Company Updates

11EFC-Elevator Awards 225Left to right – Michael Scott (Business Development Manager), Donna Stewart (Internal Sales Manager), Anand Puthran (Managing Director), Ian Allan (Global Product Manager)

EFC Group, a leading designer and manufacturer of instrumentation, monitoring, handling and control systems for the global oil and gas industry, is proud to announce that it has won the ‘Business Success Over Three Years’ category at the Elevator Awards 2015.

Previously entitled The Grampian Awards for Business Excellence, the Elevator Awards were relaunched this year. Winners were announced at a black tie ceremony at the Mercure Aberdeen Ardoe House Hotel and Spa on Thursday, 25 June 2015.

The award win comes in recognition of EFC Group’s strong growth and record sales figures over nearly three decades of business. In February, the Group announced that it was one year ahead of schedule for reaching its 2016 turnover target of £30million.

CEO of EFC Group, Bob Will, said: “I am delighted that the business achievements of EFC Group have been recognised by the local business community. Our success in this year’s Elevator Awards is directly attributable to the hard work and dedication of the whole EFC team.

“Since the inception of EFC Group, we have experienced significant growth and we have continued to build upon our strong reputation for delivering a high standard of service and product quality. We pride ourselves on offering innovative solutions to the global energy industry and having a personable approach with clients. I see this as the driving force behind our success. I look forward to building on these achievements in the future.”

The Elevator Awards celebrate outstanding achievements by businesses across the North East of Scotland, in categories which include Most Promising New Business, The Grampian Award for Innovation, Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year, and Employer of the Year.

Organiser of the awards, Elevator (previously known as Enterprise North East Trust), is a social enterprise dedicated to supporting the entrepreneurs, business leaders and employees of today and tomorrow by providing expert business advice and teaching entrepreneurship and enterprising behaviour. The Elevator Awards acknowledge entrepreneurial companies and individuals that are capable of leading the future prosperity of Grampian.

21-2Hoffshore-2H Offshore, an Acteon company, has appointed Prahlad Enuganti as technical manager in its Aberdeen office, to strengthen its management team and drive business growth.

Enuganti holds a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from The University of Texas in Austin, and joined 2H’s Houston office in 2006 as an engineer. He worked on subsea structural monitoring projects in the Gulf of Mexico and was responsible for a variety of 2H’s offshore riser engineering and integrity assessments. He was also the integrity team lead for BP’s Holstein, Horn Mountain, Mad Dog and Thunder Horse assets, working with BP to identify and manage risks for its umbilicals, risers, flowlines and other subsea production equipment.

Phil Ward, director of 2H Offshore’s Aberdeen office, said, “Prahlad will share responsibility for the management of the Aberdeen office with the existing management team, and contributes a wealth of experience in structural monitoring and integrity management. He will enrich the variety of expertise we offer to our local client base in Aberdeen by focusing on two key business areas: platform conductor integrity and riser structural monitoring technology.”

Enuganti commented, “I am looking forward to being a part of the management team in Aberdeen; driving business development initiatives and contributing to our continually evolving technical capabilities.”

18Coretrax-John-FraserCoretrax, leading engineered servicing company for wellbore clean and abandonment, has strengthened its position in the Middle East by opening an office in Abu Dhabi, its fourth base in the region, totalling a $2million investment.

A team of four personnel work from the base, and this is expected to grow to 14 within the next 12 months as Coretrax expands to another office and warehouse based in Mussafah, southwest of the city, in late 2015.

Coretrax, who offer a wide range of downhole tools and services with applications across the well life cycle, currently has bases in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, which have been operational for 24 and 12 months, respectively. The company also has a base in Ebril, Iraq and a team of 14 is currently employed across all Middle East bases.

This latest expansion signifies the next step in Coretrax’s ambitious plans to penetrate the Middle East and comes as the company announces the appointment of UAE based agent, SAMCO to represent Coretrax in Abu Dhabi.

