The oil price collapse has been bad news for nearly every company involved in the industry, but one group that could actually benefit from it are specialist decommissioning companies. For these companies there is an opportunity to be part of removing the huge tonnage of infrastructure that exists in the North Sea. With oil prices forecast to remain low, life extension work that has kept many North Sea platforms producing long past their design life no longer makes commercial sense. The Dunlin platform (producing since 1978) is an early casualty having been abandoned last year.

Douglas-Westwood’s (DW) new North Sea Decommissioning Market Forecast 2016-2040 predicts that the UK will dominate decommissioning expenditure. Costs could exceed $50 billion (bn) using current removal methods or $43bn if SLVs (such as the Pioneering Spirit) are utilized. This $7bn saving is due to the number of extra-large platforms that will require removal, which would lead to high costs using current techniques. The most common decommissioning method is reverse installation and while this is well established and safe, it is time consuming, resulting in high costs. SLVs can complete lifts much quicker, lowering offshore costs substantially. This will only happen however, if the Pioneering Spirit is a success and embraced by the industry, something that will be required before other SLVs are commissioned.

DW anticipates that 146 platforms will be removed from the UK during 2019-2026 – 51% of all UK platform removals over the forecast. This is due to the high number of ageing platforms in the UK, which have an average age of over 20 years and are uneconomic at current commodity prices, as a result of high maintenance costs and the expensive production techniques required for mature fields. However, many of the largest platforms will remain in place until the 2030s, mainly due to tiebacks that have increased production late in life.

JFD, one of the world’s leading subsea operations and engineering companies, has announced the appointment of Valerio Percoco as Sales Director. The appointment follows the company’s significant growth over the past 12 months, which included a significant contract win with NATO, as well as the merger of James Fisher Defence, Divex and the National Hyperbaric Centre to create the world’s largest provider of subsea operations and engineering solutions, equipment and services for defence and commercial markets.

Valerio Percoco joins JFD from Offshore Installation Services (OIS), the leading subsea integrated project management service provider. Through a series of leadership and project management positions, including several roles in the offshore industry, he has successfully steered a number of major projects and achieved substantial business growth and expansion. He brings a wealth of experience and skills to his new role in driving ambitious growth targets through to fruition as JFD continues with further development and expansion in both new and existing markets.

JFD also recently announced the expansion of its UK footprint in support of its continued growth, with the opening of new offices in Glasgow and Bristol. The company operates from a strong global presence across all markets including Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, ensuring that it is able to respond quickly to customer demands anywhere in the world.

IRM Systems, an independent authority on emergency pipeline repairs, announced that as a result of a new and innovative approach to pipeline repair, it contributed to achieving dramatic cost-savings on the recent repair of a live subsea pipeline in the Java Sea, Indonesia. The objective of the operation was to seal a tear on a weld seam by installing a permanent repair solution.

IRM Systems began providing engineering services for the project in January 2015. Normally, the operation would have been executed by a major EPIC company – and nearly was – but in this instance, the operator decided to do something different. It decided that it should be executed by a smaller service contractor, drawing upon the services of a constellation of specialist providers, including IRM Systems.

A graphic image of a habitat installed over a pipeline.

To ensure that the project would succeed, the operator brought a certification body on board to assist with the engineering and advise on overall quality. Working with IRM Systems, the primary contractor selected the manufacturers and fabricators of the repair clamp, and conducted offshore surveys in cooperation with specialist survey contractors. The components of the repair solution were tested in Norway and the Netherlands in August, and successfully installed on to the live gas pipeline in October 2015, well within schedule.

Given the success of this project, the operator plans to use the approach used for this project as the standard template for more projects throughout the region. Not just repair projects, but for routine maintenance and inspection tasks.

The key to the success of this project is twofold. “First, you must have a highly organized body to coordinate the project. It’s essential that it has a strong grip on all of the players,” said Rutger Schouten. “Secondly, the team must have hands-on experience that duplicates - or exceeds - that of bigger players. Without that, you will not achieve the same quality targets as those completed by bigger players.”

