Although it may appear to be the rich oil companies that are at fault, shouldn't we all be asking the question "Shouldn't the helicopter operators have a proper duty of care to their own crew, let alone the passengers they are carrying?"
Surely any caring opeator would ensure that adequate flight following and SAR facilities are in place to support their operations before commiting to a contract.
Regardless of their wealth, Oil companies are only like any other customer and will look for a good price for their contracted work. However, this should not encourage operators to cut corners in order to win contracts.
On top of this, if pilots continue to be willing to fly under less than "safe" conditions, the more unscrupulous operators and their clients will be happy to continue "benefitting" from the situation.