Coretrax global business development director, John Fraser, said: “Having a permanent local presence in Abu Dhabi allows us to continue to surpass client expectations by offering a superior service and enables us to build on our customer base. Having now opened four offices in the Middle East further underpins and confirms our commitment to expand our offering in the region.

“Through our work in the Middle East, we have experienced real growth for Coretrax internationally, and we hope to maximise further opportunities by our appointment of SAMCO, who will act as a conduit for us in Abu Dhabi. We see SAMCO as a dynamic and forward thinking company, which aligns well with our team. We are confident that our agreement will be beneficial, and we anticipate a successful relationship.”

Rolv Flaaten, CEO of SAMCO, said: “We are continually searching for the most innovative companies to represent and we are happy to be working with such a highly efficient company. We look forward to working with Coretrax and further building the company’s profile within the UAE by offering its pioneering wellbore clean products to our expanding client base.”

Coretrax was established in 2008 to provide a bespoke and tailored service, offering a wide range of downhole tools and services which provide up-to-date solutions to improve time efficiency, maximise cost reduction, reliability, damage prevention and technological advancement to the global oil and gas industry.

The company currently employs 36 people across its bases and this number is projected to increase within the next nine – 12 months due to increased business activity globally.

Assystem, a leading innovation and engineering consultancy, providing multi-discipline design services to clients throughout the world successfully presented a paper at the NAFEMS seminar which took place in Aberdeen, demonstrating how Assystem can drive value for the oil & gas industry in the current financial climate.

Against a challenging backdrop, the oil & gas industry is currently facing a host of challenges. The integrity management of structures, pipelines and risers in a hostile marine environment, as well as increasing pressure to minimize costs, safety risks, downtime, and emissions all present key challenges for the simulation community.

The accurate representation of the reality of loading and response of offshore installations and their mechanical components requires a multi-disciplinary approach, as well as knowledge of current best practices & standards to deliver the innovative solutions which are required by industry.

18dave-and-adam cropped 2David Lister, Senior Stress Engineer and Dr. Adam Towse, Assystem’s UK Head of Discipline for Stress at Assystem in the UK

The NAFEMS seminar on the ‘Latest Developments of FEA & CFD for Offshore Oil & Gas Facilities’ explored the latest challenges in the oil & gas industry, and provided an opportunity for attendees to gain an insight into the current applications of FEA and CFD from oil and gas industry experts.

Dr. Adam Towse, Assystem’s UK Head of Discipline for Stress and David Lister, Senior Stress Engineer at Assystem in the UK, presented a paper on “Leveraging Cross-Industry Simulation Methodology To Drive Value For The Offshore Industry”. Assystem in the UK are leading the way in the use of simulation tools to aid the engineering process across multiple industries, either by building more efficient structures, extending the life of existing assets or speeding up the design process to minimize development costs. Working across; energy, infrastructure, aerospace and automotive industries, Assystem has the ability to look across industries and understand the most effective approaches for typical engineering problems.

The purpose of the presentation was to showcase similarities in assessments across industries, and how best-practice methodologies can be used to drive value for the offshore industry.

Commenting on the event, Adam Towse said: “The seminar was very positive – lots of papers demonstrating that life extension is a key demand, and given our experiences across a range of industries, we are well placed to assist our customers in this regard. There was also positive interest in the fracture assessments, pressure vessel assessments and cutting-edge topology optimization, which were highlighted in our presentation.”

Within the Energy & Infrastructure business area, Assystem specializes in Oil & Gas systems and infrastructures at different stages of the Oil & Gas cycle including through upstream, midstream and downstream. Key capabilities include Project Management, Multi-discipline Engineering Design and System Integration.

Globally, Assystem is an international Engineering and Innovation Consultancy. As a key participant in the industry for more than 45 years, Assystem supports its customers in developing their products and managing their capital expenditure throughout the product life cycle. Assystem employs more than 11,000 people worldwide and reported €871 million in revenue in 2013.

 

15DENORADe Nora announces the completion of the acquisition of the Water Purification group of Severn Trent Services. The new business line, called De Nora Water Technologies, will be focused on delivering sustainable and innovative water and wastewater technologies for municipal, marine and energy related water treatment applications.

