KD Marine
KD Marine is an Aberdeen-headquartered offshore diving services contractor providing surface diving, subsea intervention daughter craft, installation-based diving, and project management to oil and gas operators, primarily in the North Sea.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersAberdeen, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What KD Marine does
KD Marine Ltd is a privately held, Aberdeen-headquartered (Kintore, Inverurie) offshore diving services contractor founded in 1989 by Hamish Petersen following BUE's acquisition by Stena Group. The company supplies surface diving, subsea intervention, installation-based diving, and project management services to offshore oil and gas operators, predominantly in the North Sea but with referenced international scope.
Its core technical offering centres on four A60 Zone II rated surface diving systems and a fleet of three custom-built Subsea Intervention Daughter Craft vessels (DC01, DC02, with DC03 featuring a hull purpose-designed for diving operations). Supporting capabilities include a custom Over Side Platform for FPSO access, light and work-class ROV services (Seaeye Falcon/Cougar and Triton XLX), EAD/nitrox decompression diving within PFEER regulations, rope access and rigging services, and a fully equipped workshop at the new 3.5-acre Kintore headquarters acquired in March 2025. Personnel hold combined diving, rope access, and rigging qualifications, enabling multi-skilled project delivery.
The business operates a project-based professional services model: revenue is generated through day rates and project fees for diving spreads, daughter craft operations, and associated engineering services, with pricing quoted per engagement and contracts frequently multi-year. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales, leveraging senior management's industry network and direct relationships with operators and tier-one service companies; work is won through direct engagement with oil and gas majors, integrated service providers, and drilling contractors. Customers include BP, Shell, Chevron, Marathon Oil, Wood Group PSN, Maersk, Subsea 7, Petrofac, Perenco, Cairn Energy and others across inspection, mooring, thruster change-out, well workover, and decommissioning scopes. The firm is ISO 9001/14001/45001 certified, IMCA/SUT/ODIA-affiliated, and FPAL/Achilles verified, anchoring its access to major-operator tender lists.
KD Marine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KD Marine
- Legal name
- KD Marine Ltd
- Website
- https://kdmarine.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- KD Marine is an Aberdeen-headquartered offshore diving services contractor providing surface diving, subsea intervention daughter craft, installation-based diving, and project management to oil and gas operators, primarily in the North Sea.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KD Marine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Offshore Diving and Subsea Intervention Services
- NAICS
- Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)
- SIC
- Oil & Gas Field Services, Nec (1389), Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Underwater Inspection, Maintenance & Repair (UWILD, Diving/ROV, In-water Cleaning) (IMAJAFAJ)
Keywords
Where KD Marine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Aberdeen
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
KD Marine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Offshore Diving and Underwater Intervention Services: Project-based contracting providing commercial diving services, subsea intervention, installation-based diving, and project management to offshore oil and gas operators. Revenue generated through day rates and project fees for diving spreads, daughter craft operations, and associated engineering services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based diving services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
KD Marine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KD Marine provides surface diving, subsea intervention daughter craft (SIDC), installation-based diving, project management, ROV intervention, rope access and rigging, and workshop services to the offshore oil and gas industry. The company owns and operates four A60 Zone II rated surface diving systems and a fleet of three Subsea Intervention Daughter Craft (DC01, DC02, DC03) designed for diving or ROV access around FPSOs and fixed platforms in full production. Services are deployed via DSV support vessels or directly from client installations worldwide, supported by a dedicated workshop facility at the Kintore headquarters.
Product overview
KD Marine is a diving services contractor offering a portfolio of integrated underwater intervention solutions for the offshore oil and gas industry. The core offering consists of Surface Diving Systems (with four A60 Zone II rated units), three generations of Subsea Intervention Daughter Craft (DC01, DC02, DC03), Installation-Based Diving services with custom Over Side Platform technology, ROV services (light observation and work class), Project Management services, and Workshop facilities. The SIDC daughter craft systems provide enhanced access around production facilities when deck space is limited, while surface diving systems enable operations directly from installations or DSV vessels. These services are typically deployed together, with daughter craft supporting diving operations from DP2 vessels, enabling multiple work faces to be accessed simultaneously.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Surface Diving Surface diving operations performed directly from offshore installations, FPSOs, or DSVs to provide underwater intervention solutions in hazardous production environments. KD Marine owns and operates four A60 Zone II rated surface diving systems, employing EAD decompression methods and nitrox breathing medium within PFEER regulations.
- Subsea Intervention Daughter Craft (SIDC) Custom-designed daughter craft systems (DC01, DC02, DC03) providing enhanced access for diving or ROV intervention around offshore production facilities. DC03 has a hull specifically designed and built for diving operations, with stable performance in significant wave height and its own single davit launch and recovery system. The craft moor to FPSO support structures without hold-back tugs and access areas inaccessible to traditional methods, including positions under overhangs and adjacent to in-service production assets.
- Installation Based Diving Diving operations performed directly from fixed platforms, drilling rigs, or FPSOs using EAD decompression methods and nitrox breathing medium within PFEER regulations. Deployed with the custom Over Side Platform that allows diving to be conducted all around an FPSO with minimal footprint and risk impact, repositionable to different sides of the installation as work requires.
- Project Management Services Project management services providing subject matter expertise in diving and underwater construction projects, including assistance with diving regulations, safety case amendments, and delivery of first-class IRM (Inspection, Repair and Maintenance) services for offshore clients.
- ROV Services ROV intervention support with light observation class ROVs (Seaeye Falcon, Cougar) or work class ROVs (Triton XLX), deployed from KD Marine's SIDC platforms or DSV operations to provide underwater inspection and intervention.
