Oil and gas company Neptune Energy has awarded a contract to CHC Helicopters for offshore transport services in the Dutch sector of the North Sea.

Neptune Energy disclosed on Tuesday that it has awarded a contract worth $53 million to CHC Helicopters for offshore transport in the Dutch North Sea to and from 29 Neptune-operated platforms in the Netherlands, optimising flight schedules and reducing associated emissions.

The oil and gas player highlighted that this is part of a longer-term Alliance Agreement with CHC, which will enable the two firms to optimise flight scheduling and route planning to reduce the total number of offshore flights. This agreement has been awarded for three years, with two one-year extension options on the table.

Nicola Goodwin, Neptune Energy’s Head of Supply Chain & Logistics in the Netherlands, remarked: “The new Alliance Agreement is an innovative approach for Neptune Energy and our service partner. It will enable us to build on our good safety record, reduce the CO2 emissions associated with offshore transport, and improve overall efficiency.”

CHC has been providing offshore transport services to Neptune for years and a two-year contract extension, covering the Dutch sector of the North Sea, was secured in September 2020. At the time, it was explained that CHC conducted approximately 3,500 flight hours each year for Neptune’s Dutch offshore teams from its base at Den Helder Airport.

When it comes to Neptune’s recent activities elsewhere, it is worth noting that the company joined forces with Horisont Energi in August 2022 to cooperate on the development of a large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Norway.

This project could store 4-8 million tonnes of CO2 annually and has the potential to store more in later phases.