2019 Subsea Expo: What’s Next in High-Pressure Technology & Safety

Subsea Expo

In early February, members of the Haskel team attended Scotland’s 2019 Subsea Expo. The exhibition floor featured new technologies that will enhance recovery and safety in high-pressure operations, and a significant subsea market ramp-up in 2019 and 2020 was a frequent topic of conversation.

The expo attendees our team met with shared a positive outlook for the industry. This was backed by the increase in attendees and exhibitors from just last year. The 2019 show attracted over 6,500 visitors and around 170 exhibitors, a jump from last year’s 5,000 delegates and 150 exhibitors. This growth is a strong indication of what is happening in the offshore market, Aberdeen and the North Sea region in particular.

Michael Cassie, Haskel’s Scotland and External Sales Engineer, George Volk, Haskel’s Global Director of Sales and Business Development, and Jeff Sill, Haskel’s Sales Director – EMEA, share their takeaways from the expo and what’s next in subsea technology.

Top 3 Attention-Getters at the 2019 Subsea Expo

Innovative IWOCS

Situated at the entrance of the event was the new Intervention Workover Control System (IWOCS) from one of the industry's leaders. An IWOCS is a temporary control system used to commission, workover, troubleshoot, or decommission subsea wells. These systems use specialized equipment to enable increased equipment control. The displayed IWOCS comes equipped with all of the equipment required for operation and key features to improve use. The system was getting a lot of attention over the three-day expo and it particularly caught our team’s eye because it contains Haskel pumps. It is always exciting to see that Haskel equipment plays such a valuable supporting role in new product offerings.

New Technology from JFD

Another exhibition feature that drew attention was the new bailout rebreather technology COBRA from JFD, which will enable divers more time to get from the seabed back up to the diving bell in case of an emergency which results in loss of their primary gas supply which is provided via an umbilical. The company won the Innovation in Safety award for this product at the Subsea Expo awards, recognizing their efforts in this area.

Given the inherent risks that come with diving expeditions, this technology was very impressive and will surely play a vital role in saturation diving operations. Because safety is always a top concern at Haskel, we design all equipment with safer operations as the goal and reinforce proper equipment maintenance continuously. It’s encouraging to see how other companies are making an effort toward safer procedures.

Well-Deserved Awards

The Subsea UK awards are presented during the Subsea Expo, highlighting top companies who are making strides in the market and in subsea technology. Infinity Oilfield Engineering Limited was on the shortlist for Best Small Company and took home the prize on awards night. The independent engineering company provides members of the oil and gas industry with field development, flow assurance, and subsea engineering expertise. The company has seen record growth over the last year, bringing a fresh perspective to every project. The 2019 Subsea Expo was the team’s first time exhibiting as well as presenting a paper. We had a chance to congratulate the Infinity team on their success and look forward to seeing what the company has in store next.


Haskel has a strong background in subsea industry support, both with legacy technologies as well as new developments. We’re excited to see growth in the market and our team is looking forward to helping customers advance their applications to the next level.

Are you working on a new subsea technology that could use our high-pressure engineering expertise or equipment?

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