Deep Sea Mooring (DSM), a leading provider of mooring solutions, is expanding its international footprint with the opening of a new office in Perth, Australia. The facility, which will officially open 8 October, will provide sales and technical support to customers across Australasia.

To support its mooring operations, the company has also secured a 13,000m² yard in Karratha, 1500km north of Perth, which is a main access point to major oil and gas developments offshore Western Australia.

DSM CEO, Åge Straume, says the company has confidence in Australia's future as a key global player in the offshore oil and gas industry.r and size of developments offshore Australia has created a steady market for drilling rigs," he explains, noting, "and with the local industry's increasingly stringent standards we believe there's now a strong foundation for long-term growth and success.

"Companies operating in Australia are very QHSE oriented," Straume adds, "so they understand the benefits of quality mooring equipment, smarter mooring solutions and performing pre-laying in order to maximize uptime. This fits our profile and our offer is tailored to meet that market demand head on."

Testament to this conviction is the 7000 tons of mooring equipment in transit to the Karratha yard. The company has already procured most of the equipment heading for Australia, which has a value of USD 30m, bringing the total value of its rental pool up to more than USD 125m. The equipment used in DSM's Australian operations will be optimized for local hard-rock geological formations.

"We will also bring our unique combination of planning tools, logistics systems and patented RFID electronic marking on all equipment," Straume states. "These proven innovative systems reduce operational time, impacting positively on safety and efficiency standards."

Expansion into the Australian market comes off the back of a track record of success on mooring projects around the world and in particular in the North Sea, where the company honed its advanced technology and harsh environment experience. Recent DSM developments of note include project wins with Repsol and Maersk Drilling.

The Australian subsidiary, Deep Sea Mooring Australia Pty Ltd., will initially employ nine people, led by Managing Director, Barry Silver, who brings over 16 years of experience in the mooring industry.

"Our regional contacts report that they see a real need for increased competition in the Australian market and welcome our arrival. We bring proven expertise, innovative technology and a fresh perspective to the industry here, and we believe that's a compelling business proposition for this exciting, dynamic marketplace," states Silver.

Greene's Energy Group, LLC (GEG), a leading provider of integrated testing, rentals and specialty services, has introduced Mission Zero as a company-wide safety process with a key focus of eliminating at-risk behaviors.

Encompassing office and field personnel, Mission Zero engages the company's workforce to embrace a culture of safety that achieves zero incidents and benefits customers, the company and employees.

Not only does Mission Zero demonstrate GEG's efforts toward a zero incident rate, but it includes measureable and practical checkpoints for employees to keep safety at the forefront such as recognition and awards, a mentoring program, posted safety data, sub-contractor management, accurate reporting and drug and alcohol testing.

GEG will engage the Zero Injury Institute® (ZII), to conduct internal evaluations of the safety program content, process and culture. ZII's team will also visit various operating areas and conduct confidential interviews to target topics for discussion at an upcoming Mission Zero workshop.

"Mission Zero changes our safety value forever – we are a zero injury company with the core value of 'Safety First and Foremost'," said Robert Vilyus, CEO of GEG. "As a whole, we pledge to stop at risk behavior through involvement, recognition, appreciation and mentoring. Management is committed to the success of this continual process, and worker participation is crucial. We've already seen an overwhelmingly positive response, and we look forward Greene's Energy Group becoming the safest company in the industry."

PMI Energy Services, a Superior Energy Services company, has opened a shorebase in Morgan City, Louisiana, focused on supporting shelf, coastal and inland waters production and drilling activities.

PMI's shorebase is centrally located on the Louisiana coast and provides better protection from weather events than ports located directly on the Louisiana coastline. It maintains a close proximity to established fuel docks, mud docks, 29-B waste transfer stations, rental and supply companies, fabrication yards, shipyards, repurpose facilities and other industry and civil infrastructure to support offshore or inland oil and gas properties.

The 12.5 acre site with a 600 foot bulkhead dock can easily accommodate the necessary services expected for a first class shorebase facility. It includes ample acreage for material handling and temporary storage, both open and enclosed, for dry goods and sensitive equipment; secure short-term and long-term parking; marine and aviation crew changes; meeting rooms; a safety training facility; customer office space; and satellite offices for logistics coordinators.

