Paragon Offshore plc ("Paragon") (NYSE: PGN) has announced that Julie A. Ferro has been appointed Vice President – Human Resources with responsibilities that include human resources, administration, learning and development, performance management, employee relations, recruiting and retention.

Ms. Ferro has more than 18 years of human resources experience working for both public and private companies in the energy and commercial real estate industries including her most recent role as Vice President – Human Resources at Endeavour International Corporation. She also spent three years as a Managing Director for a leading compensation consulting firm in Houston. Ms. Ferro has a BA degree from the University of Houston, and is a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), a Certified Executive Compensation Professional (CECP), a Certified Equity Professional (CEP), and a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR).

"We are extremely pleased that a professional of Julie's caliber has joined our management team," said Randall D. Stilley, President and Chief Executive Officer of Paragon. "She brings a wealth of experience to the role which will be critical in ensuring Paragon maintains and enriches the quality and capabilities of our global employee base, key differentiators of Paragon in both our competitive business and a challenging macro environment."

Oil & Gas Veteran Sees More Opportunities in Low Oil Price Environment

ABIS Projects has won a clutch of contracts worth around £1million over the next 15 months. The oil and gas project services consultancy has secured frame agreements and call-off contracts with ADTI, Hunting, Talisman Sinopec and North Sea newcomer, MOL.

Aberdeen-based ABIS Projects is working with these new clients providing multi-discipline resources covering business strategy, acquisitions, risk, projects and management systems across the supply chain.

Francis Kiernan, who acquired an interest in ABIS Projects earlier this year, said: "With the considerable drop in oil price, the focus in the North Sea once again turns to innovative ways of working which will deliver cost-efficiencies and greater value. A one size fits all approach is no longer sustainable. The ability to take a commodity, whether it be intellectual property, material, goods or supply chain risk and turn it into a value proposition is now required".

The oil price has dropped by more than 25% in recent months and Mr Kiernan said that this is exacerbated by high production costs. "Unit operating costs have risen 62% since 2011. The industry has lost sight of achieving optimal value for minimal cost. We need a much better alignment of cost and value."

Mr Kiernan, who has been involved in the oil and gas industry for over 30 years, has been through several downturns. He said: "The cyclical economics of oil and gas are nothing new and we are already dipping into a downturn. I reckon we will have three years of challenging times before we get back to the highs of this summer. And these challenges are going to be similar to the ones we faced in the early nineties when the UKCS contracting model changed dramatically, when there was fundamentally a balance sheet transfer from the oil company to the supplier."

During this coming period, companies will be focused on doing things smarter. Mr Kiernan believes that oil companies will be more willing to look at creative opportunities to work with suppliers who have the flexibility to expand in a contracting market because they are willing to work more innovatively.

"While this is not good news for the big service companies, who need to pursue volume and service their overheads, it is good news to the smaller companies who can interpret and deliver what an oil company needs and meet that need through a boutique service with high-end intellectual property and value.

"Smaller, nimbler oil companies, like MOL, have clear terms of reference and want to engage with suppliers on how they can really work together to deliver value and not just add cost," Mr Kiernan said. "Suppliers, like Hunting Energy Services, who are growing and maturing with a unique offering in the marketplace, are able to offer what their customers want which is a reduction in inventory and capital balance to allow their clients to shift their focus forward to exploration and development."

Mr Kiernan is also forecasting opportunities in the Norwegian sector for UK companies. He explained: "Norway has invested heavily in best-in-class technology and operations but the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) has reached a production plateau. Having peaked in terms of high end capital investment, the NCS must now embrace more effective business models and contractual arrangements to regain competitiveness. This will lead to the recalibration we saw in the UKCS in the nineties, which until now, Norway has resisted and potentially open up opportunities for UK companies who learnt the lesson of optimal value for minimal cost and are prepared to return to this mind-set."

Mr Kiernan has served as a of several companies in the UK and Scandinavia including Nexus Ltd, Aker Operations, Aker Kvaerner, Kvaerner Oil and Gas, Dietsmann Morgan Moore and Press Offshore/AMEC

BMT Asia Pacific, a subsidiary of BMT Group, the leading international maritime design, engineering and risk management consultancy, has appointed Joanne Tse as Head of Risk Management based in Hong Kong. The new appointment will help support the regional growth of risk consultancy services - principally in the transportation and construction sectors.

