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SUBSEA UK NEWS THE NEWSLETTER FROM SUBSEA UK WWW.SUBSEAUK.COM JUNE 2010

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Brighter

IN THIS ISSUESecrets to Global Export Success

A Special Feature on Deepwater Market Dynamics

Spotlight on Subsea Safety

...and more

Visit our website for all the latest hot news on

everything subsea:

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Hot News

The subsea industry is recognised as a challenging sector, and safety is paramount. Subsea UK recognises the importance of collaboration to ensure that we provide the safest possible working environment.

Formed in December 2009, the Subsea UK Safety Leadership Forum is emerging as a platform to engage our industry (and the subsea construction sector in particular) in Safety leadership, a critical success factor for us all.

The Forum was established because of a joint desire from a number of Subsea UK’s member companies (Acergy, Bibby Offshore, DOF Subsea, Subsea 7 and Technip) to discuss the Safety agenda within the subsea construction industry.

The Forum’s mission is ”to focus on safety so as to deliver safer workplaces by promoting a common approach to safety...” The Forum meets periodically to debate, agree, plan and implement courses of action to improve safety in line with its mission objectives.

Work has already begun and is progressing in three areas, initially identifi ed by the Forum, where a common approach will add value and help improve performance:

Sharing Statistics: Currently Subsea UK members maintain safety statistics individually. There is little or no visibility of safety performance for the UK subsea construction sector as a whole. The Forum members are now participating in a trial scheme using a common format for data gathering. The compilation of such data for our sector with a view to sharing and learning from our collective experiences would therefore be a ‘fi rst’ and is a positive and proactive initiative.Common Inductions: Standardisation of inductions could, and ideally should, be a common thread across all Subsea UK member companies. Work is progressing to promote a common approach by developing a ‘best practice’ framework for inductions. Common Language: Work is also ongoing on a matrix to encourage, highlight and promote the use of common safety terminology across the sector.

Separate communications will be issued by the Forum to update on progress and to launch these initiatives with the full Subsea UK membership.

As a result of these initiatives, Subsea UK has also been invited to participate in the Step Change Leadership Team, where the fi ndings from the Forum can be discussed at a broader level.

Ron Cookson, Managing Director of Technip UK, and Chairman of the Subsea UK Safety Leadership Forum, said: “It is my fi rm belief that this discussion on safety can provide a robust platform for identifying key areas of improvement to the greater benefi t of the subsea construction community.”

Updates on the progress of the Forumwill be announced in future issues.

Tel: +44 (0)845 505 3535E-mail: [email protected]

