Global rig and well control equipment assurance specialist ModuSpec is seeing increased demand for blowout preventer (BOP) assurance services as offshore activity grows across South America, Africa and other key deepwater regions.
As more offshore projects move towards execution and utilisation of midwater and deepwater drilling units increases, operators and drilling contractors are placing greater emphasis on assuring the integrity, performance and compliance of critical well control equipment throughout the rig intake and operational lifecycle.
The BOP remains one of the most critical safety systems used in offshore drilling operations.
This year, ModuSpec has supported a range of projects involving rigs transitioning between operators, stranded newbuild units entering service and assets returning to operation following recertification programmes.
To date in 2026, ModuSpec has witnessed more than 100 BOP deployment projects globally, with particularly strong demand across North, West and Southern Africa, including Egypt, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Namibia, as well as key deepwater markets in Gulf of America, Guyana, Suriname and Brazil.
The increasing adoption of real-time monitoring technology is also changing how operators manage BOP integrity. By combining physical inspection and verification prior to deployment with continuous monitoring during running and testing operations, operators gain greater visibility into equipment performance and condition throughout the operational lifecycle.
Operational critical data points are analysed during deployment and testing activities, supporting informed decision-making, early identification of potential issues and enhanced assurance of critical well control equipment.
On several drilling units operating in South America, BOPs have remained in service for more than 450 days, highlighting the importance of continuous monitoring and performance verification in maintaining the highest standards of integrity and compliance.
In Egypt, a semi-submersible drilling rig has recently commenced operations and is benefiting from the combination of physical BOP inspection and real-time monitoring (RTM), providing operators with continuous visibility of equipment performance from deployment through to ongoing operations.
Future developments are also expected to create further opportunities for real-time monitoring. Industry discussions continue around potential changes to Norwegian regulatory requirements and approaches to BOP integrity assurance, with growing interest in technologies that support continuous monitoring, enhanced data analysis and more efficient testing activities.
With a significant number of offshore drilling units operating on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, ModuSpec and partner Offshore Technical Compliance (OTC) are well positioned to support operators through a combination of inspection expertise, RTM and digital pressure testing (DPT). Both ModuSpec’s RTM and OTC’s DPT technologies have been awarded Statements of Technology Qualification by DNV, providing independent verification of their suitability for operational use and supporting robust BOP integrity assurance.
Lachlan Nally, Chief Operating Officer at ModuSpec, said: “The drive for efficiency from operators and drilling contractors is clear as offshore activity continues to increase and utilisation of high-specification drilling rigs grows across key deepwater regions.
“The BOP remains one of the most critical systems in offshore drilling and we are seeing increasing use of data to support integrity assurance, operational performance and informed decision-making," he said.
“Real-time monitoring has been widely adopted in the Gulf of America for a number of years. Today, operators and drilling contractors across South America and Africa are increasingly recognising the value of combining traditional inspection expertise with continuous monitoring and data-driven assurance.
“ModuSpec has made significant investment in RTM capabilities and recently surpassed 900,000 operational hours of BOP monitoring globally and on track to exceed 1 million hours as demand continues to grow. As adoption continues to grow, we expect demand for these services to increase further across both established and emerging offshore markets.
“By combining inspection expertise with advanced monitoring technologies, DPT and expert interpretation, we are well positioned to support operators and drilling contractors in maintaining BOP integrity, improving operational assurance and achieving safe, efficient drilling operations.”