Joanne will be actively involved in developing and managing risk projects for our growing client base. She brings more than 15 years of experience in the rail industry specialising in risk assessment and management, safety assurance, and corporate/enterprise risk management.

Rejoining BMT after three years at Willis Insurance Brokers, Joanne's previous tenure focussed on rail engineering projects involving operational and construction project risks. She delivered insurance, risk management and technical services to 15 railway operators, across Asia and worldwide. Additionally, Joanne led underwriters in providing risk surveys to hotel, resort and casino clients and extended professional coverage to the oil refinery industry.

Joanne is actively involved in the wider risk community. She is currently Vice Chairperson of the IET Hong Kong Management Section Committee and has acted as facilitator for numerous risk identification workshops, as well as providing strategic risk management consultancy to the Hong Kong Government.

As a specialist qualified by The Institute of Risk Management (IRM) in business continuity and crisis management, Joanne is experienced in disaster recovery consulting work in the telecommunication and logistic industries.

Joanne is a Chartered Engineer. She holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and an MBA from the City University of Hong Kong.

AVEVA has announced the opening of its new office in Aberdeen, further strengthening its growing global network. The office will offer sales and support for all of AVEVA's solut'We have worked with our customers in Aberdeen for many decades,' said Richard Longdon, CEO, AVEVA (photo). 'This office represents our continued commitment to these strategic companies and the wider region. Aberdeen is, and will remain, a key location for the oil & gas industry with the expertise in Aberdeen exported throughout the world.'

The new premises is based at the prestigious Arnhall Business Park, which is home to some of the largest oil & gas companies in Aberdeen including Technip, Subsea 7 and TAQA.

'At AVEVA we put customer service first, recognizing that it's one of the things that gives us a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Having a presence where our clients are based creates stronger relationships and enables us to be more responsive to their requirements,' commented Helmut Schuller, Executive Vice President, Group Sales, AVEVA. 'Aberdeen is a key city servicing the North Sea oil & gas hub, which is estimated to be producing 1.5 million barrels of oil per day into 2020. Some 26% of the city's jobs are in the oil & gas Industry. We are delighted to be part of this vibrant ecosystem and our new office will ensure we are in the best possible position to serve our existing and future customers.'

BW Offshore and Seagull Oil & Gas are cooperating to develop industry-leading training material for the offshore industry.

Building on a training relationship stretching back almost two decades, BW Offshore and Seagull are developing new training material to cover BW Offshore's process and production operations.

"This is a great opportunity for Seagull Oil & Gas," says Morten Aasen, Managing Director, Seagull Oil & Gas. "We have the ambition to offer the most comprehensive training library for the oil & gas industry, and BWO Offshore is an ideal partner for us. To support our ambition we have acquired all intellectual rights of the educational material developed by Norwegian Petroleum Academy. This is the official educational material used by technical colleges in Norway. We are building a comprehensive e-learning library based on the educational material, and by partnering with industry leaders like BW Offshore we aim to offer exactly what the industry needs."

"BW Offshore has an ambition to always be at the forefront when it comes to training of our offshore crew," says Dagfinn Hatleskog, BW Offshore Senior Vice President Oceanic Fleet. "We have worked with Seagull for many years on the maritime part of our operations, and we are delighted to see that Seagull now also focuses on production and process related topics. Seagull and BW Offshore share the idea that training is most effective offshore using real equipment, where the crews are already on duty."

Well management and performance improvement specialist Exceed has announced significant growth in 2014, reaching its target turnover of £15 million. In addition, the expansion of its Aberdeen team adds 10 new business support positions to the head office, including the appointment of a global business development manager. Founded in 2005, the Aberdeen-based company now employs a team of 75 with an international presence in Canada, Ghana, Kenya, Myanmar and Malaysia.

During the course of 2014 Exceed has expanded its client portfolio, resulting in a contracts value in excess of £5million, and is targeting business growth in new strategic markets in 2015.

