Home > Oil & Gas > View from the Top

International-Quality Offshore Services with a Local Touch

José Oviedo - James Fisher Offshore
Country Manager Mexico

STORY INLINE POST

Peter Appleby By Peter Appleby | Journalist and Industry Analyst - Fri, 08/14/2020 - 09:45

share it

Q: What are James Fisher Offshore’s primary targets to expand its portfolio in Mexico?

A: For the last five years, James Fisher Offshore’s presence in Mexico has focused entirely on subsea excavation, which was provided by James Fisher Subsea Excavation. Our inventory of machines and tools in the country was exactly for this purpose. With the merger of James Fisher Subsea Excavation and James Fisher Offshore in January 2020, we are now introducing all of the other capabilities of the James Fisher Offshore group, not just the subsea excavation side of the business. New services include the rental of winches with high capacity, subsea tooling for specialized subsea projects, including cutting pipelines or decommissioning of platforms, and specialized tools for divers. Globally we are able to support most areas of offshore services, and we are now bringing the coverage we provide in other countries into Mexico.

We are speaking to various operators in Mexico that are developing offshore assets, which we are hoping to work with on an excavation project ahead of the installation of pipelines. Meanwhile, we are also in discussions to supply subsea tooling to an operator to help with the repair of existing pipelines in one of their fields in Mexico.

 

Q: Operators around the world are cutting CAPEX globally ahead of a protracted oil price lull. How will this change the company’s strategy in Mexico?

A: James Fisher Offshore Americas is part of James Fisher and Sons PLC, which is a UK based marine services group with an annual turnover of $800 million. This provides the stability for James Fisher Offshore to support our customers globally with local services. From our facility in Ciudad Del Carmen, we have everything required to carry out our work and we work closely and are fully supported by our Americas headquarters in Houston, Texas. This allows us to provide a quick response to our customers in Mexico. Our dedicated regional team are focused on delivering high quality equipment with health and safety at the forefront of everything we do.

 

Q: How has James Fisher Offshore molded its services to the Mexican market?

A: The cultural difference tends to be the most immediately felt. The ways of working in Mexico are very different to those of other countries. The company tries to ease this transition into the country by hiring local people who know the area, know the clients and service providers we may work with and, ultimately, they know how to get things done here. 

At the beginning of the year, we were contacted by a company that was in an emergency situation, requiring subsea equipment. James Fisher Offshore were able to provide a short notice call off to the customer from our facility in Ciudad Del Carmen, saving on time and cost.

The people we have in the country are a mix of Mexican and international crew. Most senior-level positions in Mexico are taken up by Mexican local content who also work worldwide due to their high experience and skill levels. In Mexico and in the US, we avoid knowledge gaps or distorted skillsets through our workforce by frequently amalgamating new members. The senior professionals have been with us for 15 to 20 years and are able to support the new members who are just starting to work at James Fisher Offshore.

 

Q: What role does James Fisher Offshore hope to play in the evolution of Mexico’s offshore arena?

A: Mexico will continue to be a great market, not just for James Fisher Offshore but for all companies that have the capability, quality and personnel to succeed. The market is no longer just PEMEX, it has expanded. As long as companies are able to meet the requirements of their customers, the offshore industry in Mexico will have a bright future.

The oil price has impacted the industry and it will shake the market, but the world will continue to need oil. There may be some delays but the industry has been through many major ups and downs. We must be optimistic, patient and modest, but I believe the future will provide more opportunities.

 

James Fisher Offshore is a British offshore service provider specializing in subsea and topside projects. It offers integrated engineering solutions that run from drilling support to decommissioning, and includes repair and maintenance services

You May Like

Most popular

Newsletter