De Nora Water Technologies, together with Ozono Elettronica Internazionale, a global leader in ozone technologies acquired in May, will be integrated into the De Nora business. De Nora customers and partners will now have access to a full range of disinfection solutions for water and wastewater treatment spanning gas feed, chlorine dioxide, ultraviolet, electrolytic and ozone disinfection from the world’s best known brand names such as Capital Controls®, SEACLOR®, ClorTec® and OMNIPURE in addition to the award winning TETRA® and UAT filtration lines.

According to Lawrence Quinn, CEO of De Nora Water Technologies, De Nora Water Technologies now has one of the most complete lines of technological solutions in the industry. The combination of the expertise and solutions will provide for almost any water and wastewater disinfection need, giving us a tremendous competitive advantage in the markets we serve. And our full range of technologies will certainly strengthen our hand when it comes to entering emerging and fast-growing markets such as China, Brazil and India, where the De Nora group is already well established.”

The completion of this acquisition, and the creation of the De Nora Water Technologies business line as part of a Group of almost 0.5bn in turnover, represents an exciting time for De Nora.” Stated Paola Dellachà, Chief Executive Officer of De Nora, “We are fully committed to leveraging the expertise from De Nora as a technological pioneer and from the Severn Trent Water Purification side as experts in water treatment applications with a strong history of reliable and reputable products, to meet our vision as a world leader in this field.”

Electrolytic technologies for the on-site generation of sodium hypochlorite from seawater or brine, will experience especially big benefits as a result of the new set-up; there will be an even closer collaboration to improve the performance and the competitiveness of SEACLOR, CECHLO®, OMNIPURE, ClorTec, SANILEC® and BALPURE®. The exclusive access to De Nora’s proprietary self-cleaning electrodes for ballast water applications is certainly a unique feature that only De Nora Water Technologies can offer to this growing need of the marine industry” said Luca Buonerba, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer of De Nora.

Optimus Seventh Generation, an Aberdeen headquartered behavioral change consultancy, has strengthened its safety portfolio by securing its first decommissioning contract in a six figure agreement with a major North Sea operator.

The four month contract, which began in May this year, will see Optimus Seventh Generation supply induction training and back to back health and safety advisors to support the safe decommissioning of a floating production, storage and offloading vessel in the North Sea.

Mark Walker, Client Partner at Optimus Seventh Generation said: “Having worked hard to develop our reputation as a major safety and behaviour consultancy to high hazard industries, the whole team is thrilled to secure our first decommissioning contract.

8Optimus-Mark-Walker-Mark Walker, Client Partner at Optimus Seventh Generation

“Breaking into a new sector truly demonstrates that the company’s growth plan is working, with decommissioning having always been a key target for us. The sector is full of opportunity in the current climate where collaboration is key between operators, the supply chain and, more pertinent than ever right now, specialist safety professionals.”

Optimus Seventh Generation will provide training to all contractors through its Induction Plus™ program. The four hour induction is aimed at projects experiencing a large influx of new, often subcontracted, labour during decommissioning and construction projects or shutdowns. It educates the attendees on the company’s expectations with respect to compliance with the company’s safety rules, alongside a motivational element to engage the project team with ‘why’ compliance is important and how they can raise their awareness of the hazards specific to the asset.

Mr. Walker continued: “Our project support business works with clients to influence decision making and behaviour to help deliver their project to plan and without harm to people, plant or production. Our Induction Plus™ when embedded by the presence of Optimus safety advisers, helps influence the decision making of all involved, ensuring rules are being followed and incident free projects are being delivered.

“Diversifying in to new sectors is essential in the current climate. By focusing on meeting client needs during a challenging period for the oil and gas industry we hope to help clients implement significant behavioural change, and deliver operational excellence globally.”

20TCO-Paul-BetteridgeLeading provider of well completion technologies to the global oil and gas industry, TCO has appointed a managing director for its UK division.

