DAILY NEWS
THE EUROPEAN ROTORCRAFT TECHNOLOGY LAUNCHPAD
Helis on the up
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The oil and gas downturn – the dread of the
rotorcraft industry since 2012 – is over and
unlikely to return for the foreseeable future.
This assessment was made by Steve
Robertson, head of oilfi eld services at
Westwood Global Energy Group, in a session
entitled ‘Market Sectors: Opportunities’
held in the Mary Jennings Hegar Theatre
at Helitech International on 16 October. His
speech also suggested that the oversupply
issues that have long beset the heavy
helicopter market are set to continue long-term.
From a forecasting point of view,
Robertson specifi cally referenced an
expected investment of $7 billion by the
rotorcraft sector over the next fi ve years and
mentioned that ‘nearly 200 aircraft units’
had been delivered between 2015-2018.
Discussing the heavy helicopter oversupply
issue, he explained that the problem would
have looked different but for a ‘shift in
preference since 2016’ which has seen
operators invest in other rotary-wing types,
such as the 7t-11t super-medium class.
‘Most Airbus H225 helicopters are not
in service, with the exception of roughly
20-30 units in Asia,’ Robertson confi rmed,
an indication not only of the scale of the
heavy helicopter oversupply troubles, but
perhaps a hint at the wider problems
Airbus faces on the fl agging programme.
However, an upward curve has emerged
regarding the distances travelled from oil rigs
to heliports – now standing at 113km on
average. Given that operators are transporting
personnel over increasingly longer distances,
aircraft with greater ranges are being sought,
according to Robertson. This news will be
welcomed by super-medium manufacturers,
as they look to increase their market share.
Of particular interest to helicopter OEMs
and suppliers will be the emergence of new
countries tapping into the deepwater drilling
market. While the sector itself has been
historically dominated by ‘the golden triangle’
of Brazil, the Gulf of Guinea and the Gulf of
Mexico, a ‘new frontier’ is now in evidence,
Robertson said, and expands to Australia, East
Africa, East India and the South China Sea.
Investment in new oil fi eld development
also shows promise, with $96 billion
committed to the market in 2018, against
$61 billion spent last year.
Robertson said that investments from
exploration and production companies will
not increase signifi cantly as they look to
protect cash reserves, but that ‘higher prices
create better conditions for commercial
enterprises like helicopters’.
Chairperson of the session, Ian Gurekian,
chief risk offi cer at Waypoint Leasing, said in
his opening remarks that the changes to the
oil and gas market meant that industry is
having to prioritise diversity and move into
‘EMS, SAR and windfarm markets’.
By Tim Martin
DAY TWO
17 OCT 2018
HIGHLIGHTS
Three’s a crowd
Page 22
The highly competitive
super-medium market is
characterised by a trio of
aircraft manufacturers all
vying to outdo one another.
Smooth operators
Page 30
Whole-crew simulator training
is in ever-increasing demand
as teams collaborate across
EMS, offshore and SAR.
Helitech International Daily News is published
by Shephard Media in association with Reed
Exhibitions. Printed by Partnion, Amsterdam.
© Shephard Media 2018
Three editions of the show daily
are being produced on site.
Editor: Helen Haxell
helen.h@shephardmedia.com
Reporter: Tim Martin
tim.m@shephardmedia.com
Production Manager: Georgina Smith
Production Editor: Elaine Effard
Commercial Manager: Anthony Wilkinson
anthony.w@shephardmedia.com
Trevor Woods, certifi cation director at EASA,
talks to delegates at Helitech International
about the authority’s six strategic safety pillars.
See p4 for full story. (Photo: Tony Skinner)
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