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has strengthened its position in the heavy-lift market by confirming an important new contract to deliver twelve 450-ton capacity heavy-lift cranes for six Ecolift F900 vessels. The 13,300 dwt vessels are being built by two Chinese shipyards, Hudong and Huangpu Wenchong, for long-term charter to US operator Intermarine. Options remain for a further four vessels. The order was booked into fourth quarter 2015 order intake.

"This is a significant contract for MacGregor, representing important next steps into the heavy-lift market," says Mattias Sundström, Sales and Marketing Director for General Cargo Ships at MacGregor. "MacGregor is also delivering deck machinery from our Hatlapa range, as well as the Porsgrunn steering gear for these vessels," he continues.

"This order was received together with our partner Luzhou and MacGregor equipment was chosen because we were able to provide an efficient and high quality solution for our customer and can provide total lifecycle support worldwide," Mr. Sundström continues. Each vessel will feature two cranes with a combined lifting capacity of 900 tons.

"The vessels are an efficient upgrade to our existing bridge-forward F-Class ships. They have the advantage of better stability, larger holds, improved cranes and reduced consumption," said Frank Fischer, Managing Director of Tonnage Procurement, Intermarine, LLC.

The vessels will all be owned by China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Leasing. Germany's Hammonia Reederei subsidiary, Peter Döhle, will be responsible for technical ship management.

Delivery of the vessels will begin in the summer of 2017 and continue throughout 2018. Hudong will build four vessels with options for two more. Huangpu Wenchong will build two vessels, also with options for an additional two. Crane deliveries start at the end of 2016.

Aqueos Corporation, a ‘World Class Subsea Service Provider℠’,announced it has achieved a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of 0.00, the lowest possible, for 2015.

With 610,372 man hours worked in 2015, Aqueos continues to maintain its perpetual goals of Zero Incidents Performance and continuous improvement. These goals include keeping our personnel injury free, as well as maintaining responsible stewardship of the environment by controlling air pollution, eliminating spills, and proper waste management.

“This is a testimony to the hard work and commitment to our HSEQ processes from all parties, including our Senior Management, HSEQ Staff, Administrative Staff, and most importantly, our Offshore Supervisors, Diving and Marine Crews,” comments Aqueos President and CEO, Ted Roche.

Roche further commented, “We truly believe that all accidents are preventable. Even in these difficult market conditions, the team at Aqueos continues to focus on continuous improvement, communication, and remaining focused on our core value of safety.”

Aqueos Corporation, with offices in Broussard, LA and Ventura, CA, provides marine construction and specialty subsea services, including a complete range of commercial diving, remotely operated vehicles (ROV’s) and vessel-related services primarily to the offshore oil and gas markets.

Hawboldt Industries announces that David Marchetti has joined the company in a senior sales role. Marchetti brings to Hawboldt over 27 years of experience in operations, manufacturing, engineering, project management, and aftermarket / customer service, including extensive experience with ROV systems, and subsea oil and gas operations. Marchetti has held various positions with companies such as Schilling Robotics, GE Vetco Gray, and FMC Technologies, and most recently held the position of VP of Operations - Subsea at Forum Energy Technologies.

“We are very excited to have David join our growing team.” says Paul Phillips, General Sales Manager. “David’s extensive knowledge of the ROV industry, coupled with his strong customer focus and operations background will help strengthen our product and service offering in the industry.”

David will be based in Houston and will be leading the sales and service efforts for the Launch and Recovery product lines globally for Hawboldt.

C-Innovation (C-I), a member of the Edison Chouest Offshore (ECO) group of companies and an integrated marine services company specializing in advanced subsea solutions has signed an agreement with Kongsberg Maritime to acquire four new Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV). The order adds significant AUV capabilities to C-I’s already established Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) fleet.

C-I offers comprehensive subsea field development services, including front-end engineering, design and installation serving a global customer base. Its advanced ROV capabilities provide a broad spectrum of support to subsea construction projects, as well as drilling, intervention, maintenance and heavy lift assignments.

General Manager of C-Innovation LLC, Mr. Richard Bourque commented that this purchase allows C-I to do more advanced and faster surveys in deeper water: “We can now offer HiSAS data from the 4500 meter HUGIN to the offshore industry. All vehicles are portable to some extent but especially the MUNIN vehicles can be mobilized anywhere in a very short time. The combination of our ROVs and AUVs will put C-I in the lead on Inspection maintenance and repair.”

