Protecting Assets in High-Risk Waters: Strickland Services and the Mercury Advantage

Strickland's MV Defender II - one of Strickland's 9 Mercury enabled S.E.Vs

Operating in one of the world’s most volatile maritime corridors, Strickland Services Limited (SSL) represents resilience and precision in offshore marine logistics. A Nigerian-owned enterprise established in 1995, SSL has earned a reputation as a trusted partner in the oil and gas sector, delivering critical support for subsea infrastructure, platform refurbishments, and offshore security. With a strategic presence in Port Harcourt and Lagos, and a client list that includes Shell, ExxonMobil, and Total, SSL deploys a robust fleet of Security Escort Vessels (SEVs) to safeguard offshore assets in the Gulf of Guinea, a region ripe with piracy.

In response to these challenges, SSL is pioneering the adoption of Mercury, an advanced encrypted tracking technology by MariTrace, to strengthen oversight of its SEV operations. Mercury provides real-time GPS tracking and Roaming AIS feed that is not dependent on terrestrial or satellite AIS receivers. This pilot program equips 9 SEVs with Mercury hardware, granting uninterrupted visibility of both SSL’s own fleet and the vessels under their protection.

Mercury’s high-granularity feed, end-to-end encryption, and plug-and-play design (installation takes approximately 15 minutes) offer both speed and discretion. By enabling owners, insurers, and security stakeholders to monitor vessel movement - even when AIS is offline - Mercury delivers situational awareness without compromising security or control.

This commitment to safety is reflected in the words of SSL leadership:

“At Strickland, we take the safety, security, and visibility of our fleet extremely seriously. That’s why we’ve installed Mercury across key vessels - because we believe real-time, reliable tracking is no longer optional, it’s essential. In today’s environment, clients need assurance that the vessels they charter are equipped with the very best technology. Mercury gives us that edge - and frankly, we believe chartering a vessel without it introduces unnecessary risk. This is about leadership, responsibility, and delivering peace of mind to every client we serve.”

This integration elevates SSL’s operational standards while supporting compliance and reducing risk. Beyond tracking, Mercury’s link to the full MariTrace platform brings added intelligence: route risk analysis, real-time geofencing alerts, maritime security incident feeds, and historical data extending back to 2015. These capabilities do more than increase visibility, they improve decision-making, transparency, and emergency readiness.

In an era of heightened maritime risk, the partnership between Strickland Services and MariTrace redefines how vessel owners and offshore operators navigate, protect, and optimize their assets. For SEV fleets guarding oil infrastructure and personnel in West Africa, Mercury delivers tactical certainty in uncertain waters.