The UAE’s pioneer in hydraulic workovers

UAE

Sameer Mohamed, CEO and Managing Director of Ocean Oilfield Integrated Solutions, talks to The Energy Year about strengthening the company’s capabilities, expanding its footprint in drilling and workover, and exploring opportunities in the Far East and West Africa. Ocean Oilfield provides integrated support services to the oil and gas, energy and power sectors.

Can you share some updates on your ongoing projects?
Ocean Oilfield is a one-of-a-kind organisation operating both drilling and workover units and shipyard engineering facilities. In 2023 and 2024, we successfully deployed all our drilling and workover assets, and our shipyards in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi were fully booked with rig and barge refurbishments as well as EPC projects.
One of our offshore jackup rigs, Aras Driller, operated in Turkey for KKJV and Botaş on the Kuzey Marmara underground gas storage project. The rig was subsequently mobilised to Atlantis, a Chinese corporation, for operations offshore Umm Al Quwain in the UAE. Following that campaign, Aras Driller proceeded directly to the PIOL [Pakistan International Oil Limited] field offshore Abu Dhabi, where our other rig B152 remains in operation with ADOC.
Last time we spoke with The Energy Year, we were the first contractor to supply ADNOC with a hydraulic workover snubbing unit (HWU) for their inaugural project. This pilot project was completed safely and on time, and it met all economic and technical expectations.
Following this success, Oxy reached out to us to participate in one of their onshore campaigns in Abu Dhabi. The HWU was transferred directly to the Oxy site, where the project was again completed safely and on time.

How have your HWUs impacted ADNOC’s operations?
HWUs have proven to deliver significant financial and technical advantages. Compared to offshore and land rigs, which require larger, more expensive setups, HWUs offer a more commercially efficient alternative. HWUs can deliver significant financial benefits, enhanced operational efficiency and reduced emissions.
The HWU deployed for the ADNOC project was designed and manufactured entirely by our in-house engineering team. We were the first to manufacture such a unit in the UAE. Since our equipment is made in Abu Dhabi, we also contribute significantly to in-country value targets, which has strengthened our strategic alignment with ADNOC and other stakeholders.

How many units do you expect to deploy?
We can manufacture HWUs in-house in approximately six months, depending on tender requirements. We do not produce them for commercial sale – only when we have confirmed project demands. In 2024, we built an additional unit and currently have two HWUs available in our fleet.

What is your assessment of the rig market in the UAE?
There is growing optimism in the market. However, it’s also widely known that major oil companies have released rigs, leading to an excess being parked in the UAE and nearby dockyards. While this gives NOCs more options, it also puts pressure on rig owners and operators. For them, we see better opportunities emerging in the Far East and West Africa, and we are actively exploring projects in East Asia as well.

What value can you offer to domestic and international oil and gas companies that seek to operate in the UAE?
Ocean Oilfield is an integrated solutions provider with in-house shipyards, engineering and fabrication, EPC, drilling and workover services, equipment trading, catering and marine services with vessels and crew. We are possibly the only company offering this complete suite of services under one roof, making us an ideal one-stop solution for NOCs.
We are proud of the diversification we have achieved over our 40-year journey. From our beginnings as a trading company in the oilfield equipment space, we have grown into a shipyard owner, a drilling and workover contractor, and ultimately a fully integrated provider of oil and gas services. Our growth has been achieved sustainably and independently. Today, Ocean Oilfield has a presence in 12 countries, with multiple shipyards, vessels and drilling and workover assets.

What are your expansion plans for 2025?
Despite market volatility and geopolitical uncertainties, we see strong potential for increased drilling activity in the Far East and West Africa in 2025 and 2026.
We plan to expand our asset base further by deploying more jackup rigs. Currently, our fleet includes offshore jackup rigs, HWUs, vessels and offshore barges. Over the next five years, we aim to expand this fleet significantly.
We are also partnering with a local entity to expand our shipyard operations. Our goal is to consolidate our presence with a larger facility that offers exclusivity to clients in Abu Dhabi. At present, we operate two shipyards in the UAE, and we expect to establish a third facility by the end of 2025.

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