Member List20/20 Business Group, AC-CESS Co Uk, ACE Winches,

Acergy, AFT Ltd, AGR Subsea Ltd, AKE Ltd, Aker Qserv,

Aker Solutions Allomax Associates Limited, Andrew

Palmer & Associates, ANSYS UK Limited, Ashtead

Technology, Atkins Boreas Consultants Ltd, Aubin

Limited, Baule UK Limited, Bel Valves, BG Group, Bibby

Offshore Limited, BJ Process and Pipeline Services, Bond

Pearce LLP, Bonds, BP Exploration Operating Company

Limited, BPP-TECH, Bruck UK Limited, Buchan Technical

Services Limited, C3 Global Limited, Caley Ocean Systems

Limited, Castrol Offshore Ltd, Centrica Energy, Champion

Environmental Technologies, Chevron Upstream Europe,

C-MAR, CodaOctopus Limited, Cognetas LLP, Consub,

Cosalt, Cranfi eld University, CSL, CTC Marine Projects,

Cutting Underwater Technologies Ltd, Deepwater EU

Ltd, DES Operations Limited, DOF Subsea UK, Dominion

Gases, Douglas Westwood, DUCO Ltd, Dunlop Oil & Marine

Ltd, Dynamic Positioning Services (DPS),

E & M ENGENHARIA E MONTAGEM LTDA, E.ON Ruhrgas

North Sea UK Ltd, East of England Energy Group,

EPC Offshore Limited, eProduction Solutions, Escape

Business Technologies, ESS, Expro Group, EXSTO UK Ltd,

Ferguson Modular Ltd, First Subsea Ltd, Fisher Offshore,

Flexlife Limited, Framo Engineering UK Ltd, FTV Proclad

International Limited, Fugro impROV, Fugro Rovtech

Limited, Furmanite International Limited, Galathea, GE

Sensing, General Robotics Limited, Genesis Oil and Gas

Consultants, Global Energy Group, Global Marine Systems

Limited, Granherne Limited, Hallin Marine UK Ltd, Helix

Esg - Well Ops, HTL, Hydrasun Limited, Hydratight, IHC

Engineering Business, ii-corr-Subspection,

Imes Systems, Infi eld Systems Limited, Inspectahire

Inst. Co. Limited, INTECSEA (UK) LTD, Integrated

Subsea Services Limited, International Power plc, IPWL

Limted, iXSea Limited, J + S Ltd, J P Kenny Engineering,

J. Ray McDermott, K.D. Marine Limited, Kongsberg

Maritime Limited, L&N (Scotland) Limited, Lankhorst

Mouldings, Marine Subsea, Marlin Engineering Limited,

Master Flo Valve Co (UK) Limited, MCS, Millbrae Wood

Technical, MODUS, Molecular Products Ltd, NaREC New

and Renewable Energy Centre, National Hyperbaric

Centre, National Oceanography Centre, Nautronix PLC,

NCA - Norse Cutting & Abandonment Ltd, NCS Survey

Limited, Neptune Deeptech, NETmc Marine Ltd, Nexen

Petroleum UK Ltd, Noordhoek Offshore B.V, Noratel

UK Ltd, NSIG (Northern Scotland Industries Group),

NSRI, NSW Technology Ltd, Nylacast Ltd, Oceaneering,

Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen, Offspring International

Limited, Online electronics, Optical Metrology Services

Ltd, Optimus Safety Management Limited, Pan-Ocean

Engineering Limited, PDL Solutions (Europe) Limited,

Perry Slingsby Systems Limited, Petro-Canada UK Ltd,

Photosynergy, Pipe Coil Technology Ltd, Polar Media,

Poseidon International, Presens AS, Project Development

International Ltd, Proserv Offshore, Prospect, Prosper

Distribution Limited, Quest Offshore Resources Inc,

Quest Project Personnel (UK) Ltd, RBG Limited, Reson

Offshore Limited, Robert Gordon University, Rotech

Subsea Limited, Roxar Limited, RRC Controls Services

Limited, Saab Seaeye Limited, SAIPEM, Schilling Robotics

Ltd, Schlumberger Subsea Surveillance, Score Subsea

and Wellhead Limited, Scottish Enterprise, Seal-Tite UK

LLC, SECC, Seebyte Ltd, Shell UK Ltd, Silverstone Energy,

Simmons & Co International Limited, SMD Ltd, Smit

Subsea Europe BV, Society for Underwater Technology,

Solstad Offshore (UK) Limited, Sonardyne International

Limited (Aberdeen), Sonavision Limited, Sonomatic,

Speciality Welds LtD, Splash Offshore Engineering

Limited, SPT Group Ltd, Strategic Resources European

Consultants Ltd, Stronachs LLP, Sub-Atlantic Limited,

Subocean Group Limited, Subsea 7, Subsea Integrity

Group (SIG), Subspection Ltd, Sulzer Pumps (UK) Ltd,

Technip UK, Teijin Aramid BV, Thales Underwater

Systems Limited (associate), The Underwater Centre,

Total E&P UK plc, Tracerco, Transvac Systems Limited,

Trelleborg Offshore, Tritech International Limited, Triton

Group, UKPS/SUBCO, UnderSea Sense Ltd, Underwater

Engineering Services Ltd, Univation, Universal Pegasus,

University of Aberdeen, University of Strathclyde, UTEC

Survey, Valeport Ltd, Vector International, VerdErg

Connectors Limited, Vetco Gray UK Ltd, Visualsoft Limited,

Webtool Subsea, Wellstream International Limited,

Wilton Marine Services Limited, Wireless Fibre Systems,

Worldwide Business Portfolios Ltd, Xodus Group Limited.

Designed and printed by www.designinc.co.uk

2 SUBSEA UK NEWS JUNE 2010

SUBSEA UK NEWS 3 SUBSEA UK NEWS JUNE 2010

GROWTH

2010Forthcoming Events in 201030th June Members’ Parliamentary Reception House of Commons, London

3rd September Subsea UK Annual Golf Day Inchmarlo, Aberdeenshire

13th September Rio Oil & Gas Rio de Janeiro

27-28th October Subsea Europe Paris Paris

30th November DOT Amsterdam- 2nd December Amsterdam

Please visit our website for details of forthcoming events.

Cosalt Offshore Invests Heavily in Developing Lifeboat Division toWin New BusinessCosalt Offshore, a provider of lifting, tooling and marine services to the oil and gas industry, has invested more than £1million in developing its lifeboat division to underpin future expansion plans.

The division is adjacent to Cosalt Offshore’s Bridge of Don premises and includes 3,000sq ft of dedicated workshops, a service centre and store rooms, as well as a one-acre yard.

Along with the signifi cant expenditure on infrastructure, Cosalt Offshore has also expanded the product lines it offers and taken on an additional eight skilled staff to give a team of 56 multi-disciplined service technicians serving all sectors of the offshore and marine industry.

Cosalt’s main focus is the oil & gas industry and, as well as working predominantly in the North Sea and Europe, and have expanded into West Africa and expect to increase the levels of work they do in these regions in future. Cosalt are also looking to target the marine industry generally and see many opportunities there for growth in the coming years.

Colin Cunningham, general manager of Cosalt Offshore’s Lifeboat Division, said: “The core of our work at Cosalt Offshore is providing the best possible customer support and advice to our clients, assisting and advising them on matters such as maintenance, inspection, testing, design & build of lifeboats and on specialist subjects such as latest directives from the HSE, including the signifi cant “Big Person In Lifeboats”. These areas are where we work closely with our clients to achieve the safest and most economical solutions to meet their operational requirements offshore.”

Contracts recently secured by the Lifeboat Division include work with Chevron and Dolphin Drilling. The Chevron agreement involves Cosalt Offshore supplying lifeboat inspection and maintenance services to Chevron North Sea Limited’s North Sea assets under a fi ve-year agreement, while the work for Dolphin Drilling was supplying its fi rst lifeboats designed to meet the new HSE guidelines allowing for offshore workers being larger-sized than in the past.

ACE Winches, a leader in the design, manufacture and hire of hydraulic winches, marine deck machinery and provision associated personnel for the offshore oil and gas, marine and renewable energy markets, has appointed Derek Penny as head of group sales and business development.

With 18 years experience in the upstream and downstream oil and gas, marine and naval defence markets, Mr Penny joins the company from subsea engineering company, SMD, where he was engaged in strategic business development. Derek gained his BSc at Glasgow University and his MBA at Dundee University. Mr Penny has previously worked with Shell, Tyco, ABB and IMES.

Mr Penny’s new role will involve building upon the company’s international growth success, which was recently demonstrated through the Scottish Offshore Achievement Export Award, presented by Scottish Enterprise, recognising business growth from successful development of overseas activity in the oil and gas sector. His fi rst objective is to establish ACE Winches (Norge) AS, as a signifi cant player in the Norwegian Winch Hire and Bollard Pull Testing market.

Mr Penny said: “ACE Winches is a well respected Scottish company. This is an exciting challenge at a time when it is making major fi nancial investments in manufacturing, engineering and sales facilities, hire equipment service and training within Aberdeenshire and internationally.”

Alfi e Cheyne, CEO of ACE Winches, said: “We are delighted to welcome Derek on board during a time of company growth and internationalisation. Derek brings with him an excellent track record in business development and sales management within the marine and offshore oil & gas industries and, more recently, the expanding renewables energy market.”

Ace Winches Appoints New Head of Group Sales and Business Development

Subsea UK Safety Leadership Forum


GROWTH 5 SUBSEA UK NEWS JUNE 2010

GROWTH

Steve Williamson Joins UTEC Surveyas Chief Financial Offi cerUTEC Survey has announced the appointment of Steve Williamson to the position of Chief Financial Offi cer, effective immediately.

Williamson brings with him extensive management experience. He was most recently Vice-President of Finance with Helix Energy Solutions and prior to that Vice-President of Corporate Administration with Canyon Offshore. He previously spent 11 years in various engineering and management positions with Hewlett-Packard (Compaq Computers).

In addition to his work experience, Williamson has a distinguished academic record. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science Civil Technology/Construction

Management degree from the University of Houston, he earned an MBA from the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice University, graduating with the distinctions of Jones Scholar and Jones Citizen.

UTEC Survey is one of the world’s largest independent offshore survey companies providing a wide range of offshore survey and geotechnical services, including construction support, industrial measurement, positioning, and geophysical survey services worldwide. With offi ces in Houston, Aberdeen, Singapore and Perth, UTEC provides professional customer-focused services and innovative solutions in both shallow and deep water environments.

Exploring Deepwater Market Dynamics

Despite last year’s global economic turmoil and oil price fl uctuations, the deepwater sector is forecast to quickly recover and resume its previous growth. Indeed, annual deepwater expenditure is predicted to reach around $35 billion in 2014, with a total global Capex of $167 billion estimated for the 2010-2014 period. Between 2010 and 2014, deepwater expenditure is projected to expand at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 8%.

