The evolution in the use of subsea technology has seen advancement from one well in the Gulf of Mexico in 1961 to more than 750 wells in a wide variety of locations by the end of 1993. Along with the growth in numbers, the industry has seen rapid advances in technology, increased distances from the host facility, and water depth records. This paper gives an overview of the evolutionary changes in subsea applications, with emphasis on the most active regions;and on some of the milestone installations that shaped the technology advance.