Monday, 24 August 2026

DNV has agreed to buy Equinor's WellSpot digital technology and will sell it commercially under the name Wellhead Fatigue Manager, according to World Oil. The platform monitors and manages fatigue across the lifecycle of subsea wells.

WellSpot is not a new build. Equinor developed and ran the technology over the past 15 years, World Oil reported.

Equinor and Aker BP will be the first users of the version operated by DNV, according to World Oil. That gives the platform two named operators on its books from the outset of DNV's stewardship.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The deal moves a tool built inside an operator into the hands of a certification and advisory group, which then offers it to the wider subsea market. Wellhead fatigue accumulates over years of drilling riser loading and current-driven motion, and tracking it determines when a well can keep producing and when intervention is required. DNV said the acquisition expands its capabilities for monitoring and managing fatigue across the lifecycle of subsea wells.

Santos has exited the Mahalo Gas Project, selling its 42.86% interest to Comet Ridge, which now holds 100% of the asset and operates the wider Mahalo Gas Hub in Queensland, Australia, World Oil reported.

Settlement of the upfront consideration ran through two channels: A$24.42 million handed to Santos in cash, plus a share issue of 83.78 million new Comet Ridge shares.

Santos also retains a claim on future output. Should cumulative sales gas from Mahalo hit 10 PJ, then 20 PJ, then 30 PJ, a tranche of A$10 million falls due at each threshold, adding up to A$30 million in contingent payments, according to World Oil.

The consolidated permit position spans roughly 1,850 sq km. Booked volumes across that acreage stand at 361 PJ of 2P reserves, rising to 676 PJ once 2C contingent resources are added to the 2P figure.

Managing Director Tor McCaul said the completed deal leaves Comet Ridge in control of "one of the few development-ready gas positions on the east coast" of Australia.