground-floor entrance, a multipurpose space and the revitalization of the Santa Teresa Tram Terminal.

What has changed after more than five decades? What has been preserved? And what will the new Edise mean for Petrobras and downtown Rio?

In Issue 20 of One Energy Magazine, Rafael Bortoloti looks at the history, architecture and transformation behind one of Petrobras’ most recognizable buildings.

Read the full story in One Energy Magazine — Issue 20.

https://westhon.com/magazines/one-energy-magazine-issue-no-20-2026

23/09/2026

Breaking News — Brazil
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• Perenco and Porto do Açu advance offshore electrification project
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Perenco Brasil and Porto do Açu have signed a Letter of Intent for an offshore electrification project connecting the Pargo and Cherne hubs in the Campos Basin to Brazil’s power grid through an approximately 80-kilometer subsea cable.
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Perenco estimates investment at around US$110 million. Initial demand is expected at 35 MW, with potential expansion to 60 MW within four years. Operations are targeted for Q1 2028.
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• Petrobras begins commercial negotiations with Yinson for P-88
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Petrobras has completed the technical validation of Yinson’s proposal for the P-88 FPSO and moved into commercial negotiations.
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Yinson submitted the lowest bid, at approximately US$2.29 billion. The unit, planned under the BOT model for the revitalization of Albacora, will have capacity to produce 120,000 barrels of oil per day. First oil is expected after 2031.
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• Petrobras prepares three-well Foz do Amazonas campaign
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Petrobras expects to begin a three-well campaign in block FZA-M-59 in early 2027, with drilling activities expected to start in January.
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The campaign covers Manga, Crotalus and Morpho Extension and will provide additional data for the evaluation of the recent Morpho discovery.
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• Petrobras and PPSA sign R$2.9 billion pre-salt gas agreements
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Petrobras and PPSA have signed two linked contracts worth R$1.2 billion and R$1.7 billion to commercialize natural gas belonging to the Brazilian government from the Santos Basin pre-salt.
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The agreements run from 2027 to 2029 and cover the purchase of unprocessed gas by Petrobras and the sale of processed gas back to PPSA.
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• Suape records highest monthly cargo throughput
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The Port of Suape handled 2.726 million tonnes in August, its highest monthly volume on record.
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Liquid bulk accounted for 1.977 million tonnes, or 72.5% of the total. From January through August, Suape handled 18.835 million tonnes, up 22.8% year-on-year.
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Read more at oneenergynews.com
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FPSO FozDoAmazonas

22/09/2026

Amaralina Star set for next phase of Petrobras drilling in Foz do Amazonas

Petrobras is preparing to deploy the Amaralina Star in the next phase of its exploration campaign at block FZA-M-59, in the Foz do Amazonas Basin, following the identification of hydrocarbons at the Morpho well.

The Constellation drillship is expected to replace Foresea’s ODN-II, or NS-42, as Petrobras moves toward three additional wells — Manga, PAD Morpho and Crotalus — aimed at gathering more information on the reservoir discovered in the area.

The change is the result of a process that began months ago. Petrobras requested the inclusion of the Amaralina Star in the environmental license in April, seeking greater flexibility in the allocation of drilling units across its exploration portfolio.

Ibama amended the operating license on September 3, authorizing the three additional wells and allowing either the ODN-II or Amaralina Star to perform the work. The authorization does not currently provide for simultaneous drilling by the two units.

Before operating at FZA-M-59, however, the Amaralina Star must demonstrate that adaptations required for the collection of drill cuttings have been completed and undergo a prior inspection by Ibama.

Petrobras confirmed during ROG.e 2026 that the NS-43 will now be allocated to the Foz do Amazonas campaign. The ODN-II is expected to undergo maintenance after completing its current activities before moving to the Potiguar Basin, where Petrobras plans to use the unit at the Mãe de Ouro prospect.

The Amaralina Star is already under a three-year Petrobras contract that began on March 6, 2026. Valued at approximately US$528 million, including mobilization and integrated services, the agreement was structured to allow the sixth-generation drillship to operate in different offshore areas, including frontier exploration regions such as the Equatorial Margin.

The unit can operate in water depths of up to 10,000 feet and drill wells to 40,000 feet. Its current Petrobras package also includes managed pressure drilling and integrated subsea services.

Read more at oneenergynews.com