As energy markets shift with increased focus on cost and operators demand tighter lifecycle support for offshore assets, independent technical consultancies are stepping up to meet complex coating, passive fire protection, sealant, insulation, cathodic protection, corrosion protection, asset integrity and specification needs.
Safinah – a global coatings and engineering consultancy – has streamlined its commercial focus toward the oil & gas sector, underpinned by a targeted presence at FPSO-focused event in Brazil in May this year.
Why Brazil – and why FPSOs?
Brazil is the epicentre of FPSO (Floating Production, Storage and Offloading) activity in Latin America, accounting for almost 40% of all world’s FPSOs in active operation.
With major operators and a pipeline of pre‑salt projects, Brazil’s offshore sector driven by Petrobas as the biggest field operator continues to attract investment and innovation – creating demand for trusted technical partners who can advise on coating selection, condition inspections, asset preservation and brownfield maintenance strategies.
Recent project activity and operational updates from Brazilian operators underline why the region is high priority for specialist consultancies.
Safinah’s strategic focus: deeper oil & gas capability
Over recent months Safinah has strengthened its position to offer sharper, oil & gas‑centric technical capability: independent coating specification, failure root‑cause analysis, verification testing, and project‑level coating consultancy for FPSOs, FSOs, MODUs, FRSU, FLNG and fixed offshore units.
This streamlining is not a generalist expansion but a deliberate concentration of people, IP and marketing toward energy clients – enabling faster response times, tighter technical governance on specifications, and hands‑on support during refit, conversion and maintenance campaigns.
Safinah highlights our cross‑sector consulting heritage while signalling this value-added energy orientation, having been active in 17 FPSOs, 1 FSO, 2FLNG, 10 MODU and 5 fixed drilling platform unit projects in the last 6 to 7 years.
On the ground in Brazil — engagement at FPSOs Expo (May 2025)
Safinah made its presence known at the FPSO event in Brazil in mid‑May 2025, participating in the programme of sector meetups and exhibiting to engage directly with operators, EPC contractors and suppliers.
Safinah Energy and Infrastructure Consultant, Fergus MacKinnon was on site as one of the keynote speakers talking about FPSO offshore coating fabric maintenance project management strategy and learnings. Fergus demonstrated Safinah’s consulting capabilities, meet potential partners and capture first‑hand insights about operator pain points – from long‑term coating performance in tropical marine environments to challenges around retrofit and fabric maintenance scheduling on live FPSOs in operation.
A short video featuring Safinah’s energy consultant from the event shows the team engaging with industry peers around these exact topics.
What this means for clients and partners
For FPSO owners, shipyards and operators, Safinah’s concentrated focus means a more specialist service offering – faster access to independent technical advice, clearer coating risk assessments at tender stage, and on-site specialist technical support during refits and brownfield maintenance.
For suppliers and contractors, Safinah can act as an independent verifier on specification and quality assurance, helping reduce ambiguity at contract handover and improve long‑term asset lifetime.
Looking ahead
With Brazil remaining a focal point for FPSO projects and retrofit activity, Safinah’s attendance at the May 2025 events is a clear signal of intent: a sustained effort to embed the consultancy within the oil & gas value chain and to translate cross‑sector coating expertise into tangible, project‑ready services for offshore operators.
As the company deepens relationships in Brazil and beyond, operators can expect an independent, technically rigorous consultancy that is focused on delivering measurable improvements to coating durability, asset life and maintenance predictability.
Find out more about Safinah’s services to the FPSO and FSO markets.
To discuss your requirements, please contact us at enquiries@safinah.com
