OTC 2026 Special Report

This compilation highlights event coverage, executive insights, project updates, technology advances, industry news and the trending topics discussed at the 2026 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), which took place May 4-7 in Houston.
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Photo by © OTC/Scott Morgan 2026
OTC 2026 Opening Ceremony

In a crowd-filled room during the OTC 2026 Opening Ceremony on May 4, Guyana President Mohamed Irfaan Ali framed fossil fuels and renewables as parallel systems amid rising demand and structural supply pressures.

This special report published on May 7, 2026.

Nearly 25,000 people attended this year's Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston. The conference featured nine executive dialogues, 18 keynote addresses, 48 technical sessions and a wide range of additional presentations covering the full spectrum of the offshore industry. The exhibit floor hosted nearly 1,000 companies.

As the official media partner of OTC, the Offshore editorial team wrote or arranged the material for this special section, putting a strong emphasis on market outlooks, technology advances and regional hotspots that will likely trend in 2026 and beyond. 

OTC 2026 session recaps:

The Offshore editorial team reported the key takeaways from some of the OTC 2026 keynotes, panels and technical sessions.

Courtesy Divulgação Petrobras
Petrobras' P-79 platform offshore Brazil
Petrobras plans to invest $7.1 billion in offshore exploration and production, drill about 40 new offshore wells, and invest $4 billion in R&D.
May 4, 2026
Courtesy Subsea7
OTC 2026: Panel delivers insights on subsea tiebacks
A lower cost, lower-emission field development technique will keep offshore competitive, panelists say.
May 5, 2026
Courtesy BSEE
OTC 2026 panel highlights HP/HT challenges, advances
Officials from Chevron, Shell and bp discuss lessons learned and expected challenges from recent and upcoming Gulf projects.
May 5, 2026
Photo by © OTC/Phil McCarten 2026
OTC 2026 Day 2 panel session on CCUS
As carbon capture projects move from concept to construction, OTC panelists examined whether CCUS is finally scaling or still constrained by cost, policy friction and infrastructure...
May 6, 2026
ID 58917463 © Ggw1962 | Dreamstime.com
offshore FPSO operations
Two OTC technical papers highlighted how FPSO hull design, marine systems simplification and remote inspection technologies are converging to reduce personnel exposure while maintaining...
May 6, 2026
Courtesy Kiewit Offshore Services
OTC 2026 Panel traces 40 years of deepwater floating production designs
A panel of industry veterans recounts how FPU designs evolved from TLPs to spars to semis in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.
May 7, 2026

 

OTC 2026 exclusive interviews with presenters:

Courtesy Brava Energia
FPSO Atlanta
OTC’s Distinguished Achievement Award for Companies recognizes Brava Energia’s execution of the Atlanta deepwater project, transforming a once “undrillable” field into a benchmark...
Feb. 27, 2026
Courtesy EXMAR Offshore
Kaskida rendering
Industry veterans reflect on lessons learned from 40 years of offshore development, emphasizing the shift toward standardized, leaner platforms and the increasing role of subsea...
April 29, 2026
Courtesy Terradepth
Absolute Ocean technology by Terradepth
During an OTC technical session, Terradepth’s Brian Butler will examine how persistent, cloud‑based seabed intelligence is reshaping offshore decision‑making—from integrity management...
April 30, 2026
ID 136013961 © Dedmityay | Dreamstime.com
offshore seismic vessel
AAPG’s Susan Nash says the industry is shifting from structural mapping to integrated earth modeling and dynamic simulations for better reservoir understanding.
May 5, 2026
Courtesy Oceaneering
Momentum electric ROV
Oceaneering’s new Momentum electric work class ROV is designed to support up to 30 days of continuous subsea operation.
May 5, 2026
Courtesy Shape Digital
Shape Lighthouse is an Intelligent asset management system
Shape Digital CEO Felipe Baldissera discusses how offshore operators are testing digital decision support under real operational constraints.
May 6, 2026

 

OTC 2026 exclusive interviews with exhibitors:

The Offshore editors chatted with OTC exhibitors and attendees before and during the event. 

ID 118421660 © Curraheeshutter | Dreamstime.com
offshore oil and gas operations
Offshore operators are reassessing how surveillance technologies can close visibility gaps and support safer, more predictable operations, according to Darren Alder, head of energy...
April 30, 2026
Courtesy GOWell
GOWell engineers work with tubular components
GOWell Energies CEO Guillaume Borrel explains what actually governs whether long‑idle oil and gas wells can be safely returned to production.
May 6, 2026
ID 130671649 © Theerapong28 | Dreamstime.com
offshore digitalization
As offshore facilities integrate electrification, battery systems and digitally enabled equipment, hazardous location (HazLoc) testing and certification is shifting from device...
May 6, 2026
ID 151225909 © Shane Adams | Dreamstime.com
PSV in the Gulf of Mexico
Nauticworx’s Jessica Bertsch discusses where traditional offshore workboat chartering still breaks down and how early digital adoption is reshaping decision‑making in the US Gulf...
May 6, 2026

 

Voices of the industry:

Photo by © OTC/Todd Buchanan 2026
OTC 2026 exhibition
Attendees, presenters and exhibitors shared their insights about the future of the offshore energy sector at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) this week.
May 7, 2026

 

Contributed content:

Courtesy ABS/Shutterstock/James Jones Jr
offshore decommissioning
Dismantling and recycling floating assets is a complex process demanding early planning to manage decommissioning cost, safety and risk.
May 4, 2026

 

OTC 2026 Spotlight on New Technology Awards:

The Offshore editorial team secured exclusive interviews with some of this year's Spotlight award recipients to gain more insights into these new technologies.

Photo by © OTC/Todd Buchanan 2025
OTC recognizes Spotlight on New Technology Award winners
This year’s award winners include new technologies in drilling, completions, subsea systems, AI and more.
April 27, 2026
Courtesy HYTORC
TorcSync
HYTORC's TorcSync wireless bolting technology, awarded the 2026 OTC Spotlight on New Technology Small Business Award, enables synchronized operation of multiple torque tools, ...
April 28, 2026
Courtesy Bosch Rexroth
2026 Spotlight on New Technology Award winners
Bosch Rexroth secured two OTC 2026 Spotlight on New Technology awards for electric drive and subsea actuation systems, which the company's SMEs say signal a shift toward simpler...
May 6, 2026
Courtesy Teledyne
Teledyne eXtreamer
Teledyne Geophysical Instruments VP and GM Holli Sims discusses the technology behind the company’s eXtreamer seismic streamer, a recipient of a 2026 Spotlight on New Technology...
May 6, 2026
Courtesy Fugro
Fugro GeoAI Framework
Fugro’s GeoAI interpretation framework is being recognized for compressing geoscience timelines while keeping engineers and regulators firmly in the loop, according to company...
May 7, 2026

 

OTC 2026 industry news:

The Offshore editors highlight some of the news announcements made during OTC.

Courtesy Strohm
Strohm's TCP
The partners are developing a lightweight hybrid flexible pipe designed for flowline and riser applications in water depths beyond 3,000 m, with commercial availability targeted...
May 5, 2026
Courtesy ABS
MoU signing ceremony at OTC 2026
The agreement establishes a framework for knowledge exchange and technical collaboration to support Seatrium's technology team.
May 7, 2026

OTC 2027:

The next Offshore Technology Conference is scheduled to take place May 3-6 at NRG Park in Houston, Texas. Contact Chief Editor Ariana Hurtado to discuss editorial opportunities for OTC 2027. 

 

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Photo by © OTC/Phil McCarten 2025
OTC 2025 opening ceremony
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