Stork to Deliver ECITB Certified MJI 21 Bolt Tensioning Course

Leading subsea training and trials facility, The Underwater Centre, is working in collaboration with Stork, global provider of knowledge-based asset integrity services focused on the oil & gas, chemical and power sectors, to deliver a brand new one-day certified course in bolt tensioning.

The ECITB approved course, MJI 21 Hydraulically Tensioned Subsea Bolted Connections, addresses a key activity which every offshore construction diver should be familiar with and will be added to the Centre’s commercial diving training suite, firstly as a standalone course.

It will provide students, of varying levels of experience, with the knowledge and experience of working with and using bolt tensioning equipment, which they can then use in their job – whether on the surface or underwater.

Industry has identified that bolt tensioning is a skill more commercial divers should have experience of before going subsea.

It will be delivered by an expert from Stork’s on-site training facility, who have also supplied all the equipment for the course, and will include isolations, dismantling techniques, inspection of components, alignment techniques and assembly and tightening techniques in specialist critical bolting.

Steve Ham, The Underwater Centre’s General Manager, said: “The courses we deliver at the Centre have been tailored to meet industry needs and this addition is a perfect example of this.

“We have been working very closely with Stork to develop this course so that it provides our students with the opportunity to train with the specific equipment they would be using on the job, allowing them to hone their skills before heading offshore.

“Here at the Centre we have been delivering bolt tensioning training for a number of years, but this new course takes things a step further and provides students with a certified ticket which they can add to their CV.”

Rod Agnew, Vice President for Service Delivery at Stork, said: “We are extremely pleased, to again be working in collaboration with The Underwater Centre, integrating higher levels of Subsea Mechanical Joint Integrity Courses. Stork recognizes that quality training and competency lies at the core of safe operations and our vastly experienced and multi-disciplined instructional team, plan, tailor and deliver courses to meet client specific requirements. The new bolt tensioning course is one example of this and builds upon our extensive list of industry recognized courses.”

Both the Premium Industry and Construction Career Packages provide training in the statutory components of the Health and Safety Executive's commercial diving curriculum, as well as training in the use of subsea tools and practical exercises in carrying out construction and maintenance tasks underwater such as subsea welding and cutting, and rigging and slinging operations.

The Premium Industry Package also includes training in subsea inspection techniques: a vital skill to have when working offshore.

The Underwater Centre is a purpose built training facility which incorporates an extensive pier complex including four dive stations, classrooms, workshops and decompression chambers.

With accommodation and additional classrooms based at the landward end of the pier, The Underwater Centre is set up to provide its students with the skills and experience to succeed in their new careers, and continue providing the subsea industry with the workforce that it needs.

Oil and gas company MOL Energy UK has completed its collaborative partnership process – an approach championed by MOL Energy UK Managing Director Chris Bird following the company’s entry into the UK market last year.

Collaboration has become highly topical for those in the North Sea oil industry, as operators and suppliers recognize the future relies on a movement away from competition and towards closer partnerships throughout the value chain.

’’At MOL Energy UK we are clear the path to success lies in adopting a collaborative business model,” says Chris Bird. ’’And as a new market entrant, we are in an ideal position to create a corporate culture and values-driven approach that is based on effective collaboration from the start.”

After putting into practice the collaborative process required to meet the certification standard BS11000, as well as undertaking a commercial assessment, MOL Energy UK now has five collaboration partners. They are:

”We are at the start of our journey to overcome the challenges in our current environment and find solutions which will make the basin successful and support government initiatives to attract new investment and maximize economic recovery,” says Chris.

’’From the outset the company has made early engagement with potential partners a priority, and our aim is to build long term, mutually beneficial partnerships. I’d like to specifically thank our partners as well as the rest of the supply chain for their willing engagement in this process.”

MOL Energy UK’s Head of Supply Chain and Procurement, Ian Rattray, says the selection process covered the commercial offering, added value, cultural alignment, managing the interfaces between the company and external partners, resourcing, good communication and having a process for managing conflict.

Collaboration is the theme of the OGUK Share Fair in November, and OGUK, OGA, the Government and Deloitte are working together to embody the need for collaboration within the Energy Bill currently going through Parliament.

Greene’s Energy Group, LLC (GEG), a leading provider of integrated testing, rentals and specialty services, has named Michael “Mike” Hayes as Vice President and General Manager of Pressure Testing and Services (PTS) and the Engineering Group.

