As a result of a $116 million deal, FMC Technologies, Inc. would soon acquire a 45% stake in Schilling Robotics LLC - along with the right to buy the rest of the company between 2012 and 2014.

For the Houston, Texas-based FMC, oil drilling equipment manufacturer, the deal - expected to close December 31 - is a move towards the expansion of its subsea energy exploration business. Like FMC, which makes and supplies subsea production systems, Schilling Robotics is a deep-ocean robotics company.

Schilling Robotics, based in Davis, California, produces control systems, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), ROV manipulator systems, and other equipment as well as services required for exploring and drilling for oil and gas underneath the ocean floor. Bourbon Subsea Services, Acergy UK Ltd., Expro North Sea Ltd., and Oceaneering International form the clientele of Schilling Robotics.

FMC expects the deal to add to earnings per share in 2009 - in the first three quarters of 2008, FMC reported $270 million profit, or $2.07 per share, on revenue of $3.35 billion. Along with the opportunity to render subsea energy production globally, the acquisition would allow FMC to engage in the increasing integration of remote activities, like well intervention, subsea processing, and production optimization.