Deep Down News

The probability of El Nino, a warming of ocean surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific, developing this year has been downgraded by U.S. government forecasters as sea surface temperatures and wind speeds in the area remain close to their long-term averages. The Pacific saw a relatively rapid swing in late October from La Nina conditions - characterised as unusually cold temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean - to neutral or even slightly El Nino-leaning conditions by March. Since then, however, the oceanic and atmospheric signals pointing to a possible El Nino have all weakened. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) last week downgraded the probability of El Nino conditions being present in the fourth quarter of 2017, to just 36 percent.

While the large oceangoing variety of ships garners the lion’s share of attention in regards to Arctic operations, modern offshore vessels that will be required to support potential oil and gas business in the region are equally vital. Viking Supply Ships recently carried out full scale ice trials in the Gulf of Bothnia on the Brage Viking, an 85m long anchor handling tug supply (AHTS) type offshore support vessel delivered  from Zamakona shipyard in Spain two years ago. The AHTS was built to Finnish-Swedish ice class 1A standards and is powered by a pair of MaK 8M32C 4…

Offshore exploration is a history of man v. Prospecting for oil is a dynamic art. From a lake in Ohio, to piers off the California coast in the early 1900s, to the salt marshes of Louisiana in the 1930s, to the first “out-of-sight- of-land” tower in 1947 in the Gulf of Mexico, the modern offshore petroleum industry has inched its way over the last roughly 75 years from 100 ft. of water ever farther into the briny deep, where the biggest platform today, Shell’s Perdido spar, sits in 8,000 ft. of water. As a planet, we have two unquenchable thirsts – for water and for oil.

US's Duma Energy Corp. says it has received new 3D seismic data in its search for deeper oil reserves in its Galveston Bay producing fields. This new data, which covers three of Duma's fields in Galveston Bay, is part of a broader effort by several other large independent oil companies to identify and exploit the deeper potential believed to exist under the bay and surrounding areas. Duma is looking to exploit these deeper zones on its more than 18,000 acres in the bay. This new 3D seismic data will be an integral part of this effort and the Company is already working to have the newly received data analyzed and interpreted by its team.

Ocean Installer appointed Michael Newbury as President for its U.S. office, located in Houston, Texas. The office has been established to cater for projects run out of the US. Entering his new position in April 2013, Michael Newbury brings with him managerial experience and track record from the U.S. subsea industry. He comes from a position as Vice President for Operations and Business Development with the U.S.-based subsea contractor Deep Down, Inc. and has senior experience from the U.S. subsea industry, including Subsea 7 and Halliburton. The process of opening an Ocean Installer U.S.

Modified EBITDA increases 86% to $1.4 million
 in latest Deep Down Inc. financial report. Deep Down, Inc., an oilfield services company specializing in products and services for the deepwater and ultra-deepwater oil and gas industry, report net income of $639 thousand for the second quarter of 2012, an improvement of $685 thousand over the same period in 2011. Ronald E. Smith, Chief Executive Officer stated, "This was the Company's strongest second quarter performance since 2007. We are extremely satisfied with what our subsea solutions business was able to achieve in the second quarter of 2012. We added approximately $6.3 million to backlog bringing total current backlog to approximately $17.7 million. Deep Down, Inc.

Deep Down, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: DPDW) (“Deep Down” or the “Company”), an oilfield services company specializing in products and services for the deepwater and ultra-deepwater oil and gas industry, today announced a net loss of $1.8 million for the first quarter of 2011, an improvement of $0.7 million, or 28%, over the same period in 2010. For the first quarter of 2011, Deep Down reported a net loss of $1.8 million, or $0.01 loss per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $2.5 million, or $0.01 loss per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2010.