Based in Houston, Hayes will be responsible for implementing corporate initiatives and business strategies relating to the operations of the PTS product service line. PTS has 11 locations covering both U.S. land and offshore markets. PTS performs drilling, completion and production pressure testing services along with associated stacking and torqueing of wellhead equipment and gathering system pipelines. PTS also includes Cherokee Pumping Services & Rentals and Nitrogen Services.

Hayes has more than 30 years of operational experience in the domestic and international oil and gas service industry. Most recently, he served as Vice President of the U.S. Eastern Region for Frank’s International and for Weatherford International where he was responsible for managing all sales and operations, QHSSE compliance regulations and organization of business structure.

Hayes is an active member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC). Additionally, during his career, he has designed and implemented several new tools and technologies that have resulted in more than 16 patents issued/pending.

“Mike’s industry experience, paired with his determination to succeed, make him a great addition to our team,” said Frank Mathews, President and COO of GEG. “Mike adds skills and perspective that will help Greene’s deliver on our core values of best in class safety and service excellence. We are excited to have Mike leading the PTS team as we navigate the challenging waters ahead.”

Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE: BRS), a leading provider of helicopter services to the offshore energy industry, has announced it is combining its CFO group with its Mergers, Acquisitions and Integration group, and has appointed Don Miller as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Miller is replacing John Briscoe, who will be leaving his current position as Chief Financial Officer to pursue other business opportunities. Jonathan Baliff, President and CEO of Bristow Group, stated, "I want to thank John Briscoe for his efforts on behalf of Bristow. We are grateful for his contributions to the company, especially in the successful implementation of our ERP system and leadership of the CFO group at a very dynamic time in our industry. We wish him great success in his future endeavors."

Miller, who joined Bristow in 2010, was until recently Senior Vice President, Mergers, Acquisitions and Integration. He has 30 years of experience in finance, capital markets and M&A, and was responsible for creating the Mergers, Acquisitions and Integration group at Bristow that led to the acquisition of Cougar Helicopters, Eastern Airways and Airnorth. Prior to joining Bristow, Miller spent nine years with Enron North America in positions of increasing levels of responsibility, ending with his role as post-petition President and CEO of Enron North America, leading their wholesale businesses through their orderly disposal after 2001. From 1985 until 1997, he held financial positions with Citicorp Securities, as both an energy corporate banker and high yield research analyst, and as account executive with Dean Witter Reynolds. Miller holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Memphis, and a Master in Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Baliff added, "Don has an outstanding track record of value creation and many years of energy finance experience at senior levels in international corporations and banking. His proven leadership skills, and knowledge of both the aviation business and capital deployment have been critical to the success of Bristow's recent initiatives, including our Gulf of Mexico restructuring, Canadian expansion, and fixed wing investments in the U.K. and Australia. As we navigate through a rapidly changing aviation market and a more challenging energy environment, Don's skill set and experience make him a natural fit for this important role at this important time."

Clark, a UK national, has more than 30 years of experience from the oilfield services, projects and contracting industry, most recently as vice president of production facilities for Schlumberger. He has also held leadership positions at Wood Group and Technip and has broad international experience in overseeing operations and new business developments.

Clark will be based in London and work on expanding Aker Solutions' international presence with a special focus on the African market. He will assume the position on September 21 and report to Chief Executive Officer Luis Araujo.

"David is a true oil and gas professional with extensive experience in some of our most important markets," said Araujo. "His strong track record in business development will be of major value as we grow in strategically important regions such as Africa."

Aker Solutions has operations in more than 20 countries, including the U.S., Brazil and India. The company in 2011 established regional management teams in key markets to better coordinate customer contact and operations between its business areas, Subsea, MMO and Engineering. The UK role has been expanded to include Africa, a major growth market.

CGG is engaged in an ambitious transformation plan to adapt to the new environment and market conditions. A more centralized organization is now deployed to ensure we have the strongest possible foundation from which to operate and grow in the future.

As from 1st September, the Corporate Committee (C-Com) is chaired by the CEO, Jean-Georges Malcor, and formed by the CFO, Stephane-Paul Frydman, the two COO’s, Pascal Rouiller and Sophie Zurquiyah, and the EVP, Human Resources, David Dragone.

The C-Com will share global management of the Group and responsibility for the various Business Lines, Group Functions and Group Departments.

