the competition gets serious

interesting announcement this - can be seen in several ways
- the projects are ramping up off WA, forcing foreign suppliers to send their equipment to where the action is, allowing firms like CLO & NMS to really bring in these assets& earn the big dollars from the multitude of projects on offer.
- the alternative is to see another opportunity lost to NMS. though it has to be acknowledged that NMS have no deepwater ROV's, no vessel to this scale etc. CLO continue their move away from onshore mining engineering/services into offshore services with all the tools, just like NMS.
- it should be acknowldged too that helix WERE the owners of CAL DIVE, the group NMS did a lot of work with several years ago in the GOM. it was hoped at the time that this was going to be a strong relationship between cal dive & NMS. hasnt proved to be.

Clough Helix Joint Venture Announced

09 February 2010

The Clough Helix JV will integrate Helix ESG?s well intervention equipment with Clough?s new 12-man saturation diving system, to enable both to be deployed from the 118 meter long DP2 multiservice vessel Normand Clough outfitted with a 250 ton active heave compensated crane and twin deepwater work class Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). This unique configuration makes the Normand Clough ready to carry out a broad spread of offshore tasks without spending time in port for major reconfiguration.


?The geographic spread of the Asia Pacific region has made it a logistically expensive area in which to operate. In partnering with Helix we will provide a range of subsea services with the minimum of mobilisation and provide a cost effective service for our customers? said Clough?s Chief Executive Officer, John Smith.


?Our Well Intervention operations in Australia have a successful track record of using third party vessels. The collaboration with Clough will enable the joint venture to offer a full range of subsea services to regional operators from a dedicated vessel,? said Owen Kratz, Helix ESG President and Chief Executive Officer.


The Normand Clough will relocate imminently from the Gulf of Mexico to the Asia Pacific region.


The establishment of the Clough Helix Joint Venture will not have a material impact on earnings for the current financial year.