Ian Mills, Exceed founder and director & Al Brockie, Exceed well management director

Exceed established an impressive track record as a performance improvement specialist before diversifying in 2009 to launch the industry's first wells management team to focus on deepwater well delivery, delivering projects in the Black Sea, East Mediterranean and Indonesia. The company continues to trail blaze, currently planning the very first deepwater campaign in Myanmar, expected to commence in early 2015.

The establishment of Exceed Canada in 2013 followed an agreement with two Canadian operators to provide high-calibre wells teams to support their existing drilling programmes. Exceed now has a team of harsh environment drilling experts supporting operations offshore on three rigs East Coast Canada.

In keeping with Exceed's strategy of client demand-led growth and diversification, a new enterprise is being established in Ghana driven by a high degree of confidence in the growth of the region following the announcement of the TEN deepwater field development offshore Ghana and other emerging opportunities in the Gulf of Guinea.

Exceed founder and director Ian Mills, who has 30 years' experience in the oil and gas industry including senior drilling roles at Shell and BP, said: "This year, we have experienced an increase in client-led enquiries across the business and as a result of the increased number of projects, we have invested heavily in our recruitment.

"2014 has been an exciting year for the company, with new projects enabling us to build on our international footprint while strengthening our presence in Canada and Africa. In 2015, our aim will be to look at further prospects in South East Asia and Brazil. We are also excited by the contracts we have been awarded and delivered in Iraq and Kenya which reinforces our industry reputation. The fact that we have been requested to support land-based well construction projects, which are typically much lower cost operation, highlights the clients' belief and commitment in our performance improvement solutions."

Exceed's Performance Improvement division has a proven track record of helping clients save millions of pounds by improving safety and increasing rig productive time, typically by 10-15%.

Exceed launched its well management service with the aim to become the world's preferred wells specialists partnering with clients to develop prospects without incidents and at the lowest possible cost of access. The key benefits to Exceed's target market – NOCs and the independent IOCs – include the calibre and training of its people and its track record for consistently delivering well objectives safely, on time, and within budget.

SeaRobotics Corp. announces that Scott Olson has been hired as a Project Engineer in the company's Stuart Florida office.

Olson joins SeaRobotics after serving as chief engineer for Chariot Robotics. He is a project and systems engineer with over 28 years of experience in ocean engineering, project management and marine operations including the design, operation, fabrication and maintenance of marine systems for oil & gas, salvage and scientific applications. He is qualified as a pilot of both manned and un-manned underwater vehicles.

Previously Mr. Olson served as a Project Engineer at Perry Slingsby Systems, an underwater vehicle manufacturer, from 2007 to 2010. Prior to that he was a Systems Engineer at Phoenix International, a deep-sea salvage company with the US Navy from 2002 to 2007, as well as a Systems Engineer/Pilot with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution from 1988 to 2002. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida Institute of Technology, Jensen Beach in 1986. He has also completed numerous graduate courses at the University of Maryland in Systems Engineering.

In his new position, Olson will work with new and existing product lines at SeaRobotics including the HullBUG cleaning vehicle as well as projects associated with the design and deployment of subsea fiber optic networks. "We are very excited to have Scott join SeaRobotics," said SeaRobotics president Don Darling, "and we look forward to working with Scott and putting his extensive hands-on engineering experience to work in this very important role."

2H Offshore, an Acteon company, has invested in improved office facilities in Malaysia and Australia, to support ongoing growth in the Asia Pacific region.

"The subsea oil and gas industry in Asia Pacific continues to grow rapidly," said Hugh Howells, principal director at 2H Offshore. "Expanding our offices in the region will help us to support existing clients and enable us to meet the increasing demand for our specialist, riser and conductor engineering services."

Perth Office

Both offices have improved facilities, additional meeting rooms and enhanced conference facilities and maintain a close proximity to a large number of 2H's major clients, to underpin ongoing progress in the Asia Pacific region.