Seagull Oil & Gas has acquired all the shares in the EX training provider, ExTek AS, Norway’sonly centre approved to validate core competency of oil & gas industry employees and contract staff under the globally recognized CompEx Scheme.

With the acquisition of ExTek, Seagull will have one of the most comprehensive and complete packages of El-Safety and Ex training in the market.

“ExTek has been developed by some of the leading experts on electricity in explosive atmospheres, and is the only Norwegian approved CompEx centre,” says Morten Aasen, Managing Director, Seagull Oil & Gas. “We see an increasing focus on high quality training and individual certification in the in the oil & gas industry. ExTek is a natural enlargement of the Seagull Oil & Gas portfolio of products to meet our target to become a complete provider of training solutions for the Oil & Gas industry. We believe the combination of e-learning, required practical training and interactive theory discussions with subject matter experts give the best learning outcome on these high risk subjects.”

Global Marine Systems Limited, the UK headquartered world leader in subsea system engineering, installation and maintenance, has appointed Richard Fraser-Smith as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He started in June 2015 and sits on the company’s board and leadership team.

Mr Fraser-Smith joins Global Marine with a wealth of relevant experience. Most recently he was European Finance Director at CH2M Hill, a US-based organisation that offers a diverse range of engineering consulting, design, project management and project delivery services. Some of the notable UK infrastructure projects to which Mr Fraser-Smith contributed during his time with CH2M included Crossrail, HS2 and Thames Tideway. Prior to that he was Regional Finance Director at Halcrow Group Limited, the company acquired by CH2M Hill in 2011.

“I’m excited about my role at Global Marine. I see it as a company which combines the knowledge that only such a vast heritage in subsea engineering can bring, with a commitment to innovation; a combination that presents significant opportunities for growth. I want to be a fresh pair of eyes; challenge the status quo in order to evolve the business.”

Originally a graduate in chemical engineering, Mr Fraser-Smith spent a year in the oil industry as a process engineer before moving into finance. He qualified as a chartered accountant with PwC in 1991 and has since taken on various roles in different industries for companies including Conoco, DuPont, PepsiCo, Walkers and Aramark.

“Richard sees himself as a front-facing business partner and a results-driven accountant, which is precisely the kind of CFO we were looking to appoint,” says Ian Douglas, CEO at Global Marine. “He clearly brings with him a wealth of corporate knowledge which, combined with his experience in operational finance and risk management, is certain to be of enormous benefit to Global Marine and assist with our plans for growth in our current key market sectors; telecoms and oil & gas.”

Aquatic Engineering & Construction Ltd, an Acteon company, has appointed Martin Charles as group managing director. Charles replaces Aquatic’s former president, Chris Brooks, who has departed Aquatic after eight years.

Charles joined Aquatic in 2014 as regional general manager, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and became COO earlier this year. He has a wealth of experience in oil and gas and associated market sectors.

Bernhard Bruggaier, executive vice president, Acteon, said, “Martin’s progression from COO to group managing director will ensure Aquatic’s mission remains as the first choice for products and services to support flexible product installation, recovery, replacement and decommissioning, on a worldwide scale.”

Charles said, “It has been a pleasure working with Chris and the Aquatic team. Their focus on technology and commitment to the company has been instrumental to the global growth and regional expansion of Aquatic. As group managing director, I will be building on the collective achievements of the leadership team by continuing to meet the needs of the challenging market environment in which we operate. Aquatic has a strong, proven reputation, and we will continue to invest in our core strengths: people, services and products.”

Oceaneering International, Inc. (NYSE: OII) announces that Suzanne Spera has joined Oceaneering as Director, Investor Relations.

Ms. Spera’s business career spans over 15 years in investor relations for energy companies. From 2008-2015 she was the Director, Investor Relations at Rowan Companies plc. Prior to that, she held investor relations positions at Synthesis Energy Systems, Inc., Cheniere Energy, Inc., and Petroleum Geo-Services ASA. Ms. Spera is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing from Texas A&M University.

Marvin J. Migura, Executive Vice President, stated, “We are delighted to have Suzanne, a proven energy industry investor relations professional, become a part of our management team. She has strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving capabilities and proven abilities to communicate with the investment community. Internally, Suzanne will provide strategic insight, from an analyst and investor perspective, on competitive dynamics and market trends.”

