Aker BP and Armada Announce Agreement to Deploy Offshore Modular Data Center

OSLO, Norway and SAN FRANCISCO, March 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Aker BP and Armada have entered into an agreement to deploy Armada's Galleon modular data center for use in an offshore drilling environment on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Under the agreement, Armada will deliver a Galleon designed to operate in offshore conditions, enabling local processing and analysis of drilling and operational data directly on the rig.

Offshore drilling environments present a fundamental challenge: critical decisions depend on massive volumes of downhole data, yet connectivity to shore and cloud infrastructure is not always guaranteed. Traditionally, rigs can experience significant delays in processing and analyzing drilling data, slowing decision-making and limiting operational agility.

By deploying compute infrastructure directly offshore, the Galleon strengthens operational resilience and standardizes adoption and use of critical vendor applications. Running AI models locally allows energy companies to predict and prevent equipment failures before they occur, reduce unplanned downtime, and maintain continuity during connectivity disruptions. Local compute infrastructure also enhances cybersecurity by minimizing reliance on external networks.

With vendor applications standardized on a single edge platform, Aker BP is able to replace fragmented OT/IT stacks with one hardened architecture, simplifying compliance and cybersecurity by design. This common foundation also lowers operating costs by making remote monitoring, support, and updates the default, reducing offshore interventions and enabling far greater use of remote operations centers.

Deployment will begin with a single reference Galleon on one rig, creating a validated blueprint for edge operations that can then be copied across additional assets. This pattern-based approach turns rig deployment from a bespoke engineering exercise into a repeatable rollout, sharply reducing setup time and paving the way for more remote and autonomous operations.

Prior to signing the agreement, Armada and Aker BP worked alongside alliance partners to identify high-value use cases and define deployment requirements for the initial rig installation. The initial deployment will focus on defined use cases related to offshore data processing and model execution.

For Armada, the project represents a continued expansion of its modular AI infrastructure into offshore environments. In 2025, the company enabled the U.S. Navy to deploy a full-stack modular data center at sea for the first time. In a power-and-communications-constrained location, this demonstrated the Galleon's ability to operate reliably where data's relevance is fleeting and failure is not an option.

About Aker BP

Aker BP is an oil company that explores, develops fields and produces oil and gas on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The company is the operator of the Valhall, Ula, Edvard Grief/Ivar Assen, Alvehim and Skarv field centers, and co-owner of the Johan Sverdrup field. Measured in production, Aker BP is one of the largest independent listed oil companies in Europe.

Media Contact: Ole-Johan Faret at [email protected]

About Armada
Armada is a full-stack edge infrastructure company delivering compute, storage, connectivity, and sovereign AI/ML capabilities to the most remote and rugged industrial environments on Earth. From energy to defense, Armada enables organizations to operate at the edge—without compromise.

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Armada