With over 35 years’ experience within the energy sector, Paul Betteridge (photo) has been appointed in response to company growth, providing strategic vision and focus on the expansion of the TCO’s global presence.

Prior to joining TCO, Mr. Betteridge worked for AGR, initially appointed as a business development manager in 2008. During this time, he identified key opportunities for the business, including in Israel and was therefore promoted to asset and general manager of newly established AGR Energy Israel. In order to launch the business, he worked with the Israeli government and local authorities to obtain the required approvals for offshore activity and helped AGR to achieve seven offshore licenses and drill one deep-water exploration well.

Latterly, he was promoted to vice president of AGR seabed intervention. Reviewing the business, Mr. Betteridge implemented changes which stabilised the division and resulted in the division being acquired by Marin Subsea in late 2013.

Mr. Betteridge has held numerous roles for Dril‐Quip, Aker Kvaerner Subsea and Vetco Gray. For each of these roles, he has spent time overseas in the Middle East, Norway and South East Asia.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Betteridge says: “I am delighted to have been appointed to lead the TCO UK office as we focus on developing our global presence. In recognition of our sound products and excellent services, the company has achieved rapid growth in recent years and I believe my experience means I am well placed to spearhead our fantastic team to the next stage of our expansion.”

TCO serves the upstream oil and natural gas industry throughout the reservoir life cycle and specialises in the design, manufacture and installation of completion barrier plugs (laminated glass barrier plugs), chemical injection systems, topside chemical injection systems, multi-cycle valves and Annulus Pressure Relief Systems, as well as the provision of tubing-conveyed perforating (TCP) equipment and services.

The company currently employs 130 people across its bases in Aberdeen, Norway, North and South America, Australia, Russia, Africa and the Middle East. This number is expected to grow in the coming months as the company achieves its plans for global growth.

19AnTechs-Type-X-Wellhead-OutletAnTech Ltd, provider of specialist products and services for the upstream oil and gas industry, has reported record results across its product division, with overall sales up by 52% during the last financial year.

As the industry continues to put safety standards at the forefront, the drive to ensure that every well, every platform and pipeline operates safely is essential. As a result, safety practices are improving and technologies continue to evolve in response to market demand, particularly those that monitor permanent completions around-the-clock. AnTech specialises in product technologies that meet the industry’s stringent health, safety and environmental standards, including products that are fully ATEX and IECEx-certified for use in hazardous areas up to Zone 1, whilst meeting NACE and API 6A requirements.

Utilised in some of the most extreme environments around the globe, the majority of AnTech’s product sales are derived from its permanent monitoring and downhole tools product ranges, with the company seeing a significant growth in sales of Wellhead Outlets (WHO) to Australia, USA and Europe. Continued high demand from the Middle East echoes AnTech’s commitment to the area, where it launched its Saudi Arabia premises earlier this year.

Managing director, Toni Miszewski gives an insight into the success of AnTech’s product range: “These excellent results bear testament to our design capability, focus on product quality and customer support. We continue to work closely with the major service companies, and our relationship with them is such that AnTech is now provider of choice for both standard tools and bespoke solutions. That is undoubtedly a crucial component in our success.

“By strengthening the relationships we have with our clients and by building our technical understanding of their requirements, we are working hard to offer a responsive service unlike any other in this field.”

Sales Manager, Tim Mitchell highlights another significant factor in AnTech’s on-going success: “Whilst our entire product range has performed well over the past 12 months, the continued industry focus on tool safety is clearly illustrated through the sales performance of our stripping and splitting tools.

Virtually eliminating the risk of injury whilst preparing to terminate encapsulated line, these tools have seen an impressive sales increase of 300%.”

By focusing on providing the latest product solutions, AnTech now offers a range of world-first fire tested Fibre Optic Wellhead Outlets, certified for use in the most safety conscious oil field environments in the world, including the North Sea.

AnTech also has a Directional Coiled Tubing Drilling Service division, which provides a range of Bottom Hole Assemblies (BHA) for re-entry and grassroots well operations.

