The strategy of these firms is independent of petroleum company 

 field leasing and development strategy. These firms follow petroleum 

 companies into frontier areas. Such support firms monitor all petroleum 

 company activity trends as their viability depends on continued contracts, 

 About half of the businesses cited earlier in this section, such as a 

 downhole equipment company, sense the specific needs of the petroleum 

 industry. 



The remaining firms either serve the petroleum industry as one of 

 many customers or are already located in the frontier area to serve 

 other commercial enterprises. For these firms, the initiation of OCS- 

 related activities means new contracts and an increase in business. 

 These businesses will merely expand to accommodate the special needs of 

 the petroleum industry. 



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