Your vessel ready to operate in Brazil — on time, without rework.
From the shipyard to the first day on contract: we prepare the vessel, the crew and the company and drive the process with the Brazilian authorities.
- NORMAM
- ANP · SGSO
- NR-37 · NR-30
- IBAMA · ANVISA
- Helideck
- Clean hull
Every vessel arriving in Brazil restarts the regulatory bar.
Brazil's offshore is among the most demanding regulatory environments in the world. The Navy (NORMAM), the ANP, the labour standards (NR-37, NR-30), IBAMA and ANVISA converge on the same timeline — and any gap delays the clearance and stops the operation.
We prepare units from the design stage — FPSOs under construction, conversions — and bring arriving vessels up to the requirement to start a contract. We work alongside your HSE and marine teams, who remain in command. We bring the structure, the drive and the predictability so the operation starts on schedule.
One project, every front.
Contract the fronts you need (modular) or the full readiness (turnkey).
Regulatory gap analysis
We map the vessel's gaps against NR-37, NR-30, ANP and NORMAM requirements, with priorities by risk and deadline. You see the full path before you invest.
Clearance to operate in Brazilian waters
We prepare the vessel and the crew and drive the process with the Navy/DPC and the ANP. Clearance is the authorities' act; we prepare and drive it with you.
Helideck
Documentation, physical adequacy, procedures and support during the inspection. Dedicated page below.
Cargo-handling and lifting equipment
Management of cargo and lifting equipment under NR-37, with accredited partners for testing and certification.
Clean hull (sun coral)
Biofouling management and clean-hull documentation under NORMAM-401, avoiding penalties and delays on arrival in Brazilian waters.
Crew and company readiness
Training and competency evidence for the crew, occupational health programmes and the shore-based organisation Brazilian requirements expect from the company.
From the design stage
FPSOs under construction and vessels in conversion: compliance enters the project, not as a correction at the end. We mobilise professionals wherever the vessel is.
Interface with Brazilian authorities
Navy/DPC, ANP, IBAMA, ANVISA and the Ministry of Labour: we prepare the submissions, answer the findings and drive the process to acceptance.
The authorities on the path — and what each one expects.
What we do comes from the deliverables above; what the authority does is always the authority's.
| Brazilian Navy / DPC | NORMAM | Clearance to operate in Brazilian jurisdictional waters, helideck and clean hull. |
|---|---|---|
| ANP | SGSO | Operational safety of the unit and acceptance to enter service. |
| Ministry of Labour | NR-37 · NR-30 | Health and safety conditions on board platforms and vessels. |
| IBAMA | Licensing | Environmental compliance required for the operation. |
| ANVISA | Sanitary inspection | Sanitary conditions on board, where applicable. |
Honest about the limit.
Clearance is an act of the competent authority. Our commitment is that there is nothing left for the authority to find.
What GRICCO takes on
- Diagnosis of gaps against NR-37, NR-30, ANP and NORMAM.
- Preparation of the vessel, the crew and the company for the applicable requirement.
- Organising documentation and answering the findings raised.
- Driving the process with the authorities, from diagnosis to acceptance.
What only the authority does
- Issue clearance to operate in Brazilian jurisdictional waters.
- Approve the helideck and the unit's certificates.
- Grant the environmental licence.
- Set the timeline of its own review.
The preparation begins before the vessel sails.
The real gain comes from starting early — ideally while the vessel is still at the yard or in transit.
- 01
Gap analysis
Remote and on-board survey of the unit against Brazilian requirements; findings prioritised by risk and by the clearance timeline.
- 02
Readiness plan
Fixed scope and price; what is done abroad, what is done on arrival, who signs what.
- 03
Mobilisation abroad
Training, documentation, equipment certification and helideck works wherever the vessel is.
- 04
Arrival in Brazil
Submissions, inspections and answers to findings, with our team on board and in the authorities' offices.
- 05
Operation
Handover to your team, with the shore-based structure Brazilian requirements expect — or continued support, if you prefer.
Operators, shipowners and ship managers starting a contract in Brazil.
From the design of the unit to the arrival to operate — and for companies already in Brazil that need a specific adequacy or compliance service.
Modular or turnkey. Fixed-price (lump-sum) contracts: budget predictability, clear risk allocation and full cost transparency.
Questions we hear before every project.
How do you clear a foreign vessel to operate in Brazilian jurisdictional waters?
Every vessel arriving in Brazil restarts the regulatory bar. We run the adequacy as a single project: gap analysis, documentation, compliance with the Navy/DPC (NORMAM) and the ANP, helideck, cargo-handling equipment and clean hull. Clearance is an act of the competent authority; we prepare the vessel and crew and drive the process alongside you.
How long does vessel adequacy take?
It depends on the state of the unit and what documentation already exists. The real gain comes from starting early: on the M/V CSS Temis it was ten months of preparation across four countries before arrival, and clearance came three days after the vessel entered Brazilian waters. Starting once already in Brazil means working against the clock.
What is NR-37 and what does it require of the unit?
NR-37 is the Brazilian Regulatory Standard for safety and health on oil platforms. It covers everything from habitability and catering to cargo handling, work at height and crew training. In practice it is the standard that generates the most findings on a vessel that has never operated in Brazil.
Does the company — not only the vessel — need to be prepared?
Yes. Brazilian requirements expect a shore-based organisation: responsible persons, programmes, records and a management system that answers to the authorities. We prepare both, because an inspection that finds a well-prepared ship and an absent company still generates findings.
What is the clean-hull and sun-coral requirement?
It is biofouling compliance: the hull must not carry encrusted organisms that would introduce invasive alien species into Brazilian waters — sun coral in particular. We organise the documentation and compliance before arrival; solving it afterwards means delay and possibly a penalty.
Can preparation start before the vessel sails to Brazil?
Yes, and it is the ideal case. We also support FPSOs under construction and vessels in conversion, with compliance built into the project rather than patched in at the end. We mobilise professionals wherever the vessel is.
Tell us where the vessel is and when it needs to be in Brazil.
We respond with a technical read of the gap and the critical path.