Lise Borgen Tonstad, who is based in our team in Stavanger, has recently taken on the position of Business Development Manager for our subsea controls offering in Norway. She takes time out for a Q&A to discuss her new post, the openings it brings and what Proserv can offer the Norwegian market.

Tell us a bit about your change in role and what you will now be focusing on?

I joined Proserv early last year with a responsibility for business development (BD), and part of that has been to help support and drive our trading segment. This has been a perfect introduction and learning curve as it gave me a great window into what the many different sites and teams at the company do – so on one hand, I might be talking to clients about the different components we sell and brands we represent, while on the other hand, I could be discussing possible service support and maintenance.

As BD Manager for Trading, the past 18 months have been a springboard to truly understand what Proserv offers, not only in Norway but right across its portfolio, and to think about where Proserv can go in the future. I am a big believer in communication and talking with people, meeting them, and I have taken that into my work at Proserv. I have already visited some of our other teams to learn about their skills, and how they might be applied here in Norway.

Now, I am taking on a specialised role with a focus on our subsea controls. It is really exciting as this is such a central and core part of our Proserv identity and heritage. I have had great support from colleagues both here in Stavanger but also at our site in Trondheim where so much of our innovation in subsea control systems has been created. There is a wealth of expertise accessible in this company.

How would you describe the synergies between Proserv’s sites in Trondheim and Stavanger?

Close and getting closer! I would say Stavanger presents a multi-faceted set of offerings for our customers, where we can meet their needs through our wide portfolio of skills. We can design, manufacture, test, install or rent out different types of solution for offshore, subsea and onshore use. We can maintain, repair and upgrade both ours and other OEMs’ products like HPUs, IWOCS and subsea control modules. Or we can supply gaskets, pumps or valves. We can deliver and support on every level.

Trondheim is our subsea R&D Centre of Excellence with its dedicated cutting-edge engineering and technology expertise. The synergies fit really well as we have this best-in-class subsea controls capability that we export around the globe, right here close-at-hand in Norway.

In Stavanger, we are proactively looking to increase our subsea footprint and activities. A central part of my new focus is to get the understanding and message about our market-leading subsea skill sets out into the wider market. There are several benefits of using an independent subsea controls solution, as it gives operators more options around how to build their fields with different Xmas tree and manifold suppliers.

One of the challenges I have noted is that Proserv has many strengths but there are some customers who do not necessarily realise the full range of what we offer, as they might only engage with our trading arm or our rental team. But we can leverage that. So when a regular customer steps into our workshop, as we develop and grow our subsea activities even further in Stavanger, this presents a great opportunity to show them around, highlight our subsea offering and open new avenues for them.

Where do you see growth opportunities in the Norwegian subsea market for Proserv?

This always comes back to the strength of our controls value proposition. The ways we can unlock opportunity in the Gulf of Mexico are being replicated right here in the North Sea and Norway very successfully, and we can extend that further.

People who know and value our subsea business also know that we lead the market in controls reliability. We have an obsolescence management system in place ensuring our subsea electronics never become obsolete and that stands as a commitment to our customers.

The same problems exist at the bottom of the Norwegian Sea as exist at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. We can be the solution everywhere.

There are a lot of brownfield assets in the seas around Norway and reliability issues and obsolescence are a serious industry challenge. We can integrate solutions like ACT, our augmented controls technology, that avoids major intervention and complete system upgrades, can save time and money, and extends the life of field.

Many operators recognise how our technology can be transformative, enabling tiebacks that previously were just not viable, with our coexistence capabilities opening new doors that can lead to improved ROI. We can build strong relationships with operators where we can solve these reliability problems, regenerate their infrastructure when required, and effectively be their go-to partner.

My new role in subsea controls will allow me to extend my contacts, tap into my belief in communication, and talk to potential clients about how we can bring real gains to their operations. OTD Energy 2023 is set to get underway and this offers a perfect platform to continue this exciting journey.