Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], May 12 (ANI): Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ), through its marine platform Astro Offshore, has entered into an agreement with Oceaneering International Inc. to pursue specialised offshore and subsea opportunities in Europe.

According to an official statement released by APSEZ on Tuesday, the partnership marks a significant step in the company's expansion into ultra-deepwater operations and international offshore markets.

The agreement is aimed at strengthening APSEZ's strategy to build one of the world's largest integrated marine platforms spanning logistics, offshore support, underwater engineering and deepwater infrastructure services.

It stated, 'The agreement marks a significant step in APSEZ's expansion into ultra-deepwater operations and international markets, further supporting its strategy to build one of the world's largest integrated marine platforms.'

As part of the expansion, Astro Offshore has added its first ultra-deepwater vessel, Energy Savanah, which will be renamed Astro Atlas. The company said the vessel reflects its strategy of acquiring younger and high-specification vessels with advanced operational capabilities.

APSEZ Whole-time Director and Chief Executive Officer Ashwani Gupta said the partnership supports the company's ambition to build a globally diversified marine platform.

'This development supports APSEZ's ambition to build a globally diversified marine platform. By combining Astro Offshore's expanding high-specification fleet with Oceaneering's deepwater engineering and ROV expertise, we are enhancing our capabilities in complex offshore operations while expanding into Europe,' he said.

Astro Offshore Chief Executive Officer Mark Humphreys said the addition of Astro Atlas significantly enhances the company's operational capabilities, especially in ultra-deepwater environments.

'The introduction of Astro Atlas significantly enhances our operational capability and underscores our continued investment in a modern, high-spec fleet, particularly in ultra-deepwater environments. As our largest and most capable vessel to date, she enables us to support a broader range of complex offshore operations and respond more effectively to evolving client requirements,' he stated.

Subsea activities involve specialised underwater engineering operations critical for offshore energy and marine infrastructure projects. These include cable laying, pipeline installation, underwater construction, inspection, maintenance and intervention in deepwater environments.

The newly added vessel is a 2021-built 97-metre DP2 multipurpose support vessel equipped with a 150-tonne subsea active heave compensated crane, a 25-tonne secondary crane, a moonpool and accommodation for up to 100 personnel.

According to the company, the vessel is capable of operating in water depths of over 3,000 metres and is designed to support subsea construction, cable laying and pipeline installation projects.

The advanced DP2 system and vessel design are expected to support safe and efficient operations in challenging offshore environments while enabling Astro Offshore to enter the ultra-deepwater segment.

APSEZ said the move aligns with its long-term roadmap to develop a 200-vessel fleet by FY31. The company is also targeting marine revenue of Rs 6,000 crore and planned capital expenditure of Rs 13,000 crore by FY31 as part of its marine business expansion strategy. (ANI)