GNSS positioning specialists Veripos has moved to new purpose-built headquarters in Dyce, Aberdeen. The new building incorporates a state-of-the-art network control centre, a research and development laboratory, workshops, a warehouse and dedicated training facilities in addition to an operations centre for the company's Europe, Africa and Middle East Region. The building also houses offices for all other Veripos global and corporate functions.

Commenting on the development, Veripos CEO Walter Steedman said the new premises had been specifically fitted out to meet the requirements of the company's growing client base while ensuring sufficient capacity for future expansion. As such, he added, the investment would enable the company to meet customer expectations for high quality services and superior support well into the future, helping them to work wherever and whenever they needed precise satellite positioning.

P2 Energy Solutions celebrates the opening of its new office in Bangkok, Thailand.

P2 already has a very solid customer base in Thailand - including the national petroleum and exploration company PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) – arising from its acquisition of ISS Group in 2013. P2 has delivered a number of Production Data Management Solutions (PDMS) to PTTEP with additional projects ongoing. P2 also has customers leveraging our joint venture accounting platform, and the opening of the local office provides local support and on the ground resources to our customers.

Customers in the upstream oil and gas sector will benefit from a broad range of P2 products, including Production Operations (built on ISS Group's proven solutions), IDEAS, Reserves Management and Beyond Compliance.

The office will be headed up by new hire Bart Saunders, who joins P2 with seven years' experience in the Thailand upstream oil and gas software solutions domain.

Richard Pang, Senior Vice-President, Asia-Pacific at P2 Energy Solutions commented: "Our new office in Bangkok is an exciting development for P2. We see a lot of opportunities in upstream oil & gas in Thailand, and will be looking to build on our existing relationships as we pursue these. We are also delighted to have Bart on board to lead this push".

Hicks Equity Partners ("HEP"), a private equity firm led by the Thomas O. Hicks family, has announced that its portfolio company, Directional Rentals, Inc., has acquired Reamco, Inc., a company based in Lafayette, La., that manufactures, rents and refurbishes downhole drilling tools and related products used in the drilling industry.

Directional Rentals, Inc., a leading oilfield services company, has also been renamed Drilling Tools International ("DTI") to more accurately reflect the company's mission of renting, manufacturing and selling drilling tools used in bottom hole assemblies to the world's leading oilfield services companies, independent directional drillers and exploration companies, both onshore and offshore.

Reamco specializes in the manufacture and refurbishment of stabilizers, drill collars, reamers and related products and also offers grinding and hardfacing capabilities. Through this strategic acquisition, DTI will expand its machining capabilities and offer even better customer service by shortening turnaround time and improving quality on essential tool repairs. Reamco maintains key certifications from the American Petroleum Institute (API) and is ISO certified.

Reamco's previous owners, Brent Milam and Ashley Lane, have become shareholders in DTI and have joined the company's management team. Milam founded Reamco in 1985 and has served as the company's president since that time. Lane was instrumental in Reamco's founding and returned to the company as chief executive officer (CEO) in 2011 after leading Drilling Logistics, Inc. for several years.

Thomas O. Hicks, chairman and CEO of Hicks Equity Partners, said, "We are delighted by DTI's progress since we acquired the company in 2012. Wayne Prejean and his team have done an outstanding job meeting the needs of a dynamic marketplace and positioning the company for future growth. Likewise, Brent and Ashley have also built an excellent company in Reamco and have cultivated a well-deserved reputation as a leading downhole tool manufacturing company. The combination of these two world class entities creates a more competitive industry participant with expanded capabilities that we expect to drive growth in the international drilling markets."

DTI CEO, Wayne Prejean, added, "The acquisition of Reamco is a 'win-win' that strengthens our strategic position and capabilities through an enhanced ability to aggressively pursue new markets such as deep water drilling. In particular, our customers will benefit as we bring more maintenance and repair operations in-house, allowing us to more efficiently deliver the services they need. We look forward to growing Reamco through key investments in its facilities, equipment and people, which is the true strength of our company."

Milam said, "I am excited to join forces with Wayne Prejean, the DTI team and Hicks Equity Partners. I have dedicated much of my professional career to the development of this company and could not have asked for better partners as we look towards the next phase of our growth.

Lane added, "With the opening of our new sales office in the North Sea and the horsepower and asset base of DTI, I look forward to substantial growth in Europe, West Africa and the Middle East."