18BMT-Group Sir-John-HoodBMT Group, the leading international maritime design, engineering and risk management consultancy, has announced the appointment of Sir John Hood KNZM as Chairman of BMT Group Ltd with effect from 1 October 2015, following the retirement of Dr Neil Cross at the end of BMT’s financial year on 30 September.

Sir John Hood is a non-executive Director of BG Group plc and WPP plc, Chairman of Urenco Ltd (from which he will retire later this year), Matakina Ltd, and Study Group Ltd; President and Chief Executive Officer of the Robertson Foundation; and Chair of the Rhodes Trust and Teach For All. For five years Sir John served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford and, before that, as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland after a successful career at Fletcher Challenge, New Zealand’s largest industrial conglomerate.

With a Bachelor of Engineering and a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Auckland, Sir John was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford where he read for an MPhil in Management Studies. He was appointed a Knight Companion to the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2014.

Peter French, Chief Executive, BMT Group comments: “We are delighted that Sir John is joining BMT as Chairman in the new financial year. The group will benefit significantly from his wealth of experience of international business and analytical rigour. I am sure that he will bring an original perspective to our business and help us to remain at the forefront of innovation and design in maritime engineering

“I shall, of course, be sad to see the retirement from BMT of our current Chairman, Dr. Neil Cross. Neil has been with BMT for a total of 18 years and has for the last nine years been our Chairman, in which time the Board has implemented strategies that have seen us weather challenging times, nearly double our turnover to £165m and make distributions of £44m to our staff. The Board and the staff of the whole group wish Neil a very happy and long retirement.”

WOC Expands with Global Provider of Integrated Shipping, Logistics, and Marine Services

16-1woc logoThe GAC Group has become a member of the World Ocean Council (WOC), the international business alliance for Corporate Ocean Responsibility, as part of its commitment to sustainability.

As an active WOC member, the Dubai-headquartered GAC Group will support international initiatives that promote ocean sustainable development and will continue to actively pursue developments that reduce the environmental impact of shipping. GAC Group’s over 9,000 professionals at its offices in more than 50 countries around the world are encouraged to take initiatives that reduce the impact of business on the communities they serve and operate in.

Christer Sjödoff, GAC Group Vice President – Commercial, said: “The sea is our natural habitat, so it makes sense that we should do everything in our power to make sure it is sustained. The mission and goals of the World Ocean Council resonate well with our own determination to serve shipping and other sectors that use the world’s oceans in a way that protects and preserves the delicate marine ecosystem, and the environment as a whole.”

16-2GAClogoGAC’s commitment to sustainability is demonstrated through its efforts to develop services like HullWiper, GAC EnvironHull’s diver-free underwater hull cleaning system that reduces fuel consumption whilst protecting the sea from contamination by removed fouling, alien species and chemical or toxic substances.

In addition, GAC-SMHI Weather Solutions – a strategic alliance between GAC and the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) – provides ship owners and operators valuable tools to plan their routes to avoid heavy weather, thus boosting fuel efficiency and reducing the risk of a loss at sea and the resulting ecological and material costs.

“As a Group, GAC takes the long view for sustainable results,” added Sjödoff. “We depend on the seas for a large part of our business, so it is our joint responsibility to ensure that the oceans are protected today, tomorrow and into the future.”

“We also look forward to the 3rd WOC Sustainable Ocean Summit, held in Singapore in November this year, and encourage other leadership companies to be a part of this unique multi-industry conference on global Corporate Ocean Responsibility” Sjödoff concludes.

Paul Holthus, WOC founding President and CEO, added that: “The WOC is proud to welcome the GAC Group to the growing WOC global alliance of leadership companies. The WOC is generating significant interest from companies in the Mideast and Asia. GAC is exemplary of the companies that have a long term commitment to sustainability and are proving it by developing innovative business solutions to reduce industry impacts on the marine environment and improve shipping safety and efficiency.”

