HomeSkandi Commander Lands Four-Year Petrobras Award as DOF Adds Another $150m Slice of Brazil Backlog

Skandi Commander Lands Four-Year Petrobras Award as DOF Adds Another $150m Slice of Brazil Backlog

January 2, 2026

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DOF has locked in a fresh long-term win in Brazil: a four-year Petrobras charter for the ROV support vessel Skandi Commander, valued at about $150 million and scheduled to start in January 2027. The contract stands out because it pairs an AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle) alongside the vessel’s ROV duties, reinforcing how Petrobras is contracting for deeper subsea capability, not just hull time.

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Jinjiang sets a feeder growth “dial” with a 4 + 4 newbuild plan

Jinjiang Shipping is moving toward an order for four 1,800 TEU feeder boxships, with options for four more, under a reported investment ceiling around RMB 1.94bn. The message is less about a one-time capacity jump and more about having a controlled way to add ships if intra-Asia volumes and economics stay supportive.

  • The lever they built into the deal
    A “4 firm + options” structure lets the company lock a platform and potential yard space now, then decide later whether the second batch earns its spot.
  • Where the impact shows up first
    On Southeast Asia and intra-Asia loops, the benefit is usually frequency and reliability, not headline TEU. Small improvements in utilization and port turns can matter a lot.
  • The market tells to watch
    The next disclosures that move the story are yard choice, delivery windows, and spec details (fuel, reefer count, geared vs gearless), plus whether options get exercised quickly.
Bottom line
This is a flexibility play: four ships set the baseline, and the option layer becomes a live indicator of how confident Jinjiang is in regional demand and in the economics it can secure from yards and financing.
DOF awarded four-year Petrobras contract for ROV support vessel Skandi Commander, starting 2027
Topic Deal snapshot Commercial structure Market effect
Contract scope Four-year charter for an ROV support vessel working in Brazil Long-term Petrobras employment awarded through a competitive tender process Removes a capable RSV from the future spot market and tightens forward supply
Vessel Skandi Commander Purpose-built subsea support vessel with established Brazil operating history Reinforces preference for proven assets rather than speculative new tonnage
Subsea capability ROV operations combined with autonomous underwater vehicle use Charter covers both vessel time and advanced subsea systems under one contract Favors owners with integrated equipment and trained crews over bare vessel supply
Timing Expected start in January 2027 Awarded well ahead of delivery to secure campaign continuity Shows Petrobras planning multi-year subsea workloads rather than short-cycle hiring
Contract value Approximately $150 million over the full term Predictable revenue profile tied to a fixed-duration charter Adds backlog stability and improves visibility for offshore service providers
What to watch Execution, equipment uptime, local compliance Autonomous systems introduce added operational and maintenance requirements Successful delivery could influence future Petrobras tender specifications
Brazil: Petrobras Vessel: Skandi Commander Term: 4 years Start: Jan 2027 Value: ~US$150m ROV + AUV in scope
How to read this award in the subsea market tap to collapse
  • It is a long-dated booking of subsea capability, not a short-cycle gap fill.
  • The scope calls out autonomy alongside ROV work, suggesting Petrobras is contracting for a broader subsea task set under a single charter.
  • Multi-year awards can reduce future spot availability for comparable vessels and shift competition toward owners that can deliver integrated systems and uptime.

Award announced

Four-year Petrobras charter for an ROV support vessel operating in Brazil.

Pre-start window

Planning, readiness work, and operational setup ahead of mobilization.

Start: January 2027

Vessel begins work scope that includes autonomous systems alongside ROV duties.

Four-year run

Long-duration employment that improves forward visibility and dampens exposure to shorter contracting cycles.

Backlog-to-day-rate quick math

This tool converts a total contract value into an implied gross day rate under a utilization assumption. It is a simple lens for comparing headlines, and it does not separate pass-through items or equipment-specific billing.

$0 / day

Annual: $0 | Monthly: $0

Assumes utilization applies to all contract days.

Even-spread view (illustrative)

The bars show the contract value spread evenly across four years to visualize scale. Real billing can vary by scope and timing.
Practical takeaway: long-duration awards with defined subsea capability can pull demand away from simple vessel supply and toward owners that can bundle systems, crews, and uptime expectations in one package.

Brazil’s subsea contracting drumbeat keeps leaning toward longer awards with defined capability, and this Petrobras charter for Skandi Commander fits that pattern with a start date well into 2027 and a scope that highlights autonomous systems alongside ROV work. The headline value is large, but the more durable signal for the market is the forward booking of specialized subsea capacity and what that implies for availability and bid competitiveness over the next cycle.

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By the ShipUniverse Editorial Team — About Us | Contact