The Kongsberg Maritime AUV delivery includes two HUGIN AUVs and two MUNIN AUVs. The HUGINs are depth rated to 4500 m and equipped with the latest generation of HISAS 1032, Kongsberg Maritime’s Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS). They also carry an EM 2040 multibeam echo sounder, sub-bottom profiler, color still image camera and laser profiler. The MUNIN AUVs are rated to 1500 m and equipped with a Kongsberg Maritime EM 2040M multibeam echo sounder, sidescan sonar, sub-bottom profiler and color still image camera.

C-I’s new HUGIN and MUNIN AUVs are specially designed for subsea inspection, mapping and pipeline surveys. They feature the most advanced autonomous pipeline tracking software, developed by Kongsberg Maritime, enabling the AUV to track and follow alongside a pipe using either the SAS or sidescan. The vehicles can also fly directly overhead a pipe tracking it with the EM 2040 to collect high resolution bathymetry, photo imagery and a laser profile of the pipe.

The HUGIN includes swappable batteries and removable data storage. The C-I MUNINs have a fast charge system and data download facility designed to maximize productivity and minimize down-time between dives. They are also supplied with the Kongsberg Maritime Reflection AUV post-mission analysis software.

In-mission supervision including real-time data transmission and position aiding is provided by Kongsberg Maritime’s HiPAP acoustic system. The best position solution available is calculated by NavLab navigation post processing software.

Modal Training, the first organization in the UK to offer integrated, multimodal logistics training, has invested in a full suite of advanced ship, offshore vessel, engine room and radar simulators from Kongsberg Maritime, a global leader in marine training technology.

Modal Training will use the equipment, which includes a detailed 360^o model of the Humber estuary on the east coast of Northern England, to support the delivery of advanced training courses for maritime professionals and businesses at its new £7million centre of excellence in Immingham.

The simulators will enable Modal to offer training that effectively replicates the working environment for a wide range of maritime roles, including bridge crews, navigators, maritime engineers and Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) operators. Each part of the simulator system can be operated independently, or be interconnected to provide full vessel operation exercises for an entire crew.

Patrick Henry, CEO of Modal Training, said:

“Modal provides training of the absolute highest quality to maritime businesses across the UK, which is why we’ve invested in a full suite of advanced marine simulators from Kongsberg Maritime.

“We’ve listened to leading companies from across the maritime, offshore and renewables industries, and we are in the process of developing an extensive suite of equipment designed to meet their real-world training requirements exactly. Kongsberg Maritime is the global leader in marine technology and its simulators are widely regarded as the finest available in the world today.

“The Humber is home to the UK’s largest multi-purpose ports complex and Modal will provide the high quality, tailored training that businesses need to take advantage of growing opportunities in the region and across the wider sector.”

The centrepiece of the simulation suite will be a Class A full mission K-Sim Offshore vessel simulator with forward and aft bridge, configured with a DP2 dynamic positioning system and anchor handling vessel hardware. The suite will also be equipped with two Class B K-Sim Navigation ship’s bridge simulators, with one configured as a workboat/tug bridge.

Modal has also invested in a K-Sim DP Class C desktop simulator system for dynamic positioning training, and a desktop K-Sim Navigation configured for ECDIS radar training for up to six students. The engine room suite is equipped with a full mission K-Sim Engine simulator, including the high voltage functionality, and a desktop engine room simulator. A K-Sim VTS operator simulator system completes the new equipment line-up.

Sølvi Opthun, Area Sales Manager, Kongsberg Maritime, said:

“Our ‘Full Picture’ approach, which covers a wide range of maritime training disciplines, was successful in a competitive tender for this major maritime simulator contract. By demonstrating the capability and versatility of our technology and the possibility of integration for future training needs, we were able to meet Modal Training’s demanding requirements of its new simulation partner. We are looking forward to working closely with them towards a smooth 2016 delivery and on-going partnership.”

Modal Training is a new £7million centre of excellence for the ports, energy and logistics sector, providing integrated, multimodal logistics training for sea, road, rail and air. Jointly funded by the Grimsby Institute Group and the Humber LEP, Modal Training is based in Immingham, North East Lincolnshire, in a purpose-designed 5,696m2 facility, it is set to open in September 2016.

