A sustained supply glut has maintained Brent oil prices through the first five months of 2015 at some 47% lower than the same period in 2014. Industry observers expect low oil prices to eventually take supply out of the market and drive a price correction.
So, when will this happen? To-date, supply appears unaffected – latest figures from the EIA indicate that US production has risen almost 13% in the last 12 months. Saudi Arabia is much the same, production has hit a record rate of 10.3 mb/d. Many of the projects committed to over the 2011-2014 period (where we saw record levels of E&P Capex) are only just starting to come into production due to the long lead-times.
Returning off-market crude has further boosted supply. Political disruption notwithstanding, Iraqi oil production has hit new highs in 2015, while recent announcements by the Ministry of Oil (MOO) show crude exports in May hit record levels for the second consecutive month. What with OPEC’s 5th June meeting reaffirming the cartel’s decision to hold crude production at 30 mb/d, it is hard to see a supply-led oil price recovery any time soon.
Oil price recovery will instead hinge on growth in energy demand and, by association, economic growth. However, in April this year the IMF reported an expectation for 2015 of ‘moderate’ growth of 3.5% with “weaker prospects for some large emerging market economies”.
According to BP’s Energy Outlook 2035, liquids demand growth to 2020 will be focused outside of Europe and North America, with China playing a large part. Total growth in oil demand is expected to be 6%, while DW’s D&P forecast indicates supply growth of 5% over the same period. It follows logically that prices will recover, but that recovery is likely to be slow and gradual.
Matt Adams, Douglas-Westwood London
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Businesses are operating in tough economic times, with budgets being significantly cut during the current industry downturn.
Unfortunately, when lowering costs is a key priority, learning and development budgets have historically been one of the first areas to take the hit, yet projects still need to be completed and delivered on time and to the highest possible standard.
Jee Ltd, a leading independent multi-discipline subsea engineering and training firm, recognises this and believes that, since unpredictable market conditions inevitably lead to cuts, flexible training options are essential to support continued learning.
Jenny Matthew, Head of Courses at Jee Ltd said: “Despite the current climate, it should be remembered that investing in training and staff development is essential to ensure immediate and long-term business objectives are met, such as greater efficiencies in project delivery, as well as supporting professional career development.”
To help mitigate the issue of companies slashing training budgets, Jee has developed and applied a significant price promotion for its public and online subsea engineering training.
Ms. Matthew continued: “We understand and sympathize that in tough market conditions training budgets are under strain, so to help alleviate this pressure, the team at Jee is consistently searching for flexible approaches to ensure investment in training and staff development continues to be a viable priority for our customers.
“Through the development of adaptable blended learning programs, and by offering up to 50% off public and online courses until the end of this month, we hope to encourage oil and gas companies to continue investing in the development of their people. This in turn will help to meet immediate or long-term objectives, and emphasise a company’s intention to nurture growth and create an environment where staff feel invested in and valued. “
Jee believes that developing staff and their capabilities helps to form a cohesiveness within a company that will strengthen the resilience required to overcome this downturn. Continuous learning and development is beneficial to the individual being trained, the company he or she works for, and the industry as a whole.
Training and people development should be a key part of a company’s overall strategy and rather than cutting deeply into training budgets, alternative cost-saving solutions should be considered.
“Businesses should see this downturn as an opportunity to look at the bigger business picture, take advantage of cost-effective training solutions and the much needed ‘time to learn’ while the market has slowed. Ensuring that staff are at the top of their game to meet the needs and demands of a challenging market.” concluded Ms Matthew.
Jee has been training the global oil and gas industry for more than 20 years, with all tutors also practising engineers, thus boasting a wealth of up-to-date experience in the subsea industry. The company’s portfolio of courses have become the benchmark for excellence in the industry, having built up a portfolio of 24 subsea engineering courses offered worldwide to assist in the standardisation of engineering knowledge across the global industry.
Offer details are as follows:
McDermott International, Inc. (NYSE:MDR) has announced it has been awarded an offshore contract by Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX) for the engineering, procurement, construction, installation (EPCI) and pre-commissioning of the Ayatsil-C replacement jacket and associated deck installation.
The value of the large brownfield award will be included in McDermott’s second quarter 2015 backlog.
