Are they still in buss. Or did they fold up ???
They went belly up
[B][/B]Since there are several threads here about which OSV company is better, “my stack is taller than yours”, I thought it might be interesting to do a post listing the names of the many OSV companies who have gone bankrupt, been bought out, merged etc.
So, I’ll start here since we have already mentioned [B]TRICO[/B]. I’m sure I’m missing a few so feel free to chime in or make corrections. I added a € before, the names of the European companies that I can think of.
The biggest gobblers;
Tide Water Marine - Who through mergers and acquisitions has (or had) vessels from JACKSON MARINE, TWENTY GRAND TOWING, SEAHORSE, ZAPATA / GULF FLEET, the tug fleet of MCDERMOTT, ENSCO’s OSV fleet &10 of SANKO MARINE’s AHTS vessels. Companies bought outright include HOS(1), € OIL / OSA.
Seacor Marine - Bought out MCCALL, JOHN GRAHAM, GALAXY, € SMIT & ROWANS OSV & AHTS fleet, and through mergers SEABULK / HVIDE MARINE, € FISH, & € VECTOR OFFSHORE
Out of business - EURO PIRATES, BRUCE BOAT RENTALS, OIL & GAS RENTALS, SEAL FLEET, PBR, NAUTICAL INVESTMENTS, OFFSHORE OPERATORS ( various versions of COMAR, although COMAR is still in business).
OFFSHORE LOGISTICS, which became Gulf Offshore and bought out RIGDON MARINE. SEAMAR which was bought by Pool and later sold to HOS(2).
€Group Bourbon bought out €SURF.
Well, I can only think of 30 companies off the top of may head, maybe some of the old hands can add some more.
GulfMark Americas bought Rigdon not Offshore Logistics… just saying…
Caspary and Wendell was bought out in the '60s by Santa Fe drilling. Dearborn and Offshore General bought the boats in '69 and '70. The boats were named after race horses and racetracks. Harvey Haskett (VP for Larry Hornbeck) worked for C&W and was the one that named the boats with the same theme.
Dearborn Corp bought Storm Drilling, Muchowich inc, Marine Service inc and C&W. Around 75, Dearborn/Storm was bought out by Odeco. The boats were sold to Offshore General (Logistics), Euro-Pirates, Tidewater and Seahorse(ex Arthur Levy). Jimmy Storm spun off with Marine Drilling co.
Larry Hornbeck and Chris Lowth were both in charge of Sealfleet at different times and started their own outfits. Chris started Ocean Marine services.
Another outfit was Command Marine. I believe their boats are all crabbers now. The navy bought the Surface Effect Vessels and the CG operated them for a while.
I’ll think of more after a while.
[QUOTE=osvmarek;68653]GulfMark Americas bought Rigdon not Offshore Logistics… just saying…[/QUOTE]
When Offshore Logistics went bankrupt their non US flagged fleet became Gulfmark / Gulf Offshore & they bought Rigdon Marine. Before their acquisition of Rigdon Marine Gulfmark Americas was a coperate office in Houston and a warehouse in Lafayette.
[QUOTE=injunear;68658]Caspary and Wendell was bought out in the '60s by Santa Fe drilling. Dearborn and Offshore General bought the boats in '69 and '70. The boats were named after race horses and racetracks. Harvey Haskett (VP for Larry Hornbeck) worked for C&W and was the one that named the boats with the same theme.
Dearborn Corp bought Storm Drilling, Muchowich inc, Marine Service inc and C&W. Around 75, Dearborn/Storm was bought out by Odeco. The boats were sold to Offshore General (Logistics), Euro-Pirates, Tidewater and Seahorse(ex Arthur Levy). Jimmy Storm spun off with Marine Drilling co.
Larry Hornbeck and Chris Lowth were both in charge of Sealfleet at different times and started their own outfits. Chris started Ocean Marine services.
Another outfit was Command Marine. I believe their boats are all crabbers now. The navy bought the Surface Effect Vessels and the CG operated them for a while.