"As the demand for resources in Louisiana's deepwater port has increased with projections for deepwater drilling activities continuing that upward trend, PMI is providing an alternative solution for operators that are experiencing inefficiencies supporting their operations," said Don Mehrtens, PMI vice president. "The lower demand on resources at our new base will create value to operators with more efficient uses of their marine assets, lower equipment and personnel transportation costs into and out of this port."

Jamie Holt, general manager of PMI's Gulf of Mexico business unit, said, "We will focus on safe material handling and minimizing marine vessel port time to lower an operator's LOE and AFE expenses. We have created a first class facility in the birthplace of the offshore oil and gas industry to provide shorebase support for production facilities, drilling programs and well work, as well as construction projects and decommissioning activities."

Apache Corporation (NYSE, Nasdaq: APA) has launched its 2014 Sustainability Report website.

The online report features expanded disclosure of Apache's performance in governance, economics, environmental stewardship, health and safety in the workplace and community outreach. The report is available at http://www.apachecorp.com/Sustainability/index.aspx.

"The relentless pursuit of operational excellence has been a hallmark of Apache since its founding in 1954," said Apache Chairman, CEO and President G. Steven Farris. "Our commitment to the environment, good governance, health and safety and the communities where we live and work is no less emphatic."

Among the highlights, the report:
• Discusses in the Governance Section how governance hit a high-water mark in 2013 when members of Apache's Board of Directors had individual meetings with nearly 60 percent of its shareholder base, addressing compensation and other issues and resulting in many state-of-the-art additions to the company's governance profile.
• Describes how Apache has developed a unique system using brackish and recycled produced water to maintain an aggressive drilling program without competing for freshwater supplies in drought-stricken West Texas in the Environment Section.
• Outlines the new Operational Excellence program, which introduces a common framework across regions for improving performance in seven key areas of operation, including asset integrity, safety and environmental responsibility in the Workplace Section.
• Describes in the Society Section how employees and their families donate their time, effort and money to hundreds of charitable causes each year, with matching gift funds totaling $2.4 million worldwide.

The 2014 report was prepared using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. GRI is a non-profit organization that promotes economic, environmental and social sustainability. Its comprehensive sustainability reporting framework is widely used around the world.

Also used as a reference was the Oil and Gas Industry Guidance on Voluntary Sustainability Reporting by the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA), the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (OGP).

Another reference was Extracting the Facts: An Investor Guide to Disclosing Risks from Hydraulic Fracturing Operations published by the Investor Environmental Health Network (IEHN) and the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR).

A summary version of the 2014 Sustainability Report, published in print format, is available at http://www.apachecorp.com/Sustainability/Sustainability_Report/index.aspx. The summary report was printed on paper made from recycled material and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, an independent, nonprofit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world's forests.

Aberdeen-based wireline and well intervention technology specialist Wireline Engineering has further expanded its operations in South East Asia, initially investing over £150,000 in a new service base in Kuala Lumpur, and significantly increasing its personnel in the region.

The new 1600 square foot storage and maintenance facility will be managed by Jimmy Chong, who has joined the local team as Service Manager in Kuala Lumpur. Jimmy has a wealth of experience in well intervention equipment and services, as well as wireline field operations.

Wireline Engineering Chairman Bill Petrie said: "South East Asia is seen as a key development opportunity for the company and we are currently enjoying significant regional growth. The ongoing investment in new premises and personnel will greatly improve the support we are able to offer our customers as our activities expand.

"Having our own facility will also allow us to introduce and support new technologies that we have previously been unable to offer in Malaysia. That is good for us and good for our customers across the region.

"We have also been increasing our technical sales team based in Malaysia. We currently have five staff located in KL and, for the first time, we also have a sales manager based in Miri to provide closer support to our customers in East Malaysia."

Wireline Engineering has plans to increase its staff by three over the next year and is currently preparing to move into larger office premises in KL to facilitate this growth.

