As offshore topsides become heavier and more oil reserves are identified in harder to reach locations, innovative solutions are key to effective oil & gas extraction. As a result, floatover installations are experiencing an upturn, rather than traditional heavy crane lifting. JP Chia, Engineering Manager and floatover specialist for Trelleborg’s engineered products operation, will be on stand at OTC Houston to discuss this trend, share market insights and answer any questions.

An active, global industry expert since the technology was introduced in the early 2000s, Chia has compiled his first hand experiences in a new whitepaper, The Floatover Forecast. He recounts lessons learned, changes in technologies and materials, as well as trials and errors that have contributed to developments in the field.

JP Chia, says: “Supported by statistics from a current research paper, our whitepaper details just how far the offshore industry has come in three decades of floatover developments, and how much further they can advance as oil companies utilize the technology in far-off locations. Visitors can get their copy of the whitepaper from our stand, number 5541 (hall A).”

As oil and gas exploration continues to develop year-on-year, and technology becomes more sophisticated, the effectiveness of extraction will improve. However, as floatover installations become more popular, it is vital that the industry applies the right thinking to ensure that projects are implemented safely and efficiently from beginning to end.

Chia continues: “Our whitepaper will help owners, operators, EPC contractors and consultants to confidently keep up to speed with the world of floatover installations.”

Available to view on stand, Trelleborg’s leg mating units consist of steel structures incorporating engineered elastomeric pads. They make a floatover transition possible by damping the forces created as the topside’s load is transferred to the jacket. The elastomeric pads are designed to take up the static and dynamic forces of the topside structure, as well as the horizontal forces due to open sea motions during the float-over mating operation. The assembled LMU can be installed either on the topsides or jacket.

Pick up your copy of ‘The Floatover Forecast’ from stand 5541 (hall A) at OTC Houston. For additional information about Trelleborg’s engineered products operation, click here.

Aker Solutions secured a framework agreement from Lundin Norway to provide engineering services for offshore developments in Norway.

The agreement covers early-phase studies, pre-engineering (FEED) work, verifications and follow-on engineering for Lundin Norway. It encompasses engineering work from Aker Solutions' three business areas - Engineering, Subsea and Maintenance, Modifications and Operations - as well as the company's integrated study house, Front End Spectrum. The contract has a fixed period of three years and may be extended by as many as two years.

The first delivery will be a study for a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit for the Alta and Gohta oil development in the Barents Sea. The contract is part of the first-quarter order intake.

"We are pleased to have this opportunity to work long term with Lundin," said Per Harald Kongelf, head of Aker Solutions' Norwegian operations. "The company's focus on the southern Barents Sea fits well with our technology and engineering expertise for even the most challenging conditions."

Aker Solutions has previously provided engineering work for Lundin's Edvard Grieg development as well as the subsea production system for the Brynhild field. The new agreement gives Lundin access to Aker Solutions' technical expertise and lifecycle knowledge from the full range of field developments.

SEACOR Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CKH) (the "Company" or "SEACOR") has announced that William C. (Bill) Long has been appointed the Company's Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Corporate Secretary effective immediately. He will report directly to Mr. Charles Fabrikant, SEACOR's Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Long joins SEACOR with over 20 years of business and legal experience with publicly-traded companies. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Long served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of GulfMark Offshore, Inc., an NYSE-listed marine transportation service provider. Before joining GulfMark Offshore, Mr. Long spent more than 17 years with Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc., an NYSE-listed offshore drilling company, where he was Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary.

Mr. Fabrikant stated, "We are pleased that Bill has joined our leadership team. He brings extensive business and legal experience and strengthens our management group."

Mr. Long holds a Juris Doctorate degree, a Masters of Business Administration, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Houston. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas.

SEACOR and its subsidiaries are in the business of owning, operating, investing in and marketing equipment, primarily in the offshore oil and gas, shipping and logistics industries. SEACOR offers customers a diversified suite of services and equipment, including offshore marine, inland river storage and handling, distribution of petroleum, chemical and agricultural commodities, and shipping. SEACOR is dedicated to building innovative, modern, "next generation," efficient marine equipment while providing highly responsive service with the highest safety standards and dedicated professional employees. SEACOR is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol CKH.

