The market for semi-submersible heavy lift transportation was originally formed as a niche market mainly for the Oil & Gas service industry, such as long-haul drilling platform movement and now has gradually expanded to other sorts of bulky and heavy cargoes transportation that cannot be fitted into holds of conventional cargo ship nor stowed on weather deck as deck cargo. In terms of international major players, this niche market is characterized by few international operators, such as Dockwise, Offshore Heavylift Transportation and NMA Maritime, etc.