Omega Subsea expands and secures new contract

Subsea and marine operations service provider, Omega Subsea, has experienced growth during the Covid-19 period and is now actively recruiting at speed in preparation for new opportunities both offshore and onshore.

New contracts

Omega Subsea is growing and has seen a significant increase in new contracts and staffing over the past months.

The latest example of this is a new contract with the Skudeneshavn-based Norwegian shipping company, Solstad Offshore ASA. This contract represents a milestone in the core services for Omega Subsea, whereby the company will provide ROV management and maintenance services, in addition to manning and consultancy services.

The contract with Solstad Offshore consists of services relating to the operation and maintenance of both ROV systems and Launch and Recovery systems (LARS) onboard the subsea construction vessel “Normand Frontier”, and will include project management, manning, and engineering services.

The Normand Frontier vessel will work internationally and support Solstad Offshore’s clients during their subsea projects. Recently, the vessel has secured a significant backlog of contracts and is already in the process of mobilizing vessel, equipment, and personnel for its first project in West Africa.

Trond Berge, General Manager in Omega Subsea, welcomes Solstad Offshore’s trust in Omega Subsea’s ability to deliver such services, as Omega Subsea takes a further step in the direction of project management and operations, following on from their background in consultancy services.

“After almost ten years in the industry, I believe we are now recognized as a market leader and a reliable and capable supplier,” suggest Berge.

“Our ability to adapt to the needs of our clients as a delivery or project unfolds, as well as our dedication to increase capacity for growth to meet the needs of the market are key elements in our securing this opportunity and positioning ourselves to be ready for further opportunities in the future.”

Growth during Covid

Adapting to the needs of clients and the changes in the market has been key over the last 18 months, as the Covid-19 pandemic has rolled out.

For Omega Subsea, however, the pandemic also had an unexpected effect that was not averse to their business model.

“During Covid we completed two recruiting processes, which in addition to securing very competent and experienced offshore resources, also resulted in the hiring of key management resources such as Operations Manager, Morten Haugen, and Project Manager, Geir Thoresen. Both profiles have extensive management, operational, and technical backgrounds and experience that will actively assist in the future development of Omega Subsea," says Jermund Kleppe, Business Development Manager in Omega Subsea.

The company can now boast an offshore team of 80 people, ranging from senior profiles taking on client representatives, offshore construction managers, shift supervisors, and project engineering positions within SURF and construction segment, ROV positions, and 40 employees onshore, the majority of whom work with engineering and underwater technology. In addition, the UK subsidiary of Omega Subsea provides similar offshore profiles, as well as having established an extensive portfolio of deck construction and VLS personnel, mainly for the SURF segment.

With over 120 employees, Omega Subsea can now call itself the largest company in Norway in its segment.

“We experienced an increase in the delivery of offshore personnel in 2017 and 2018. In 2019 we expanded our reach to strengthen our portfolio of onshore subsea personnel,” explains Kleppe, who was responsible for tailoring the company’s competency towards specific fields within the onshore segment.

“The fact that we had already made this strategic shift ahead of the pandemic positioned us well for the growth we have experienced and the market position we now hold.”

Øyvind Lunde, the Stavanger Branch Manager responsible for offshore provisions and segment, states that he is very proud that the company has been able to continuously increase their offshore resource pool in a highly competitive market and gives credit to his dedicated and competent team.

The Omega Subsea business model, where honesty, openness, and an informative approach are key, has been a success factor in the company’s employment processes; the ROV management contract with Solstad will now potentially build attention that will attract new profiles that are interested in employment in Omega Subsea.

A close Omega 365 cooperation

In addition to an expansion strategy that paid off, both Berge and Kleppe suggest that the presence of a solid stakeholder in Omega 365 has assisted Omega Subsea in securing success.

Omega 365, then Omega, became the majority stakeholder in Accpron Subsea Management (ASM), and established Omega Subsea in 2014.

ASM had grown solidly since their inception in 2012 and Omega was impressed with the company’s management team, which is mostly unchanged to this day. It was also clear that ASM’s focused skill base would assist Omega in gaining a foothold in the subsea market and in qualifying for larger frame agreements.

Kleppe suggests that the cooperation between Omega Subsea and its fellow Omega 365 subsidiaries is an important addition to the company’s already solid, stand-alone operations.

“We work especially closely with Omega 365 Consulting, obviously due to the nature of their work in personnel provision. They know the consultant world much better than we do, but our understanding of the subsea skill set, subsea terminology, as well as our operative experience, is imperative in Omega 365’s ability to deliver across all areas of larger frame agreements.”

“Regardless though, whether we are acting as a partner, a subcontractor, or a colleague – there are absolutely strong and mutual benefits in being part of something even larger than Omega Subsea itself.”

About Omega Subsea

Omega Subsea delivers quality personnel to the global oil and gas, renewables, and decommissioning industry sectors. They have, in recent years, grown consultants numbers and now stand out as one of the leading suppliers of services for project management and onshore/offshore staffing, especially regarding ROV, inspection, and marine/subsea operations.

The Omega Subsea team is located at offices in Bergen, Stavanger, and Aberdeen.