Bergen Group and Calm Oceans Pte. Ltd (COPL) have entered into an agency agreement about marketing of COPL's newly developed Mono-Column Platform (MCP) in the Norwegian market.

This offshore mobile platform is a self-elevating, multipurpose and high payload jack-up, specially designed to address the commercial challenges relating to marginal field technical development, as well as those associated with early monetization of oil and gas fields.

CALM OCEAN 101 will look like nothing else at sea: a broad, square deck surrounding a lone open-truss square jackup leg measuring 20 meters on each side. Image credit: Calm Ocean

Calm Oceans Pte. Ltd is a Singapore-registered company owned by controlled by Brian Chang Holdings Limited, which also is a major shareholder in Bergen Group ASA with their 33.1 % ownership.

“The management in Bergen Group ASA has recently accomplished strategic discussions with CEO Brian Chang in Brian Chang Holdings Limited. We are delighted to perceive a common understanding with the major shareholder of Bergen Group’s about the company’s growth potential going forward”, says CEO Hans Petter Eikeland in Bergen Group ASA.

“The MCP is an effective bespoke solution which caters to any offshore field development that are within 120m water depth, particularly for marginal fields. Together with our leasing business model, we believed that this solution would be especially valuable and beneficial during this challenging period, for field operators whom are looking at means of reducing CAPEX while sustaining the business. We are confident that the MCP would mark its presence in the Norwegian market with the help of Bergen Group”, says Brian Chang.

The MCP supports high Variable Deck Load (VDL) up to 5,000t, with a generous deck space capable of taking on different modular facilities such as Drilling Modules, Production Modules, Accommodation Modules as well as Combined Drilling and Production Modules as may be required. in order to provide the different functions required. When these various functions are put together they serve as a complete Field Development solution for the end-user. The platform essentially comprises a deck box, 4-chord square truss structure (Mono-Column) and a mat foundation. With the mat design, the MCP can operate in oil fields with soft seabed’s which are challenging for conventional jack-ups. Also, with its self-elevating feature, there is no need for sophisticated and expensive offshore construction fleet during deployment and relocation.

The MCP Design is conceptualized by Brian Chang and is classed with ABS (American Bureau Society), adhering to MOU (Mobile Offshore Unit) Code 2008 and other relevant IMO guidelines. For more info, click here

Ballast water treatment (BWT) specialist Optimarin has cemented its place at the vanguard of the market, with the news that it has now sold over 400 of its environmentally friendly UV-based systems. The landmark has been surpassed on the back of a succession of major contracts, fuelled by the firm’s unique retrofit experience, proven technology and upcoming USCG certification.

2016 has been a boom year for a company that installed the first ever commercial BWT system back in 2000. Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) orders have been confirmed with Atlantis Tankers (10 units) and Sinopacific Shipbuilding Group (nine), while the firm also made its first foray into fishing, with a contract for the Fisherman’s Finest vessel America’s Finest. The latest win, with Carisbrooke from the UK, was the largest - a fleet agreement with the potential to encompass retrofits on 46 bulk and multipurpose vessels.

“We’ve been working with BWT technology since our formation in 1994,” comments Optimarin CEO Tore Andersen, “so we feel this surge in business reflects an appreciation of our established expertise, technology, and ability to satisfy all individual customer, and vessel, requirements.

“Now that the ratification of the IMO’s Ballast Water Management convention is finally imminent, we’re seeing more and more shipowners engaging us for fleet wide retrofit assignments. This is because they know they can trust us, our market proven system, and unparalleled retrofit experience.”

Together with its global engineering partners, Goltens and Zeppelin, Optimarin has now fitted over 70 units on existing vessels, alongside over 200 on newbuilds. Its flexible, modular system is perfect for making the most of limited vessel space, while its totally compliant technology ensures peace of mind.

This latter point has proven to be another of Optimarin’s strengths. The firm has invested millions of dollars in testing and certification, with certificates from DNV GL, Lloyd’s, Bureau Veritas, MLIT Japan, and American Bureau of Shipping, alongside full IMO approval. However, it’s the latest testing with USCG that appears to be elevating the business to a new commercial plane.

