The global offshore pipeline construction service market 2017-Part I

The offshore pipeline construction service industry is highly competitive, dynamic, and one of the least transparent markets in the oil and gas sector. About two dozen contractors provide offshore pipeline construction services and significant differences exist in business strategies, market positions and vessel fleets across companies and regions. During times of sustained low oil prices, mergers and acquisitions, realignments, alliances, partnerships, distressed sales and bankruptcies are more pronounced. The purpose of this two-part review is to examine the vessel fleets, players and business strategies in the global offshore pipeline construction service market circa 2017. In Part I, pipelay vessel specifications are defined and system relationships between vessel attributes are examined. Offshore installation technology is reviewed and a new more general vessel classification system is introduced. The paper concludes with a survey of recent pipelay vessel construction cost.