Seamec to provide diving support on ONGC's ageing DSV fleet
The Indian vessel operator will supply subsea diving services on two 1980s-built diving support vessels managed on behalf of state producer ONGC
Indian vessel operator Seamec has entered into a diving services agreement with its parent company, HAL Offshore, to provide subsea diving services on two diving support vessels working on behalf of India's state energy producer, ONGC. The agreement covers work on two vessels built in the late 1980s, both of which are managed by Seamec under existing arrangements with its parent company.
Diving support vessels of this vintage remain in active service across several offshore basins, including in India's domestic offshore sector, where ageing infrastructure and subsea assets often require ongoing inspection, maintenance and repair work carried out by saturation and surface-supplied diving teams operating from dedicated support vessels. Continued reliance on vessels built several decades ago underscores the relatively slow pace of fleet renewal in some parts of the diving support vessel segment compared with other offshore vessel classes.
The agreement extends an existing relationship between Seamec and its parent company, with Seamec providing the specialised diving personnel and services while HAL Offshore continues to manage the underlying vessels on ONGC's behalf. Structuring the arrangement as a services agreement rather than a vessel charter allows Seamec to deploy its diving expertise across ONGC's offshore programme without taking on direct vessel ownership or operational responsibility for the ships themselves.
ONGC remains one of the largest offshore oil and gas operators in India, with an extensive network of platforms and subsea infrastructure requiring regular diving support for inspection, maintenance and repair work. Securing ongoing diving service agreements tied to ONGC's fleet gives Seamec a relatively stable revenue stream tied to essential maintenance activity, which tends to continue regardless of shorter-term fluctuations in offshore project sanctioning or new development activity.
The deal reinforces Seamec's position as a specialist diving services provider within India's offshore sector, working alongside its parent company to support ONGC's operational requirements. With ONGC continuing to operate a substantial portfolio of ageing offshore infrastructure, demand for diving support services of this kind is likely to remain steady even as the broader Indian offshore sector looks toward newer development projects and infrastructure investment.
