Shearwater Geoservices has secured a three-year ocean bottom node (OBN) seismic acquisition contract in South American waters from a major oil and gas operator, the Bergen-headquartered marine geoscience group confirmed. Field operations begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, with a second confirmed phase expected to start towards the end of 2028 and run for roughly ten months.

The award slots two of Shearwater's vessels into the basin through 2027. The SW Tasman will handle node deployment using the company's in-house Pearl technology, while the SW Gallien supplies the seismic source. Both vessels are expected to remain active throughout 2027 under the confirmed scope.

Contract structure separates firm work from optionality. Confirmed phases fall in the opening and closing years of the three-year window, while a broader framework allows the unnamed client to bring further projects into scope during the same period. Shearwater characterised the award as significant.

"This award marks a milestone for Shearwater's OBN platform consisting of our internally developed Pearl technology and our one-of-a-kind Tasman vessel design," said CEO Irene Waage Basili. "We are proud to have secured this position in South America and look forward to continuing our contribution into the successful development of one of the world's most important offshore basins."

Active stretch for the Norwegian contractor

The South American award caps a busy period for the company, which employs roughly 1,000 people globally. Earlier this month, Shearwater announced a joint venture with SLB to shoot the Amapá 3D multi-client seismic survey in the waters off northern Brazil's Equatorial Margin.

Shearwater has called the Amapá programme one of its most significant multi-client commitments. The survey area sits around 130 km from the Morpho well, site of a previously announced hydrocarbon discovery, positioning the data squarely in one of the most closely watched exploration frontiers offshore Brazil.

The company also booked a seven-week North Sea OBN survey contract in a further recent development. That job marks the first commercial deployment of Shearwater's newly fitted electric remotely operated vehicles, extending the Pearl node-handling system into ROV-based operations.

Watch items

Two dates matter for service-sector watchers: the Q4 2026 mobilisation of SW Tasman and SW Gallien in South America, and the start of the second phase around end-2028. Any expansion of the framework scope — additional phases added between the two confirmed campaigns — would signal the client's appraisal programme is accelerating. The identity of the operator and the specific basin remain undisclosed; both are the details the market will press for as first acquisition dates approach.