Meet the Gulf of Mexico’s private offshore diving contractors

Underwater Intervention is once again set to be part of the International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans, bringing together two worlds that are inherently connected but ultimately quite distinct. While almost every Workboat Show attendee is familiar with the vessel operators such as Kirby, and Edison Chouest as well as deep draft operators like AET or Maersk Shipping, the premier dive contractors are a bit less recognizable to those not directly connected with the diving industry. 

To better outline how these worlds are connected, we'll be introducing you to the premier private contractors in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Breaking down the diving industry

Commercial diving can be broken down into four distinct market sectors. The first is an inland sector, comprised of divers that specialize in construction work for municipalities, infrastructure and coastal construction such as building docks, piers and bridges. 

The second major sector is the group of divers that perform ship’s husbandry. This group of divers performs tasks like cleaning hulls and propellors, class-approved welding and various other emergency repairs. 

The third market sector is marine salvage. These divers perform tasks such as shipbreaking, refloating and large-scale recovery. 

The fourth market sector is the offshore oil and gas industry. For these projects, divers perform every subsea task from platform inspections to abandonment to installations. This work is typically the deepest and requires that the divers live on-site usually aboard a dive support vessel, or in a saturation habitat. 

While there's crossover between each of these segments, each Gulf contractor has its own focus, allowing them to provide distinct and powerful services. 

CEES

Arguably the largest and most active diving contractor in the Gulf of Mexico is Champagne Energy & Environmental Solutions (CEES). Founded in 2008 by Robbie Champagne in Houma, La., as C-Divel LLC, the organization is now one of the largest dive companies on the Gulf Coast. 

Champagne’s background is a common one for many owners in the diving industry. Upon honorably completing his enlistment in the U.S. Navy, he returned to his hometown in Louisiana to pursue a career as a commercial diver. He started at American Oilfield Divers as an entry-level tender working his way through the offshore dive industry.

This career path is a typical one in the field. It starts at the deck plate where the tender learns about the equipment and supports the divers by operating decompression chambers and tending their dive umbilical. After a few years of experience on deck, they're “broken out” and put in the dive rotation. Days begin first thing with a responsibility to serve as emergency backup for the divers in the water while also monitoring the deck and acting as the dive supervisor’s assistant.  

While this path is a typical one, the reality is that some stay divers for decades, some become supervisors, and many transition into other careers like crane operators or vessel crew. Others with solid business acumen get recruited into project management. Champagne was in the latter group. 

In the mid-90s his career went from offshore to project management and then to managing the dive division for the Gulf of Mexico’s largest private offshore construction contractor. By 2008, he had the confidence, network and experience to make a go of it on his own. 

Scrutinizing his costs and focusing on recapitalization efforts that would increase equity, Champagne was able to navigate challenges that saw the Gulf of Mexico oil and gas market slow while his business grew. By 2013 the company owned its' first vessel, a 135’ 4-point anchor boat named the DSV Kerci. In 2023 the organization was rebranded as CEES, which better reflects the kinds of services that they offer today and how the company wants to be part of the future of the entire industry.

"I've been in the oil and gas business for 30 years, and at this point, I really enjoy talking to the next generation of divers," Champagne said.  

Today, the CEES fleet consists of four dive support vessels (DSV) a 260' lay barge and a mobile fly-away saturation system. All assets are under contract and look to remain that way for well into 2025. 

Leviathan 

While Leviathan Offshore LLC is a new name in the Gulf of Mexico, founder Timothy Clements is anything but new to the industry. He has over 30 years of offshore commercial diving experience. Clements worked his way from entry-level tender to become what many consider to be the pinnacle of the profession as a Class 1 Saturation Diver.

Founded six years ago and based out of Houma, La., Leviathan assets currently include one of the GOM’s largest 4-point surface-supplied dive support vessels with a 50-ton crane able to perform various construction and decommissioning operations. That includes pipeline abandonment and recovery, as its crane allows it to be far more economical than barges and many of their competitors.

Leviathan also has a 110' class DSV with a 3-point mooring system perfect for shallow water and inspection projects throughout the GOM. Additionally, the organization has a third vessel that they eventually plan on converting into a diving asset.

Leviathan dive teams and vessels are defined by a diverse team of highly trained individuals. Able to execute various tasks with skill, safety, and professionalism, the management team has over 100 years of experience serving the oil and gas industry, allowing it to explore the expansion and customization of its services. 

However, “We have been tasked by our client base to consider outfitting a saturation vessel," Clements told Workboat.com. "It represents a new and exciting path, which is why we're focused on hiring qualified and professional personnel to be able to meet these growth milestones as well as our current backlog of work." 

Leviathan actively works at diversifying its customer base, which includes somewhat traditional offshore and inland marine-related projects but also working with companies like Lockheed Martin and Space X. Clements and his team recently completed a multimillion-dollar project for NASA. 

The company is a Member of the American Salvage Association, the organization serves every dive aspect of the oil and gas industry in a way that makes sense for the people on every side of a project. 

"Safety is our top priority," Clements said. "Leviathan is committed to protecting the environment and assisting our clients with safe, professional planning, and project execution”.

CEES and Leviathan are by no means the only companies servicing this market. Chet Morrison Contractors LLC is a Houma-based oilfield construction company providing turnkey packages from shoreside fabrication to offshore installation in saturation-level depths with the capability of utilizing all in-house resources.

Helix Offshore acquired Alliance/Triton Companies in 2022 as part of its efforts to provide more all-encompassing services related to decommissioning projects while Michels Holdings Inc. acquired Aqueos Corp. the same year. Both organizations are well equipped to provide world-class dive service with vessels equipped with deep air, surface-supplied mixed gas, and saturation capabilities. 

These Gulf contractors, while focused on their specialties, are an essential part of the broader maritime network whose vessel connections contribute significantly to its strength.