Subsea Expo hailed extraordinary success as industry adapts to new norm

Over 4,500 unique visitors made their way to Europe’s largest subsea event, Subsea Expo, held in Aberdeen this week.

Delegates flew in from all corners of the world, including Brazil, China, Japan and Mozambique.

The largest wholly-focused subsea event in Europe, Subsea Expo is organised by industry body Subsea UK. Neil Gordon, chief executive of Subsea UK, said: “The worst of the pain appears to be behind us and there are promising signs of recovery. The subsea opex market should remain relatively robust and there are signals that delayed projects may be getting back on track.

“It’s clear that our industry is making the adjustments needed to meet and then prosper within the current market conditions. But we do need a greater sense of urgency in tackling some of the underlying issues around leadership, behaviours in the supply chain and aversion to risk.

“We must believe in our industry and do more to share the renewed confidence particularly among the young people who may have become disengaged through the impact of the downturn. Otherwise we will lose another generation which could lead to another over-heating of the market.”

As part of Subsea Expo’s ‘Global Opportunities’ programme, the Department of International Trade (DIT) hosted one-to-one meetings with in-country experts in a bid to match UK expertise with demand from key oil and gas provinces, including Azerbaijan, Brazil, Mexico, Mozambique, Nigeria, Norway, Tanzania and the US.

The show, which is now in its 12th year, hosted 150 exhibitors, bringing new products, technologies, efficiencies and services to the fore.

Tony French, director of RockSalt Subsea said: “Subsea Expo is a highly focussed event, which for a fairly young company like ourselves provides a fantastic platform to showcase who we are and what we can bring to the market. We have been overwhelmed by the number of enquiries we have received and contacts we have made over the past three days. We will definitely be back next year.”

Ernie Lamza, chief operating officer of the Oil & Gas Innovation Centre, said: “We are always very impressed by the level of technical discussion at Subsea Expo and this year was no exception. The conversations we have had with companies looking to undertake R&D projects have been very encouraging. There is a recognition that the development of new technology is vital for the subsea sector in the North Sea and internationally. Subsea Expo has provided an excellent platform for companies and some of our academic partners to come together to share ideas and discuss issues currently facing the sector.”

Andrew Wylie, Scotland subsea and pipelines manager, Xodus Group, said: “Subsea Expo has been very productive for us this year, catching up with key contacts as well as building new relationships. There has been an enthusiastic mood at the show as the industry looks to adapt to the new norm.”

Alan Kennedy, partner and UK head of oilfield services with professional services firm KPMG, said: “We have a world-leading subsea service sector here, which has developed its expertise in the UKCS where almost half of the offshore industry’s subsea installations are located. Subsea Expo provides an opportunity to assess the sector’s priorities and outlook. Subsea entered the current downturn behind the curve as projects and orders completed, so its recovery will lag behind other sectors, but companies need to balance appropriate survival measures with maintaining an eye on the upturn to ensure they are positioned and ready for growth. Internationalisation is a clear priority for our clients within the industry and with the right strategic approach there are opportunities within the global offshore sector, particularly in deep-water developments where North Sea technologies and knowhow are applicable.”