McDermott completed the Ayatsil-B eight-leg jacket and deck from its Altamira fabrication yard in 2014. (Photo: Business Wire)
“This is the fourth contract McDermott has received for the Ayatsil field and follows the successful delivery of the Ayatsil-B drilling platform in 2014 and installation of the Ayatsil-A offshore jacket, deck and piles earlier this year,” said Scott Munro, McDermott’s Vice President for Americas, Europe and Africa. “Our integrated EPCI approach allows McDermott to provide PEMEX with a faster delivery schedule and lower-cost solution that will be locally-built and executed to our global industry-recognized quality and safety standards.”
McDermott expects to use its in-house engineering and procurement experts, Altamira fabrication yard located in Mexico, Intermac 600 transportation and launch barge and heavy-lift Derrick Barge 50 vessel to complete the installation of all structures. The total weight of the facilities is approximately 14,800 tons. Completion is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2016.
Located in the Bay of Campeche, the Ayatsil field is the largest discovery for PEMEX to date. Pemex has said it plans to develop Ayatsil field with as many as four platforms and adjacent Tekel heavy oil field with one platform, all tied to a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel. It plans to drill 43 wells in the project. Water depths in the area are approximately 375-405 feet.
Statoil is, on behalf of the Johan Sverdrup partnership, signing a contract with a joint venture consisting of Kvaerner and KBR for construction of the topside for the utility and living quarters platform. The contract has a value of NOK 6.7 billion.
NorSea Group (UK) Limited has won North-east Scotland’s first major “small piece” decommissioning contract. Work has already begun on the six-month project which is being carried out at NorSea Group’s Peterhead facility on behalf of Endeavour Energy and involves safe disposal of subsea manifolds and associated pipework from the Renee and Rubie fields.
All materials from the fields, which lie 200km North-east of Aberdeen, are being delivered to Smith Quay which is operated by NorSea Group. An important element of the £0.5million contract was the requirement that reuse of returned material be maximised and NorSea Group will achieve a 100% recycling rate.
From left - Guy Cook and Hywel Evans of Endeavour Energy with Mike Munro, Operations Director, NorSea Group (UK) at Smith Quay, Peterhead
The returned material includes 1,000 tonnes of concrete mattresses which will be used as hard core and in road construction projects; 200tonnes of pipework and skid units which will be recycled as scrap metal; manifold valves which will be refurbished and reused and a 17 tonne crossover manifold which will be transported to the Underwater Centre at Fort William where it will be used for diver training.
The work will initially create up to six new jobs.
“This is our first decommissioning win and the first such project to be carried out in the North-east,” said Walter Robertson, MD of NorSea Group (UK). “We are primarily known as a logistics and base services company servicing the offshore industry but as part of our future growth strategy we are developing our decommissioning capability. In the current economic climate we anticipate that many more decommissioning projects will be coming forward and we are already involved in tendering for additional contracts in this area.
“In addition to Peterhead we have facilities at South Quay, Montrose capable of carrying out similar types of small piece decommissioning work, so we see great potential for servicing additional contracts there.”
Operations Director Mike Munro, who is overseeing the work, said Smith Quay and Embankment, was constructed by Peterhead Port Authority to service the DSV and Subsea vessel market and is ideally located to service the northern and central North Sea.
“With 200m of quayside and a draft of 10m, Smith Quay is ideal for the landing of small piece decommissioning works and can handle structures up to 4,000tonnes in weight. A laydown area in excess of 15,000m2 and our on-site crane with a 220t capacity makes us self-sufficient in the landing of most materials and larger capacity cranes are available at short notice.
“We also carry out rigorous testing of all decommissioning materials to detect the presence of NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material) and if it is present, we work with Scotoil Services, our specialist partnership company, to carry out decontamination at our on-site SEPA approved licensed premises.”
NorSea Group took on the operatorship of Smith Quay and Embankment at Peterhead on a 10-year agreement at Q3 2014. This is phase 1 of a 3 phase development that will see expansion onto Merchants Quay and provide 400m of deep-water quayside berthing supported by over 50,000m2 of quayside laydown area. NorSea also has a long term agreement with Scrabster Harbour Trust and a 15-year lease at South Quay in Montrose.
