Subsea Intervention & Survey

More than 6,500 visitors made their way to Europe’s largest subsea event, Subsea Expo, in Aberdeen this week.

Organized by industry body, Subsea UK, the event welcomed delegates from all corners of the world, including the US, Brazil, Azerbaijan, Iran, Mexico, China, Japan and Africa.

Scottish energy minister, Paul Wheelhouse opened the 14th annual conference and exhibition with a keynote speech at the event’s plenary session, which saw representatives from Subsea North East, the OGTC, the Department for International Trade, Simmons Energy, and the OGA discuss the challenges facing the industry, the energy transition and nurturing the next generation of energy sector workers.

The exhibition saw more than 170 companies showcase the latest products, technologies, efficiencies and services, while the conference program brought together around 70 industry experts lead high-level discussions on a range of topics including digital transformation, ROVs and AUVs, life extension, decommissioning, global opportunities, construction and intervention, marginal fields and IRM.

Neil Gordon, chief executive of Subsea UK, said: “From the conference program to the exhibition floor, Subsea Expo 2019 clearly reflected the strength and ingenuity of our industry and the efforts that are being made to ensure the UK subsea sector maintains its world leading position for decades to come.

“This year’s event attracted more delegates, more international visitors, more exhibitors, more speakers and more young people than ever before, underlining the importance of our sector both in the UK and globally. The innovation and technology on show was a clear reminder of why our supply chain is envied around the world and the interest from overseas visitors emphasized our unparalleled expertise.”

Frank Smith, subsea manager at Xodus Group, said: "There has been a positive vibe throughout the week. The number of visitors over the three days is obviously very encouraging but we were equally impressed by the attendance at the technical sessions which shows that there is a real appetite to innovate in the subsea sector."

David Mair, business development director at Ashtead Technology, added: “It has been a successful show for us. The discussions we’ve had have provided a clear indication that things are moving in the right direction. The buoyant mood of many visitors to our stand was encouraging - we managed to make, and build on, some really important connections.”

Brian Allen, CEO of Rovco, said: “This year’s Subsea Expo provided an excellent platform to have productive meetings with companies across the supply chain. The technical sessions were very informative, with high-level conversations taking place, exploring the technology being developed to address some of the sector’s biggest challenges. As a company, we have found the event extremely valuable and it has been encouraging to see a sense of optimism across the industry.”

Tom Bryce, marketing director at Enpro Subsea, said: “Subsea Expo was the ideal platform to showcase our new Flow Intervention Services (FIS) technology to the industry. We had the chance to meet with representatives from Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise who have supported the two-year long development of our 15kpsi module with advice and grant funding. Subsea UK and the Department of Industry and Trade also organized delegations from global regions key to our business, resulting in positive discussions and allowing us to demonstrate what we do to a wide audience.”