Three main elements dominate deepwater spend over the next fi ve years: the drilling and completion of subsea development wells, pipelines and production platforms. To put this in perspective, a total of $63.6 billion will be spent on the drilling and completion of subsea wells alone. Pipelines and control lines will also continue to play a vital role in providing the necessary infrastructure for deepwater developments. The opening up of reserves further from the coast and the incorporation of satellite fi elds into deepwater hubs will drive expenditure on pipeline & control

lines to over $62 billion, while investment in subsea wells and pipelines & control lines account for approximately 75% of all Capex. Platforms are expected to account for around 15% of total deepwater expenditure over the 2010-2014 period (a total spend of $25.4 billion), compared to 17% over the previous fi ve-year period ($21 billion).

Africa is by far the world’s most signifi cant deepwater region. Deepwater activity really began in earnest off West Africa in 2001, with the commencement of production from Total’s landmark Girassol project on Block 17 off Angola. Over the 2005-2009 period a total of $45.1 billion was spent on deepwater developments in the region – approximately two-fi fths of this was accounted for by the drilling and completion of some 535 subsea wells. A large number of world-class development projects are underway or planned for the forecast period and we anticipate that these will push annual regional deepwater Capex above $12 billion. Expenditure over the period is set to total close to

$64 billion – over 40% more than the amount spent in the preceding fi ve-year period.

Production in Asian waters has until recently been restricted to shallow water fi elds, but there are now a number of deepwater projects underway or producing. Future deepwater prospects may include relatively unexplored places such India’s Cauvery Basin, and Sri Lanka’s Mannar Basin; Cairn India started a 3D seismic, gravity and magnetic pre-drilling survey in the latter area December 2009.

Closer to home, deepwater activity off Western Europe over the 2005-2009 period was dominated by Statoil’s Ormen Lange subsea development, in particular the large deepwater pipeline development scheme associated with the project. In fact, pipelines accounted for almost 80% of the region’s historic spend. Over the 2010-2014 period, a number of projects are expected to go ahead – including Eni’s Aquila fi eld development, which is due onstream in 2011 and includes two subsea wells tied back to an FPSO. In the UK, there are several deepwater projects under development including Total’s Laggan/Tomore and Chevron’s Lochnagar/Rosebank, the former of which will include subsea wells tied back to an onshore processing plant while the latter will be developed using an FPSO.

Data taken from Douglas-Westwood’s, “World Deepwater Market Report 2010-2014.” Douglas-Westwood is a leading provider of business research & analysis, strategy and commercial due diligence on the global energy services sectors.

Kongsberg Maritime is pleased to announce substantial orders from Fugro for an extensive suite of cameras and scanning sonars as part of its Global 2010 ROV sensor refurbishment and newbuild programme.

The orders include more than 140 high performance Kongsberg Maritime underwater navigation and inspection video cameras, numerous lamps and over 35 Kongsberg Mesotech obstacle avoidance scanning sonars. Further orders are also expected for the newbuild programme.

As well as the latest versions of the industry’s most widely used low-light navigation and high resolution colour zoom cameras, Kongsberg Maritime will be supplying over 20 of its new low-light OE13-124/5 BIT navigation cameras and 6 ultra high resolution imaging sonars.

The new cameras and sonars will be fi tted to Fugro’s existing Global fl eet of Work Class, Intermediate Class and Observation Class ROV, whilst the equipment for the newbuild fl eet will be installed on the Fugro FCV 3000 and new FCV 2000 Work Class ROV Systems, which are built in-house in Singapore. The sensors will provide accurate navigation and inspection imaging support for a broad range of applications, including: Construction Support, Inspection, Repair and Maintenance, Pipeline and Seabed Survey and Drill Rig Support.

The orders follow on from a long relationship between the two organisations and the continued reliable performance of Kongsberg Maritime’s underwater imaging equipment throughout Fugro’s demanding global ROV operations.

“The greatest importance is placed on the accuracy and reliability of the payload of sensors we choose for our World Class ROV Systems, and after many years of putting Kongsberg Maritime’s equipment through its paces, we are impressed with the comprehensive range of high quality, dependable and well supported equipment offered,” says Jim Mann, Fugro’s Global ROV Manager.

Kongsberg Maritime Secures Cameraand Sonar Orders for Fugro’s ROV FleetThom Payne, Senior Analyst at Energy Business Analysts, Douglas-Westwood.



GROWTH

Sonomatic Forges New Pathwith First Diver-free Subsea Inspection ToolUltrasonic inspection specialist Sonomatic has introduced a new subsea inspection tool that can be deployed entirely by ROV, bringing signifi cant benefi ts to operators including reduced inspection costs and access to deeper waters.

The new ROV-deployed tool can operate both vertically and horizontally and has been designed for inspecting pipelines, risers, caissons and structural assets using a wide range of techniques. Key among these are corrosion mapping and time of fl ight diffraction (ToFD).

Sonomatic — which has UK bases in Aberdeen and Warrington — is a global leader in ultrasonic non-destructive testing and bespoke scanner designs for complex inspections.

The company has invested £600,000 in developing the new ROV inspection tool and

is already assisting in BP’s operation in the Gulf of

Mexico.Subsea Project

Manager for Sonomatic Ryan Phipps said: “This tool marks a new generation in subsea inspection

technology as it means accurate

scanning can now be carried out entirely diver-

free and to depths currently out of inspection range.

“The tool is deployed by the ROV, giving the pilot maximum control when manoeuvring and setting up. A ten-metre umbilical connects the tool to the ROV via a Sonomatic subsea pod which has all electrical and motion services, and all data is transferred back to the surface. No additional cabling is needed.

“Once the tool is on location, it is held in position by hydraulic clamps activated by the ROV pilot after which it is ready to begin scanning.

“Because it is quick to set up and simple to operate, our system can be adapted for use with both working class and inspection class ROVs.”

Mr Phipps said full functional and ultrasonic trials were recently completed at Oceanlab and witnessed by BP, MCS, and Subsea 7. “The trials were a great success. Throughout, all electrical and mechanical interfacing components were monitored for performance, and passed with fl ying colours.”

The Inspection tool ranges in size depending on the asset and application. The current 10-inch tool is only 700mm x 800mm and weighs approximately 35kgs.

There is full integration with Sonomatic’s Microplus Digital Ultrasonic software and ovality measurement package as well as the multi-channel corrosion mapping and ToFD suites. Multiple data presentations are available, in A, B, C and D-Scan formats.

The tool can be used with both wide-angle video cameras on a multiplexer and with LED lighting systems. The ROV UT tool is pressured-rated to 2,000 metres, and communications are via RJ45 ethernet or by RS232.

Acquisition of Prosper Distribution Limited by Beck Industries Prosper Distribution Limited has recently joined Beck Industries, one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of special bolts for the power generation and oil industries.

The Prosper name has been well known as one of the few top British manufacturers and distributors of special bolts for subsea, petrochemical and power generation industries. Thanks to its earlier merger with Midsteel and subsequent rationalisation and sales success, the company is expanding strongly especially in the subsea industry.

