Ceona, SURF contractor with heavy subsea construction capabilities, regrets to announce that John Smith, Chairman of the company’s board, has stepped down with immediate effect due to ill-health.

A well-known industry figure, Mr. Smith has been involved in the oil & gas sector for more than 30 years and has been pivotal in overseeing the growth of Ceona since its inception in 2012.

Mark Preece, Ceona’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said: “John has been with Ceona since we started down the path to building the Ceona Amazon and his expertise has been vital in supporting the company to grow into the international organization that it is today.

“John is highly respected and everyone at Ceona is extremely sorry to see him leave. I would like to take this opportunity to thank John for the very significant contributions he has made to our organization.”

Mr. Smith, a chartered mechanical engineer with a degree from Glasgow University, worked for 20 years for engineering companies owned by Brown & Root and headed their Norwegian and Australian businesses.

After taking on responsibility for the organization’s subsea businesses, Mr. Smith led the strategic process that formed Subsea 7, serving as the inaugural CEO and on the Board of the company until June 2007 when he joined Clough as CEO. There, he led a successful turnaround before handing over to his successor and joining Ceona in the initial stages of its growth strategy.

Mr. Smith is a past president of International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), the international marine contractors association and was also chairman of Benthic Geotech and Competentia.

Well management and performance improvement specialist Exceed announced on Monday, August 3rd, that it has joined forces with eight former members of senior staff from Applied Drilling Technology International (ADTI).

ADTI ceased trading in May 2015, following a decision to close the business made by the company’s private equity owner, Sun European Partners. Resulting in the loss of 90 jobs, it also lead to the decision by eight senior members from across the ADTI business to actively look at ways to continue to operate. Following discussions with Exceed, a new venture was formed with the intention of continuing to serve former ADTI clients and the wider North Sea market.

This venture brings Exceed’s total number of staff to 30 people, with a further 20 contractors working on projects both locally in the North Sea, as well as internationally on projects in Canada, West Africa and South East Asia. All of the new positions will be based at Exceed’s existing headquarters in Aberdeen.

(L-R) Calum MacDonald (Well Engineering & Operations Director), John Anderson (Commercial Director Wells), Al Brockie (Head of Well Management) & Ian Mills (Managing Director)

The former ADTI staff bring a broad range of capabilities and have joined Exceed as stakeholders through a newly-formed subsidiary. They have taken on the following roles within Exceed:

Al Brockie, Head of Wells Management at Exceed, said: “There is a strong strategic fit between ADTI and Exceed, with both companies offering a range of wells management services in different markets.

“Traditionally, ADTI has had a strong presence in the North Sea whereas the majority of Exceed’s projects have been delivered internationally. This partnership not only bolsters our global credentials and renews our focus on the North Sea, but also allows Exceed to evolve internal systems and processes which will result in significant benefits for clients.

“The move also sends an important message to the industry in a time when thousands of jobs are at risk across all sectors and many talented professionals are being made redundant purely as a result of cost saving measures. Companies which are still in a position to continue expansion plans should be making the most of this opportunity. The events following the closure of ADTI have been a prime example of how collaboration within the industry can secure jobs and livelihoods.”

The new venture significantly expands Exceed’s service offering to include well abandonment, production technology and petroleum engineering, and will allow the company to drive operations into several new markets. Depending on future contracts, there may also be the potential to take on further ex-members of ADTI staff.

John Anderson, Exceed’s newly appointed commercial director for its well division, said: “This is an opportunity for us to continue servicing existing customers and preserve the ADTI bloodline, quality and levels of service. Our team brings strong historic client relationships with a number of North Sea based operators and we are very optimistic that this newly combined service offering and track record will re-open doors both locally and nationally.

“Feedback from clients has suggested that the loss of ADTI is a loss to the industry, and so we are extremely pleased that this merger has happened. Our combined strengths have set us up with a powerful platform for growth.”

Aqueos Corporation, a premier provider of subsea services to the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific Coast, has announced the appointment of Jason Brink to the position of Project Manager-Special Projects.