Hugh Howells, principal director of 2H, commented, "We are very pleased with the growth that 2H has achieved in Perth and Malaysia over the past four and six years respectively, and anticipate further strengthening of our team with additional engineering professionals over the next few years. Our new facilities provide an improved environment for our team and increased capacity that will allow us to take on a greater number of projects for our clients."

The two new office addresses are as follows:

2H Offshore
Suite 31-1
31st Floor
Wisma UOA 2
21 Jalan Pinang
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2H Offshore
Level 8
1008 Hay Street
Perth, 6000, Australia

JDR is pleased to announce the appointment of David Currie as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors, effective 12 January 2015.

David is an accomplished industry leader with nearly 30 years' experience in the global offshore energy industry, most recently the UK Regional President for Aker Solutions. Previously to that he spent the bulk of his career at FMC Technologies where he held a range of senior positions, the last of which was Director of Global Subsea Operations.
JDR's Executive Chairman, Pat Herbert, said: "I am delighted to welcome David to JDR. He brings a vast wealth of experience in the global subsea industry. His commercial knowledge of JDR's key markets will be a valuable asset to the company as we develop our products and services for offshore oil, gas and renewables markets."

David will focus on developing JDR's commercial opportunities, creating new opportunities for the company's industry-leading products and services; from subsea production umbilicals, IWOCS and power cables to aftermarket and installation services. David will be based in the UK, travelling frequently between JDR's key oil and gas markets around the world.
David Currie commented: "It's an exciting time to be joining JDR. With our continuing focus on technology and customer success, we are well positioned to support our partners in the challenges our markets face both today and in the long term."

Ranger Offshore, Inc., a leading global marine and subsea construction and support services contractor to the offshore oil and gas industry has closed the previously announced agreement to acquire Technip USA's diving assets.

Highlights:
• Strategic acquisition – supporting Ranger's next phase of growth, including:
◦ Multi-year preferred sub-contractor agreement to provide diving services to Technip USA
◦ Further capacity to deploy additional diving spreads and broaden its growing customer base in existing markets
◦ Expansion into key new markets in Africa and South East Asia

• Assets include:
◦ Two multi-service support vessels - The MSV Global Orion and The MSV Normand Commander
◦ Saturation diving systems, a hyperbaric receiving facility, surface compression chambers, launch and recovery systems, diving control systems and other ancillary diving equipment
◦ Staff, including divers, supervisors and shore based support and project management teams that have a strong track record of operational excellence

The assets have established accreditation and decades of proven performance, along with best-in-class diving procedures that meet the strict standards of major oil companies, large independents, and top tier contractors.

Bill Lam, CEO of Ranger commented,
"This acquisition gives Ranger additional critical capacity to enhance our service offerings, grow with and serve our existing customers, and capture new business opportunities. In particular, we are now well-positioned to execute our strategic plan to grow into key global regions such as Africa and Southeast Asia, where current market demand for our services far outpaces existing qualified capacity.

We have already made significant advances in preparing and managing the integration of these assets into the wider Ranger Group and, with the acquisition closing on schedule, we look forward to continuing with the next phases of our growth plan."

The Company was advised by Pareto Securities on this transaction. Pareto Securities is an independent full service investment bank headquartered in Oslo, with more than 350 employees located in offices throughout Scandinavia and in Houston, New York, London, Calgary, Singapore, Rio de Janeiro and Perth, Australia. Pareto Securities has a leading position within the international energy sectors and is actively providing M&A advice and capital markets services to companies globally.

Trond Rokholt and Torjus Berge, Managing Directors in the Houston office of Pareto Securities said, "We were delighted to support the team at Ranger in advising on this transaction and financing. The successful completion of the acquisition of assets from Technip will form the basis of the company's next stage of growth. In particular it will support development into new but known international markets, where an evident demand supply gap exists."

Teledyne Marine Systems group, leading providers of undersea vehicles and subsea infrastructure, has announced that SeaBotix, part of the recent Bolt Technology Corporation acquisition by parent company Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, will join the Marine Systems group of companies.

