The subsea system services market is shaped by distinct regional dynamics across the UK, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa (MEA), each reflecting its own set of opportunities and challenges. In the UK, the market benefits from a long-standing tradition of North Sea oil and gas exploration, with major players like Subsea 7, TechnipFMC, and Wood plc driving innovation in subsea technology and services. The focus is expanding beyond traditional oil and gas to include renewable energy, particularly offshore wind farms, driven by stricter environmental regulations and technological advancements such as autonomous underwater vehicles.
In the Asia-Pacific region, rapid growth is fueled by rising offshore exploration activities in countries like China and Australia, with key players such as Schlumberger, SLB, and JDR Cables leading the charge in deploying advanced subsea technologies. The market here is marked by significant investments in deepwater projects and emerging subsea technologies, though it also faces geopolitical risks and regulatory challenges. Meanwhile, in the Middle East & Africa, substantial oil and gas reserves drive a robust subsea services market, with companies like Baker Hughes, Halliburton, DeepOcean and others providing a range of services from deepwater drilling to subsea construction.
This region is also beginning to explore subsea technologies for renewable energy but is affected by oil price volatility and environmental regulations. Overall, the competitive landscape across these regions is defined by a combination of technological innovation, regulatory pressures, and economic conditions, influencing how companies adapt and compete in the evolving subsea market.
John Wood Group plc: John Wood Group plc, commonly called Wood plc is a British multinational engineering & consulting business. It was established by Sir Ian Wood, a Scottish businessman. The firm is a global leader in consulting & engineering across energy & materials. It also operates in industrial solutions for products like industrial boilers, thermal power reactors etc. It has a global presence in around 60 countries around the globe with its offices present in UK, Canada, US, UAE, Italy, Chile & Australia.
The firm primarily caters to the oil & gas, chemicals & minerals, renewable energy & power sectors. The company’s major projects include Saskatchewan potash mine producing 2.86 metric tons annually, about 50% carbon capture & storage projects around the world and digitalization of 8,000 km of pipelines in UK. It owns subsidiaries like AMEC Foster Wheeler plc, another of the major consulting & project management players in the global markets.
SLB: SLB, formerly called as Schlumberger Limited is an American technology company focused on oilfield services based out of Houston, Texas. Established by the brothers Conrad and Marcel Schlumberger from Alsace as a prospecting firm, the company rapidly became a major player in the oilfield services industry, providing products and solutions for its large client base. It was the world's largest offshore drilling company and the world's largest offshore drilling contractor by revenue in the year 2022.
It provides products, services and solutions like drilling solution and methods, coiled tubing services, wellhead systems, pumps, armours and others for the oil and gas industry along with carbon sequestration, data performance, methane elimination, and geothermal energy services for the wider manufacturing and power industry. It has continued to remain a global leader for oilfield solutions due to its emphasis on innovation and quality services for all its projects and customers.
It is present in all major geographical regions of the world, with it operating over 100+ projects, 70 regional manufacturing facilities, a large network of innovation centres and locations in over 120+ countries. It has four segments under the operations: Digital & Integration, Reservoir Performance, Well Construction and Production Systems. Its values include People, Technology and Performance.
UK, APAC, and MEA Subsea System Services Market Industry Developments
August 2024: SLB has announced a major contract award by Petrobras following a competitive tender, to its OneSubsea™ joint venture for their standardized, pre-salt subsea production systems and related services. The scope covers the further development of two oil fields in the strategically important Santos Basin. As part of the second development of the Atapu and Sepia fields, SLB OneSubsea will provide the Petrobras-standard configured, pre-salt vertical trees, subsea distribution units, subsea control systems and pipeline systems, along with related installation, commissioning and life-of-field services.
Much of the technology and equipment to be deployed, including the vertical trees and subsea control systems, will be produced and serviced locally at SLB OneSubsea’s facilities in Brazil.
January 2024: Wood has been awarded a major contract to deliver topside modifications supporting BP’s latest subsea tieback in the UK North Sea. Wood’s Operations business will deliver engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) services to enhance the central processing facility of bp’s Eastern Trough Area Project (ETAP) production hub in the central North Sea. Repurposing of existing equipment on ETAP will be a key focus under the two-year contract to enable the platform’s connection to Murlach, bp’s two production well subsea tieback development.