Prosper employs over 120 people in Kingswinford, in the heart of the Midlands and in Aberdeen, the Scottish base for the North Sea subsea activities with total sales exceeding £13M, including worldwide exports.

Beck Industries is a 4th generation family-owned group, focussed on the manufacturing of special bolting, operating 8 sites in France, Germany, Belgium, China and now, the United Kingdom. The group is implementing a strategy of federation of fi rst class bolting companies throughout the world, in order to serve its customers most competitively.

The new group turnover will exceed €65M and this acquisition will further strengthen the current impetus at all sites.

Prosper perfectly complements Beck Industries, both for sales areas and product portfolio. Beck Industries bring to Prosper a large and diversifi ed manufacturing and stock capability and synergies will range from technical to purchasing and sales.

Prosper and Beck both share the same absolute resolve regarding quality and safety. Clients operate facilities and equipment where human lives and the environment are at risk. In such an acquisition it was a pre-requisite that the quality culture matched. Clients will benefi t from the advantages of bringing together two companies with a similar approach to business and a similar attitude to integrity. The ability to serve international contracts is also further enhanced. Prosper and Beck have solid grounds to be excited and ambitious for the new venture and for the international development of Beck Industries.

Mr Martin Boulter will remain the Managing Director of Prosper and there is still the same dedicated workforce that served customers previously. However, Prosper now have access to a much larger stock facility to meet customers’ demands including any urgent shortfalls.

The Prosper workforce are extremely proud to be part of the Beck Industries group and have already been to visit the Beck head offi ce site in Armentières, France.

For many years Prosper have been one of the UK’s largest manufacturer and distributor of high integrity bolting and now, due to the acquisition by Beck Industries, can truly declare themselves as players on the world stage.

Over the last three years, Penspen has grown exports by over 90%. Penspen has two principal business services in the oil and gas industry. Its traditional business providing engineering and project management services for the development of new pipelines, pump or compressor stations, tank farms and similar facilities and its more recent expansion into operating and maintaining oil and gas assets such as offshore platforms, onshore fi elds, pipelines, tank farms and gas storage.

In the Americas, Penspen’s USA subsidiary operates many of the recently developed shale gas fi elds, many of the offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico and is a consortium member along with Penspen’s UK Integrity business on a $1.3bn contract for Pemex in Mexico. Meanwhile, in the Middle East, Penspen has also been engineering and designing the huge $3bn plus Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline in partnership with China Petroleum Engineering

and Construction Corporation and providing project management services to Khafji Joint Operations for the multi-billion dollar development of the Khafji Field facilities. And in the Asia Pacifi c region, Penspen is engineering or managing projects in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and Australia.

In Europe, Penspen is providing the lead engineering role for the development of the $7bn Nabucco pipeline planned to bring natural gas from the Caspian Region and maybe Iraq to Western Europe. Penspen continues to secure engineering and project management contracts for the development of the natural gas pipeline system in Greece. In North Africa, GreyStar operates the offshore platforms for the Sabratha fi eld in Libya.

David Stanley, Penspen Group’s CEO, said “The Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2010 to The Penspen Group is the most prestigious recognition of our staff and their work. Our ability to grow in the

way we have and continue to achieve is based on the outstanding performance and quality of work from our personnel. The most signifi cant factor in our success is our reputation and this relies completely on how well our staff performs for our clients. I am enormously proud of what everyone at Penspen has achieved.”

The Penspen Group has placed strategic importance on the training and education of engineers both in-house and in the wider oil and gas industry and the participation in developing engineering codes and standards particularly relating to pipelines. Lead by Technical Director, Professor Phil Hopkins, Penspen has contributed signifi cantly to and continues to actively support Newcastle University’s MSc in Pipeline Engineering. Several Penspen employees have successfully completed the course and it continues to provide highly successful graduates into the wider international energy industry.

Queen’s Award for Enterprise International Trade 2010 Follows 400% Growth for Penspen

Specialist corporate fi nance advisors, Simmons & Company International rounded up last month with a total of four transactions, one of which was a multi million pound Subsea deal. Simmons initiated and acted as exclusive fi nancial advisor in the sale of Nautronix (Holdings) Ltd to private equity investors SCF Partners. Established 25 years ago, Aberdeen based Nautronix is well known in the subsea positioning and communications market and is a leader in the design and supply of advanced underwater acoustic systems. Nautronix employs around 80 staff in their Aberdeen and Houston offi ces.

Nautronix has a clear focus on growing revenue and gaining track record within the global deepwater subsea oil and gas market. The company is strongly committed to research and development and has invested substantially in its key technology base, ADS2, and its game changing products such as NASNet®, NASCoM, NASDrill and Helle Systems. Its global customer base spans national and international oil companies, subsea engineering and construction companies, and vessel and rig operators. Mark Patterson will continue as CEO of the new company, Nautronix Group Limited, and all management and staff have remained with the business.

Ingrid Stewart, Director, Simmons & Company International commented, “The completion of four transactions in April alone is testament to the hard effort of our corporate fi nance team over the past few months. It is promising to see another deal close within the Subsea sector, an area within the market in which we are seeing a signifi cant increase in activity.

“We are proud to work with very high quality clients to help them achieve their strategic objectives. Many of the transactions Simmons are now involved in have an international or cross-border element which builds on our extensive corporate fi nance experience and international network.

“It has been a pleasure to work with CEO Mark Patterson and his talented team at Nautronix and we wish them all the very best in business going forth.”

As one of the largest fi nancial advisory practices serving the energy industry, Simmons enjoys a leading market position in its specialised merger & acquisition and public offering practices. The fi rm’s corporate fi nance group also specialises in company sales, fi nance raising transactions, private placements and strategic advice.

Simmons Closes Multi Million Pound Subsea Deal

Mark Patterson, CEO



GROWTH & TECHNOLOGY

Bibby Offshore Limited, the Aberdeen-based provider of subsea construction and offshore management services, has announced that it has acquired the dive support vessel (DSV), Bibby Sapphire, from the vessel’s present owner, Volstad Subsea AS.

A £34million loan facility has been provided by Standard Chartered Bank to fully fund the acquisition. Standard Chartered Bank will act as sole lender in the transaction.

Bibby Sapphire has been on time charter from Volstad to Bibby Offshore for the last fi ve years. When the vessel fi rst arrived under control of Bibby Offshore it was operated as a construction support vessel (CSV). In 2007, following signifi cant investment, the company converted her to a DP II, North Sea class DSV. Her acquisition brings a high specifi cation vessel with a proven track record under the full ownership and long-term control of Bibby Offshore.

Commenting, Bibby Offshore’s chief executive, Howard Woodcock said: “The formal purchase of Bibby Sapphire marks a 20 plus year commitment by our shareholders to this business. It secures our asset base for the long-term, allowing us to progress our growth strategy of expanding our services and capabilities in the North Sea, Trinidad, South East Asia and beyond.