“Aqueos is excited to have Jason onboard our Team. His experience in deep water ROV and diving operations adds depth to our team and complements our Gulf of Mexico operations. His ability to present technical solutions and support to our Houston based clientele is expected to enhance both our sales and project execution.” said Ted Roche, Aqueos President / Chief Executive Officer. Roche further states, “We look forward to Jason’s contribution and enhanced value to Team Aqueos.”

Aqueos Corporation, with offices in Broussard, LA and Ventura, CA, provides marine construction and specialty subsea services including a complete range of commercial diving, remotely operated vehicles (ROV’s) and vessel-related services primarily to the offshore oil and gas markets.

Spring 2015 Permanent Reservoir Monitoring (“PRM”) operations over the Statoil operated Snorre and Grane fields have now been completed ahead of schedule thanks to a combination of excellent operational performance, minimum downtime and favourable weather conditions.

A total of over 6,000 km of data has been shot over the two fields, now in the second full year of operation. Source operations started over the Grane field after mobilization in Stavanger on the 3 May with completion on Snorre on the 13 July. The D-PMSSTM has now been demobilized from the platform supply vessel ‘Siddis Sailor’, operated by OH Meling, and will be re-mobilized again later this Summer for the Autumn survey period.

Marcus Smith, Operations Director commented: “We have had two excellent surveys this season with the best recorded production figures and lowest downtime hours seen since we started the PRM survey for Statoil. Records have been broken and all with zero HSE incidents during this time. The working relationship between the WGP and OH Meling crew onboard the ‘Siddis Sailor’ has gone from strength to strength and this cooperation has helped us achieve this outstanding performance. We look forward to returning in the Autumn and acquiring yet more data to assist Statoil in increasing their PRM data library”.

Hoover Container Solutions (Hoover), a global provider of chemical tanks, cargo carrying units and related products and services, has announced the opening of its new service facility in Brazil. The wash line facility allows Hoover to provide expanded cleaning services while handling all intermediate bulk containers (IBCs), ISO tanks and offshore equipment destined for oil and gas platforms, mining sites, islands and supply bases in the region.

Hoover’s new wash line facility is equipped with experienced staff who are licensed to clean a wide variety of hazardous and non-hazardous materials. The site hosts a full range of tank cleaning services including: easy clean (steam or flush), moderate clean (caustic or detergent), difficult clean (boosted caustic or pre-solve), exterior clean with internal process or exterior clean only.

The high power wash system generates 1,500 psi of pressure used for the washing and rinsing of fluid storage or transportation containers. The closed-loop system, designed to recycle wash water, allows for minimal waste water disposal while maximizing customer savings. Steam is used to aid in accelerating the cleaning process and in improving the cleaning power of the detergent. During the final stage of cleaning processes, the wash system uses a fresh water rinse that has been pumped through cartridge filters to thoroughly cleanse containers.

The Brazil facility is capable of washing four 5,000 liter containers or four 1,500 liter containers at once with a total cleansing time of 32 and 20 minutes, respectively, per complete cycle—interior, exterior and drying.

“The addition of this service facility allows us to efficiently and safely clean a wide variety of products while minimizing costly downtime,” said Arash Hassanian, vice president of Global Sales and Marketing for Hoover. “Hoover is committed to providing our customers with high quality, cost effective and environmentally conscientious solutions that meet industry standards and improve customer performance.”

UTEC Survey, an Acteon company, is strengthening its leadership team with two key promotions. In Houston, Cory Goodyear will become General Manager after eight years with the company. Additionally, UTEC NCS Survey in Aberdeen has promoted Simon Goldsworthy to Sales and Marketing Manager for its Europe and Africa (EA) region.

Between them, Simon and Cory offer combined industry experience totaling almost 40 years in a variety of settings and they will play key roles in driving forward UTEC’s ambitious plans for continued global growth in key marketplaces.

