Helicopter operator lands new million-dollar deals with Brazilian oil & gas giant

Brazilian state-owned energy giant Petrobras has awarded several new contracts to CHC do Brasil, part of CHC Helicopter, for offshore transport services in Brazil.

CHC revealed on Friday that it had signed five exclusive contracts with Petrobras, valued in millions. However, the firm did not disclose the exact value of these agreements, which have been secured for offshore transportation of passengers and small loads to the Campos Basin – the main sedimentary area already explored off the Brazilian coast – for the next 4-5 years.

Gilson Caputo, CHC’s Director of Operations in Brazil, commented: “These new contracts wins are a testament to the fantastic and hard-working team we have here in Brazil. We are incredibly proud to have been chosen by Petrobras for this project in Campos and Vitória Basin. Supporting energy production is a core specialism of CHC and we are committed to growing our operations in Latin America over the coming years.”

The helicopter operator explains that these projects, which are expected to start in the second half of 2023, were awarded as the result of “a competitive tender” held in August 2022. To support the contracts, CHC Brazil will operate five Leonardo AW139 helicopters from new bases located at Campos dos Goytacazes, and Bartolomeu Lisandro Airport and Eurico de Aguiar Salles Airport in Vitória.

CHC expects to grow its fleet to around ten medium and large aircraft with these new contract wins, which also support new jobs in the region, with the helicopter operator raising its headcount to approximately 280 employees in Brazil.

Moreover, CHC highlights that it has “significant long-term growth plans” for Latin America while it already has operations in Brazil and Mexico, having previously also operated in Suriname, Uruguay, and the Malvinas Islands.

Regarding CHC’s recent deals elsewhere, it is worth noting that the helicopter operator won a contract in October 2022 for offshore transport services in the Dutch sector of the North Sea.