IKM Subsea opens new business unit in Singapore

The Norwegian company IKM Subsea is following in the footsteps of IKM Testing and IKM Measurement Services and opening an office in Defu Industrial Estate, Singapore. With offices in Singapore and Malaysia, IKM Subsea has thus further strengthened its established network of offices in Southeast Asia.

“IKM Subsea’s marketing strategy consists of utilising our offices and offshore base in Singapore and Malaysia together with reputable agents in China and India to penetrate the Asian offshore market,” said the company in a statement. “We expect to cover all major oil and gas hubs in the region,” said Ben Pollard, managing director of IKM Subsea.

As part of the expansion programme, IKM Subsea recently unveiled the Merlin WR200 electric work-class ROV. The event in Singapore attracted more than 100 potential clients from various organisations worldwide.

The ROV that is currently available in Singapore is configured for free-flying mode. The company has also announced that the 3,000m-rated TMS system is expected to arrive in Singapore sometime in November 2011. The Merlin WR200 was designed and built by IKM Subsea in Norway and the plan is to continue its expansion in 2012 by bringing more systems to extend the Asian ROV fleet.

“The new office in Singapore is co-located together with other IKM divisions in Defu Industrial Estate and we are confident that the system would be well received in this region with the high-end technology and experienced personnel that comes with it,” said Mr Pollard. The Singapore office is run by Mahesh Govindan, who has a background with Hallin Marine, Fugro and Thales Geosolutions. OSJ