I’ll think of more after a while.[/QUOTE]
And some or all of the Arthur Levy boats ended up with Seacor. Now that I think about it seems like Arthur Levy was a big wheel with Seacor. Does NICOR ring a bell?
More seacor trivia;
The Acadian Marine boats, some of which became Big Orange 29 etc.
More Seacor trivia:
The Acadian Marine boats that became Big Orange 29, etc.
[QUOTE=PLM;68664]And some or all of the Arthur Levy boats ended up with Seacor. Now that I think about it seems like Arthur Levy was a big wheel with Seacor. Does NICOR ring a bell?[/QUOTE]
I remember Nicor. They started up during the start of the boom in '80. Petrol Marine was another. They were owned by Penrod Drilling.
The Big Orange boats were built for Magcobar and operated by American Offshore. I took the Big Orange X out of the shipyard unfinished for the Ixtoc job.
Astro Marine out of Houston was operating in Brazil in the early to mid '70s.
The oldest supply boat I remember operating was the “Parapaseau”. (I think that’s how it was spelled) Probably built in the late '40s. It’s house was on the stern. I remember seeing it in Sabine in '70. It was owned by Glasscock Drilling.
[QUOTE=injunear;68668]I remember Nicor. They started up during the start of the boom in '80. Petrol Marine was another. They were owned by Penrod Drilling.
The Big Orange boats were built for Magcobar and operated by American Offshore. I took the Big Orange X out of the shipyard unfinished for the Ixtoc job.
Astro Marine out of Houston was operating in Brazil in the early to mid '70s.[/QUOTE]
Acadian Mariner / Big Orange 25;
http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=377080
[QUOTE=PLM;68672]Acadian Mariner / Big Orange 25;
http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=377080[/QUOTE]
The BO X was the newest I had dealings with. That was '79 I believe. 11400HP I think it was 4000 actual shaft HP and a 5000 HP pump. diesel electric.
The mid '80s were dismal years. When the boom started, instead of paying money to attract people, the CG caved into the companies and issued tear-sheet licenses. When the bust happened, The losing companies died or merged going down kicking and screaming. Zapata Gulf was a prime example. At the same time, the 333 strike was going on, the migration of unemployed headed north and Tidewater and ZG were undercutting bids on the northern towing contracts. It’s just now stabilizing.
The wages now sound great but not enough for me to get back into the industry…
I’m sure you guys remember Point Marine ,Aqua Marine, Marsea, PBR and Pelham.
[QUOTE=AHTS Master;68674]I’m sure you guys remember Point Marine ,Aqua Marine, Marsea, PBR and Pelham.[/QUOTE]
Yes I do. Out of touch management. That’s why a few of us remember them!
When I first started out in Oil & Gas in Nov 1989 as a mate on a supply boat, Seacor had recently been formed by a merger/acquisition of NICOR and maybe others.
I remember distinctly we were using letterhead and maybe even logbooks with the NICOR logo, hmmmm think I even have a NICOR bball hat somewhere.
Rodney Coco, now International Operations Manager at Seacor, would remember all this: he was there too.
Kerr-Mcgee had some old dinosaurs.
There were so many companies started up during the early '80s with 1 or 2 boats. Brio Marine, Billy Pugh got into the boat business, Brazosport Marine…
GulfMark Americas bought Rigdon not Offshore Logistics
Funny. I worked for both Seabulk and Ensco. I was with Ensco the day of the boat parade. 31 March-1 April 2003 when “The Last of the Dodoes” brought all the boats to Tidewater in Amelia
My crew had learned of the buyout while at a safety seminar in February. Just before lunch the safety guy (TJ) gave us a big ra-ra speech about how Ensco Marine is the best branch of the Ensco family and that we oughtn’t think of ourselves as the red headed stepchild of Ensco.
Right after lunch the big boss was in the room shaking hands with everyone. He then told us Tidewater had bought the company. I looked at TJ and said, “Looks like that red headed stepchild just got kicked to the curb”! Ah, good times.
Whatever happened to SeaMar out of New Iberia?
They were bought out by Hornbeck a couple years back.