“USCG has the most stringent approval demands, thanks to its FDA/CMFDA test, which judges the life forms transported in ballast water as either living or dead,” Andersen explains. “The power of the 35kw UV lamps in the OBS ensures it has the power to instantly kill invasive organisms and that’s exactly what USCG wants to see.

“The system has now satisfied all marine water tests and is in its final testing stage, with full USCG approval expected later this year. For shipowners with large global fleets this gives them the flexibility to sail in and out of US waters, discharging ballast, as desired. For those with fleets based exclusively in North America this is a ticket to trade, full stop.

“USCG approval is becoming a benchmark standard for forward-thinking customers planning for guaranteed future regulatory compliance. This is proving to be a key business driver for Optimarin.”

Optimarin’s customers include names of the order of Saga Shipholding, MOL, Grieg Shipping Group, Gulf Offshore, Farstad Shipping, NYK, Nor Line, and Evergreen Marine Corp, amongst others. Its OBS system is easy to install, simple to maintain – with no moving parts – and does not use, or discharge, any chemicals.

“We believe we have an industry leading proposition,” Andersen concludes, “and it’s hugely satisfying to see the market respond to that at this key time for the BWT sector.”

Technip USA, Inc., an affiliate of Technip SA of France has been presented with the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) 2016 Safety in Seas (SIS) Culture of Safety Award today during the association’s annual meeting in Washington, DC.

Technip USA won the Culture of Safety Award in recognition of Technip’s Pulse program, a global vehicle for HSE climate change through leadership and communication.

Technip USA’s award-winning entry was selected by an independent panel of judges from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, the National Academy of Sciences Transportation Review Board, and an industry safety consultant.

“We are honored and delighted to have been selected as the winner of the NOIA 2016 Culture of Safety Award. HSE is essential to our industry and is an absolute priority for Technip. Our Pulse program, implemented in 2007, is a simple, effective philosophy to create an HSE climate change across the company to achieve our goal of being “the reference company” in HSE performance. Everyone at Technip is responsible for ensuring a safer environment on our worksites throughout the world. We are thrilled that our efforts and accomplishments have been noticed and recognized,” said Deanna Goodwin, President of Technip USA, Inc.

NOIA President Randall Luthi congratulated Technip on our exemplary commitment to safety culture saying, “Technip’s award-winning entry is one of many examples in the offshore oil and natural gas industry that “safety culture” is more than just a buzz phrase. Technip has demonstrated how to develop and maintain a true culture of safety”.

Oil production has started under budget and ahead of schedule at the Julia oil field in the Gulf of Mexico, Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) announced on April 19. The first production well is now online and a second well will start production in the coming weeks.

The Julia development is located approximately 265 miles southwest of New Orleans in water depths of more than 7,000 feet. The initial development phase uses subsea tie-backs to the Chevron-operated Jack/St. Malo production facility, reducing the need for additional infrastructure and enhancing capital efficiency. Technology has also played a key role in the Julia development including the use of subsea pumps that have one of the deepest applications and highest design pressures in the industry to date.

“Successful deepwater developments like Julia, located more than 30,000 feet below the ocean’s surface, benefit from ExxonMobil’s disciplined project execution capabilities and commitment to developing quality resources using advanced technology,” said Neil W. Duffin, president of ExxonMobil Development Company.

The Maersk Viking drillship is currently drilling a third well, which is expected to come online in early 2017. Credit: Maersk

Production results will assist in the evaluation of additional wells included in the initial development phase, which has a design capacity of 34,000 barrels per day of oil.

“This initial production will provide ExxonMobil with insight into the potential future development of the reservoir,” said Duffin.

Discovered in 2007, the Julia field comprises five leases in the ultra-deepwater Walker Ridge area of the Gulf of Mexico. ExxonMobil, the operator, and Statoil Gulf of Mexico LLC each hold a 50 percent interest in the Julia unit. Over the past decade, ExxonMobil has drilled 187 deepwater wells worldwide in water ranging from 2,100 feet to 8,700 feet.