NorSea Group (UK) was established as the UK wing of its Norwegian parent company NorSea Group in 2013 when it opened its first office in Aberdeen. Since then there has been significant growth in the company’s business activity in the UK. In addition to establishing a presence in Aberdeen, NorSea Group acquired Danbor Ltd. the leading Danish offshore logistics company and their UK assets are now incorporated into NorSea Group (UK). In 2014, the company also moved to new premises at NorSea Group House in Altens, providing the company with its own 4,000m2 warehouse, 15,000m2 concreted yard and 800m2 of office space.
International oil and gas skills organization, OPITO, is making Nigeria safer for oil and gas workers with the accreditation of a second training company.
Cegelec Oil and Gas, based in Ogere, Nigeria, has secured approval from OPITO to deliver mechanical, electrical and instrument training to standards recognized by the oil and gas industry globally.
A unique, not-for-profit organization, OPITO is wholly owned by the oil and gas industry and responsible for ensuring it has a safe, skilled and competent workforce. The organization develops the highest training standards to improve offshore safety. With operations centers in Aberdeen, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and Houston, OPITO delivers standards, qualifications and workforce development frameworks used by employers in 42 countries worldwide.
Cegelec Oil and Gas has been initially approved to deliver Mechanical, Electrical and Instrument and Control Level 2 training and expects to conduct additional OPITO-approved courses going forward. The training provider is currently in the process of seeking OPITO accreditation for Process Operations training for production trainees.
OPITO group chief executive officer David Doig said: “This approval marks another move forward for OPITO in the drive towards common safety standards in the industry around the world. “Following the accreditation of the first OPITO approved training centre in Nigeria in [YEAR] there has been an increasing awareness of the value in ensuring the competency of the offshore workforce and dramatically improving safety levels.”
“Africa’s proven oil reserves have grown by nearly 120 percent in the past 30 years and it’s estimated that at least another 100 billion barrels are yet to be discovered. If the continent’s oil producing countries are expected to meet these targets, they need a highly skilled and safe workforce.”
As the skills and standards body for oil and gas globally, OPITO has a vital role to play in ensuring the safety of the industry’s workforce all over the world.
Earlier this year, OPITO announced the launch of a global framework for vocational qualifications. The oil and gas skills body has developed global technical standards and a qualifications framework which will meet current and future skills demands and improve competence in the operations and maintenance activities associated with the extraction of hydrocarbons.
Mr. Doig added: “In a short space of time, we designed appropriate, industry-specific, valued nationally and globally recognized training that will result in a safe and competent workforce. “Whether a school leaver in Nigeria or an existing offshore worker in Kuala Lumpur, individuals will now be able to gain qualifications in processing hydrocarbons, electrical and mechanical maintenance and instrumentation and controls which will be recognized by oil and gas companies worldwide.
Aker Solutions won its first order for a project offshore Mexico as it secured a contract from Saipem to supply umbilicals for the Pemex-operated Lakach deepwater natural-gas field.
Aker Solutions will deliver electro-hydraulic steel tube umbilicals of about 73 kilometers (45 miles) that will help connect Mexico's first subsea gas development to onshore processing facilities. The field is located about 98 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of Veracruz at depths of between 900 and 1,200 meters in the Gulf of Mexico. It is targeted to supply 400 million standard cubic feet per day.
"The Lakach field is Mexico's first deepwater subsea development by Pemex and Aker Solutions is proud to deliver the first umbilical to the Mexican Gulf of Mexico," said Marc Quenneville, head of Aker Solutions' subsea business in North America.
The umbilicals will be manufactured in Mobile, Alabama, and the order will be completed in the third quarter of 2016. Aker Solutions is the market leader in subsea umbilicals, which are used to supply necessary controls and chemicals to subsea oil and gas wells, manifolds and systems requiring remote control.
The partners have chosen not to disclose the contract value.
Strainstall selected to provide offshore monitoring system for Bluewater’s turret mooring systems contract for the Kaombo deep water Project
Strainstall to deliver its market-leading Chain Tension Monitoring System (CTMS), providing customers with confidence during challenging operations
Two CTMS to be installed on two FPSOs for the Total E&P Angola Block 32 Kaombo Project off the coast of Angola, West Africa
Strainstall, part of James Fisher and Sons plc, has secured a significant contract with Bluewater Energy Services (Bluewater), a leading offshore company specialising in Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels and Single Point Mooring (SPM) systems, for the provision of its innovative Chain Tension Monitoring System.