Cory has 18 years’ offshore-related experience having started as a Field Surveyor before becoming a Project Manager. He began his career at UTEC as Offshore Manager, and was responsible for the opening of UTEC’s Canadian office in 2011. He has recently moved to the U.S. to take up his new role where he will be primarily responsible for profitability, resource management and logistics.

Simon joined NCS Survey as a Business Development Manager in 2014 and was involved with its merger with UTEC subsequent to the Acteon purchase of UTEC in late 2014. Simon has 19 years’ offshore marketplace experience, including Sales Manager and International and Export Sales Manager for leading offshore operators.

UTEC Chief Executive Martin O’Carroll said, “When you face challenging market conditions, it is vital to have the correct personnel to drive the business forward – both Cory and Simon have the credentials and experience to do this and we look forward to their input in helping us achieve our corporate ambitions to define subsea services.”

Sparrows Group has expanded into the Malaysian market after forming a strategic partnership with a local service provider in the region, Efficient Technology Sdn Bhd (Eftech), as part of the company’s ambitious plans to treble business in Asia Pacific over the next five years.

As part of the country-wide agreement, Sparrows Group will offer services such as offshore crane maintenance, crane hire, fluid power, inspection and cable and pipe lay products which are in particularly high demand in the region.

Sparrows Group already works with a number of drilling companies in Malaysia however it is expected that the agreement with Eftech will enable this to increase significantly.

Stewart Mitchell, chief executive officer at Sparrows Group, said: “We see Asia Pacific as a key growth area for Sparrows Group in the coming years. Malaysia’s oil reserves are the fourth highest in Asia Pacific and by partnering with a well-respected local company that shares our commitment to assure delivery to clients, such as Eftech, we believe we are on the right track to realizing our aims.

“In many ways a partnership with Eftech is a perfect fit as we complement each other’s strengths. Eftech is an established provider of process and pipeline services, combined with our in-depth knowledge of lifting and handling, fluid power and cable and pipe lay we will provide operators with an integrated specialist service of the highest standard.”

At present Sparrows Group employs over 120 people in Asia Pacific and over 2,100 globally. They currently have bases in Singapore, Myanmar, Australia, China and two in Indonesia in the region.

Malaysian regulations stipulate all offshore service activity for Petronas, the state’s national oil and gas company, should be carried out through a local company.

The agreement with Eftech, which was founded in 2002, will see the company supporting Sparrows Group in providing its services across Malaysia’s three producing offshore basins. At present there are more than 130 offshore operating platforms in Malaysia and over 30 drilling rigs.

Dato’ Mahathir Samat, managing director of Eftech said: “Our partnership with Sparrows Group and their considerable track record in crane maintenance services has been integral to us being awarded a license for this type of work by Petronas. There is a demand in our local market for the level of service we can bring through our partnership which I am sure will bring many benefits to the Malaysian offshore sector.”

Established originally in 1946, the Sparrows Group moved into the oil and gas market in 1975 and celebrates 40 years working offshore this year. They are one of the most well-known and trusted names in the oil and gas industry. The company provides engineered products and services, primarily to the offshore sector, specializing in lifting and handling, cable and pipe lay, and fluid power solutions.

Bruno Faure, Group Senior Vice President Subsea Projects and Operations at Technip, a world leader in project management, engineering and construction for the energy industry, has taken over the role of President of the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), the association representing the interests of over a thousand offshore, marine and underwater engineering companies in more than 60 countries.

In addition to becoming President of IMCA, having served as Vice President of IMCA since September 2014, he also becomes Chairman of the association’s Overall Management Committee (OMC).

“We welcome Bruno as our President and OMC Chairman for the next two years,” says Jane Bugler, Acting Chief Executive of IMCA. “At the same time we are able to announce that Leon Harland, Executive Vice President Commercial & Technology at Heerema Marine Contractors, has taken over as the IMCA Vice President.

“I am delighted and honored to take the chairmanship of IMCA following on from Massimo Fontolan, who provided valuable guidance to the Council over the last two and a half years,” says Bruno Faure. “At a time when our industry is experiencing challenging times, I am convinced that IMCA can, more than ever, play a key role in facilitating the necessary constructive dialogue among clients, contractors and the supply chain, with the aim of offering to the industry the most appropriate solutions in the context of economic pressure.”