LQT Industries, LLC, a full-service provider of high quality accommodation facilities, design-build construction services, and support services to the oil and gas industry, provides accommodation packages to four (4) oil and gas production companies in the Gulf of Mexico.

The accommodation packages include LQT’s newly redesigned 12 Man Sleeper and support buildings. LQT’s design provides a larger and more comfortable living area for occupants and is equipped with features to optimize energy efficiency.

“LQT continues to expand its aluminum accommodation fleet to meet demand ,” said Peter Reeves, LQT’s New Construction Manager. “The industry has responded well to our modern building design as it supplies our customers with a lightweight, versatile, and low maintenance solution.”

McDermott International, Inc. (NYSE:MDR) announces that it has been awarded a subsea umbilical and flowline installation contract by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation in support of its Phase II development of the Caesar/Tonga field located in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

Lay Vessel 105 and North Ocean 102 are docked to support operations at McDermott’s spoolbase facility in Gulfport, Mississippi.

Caesar/Tonga Phase II is being developed as a subsea tieback to the Anadarko-operated Constitution spar, located in Block Green Canyon 726 and 727, with the new development in approximately 5,000 feet of water. The scope covers:

Project management;

Engineering, fabrication and installation of two 7,700-feet-long Pipe-in-Pipe (PIP) insulated rigid flowlines terminated by pipeline end terminations (PLETs) on either end;

Installation of one subsea manifold and associated jumpers;

Installation of a subsea control umbilical approximately 72,000-feet long and associated flying leads; and

Pre-commissioning.

“The combination of our Pipe-in-Pipe experience, efficiency of the Lay Vessel 105 (LV105) and our Gulfport spoolbase led McDermott to secure this important contract from Anadarko,” said Scott Munro. Vice President for Americas, Europe and Africa, McDermott. “We appreciate Anadarko’s trust in our experience and ability to deliver in the Gulf of Mexico.”

McDermott’s operating center in Houston, Texas, has commenced the overall project management and engineering. The PIP flowlines are expected to be assembled and fabricated at McDermott’s spoolbase facility in Gulfport, Mississippi. Offshore installation is expected to be completed in late 2016 by the LV105, McDermott’s deepwater rigid reel-lay vessel, and by the North Ocean 102, McDermott’s deepwater flexible lay vessel, which is expected to complete the umbilical installation and subsea construction scope of work.

The lump sum contract award will be reflected in McDermott’s fourth quarter 2015 backlog.

FMC Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: FTI) announces that it signed an agreement with Woodside for the design, manufacture and supply of subsea production systems for the Greater Western Flank Phase 2 (GWF-2) Project as part of the North West Shelf (NWS) Project in Western Australia.

The contract is valued at approximately $180 million for FMC Technologies and includes: subsea production trees, wellheads, manifolds, subsea and topside controls, and flowline connection systems. Deliveries are expect.

Image credit: FMC Technologies

"Our continued collaboration on the North West Shelf Project further solidifies the 20-year relationship between FMC Technologies and Woodside," said Tore Halvorsen, Senior Vice President, Subsea Technologies. "This development assists with the timely and efficient commercialization of the project's gas reserves."

The GWF-2 Project is the fourth major gas development for the NWS Project in the last seven years and is expected to develop 1.6 trillion cubic feet of raw gas from its combined six fields using subsea infrastructure and 21.7 miles (35 kilometers) of 16 inch pipeline connecting to the existing Goodwyn A platform.

The GWF-2 Project is expected to begin production in 2019.

Eliminating the slack line required for conventional tie-ups, PSI Marine's TideSlide Mooring System greatly reduces inertial loading usually generated by a moored vessel. TideSlide's superior strength and safety are ideal for commercial docks where cargo or passengers are loaded. Maintaining the vessel's boarding proximity allows safer movement of freight and passengers.