The integrity of FPSO moorings is a known issue industry-wide that has been highlighted due to a number of recent mooring chain failures. Identification of these failures, as they occur, is of critical importance for maintaining safety onboard. Strainstall’s CTMS provides a cost-effective solution that warns users immediately in the event of anchor loads exceeding pre-determined limits, delivering a simple system on which operators can rely.
Bluewater selected Strainstall’s superior monitoring solution to ensure the integrity of the turret mooring systems on two FPSO vessels in the Kaombo deep water oil field. The CTMS systems will provide increased operational efficiency and cost reduction through the delivery of a long-term monitoring system that incorporates fully sealed, bespoke sensors lasting over 20 years - significantly longer than any comparable offering.
“Strainstall’s CTMS system was selected as it suited Bluewater’s requirements for a simple and easy to install solution to monitor the integrity of the mooring chains for the two Kaombo FPSO's” explained Evert Han Huernink, project manager at Bluewater Energy Services BV.
Strainstall’s reputation in providing customers with confidence during challenging projects, through the delivery of innovative monitoring solutions for the offshore environment, ensured its success.
“This win is an excellent development in Strainstall’s on-going relationship with Bluewater for the provision of load monitoring solutions.” explained Simon Everett, managing director of Strainstall. “We’re extremely pleased with the opportunity to deliver our advanced mooring monitoring system, which has been proven on a number of Total’s offshore platforms previously.”
The ability of the CTMS to interface directly with on-board monitoring and control systems was significant in its selection, providing a simple and easy to use solution for this CTMS application. The system will provide real-time data to operators, giving an accurate indication of mooring loads to ensure they are not overloaded and stay within safe limits.
With previous experience on numerous applications world-wide, including Moho Nord field off the West coast of Africa, CTMS is proven to ensure safe operations in the harshest of environments.
Some 50% of crews working on offshore support vessels are willing to compromise safety rather than say ‘no’ to clients or senior management, while nearly 80% believe commercial pressures could influence the safety of their working practices.
The chilling findings, released to coincide with this week’s International Maritime Organization Maritime Safety Committee meeting, come from a new report on workboat and OSV safety commissioned by operations and maintenance management software specialist Helm Operations.
‘The Impact of Crew Engagement and Organizational Culture on Maritime Safety in the Workboats and OSV Sectors’ is the first maritime safety study specific to workboats and OSVs and will be finalized in time for World Maritime Day 2015, on September 26.
The independent report will summarize six months of research by Dr. Kate Pike and Emma Broadhurst of Southampton Solent University. It draws on original analysis of Port State Control detention records, feedback from 50 offshore companies, incident case studies, and input from leaders in best practice.
“This is a major contribution to knowledge in the industry, highlighting the link between the human element and safety performance in this distinct sector,” says Ron deBruyne, CEO and Founder of Helm Operations. “It tests often repeated regulatory assumptions, establishes the realities of workboat and OSV safety, and provides key recommendations aimed at improving maritime safety.”
Despite the inherently risky nature of their work, many workboats are not bound by SOLAS or the International Safety Management (ISM) Code. Both the Paris and the Tokyo Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) data show that 27% of workboat deficiencies relate to certificates and documentation, the report says.
“This report identifies shortcomings in current safety cultures, and makes recommendations on how the workboat and OSV sectors can enhance and audit safe working practices,” says deBruyne.
An online survey drawing on 50 key offshore companies saw 34% of respondents saying their company needed to offer additional operational and technical training. Worryingly, 50% found it difficult to say ‘no’ to a client or senior staff demanding actions that might compromise safety. Some 78% of respondents believed that commercial pressures could influence safety.
“We’re concerned that the research also confirms how under-reporting of near misses can undermine an entire safety culture,” says deBruyne. “This is partly due to the repercussions of reporting. Better safety management procedures, improved safety culture and crew wellbeing mean lower workboat and OSV deficiencies and detentions.”