- Rope Access and Rigging Services Rope access techniques and rigging services delivered in support of diving operations, with personnel holding diving, rigging and rope access qualifications to enable integrated multi-skilled subsea and topside project delivery.
- Workshop Services Fully equipped workshop facility for maintenance, testing, and storage of diving plant equipment. Managed by a Warehouse Manager and dedicated staff handling equipment pool maintenance, purchasing, and logistics movements to support offshore deployment readiness.
Quantifiable outcome
- Exemplary safety record with extraordinary HSSEQ performance
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use KD Marine
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
KD Marine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
KD Marine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Decom MissioncoreKD Marine joined Decom Mission in July 2025, reinforcing commitment to supporting the energy sector through safe, efficient, and innovative decommissioning solutions. Aligns with the company's goal to collaborate, innovate, and contribute to a sustainable future for the North Sea and beyond.
- International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA)coreActive member of IMCA, participating in the committee. The Managing Director Hamish Petersen serves on the IMCA committee. IMCA is the international trade association for offshore, marine and underwater engineering companies.
- Society of Underwater Technology (SUT)coreActive member of SUT. The Managing Director Hamish Petersen is on the committee of SUT. SUT is a multi-disciplinary international learned society for underwater technology.
- Offshore Diving Industry Agreement (ODIA)coreHamish Petersen serves as current Chairman of the employers signatories ODIA. KD Marine engages all offshore diving personnel under ODIA terms.
- Achilles/FPALminorFPAL Verified supplier certification, demonstrating compliance with industry standards for the energy sector.
- Global Underwater HubminorMember of Global Underwater Hub, an industry body supporting the underwater sector.
- Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of CommerceminorMember of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, supporting the regional business community.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
KD Marine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rever Offshore (formerly Bibby Offshore): UK-based subsea services contractor providing diving, ROV and vessel-based intervention in the North Sea. Comparable customer set and service mix; Mark Hamilton previously worked at Bibby Offshore before joining KD Marine.
- ROVOP: Specialist ROV and subsea intervention service provider serving North Sea operators. Directly comparable to KD Marine's ROV intervention offering; KD Marine's Commercial Manager previously worked at ROVOP.
- Helix Energy Solutions: Provider of subsea intervention, ROV, diving and well intervention services including FPSO support. Directly comparable operating model and customer set (BP, Shell, Chevron-equivalent operators).
Broad incumbents
- Oceaneering International: Global provider of subsea intervention, ROV and diving services to the offshore oil & gas industry. Directly comparable to KD Marine on surface diving and FPSO intervention, though at far larger scale and with integrated vessel operations.
- Saipem: Global engineering and subsea contractor delivering diving, subsea construction and IRM services. Comparable on offshore diving scope; KD Marine's Marketing Consultant previously worked at Saipem, indicating talent-flow comparability.
- Subsea 7: Major subsea contractor providing DSV-based diving, ROV and SURF services, and a documented KD Marine customer. Overlaps on diving support from dive support vessels (e.g., Seven Kestrel) and FPSO intervention scope.
- TechnipFMC: Integrated subsea provider offering diving and intervention support on FPSO and platform projects. Overlaps with KD Marine on installation-based diving scope at much larger scale.
- Stork Technical Services (part of Fluor): Provider of offshore maintenance, modification and asset integrity services including diving support. Overlaps with KD Marine on installation-based intervention; KD Marine's Commercial Manager previously worked at Stork.
Regional players
- N-Sea Group: North Sea-focused subsea services provider offering diving, ROV and IRM. Comparable size and scope to KD Marine; KD Marine's former Business Development Manager Mark Hamilton joined from N-Sea.
Emerging players
- Mermaid Subsea Services: Provider of subsea inspection, maintenance and repair diving and ROV services to offshore operators. Comparable on IRM and intervention scope, with a more Southeast Asia-weighted footprint.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
KD Marine social profiles
Digital presenceKD Marine compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance15 records
KD Marine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KD Marine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
KD Marine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KD Marine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about KD Marine
What does KD Marine do?
KD Marine provides surface diving, subsea intervention daughter craft (SIDC), installation-based diving, project management, ROV intervention, rope access and rigging, and workshop services to the offshore oil and gas industry. The company owns and operates four A60 Zone II rated surface diving systems and a fleet of three Subsea Intervention Daughter Craft (DC01, DC02, DC03) designed for diving or ROV access around FPSOs and fixed platforms in full production. Services are deployed via DSV support vessels or directly from client installations worldwide, supported by a dedicated workshop facility at the Kintore headquarters.
Is KD Marine a public or private company?
KD Marine is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was KD Marine founded?
KD Marine was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is KD Marine based?
KD Marine is headquartered in Aberdeen, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does KD Marine make money?
One revenue line is on record: offshore Diving and Underwater Intervention Services.
Who are KD Marine's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rever Offshore (formerly Bibby Offshore), ROVOP and Helix Energy Solutions. Broad incumbents are Oceaneering International, Saipem, Subsea 7, TechnipFMC and Stork Technical Services (part of Fluor). N-Sea Group is listed as a regional player. Mermaid Subsea Services is listed as an emerging player.
Does KD Marine have an API?
No public API is recorded for KD Marine.
What industry is KD Marine in?
KD Marine's product category is Offshore Diving and Subsea Intervention Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJAFAJ, Underwater Inspection, Maintenance & Repair (UWILD, Diving/ROV, In-water Cleaning). Its NAICS code is 48839 and its SIC code is 1389.