The Future of Offshore Oil Rigs: 2025 and beyond

Offshore oil rigs are reasserting their key position in the energy sector. This is a result of a combination of factors, such as political and market factors alongside cutting-edge extraction technologies that mean previously unreachable reserves are now accessible. 

So, while many countries continue to decarbonise their economies – just as others look set to reverse this trend – traditional energy sources, such as offshore drilling, will remain crucial to meeting worldwide demand.

This blog looks at the future of offshore oil rigs and highlights some of the competing forces acting within the market. It also identifies the opportunities for working within offshore energy and shows how NES Fircroft is perfectly positioned to be your strategic recruitment partner. 

Global energy demands fuel offshore expansion

Life is rarely dull on an offshore oil rig. Already, 2025 is shaping up to be no different, with global oil demand expected to continue growing to 103.9 mb/d. This is alongside competing pressures around geopolitical tensions, OPEC+ supply issues and a sustained focus on decarbonisation, particularly in Europe. 

This surge in demand has sparked renewed interest in offshore drilling projects worldwide. More specifically, the offshore drilling market is forecast to be worth USD80.64 billion by 2033, up from USD36.60 billion in 2023, representing a CAGR of 8.22%. Last year was particularly strong for offshore drilling, with high rig, OSV and subsea utilisation and day rates. 

So, despite some negative pressures, business is still booming for offshore oil rigs.

United States: a strategic push for energy independence

The US is positioning itself as a leader in offshore energy development and this is only likely to be boosted by the return of Donald Trump to the White House (who can forget his slogan of “Drill, baby, drill”?). 

The American Petroleum Institute (API) appears buoyed by Trump’s return and has launched its five-point policy roadmap “to secure American energy leadership and help reduce inflation”. This advocates the following:

• Protect consumer choice – by repealing legislation such as the EPA’s tailpipe rules and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards.
• Bolster geopolitical strength – by lifting the DOE’s LNG permitting pause, processing all pending export applications at the DOE and ensuring the open access of American energy to global markets.
• Leverage US natural resources – for example, by issuing a new Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) five-year offshore leasing programme.
• Reform the permitting system – focusing on repealing the Biden-era NEPA rules and working with Congress to pass comprehensive permitting reform.
• Advance a “sensible” tax policy – for example, by retaining the 21% corporate tax rate, and maintaining and extending tax provisions for domestic infrastructure investment.

This strategic approach aims to strengthen American energy security while creating thousands of high-skilled jobs. According to the API, the US oil and natural gas industry already supports nearly 11 million jobs.

Political support for expanded offshore drilling also remains strong, while various policy initiatives support accelerated development of offshore resources, particularly in the Gulf of Mexico region. 

Together, these developments all signal positive growth potential for offshore oil.

The rise of deepwater exploration

A notable development in terms of offshore oil rig technology relates to deepwater and ultra-deepwater exploration, making previously inaccessible reserves viable for extraction. Major oil companies are responding by increasing their capital expenditure on offshore projects, with investments expected to rise significantly over the next five years.

This can already be seen in ultra-deepwater exploratory drilling in China and deepwater exploration in the Bay of Bengal in the Krishna Godavari Basin in India, for example.

Emerging global opportunities

Several regions show particular promise for offshore oil development, such as South America, West Africa and Brazil. 

New discoveries off the coast of Guyana and in the Namibian Orange Basin have sparked intense interest from major operators, while Brazil’s pre-salt fields continue to attract sizeable investment.

As a consequence, these developments create substantial opportunities for experienced professionals and newcomers alike in the offshore oil and gas industry.

Job creation and workforce demands

Each new drilling project requires a comprehensive team of specialists, from drilling engineers to safety co-ordinators. Technical roles in particular are seeing strong growth, with competitive compensation packages reflecting the high demand.

Key positions in high demand include:

• Drilling Engineers and Supervisors who oversee critical drilling operations and ensure technical specifications are met.
• ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) Operators and Technicians who maintain underwater equipment and support exploration activities.
• Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Specialists who ensure compliance with increasingly stringent regulations.
• Maintenance Technicians and Mechanical Engineers who keep complex drilling systems operational.

The NES Fircroft advantage in offshore oil recruitment

We understand the unique challenges of staffing offshore oil rig positions. Our specialised recruitment team maintains strong connections within the offshore energy sector, allowing us to identify and secure top talent quickly. 

This covers the full range of Upstream, Midstream and Downstream personnel, as well as the full oil rig lifecycle – from exploration and construction through to operation and decommissioning.

We use our industry expertise to match qualified candidates with challenging roles that offer potential for growth. Our rigorous screening process ensures that every candidate possesses both the technical skills and safety awareness that are essential for offshore work. We maintain comprehensive databases of pre-qualified professionals ready to mobilise for new projects.

NES Fircroft is committed to supporting the offshore oil industry’s evolution. We actively monitor emerging trends and maintain close relationships with stakeholders to ensure our candidate pool remains current with industry needs.

Partner with us for your offshore staffing needs

As the offshore oil and gas sector enters this new phase of growth, having the right recruitment partner becomes increasingly critical. At NES Fircroft, our expertise in energy sector recruitment makes us the ideal choice for operators and contractors expanding their offshore operations.

We recognise that successful offshore projects require more than just filling positions. Our recruitment specialists provide guidance on competitive compensation packages and help clients to develop retention strategies for key personnel.

Contact our specialised recruitment team today to discuss how we can support your staffing needs in the offshore oil market.