HI Uplift: CHC wins in ‘largest tender in Brazilian offshore aviation’

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by Mike Stones

7 March 2025

Winning a contract from oil and gas giant Petrobras is cause for celebration. Winning five contracts in Brazil’s biggest offshore tender is an even more memorable achievement. That’s what CHC Helicopter’s Brazilian division, CHC do Brasil, revealed last month.

“It is important to emphasise that these wins are the result of the largest tender in the history of offshore aviation in Brazil,” Licia Rocha, CHC’s sales director – Latin America tells Helicopter Investor. “CHC had no contracts to be renewed on this tender and yet we managed to win over a fifth of all the aircraft bid for. We continue to strengthen our presence in Brazil, expanding our portfolio of clients and the number of aircraft in the country.”

Sikorsky S-92A

Starting later this year, the contracts will see CHC operate four more Leonardo Helicopters AW139s and an additional Sikorsky S-92A in Brazil for five years. All five contracts are secured for five years.

Two AW139s will operate from Cabo Frio airport near Rio de Janeiro supporting fields in the Campos Basin.

The two other AW139s and the S-92A will operate from Macaé Airport, north of Rio, to support the Mero Field in the pre-salt of Santos Basin. This is the third largest oil field in production in Brazil.

The contracts represent the strengthening of CHC Helicopter’s long-term plans for Brazil, with the signature of five contracts for 60 secured months, according to the operator. “It also reflects the result of the excellent work of CHC in Brazil, which has been increasing its partnership with Petrobras and other players in the Brazilian oil and gas chain,” says Rocha.

11 contracts with Petrobras

At present, CHC operates 11 contracts with Petrobras from three operational bases. The five new awards will boost the company’s operations by almost 50%, representing about 100 new jobs that will be created for these specific contracts.

So, why are the AW139 and the S-92A the best aircraft to fulfil these contracts? “We conducted a thorough technical analysis of what Petrobras needed to fulfil its requirements and identified the AW139 and S-92A as high-performing aircraft well suited to the operations,” Rocha tells us. “Their reliability, capacity, safety record and efficiency mark them as two of the offshore aviation industry’s leading models.”

New oil reserves

Petrobras recently revealed the discovery of new oil reserves in the existing Búzios field, 117 miles (189kms) off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. The company has sunk a well in the area drilled at a water depth of 1,940m. Petrobas said in a statement: “The discovery reaffirms the pre-salt potential of the Búzios field.” Pre-salt potential typically signifies the presence of a potentially large and high-quality oil reservoir with significant extraction potential.

In January, CHC Helikopter Service, the Norwegian division of CHC Helicopter, agreed a $500m strategic partnership with Aker BP to support its offshore helicopter operations in Norway. The partnership focuses on three Sikorsky S-92s and three Leonardo AW189s operating for Aker BP from bases in Sola and Valhall. The contract will run for an initial term of five years with options to extend for up to an additional 15 years.

So, five truly looks like a significant number for the helicopter operator.

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