10FMClogoFMC Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: FTI) announced on Monday, that it has received an order from BP Exploration (Shah Deniz) Ltd. to supply subsea production systems for Well Clusters 3-5 of the Shah Deniz Stage 2 project in the Caspian Sea. The order has an estimated value of $297 million in revenue and is in addition to the initial order for Well Clusters 1-2 received in 2014 from BP, the operator of the Shah Deniz Stage 2 project. The Shah Deniz field is located offshore in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea, approximately 100km south of Baku.

"This award continues our multi-year support for BP on this project," said Tore Halvorsen, FMC Technologies' Senior Vice President, Subsea Technologies. "Our close cooperation on this project has accelerated the transition to the manufacturing stage and enabled us to reduce the lead time delivering the project."

20Ceona-Mark-PreeceCeona, SURF contractor with deepwater subsea construction capabilities, has announced today that the company’s executive vice president commercial and business development, Mark Preece, has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Mark takes over from current CEO, Steve Preston, who after 40 years in the industry has decided to retire from operational management and step down. Steve has worked tirelessly to establish Ceona as a key subsea player over the last three years, having been a prime mover and overseeing the construction of the company’s purpose-built flagship, Ceona Amazon.

John Smith, chairman at Ceona, said: “Steve is an inspirational leader who has worked with our teams to develop the strong building blocks for our business. His dedication to seeing the Ceona Amazon come to fruition, combined with his passion for innovation, saw him lead the project from design concept right through to the successful launch of the next generation, hybrid field development vessel, on time and on budget.

“We are sorry to see Steve go and extend our best wishes to him for the future, and look forward to Mark building on the foundations he has laid. Mark is a highly-experienced industry figure who has been involved with the subsea market for over 32 years. We believe he will be well placed to lead Ceona through what is an extremely challenging market environment for the industry as a whole.

“Our industry is cyclic and we remain confident in the long-term fundamentals for the deepwater subsea sector. The Ceona team, with the Amazon, will deliver a quality, cost-effective service, while our focus continues to involve working with all our stakeholders to ensure that our cost base is aligned to come through this down cycle strongly.”

Mr Preece said of his appointment: “Working with Steve has been great and he leaves some big shoes to fill. But with the team’s support, especially chief operating officer Stuart Cameron, who has been fundamental in getting the company this far, and despite the strong head winds, I feel optimistic for the future.”

Ceona is a SURF and heavy subsea construction contractor in the deepwater market, specialising in full-service engineering, pipelay and construction project management and execution, including floater installation (Semi, TLP, SPAR). The company has already established an impressive track record which has seen it expand into West Africa, the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil.

The ground-breaking Ceona Amazon is a powerful, purpose-built hybrid vessel that can execute complex logistical projects in remote, harsh and deepwater territories in one trip. Designed to deliver full flexible or full rigid pipelay, she can change easily and quickly between each mode within five days and is weather resilient. Due to her on-board capacity – the Amazon has a deck area of 4,600m2 and the ability to carry 9,500te of pipe on deck and in her two holds – she can carry more product than any other of her counterparts while the multiple, vertical-lay pipelay system features a top tension of 600 tonnes and capable to lay rigid pipe to 3,000m (10,000 ft) water depth.

The Amazon can cover the majority of deepwater field development needs including 100% of tie-backs while her two 400te cranes, which have been designed to operate in tandem to support work in water depths of up to 3,000m (10,000 ft), enabling her to lay manifolds and other structures. Ceona, which is backed by majority shareholder Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, has offices in London, Aberdeen and Houston, with strategic partners in Brazil and West Africa.

Ceona is certified by DNV to ISO 9001, 14001 and OHSAS 18001 standards. FPAL supplier number: 10053050 – Achilles ID: 29319 www.ceona-offshore.com

19Wild-Well-ControlWild Well Control, Inc., a Superior Energy Services company and a global leader in firefighting and well control, introduces its exclusive well control training certification program designed to meet the ever-changing needs of the industry by offering a complete selection of action-oriented well control training curricula, which includes both team and individual well control simulator exercises. A first in the industry, Wild Well’s well control training certification program can provide, at the student’s / company’s request, a Competency Report based on the individual simulator exercises, which can be forwarded to the company for their internal HR documentation and to identify additional training requirements if needed.