“Ownership of the vessel will transfer next week. As the majority of the existing marine crew are already Bibby Ship Management employees, continuity of personnel will be maintained. We now look forward to repainting the vessel’s funnel livery in the traditional Bibby colours and welcoming her and her crew into the owned Bibby fl eet.”

This acquisition follows the recent announcement from Bibby Offshore to its client base that it is now fully certifi ed by the International Marine Contractors Association to undertake its own diving operations. The company, which has traditionally outsourced this area of its business, has now begun the process of recruiting its own diving personnel. It expects to fi ll 80 positions between now and October, with up to 160 more forecast by the end of the year.

“The arrival of Sapphire into our fl eet of owned vessels and the recent creation of our own in-house diving capability are two very important step changes in our evolution”, explained Mr Woodcock. “Both outline our passion in ensuring that as a company we continue to deliver the best possible service to our clients.”

Established in 2003, Bibby Offshore has engineering and offi ce facilities in Aberdeen, Trinidad and Singapore.

Bibby Offshore Acquires World Class Dive Support Vessel

The Sign of a ChampionAberdeen based company, Champion Environmental Technologies, the marker leader in subsea signage are delighted to announce they are now widening their product portfolio to cover all forms of oilfi eld signage from surface to seabed.

The continued company growth has created a need for a new sales position, with Craig Ogston joining the team. Craig brings a wealth of experience to the business from his previous roles, particularly his time as Scottish Regional Sales Manager at Scafftag.

The sales department is headed up by Business Development Manager; Emma Learmonth who says: “Our investment in state-of-the-art technology has resulted in several exciting contract awards. Our commitment to only utilising fi t-for-purpose materials as well as our ability to customise designs cost effectively provides an edge over the competition.”

Champion Environmental Technologies have specialised in the supply of environmentally friendly anti-fouling solutions to the Oil and Gas Industry for over three decades. Their subsea products, Aquasign® and Solis™ are designed to improve the effi ciency and safety of subsea operations by providing highly visible markings guaranteed for a minimum of 30 years. Now the company has announced a new division, surface signage to support the demands of their global client base.

Broadening Horizons– SMD Spread Their Wings There is frenetic activity across the globe within SMD. In Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacifi c there are expansion plans afoot. Here we take a look inside to survey the developments...

SMD’s UK headquarters in Newcastle-upon-Tyne is bulging at the seams with new faces. In the pristine new offi ce facility on the banks of the Tyne there is not an inch of idle space between the banks of engineers beavering away on a myriad of projects.

One corner of the open plan offi ce plays host to a design team creating the world’s fi rst subsea mineral mining machines for Nautilus Minerals. Beside them another team is immersed in a 1MW tidal power project for Atlantis Resources Corporation. Extraordinary projects within SMD are quite the norm.

Adjacent to the offi ce, the proud history of SMD’s Turbinia Works lives on and indeed is shortly to be complimented by additional workshop space to cope with anticipated demand.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the UK, a nucleus of experienced engineers form SMD’s new Robotics division. Based in the picturesque town of Malton, this small team focus SMD’s considerable experience into new areas of business such as tooling and nuclear decommissioning projects.

In a climate far removed from the English spring, the Singapore offi ce continues to be a focus for expansion. The modern high rise offi ce facility in the heart of Singapore’s Sun Tec business hub is set to be complemented by a workshop facility providing technical support and spares provision to an expanding local customer base.

Travelling back west to the Americas, SMD are opening a new subsidiary in Houston to support customer operations in the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil. Focussing primarily on after sales service and technical support, this will be SMD’s fi rst tangible presence in the region.

Away from the offi ce and production facilities, SMD

equipment and offshore staff have been globetrotting the world in ground breaking new projects.

The mighty Rock Trencher, RT-1, designed and built by SMD and now owned and operated by CTC Marine has recently completed a contract for Chevron off Australia’s North West Shelf. The SMD development team have received very positive feedback, particularly in regard to the equipment’s ability to perform beyond its design criteria of 60 MPa material hardness.

Australian waters have also played host recently to Jan de Nul’s new acquisition from SMD. Rock dump operations on Woodside’s Pluto project have been aided by a Rock Dump ROV designed and built specifi cally for this task. A support vessel dumps rocks under free-fall through a fall pipe to the sea bed. The innovative Rock Dump ROV envelops the bottom of the fall pipe and uses its powerful thruster confi guration to manoeuvre the end of the fall pipe to the desired location.

All this expansion and activity seems to come easily to SMD. Staff numbers now exceed 200, over 60% of whom are graduate engineer qualifi ed; 2009 revenue of £50m is forecast to hit £75m in 2010; and Chief Executive, Andrew Hodgson describes his role as “the best job I have ever had”.

With SMD hoping to announce signifi cant additional contract awards in the next few weeks it seems the only way is up for this dynamic subsea expert.

Expanding its advanced technology portfolio for the deepwater drilling and production sector, GE Oil & Gas has offi cially launched the new VetcoGray DHXT deepwater horizontal tree and integral control system at the 2010 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) which took place in May in Houston, Texas, U.S.

The DHXT is designed to operate in water depths up to 10,000 feet and at pressures up to 15,000 psi. The streamlined design reduces standard industry horizontal tree footprint by 12% (to 4.5M x 4.4M) and weight by 10% (to 43.7 tonnes), delivering signifi cant installation, maintenance and cost benefi ts for operators.

The D-Series package includes the integral VetcoGray ModPod, a subsea control module that is powered by SemStar5™, representing a new generation of ultra-reliable, open architecture subsea control and instrumentation systems.

Manuel Terranova, Global Region Leader – Drilling & Production, GE Oil & Gas said: “Building on the successful launch in September of our new S-Series with the SVXT tree for harsh shallow-waters, we are delighted to introduce the new DHXT subsea tree for deep-waters

globally. The DHXT is a highly fl exible deepwater solution that offers operating companies superb engineering-design, functionality, installation and maintenance, and cost benefi ts.”

As with the new VetcoGray SVXT S-series subsea tree (for shallow-waters) that GE launched at Offshore Europe 2009, the new VetcoGray DHXT is a fl exible solution, and design-engineered as the result of continuous consultation and input from both major and independent oil companies. This approach delivers improved functionality and fl exibility by incorporating common project requirements to meet a wide range of customer standards.

GE Oil & Gas Launches New VetcoGrayD-Series Deepwater Subsea System


TECHNOLOGY 11 SUBSEA UK NEWS JUNE 2010

TECHNOLOGY

J+S has recently completed two very different projects associated with the delivery of high power, high voltage subsea connectivity: one for Expro in a deepwater oil and gas application, and one for EMEC in a shallow water renewables application.

J+S have designed, manufactured, tested, and delivered several sets of high voltage, high current, pressure compensated enclosures, electrical harnesses and penetrators to Expro for their novel AX-S subsea wireline intervention system. The project was already well established when J+S became involved, and the challenge was to deliver to a demanding specifi cation and schedule.