Wireline Engineering develops original well intervention and completion technologies for the oil and gas industry worldwide.

The company was established in 1998 and its headquarters are located in Aberdeen, Scotland. It has international offices in the Americas, Middle East and Far East and employs 40 people worldwide.

Patricia Vega is the new president and CEO of GE Oil & Gas (NYSE: GE) for Latin America. She will be responsible to maintain the prominent position assumed by the company in the oil and gas market, contributing to the development of customized solutions that meet the specific demands of customers and partners in the region.

Patricia has 20 years of experience in the oil industry, including technical, operational and leadership positions in the United States, Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. Based in Rio de Janeiro, she will lead the 5,400 employees of GE Oil & Gas in Latin America and will be responsible for developing regional capabilities.

"The big challenge is to further increase GE Oil & Gas market share in the region. Today the company is the leading provider of solutions for the oil and gas industry and the goal is to keep the strong partnerships with our customers and to continue developing technologies that complement the portfolio and meet the market needs," said Patricia Vega. GE Oil & Gas provides solutions ranging from drilling to production, as well as power generation, transportation, storage, refining, processing systems and pipeline inspection.

Previously, Patricia held leadership positions at various companies in the oil and gas sector, including a role as vice president of operations and director of human resources for Latin America.

Patricia has a degree in Petroleum Engineering at University of Santander, a Master degree in Technology Development & Engineering Management at Oklahoma State University and an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Patricia will assume the role of João Geraldo Ferreira, who leaves the company after seven years. GE Oil & Gas is the world leader in advanced technology equipment and services for all segments of the oil and gas industry. The energy division is focused on technological innovation and, through strategic acquisitions, strengthening its local presence to continuously improve the performance of the oil sector and its productivity.

IKM Testing AS from Norway ordered a 1600 meters Thermoplastic Composite Pipe (TCP) from Airborne Oil The TCP Downline will be used for the pre-commissioning of risers and pipelines.

Odd Reidar Boye, Engineering Manager with IKM Testing explains the preference for the composite downline over steel coiled tubing and other downline solutions: "The TCP Downline has a superior fatigue life compared to other solutions we have looked at for execution of pre-commissioning operations in these water depths (1300 m). The light weight, ease of handling and the external pressure resistance capability makes it the preferred alternative for us, both technically and operationally".

With this order, Airborne solidifies its leading position in composite downlines and composite pipes for deepwater applications in general. "Having built a track record for a number of years, including a deepwater world record, this order is testament to the success of the composite pipes in these challenging deepwater applications" says Rogier Cornelisse, Sales Manager TCP Downlines and TCP Hoses.

Airborne Oil & Gas is the first and leading manufacturer of Thermoplastic Composite Pipes. Founded in 2007, Airborne manufactures flowlines, risers, downlines, hoses and jumpers for offshore application.

DeepWater Buoyancy Inc. announced this week that it has doubled both its facility and workforce during the first eight months of 2014. The new facility was opened in January after securing the rights to the Flotation Technologies syntactic foam-based, legacy oceanographic and oil/gas undersea product lines.

"We are so grateful for the loyal customer support we've seen since opening our doors in January," said DeepWater Buoyancy Co-President & Director of Business Development, David Capotosto. "Because of their trust in our team and products, we have already shipped thousands of buoys, systems and subsea components to a dozen different countries."

"One key to our rapid expansion," said Capotosto, "is that our customers have been able to make a seamless transition from Flotation Technologies to DeepWater Buoyancy. We're shipping new and replacement buoys and components daily." The company manufactures a full line of ADCP buoys, cable floats, instrument collars and custom syntactic solutions reliable at depths exceeding six thousand meters.
Key milestones in DeepWater Buoyancy's growth include:

January 2014
• Company begins to offer newly-acquired, legacy designs from Flotec.
• Ten-thousand square-foot facility designed, refurbished and opened.
• Launched with initial staff of former Flotec workers.
• Initial orders shipped.

August 2014
• Facility doubled to 20,000 square feet with option for significant further growth.
• Staff more than doubled.
• Shipped over 4,800 buoys, systems and components to twelve countries along with United States.
• Served key customers including Scripps, Subsea7, Fugro, FMC Technologies, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Oceaneering International, and PGS Geophysical AS.

