Marine Industries Global Market Analysis - Marine Institute

74 MARINE INDUSTRIES GLOBAL MARKET ANALYSIS
Figure 11.3: Ocean Survey – European
Segmentation
Source: Douglas–Westwood
Figure 11.4: Ocean Survey – Sectors
11.4 BUSINESS SECTORS
The largest activity is hydrographic survey, a ‘market’ we value at €1.4 billion.This is
the process that is used to produce the navigational charts essential for safe transit of
vessels. Surveys are usually commissioned by nations’ hydrographic offices, often using
naval survey vessels plus, in some instances, civil contractors. In addition there is a
major activity in support of defence requirements (such as the navigation of nuclear
submarines) but this is excluded from this report.
It is very difficult to determine the total world expenditure on hydrography as only
16 of the IHO listed countries report their figures.The known expenditure of the 16
countries totals €352 million for production of about one quarter of the world’s
marine charts. Scaling up suggests a total annual spend of at least €1.4 billion.We say
at least as much of the survey operation is, in many cases, carried out using naval
vessels and personnel and in most instances these costs are probably not included in
the figures.
We estimate that the market for the sale of hydrographic charts exceeded €582
million in 2003.
Source: The World Ocean Survey Report,
Douglas–Westwood
Offshore oil & gas industry survey is valued at €302 million in 2004.The industry
relies upon survey & positioning for exploration and facilities planning, construction
and maintenance and this forms the largest commercial activity. Exploration surveys
(excluded from this report) carried out by seismic survey vessels locate and map the
reservoirs.This phase also includes exploration drilling using rigs that must be precisely
positioned and orientated.The planning and installation of offshore production
platforms and pipelines requires accurate survey techniques and precise positioning.
For nearly two decades Western Europe was the world’s largest offshore oil & gas
survey market and then during the 1990s the North Sea followed the US Gulf of
Mexico into maturity and then into the beginnings of long-term decline.The Gulf of
Mexico meanwhile received a new lease of life as deepwater fields were developed.
Over the next five years we expect Africa to show greatest growth, and to a lesser
extent Latin America, but North America (mainly the US Gulf of Mexico) will decline.
Growth mainly relates to the field development activity.Although business in individual
regions will change, the overall effect is one of a reasonably constant oil & gas industry
world market as declines in mature regions are balanced by gains in others.