The enclosures and harnesses are oil-fi lled and pressure compensated to simplify the design and minimise the weight for operations at depths of up to 3000 metres. Where possible, penetrators were used instead of connectors to reduce the complexity and improve reliability. J+S’ polyethylene injection moulding process was used to produce high integrity penetrators and cable splices

All the J+S-supplied parts were integrated onto the AX-S tool assembly, and successfully completed integration testing. Expro now has a reliable, modular power and signal distribution package that meets their requirement for rapid and reliable mobilisation and assembly of the tool to deep water oilfi elds around the world.

The other project saw the design, manufacture, testing and qualifi cation of a re-usable shallow water connection system for use at the EMEC test facility on Orkney. It was designed to operate both as a termination when no generation devices are connected, and as a reusable connection to connect a variety of devices that will be deployed and tested at EMEC.

J+S Making the Right Connections

PSL has developed a new and unique energy effi cient LED fi bre illumination technology, ‘Lightpath’ that forms a continuous line of light up to 100 meters in length that carries no electrical power.

As the fi bre rope carries only light (no electrical power) this makes it ideal for underwater illumination/identifi cation applications such as diver umbilical, tether ropes and hazardous conditions associated with operating in challenging environments. In addition the rope can be injected from both ends to form a loop, extend operational length, increasing brightness or as an additional safety feature providing built-in redundancy.

Initial trials of the surface based system were conducted at the The Underwater Centre in Fort William.

The high performance LED is injected into the 5mm diameter fl exible fi bre light rope utilising a patented coupling system. This

creates a continuous line of light along the full length of the fi bre. The light output colour is green, closest to the peak eye response for optimal visibility in low light and in water. Blue light is an option.

Following the initial trial and as a result of ongoing discussions it was recognised that a compact diver mounted submersible evaluation system would be a valuable addition and a compact canister design was previewed at Subsea 2010 in Aberdeen.

The canister houses an LED, drive electronics and battery pack. The unit is powered from the divers umbilical supply with a one-hour emergency backup battery. The diver has the option of controlling directly, including fl ashing. This version could be adapted to fi t an ROV, increase illuminated length or identify underwater objects. The specifi cation is being fi nalised.

PhotoSynergy’s LED Fibre Sub-sea Luminous Cable

Diving SIDC ArriveKD Marine’s two Subsea Intervention Daughter Craft (SIDC) have mobilised in mid April for FPSO diving IRM work, west of Shetland at Teekay Petrojarl’s “Foinaven” and at the “Captain FPSO” for Acergy who contracted KD Marine through its DSVi contract. The craft are mobilised on the mother ships “Toisa Valiant” and “Far Sovereign”.

The two craft are purpose built “state of the art” vessels which were commissioned by KD, designed by the marine architect Ian Darley and built at the SeaWind Barclay Curle yard at Appledore in Devon. The craft are designed and built to Lloyds codes and are MCA category 3 work boat certifi ed.

The design brief was arrived at as a result of experience of using Fast Rescue Craft or “FRCs” in the role. Although these boats were perfectly capable in their intended roles, they were not ideal for diving since they did not have space in their design for such things as built in breathing gas supplies, accommodation space

for dive control, seating areas for the dive crew etc. They were also relatively unstable while moored up for diving due to their deep “V” hulls which are more suited to high speed cruising.

Both craft have a dedicated McGregor/Hydramarine davit which, are man riding and equipped with constant tension and a snubbing device; a considerably safer proposition than crane deployment.

The craft that have emerged from the yard have proved to be extremely stable due to the design of the hull

and have never failed to produce the “wow” factor in all those who have been aboard. The fi rst craft “DC 01 had its fi rst outing at Haewene Brim FPSO for Bluewater at the end of last year’s season and performed well.

This year is off to a good start with both craft out at work and enquiries continue to come in for work in domestic and foreign markets.

If you would like more information, please contact Philip Milne on 01224 705075 or [email protected]


TECHNOLOGY 13 SUBSEA UK NEWS JUNE 2010

ACHIEVEMENT

UK-based company Optical Metrology Services (OMS) Ltd is seeing a continued increase in demand for its pipe measurement and inspection services, primarily from overseas customers. In the last four years, OMS has grown its annual sales revenues by a whopping 544 per cent, througha combination of factors.

The Secrets to Global Export SuccessAn insight from Subsea UK Exports Award Winner 2010

In recognition of OMS’ outstanding achievements in export sales to global oil and gas companies, Subsea UK recently acknowledged these efforts by presenting OMS the Subsea Global Exports Award 2010. OMS was one of three companies shortlisted for the Award, the other two fi nalists being First Subsea and Dominion Gas. The award was sponsored and judged by UK Trade & Investment.

Headquartered in Bishop’s Stortford, London, OMS specialises in providing measurement services and precision measurement systems to the oil and gas industry worldwide. A key focus for the company is in the dimensional measurement of oil and gas pipes or other similar structures such as aero engines, process industry tubes or manufactured cylindrical objects, where dimensions are critical. Around 80 per cent of annual turnover currently comes from overseas projects.

Denise Smiles, Commercial Director at OMS, says: “The unique combination of measurement and inspection services, hardware and software that OMS is able to offer its clients is just one contributing factor to OMS’ success over the last four years. We fully understand and have an in-depth knowledge of pipe measurement issues and so we are able to look at projects from the customer’s perspective. This means we are able to provide measurement tools, software and inspection services that cut costs and make life easier for the oil companies and their contractors.”

OMS has been and will be involved in some of the world’s highest profi le oil and gas projects. In 2009, OMS was awarded a contract to undertake dimensional measurement of pipes for the Gumusut-Kakap oil fi eld installation, the fi rst Shell deepwater project in Malaysia.

This three-week project required OMS to carry out critical analysis and sampling of 3,500 pipe ends and seven different sizes of pipe. The pipe ends were used for both steel catenary risers (SCRs) and fl ow lines. OMS provided assistance in the planning and execution of the creation of the J-Lay double joints, which enabled the most round pipes to be allocated to the more critical areas of the pipeline. OMS also advised on the most suitable dimensions of the J-lay collars for welding the pipe ends, ensuring the easiest and best fi t up of pipes offshore, where it was essential to minimise the time and costs of the pipe-lay vessel.

More recently, OMS completed a six-week pipe inspection study for BP Exploration (Angola) Ltd, on its Block 31 PSVM deepwater Development in Angola. This £650,000 contract required OMS to carry out an initial sample survey of pipe ends, followed by the detailed laser dimensional inspection, the sorting and marking of more than 12,000 pipe ends, including critical, fatigue-sensitive, fl ow line sections. As well as helping the customer (Technip) to better implement the pipe end fi t-up process and fatigue HiLo strengths, the study also ensured that pipe welding time

and AUT and counter-bore crew costs were minimised.