DeepWater Buoyancy has also aggressively expanded its network of international sales representatives, recently adding partners in Australia, Brazil, Denmark and South Africa to its sales team. Representatives are based in China, France, Spain, India, Japan, the Netherlands and additional countries across six continents.

To meet the growing demand in the region, DNV GL has now opened a new office in Malaysia. The official opening of the office coincided with the company's celebration of a double milestone: 150 years of proud history as a world leader in classification and technical assurance services and its first year as a newly merged company.

"According to the OECD, growth in the Emerging Asian economies (South East Asia, China and India) is expected to be a robust 6.9% for the 2014-18 period. Registering a 6.4% growth in Q2 of 2014, Malaysia has a well-diversified economy, with major contributors coming from export-driven service and manufacturing industries as well as the mining and agricultural sectors. The country is a key driver of offshore investments and is building substantial offshore infrastructure. Adopting strategies for sustainable development, the Malaysian government plans to develop an energy-efficient, diversified and sustainable energy mix for the future. All of which offers a very positive outlook for DNV GL.

We've been in Malaysia for over 30 years and our commitment stays firm," said Elisabeth Tørstad, CEO DNV GL Oil & Gas.
DNV GL Malaysia's move of its merged entities into its new Malaysian headquarters is evidence of this commitment. The new eco-friendly office over three floors will house DNV GL's four core business areas – Maritime, Oil & Gas, Energy and Business Assurance - under one roof. This will create greater synergies and provide more integrated service offerings to customers. The new location in Menara Prestige, at the heart of Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle, accommodates 250 employees from both legacy DNV and legacy GL.

As part of the 150th anniversary celebrations and the official opening of its office, DNV GL held a dialogue with key industry players on the technologies that are transforming Malaysia's energy landscape.

"One important industry trend is the drive towards a sustainable energy future. DNV GL has always been at the forefront of technology. We're constantly working with our partners in joint industry projects, gathering industry stakeholders to work together and support the industry in transforming technology into solutions for a safe and sustainable future," Tørstad said at the event.

Rowan Companies plc ("Rowan" or the "Company") (NYSE: RDC) announces that J. Kevin Bartol, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer, has decided to leave the Company to pursue other opportunities. Mr. Bartol will continue to serve until a successor is chosen and a smooth transition is completed. The Company is conducting a search and intends to name Mr. Bartol's successor in short order.

"We greatly appreciate Kevin's dedication and many contributions to Rowan's success over the past seven years," said Thomas Burke, Rowan's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Kevin has been instrumental in shaping the Company's asset and capital markets strategy, from spearheading the sale of the Manufacturing and Land Drilling divisions and acquiring Skeie Drilling to positioning the Company for the future with our solid balance sheet, strong financial condition and investment grade ratings. We wish him well in his future endeavors."

The Company also announced today that Melanie M. Trent has been promoted to Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer and will assume responsibility for the Legal function, as well as retain responsibility for the Human Resources, Information Technology and Communications departments. Ms. Trent succeeds John L. Buvens, Jr. who is retiring from Rowan after more than 30 years with the Company.

"John has been an important contributor to Rowan's evolution over the past thirty years and we will miss his expertise and judgment. We wish him all the best in retirement," Mr. Burke stated.

Ms. Trent joined the Company in 2005, served as Senior Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and Company Secretary since 2011, and served as Vice President & Corporate Secretary prior to that time.

InterMoor UK Operations, part of Acteon's foundations and moorings business, has completedseven years and more than 2,300 projects without a single lost-time incident (LTI).

The safety record includes the companies comprising InterMoor UK Operations – InterMoor Ltd, InterMoor Marine Services Ltd and ChainCo – and operations at three bases, five storage yards and numerous quayside locations where operations have been both in the UK and globally.
Alan Duncan, managing director of InterMoor UK Operations, said, "Providing safe working environments and high-quality training for employees are vital for InterMoor. This milestone highlights the extent of our commitment to safety and the professionalism of our staff. It was achieved with the participation of the entire workforce, from quayside support personnel to senior management."