ExxonMobil is on track to start up 10 new Upstream projects in 2016 and 2017, adding 450,000 oil-equivalent barrels per day of working-interest production capacity. The company is enhancing resource value through production optimization, technology application and cost management.

Fabrication of the billion dollar topsides destined for the Maersk Oil operated USD 4.5 billion UK North Sea megaproject, Culzean has begun. The steel-cutting ceremony for the first of the three topsides modules took place at the Sembcorp Marine Offshore Platforms (SMOP - formerly known as SMOE) Admiralty Yard in Singapore on April 7th.

Culzean is the largest hydrocarbon discovery in the UK North Sea for over a decade. The field is approximately 145 miles east of Aberdeen and is expected to produce between 60,000 - 90,000 boepd at plateau production, producing for at least 13 years. The project was sanctioned in August 2015. Maersk Oil’s coventurers in Culzean are JX Nippon Exploration & Production (UK) Limited (34.01%) and BP (Britoil) (16%).

Jakob Thomasen, CEO of Maersk Oil, igniting the flames for the steel-cutting ceremony. This is the first sheet of steel cut for the Culzean megaproject. Credit: Maersk Oil

“Starting the fabrication of the topsides is an important milestone. When the field begins to produce in 2019, Culzean will become a key contributor to Maersk Oil’s ambition to become a Top 5 operator in the North Sea in the 2020s, and provide around 5% of UK gas demand at peak production. Maersk Oil and coventurers’ investment will also support employment in both the UK and Asian supply chains,” said Maersk Oil Chief Executive Jakob Thomasen, speaking at the ceremony in Singapore.

“Our focus for the next three years is working with our partners and suppliers to deliver the project from fabrication right through to commissioning safely, on time and within budget,” says Thomasen.

The contract with SMOP, worth over USD 1 billion including long lead items, was awarded in September 2015. The contract includes the building of the Central Processing Facility plus two connecting bridges, Wellhead Platform and Utilities & Living Quarters Platform Topsides for the Culzean Field Development.

The platforms will be built with enhanced digital and monitoring capability.

“We will be harnessing technology to develop a 21st century facility with the ability to remotely monitor critical equipment 24 hours a day, and enable offshore colleagues to access real time data and immediate technical evaluation and onshore support. The technology will minimize time spent on plant and enhance safety and efficiency. Maersk Oil estimates this digital toolkit can save more than USD 10m annually,” says Martin Urquhart, Culzean Project Director.

The API has called on the administration to maintain and promote U.S. oil and natural gas development through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) 2017-2022 offshore program, API Group Director of Upstream and Industry Operations Erik Milito said in a briefing with journalists on April 26.

“Rising U.S. production has dramatically increased our ability to protect consumers and the U.S. economy from energy shocks even within a low price environment,” said Milito. “Forward-looking energy policy recognizes long lead times needed for offshore energy development. The nation’s long-term energy security can only be ensured with a lasting commitment to expanding offshore oil and natural gas development to new areas.”

In 2010, over 30 percent of the oil and 11 percent of the natural gas produced in the United States was produced in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). New projections by the EIA estimate that Gulf of Mexico production will increase to record high levels in 2017. This and other data have informed BOEM’s analysis, recently released as part of the 5 year program’s decision document, and led the agency to state that “there is no reason to exclude any of the proposed program areas in the Proposed Program Options based purely on the price of oil and gas.”

“The five year program is a critical part of our nation’s ability to secure affordable and reliable energy and create jobs for future generations of Americans,” said Milito, ahead of the public hearing held in Washington, D.C., on offshore areas in the program. “Too many promising areas are already excluded from the proposal, taking off the table thousands of potential jobs and billions of dollars in potential government revenue. Knowing that oil and natural gas will be needed for many more decades to come, the Department of the Interior should promote robust development of U.S. offshore energy resources and recognize the Arctic and Gulf of Mexico as core components of the five year program.”