TideSlide's vertical movement absorbs any built-up energy, enabling a vessel to be safely and securely held even in the presence of wind, waves and tides. The patented design uses a solid stainless steel shaft and specially engineered, proprietary polymer mooring block. Easy to incorporate into any mooring plan or pier, TideSlide Systems are available in sizes to accommodate any vessel or tidal movement. PSI Marine, Inc. manufactures the TideSlide Systems in the USA. It has installed systems worldwide for power companies, military and commercial applications, such as TideSlide Oil Boom Attachment systems.

Especially designed for extreme tides and weather conditions, TideSlide is built to survive cyclones, hurricanes and severe weather. This mooring system is storm-tested and was engineered to meet the rigorous standards of the US Navy Heavy Weather Mooring Codes. Using TideSlides increases the chances of a vessel surviving catastrophic storms.

AlMansoori Specialized Engineering, the leader in oilfield services in the Middle East, is pleased to announce that it has appointed Ahmed Aboulfotouh as a General Manager for AlMansoori Production Services.

Bringing more than 29 years of rich experience in the Oil & Gas industry, Mr. Aboulfotouh has served in several senior management and leadership roles in numerous international organizations in Egypt, Pakistan, UAE and Libya. Before joining AlMansoori, he has worked as the Testing & Production Services Regional Manager, Middle East and North Africa at Weatherford. Mr. Aboulfotouh holds a mechanical engineering degree from Alexandria University in Egypt.

Mr. Aboulfotouh has accomplished business results and shown expertise in achieving operational efficiency, attaining strategic growth and delivering profitable projects.

In his new role at AlMansoori, Mr Aboulfotouh will be responsible for managing performance (Financial, HS&E and Operational) and setting strategies for business development and growth of services, achieving AlMansoori’s diverse customers’ satisfaction and ultimately its main goals and targets.

Ibrahim Al Alawi, Deputy CEO, AlMansoori, said: “Ahmed Aboulfotouh’s breadth of experience in the oil and gas industry, and specifically within the MENA region, will be very valuable to the company. The current challenging market will provide a fantastic opportunity for him to utilize his leadership and strategic planning skills and we look forward to seeing the results of his work.”

Ahmed commented: “AlMansoori is well known for its emphasis on providing quality services and solutions to its customers, and it is an honor to join such a well established and respected company. I have a proven record of providing exceptional financial results and business development and I look forward to use those skills to further enhance the broad range of services that AlMansoori currently offers.”

Bordelon Marine, providers of vessel services to operators in the Gulf of Mexico and around the world, has selected acoustically-aided inertial navigation technology from Sonardyne Inc., Houston, for its new Ultra-Light Intervention Vessel (ULIV), Brandon Bordelon. The dual Ranger 2 Pro DP-INS systems, the highest specification available, will be used to track ROVs during inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) activities and provide an independent position reference for the vessel’s Marine Technologies Class 2 dynamic positioning (DP) system.

The Brandon Bordelon (photo) was delivered at the end of 2015 and is currently under a 60 day contract with Tidewater Subsea. Designed to support complex IRM operations, the vessel features a high capacity deep water crane, infrastructure for two Work-class ROVs and a large, reconfigurable back-deck area.

Specialized vessels such as the Brandon Bordelon, conventionally rely on Ultra-Short BaseLine (USBL) acoustics and the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) as their primary sources of DP reference data. However, a vessel’s station-keeping capability can be compromised in the event that the USBL is affected by thruster aeration or noise and the GNSS signal is simultaneously interrupted. The latter is particularly common around equatorial regions and during periods of high solar radiation.

Sonardyne’s Ranger 2 Pro DP-INS system addresses this operational vulnerability. It aids vessel positioning by exploiting the long term accuracy of Sonardyne’s Wideband 2 acoustic signal technology with high integrity, high update rate inertial measurements. The resulting navigation output has the ability to ride-through short term acoustic disruptions and is completely independent from GNSS.

In addition to the system’s deep water positioning performance and safety benefits, DP-INS has been proven to deliver valuable time and cost savings for vessel owners. It does not need a full seabed array of transponders to be installed and calibrated before subsea operations can commence. For most subsea tasks, positioning specifications can be met with only one or two transponders deployed on the seabed. Additionally, as the system needs only occasional aiding from the acoustics, transponder battery life is substantially increased and the need to task an ROV to deploy and recover transponders for servicing is reduced.