Bracewell & Giuliani LLP served as legal counsel to DTI and KPMG provided accounting and tax advice with respect to the transaction.

Bibby Offshore's newest international division, Houston-based Bibby Subsea, has gone from strength to strength since its launch in October last year, having trebled the team in the past four months.

The subsea installation contractor developed the base in North America as part of its continued global growth strategy and to meet the growing demand of its clients in the region. In a bid to further strengthen ties with the region, Aberdeen-based Bibby Offshore last week hosted Houston based HM Consul General, Andrew Millar, the senior official representing the government in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Alongside Aberdeenshire Council Provost Jill Webster, Chief Executive of Subsea UK Neil Gordon, and senior members of Aberdeenshire Council; discussions were held regarding Aberdeenshire's extensive investment into the Subsea Industry and plans to further develop Bibby Offshore's presence in Houston and the Gulf of Mexico.

This expansion plan is already evident with Bibby Subsea having increased its initial Houston team of three to now include Barry Straughan as HSEQ Manager, Daniel Wheeler as Subsea Business Manager, and four offshore personnel. It plans to double the Bibby Subsea workforce by the end of the year.

Mr Straughan brings 37 years' health and safety experience to the team, having previously worked internationally in the subsea industry. Mr Wheeler also complements the team with several years' experience and will provide the team with a wealth of regional expertise and knowledge to develop the company's business opportunities in the Gulf of Mexico.

Andrew Duncan, President and Managing Director of Bibby Subsea, said: "We have received significant interest in the division since its launch, with Bibby Subsea being perfectly positioned to deliver enhanced capabilities and undertake subsea projects using our international fleet of subsea support vessels and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).

"Bibby Subsea's preliminary $1million contract with Cal Dive International to mobilise a work-class remotely operated vehicle (WROV) on Cal Dive International's support vessel in Mexico, the Mystic Viking, is ongoing, with talks in place to increase our ROV presence in the region.

"Market demand for subsea services is forecast to grow by 43% over the next five years, and Bibby Subsea is positioning itself as a major player within the ROV market, with an increased level of in-house capabilities which we can offer to clients."

Bibby Subsea aims to deliver a diverse range of subsea construction projects for operators worldwide. Services include project management and engineering, innovative remotely operated vehicle support vessels (ROVSV) and survey capabilities, diverless intervention, advanced remote systems and tooling packages, in-house survey and data processing, subsea construction support services, and inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM).

UTEC Survey – one of the world's largest independent survey companies – has announced an exclusive, collaborative partnership.

UTEC StarNet, part of the UTEC group of companies, has announced the partnership with Sky Futures for 3D inspection and onshore and offshore asset management. The move further enhances both companies' positions as leaders in the oil and gas, renewable and telecommunications markets.

The relationship will provide clients with a total solution utilizing Sky Futures' advanced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection and measurement services combined with UTEC StarNet's IMDC and laser scan capabilities. These will be delivered through UTEC StarNet's market-leading i-Site™ integrated 3D web-based software package.

Commenting on the announcement, UTEC StarNet's Director of Operations & Business Development, Bill Miller, said: "This partnership reinforces UTEC StarNet and Sky Futures' focus on innovation and technology to enable knowledge-based decision making in complex and challenging environments."

James Harrison, Director, Sky Futures added: "By partnering with UTEC we are able to provide a unique, world-leading service that can be delivered directly to existing and new clients. We're very excited about this, and are looking forward to working with the UTEC family globally."

Sky Futures is a UK-based company providing UAV inspection services to clients globally in the oil and gas, renewable and utilities sectors with world-leading expertise in engineering inspection and reporting using HD video and thermal camera imagery. They have also recently developed proprietary DTL-VU software that is used to measure defects and corrosion.

UTEC StarNet is part of the UTEC group of companies which provides a wide range of survey services including offshore positioning and construction support, metocean, geophysical and AUV surveys, geotechnical sampling and consulting services to the oil, gas and energy industries. With a focus on people, performance, excellence and ethics, the company also offers dimensional control surveys, laser scanning, 3D modeling and the iSITE™ asset management software. UTEC has offices located around the world including: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Italy, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States.

Wood Group Mustang, delivering over 18 years of technical excellence in engineering, design and support services to the process plants industry, promotes Troy Reynolds as general manager, process plants Deer Park.