API is the only national trade association representing all facets of the oil and natural gas industry, which supports 9.8 million U.S. jobs and 8 percent of the U.S. economy. API’s more than 650 members include large integrated companies, as well as exploration and production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses, and service and supply firms. They provide most of the nation’s energy and are backed by a growing grassroots movement of more than 30 million Americans.

By Reid Porter, API

Wild Well Control, Inc., a Superior Energy Services company and a global leader in well control and engineering services, announces that its DeepRange™ tool, in conjunction with its 7Series riserless intervention system, has successfully performed full plug and abandonment operations on four subsea wells in the Gulf of Mexico. These wells are a part of a larger plug and abandonment campaign which began earlier this year.

“The new tools and techniques used on this project have already exceeded expectations,” said Martial Burguieres, Wild Well VP of Marine Well Services. “Our methods offer reduced costs while maintaining full BSEE compliance.”

Each of the first four wells used the new DeepRange tool to isolate an outer annulus by circulating a minimum of 200 feet of cement in place and pressure testing the plug as per BSEE regulation.

“This new technology and methodology will help operators reduce their subsea P&A liabilities as riserless operations represent dramatic cost reductions when compared to traditional subsea P&A operations,” said Burguieres.

Wild Well will host a press conference Monday, May 2, at 2 p.m. in the onsite press conference room located in the NRG Center, level 2, rooms 406-704 during the 2016 Offshore Technology Conference in Houston to discuss how DeepRange™ impacts today’s industry.

Statoil has set tough targets to reduce costs in their project portfolio. During the last decade subsea costs have increased significantly and the industry needs to move from tailor-made solutions to more industry standards.

At the Barents Sea Conference in Hammerfest, Norway, a new subsea concept developed by Statoil was presented by Margareth Øvrum, executive vice president for technology, projects and drilling in Statoil.

The new subsea solution is called Cap-X.

Image courtesy: Statoil

"Once again we aim to drive subsea technology development on the Norwegian continental shelf together with our industry partners. The potential for increased efficiency and reduced costs can make this the next standard within subsea templates," says Margareth Øvrum. "With Cap-X, Statoil is one step closer to a “plug and play” solution on the seabed."

Cap-X is a combination of existing and new technology. It is ¼ the size of today’s subsea templates and enables more operations from vessel instead of rig.

The technology increases the efficiency of horizontal drilling in shallow reservoirs. The main structure of the technology can be produced in shorter time by a larger number of suppliers, with potential for local production.

The development of Cap X was initiated in 2013 to increase commerciality of potential resources in the Barents Sea.

“We as explorers need to find resources that can be developed at a lower cost and with lower emissions. Cap-X can potentially have a significant impact on developing the resources in the Barents Sea and in other areas with shallow reservoirs”, says Jez Averty, senior vice president for the exploration Norway and UK cluster in Statoil.

Intertek, a leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide, has launched an onsite Coriolis flow meter calibration service, delivering industry leading technical expertise and cost and efficiency savings to its oil and gas clients.

Photo credit: Intertek

Coriolis flow meters are one of the most reliable instruments with which to determine flow measurement and have become increasingly commonplace in oil and gas flow measurement systems. However, they must be calibrated periodically to ensure they are performing as accurately as possible. As part of a new service, Intertek has invested in a highly specialized mobile Coriolis master meter skid unit to conduct Coriolis flow meter calibration. The unit performs to a greater level of precision than widely encountered in the market, with better than 0.1% accuracy. In an industry handling a high-value product such as oil and gas, the accuracy of measurement equipment is crucial for correctness and profitability. Mismeasurement of oil and gas quantities can be extremely costly and affect an operators’ overall profit margin.

Greg Dinkelman, Business Development Manager for Calibrations and Metering at Intertek Exploration and Production, said: “Historically, calibrating Coriolis flow meters has proved challenging to operators. It usually involves the movement of large units between offshore and onshore sites, which requires downtime and can be costly. The mobile Coriolis master meter skid unit will now allow us to offer this service onsite, saving our clients time, money and the inconvenience and risk of moving their equipment.”

The skid unit’s relatively compact size means it can be easily transported to offshore environments with restricted deck space, or to sites in very remote locations. An additional benefit is that calibration can be conducted under normal operating conditions, rather than within the artificial environment of a laboratory.

