By Ariana Hurtado, Editor-in-chief
It's been a busy spring season for the Offshore team. As the official media partner of the recent Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, the Offshore editorial staff compiled an OTC 2025 Special Report of nearly 30 articles, including event coverage, daily news and case studies. Most topics of discussion during the event focused on the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), Brazil, tariffs, AI and safety.
Looking back at Offshore's trending stories throughout April and May, an article that was of high interest among readers was Managing Editor Bruce Beaubouef's review of how Trump's tariffs may already be impacting the offshore oil and gas industry. Bruce highlighted in early April that the tariffs are expected to add 2-5% to overall project expenses in the US GoM, which is the result of higher steel and equipment costs, modest fuel price risks, and supply chain friction.
S&P Global shared with Offshore in early May that the offshore rig sector is navigating a challenging landscape, with demand for floaters projected to remain flat through 2025. The firm added, "Hesitation has been added to the situation as a series of tariffs have been introduced by the new US administration, which have interfered with global trade and increased operational costs."
As the industry continues to grapple with these changes and more, Offshore's 2nd annual Business Strategies Special Report (in the recent May/June issue of Offshore magazine) can be used as a guide on how to navigate an evolving marketplace. In this report, industry leaders share their insights about the best tactics being utilized in the offshore oil and gas sector, covering topics such as M&A activity, FPSO newbuilds and conversions, FSRUs, subsea supply chain, workforce strategies, drillships in the digital age, cybersecurity, AI and regulations.
The GoM region also remains a high-interest topic among Offshore's readers. In the May/June issue, Bruce provides an E&P update, detailing how Gulf operators are ramping up their subsea tieback plans. In fact, there are at least eight new tiebacks that will be installed in the US GoM between 2025 and 2026.
Worldwide, well completion technologies are advancing to meet the needs of harsh environments, and the latest "intelligent" systems employ electronics rather than hydraulics for high-precision control.
In addition, several pipeline installation projects have been completed in first-half 2025. Allseas seemingly leads the pack with its vessels completing several pipelaying operations across the globe in the first few months of the year, with Saipem not far behind, announcing numerous project contracts recently.
In the offshore renewables space, Jeremy Beckman, Offshore's Europe editor, recently interviewed Huisman and Ulstein experts about Japan's first dedicated offshore wind construction vessel that is designed to handle larger, next-generation monopile foundations.
Also in the recent issue, Jeremy chatted with Techouse CTO Pål Kloster about how combined cycle power equipment is evolving for fixed and floating platforms. Kloster said operators are seeking smaller sizes to support emissions savings.
Enjoy!