In 2006 he joined Stolt Comex Seaway (now Subsea 7) as Projects and Operations Director for Africa Region and then became President for Region Africa, Gulf of Mexico and Mediterranean in Subsea 7 based in London.

Further information on IMCA Information on IMCA and its work on behalf of its members is at www.imca-int.com or from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and IMCA, 52 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0AU, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 7824 5520; Fax: +44 (0)20 7824 5521.

Ashtead’s Subsea Technology Training Academy has secured Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accreditation.

CPD accredited courses include; Introduction to Offshore Survey Equipment, ROV Sensors and Multiplexors, Acoustic Positioning Systems and Pipe and Cable Tracking.

In addition to these regular courses, Ashtead Technology is able to design tailor-made training to meet specific needs of individual customers.

Tim Sheehan, commercial director at Ashtead, said: “In today’s environment and with increasingly sophisticated kit, it is crucial that companies have the skills and competence to install, configure and maintain this equipment. Maximising returns and minimising costs are priorities right across the industry and we are able to equip those on our courses with the knowledge to make best use of the tools available to them as the industry tackles increasingly complex projects in deeper and more hostile environments.

“We have seen significant demand since we launched the training academy with interest from some of the biggest names in the industry. Gaining CPD certification means that clients can be assured our courses will deliver the competence and confidence they need.”

Since its launch in October 2014, Ashtead’s Training Academy has delivered courses to companies including Shell, Subsea 7, Saipem, Bibby Offshore, Harkand, DOF, Nautronix, Canyon and UTEC Survey with delegates from both the UK and overseas.

The level 1 and 2 courses available at Ashtead Technology’s purpose-built facility cover the basics and the more complex functioning of subsea survey equipment and are designed in accordance with SQA guidelines. The certification also means the courses can support progression towards Chartered status.

Mr. Sheehan added: “Although the training centre is relatively young, it is already well-recognised in the industry. The courses we deliver are in line with recognised industry standard and involve a high percentage of practical work to deliver competence which can be measured.”

Jee Ltd, a leading subsea multi-discipline engineering and training company, has announced a number of key internal promotions to strengthen its capabilities and champion the delivery of projects.

The new structure, headed up by Jonathan McGregor, Head of engineering at Jee underpins Jee core services including Design, Integrity management, pigging and late life. The company has also appointed a Head of project management to increase business efficiency.

Commenting on the appointments, Mr McGregor, Head of engineering said: “As Jee grows, we need to adapt the company structure to support future business needs, ensuring we are capitalising on future opportunities.

Jee Ltd Head of Engineering, Jonathan McGregor

“The new structure and appointment of heads of service areas will not only support these opportunities but is vital in ensuring we are responding to our clients’ needs effectively and efficiently. I’m delighted to be heading up this new, highly skilled and ambitious team.”

With more than 20 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry, Grant Adam has been promoted to Head of Integrity Management. Prior to joining Jee in 2013, Mr Adams held a number of engineering and integrity management positions in the energy sector, including Principal Pipeline Engineer at Oceaneering. Mr Adam also presents Jee’s ‘Advanced integrity management of deepwater pipelines and risers’ course focusing on route cause analysis and risk mitigation.

John French is stepping up to Head of Design, expanding his responsibilities from his previous role as Principal Engineer. As Head of Design, Mr French will oversee all design projects from the feasibility stage to detailed design. He is also focused on developing innovative low-cost solutions.

Graham Wilson is moving to the role of Head of Late Life from his previous position as Head of the Pipeline Discipline team. Mr Wilson is an experienced chartered Mechanical Engineer who has worked in the oil and gas industry since joining Jee as a Graduate Engineer in October 2004. As Head of Late Life, Mr Wilson is responsible for lifetime extension and decommissioning projects.

