Maritime Industry Briefing: Tanker Registry Fraud, Offshore Rig Contracts, and North Sea Field Upgrades

## Landlocked Zimbabwe Flags Tanker Registry Fraud to IMO According to a report from Splash247, the landlocked nation of Zimbabwe has notified the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of a false registry linked to an aframax tanker. Zimbabwe stated it has no maritime authority or ship registry, after the 2005-built 'Range Vale' tanker was connected to the African country. This case highlights the ongoing issue of 'flag hopping', where vessels switch between different national registries, sometimes falsely, in order to obscure their origins and ownership. Maintaining transparency in maritime operations is a key challenge, and Zimbabwe's action to notify the IMO demonstrates efforts to combat this type of registry fraud. ## Valaris Secures Nearly $900 Million in New Offshore Rig Contracts Offshore driller Valaris has announced a series of new contract awards and extensions worth close to $900 million, as reported by Splash247. In the floater sector, Valaris' DS-7 drillship secured a 5-well contract extension with Azule Energy for work offshore Angola. Additionally, Valaris won several jackup rig contracts, including deals with Aramco in Saudi Arabia and Petronas in Malaysia. These contract wins provide a boost to Valaris' backlog and underscore the continued demand for offshore drilling services, particularly in key regions like the Middle East and Southeast Asia. ## SLB OneSubsea Awarded Equinor Contract for North Sea Field Upgrades SLB OneSubsea, a joint venture between SLB, Aker Solutions, and Subsea7, has been selected by Equinor to upgrade the subsea compression system for the Gullfaks field in the Norwegian North Sea, according to Splash247. Under the engineering, procurement, and construction contract, SLB OneSubsea will work to enhance the field's recovery rates through upgrades to the subsea compression infrastructure. Improving subsea production capabilities is crucial for maximizing the output of mature North Sea assets like Gullfaks. This project award demonstrates the continued importance of advanced subsea technologies in boosting the efficiency and longevity of offshore oil and gas developments in the region.