"Troy's extensive 30-year background in engineering and EPC project management within the refining, petrochemical and power generation sectors builds upon our process plants division to deliver world class services to our current clients, as well as future partners," said Wood Group Mustang Process Plants & Industrial President Curt Watson.

Established in 2006, the Deer Park, TX office focuses on cost-effective revamps and modifications to industrial plants along the Houston Ship Channel and Gulf Coast as part of Wood Group Mustang's process plants division. The division employs engineers and project managers who average more than 20 years with extensive knowledge of project execution in the refining, chemicals, petrochemicals and polymers industries. The office is located at 4400 Highway 225, Deer Park, TX 77536.

Reynolds joined Wood Group Mustang in 2010 and served most recently as site manager for Wood Group Mustang's Lubrizol alliance. Formerly, he was with Ingenia Polymers as the global projects manager, as well as Kiewit Industrial Company and Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation. Reynolds holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and is a registered professional engineer.

Hoover Container Solutions (“Hoover” or the “Company”), has acquired Container Company Ltd. (“Container Company”), a leading supplier of cargo carrying units (“CCUs”) for the offshore oil and gas industry. This acquisition complements Hoover's recent acquisitions of Consult Supply AS and Dolphin Energy Equipment making Hoover one of the largest worldwide suppliers of CCUs.  

Headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, Container Company designs, supplies and services a full range of standard and custom-built CCUs including chemical tanks, baskets, skips, workshops, mini, half height, closed top and freezer containers. Container Company maintains a wide range of CCU sizes with a large, readily-available inventory to meet its customers’ requirements while offering a full repair, maintenance and certification program. With a strong focus on quality, Container Company conducts final product inspections through its in-house test engineers to ensure all units exceed required safety and industry standards including BS7072, BS EN 12079 and DNV 2.7-1.

“This acquisition enables us to better serve our global customers with expanded facilities, products and services. Hoover now has a meaningful footprint in substantially all major offshore energy hubs around the world including Houston, Texas; Scott, New Iberia and Port Fourchon, La.; Aberdeen, Scotland; Stavanger, Norway; Abu Dhabi, UAE; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Perth and Melbourne, Australia; and Macae, Brazil,” said Donald Young, Hoover’s chairman and chief executive officer. “As we continue our international growth plan, it is imperative that we continue to provide quality products, services and solutions to our worldwide customers, and Container Company’s presence and reputation in the Aberdeen market will be a key asset in this expansion program.”  

Andy Drummond, Container Company’s managing director, said, “We believe becoming part of Hoover Group presents Container Company with a great opportunity to work alongside a successful, worldwide organization. This will enable us to provide our clients with a larger product range globally and assist them with products which we previously were unable to supply. The investment that Hoover brings to Container Company enables us to grow the business significantly for the future.”

Niche Products Ltd is pleased to announce that the formal establishment of Niche Produtos do Brasil is now underway. The coming Niche facility will provide in.country manufacturing of subsea control fluids as well as 24 hour technical support for present and future customers.

Mike Mahaney, Vice President at Niche Products LLC stated "We are very pleased to be a player in the most active exploration & production area of the world. The establishment of Niche Produtos do Brasil signifies a major commitment and investment by Niche Products to provide Brazilian customers more choices and value through increased competition and cutting edge field proven technology."

Brad Jeter of Niche Products added "Moving forward we fully anticipate Niche Produtos do Brasil will play a key global role as we support projects both inside and outside of Brazil from this facility. In addition, we are creating skilled job opportunities for Brazilians as we staff and train our manufacturing, laboratory, and support staff personnel."

Niche Products specialize in the offshore industry and have been supplying environmental fluids since the company was founded in 2001. The Pelagic range includes environmental fluids for subsea production control systems, drilling and umbilical storage. Niche currently has manufacturing facilities in Manchester UK, Houston TX and Perth Australia and the new facility in Brazil will ensure customers receive rapid delivery worldwide.

26th March 2014 marked the 25th anniversary of Veripos with its continuing success and growth under new owners, Hexagon AB. From humble beginnings, the Aberdeen-based company has become a strong, widely-respected and truly global provider of precise satellite positioning services.

Veripos started in March 1989 as a joint venture between Brown & Root Survey and Ormston Technology, a specialist marine electronics company based in Hull, UK. Initially, it provided a Differential Global Positioning Service (DGPS) for users in the North Sea based on HF radio transmitters and subsequently extended the partnership to include Osiris, a subsidiary of Boskalis in the Netherlands and TopNav, a subsidiary of CGG in France.