Paul Otway is taking on the role as Head of Pigging. Mr. Otway has extensive experience in subsea pipeline design and integrity projects for global operators, particularly in-line inspection (ILI) campaigns and offshore management. With niche skills in defining technical pigging campaigns, pig selection and design, Mr. Otway was announced as the winner in the young emerging talent category at the 2013 Subsea UK awards for his work.

In addition, Joe Gransden, has been promoted to Head of Project Management. Mr. Gransden is an experienced Lead Engineer who has worked on a variety of oil and gas projects since he joined Jee in 2008. Mr. Gransden remit is to focus on further service efficiency.

Jee is an independent subsea engineering and training company with offices in Aberdeen, London and Tonbridge. Jee’s multi-disciplined capabilities and integrated services span the whole life-of-field including design, integrity management, pigging, late life and training for the global oil, gas and renewables industries.

With only three weeks left to become part of the presentation line-up for this year’s SPE ICoTA European Well Intervention Conference, experts in well intervention are urged to submit an abstract on the topic and share the latest developments in the field with their peers.

BMT Cordah, a subsidiary of BMT Group, the leading international maritime design, engineering and risk management consultancy, has announced the appointment of Andrew Glass as Managing Director.

Andrew will be responsible for leading the business in implementing strategy, direction and policy, ensuring the company continues to provide an extensive range of specialist services to its UK and international offshore oil and gas customers. Commenting on his new role, Andrew said: “I am extremely excited to be given this opportunity to work with a great team and I’m looking forward to leading the organisation in its drive for future growth both here in the UK and internationally.”

With a wealth of experience in Environment Health and Safety (EHS) from the RSK Group where he held the position of Director, Andrew spent several years in the UAE developing new service lines. He helped bring the business back to profitability, achieving financial targets and delivered business benefits for clients with a 100% track record. He further supported the creation of an Eastern European office.

Notable projects include the operational review of three international and two domestic airports for the Abu Dhabi Airports Company. Here, he redefined EHSQ operational practices, as well as influencing the redesign of organisational structure. All five airports were certified to ISO9001, OHSAS 18001 and ISO14001 standards.

Andrew has a degree in Industrial and Operations Management and is a member of the: Chartered Management Institute and Institute of Management Consultancy. He is an Associate of the Institution of Environmental Management and Assessment and an approved professional by the EHS centre Abu Dhabi for all entity sectors.

New facility will meet increasing demand for operational excellence training in hazardous industries

Petrotechnics, the enterprise operations excellence management solutions provider, today celebrates the opening of its state-of-the-art competency and training centre. Located at the company’s Aberdeen headquarters, the new facility will address changing demands for operations excellence training in hazardous industries, including oil and gas, chemical and rail.

To date, over 70,000 people have been through Petrotechnics’ training programmes, with more than 4,000 delegates enrolled in the last year alone. The new centre will offer increased capacity to meet growing demand for a range of courses, including those focusing Petrotechnics’ leading software platform, Proscient.

The centre’s new classrooms feature state-of-the-art interactive facilities and a broader range of training programmes, from traditional classroom training to “self-paced” and “on-demand” options for online learning.

“Petrotechnics has been delivering training for over 25 years and during that time we have experienced a significant shift in industry demands from simple control of work to integrated operational risk and operations management best practices. Our investment in this new facility is part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining quality competence practices and addressing complex training needs across hazardous industries,” says Iain Mackay, Executive Vice President, Petrotechnics.

Petrotechnics’ team of 26 veteran trainers and coaches have a combined industry experience of 460 years. Their global expertise and knowledge is unrivalled in helping companies in hazardous industries improve how they manage risk, hazards and operational safety. Petrotechnics’ trainers have supported over 48 major projects with courses delivered in 24 countries on every continent.

“Hazardous industries have long understood the value of having a competent, trained workforce, and its contribution to productivity and safety,” adds John Broomfield, Training Operations Manager, Petrotechnics.

“However, the means of achieving and maintaining a competent workforce have changed, and we have seen a steady evolution in industry training requirements, leading us to enhance our facilities and courses to meet this demand.”

