Surveys show “sea of discontent” with subsea equipment

EnergyPoint Research Inc. reports its oil field service surveys suggest oil companies are significantly less satisfied with equipment available for subsea and deepwater projects than with equipment for surface-based applications.

“As the industry searches for ways to avoid a repeat of the catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico, it may prove helpful to develop a more thorough appreciation of what drives the lower scores for subsea equipment,” EnergyPoint Research said on June 10.

“Data indicate customers see subsea blowout preventers, wellheads and trees, and riser and flexjoints as particularly lacking,” said EnergyPoint Research, suggesting this dissatisfaction stems in part from rapid growth within the subsea business. “Notably, ratings for subsea BOPs trail those of surface BOPs by material margins.”

Meanwhile, remotely operated vehicles received the highest long-term ratings of any subsea product category EnergyPoint tracked in its survey. The findings stem from more than 5,600 customer evaluations of oil field product suppliers since 2005.

Indeed, ROVs have proved to be the workhorses in dealing with the failed BOP and resulting oil spill in the gulf since the Apr. 20 deepwater Macondo well blowout and resulting explosion and fire to Transocean Ltd.’s Deepwater Horizon semisubmersible. BP PLC operates Macondo on Mississippi Canyon Block 252.