Throughout 2014, InterMoor UK Operations has renewed its focus on safety. Hazard identification, supervisory controls and management involvement have been top priorities.

Bruce Strachan, InterMoor UK Operations' quality assurance and health, safety and environment manager, said, "Seven years without an LTI places InterMoor UK at the forefront of worldwide safety performance. Very few businesses of a comparable size have conducted operations for this length of time without recorded incidents. Of course, the aim is to continue the trend. Our target is, and will always be, zero accidents or incidents.

"The statistics for 2014 are particularly impressive. In addition to everyday operations, InterMoor has completed two huge projects in China, which have brought the total number of exposure (working) hours to about 500,000 for the year to date."

Through water communication and positioning technology company, Nautronix, is pleased to announce a new appointment within the sales team.

Experienced Business Development Manager, Thomas McCudden has been appointed as the company's Global Sales Manager for NASNet® and will be responsible for developing awareness and worldwide sales of NASNet® positioning technology.

Prior to joining Nautronix, Thomas gained a wealth of experience within the Oil and Gas, Telecommunications and Finance industries through previous positions at IET, FreeAgent, BT and latterly Coda Octopus.

Donald Thomson VP Sales, Global Commercial Acoustics who has been with the company for a number of months, will continue to be responsible for sales in the global marketplace for Nautronix' product lines; NASCoM, NASDrill and NASDive.

Mark Patterson, CEO, comments, "Thomas brings over 15 years of experience with him to Nautronix and his experience is exactly what we need to increase our sales efforts for NASNet®. By focussing the efforts of Thomas and Donald on the opportunities we have for our product lines, it will enable us to continue to grow and develop the business further."

CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA) and Seiche Measurements are offering a 5-day Protected Species Observer (PSO) and Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) course for individuals seeking professional certification and training for visual and acoustic monitoring of protected species. The course offered by the Seiche/CSA team adheres to current Bureau of Ocean Energy Management/Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BOEM/BSEE) mitigation requirements and standards.

Day 1 (classroom)
Introduction to Marine Mammals & Sea Turtles
Legislation within the Gulf of Mexico & Global Oceans
Introduction to Seismic Surveys
Permitting Requirements
Role of the PSO
Data Collection & Reporting

Day 2 (classroom)
Clues & Search Methods for Marine Mammals & Sea Turtles
Species Identification
Testing & Certification

Day 3 (classroom)
Sound In Water
Marine Mammals
Anthropogenic Noise in the Sea
Effects of Anthropogenic Noise on Marine Mammals
Local Mitigation Guidelines
PAM Principles and the Role of the PAM Operator

Day 4 (classroom)
PAM Hardware & Operations
PAM Software
PAMGuard Workshop

Day 5 (on a vessel)
Set up and deployment of PAM systems and visual observer stations
Troubleshooting
Real-time mitigation and reporting

For more details, please contact Sarah Hancock at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Alex Imperial has taken over as DNV GL Oil & Gas's regional manager for South America just as the company is creating a dedicated research unit in Brazil.

Mr. Imperial recently left Singapore, where he was Director for DNV GL's Deepwater Technology Centre, to take over DNV GL's Oil & Gas Division in South America. Experience from his last position will benefit his new role as the new dedicated Research unit means that research will be one of the DNV GL's focus areas in Brazil.

"With the vast pre-salt offshore developments ongoing and planned in Brazil, and other opportunities in South America, I'm delighted to have taken on this role in what is a very exciting time for both the region and DNV GL. We have a total of 130 local technical experts, but also draw on the deep and broad expertise of our 5,500 employees globally," says Mr Imperial.

In the company's annual industry outlook published in 2014, in which 430 senior oil and gas professionals were asked about the prospects for the near future, Brazil was ranked as the second most attractive investment destination for 2014. Yet the year has brought challenges for the industry, "We have experienced a slowdown in the industry, with rising costs, tough competition and signs of weaker performance in the Brazilian economy," he explains.