Veripos, a leading supplier of high-precision GNSS positioning services to the world offshore and associated industries, has appointed John MacLeod as General Manager of its Europe, Africa and Middle East (EAME) Region. Based at the Company’s Aberdeen headquarters, he will responsible for continuing development of the Region’s growing activities in response to increased demand for its facilities.

Until recently Vice-President Regional Operations with Forum Energy Technology, Mr. MacLeod has over 25 years’ experience within the global subsea oil and gas industries, working predominantly in the ROV, offshore survey and diving sectors in a senior capacity with other prominent organizations supplying both manufactured products and services; they include Ashtead Technology, Nautronix and Sonardyne International.

Commenting on the appointment, Philip Milne, Chief Operating Officer of Veripos, said “John’s wealth of experience and management skills will be invaluable and an important addition to our operational resources and expertise”.

Total has signed an agreement to sell 20% of its interests in the Laggan, Tormore, Edradour and Glenlivet fields, located in the West of Shetland area, to SSE E&P UK Limited Ltd for £565 million (around $876 million), subject to the customary approvals.

“The sale of these minority interests is aligned with Total’s portfolio management strategy and target of divesting $5 billion of assets in 2015. It allows us to capitalize fully on this new deep offshore development, while retaining a majority interest and operatorship,” commented Arnaud Breuillac, President, Exploration & Production. “With the upcoming start-up of Laggan, followed by Tormore, Edradour and Glenlivet in the coming years, Total is opening up a new frontier area for gas production in the United Kingdom.”

Following completion of the transaction, Total will hold a 60% operated interest in the Laggan, Tormore, Edradour and Glenlivet fields, alongside partners DONG E&P (UK) Limited (20%) and SSE E&P UK Limited (20%). The sale also includes 20% of Total’s interest in the Shetland Gas Plant and interests in several exploration licenses located in the West of Shetland area, including the Tobermory discovery.

Laggan and Tormore

The Laggan and Tormore fields are located around 140 kilometers west of the Shetland Islands on Blocks 206/1a, 205/4b and 205/5a, in 600 meters of water. Development of the fields was launched in 2010 and first gas is expected in the coming months. The development concept consists of a 140-kilometer tie-back of five subsea wells to the new onshore Shetland Gas Plant, with a peak production rate of 500 million standard cubic feet per day.

Edradour and Glenlivet

Development of the Edradour and Glenlivet fields was launched in 2014. The Edradour discovery is located 75 kilometers northwest of Shetland on Block 206/4a, in 300 meters of water. The Glenlivet discovery is located north of Edradour on Block 214/30a, in 400 meters of water. Edradour will be developed by converting the discovery well into a production well, connected to the main Laggan-Tormore flowline by a 16-kilometer subsea tie-back. Glenlivet will be developed via two wells and a 17-kilometer production pipeline tied back to Edradour. Edradour is expected to start up in 2017, followed by Glenlivet in 2018.

Having seen significant increases in sales activity from the North America market in recent months, UK-based Advanced Insulation – a leading manufacturer of technical and insulation materials for the upstream oil and gas industry; and specialist in the design, engineering and manufacture of polymer solutions for the marine and offshore sectors – is expanding its Houston, Texas-based operation with an additional 10,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility.

Announcing the move, Advanced Insulation’s managing director Andrew Bennion says: “The 10,000 sq. ft. expansion means we are now even better placed to assist our North American customers more effectively by providing an in-house insulation facility.”

Until now, most insulation services were undertaken at its customers’ facilities, but the expansion means Advanced Insulation can now insulate subsea components and systems using its ContraTherm® range at its own warehousing and manufacturing facility.

As Andrew goes on to say, the recent appointment of Mike Sherman and Larry King to develop and implement Advanced Insulation’s strategic growth plans for this key market is already paying dividends. “We are forecasting subsea sales to increase significantly in the coming months and are anticipating substantial additional appointments to ensure we continue to meet and exceed the demands and expectations of our North American customers.”