Intertek’s calibration and metering business assists clients in assuring the accuracy of their systems and equipment. Metering consultancy, flow measurement services, meter prover calibrations, tank calibration, 3D laser scanning and cargo inspection are some of the related solutions Intertek specializes in delivering to oil and gas clients.

Scanning the newspapers, social media and analyst coverage this year, there is consensus that a recovery in oil prices is coming, as a function of a reduction in over-supply, and that we should expect upward movement in prices later this year.

The extent to which this view is built upon analysis of data or gut feel is unknown (and in all likelihood there is a bit of both) but our analysis of Douglas-Westwood’s own drilling & production (D&P) data supports this view. We expect to see a fall in US production this year of nearly 900,000 bpd, the largest drop in output for a country since Libya in 2011 (civil war) and Saudi Arabia in 2009 (OPEC cuts). There will be production growth in a number of countries, the most-significant being Iran and Iraq, with the result that overall global production will increase by 460k bpd. With demand growth forecast at 1.2 million bpd this year, the overall net position is a reduction in net over-supply of some ¾ million bpd. This reduction in over-supply should put upward pressure on oil prices as it develops over the course of the year.

So can we expect the same trend to continue into 2017? Analysis of the data (which is built-up on a project-by-project basis) suggests not. Whilst there will be further demand growth, this will be offset by significant production. We anticipate net increases in production both onshore and offshore. Most of the additional volumes are from offshore (net 1.1 million bpd increase) with an overall impact (taking into account demand growth) of a slight increase in over supply in 2017. In the years that follow, we expect reduction in over-supply every year to 2020.

Why the blip in 2017? Put simply, we are not over the hangover from several years of record levels of industry spend (2011-2014). Major projects were committed to at that time and the lead times for some of these projects are long. But this dynamic works both ways. The current hiatus in spend is brewing a major supply problem towards the end of the decade – if nothing changes, the data suggests under-supply of oil by 2020.

Steve Robertson & Matt Cook, Douglas-Westwood London

Hoover Container Solutions (“Hoover” or the “Company”), a subsidiary of Hoover Group, Inc., has announced that Scott Meints has been appointed Vice President of Service Operations and Adolfo Aguilera is joining Hoover’s executive team as Vice President of Manufacturing. Both will report directly to Johan Wramsby, Chief Operating Officer.

Scott Meints

Joining Hoover in 1992, Meints has served in various management positions where he has played a key role in ensuring Hoover remain at the forefront of innovation in the chemical tank industry. In his new position, Meints will be responsible for growing Hoover’s service-related offerings in the global market, in addition to driving product development and innovation.

Adolfo Aguilera joins Hoover with more than 18 years of manufacturing experience, most recently serving as the Director of Manufacturing at TAS Energy Inc. As Vice President of Manufacturing at Hoover, Aguilera will be responsible for managing all aspects of manufacturing operations including safety, production, quality assurance and maintenance.

Adolfo Aguilera

“Hoover is fortunate to have an incredible depth and breadth of talent across our team. It’s these contributions that allow us to continuously provide a comprehensive range of high quality products and services to each of our customers,” said Johan Wramsby, COO, Hoover. “Scott’s deep knowledge of technical standards, products and industries, coupled with his energy, makes him a great fit to head the growth of Hoover’s global service network, and I’m incredibly happy to welcome Adolfo Aguilera, who will bring his motivation and diverse leadership experience to enhance our manufacturing operations.”

Meints has an associate degree in manufacturing engineering from the Southeast Community College in Milford, Nebraska, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bellevue University. He is also a certified welding inspector.

Aguilera received a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso, as well as a Master of Science in engineering from Purdue University.

Kongsberg Maritime and Statoil have signed an agreement with Eelume, a NTNU spin-off company, to accelerate new technology that will significantly reduce costs related to subsea inspection, maintenance and repair operations.

