CHC do Brasil, a subsidiary of CHC Helicopter, has signed five exclusive contracts with Petrobras, one of the world’s largest energy companies, valued in the millions.

The agreements provide for the offshore transportation of passengers and small loads to Campos Basin, the main sedimentary exploration area off the Brazilian coast, for the next four to five years. The projects are expected to start in the second half of 2023 and were awarded as the result of a competitive tender held in August 2022.

To support the contracts, CHC Brazil will operate five Leonardo AW139 helicopters from new bases located at Bartolomeu Lisandro airport in Campos dos Goytacazes and Eurico De Aguiar Salles airport in Vitória.

With these contract wins, CHC do Brasil will grow its fleet to around 10 medium and large aircraft. It will also support new jobs in the region, with CHC raising its headcount to approximately 280 employees in Brazil.

Director of operations Gilson Caputo says: “These new contract wins are testament to the fantastic and hard-working team we have here in Brazil. We are incredibly proud to have been chosen by Petrobras for this project in the Campos and Vitória Basins. Supporting energy production is a core specialism of CHC, and we are committed to growing our operations in Latin America over the coming years.”

CHC has significant long term growth plans for Latin America. It already has operations in Brazil and Mexico, and has previously operated in Suriname, Uruguay and the Falkland Islands.