Subsea “back deck” solutions company Maritime Developments (MDL) has established a subsidiary in Houston following growing success winning business with companies working both the US domestic and wider international upstream markets.
This is seen as a springboard both into US and global offshore opportunities perhaps more easily accessed and bid from the world’s oil & gas capital than Europe.
Historically, MDL travelled from Aberdeen to Houston a number of times a year to mesh with its client base as required and has done so for the past five years.
Successes of the Peterhead firm with roots steeped in the fishing industry include designing, building and delivering a 400-tonne reel drive pipe and umbilical deployment system (RDS) to GE Wellstream for operations in the US Gulf of Mexico and West Africa; plus a 500-tonne RDS for Aker Solutions in Mobile, Alabama.
There is currently particular interest in the company’s portable vertical lay system delivered to Technip last summer to handle riser and umbilicals installation work on the UK North Sea Kraken development. Indeed it is currently mobilising to return to the field for further work.
Briefing Energy exclusively, MDL’s CEO Derek Smith said the timing of decision to set up the US satellite was “actually quite natural”.
“MDL is a ‘disruptor’, proposing new, more efficient ways of tackling traditional flex-lay operations,” he said.
“You always go to market with something new in a downturn. This is when people are looking for a change, looking for greater efficiency and ways to save on cost, and are therefore more prepared to listen to and consider new approaches to their operations.
“Our offering has always been about reducing costs, but it is difficult to get anyone’s ear when the market is flying high and cost-cutting is not a priority.
“MDL’s focus on the efficient operations comes from the fishing industry, which is regularly struck by adversity, and has always been cost-conscious.”
While many see the current situation as a crisis, Smith regards it as an “adjustment”.
“I am now 50 years old, and have been working in the marine sector since I was 16 – never in that time there was a year without a crisis in fishing. Regardless of how hard it was hit, the industry had to pick itself up, to maintain the supply for the global demand for their produce.
“The oil & gas industry got carried away over the years, and now is going through a correction – which is something our experience of the fishing industry can really assist with.
“Having a base in the US also shows our commitment to the region. MDL likes working with the Americans, who share our attitude to business, namely – ‘not fluffing things up’.”
MDL Americas is led by former seafarer Mark Williamson. His CV includes working as a captain with Maersk; project and services manager with Intermoor; and managing director with OSM (company responsible for crewing and ship management). He is reckoned to know the market well, having lived in Houston for more than nine years.
Having “feet on the ground” has apparently helped spread the message on the benefits of MDL time- and cost-saving systems more effectively, allowing Mark to focus on building relationships with clients, without losing time on international travel, or compromising on operations at home and other international actives.
Meanwhile, MDL is completing and about to deliver into its rental fleet, an 85-tonne tensioner. A decision on where it will be stabled will be made this summer. Peterhead is the current stabling point for its fleet of rental gear.
The design is being promoted as featuring a number of cost-saving design elements already proven on the company’s 50-tonne system (delivered previously to Asia Pacific, North Sea, and included in the rental fleet).
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