The equipment supplied to Bordelon Marine included Sonardyne’s ship-mounted inertial navigation sensor and two HPT 7000 acoustic transceivers. The HPTs have been installed on the Brandon Bordelon through-hull deployment poles and are optimized for tracking and dynamic positioning in ultra-deep water.

Wes Bordelon, President/CEO Bordelon Marine said, “Equipping the Brandon Bordelon with Sonardyne’s Ranger 2 DP-INS, reflects our commitment to providing hi-tech, hi-spec equipment on our fit-for-purpose Stingray vessels and ensuring our fleet is safe, efficient and cost-effective.

“Ranger 2 DP-INS is a mature, field proven technology that addresses operators’ need for a robust, independent DP reference that provides an update rate and accuracy on par with GNSS,” said Ralph Gall, Technical Sales Manager at Sonardyne in Houston. He added, “The Brandon Bordelon joins a significant fleet of vessels which depend upon our acoustically-aided inertial technology for safer and more efficient dynamic positioning operations.”

For more information on Sonardyne’s Ranger 2 DP-INS click here.

Forum Subsea Rentals, a subsidiary of Forum Energy Technologies, Inc., and Aquatec Group Ltd announces the signing of a global agreement for the rental of Aquatec’s proven LEAKlog™ leak detection and inspection suite. The Aquatec LEAKlog leak detection sensors are utilized for routine inspection and surveillance of a variety of subsea installations as well as for permanent leak monitoring applications. The suite incorporates a data acquisition system and interchangeable sensors.

Aquatec Group has been manufacturing innovative instruments for measuring, monitoring and communicating in water since 1990, and offer a proven range of subsea leak detection sensors including long range fluorometers, directional acoustic sensor and differential temperature detectors. This full equipment range will be available through Forum Subsea Rental’s global locations supported by their experienced technical teams coupled with the expertise of the Aquatec’s engineering group.

Nicki Nicholls, Global Business Director, Forum Subsea Rentals said: “This agreement gives FSR direct access to Aquatec’s technology-leading LEAKlog range of products and development team so we can offer not only the off the shelf packages, but also provide our customers bespoke instrumentation solutions. We look forward to be working closely with Aquatec, where the addition of this technology to our extensive range of rental assets gives our customers a cost-effective and reliable leak detecting option for completing their inspection campaigns.”

The Managing Director of Aquatec Group, Andy Smerdon commented: “Aquatec has been designing and providing subsea leak detection systems for over 15 years, and Forum’s team has considerable experience in mobilizing and deploying these sensors. We welcome this opportunity to work closely with them to provide first class service and informed technical support directly to the users of our instrumentation.”

Forum Subsea Rentals is a leading provider of the latest subsea technology with the ability to support its clients on a global basis to the marine survey, offshore construction, ROV, geophysical and environmental industries.

The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) has appointed Gordon Ballard to be its new Executive Director. He began on January 15^th , succeeding Michael Engell-Jensen, who is retiring after five years.

Gordon comes to IOGP after spending 30 years working with oilfield services company, Schlumberger, on four continents. He became Schlumberger’s UK Chair in 2005. He has also served as Chair of the UK’s Oil and Gas Industry Council and of OPITO International, the upstream oil & gas skills organization, and was Co-Chair of industry trade association Oil & Gas UK.

He graduated from the University of Glasgow with a B.SC. Hons in Civil Engineering and holds a Masters in Petroleum Engineering from Heriot-Watt University.

Commenting on his new role, Gordon said: ‘For the foreseeable future much of the energy the world needs will come from the oil and gas that IOGP’s members produce: for heat, light and transport as well as a reliable, cleaner-burning complement to solar and wind power. I’m eager to work with member companies and associations to get the message across that secure and affordable energy supplies are essential for global prosperity.

‘Equally important is IOGP’s role in helping our members to find and produce oil and gas safely and sustainably. In light of the recent breakthroughs at the Paris climate summit, we are focused on furthering our work with civil society and governments. Such engagement will help to build the world’s understanding of the crucial nature of what we do,’ Gordon said.

‘It’s an exciting time to be taking the helm of IOGP – an organization that has become stronger and more forthright under Michael Engell-Jensen’s able leadership. I’m looking forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead.’