Global energy and marine consultancy ABL has secured a new contract from India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), through United India Insurance (UIIC), to oversee rig moving operations across Indian waters between September 2025 and May 2026.
Under the agreement, ABL will serve as marine warranty surveyor (MWS) for an estimated 25 ONGC rig moves and act as tow master/MWS for an additional 70 third-party jack-up operations within ONGC’s offshore fields on the country’s west coast. The combined total includes approximately 34 rig relocations ahead of the 2026 monsoon season, ensuring fleet readiness across ONGC’s portfolio of jack-ups and mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs).
“We have long supported ONGC in de-risking and delivering rig moving operations, both as MWS, tow master, and marine consultant,” said Captain Stephen Craig, ABL’s Director for Rig Operations. “Our multi-disciplined team combines decades of hands-on experience with in-house geoscience and engineering support, giving us a unique perspective on the environmental and technical challenges of offshore rig moves.”
In 2024, ABL supported more than 1,500 rig moves globally across a range of roles, including marine warranty, tow master, and client representation services. The company’s rig operations group is backed by the geoscience, metocean, and jack-up engineering expertise of its sister company Longitude, part of the ABL Group ASA, listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
The new contract reinforces ABL’s long-standing collaboration with ONGC and its position as a leading provider of marine assurance and rig move management services in the Indian offshore market.
