Global Industries
Going global
Founded in 1973 as a small diving company based in Louisiana, Global Industries has grown to encompass a range of premier offshore construction services that facilitate customers throughout the Gulf of Mexico and across the world.
Since its inception a range of strategic acquisitions have resulted in the company being a market leader in the supply of diving, pipelaying and construction services for the oil and gas industry. In 1975 Pipelines Inc. added its expert pipelaying personnel and equipment to the company through a lucrative acquisition and the oil bust in the mid-1980s saw a number of major acquisitions take place that proved to be a catalyst for the company’s success. Assets from Sea-Con Services, Santa Fe Offshore Construction Company, Teledyne Movible Offshore, Divcon International, ROV 
Technologies and The Red Adair Company were added to the organisation portfolio, while selected assets from SubSea International, J. Ray McDermott, Halliburton and Oceaneering International have helped Global Industries to become the international giant it is today.
The company operates in all of the major oil and gas arenas, with the exception of the North Sea, from strategic locations set up in North America, Mexico, Brazil, West Africa, Asia Pacific, India and the Middle East. A fleet of approximately 30 construction vessels reach all the corners of the globe, while an employee base of over 2500 highly experienced staff makes sure operations are carried out as smoothly as possible. Identified as the partner of choice for those seeking innovative and efficient solutions, Global Industries has an international reputation.
Michael Empey, operations manager for the Middle East and Mediterranean, outlines the factors behind the company’s predominance: “Our key strength lies in our operational excellence, as well as owning our own construction assets. Our fleet includes construction, multi-service, dive support and offshore support vessels, as well as cargo launch barges. We have a diverse management team from a variety of different backgrounds. Our management has a great deal of experience with different clients and knowledge of operating parameters in a wide range of regions, which enables us to adapt our provision to serve those customers. We have the people who have been on the ground, working alongside these companies and so we understand exactly what is required of us to meet demands.
“Currently in the Middle East we have completed offshore operations on our first project for Saudi Aramco,” he continues. “In the past few years we have had a number of successful projects throughout the Middle East, India and South East Asia providing us with a strong regional foothold in these markets/regions. This represents a tremendous opportunity for growth for Global as well as providing our clients with additional regionally experienced contractors and competition.”
Maintaining a high quality and efficient fleet is essential to Global Industries’ continued success, and as such the company is persistently upgrading and evolving its fleet to keep up with industry demand and the market’s developing needs. A further reason for expanding its portfolio lies in the fact that by strategically positioning vessels around the globe, the business has a better opportunity of entering new and competing markets without having to bring assets from the other side of the world. While in the past the majority of the company’s fleet were standard construction vessels for shallow to medium water work with a few vessels suited for deepwater projects, Global is now in the process of upgrading to new state-of-the-art construction assets for diving , ROV support, deepwater pipelay and SURF works. Currently two new-build derrick/pipelay ships are under construction in Singapore due for delivery in 2010 and 2011 respectively. The DSV/ROV support vessel fleet has been upgraded significantly over the past three years with the introduction of the REM Fortress, REM Commander, Olympic Challenger and Global Orion.
The organisation’s flagship ‘Global 1200’ will be coming into service in the summer of 2010 and the vessel is being pursued for several potential contracts. The vessel is a next generation multi-purpose DP-2 construction ship, designed to work in both deep and shallow water. Its onboard facilities include a state-of-the-art pipelay system that is capable of operating in water depths up to 10,000 feet and handling up to 60 inches of concrete coated pipe. In addition, the vessel incorporates a 1200 metric tonne capacity crane suitable for conventional platform installations and a deep water lowering system. As a new build the Global 1200 has the latest technology in DP systems and mission equipment, the highest standards of living accommodation and offers transit speeds of up to 15 knots for fast and economic mobilisations to projects throughout the globe. This construction, along with the Olympic Challenger, a 347-foot new build DP-2 multi-service, ROV, deepwater construction and diving vessel, is an example of Global Industries’ commitment to constant fleet improvement.
Michael highlights some of the company’s latest developments: “In the Middle and Far East Regions we focus mainly on pipelay, structural installation, diving services, and subsea construction. 
Typically the tenders of most interest are for the small to mid-range EPC contracts and work related to transportation and installation. Recently a partnership has been created with Fluor Offshore Solutions to jointly pursue the larger EPC projects in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions. Fluor Offshore Solutions is providing the engineering and design components, while we are handling the transportation and installation for these larger EPC (engineering procurement construction) projects.”
This collaboration brings together a combined offshore experience of 60 years and the companies will jointly market and perform offshore construction projects, leveraging the depth of engineering, project management, procurement and installation processes to focus on both EPIC and traditional transportation and installation solutions. Global Industries will supply its extensive fleet, while Fluor Offshore Solutions has the knowledge in marine design, procurement and construction to handle some of the most innovative projects in the upstream market. Utilising the intellectual and logistical power of both companies, Global Industries will be able to better serve its client base with pioneering solutions, and will be able to break into new prospects in emerging countries.
Indeed such collaborations are become more commonplace as the price of oil steadily starts to rise and therefore bids to regains projects materialise, as Michael explains: “With the global economic downturn we anticipated that 2009 was going to be a slower year for us and we made strategic changes to help us take on that challenge. We have become a leaner organisation and unfortunately had to scale back on some of our operations to accommodate the downturn and still stay viable as a company. However, we are seeing some of the key operators in the region starting to reactivate projects as some of the offshore projects were shelved or delayed rather than cancelled all together. Some of the contracts we were eyeing up before the recession have now been reactivated and we’re optimistic that moving into 2010 and beyond the market will improve.”
The contract in conjunction with Saudi Aramco for the Berri water injection and Qatif crude offshore pipelines projects is a major asset to Global Industries, and is a demonstration of the breadth of work the company can undertake. Carried out by its subsidiary Global Al Rushaid Offshore Company, the work was performed in the Qatif and Berri fields off the Eastern coast of Saudi Arabia. It involved the installation of water injection pipelines and crude oil flowlines ranging from 12 to 30 inches in diameter, two shore approaches and a variety of lateral pipelines including subsea valve skids. Global was responsible for the fabrication and installation of the subsea manifolds, and its vessel the Global DLB 332 with diving support spread was utilised to install the pipelines, risers, tie-in and pre-commissioning operations.
Since its inception Global Industries has strived to expand and develop through lucrative contracts, acquisitions and partnerships. Operating under the distinct mission to provide affordable solutions for the offshore oil and gas industry, meeting the energy needs of the world while safeguarding its employees and maximising its profitability. The organisation values factors such as adaptability, safety, leadership and technical knowledge at the core of its operations, and all of its employees are trained to the highest standards to deliver the best service possible.
Michael outlines his vision for the future of Global Industries: “Keeping in line with the strategic vision of the company, we see ourselves becoming the premier marine contractor as the provider of choice to our clients and the employer of choice. We are strong and competitive in the markets that we pursue; we have the facilities to achieve, the vessels to compete, and the partnerships to ensure we remain at the forefront of the oil and gas industry.”
Global Industries
Services Offshore construction, engineering and project management