Subsea Systems Reveal Industry’s Most Underestimated Challenge, Engineer Warns

The moment when billions of dollars of subsea equipment first comes online represents one of the most nerve-wracking experiences in offshore oil and gas operations, according to Obinna Joshua Ochulor, whose 15 years of deepwater drilling experience has given him front-row seats to both spectacular successes and costly failures in subsea system commissioning. “People focus […]

The moment when billions of dollars of subsea equipment first comes online represents one of the most nerve-wracking experiences in offshore oil and gas operations, according to Obinna Joshua Ochulor, whose 15 years of deepwater drilling experience has given him front-row seats to both spectacular successes and costly failures in subsea system commissioning.

“People focus so much on the drilling phase – how deep we can go, how fast we can drill, what kind of formations we can penetrate,” says Ochulor, who has supervised operations on some of the world’s most advanced drillships including Seadrill’s West Jupiter and Transocean’s Discoverer India. “But the real test of engineering comes when you try to bring all those subsea components to life simultaneously, often in water depths exceeding 1,500 meters.”

Ochulor’s perspective is informed by his extensive work in Nigeria’s deepwater fields, including his involvement in Total E&P’s Egina Field development where he supervised drilling operations for over 28 subsea wells. The experience taught him that commissioning subsea production systems involves challenges that surface operations rarely encounter – challenges that can turn successful drilling campaigns into operational nightmares.

“During the Egina project, I witnessed firsthand how a single integration issue between subsea control systems could cascade into weeks of delays and millions in cost overruns,” he recalls. “When you’re dealing with equipment that’s been manufactured in different countries, tested in different environments, and then assembled on the seabed, the complexity becomes almost overwhelming.”

The technical challenges, according to Ochulor, stem from what he calls the ‘integration paradox’ – the need to ensure that multiple sophisticated systems work seamlessly together in an environment where direct human intervention is impossible. His experience with NOV’s advanced drilling control systems and Weatherford’s Managed Pressure Drilling technology has shown him how even minor compatibility issues can create major operational problems.

“On a drilling rig, if something goes wrong, you can shut down, bring in specialists, swap out components,” he explains. “With subsea production systems, you’re dealing with remotely operated vehicles, limited intervention windows, and weather dependencies that can extend simple repairs into month-long operations.”

Ochulor argues that the industry has been too focused on individual component reliability while underestimating system integration challenges. His work across different drilling environments—from Nigeria to Ivory Coast, Spain to Egypt – has convinced him that successful subsea commissioning requires fundamentally different approaches than traditional surface operations.

“The environmental factors alone are staggering,” he notes. “You’re not just dealing with deepwater pressures and corrosive seawater—you’re working with geology that can shift, currents that can change, and marine growth that can interfere with equipment function over time.”

However, Ochulor warns that technology alone cannot solve commissioning challenges. His experience working with international crews across multiple drilling campaigns has taught him that human factors—communication, training, and collaborative planning – often determine project success or failure.

“I’ve seen technically perfect systems fail because different contractor teams weren’t properly coordinated, and I’ve seen older, less sophisticated equipment perform flawlessly because everyone involved understood their role and communicated effectively,” he observes.

The solution, according to Ochulor, requires what he terms “collaborative commissioning”—integrated approaches that bring together suppliers, operators, and technical specialists from the earliest planning stages. His current work as a consultant drilling supervisor has given him insights into how different operators approach these challenges, and he sees concerning variations in commitment to comprehensive planning.

“Some companies are investing in true partnership approaches where suppliers and operators work together throughout the entire project lifecycle,” he notes. “Others are still thinking in terms of traditional contractor relationships, which creates unnecessary risks during commissioning.”

Ochulor believes the industry’s future depends on recognizing that subsea commissioning represents a distinct engineering discipline requiring specialized expertise, dedicated resources, and long-term strategic thinking rather than just an extension of drilling operations.