While continuing to offer IADC and IWCF well control certification options, Wild Well enters the certification arena with a strong 40-year history as an industry-recognized leader in global well control operations, engineering and training services. In 2014, Wild Well trained more than 13,000 students at its well control training centers located throughout the US, UK and Middle East.

The Wild Well certification program meets the standards of other well control certification programs yet further enhances its offerings by focusing on job-specific tasks that provide skill-specific competencies through the use of individualized computer simulations, team-based solution development for well control scenarios and student-driven discussions. Moreover, the Wild Well program offers instruction geared toward regional operations, providing a more efficient use of class time. When they successfully complete the program, students earn a two-year well control certificate similar to other well control certification programs. In addition to an adult training methodology for skill evaluation, the Competency Report, which is exclusive to our certification program, provides students with detailed feedback from completed simulator exercises.

Wild Well clients will now have the option of taking well control certification training for driller and supervisor levels under the IADC WellCAP®, IADC WellSHARP™, IWCF or Wild Well program as determined by their specific well control training needs.

Wild Well certification program classes begin July 6. For online registration and a complete listing of upcoming IADC WellCAP, IADC WellSHARP, IWCF and Wild Well certification program training, visit www.wildwell.com

17Xodus-Andrew-Sewell-1Xodus Group has promoted Andrew Sewell to the role of Global Subsurface Lead to drive forward its global subsurface capabilities. Mr Sewell has more than 24 years’ experience working in the oil and gas industry, initially as a Geophysicist, and joined Xodus in 2012 as Subsurface Manager. He previously worked with Senergy (now LR Senergy) as Region Manager for Europe and Africa. He started his career with Schlumberger after graduating from Cambridge University with a MA in Physics in 1991.

Mr Sewell has worked across Africa, the Middle East and Europe delivering projects including geophysical reviews, field development plans and due diligence investigations. Recent and ongoing projects he is managing include exploration projects in Kenya and field development projects in Kurdistan and Nigeria.

“In the current market conditions operators are looking to reduce costs and maximise production from mature or marginal fields,” said Mr Sewell. “In addition, the M&A market is becoming increasingly active as oil and gas companies look to buy production and financial companies are now looking to invest in oil and gas companies/assets.

“Xodus Subsurface is well placed to support all types of companies in this dynamic marketplace. We boast a global team of multi-disciplined talent covering exploration and production, with a strong pedigree and track record in supporting M&A deals. By combining this broad wealth of knowledge with the latest software technologies, we can propel our capabilities to deliver high standard products with innovative solutions, efficiently and cost-effectively.”

Xodus’ subsurface offering manages all technical aspects of exploration and reservoir development and includes the core disciplines of geology, geophysics, petrophysics and reservoir engineering, as well as more niche skill sets required for activities such as fracture characterisation. The company provides technical services to E&P companies, investors, start-ups, governments and regulatory bodies, and also expert services to a wide range of private equity businesses and other financial institutions.

Steve Swindell, COO of Xodus said: “We predict a huge growth in subsurface services and are optimistic about the potential out there. Our seamless integration of services from exploration through production and development can greatly enhance the quality of what we deliver as well as saving valuable project time. Andrew’s experience and passion for his field of expertise inspires and motivates the team and I’m confident his ambitions in this new role will be realised.”

11Harry-Gandhi-founder-and-chief-executive-of-Unique-GroupUnique Group, a leading integrated subsea and offshore solution provider, has set in place measures to double its size and global infrastructure by 2019 through capital investment, acquisitions and expansion into key markets.

With a current turnover in excess of $100m, the company has restructured its worldwide organization into five new business units, to capitalize on Unique Group’s current and future market sectors.

The first expansion into new sectors is the launch of Unique Group’s range of technically advanced products for Dive Support Vessels (DSVs), the result of three years of research and development and significant investment by the group. As offshore operations move increasingly into deeper and more challenging environments, the DSV market will become significant in Unique Group’s growth.