In 1994, Veripos formed an alliance with its Dutch and French partners under the auspices of its then parent organisation, Subsea Offshore, introducing a much broader satellite-based DGPS service which was extended to cover the Gulf of Mexico followed by a progressive expansion of the network and coverage for Brazil, West Africa, the Mediterranean and the Caspian Sea.

Following acquisition of its alliance partners by a competitor in 2002, Veripos subsequently became wholly-owned by its then parent group, Subsea 7, who authorised major expansion plans in late 2004. These led to full global coverage of services in early 2005 that rapidly established the company as the world's second largest supplier of precise satellite positioning services within the globalised marine industry.

In July 2012, Veripos was subsequently spun-out of its parent group and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange and its later continuing success was formally recognised in November 2013 with the honour of "Rising Star" accorded at the European Stock Exchange Awards. At the same time, the company began a major diversification initiative with the launch of its TerraStar service to address the land and nearshore business sectors.

With leading exploration seismic, construction, survey, OSV and drilling contractors among its many clients, Veripos now has over 130 specialist personnel based in eleven sites around the world. Commenting on this milestone, Chief Executive Officer Walter Steedman says "We are immensely proud of our long history in the exciting and quickly- developing industry in which we operate. We look forward to the next 25 years under the guidance of new owners, Hexagon, who have demonstrated their strong commitment to technology and world-leading R&D efforts. The Veripos journey is a remarkable success story which is based on quality products and the superior support services provided by our staff."

Paul Job, engineering manager at independent subsea engineering and training company Jee Ltd, has been appointed to the 2014 Board of Directors for the Pigging Products and Services Association (PPSA).

Mr Job, who is based in Jee’s Aberdeen office, has been appointed as the PPSA’s Associate Member Director, which will see him working with the board to help develop the PPSA’s business strategy and future plans. He will be the first person to officially hold the role, which was formalized earlier this year. 

Mr Job said: “I am honored to begin my tenure on the board of the PPSA, which provides a knowledgeable forum for those in the industry who work within pigging. By becoming more involved in the organization, I look forward to supporting the pigging industry’s upcoming trends and technology as well as welcoming new members to the group, which will allow for further knowledge sharing and networking among the sector.”

Jee has a wide range of pigging capabilities, including pipeline assessment, specification and design of pigging equipment and management of pigging programs. Earlier this month Jee senior subsea engineer Paul Otway shared some of his expertise by presenting a webinar on the company’s capabilities, including pigging in complex environments. 

The PPSA is an international organisation dedicated to the pigging industry. With more than 120 members from 20 countries, they provide information on sourcing equipment and services for pipeline operators. 

Wood Group Mustang promotes Tim Griffin to vice president, industrial operations leading the company's North American industrial division based in Greenville, S.C.

The division serves the automotive, aerospace, industrial manufacturing, pulp and paper and engineered materials industries with a strong focus on providing high-quality, fit-for-purpose solutions for grassroots projects, revamps, facility expansions and modernizations.

"With Tim's 33 years of project management and controls expertise, Wood Group Mustang's industrial division will continue to excel in serving our North American clients from conceptualization through construction and start-up," said Wood Group Mustang Executive Vice President John Dalton, Sr.

Griffin joined Wood Group Mustang in 2011 and served most recently as director of operations for the industrial group and formerly as director of project controls & estimating. He previously was with Fluor Corporation serving their manufacturing and life sciences business unit. Griffin holds
a Bachelor of Science in construction science and management from Clemson University.

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has acquired Norwegian privately owned Deep Water Solutions AS, specialising in lifting applications utilising electric multi drive technology.

"Customer requirements for environmentally friendly solutions are increasing in offshore load handling applications, such as subsea cranes, module handling and LARS (launch and recovery) systems and having Deep Water Solutions' experts in the MacGregor family we enhance and strengthen our multi-drive (electric) technology know-how to be able better to serve and support our customers", says Tom Harald Svennevig, Vice President for MacGregor Advanced Load Handling business. "The owners and operators are looking for vessels designed for worldwide service with a 'clean design' and Green Passport. Clean Design requires minimum fuel consumption, requires no spill philosophy and makes electrical multi drive technology a preferred choice", Mr Svennevig continues.

Award-winning subsea installation contractor, Bibby Offshore, has further expanded its operations in Westhill, Aberdeenshire, with the opening of a purpose built workshop and warehouse facility this month.

