IMCA give their global view on ROV personnel statistics

Statistics on the number of ROV personnel working across the industry world-wide have been produced by the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA). This new analysis uses information supplied by member organisations on personnel working on two dates in 2007, in February and August, on a global basis, replacing the previous complex North Sea/rest of the world reporting system.

"Drawing on information supplied by 20 ROV contractors, who submitted significant data, we were able to deduce that in February 2007 nearly 1,700 personnel and just over 2,000 in August 2007 were engaged in offshore ROV-related activities, primarily in marine construction and drill support activities," explains Hugh Williams, Chief Executive of IMCA.

"This is very much a 'snapshot'; it is not intended that these statistics exactly represent personnel at work on actual days, but rather to reflect personnel levels at two particular times in the year, roughly six months apart," he explains. "The figures do not include personnel on leave, sick or not working for any reason, and only include those actually working on the two days of the survey. They do not take into account any major contract that may have been completed shortly before the days of the count nor, for that matter, one which may have started shortly after.

"We'll shortly be asking our ROV contractor members to complete a return for 2008," says Hugh Williams. "With each response the analysis becomes more accurate and useful both for benchmarking and to add weight to IMCA's discussions with clients and regulatory bodies. Individual company figures are kept confidential within the secretariat, with only the total being released to the ROV committee and in the subsequent information note."

IMCA (and its predecessor AODC) has published ROV statistics for the North Sea area (Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK) since 1982, apart from a two-year gap in the mid 1990s.