Demobilization needs equal attention. In July, one major customer returned 1,000 units during summer working restrictions. Knowing that half OEG's regional fleet sits in two equipment types meant returns could be staged alongside dispatches, while cool rooms, air-conditioned forklifts and a 15-minutes-on, 15-minutes-off rota kept crews safe through about 1,700 movements without an HSE incident.
Improving visibility and planning across offshore supply chains
Visibility is the next gap to close, particularly at shared cleaning yards where identical units from several contractors arrive together and lose their link to the right client. A dedicated coordinator matching unit numbers to customers has solved much of that, and GPS tracking (now on 600 units for one oilfield services customer) will add each unit’s status to its location.
Standard units give crews certainty wherever they were built, but regional practice can expose gaps.
In Qatar, steel pallets were being used for offshore lifts until a bespoke DNV-certified pallet basket replaced them. After 400 were delivered, the operator adopted the design as its standard for offshore lifts.
Looking ahead, the market has also changed shape: the old cycle of drilling followed by production, around which offshore fleets were built, is giving way to projects that respond quickly to shifting priorities, leaving some designs short just as a global shortage of several cargo carrying unit types develops.
With significant disruption expected at peak campaign times, the earlier suppliers can see a customer’s horizon, the better they can make sure operationally critical equipment is there when needed.