SeaBotix is a world leading manufacturer of innovative and diverse underwater observation class MiniROVs designed to perform a multitude of tasks that include maritime security, search and recovery, hull, pipeline and infrastructure inspection, hazardous environment intervention, aquaculture, sensor deployment, oceanographic research, nuclear applications and more. SeaBotix continues to deliver revolutionary advancements to its diverse portfolio of MiniROV systems that are responsive to demanding professional applications.

"We are excited to have SeaBotix join the Teledyne Marine Systems group of companies." said Vice President and Group General Manager, Thomas W. Altshuler. "We see strong synergy between their innovative remotely operated vehicles and the tethered and autonomous vehicles produced by our existing organization."

SeaBotix will operate under the name Teledyne SeaBotix from their current location in San Diego, California. To learn more about Teledyne SeaBotix visit www.SeaBotix.com.

Ensco plc (NYSE:ESV) announces that Carey Lowe has been promoted to Executive Vice President reporting directly to CEO and President Carl Trowell. He will be responsible for overseeing investor relations, public relations, employee communications and branding, led by Vice President Sean O'Neill, as well as strategy, headed by Vice President Michael Howe, and human resources, directed by Vice President Maria Silva.

Mr. Lowe was most recently Senior Vice President – Eastern Hemisphere where he led operations for Europe, Africa, Middle East and the Asia Pacific region. He will continue to be based in London. Mr. Lowe joined Ensco in 2008 as Senior Vice President and has led capital projects, engineering, strategic planning, the deepwater fleet, and safety, health and environmental management.

Steve Brady will succeed Mr. Lowe as Senior Vice President – Eastern Hemisphere and relocate to London. Mr. Brady was previously Senior Vice President – Western Hemisphere based in Houston.

Gilles Luca has been appointed Senior Vice President – Western Hemisphere. His prior roles include Vice President – Strategy, Vice President – Brazil and Vice President – Europe and Mediterranean. Mr. Brady and Mr. Luca will continue to report directly to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Burns.

"Ensco has a deep bench of talented senior managers," said CEO and President Carl Trowell. "These promotions highlight our commitment to career development and will further strengthen our company."

Tesla Offshore LLC, a leading offshore survey service provider, has announced the retirement of Randall P. Bergeron (left) as President and CEO of the company effective December 15, 2014.

It was also announced that Tesla Offshore co-founder, and current Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, C. D. Schempf, Jr., (right) will assume the leadership role as President of Tesla Offshore. Fellow co-founder, Donald W. Spicer, will continue in his role as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the company.

In a message to Tesla Offshore employees, Bergeron said that while his tenure at the helm has afforded him a wealth of life experiences and professional relationships with remarkable people from around the world, in all of his thirty-four years in the industry, " ... nothing has compared to the privilege of leading the employees of Tesla Offshore LLC and the joy of watching our families grow and prosper together as we set out to provide the best possible survey services available". Beginning in early 2015, Bergeron will assume the role of Executive Director of Tesla Offshore LLC, and continue to contribute as a valuable member of Tesla Offshore leadership.

C.D. Schempf, Jr. is a nineteen year veteran of the offshore survey service industry and, together with Bergeron, Spicer and two others, established Tesla Offshore LLC in 2004. Then, as now, the company adheres to a simple, yet uncompromising, business philosophy: Demand integrity of yourself and your co-workers; Offer only the highest quality compliant products and services; and, Focus on customer satisfaction as the best measure of success. That these characteristics remain a guiding force at Tesla Offshore today is no accident, says Schempf, but a conscious commitment "to keep integrity, quality and regard for customer service as the primary focus of business relationships today and into the future".

As from January 1st 2015, the Exploration and Production Branch of Total will be restructured with five geographical divisions, an Exploration division and five functional divisions. Arnaud Breuillac, President Exploration & Production, stated: "These changes are made with the objective to improve efficiency and adapt to the challenges the Group is facing.

The new organization is as follows:

• Africa division headed by Guy Maurice 

• Americas division headed by Michel Hourcard 

• Asia Pacific division headed by Olivier de Langavant* 

• Europe and Central Asia division headed by Michael Borrell (merge of Northern Europe and Continental Europe – Central Asia divisions) 

• Middle East and North Africa division headed by Stéphane Michel 
• Exploration division headed by Kevin McLachlan 

• Quality Health Safety Societal Security Environment division headed by Pierre Bang ;

• Technical support to operations division and Development division headed by André Goffart 

• Strategy Growth Research division headed by Martin Deffontaines** 

• Corporate Affairs headed by Namita Shah.