"In this environment, I believe DNV GL has a valuable role to play as an independent partner, combining deep industry expertise in challenging operating conditions with a focus on how to work smarter. This is also one of our reasons for investing 5% of our revenue in research and development - our ultimate goal is to develop solutions that enable the industry to become safer, smarter and greener. The establishment of the new Research unit is one step towards this goal and in line with the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) research scheme in Brazil," says Mr Imperial.

"The new unit allows us to focus on joint industry projects (JIPs) where we work closely with oil companies and suppliers to address concrete and pressing challenges by finding innovative cutting-edge solutions with a focus on deepwater operations. And, equally important, we share the results and our experience with the industry. We have many ongoing JIPs, but just to mention one - Petrobras, Repsol, and Vallourec have signed up as potential partners for our Collapse JIP. In this, we will work on a standard for pipelines in ultra-deep waters," he continues. He adds that the combination of cooperating with local partners and DNV GL's existing global network of labs and technology centres creates a truly "global execution, local delivery" R&D model.

Alex Imperial started as an intern in DNV GL 23 years ago, and has since gained extensive experience from a variety of roles in Brazil and Asia within the Maritime and Oil & Gas divisions, as both a technical expert and leader. He started his management career as a Station Manager in Macaé while also being rig coordinator for Petrobas. He has also served as the global Key Account Manager for Petrobas as well as driving business development in South America and South East Asia Pacific.

Mr. Imperial has an academic background as a Mechanical Engineer from the Universidade Gama Filho in Rio de Janeiro, supplemented by postgraduate training in Safety Engineering from Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro and Environmental Engineering from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.

Aberdeen-based subsea IMR provider, N-Sea Offshore Ltd is to move into new premises as business continues to grow.

The company has outgrown its current offices in Dyce and is adding additional office space to accommodate an increase in staff numbers as it expands operations both in the UK and internationally.

The new office facility at Salvesen Tower will not only accommodate N-Sea's significant expansion of Aberdeen-based staff, but has also been chosen to house an enlarged project management and engineering department. Since early 2014, N-Sea has added 15 UK staff allowing the company to expand its service offering.

Explaining the strategic relevance of the move, N-Sea's chief operating officer, Roddy James said (photo) : "N-Sea has evolved considerably in the short time since we established our presence within the UK. We are currently in the process of articulating our plans for expansion through investment in people, equipment and vessels to ensure we continue to deliver effective and cost efficient solutions to our clients.

"Our new premises will house our ever-increasing personnel and its professional capabilities, which are fundamental to our drive to become a leading subsea IMR company in the North Sea and beyond."

N-Sea is known for its innovative work as an independent offshore subsea contractor, specialising in IMR services for the international oil and gas, renewable and telecom/utility industries, as well as for civil contracting communities. With particular focus on North Sea activity, N-Sea provides near shore, offshore and survey services to major operators and service companies alike.

Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) announces that it has reached an agreement to settle a substantial majority of the plaintiffs' class claims asserted against the company as a result of the April 20, 2010 Macondo well incident in the Gulf of Mexico. The approximately $1.1 billion settlement, which includes legal fees, is subject to approval by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and will be paid into a trust until all appeals have been resolved in three installments over the next two years. The company's previously accrued loss contingency provision relating to the multi-district litigation proceedings is currently $1.3 billion.

The agreement includes the following:

• Claims against Halliburton that BP assigned to the settlement class in BP's April 2012 settlement,
• Punitive damages claims against Halliburton by a class of plaintiffs who allege damages to property or associated with the commercial fishing industry arising from the Deepwater Horizon Incident, and
• Affirmation that Halliburton has no liability for compensatory damages to the members of the settlement class in the BP April 2012 settlement.

Payments will be held in the trust, pending the finalization of this settlement which is contingent on final Court approval, including any appeals of:

• The BP 2012 settlement with the settlement class,
• The District Court's earlier determination that the contractual indemnity provided by BP to Halliburton is valid and enforceable, and
• The District Court's earlier dismissal of economic damage claims against Halliburton.

Additionally, the settlement is subject to an agreed-upon level of participation by the current claimants which, if not achieved, allows Halliburton to terminate the agreement.