New Wave Offshore Energy, Texas-headquartered marine consultants, has been tasked with a marine warranty services (MWS) assignment for an oil and gas deepwater development off the coast of Brazil, which is operated by Shell Brasil Petróleo (Shell Brasil), a subsidiary of the UK-headquartered energy giant Shell.
New Wave Offshore Energy has been selected as the marine warranty surveyor for Shell’s Orca project, formerly known as Gato do Mato, in the pre-salt Santos Basin offshore Brazil. While explaining that this “major” MWS contract fortifies its reputation as a trusted MWS partner for complex offshore developments, the U.S. company explains that the deal encompasses risk management and safety oversight support for the project.
The firm’s scope of work for the development, which is estimated to have recoverable resource volumes of approximately 370 million barrels, involves marine warranty services across multiple phases of the project, including vessel surveys, engineering review, and oversight of transportation and installation (T&I) operations.
The Texas-headquartered player will provide an impartial review of the operation to ensure the agreed project warranties are met while delivering value-added expertise. The contract expands New Wave Offshore’s portfolio of MWS work, which has been on the firm’s services menu since 2018, reinforcing the company’s commitment to providing high-value marine assurance across all types of offshore energy projects.
Kyle Eddings, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “This award clearly validates our technical depth and operational discipline. Being chosen by Shell for marine warranty services affirms the confidence the industry is placing in our ability to execute offshore projects with integrity and attention to detail.
“We are proud to see our core philosophy, that a highly technical team of honest and dedicated professionals delivers unparalleled value to our clients, recognized at this level.”
The Orca project is a unitized development covering the BM-S-54 concession agreement and the Sul de Orca production sharing agreement (CPP). Currently, the partners are Shell (operator with a 70% stake), Ecopetrol (30%), and Pré-Sal Petróleo S.A. (PPSA) as the CPP manager.
Orca’s partners made the final investment decision for the project in March 2025. Once the sale of a partial stake is completed, the ownership structure will change, with Shell remaining as the operator with a reduced interest (50%), while its partners will be Ecopetrol (30%) and KUFPEC (20%).
Vallourec was contracted to supply line pipes for the project and TechnipFMC was hired for the integrated engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (iEPCI) work. Designed to produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day (boepd), the project’s start-up is scheduled for 2029.