Ladislas Paszkiewicz, currently Vice President of Americas division, will be appointed Senior Vice President Mergers & Acquisitions in the Finance Division.

* Until March 1st 2015, Jean-Marie Guillermou will remain Vice President for Asia Pacific division and Olivier de Langavant Vice President Strategy Growth Research division.
** Effective March 1st 2015

Click here to see the biographies 

Hoover Container Solutions ("Hoover"), a leading provider of chemical tanks, cargo carrying units and related products and services to the global energy, petrochemical and related industrial end markets, has entered into an agreement to partner with First Reserve, the largest global private equity firm exclusively focused on energy. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

One of the global industry leaders in oilfield fluids container solutions, Hoover operates worldwide through 15 facilities in North and South America, Europe, Australia, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The company has a rental fleet of approximately 40,000 stainless steel intermediate bulk containers ("IBCs"), 8,000 cargo carrying units and more than 15,000 slings, GPS asset tracking units and other peripheral equipment.

Hoover was the original manufacturer of stainless steel IBCs approximately 50 years ago and has a history of pioneering and innovating material handling solutions since 1911. Hoover has earned a reputation with its loyal customers for being a high-quality service provider.

Hoover provides customer-driven solutions through a vertically integrated model that includes design, manufacturing, maintenance, certification and cleaning services through the entire life cycle of their products. The company's products are critical to the energy and industrial value chain with a business model that is, in First Reserve's view, generally resilient to market cyclicality.

First Reserve believes Hoover's products are exposed to several favorable macro trends, including the continued demand for oilfield production chemicals, further development of offshore and deepwater oil and gas opportunities as well as the continued investment in North American petrochemical facilities.

Donald Young, CEO of Hoover, commented, "After a thoughtful process, we chose First Reserve as our partner to help support Hoover in its next stage of growth. We expect First Reserve will bolster Hoover's already strong financial position and allow us to accelerate our growth plan as well as continue to introduce innovative products and services to the market."

Neil Wizel, managing director of First Reserve, commented, "We are excited to partner with CEO Donnie Young and his management team to progress Hoover's growth strategy focused on providing the energy, petrochemical and general industrial markets with specialized fluid handling and container solutions. We believe Hoover has demonstrated a strong track record of providing its customers with high-quality products and services and that the company is well-positioned for continued expansion in North America and internationally."

BMT Group Ltd, the leading international maritime design, engineering and risk management consultancy, has been recognised in the Global Business Excellence Awards 2014.

The judging panel recognised BMT's continued focus on its staff and how effective communication, management and support was recognised as the cornerstones of the organisation's success. BMT's Employee Engagement Index of 80% compares very favourably with the 'good' industry benchmark of 50% and in the most recent staff survey, 84% of respondents were 'satisfied working for their operating company'.

BMT's Young Professionals Summit held in Bristol, November 2014. BMT's Young Professionals Society (YPS) has been developed to bring together young professionals from across all the BMT companies and provide a platform for them to communicate, collaborate and explore new ideas to further their careers within BMT.

The chairman of the judges said: "BMT Group has differentiated itself by offering its 1,400 employees exceptional benefits and staff initiatives. Its Profit Related Pay scheme is outstanding and to date it has paid out £40 million to staff members. It is also one of the few companies to be established as an Employee Benefit Trust, giving staff a stake in the company and a say in their future. The range of other incentives and benefits are second to none. Consequently, BMT has high levels of staff productivity and loyalty. BMT is an exceptional winner and a role model in its sector."

Peter French, Chief Executive of BMT Group comments: "We are extremely proud to receive this accolade. Engagement with all of our staff is something that we take very seriously because without them, we wouldn't be the successful company we are today."

For over 29 years BMT has gone from strength to strength, providing consultancy services to customers in the defence, energy and environment, government, mining, marine risk and insurance, maritime transport and ports and logistics sectors.