Florida’s New Bid To Cut Offshore Delays

Subsea Supplies and DRIFT Offshore target quicker US subsea part access as offshore activity expands

2 Dec 2025

A new partnership between Subsea Supplies and DRIFT Offshore aims to speed access to key subsea components for US offshore projects, as activity increases in the Gulf of Mexico and along the east coast.

The companies will base their collaboration at a South Florida facility where DRIFT Offshore will assemble and test connectors and cable systems that were previously imported. The site, which represents an initial investment of about $250,000, is intended to mirror standards used at established international plants. While quicker delivery remains a goal rather than a certainty, operators say even small reductions in lead times could help manage project schedules.

Extended shipping cycles have long constrained offshore developers, forcing vessel crews to wait for critical items during short installation windows. Executives from both companies said the alliance seeks to align supply timelines more closely with developers’ accelerating pace. Subsea Supplies added that domestic production could gradually ease scheduling pressure, even if improvements are modest.

Industry analysts view the move as part of a wider push to deepen US supply capacity for offshore wind schemes, subsea power links and high-bandwidth data cables. Some argue that limited regional manufacturing may encourage other suppliers to consider US operations, though they caution that large overseas factories will continue to dominate bulk output.

Questions remain over how much a single workshop can affect national supply constraints, and analysts expect any impact to be incremental. Project developers nonetheless welcome efforts that could reduce delays and provide closer technical support, noting that consistent performance will determine the partnership’s value.

The initiative does not signal a major shift in global supply patterns, but it reflects growing interest in building more flexible domestic support for the US subsea sector as project timelines tighten.