Named, The Hangar, the building has been leased for 15 years and has in excess of 50,000 square foot, including storage, workshops, warehouse, office space, a yard and maintenance facilities.

In addition to the lease agreement, the firm has further invested in the facilities; fitting it out with a 16 tonne Gantry Crane, and five separate workshops for various specialties including fabrication, hydraulics, electronics, dive hats and diver umbilical's. The Hangar allows Bibby Offshore to have full control of these functions, which was previously outsourced.

John Black, Supply Chain Manager, Bibby Offshore, said: "The Hangar is a significant investment by Bibby Offshore to ensure we are continuing to offer the best in class facilities for our staff and clients. Taking the facility on a long term lease further proves our commitment to this area and the growth of the business. The workshop and warehouse facility is the next major milestone for the business and complements our purpose built headquarters, Atmosphere One, which is already based in Westhill."

In May 2013, Bibby Offshore relocated to its new multimillion pound, purpose built headquarters at Prospect Park, Westhill. The company had previously been based at the Harbour area in Aberdeen. In addition to The Hangar, the company will retain its current facility at the Harbour area's Nord Centre.

Earlier this year, Bibby Offshore won the Company of the Year award at the 2014 Subsea Expo Awards. Bibby Offshore and Bibby Remote Intervention Limited, has grown from 10 employees in 2003 to now employ more than 1,300 people onshore and offshore worldwide, with offices in Aberdeen, Liverpool, Newcastle, Houston, Singapore and Trinidad. The company has an international fleet of eight subsea support vessels and 15 Remote Operating Vehicles (ROV) and will continue to add to their fleet to meet demand.

A deal has been signed t to establish the oil and gas industry's first comprehensive environmental cleaning, decontamination and disposal service: Ecoserv. The new company is expected to create more than 100 new jobs, many of which will be at the company's Lafayette headquarters and other facilities in the Gulf region.

Ecoserv offers fully integrated, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly specialized cleaning, waste management, and disposal services for the upstream oil and gas industry.

Kenny DesOrmeaux, founder and CEO of OCS, will also serve as CEO for Ecoserv, which will be headquartered in Lafayette, LA and operate out of 14 locations throughout the Gulf Coast and Permian Basin of West Texas. "Ecoserv is founded on technical innovation, safety, and a commitment to both the environment and our industry," DesOrmeaux said. "We're focused on creating ease-of-use and profitability for all of our current and future customers.

"Our employees play a huge role in the innovative solutions we offer our customers and we're very proud of that," DesOrmeaux said.

Ecoserv was formed when Lariat Partners merged Houston-based Newpark Environmental Services, LLC (NES), the region's leader in offshore waste disposal, with Offshore Cleaning Systems, LLC (OCS), the Gulf of Mexico's leader in offshore cleaning services

Subsea 7 S.A. (Oslo Børs: SUBC) has announced the award of a US$75 million three-year subsea construction services contract by ExxonMobil Canada Properties.

The contract supports the Hebron heavy oil field development, located in the Jeanne d'Arc
Basin 350 kilometres southeast of St. John's, Canada.

The contract scope includes the project management, engineering and installation of two Offshore Loading Systems in a water depth of 92 metres. Engineering and project management will begin immediately from Subsea 7's offices in St John's.

Stephen Henley, Managing Director of Subsea 7 Canada, said: "This contract award further enhances our construction capability across offshore Canada, building on the successes of our subsea engineering and construction work for our clients in the region."

Oceaneering International, Inc. (NYSE: OII) announces that Eric A. Silva has joined Oceaneering as Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO).

Mr. Silva's career spans over 30 years, with more than 10 years of information technology services leadership experience, in the chemical, energy, and oil and gas industries. He was most recently the CIO at El Paso Corporation and, prior to that, at LyondellBasell and Lyondell. Mr. Silva holds a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Texas.

Marvin J. Migura, Executive Vice President, stated, "I am pleased to make this announcement regarding Eric's appointment at a time when Oceaneering is being challenged by our customers to deliver more technology-based services. Eric's experience has prepared him to provide us leadership to improve and expand our information technology capabilities and thereby enhance our global competitiveness. He has a record of accomplishing the strategic alignment of technology and services with corporate goals for maximizing bottom-line results."

Mr. Silva is replacing Gregg K. Farris, who will be retiring at the end of March 2014.