Jack Jurkoshek, who joined Oceaneering in 1993, currently holds an equivalent position and will continue to serve the company in this capacity until his retirement at the end of March 2016.

Schlumberger Limited (NYSE: SLB) and Cameron (NYSE: CAM) jointly announces a definitive merger agreement in which the companies will combine in a stock and cash transaction. The agreement was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies.

Under the terms of the agreement, Cameron shareholders will receive 0.716 shares of Schlumberger common stock and a cash payment of $14.44 in exchange for each Cameron share.

Based on the closing stock prices of both companies on August 25, 2015, the agreement places a value of $66.36 per Cameron share, representing a 37.0% premium to Cameron’s 20-day volume weighted average price of $48.45 per share, and a 56.3% premium to Cameron’s most recent closing stock price of $42.47 per share. Upon closing, Cameron shareholders will own approximately 10% of Schlumberger’s outstanding shares of common stock.

Schlumberger expects to realize pretax synergies of approximately $300 million and $600 million in the first and second year, respectively. Initially, the synergies are primarily related to reducing operating costs, streamlining supply chains, and improving manufacturing processes, with a growing component of revenue synergies in the second year and beyond. Schlumberger also expects the combination to be accretive to earnings per share by the end of the first year after closing.

The transaction combines two complementary technology portfolios into a “pore-to-pipeline” products and services offering to the global oil and gas industry. On a pro forma basis, the combined company had 2014 revenues of $59 billion.

Paal Kibsgaard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Schlumberger remarked, “This agreement with Cameron opens new and broader opportunities for Schlumberger. At our investor conference in June 2014, we highlighted how the E&P industry must transform to deliver increased performance at a time of range-bound commodity prices. With oil prices now at lower levels, oilfield services companies that deliver innovative technology and greater integration while improving efficiency, which our customers increasingly demand, will outperform the market.

“We believe that the next industry technical breakthrough will be achieved through integration of Schlumberger’s reservoir and well technologies with Cameron’s leadership in surface, drilling, processing and flow control technologies. Deep reservoir knowledge further enabled by instrumentation, software and automation, will launch a new era of complete drilling and production system performance.

“In addition, we will achieve significant efficiency gains through lowering operating costs, streamlining supply chains, and improving manufacturing processes while leveraging the Schlumberger transformation platform. We look forward to welcoming the talented employees of Cameron and are pleased that they will be joining the Schlumberger team as our fourth product group.”

Jack Moore, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cameron, added, “This exciting transaction builds on our successful partnership with Schlumberger on OneSubsea and will position Cameron for its next phase of growth. For our shareholders, this combination provides significant value, while also enabling them to own a meaningful share of Schlumberger. Together, we will create a premier oilfield equipment and service company with an integrated and expanded platform to drive accelerated growth.

“By bringing together Cameron and Schlumberger, we will be uniting two great companies with successful track records, performance and value creation. We look forward to working closely with Schlumberger to achieve a seamless post-closing integration and long term value for all of our stakeholders.”

The transaction is subject to Cameron shareholders’ approval, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. It is anticipated that the closing of the transaction will occur in the first quarter of 2016.

Goldman, Sachs & Co. is acting as financial advisor, and Baker Botts LLP and Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP are serving as legal counsel, to Schlumberger. Credit Suisse is acting as financial advisor and Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is serving as legal counsel to Cameron.

ASCO, the leading provider of specialist logistics services to the global oil and gas industry, has been honoured for its commitment to health and safety in the workplace by receiving the BG East Africa President’s HSSE Award.

VIKING Life-Saving Equipment A/S has announced it has acquired a part of Australia-based Wiltrading Pty Ltd.’s maritime safety equipment activities effective 1 September. The move strengthens VIKING’s offering in Australasia, adding 4 locations to the company’s global network of wholly-owned servicing stations as well as several products and services, bringing new advantages for shipowners and offshore operators in the region.

A subsidiary of Wilh. Wilhelmsen Investments (WWI), Wiltrading offers integrated activities in marine safety, fire fighting and protection, equipment and servicing, serving the offshore, oil and gas, shipping, military and cruise industries. The company is an authorised representative and service partner for a wide variety of maritime and offshore equipment producers.