Deep Down, Inc. is an oilfield services company specializing in complex deepwater and ultra-deepwater oil production distribution system support services. In response to recent investor inquires, the company commented that the recently announced 180-day moratorium on exploration drilling in water depths in excess of 500 ft in the Gulf of Mexico has had no material negative impact on our current operations. However, we have seen an increase in activity in our operations related to cleanup and subsea monitoring in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, we do not envision that the Drilling Moratorium will have a material impact on the operations of Cuming Corporation. On May 3, 2010, we announced that we had entered into a conditional purchase agreement to acquire Cuming Corporation.

Deep Down, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: DPDW), an oilfield services company specializing in products and services for the deepwater and ultra-deepwater oil and gas industry, announced entry into a conditional purchase agreement to acquire Cuming Corporation. Privately-held Cuming Corporation was founded in 1980 and is a manufacturer of buoyancy and insulation products with a range of deepwater oil & gas industry applications. Cuming's operations are complementary with those of Deep Down's Flotation Technologies subsidiary, which produces syntactic foam products for customers in the oil and gas, defense, scientific and industrial sectors.

Deep Down, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: DPDW), an oilfield services company specializing in complex deepwater and ultra-deepwater oil production distribution system support services, announced that it has completed the design and has begun construction of a 3,200 metric ton Carousel System, which is scheduled for completion early in the third quarter of 2010. Upon completion the Carousel System will be located in the Gulf Coast, to facilitate the handling of umbilicals from transportation vessels onto the Carousel, and with the ability to store up to three separate steel tube umbilicals for projects in the region.

Deep Down, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: DPDW), an oilfield services company specializing in complex deepwater and ultra-deepwater oil production distribution system support services, announced that Mark R. Hollinger has joined its Board of Directors, effective April 12, 2010. Hollinger has joined the board as an independent director and was appointed Chairman of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. Hollinger is currently President of Offshore Solutions at MacDermid, Inc., which provides specialty fluids to hydraulic controls of valves in the offshore drilling and production systems, a position he has held since September 2007.

Deep Down, Inc., an offshore service and technology company providing innovative subsea solutions for the world's energy and offshore industry, announced an approximate $1m order for the manufacture of 70 metric tons of buoyancy products for a major project in the Gulf of Mexico, with delivery slated for early 4th quarter 2009. The order will consist of two 26 metric ton buoys, one 12.4 metric ton buoy, and several smaller buoys. All of the buoys will be rated for 3000 meters, making them the largest buoyancy modules ever constructed for that depth. Further, the buoys will be constructed with central steel hardware capable of a 200 metric ton pass through load.

Deep Down, Inc. announced that it has received an executed $11.1m contract from Delba Drilling International Cooperatie U.A. to supply and install the deepwater marine drilling riser flotation system for the new-build Delba III semisubmersible drilling rig. The original letter of intent, initially estimated at $9m, was received May 23, 2008. The increase in the value of the contract is reflective of engineering changes to satisfy additional lift requirements. The Delba III semisubmersible drilling rig is rated to drill in 7,874 ft of water and is readily upgradeable to 8,858 ft. The Delba III has long-term contracts to drill in Brazilian waters. The rig set of flotation for the Delba III is scheduled to be delivered by early 2010.

Deep Down, Inc. announced unaudited results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2008, on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Deep Down generated revenue of $6,279,465 for the three months ended March 31, 2008, compared to $2,098,394 for the three months ended March 31, 2007, an increase of $4,181,071 or 199%. Increased activity from Deep Down’s offshore subsea business, including service activity related to installation and recoveries of subsea equipment, the delivery of launch and recovery systems, loose tube steel flying leads, winch system refurbishments, and an active heave compensated in-line winch system accounted for $4,293,820 of this revenue, an increase of $2,195,426, or 105% over the same prior year period.

Deep Down, Inc. has executed a letter of intent (LOI) to acquire Mako Technologies, Inc. (Mako). Headquartered in Morgan City, Louisiana, Mako serves the growing offshore petroleum and marine industries with technical support services, and products vital to offshore petroleum production, through rentals of its remotely operated vehicles (ROV), subsea equipment, and diving support systems used in diving operations, offshore construction, and environmental/marine surveys.