Can you give an overview of Deep Blue Energy Services and the company’s role in the industry? 

Deep Blue Energy Services (Deep Blue) was established in 2009 as a reaction to the increased local participation the Nigerian government was emphasizing at the time. One of the main objectives was having a local company that understands that there is only one standard in the oil and gas sector, which is best practice on a world class standard. Deep Blue was established to bridge the gap between the use of local resources and global best practice. Today, we are a leading resource and solutions provider in the Nigerian market.

We started by providing trainings on compliance as we felt that it was ideal to educate the local environment on the basic best practices required in the sector. This was our introduction into the market, after which, we started providing consultants to the industry as required. The first IOC we worked with was Total just as they were starting operations on the Egina field. To date we are still providing services to Total and they enabled us to expand our geographical reach and establish offices in Uganda. Today, we are directly providing services to all the IOCs operating in Nigeria such as ExxonMobil, Shell and Chevron. We also provide services to the NOC - NNPC and IDSL, and independent operators such as Aiteo and Eroton. Our strategy is to ultimately be an international service provider, though locally grown.

What quality assurance mechanisms does Deep Blue have in place?

Deep Blue is ISO 9001 QMS certified, which is renewed annually. We also have a management process which conforms with the global best practice standards. We are committed to providing world class standard services through continuous improvement and management of internal systems based on the requirements of the market and meeting clients’ needs. We do business in line with applicable regulations of the Nigerian government and are committed to customer satisfaction through response to customer complaints, in line with our terms and conditions of services. We also ensure quality through the annual reviewing and audit of our processes.

How did the 2016 recession impact on Deep Blue’s business?

Deep Blue has been very fortunate to have had progressive growth since 2009. We constantly watch the market and feed industry what it requires. We know that there is a slump in the oil and gas market every decade and thus we plan accordingly. When we started our business in 2009, we made a conscious effort to ensure that we are ready for the dip in the market that was coming. In difficult times, we look to offer services that would be in demand, irrespective of oil prices.  

Can you give insight into Deep Blue’s service portfolio?

Deep Blue has a large data base of freelance consultants that we can call on for any project. Our services include manpower supply and we are experts at matching manpower with the needs of our clients. We have extensive operations and maintenance experience and provide customized O&M strategies, based on a critical analysis of client’s installations and our in-house expertise. We also offer procurement services, engineering consulting and information and data management.

What is Deep Blue’s experience with regards to access to capital and the struggle to attain financing?

Since establishment, Deep Blue has had a good relationship with Zenith Bank as well as First Bank of Nigeria and have had a fantastic experience with both. We are very transparent with our bankers and for every project we embark on, we will first have a meeting with our bankers who have never turned us down and are always excited to progress with us. We have seen that local contractors are bidding themselves out to the detriment of their own survival. For every project Deep Blue decides to bid on we will first do all the necessary calculations for us not to fall into a difficult spot where our business does not benefit.