Although most contracts are with main contractors on oil and gas projects, OMS also works directly with the major oil and gas companies. In late 2009, for example, OMS successfully completed a fi ve-week pipe end dimensional inspection project for BP Exploration & Production Inc., on the Galapagos Development Project in the Gulf of Mexico. The project was secured by OMS’ US offi ce and all inspection work was carried out on site by an all-American crew.

In deepwater pipeline developments, pipe shape features that are unaddressed cause delays associated with weld fi t up and ultrasonic inspection, which in turn can have severe schedule and fi nancial cost consequences for the operator.

The contract with BP required OMS to carry out an initial survey sample of pipe ends to establish average wall thickness, AUT calibration block groupings, HiLo misalignment and parameters for selecting SCR pipes. This was followed by the detailed laser dimensional inspection, sorting and marking of all pipes – more than 5,900 pipe ends in total – including critical, fatigue-sensitive 8” and 12” fl ow line sections and 8” SCRs. As well as helping BP to better understand any potential issues that might arise on the project, it also enabled BP’s installation contractor to implement the best pipe end fi t-up process and fatigue HiLo solution. This measurement service also ensured that pipe welding time and counter-bore costs and material removal were minimised.

OMS is currently working on a variety of other overseas contracts for oil and gas customers, including Block 18 for BP Exploration (Angola). OMS is also providing custom designed software to the main contractor, Subsea 7, which, at the touch of a button, enables pipes to be automatically sequenced for the fi ring line.

Above: OMS engineer inspecting a pipe end as part of an onshore project for Petrobras in Brazil

Top right: Two OMS engineers inspecting the dimensional accuracy of pipe ends as part of a 5-week projectfor BP Exploration & Production Inc., on the Galapagos Development Project in the Gulf of Mexico

Subsea 7, one of the world’s leading subsea engineering and construction companies, is pleased to announce that as part of its ongoing investment in assets and technology, and following a two year trial in conjunction with SeeByte, the two companies will collaborate further to bring the fi rst commercially available Autonomous Inspection Vehicle (AIV) to market. Designed by Subsea 7, the vehicle incorporates key SeeByte technologies and will be in-service during 2011.

Subsea 7’s OTC booth had a scale model of the AIV, where visitors could gain a better understanding of the technology and speak with the programme managers.

Neil Milne, Subsea 7’s Vice President of Life-of-Field/i-Tech, commented: “The AIV represents a signifi cant technological advance in the area of subsea remote inspection and intervention. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have been in service for some years, capable of tracking and surveying pipelines. With the arrival of the AIV, subsea structures such as manifolds, wellheads and risers will be able to be inspected by this tetherless technology, signifi cantly increasing fl exibility and effi ciencies throughout the life-of-fi eld cycle.”

Professor David Lane of SeeByte, added: “The advanced autonomy systems that underpin the AIV’s capabilities are the outgrowth of many years of research, development and technology de-risking by SeeByte for security, renewable energy, offshore and transport applications. The AIV is yet another example of a SeeByte enabled remote machine that is improving productivity and reducing risk for its operator. We are delighted to be working with Subsea 7 to realise this game changing capability in the offshore oil and gas arena.”

Subsea 7 Announces First Autonomous Inspection Vehicle (AIV) to be Commercially Available in 2011

Tritech International have launched the latest addition to the SeaKing family of imaging scanning sonar products – the Hammerhead sonar. The unit can create higher resolution imagery than comparative mechanical scanning imaging sonars, by utilising a large transducer aperture, very fi ne mechanical step size and proven Digital Sonar Technology.

The SeaKing Hammerhead sonar has two frequencies of operation: A high chirped 935 kHz frequency to enable high resolution imagery, and a second chirped frequency, 675 kHz to allow for long range capability. The wide transducer allows for a very narrow horizontal beam to be created on both frequencies, to increase image resolution.

The Hammerhead has a built in attitude sensor, which makes the unit ideal for tripod deployment, giving the user a clear indication as to the position of the unit relative to the seabed. In addition to the attitude sensor, the unit also has an integrated three axis compass, to allow the sonar image bearing to be continually displayed and updated.

The Hammerhead unit can easily be networked with existing SeaKing equipment. Or if using on its own, the unit will automatically establish communications with little input required from the user.

Tritech’s Product Line Manager for Imaging Sonars, Ben Grant, said:

“The Hammerhead sonar is at the forefront of scanning sonar technology, and is an ideal addition to the well established SeaKing range. The high operational frequency, combined with a wide transducer aperture, makes this the sonar of choice for any application requiring the highest possible resolution of imagery.”

Tritech Launches SeaKing Hammerhead DST Sonar

Pier structure captured by SeaKing Hammerhead at The Underwater Centre Fort William, 30m

NETmc Marine is happy to reveal the latest addition to its family of digital video recorders, the Triops. The Triops is specifi cally designed for the pipeline inspection market; it is a 3U, triple channel video acquisition system, with 2TB of SATA drive storage that allows for the synchronous recording and storing of pipeline video from an ROV.

Live view video can be displayed on the QC screen and passed through for display on the ROV monitor if required. Video overlay is also available by use of NETmc Marine’s triple channel VideoTXT-3, which has up to three serial ports for data input.

To supplement this product, NETmc Marine has partnered with EIVA A/S of Denmark, developers of marine navigation software, to interface the Triops with EIVA’s suite of software including their newly developed NaviEvent package. NaviEvent allows for both online and offl ine eventing of pipeline inspections, with video being associated by time, thus enabling

a “jump to video” facility, with the NETmc Marine Triops system.

EIVA has also developed a 3D model client deliverable, NaviModel 3D, this allows the client to look at the data in as fi ne details as is required or to zoom out for a more overall view of the survey area, and of course Triops video can be included in this deliverable.

The Triops/EIVA combination has already caused a stir at the recent Subsea 2010 exhibition in Aberdeen, where the quality of video, ease of use and integration to a single software package were key points of interest.

Pipeline Video Acquisition Options with NETmc Marine


ACHIEVEMENT

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8 Temasek Boulevard, Singapore 038988

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WFS Energy & Environment, a division of WFS Technologies, is proud to announce successful delivery of its Seatooth® wireless broadband radio modem and wireless power transfer technology to Beerenberg Corp AS. WFS Technologies is the world’s leading developer of wireless radio frequency (RF) technology for communication, navigation and power transfer and the delivery for Beerenberg Corp will deploy this technology to support disconnection and decommissioning of subsea conductors.

Beerenberg has delivered this unique and complex tool for Caldive for use in Gulf of Mexico decommissioning projects, enabled by the integration of WFS wireless technology. The cutting tool comprises two “rings” around the conductor: one ring is fi xed on the conductor, and the other ring containing the cutting tool sits above it. The top section rotates

and severs the conductor ready for removal from the well. The upper and lower parts of the tool exchange data wirelessly throughout the operation using the WFS Seatooth® broadband radio link, to ensure the task is completed accurately, whilst at the same time the static part of the tool transfers power to the rotating part using WFS Wireless Power Transfer technology.

