Expro Marks Four Decades of Subsea Work

Jan 3, 2024

Expro in the 1990s. Image courtesy Expro

“At Expro, we’ve been first to the market with many of our subsea test tree assembly products and, as future technical challenges arise, we believe that with our customer-bespoke solution philosophy, we’ll continue to be at the top of the subsea test tree application," said Graham Cheyne, Expro’s Vice President of Subsea Well Access. “From starting in 1983 supporting operators in the Norwegian North Sea, we’ve become a global player in all parts of the world, supplying fully integrated technolo

Expro in the 1990s. Image courtesy Expro

Expro (NYSE: XPRO) is celebrating 40 years of subsea sector leadership since launching its first subsea test tree system in the North Sea in 1983.

From the creation of its first 10ksi subsea test tree assembly (SSTTA) for an exploration and appraisal well project for Hamilton Brothers in the North Sea in 1983, to the development of its high debris 15K shear and seal ball valve technology in 2023, Expro has remained at the forefront of subsea landing string technology.

Several of its SSTTA technologies have been on a first-to-market basis and instrumental in advancing the sector’s capabilities over the years. Expro has undertaken more than 3,000 subsea deployments in exploration and appraisal, completion, and intervention applications, and remains a leader in large-bore SSTTA solutions.

Alongside the development of the 3” 10ksi SSTA in 1983, some of the other subsea well access milestones for Expro in delivering technologies over 40 years include:

1995 – introduction of the first 7 3/8” 10ksi horizontal tree completion landing string system, which supported the growth of the horizontal tree market, in the Norwegian North Sea
1999 – launch of the industry’s first 6 ¾” high debris SSTTA system, in the Norwegian North Sea
2003 – launch of the first large bore 6 ¾” 10 ksi subsea electro-hydraulic control system, in the Gulf of Mexico
2005 – first 6 ¾” 10ksi dual bore and mono-bore subsea test tree offshore North Sea and Angola
2007 – first 15ksi 6 1/8” horizontal tree SSTTA and electro-hydraulic control system in the Gulf of Mexico
2017 – development of 7 3/8” 10ksi high debris SSTTA

Expro’s subsea capabilities have been boosted by the recent acquisition of offshore services provider PRT Offshore, the only company to offer a complete Hook-to-Hanger solution enabling comprehensive well completions, interventions, and decommissioning services from surface to subsea. The acquisition enables Expro to expand its portfolio of cost-effective, technology-enabled services in the North and Latin America (NLA) region and accelerate the growth of PRT Offshore’s surface equipment offering into the Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa (ESSA) and Asia Pacific (APAC) regions.

Expro in the 1990s. Image courtesy Expro