Venterra integrates Oceanscan to enhance geoscience and survey services
Offshore wind services specialist Venterra Group has announced its acquisition of Oceanscan, a leading provider of subsea and non-destructive testing equipment, geotechnical services and specialist personnel for the offshore energy market.
The acquisition strategically complements Venterra’s existing capabilities, particularly within its Geoscience and Survey teams, which already include industry leaders such as Ordtek, Partrac and Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions (GDG). Integrating Oceanscan’s expertise will enhance Venterra’s ability to offer one of the most comprehensive survey and sensing technology portfolios in the offshore wind sector.
“Oceanscan’s extensive fleet of high-quality sensing equipment and in-depth geotechnical experience supports our aim of providing the most technologically advanced and complete set of development services and solutions to the offshore wind industry,” said Ed Daniels, CEO of Venterra Group. “We’re looking forward to welcoming Oceanscan into our team and delivering enhanced value to our clients.”
Global presence
Founded in 1989 by Ken Hunter, Oceanscan operates from its headquarters in Aberdeen, Scotland, with additional offices in Houston and Singapore. Its UK subsidiaries further enhance its diverse service offerings:
- Oceanscan Limited (Aberdeen and Lowestoft) provides hydrographic survey and ROV sensor rentals, non-destructive testing equipment calibration and skilled personnel for Tier 1 offshore wind contractors.
- Hydrographic Personnel Resources (UK) Limited (Inverurie) specializes in providing personnel for offshore renewable energy projects, focusing on construction and inspection campaigns.
- Geoforce Technical Services (Suffolk) delivers cone penetration testing services for assessing soil conditions in offshore wind farm developments.
- Sercal Non-Destructive Test Equipment (Birmingham) offers UKAS-accredited calibration, repair and sales services for the rail and power generation industries.
Ken Hunter, founder and managing director of Oceanscan, highlighted the alignment of values between the companies: “Oceanscan’s history and core values of safety, innovation and continuous improvement align fully with Venterra. I am proud of the journey that we’ve taken, and I look forward to watching the company’s future get even brighter under the leadership of Derek and the Venterra team.”
A platform for growth
The acquisition is supported by Venterra’s fifth equity raise, which includes £30 million in further investment from General Atlantic’s BeyondNetZero and First Reserve. The company has also secured £110 million in bank facilities from HSBC, NatWest, Rabobank and Citibank to facilitate future growth.
Derek Donaldson, CEO of Oceanscan, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration: “Joining Venterra gives us a bigger platform from which to grow faster and across an even wider range of offshore wind markets. Combining our specialist equipment and geotechnical experience with the expertise that exists within Venterra means we will be able to offer an even more robust set of survey and geosciences services with greater international reach.”
With this acquisition, Venterra Group aims to further solidify its position as a leader in delivering innovative and integrated solutions to the offshore wind sector, advancing the global transition to renewable energy.