A conventional tool for disconnecting subsea pipes and conductor would require an umbilical to deliver power and data from a vessel on the surface. Snagging and tangling of wires is often seen with subsea cabling, but with cables attached to a rotating unit those issues would increase. By allowing the two units to communicate and recharge wirelessly using WFS technology, downtime of equipment is minimised and overall operational performance is improved.

Ian Crowther, General Manager

for WFS Energy and Environment comments:“WFS is pleased to have been able to provide specialist systems and support for this complex and mission-critical operation. As the world’s only provider of subsea wireless connectors incorporating data and power transfer, I am confi dent that the success of this project will lead to many more similar applications in the oil and gas sector.”

WFS Delivers Wireless Capability to Beerenberg‘s Subsea Conductor Cutting Tool

EPC Offshore, the Aberdeen-based oil and gas project delivery company established in 2009, has exceeded its own fi rst-year business targets before its fi rst year is half completed. Set up to assist existing and new operators to the North Sea – as well as major contractors, in all aspects of project evaluation and management up to successful sanction, EPC Offshore has grown from its start-up core team of three senior professionals to more than 20 staff in less than a year.

Chief Executive Keith Wallace adds ‘EPC Offshore is focused on working with North Sea operators to control, defi ne and deliver offshore developments,’ he says, ‘and we recognise the constraints in place today as a result of the harsh economic climate and the importance of pre-sanction effectiveness.

‘Our success in our fi rst year of business, with a turnover for our fi rst year approaching £3 million, is a real achievement in this economic climate. We had set that fi gure for our second year’s target, so it is very satisfying, and it is undoubtedly down to our focused work, our solid

experience and a good reputation for timely and cost-saving project completion.

‘We have developed our own highly effective and innovative Opportunity and Project Delivery System (OPDS) that directs and streamlines the progress of offshore opportunities towards sanction, and then onwards to project control and facilities execution.

Refi ned from many years of experience on pre-sanction work for established and new North Sea operators, the EPC Offshore OPDS is an outstanding professional tool for maximising project success and delivering a rapid return on investment. It also ensures that the goals and processes of the project’s stakeholders are aligned, a critical step for any North Sea project.

With tens of millions of pounds traditionally spent on the pre-sanction phase of a North Sea project, EPC Offshore is now supporting a number of companies with opportunities under evaluation – and this at a time when oil prices are variable and swift execution is key to economic success.

Keith Wallace adds ‘We know the North Sea industry, the deadlines, the critical steps, and the timescales needed to achieve a fully-commissioned facility, whether FPSO, topsides, subsea or a combination of installations. Stakeholder alignment is high up on that list of priorities.

‘A speedy return on investment is what really counts, especially as our economy is emerging from a deep recession, and major North Sea investments are required to deliver revenue as early and safely as can be achieved. That’s where EPC scores highly. Our staff numbers are just over 20 right now, and we expect that number to reach 30 in the coming months.’

EPC Offshore Exceeds Business Targets with Highly Successful First Year


ACHIEVEMENT

Subsea UK The Innovation Centre, Exploration Drive, Aberdeen Science and Energy Park, Bridge of Don,Aberdeen AB23 8GX Tel: +44 (0)845 505 3535 Email: [email protected] www.subseauk.com

While every effort has been made to ensure that the information presented in this newsletter is accurate, Subsea UK assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions, or out of date information and shall not be liable in any manner whatsoever for direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages resulting from the availability of, use of, access of, or inability to use this information.

ADVERTISE IN SUBSEA UK NEWS The Subsea UK Newsletter is a very effective medium for communicating with your customers. If you are interested in advertising in the next newsletter, email [email protected]

Hallin Marine UK Ltd has been awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise after increasing its sales 14-fold in just three years.

The wholly owned, UK arm of Hallin Marine Subsea International PLC last year recorded sales in excess of £22million despite only being formed in 2006 in Scotland.

The Queen’s Award judges described this phenomenal increase as an ‘outstanding achievement,’ adding that it refl ected ‘an effective marketing strategy based on establishing strong client relationships.’

Headquartered in Aberdeen, Hallin Marine UK now employs more than 100 people offshore around the globe. Their skilled staff operate and service their large fl eet of ROVs and associated equipment that inspect, repair, maintain and assist in the construction of subsea platforms, pipelines and structures.

The UK company has recently moved into diving and vessel operation with their purpose built SOV Windermere due to arrive in the region shortly.

Mike Arnold, Hallin West Division’s MD, said: ‘The award refl ects the brilliant teamwork from all our Hallin family in the UK and from the staff that we send to work around the world.

‘Our aim is simple: “To provide outstanding customer service and to go the extra mile or ten, if that is what it takes, to ensure a successful outcome for our client.”

‘We are really proud our achievements have been recognised by this Queen’s Award and proud we are fl ying the fl ag for the subsea oil and gas industry. Now I’m going to go and order the fl agpole so we can really fl y the Award fl ag!’

Queen’s Award for Hallin Marine

Aberdeen-based companies Aker Subsea and Marine Subsea (UK) have both been presented with the British Safety Council’s International Safety Award.

The prestigious accolade is awarded following a rigorous and independent assessment of an

organisation’s health and safety policies and procedures. Businesses must demonstrate they have comprehensive health and safety policies in place, a clear commitment to health and safety from the boardroom to the shop fl oor and be committed to promoting a positive safety culture throughout the organisation.

Charlie Ingram, vice president of HSE in Aker Subsea, said: ”We are delighted to have received this award for 12 consecutive years, this demonstrates our continued hard work and the contribution made by each and every member of staff to sustain our health and safety culture.”

Meanwhile, Alasdair Cowie, managing director of Marine Subsea said his fi rm’s reputation as a leading provider of subsea services has been enhanced by the award: “We are honoured to win this award which recognises the importance that we place on health and safety policies and procedures within the organisation. Now, as part of the Marine Subsea organisation, we are moving forward

to new business levels and HSE will be at the forefront of all of our endeavours and never compromised.”

Julia Nerney, Chief Executive of the British Safety Council said: “For more than 50 years, the British Safety Council has led the way in promoting health, safety and environmental best practice in society. In the 21st century many organisations worldwide are understandably making health, safety and environmental management their top priority. Aker Solutions and Marine Subsea (UK) Ltd are helping to make our vision of a healthy and safe working environment a reality.”

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown added his congratulations to the winners: “I am delighted to send my congratulations to all of those organisations presented with an award by the British Safety Council. These awards recognise the crucial success that those organisations and their employees have achieved in their pursuit of excellence in the management of health, safety and environmental matters at an international level.”

Aker Solutions and Marine Subsea Earn Prestigious Health and Safety Awards

Aker Solutions VP Charlie Ingrame with the International Safety Award certifi cate

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