NTNU and Sintef have conducted research on snake robotics for more than 10 years. Eelume is now developing a disruptive solution for underwater inspection and maintenance in the form of a swimming robot. The idea is to let these robots do inspection and light intervention jobs on the seabed, reducing the use of large and expensive vessels. With its snake-like form, the slender and flexible body of the Eelume robot provides access to confined areas that are difficult to access with existing technology.

Swimming down to subsea templates. Image credit: Kongsberg Maritime

Eelume robots will be permanently installed on the seabed and will perform planned and on-demand inspections and interventions. The solution can be installed on both existing and new fields where typical jobs include; visual inspection, cleaning, and adjusting valves and chokes. These jobs account for a large part of the total subsea inspection and intervention spend.

The strength of the collaboration lies in the unique contributions from each of the parties. Eelume is founded by top academics from NTNU, Kongsberg Maritime brings in 25 years of experience and technology development within marine robotics and Statoil provides access to real installations for testing and qualification. The combined efforts now include an exciting mix of entrepreneurial spirit, industrial competence, technology and a demanding end-customer. The result is a very robust development process from idea to market.

“With our unique expertise in the field of snake robotics Eelume is the first company in the world to bring these amazing robots into an industrial setting. Now we take the step from academia and into the commercial world to secure our place in the new and exciting subsea intervention landscape,” says Pål Liljebäck, CTO Eelume.

“This is a perfect example of how NTNU AMOS can contribute to bringing research based innovations into the market place through new spin-off companies and cooperation with leading industry players. Eelume is already the 5th spin-off company from researchers at NTNU AMOS and the third since 2013. SFF NTNU AMOS is strongly supported by the NTNU management, the Norwegian Research Council, Statoil, DNV GL and SINTEF Group,” says Asgeir J. Sørensen, Director, NTNU AMOS, Centre for Autonomous Marine Operations and Systems.

“As the main shareholder and responsible for business development in the company we think this is a perfect match for effectively introducing a new innovation based on NTNU inventions and competence into the market place. The support from Innovation Norway and the FORNY program in the Norwegian Research Council has been crucial to reach this milestone,” says Anders Aune, Head of TechTrans, NTNU Technology Transfer AS.

“This partnership offers the chance to bring radical technology to the market, not just in what the Eelume robot can do, but how it does it,” says Bjørn Jalving, Executive Vice President Subsea Division at Kongsberg Maritime. “It is a new tool that will enable operators to realise large scale cost savings by introducing new ways of conducting routine tasks and helping to prevent unscheduled shutdowns by reacting instantly when required.”

“Eelume is a good example of how new technology and innovation contributes to cost reduction. Instead of using large and expensive vessels for small jobs, we now introduce a flexible robot acting as a self-going janitor on the seabed. To support smaller companies in bringing new technology to the market is an important part of our research portfolio,” says Statoil’s Chief technology officer Elisabeth Birkeland Kvalheim.

Watch an animation of the innovative new Eelume snake robot in action:
Animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgDrZWlV5Ss

Bibby Offshore’s Norway division, Bibby Offshore AS, has successfully secured its first contract in the region with ConocoPhillips Skandinavia.

Managed from Bibby Offshore’s Stavanger office, the workscope involves project management, installation engineering, procurement and subsea installation works, related to maintenance activities on the Norpipe Oil pipeline.

The contract is due for completion in Q3 2016 and will utilise the construction support vessel Olympic Ares to support operator ConocoPhillips on integrity management of the Norpipe Oil pipeline between the Ekofisk area and the Teesside facility in United Kingdom.

Olympic Ares. Photo credit: Bibby Offshore

Arne Lier, Managing Director of Bibby Offshore Norway, said: "We are delighted to have secured our first Norwegian contract with a leading E&P company such as ConocoPhillips.”

This award not only demonstrates that Bibby Offshore has the necessary capabilities to provide the service and support required in the Norwegian sector. It also highlights that in a highly competitive market the company is a strong option at a time where value is paramount.

“Over the years, Bibby Offshore’s international divisions have successfully secured regular and repeated work with a number of operators. Our goal in Norway is to grow and develop the business in a similar way by successfully delivering on projects safely and efficiently, and to develop our reputation as the go-to subsea service provider for the region,” concluded Mr. Lier.