Offshore fleet owner DOF plans to grow in Brazil with new-builds, new buildings and a doubling of staff, after winning a $110-million, 3-year contract with Chevron for a ship’s handling of remotely operated vehicles and engineering at the Frade field.

DOF chief executive Mons Aase told an Oslo conference Friday that flagging his vessels in Brazil had proved an advantage, especially after recent developments in Norway, where hundreds of millions of dollars in accrued taxable income might yet have to be paid if a government proposal is passed.

DOF, meanwhile, was doubling its Brazil staff to 640 including the hiring of 70 sub-sea engineers to expand its sub-sea work in the deepwater off Brazil. The company is introducing ROVs capable of working in crushing 4,000-metre depths, the new tools of its 40-strong Subsea division.

Aker Yards is building three new-builds — two offshore construction vessels and an ROV-handler — for DOF’s Brazilian expansion, all committed to Petrobras, it was understood.