Surveys, Offshore Energy Inspections Leverage Autonomous Technology
operations at depths of up to 3,000 meters and offers an endurance of up to 30 days, while allowing rapid transition between deep-sea engineering, subsea surveying, and oceanographic research missions. Additionally, operators can control both the USV and the deployed ROV from an onshore control center.Saipem is hitting the 3,000-meter mark with its most advanced AUV, Flatfish, which has now undergone functional acceptance tests with Petrobras. FlatFish has been developed as part of Saipem’s underwater robotics program aimed at industrializing a family of underwater robots capable of performing
Saipem, Subsea7 Clear Key US Regulatory Merger Hurdle
Saipem and Subsea7 have cleared a key U.S. regulatory hurdle for their planned merger after the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 expired, allowing the transaction to close in the United States once all remaining conditions are met.The companies said all applicable waiting periods under the U.S. antitrust law have expired, while noting that the proposed merger remains subject to certain regulatory approvals outside the United States.The merger was agreed under a binding agreement signed in July 2025, following a memorandum of understanding announced
Saipem Taps Fugro for CCS Development off UK
Fugro has secured a contract from Saipem to provide integrated marine survey and inspection services for the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP), the UK's first carbon capture transportation and storage infrastructure project.Saipem is leading the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of the project's offshore pipeline and associated infrastructure. NEP is an incorporated joint venture between bp, Equinor and TotalEnergies.The project has access to up to 1 billion tonnes of CO2 storage capacity beneath the North Sea and is aimed at decarbonising some of the UK's most
Giovanni Corbetta Appointed as New Chief Executive Officer at Unique Group
Managing Director of JFD. In these positions, he was responsible for offshore and subsea operations, production and manufacturing, engineering services, project delivery, and international business performance.Prior to this, Giovanni held senior leadership positions within DOF Subsea, Hallin Marine and Saipem where he gained experience managing complex global operations and delivering critical engineering projects in demanding marine environments.His technical and operational expertise spans subsea technologies, marine services, diving operations, offshore engineering, manufacturing, project execution
Pharos Offshore Group Successfully Completes Mediterranean Trenching Project
Pharos Offshore Group has completed a major trenching contract, awarded by Next Geosolutions for the Saipem Bouri Gas Utilisation Project (BGUP).Using its high-performance jet trencher, Q1000, Pharos has successfully completed the subsea postlay trenching of both the 14-inch Raw Gas Sealine and the 10-inch Export Gas Sealine. Each pipeline included an associated fiber optic cable (FOC), which was also trenched as part of the scope. Pharos worked in partnership and close collaboration with Next Geosolutions and Rana Subsea to deliver the project, with equipment mobilized onto the support vessel
NextGeo Completes Trenching Work for Libya's Bouri Gas Project
adds trenching to the range of services provided by the company and forms part of its strategy to broaden its offshore capabilities through organic growth and strategic partnerships.The trenching activities were carried out through NextGeo subsidiary Rana Subsea as part of installation operations led by Saipem. The work was supported by a partnership with Pharos Offshore Group, which supplied the specialist trenching technology used on the project.Saipem Completes Key Module Lift for Libya’s Offshore Gas ProjectNextGeo said the initiative reflects its approach of combining in-house expertise with
On-Demand Ocean Bottom Node: A New Era in Deepwater Seismic Monitoring
on the seabed for several years, capturing seismic data that can be recorded and harvested “on-demand” using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), without the need for repeated deployment and retrieval cycles.Significant quantities of seismic data are harvested wirelessly using an AUV like Saipem’s ‘Flatfish,’ which implements the through-water optical interface to interrogate the OD OBNs, as developed under a separate ANP program sponsored by Shell.This AUV data harvesting approach eliminates the need for node recovery, reducing vessel time, operational complexity and associated
Saipem FlatFish Underwater Drone Completes Petrobas Test Campaign
FlatFish, Saipem’s underwater inspection drone, has successfully completed a key phase under the contract awarded by Petrobras in 2023 for the development and testing of an autonomous robotic solution. These were Functional Acceptance Tests, executed in a controlled environment, aimed at verifying that all the functions required by the contract meet the technical and operational standards established before deployment on the field.Following the positive tests outcome, Petrobras has been able to grant approval to proceed with the final phase of the project, which aims at the full implementation
Saipem Supplies Hydrone-W ROV for ISPRA's Arcadia Vessel
Saipem has been awarded a contract with the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa to supply the Hydrone-W remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), which will be deployed on ISPRA's (Higher Institute for Environmental Protection and Research) new oceanographic vessel, Arcadia.Hydrone-W will support ISPRA in advanced oceanographic activities, contributing to the observation, monitoring and study of ecosystems, geomorphology, and strategic infrastructures located in deep-sea and offshore environments.Hydrone-W, a full-electric Work Class ROV, was developed as part of Saipem's “Hydrone”
February 2026
