BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb.2. Norway’s Equinor and Vår Energi have awarded Bristow a new long-term contract for helicopter transportation and search and rescue (SAR) services from Hammerfest, ensuring stable operations amid rising activity in the Barents Sea, Trend reports via Equinor.
The contract, which takes effect on September 1, 2026, has a fixed period of three years with two one-year extension options. The total estimated value, including extensions, is approximately NOK 1.9 billion.
Bristow currently operates two transportation helicopters and one SAR helicopter serving northern operations for both Equinor and Vår Energi. Under the new agreement, the company will continue these services, supporting safe and stable operations on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).
The helicopters serve key fields including Equinor’s Johan Castberg, which started production in March 2025, and Vår Energi’s Goliat field. Activity is high, with around 90 helicopter flights and about 3,400 passengers transported monthly.
The SAR helicopter forms part of extended area preparedness in the Barents Sea, enhancing safety for personnel in petroleum, fisheries, and other maritime activities. The contract strengthens both offshore transport safety and overall emergency preparedness in northern Norway.
Annually, around 320,000 passengers travel to and from Equinor installations on the NCS, totaling over 24,000 flight hours. In 2025, 11,465 passenger flights were carried out from Stavanger, Bergen, Florø, Kristiansund, Brønnøysund, and Hammerfest.
Equinor operates three helicopter service providers on the NCS: Bristow Norway, CHC Helicopter Service, and Lufttransport RW AS.