The business has made three senior appointments to oversee the expansion in key growth areas. Within Unique Group, Mike Jessop has been promoted to global head of diving. The group has also recruited leading figures from within the industry: Andy Doggett, former manager of Teledyne CDL has been brought in to head up the new survey equipment division; and Steve McMillan, former head of diving at McDermott, has been appointed as global HSE & projects director.

Harry Gandhi, Founder and CEO said: “In the field of oil and gas survey, exploration and oil recovery, the forecast of future demand outweighs current supply levels. It is crucial that the industry does not stand still and that we all prepare for projected upturns.

“Current market conditions have led some companies, especially smaller ones, to be overcautious and almost come to a standstill, instead of finding new ways to remain competitive and sustainable.

“We have over 200 engineering specialists across six global regions and a streamlined, multidisciplinary offering. We work with the best vendors and ultimately we offer our customers in the offshore and subsea sectors the most cost-effective solutions for their businesses, whether bespoke or off the shelf.

“We are excited to be entering this latest chapter in our history and I am more than confident that we’ll reach our 2019 growth target.

Unique Group is known for its offshore, onshore and subsea engineering expertise, as well as its brands, Hydra and Seaflex, which are world-leading in diving equipment and buoyancy and ballast respectively.

The full range of specialist services has been streamlined into five complementary multi-site divisions and rebranded under the Unique Group name. The company is still led by its founder Harry Gandhi alongside a long-standing management team that includes his son, Sahil Gandhi, as group executive director. Unique Group will announce a further series of senior global appointments in the coming weeks and the acquisitions will be made public once complete.

2Okeanus LogoThe high-resolution multi-bean sonar is part of a specialized inventory of hydrographic and geophysical equipment.

2Okeanus-M3 Multibeam SonarHOUMA, La. – Okeanus Science and Technology (Okeanus) is pleased to announce the acquisition of a new multi-beam system to its portfolio of oceanographic and scientific research rental equipment. The Kongsberg Mesotech M3 Sonar in combination with the OE10-102 Electric Multi-Purpose Pan & Tilt Unit allow subsea survey operators accurate movement and positioning to obtain real-time imaging capabilities of conventional multi-beam sonar with quality imaging comparable to a single-beam sonar.

The Kongsberg Mesotech M3 Sonar offers both imaging and profiling capabilities in the field of hydrographic and geophysical survey. The sonar is used for high-resolution site clearance surveys, ROV navigation, and shallow water multi-bean profiling surveys. The M3 Sonar can detect small objects out to 150 meters with real-time, high quality imaging offering significant time savings to the operator.

The Kongsberg Mesotech M3 Sonar is equipped with the OE10-102 Electric Multi-Purpose Pan & Tilt Unit offering exceptional torques (up to 35Nm from a 24V power input) and positioning performance. The Pan & Tilt Unit provides accurate 2 axes movement and positioning while directing cameras and sonar equipment. Its performance in the harshest subsea environments is continuous due to high shock and vibration tolerance, environmental and electrical protection features, and a pressure compensation unit with a depth rating of up to 6,000 msw.

Along with the M3 Sonar, Okeanus has an extensive portfolio of hydrographic and geophysical rental equipment including a variety of echo sounders, side-scan sonars, sub-bottom profilers, and magnetometers. The ability to lease equipment meant to aid in the measurement of features in relation to offshore oil exploration, drilling, marine construction, dredging, and navigation alleviates project challenges and budgetary constraints.

“The acquisition of these multi-beam sonars and pan & tilt units add another exciting dimension to our hydrographic and geophysical survey rental equipment portfolio’” stated Benton LeBlanc, Vice President and General Manager of Okeanus. “Our customers have spoken, and we are listening. We have noticed a great response to this addition, which is proof that we are creating value for our customers by allowing them to lease these assets rather than having to purchase them. In addition to our Simrad Echo Sounders, Klein Side-Scan Sonars, EdgeTech Sub-Bottom Profiling Units, and our Geometrics Magnetometers, the Kongsberg M3 Sonar systems further solidify our position as a premier provider of hydrographic and geophysical rental equipment.”

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