Under the new agreement, selected safety equipment and servicing activities previously managed by Wiltrading will be seamlessly integrated into the global VIKING organization, offered and serviced locally, whereas remaining activities will be carried out in close cooperation between the two. VIKING’s CEO, Henrik Uhd Christensen, welcomes the new addition to his company’s constantly expanding worldwide presence and the growth opportunities it provides in the region:

“We’ve worked in close partnership with Wiltrading for several years,” he said. “They are a professional organization with a strong, service-minded approach to customers – something that makes these activities and the people who operate them an excellent fit for VIKING. We strive to be close to our customers, so we can support their competitiveness with fixed prices, flexibility and fast delivery no matter where they operate.”

At the same time General Manager of Wiltrading, Michael Connolly is pleased that VIKING and Wiltrading can continue their respective growth activities, for example through their popular VIKING Shipowner Agreements:

“With the VIKING Shipowner Agreement rapidly winning favour in the market, and plans for even more capabilities in the future, VIKING has much to offer Wiltrading’s customers and staff. We have always had a great deal of respect for the company, and are really looking forward to leveraging VIKING’s global network resources.”

Brian Jacobsen has been appointed Country Manager for VIKING Australia. He is a former VIKING sales and marketing director, and started the company’s Singapore office several years ago. He has recently returned to VIKING.

Global Marine Systems Limited of Chelmsford, is among the winners in the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2015 and has been awarded the Order of Distinction in recognition of the company’s 16th annual consecutive gold award.

This achievement is a result of the recent announcement by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). The RoSPA Awards, which date back 59 years, recognise commitment to continuous improvement in accident and ill health prevention at work.

David Rawlins, RoSPA’s awards manager, said: “The RoSPA Awards encourage improvement in occupational health and safety management. Organisations that gain recognition for their health and safety management systems, such as Global Marine, contribute to raising standards overall and we congratulate them.”

Captain Simon Hibberd, Director Fleet & Operational Support, said: “‘I am very proud that Global Marine has been recognised for continued commitment to the delivery of health & safety management systems. Sixteen consecutive annual gold awards from RoSPA is a very significant achievement and reveals the daily commitment to safety by all our personnel around the world.”

See www.rospa.com/awards/ for more information about the RoSPA Occupational Health and Safety Awards.

Danos has been selected by Shell Offshore Inc. to fabricate three boarding valve skid assemblies for its deep-water Appomattox project. The project, which will engage five Danos divisions – coatings, fabrication, instrumentation and electrical, project management and procurement – will begin immediately, and is expected to take about 12 months to complete.

“Shell and Danos have worked on projects together for the past 44 years,” said Mark Danos, construction and fabrication division manager. “It’s an exciting time. Not only is this a great opportunity for Danos, it will create new jobs at our Amelia facility.”

The boarding valve skids will be fabricated at Danos’ Amelia, Louisiana fabrication facility and shipped to Ingleside, Texas for integration on the facility topside. Following integration, the equipment will be installed on a floating production platform located in deep-water Gulf of Mexico, about 80 miles off the Louisiana coast.

Marsol International Ltd, a Dubai-based global marine solutions provider focused on the offshore oil terminal market and related infrastructure, has launched its holistic integrity management system to drive forward efficiencies in capital and operating expenditures.

As infrastructures and assets deteriorate over time, their long-term operational efficiency decreases. Marsol International’s Advanced Systems Integrity Management (ASIM) initiative relies on in-depth information gathering, which in turn allows its engineers to carry out the redesign and verification of components to achieve life extension, reduced cost and reduced risk.

Commenting on the importance of integrity management, Mike Young, managing director of Marsol International, said: “Over the last 47 years Marsol International has developed engineering solutions for the fabrication, commissioning and operation of offshore terminals and infrastructures. During that period, we have seen increased involvement in identifying and reengineering points of failure in different systems, generated not only by design and engineering but also through changing environmental conditions and operational practices.

“As a result, we have worked with clients, consulting engineers, contractors, original equipment manufacturers and operators. This has put us in a unique position to fully understand the differentiators between inspection, repair and maintenance and the intricacies of integrity management. Assessing the operational environment, and thus the operational integrity, Marsol is then able to extend its offering to cover life prediction and life extension programs, with resulting efficiencies in capital and operating expenditure. This has become even more relevant due to aging infrastructure and the current low price of oil.”

Marsol International has provided operational engineering and management solutions to clients, consultants and EPC contractors for new offshore terminal facilities, and operational integrity management and IRM services of existing facilities to offshore terminal owners and operators.