To support this contention, the report identifies a set of eight safety criteria to help companies establish safety management systems that follow the principles set out in the ISM Code. It offers recommendations on communication; empowerment of employees; feedback systems; mutual trust; problem identification; promotion of safety; responsiveness; and safety awareness.
‘The Impact of Crew Engagement and Organizational Culture on Maritime Safety in the Workboats and OSV Sectors’ will be available on September 26, to coincide with World Maritime Day.'
Statoil and PL602 partners have made a gas discovery in the Gymir prospect. With three discoveries in a row, an important progress has been made in unlocking full potential of the Aasta Hansteen area.
“Our 2015 exploration campaign around Aasta Hansteen has proven an upside potential in the area. The estimated total volumes in the three discoveries, Snefrid Nord, Roald Rygg and Gymir, amount to 75-120 million barrels of recoverable oil equivalent, corresponding to about 1/3 of the Aasta Hansteen recoverable volumes. The discoveries will now be further evaluated for future tie-in to the Aasta Hansteen facilities in order to optimize utilization of the infrastructure and prolong the production plateau,” says Dan Tuppen, vice president exploration Norwegian and Barents Sea in Statoil.
The well 6706/11-2, drilled by the Transocean Spitsbergen rig in the Gymir prospect, proved a gross 70-metre gas column in the Nise Formation with good reservoir qualities. Statoil estimates the volumes in Gymir to be in the range of 6-19 million barrels of recoverable oil equivalent. Gymir is located just 8 kilometers away from Roald Rygg and 14 kilometers away from Snefrid Nord.
Aasta Hansteen will be the largest SPAR platform in the world and is the biggest ongoing field development project in the Norwegian Sea. It is one of the main projects in Statoil’s portfolio. The plan for development and operations (PDO) was approved by the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy in 2013. Production start-up is expected in 2017.
“Additional reserves from the three discoveries tied in to Aasta Hansteen will be important for increasing the value of the Aasta Hansteen investment,” says Torolf Christensen, Statoil vice president for the Aasta Hansteen project.
The drilling operations in all three wells have been extremely efficient, making them the fastest deep-water wells ever drilled on the Norwegian continental shelf. The Gymir well has been completed in just 13 days, which is a unique drilling performance for a deep water well.
“The total savings achieved in the three wells amount to 50 days or 360 MNOK compared to the initial plan. This is a result of STEP (Statoil technical efficiency program) within drilling and well, and the ability of the onshore planning team and the Transocean Spitsbergen crew to take out the full potential of the drilling process. The efficiency gains were achieved while keeping high HSE standards,” says Thor Emil Bensvik, head of Statoil exploration drilling operations on the NCS.
Fugro has successfully completed a year-long wellhead monitoring project for BP Americas Inc, measuring BOP stack motions and calculating wellhead fatigue during a deployment in the Gulf of Mexico.
The drilling campaign was conducted throughout 2014 in 6,000 ft of water depth and utilised the Fugro Wellhead and Riser Instrumentation Service (WARIS). This installation included transmission of motion spectra from the BOP stack and riser using standard hydroacoustic modems and the automatic processing of this data with topside environmental data to show levels of motion and fatigue and their correlation with sea states and ocean currents. This provided BP with access to real-time subsea data to aid their decision making throughout the deployment. Communications from the lower marine riser package (LMRP) and riser remained successful even with surface wave heights greater than 3 metres at times during the campaign.
DeepData pods being readied for deployment with a lower marine riser package
The DeepData subsea motion monitoring pods, the main component in the system, were deployed to positions on the BOP stack and riser by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The pods were integrated with hydroacoustic modems and had battery capacity to last for one year of deployment. A topside system was supplied that included vessel motion monitoring and links to existing environmental monitoring systems.
To ensure that the data could be accessed and utilised by BP engineers anywhere in the world, Fugro’s onshore data delivery system was used to plot and display all the processed data from the WARIS system. Summary plots were also distributed by email to a designated list of client recipients.
The success of the project indicated the technology could be deployed on other wells where fatigue capacity and potential loading is of interest.
Stuart Killbourn, Principal Engineer at Fugro said, “This was a project with challenging timescales and some demanding engineering. By working closely with BP and with Fugro staff in our Houston office, we managed to create success for both companies.”
John Henderson, Team Leader for Subsea Wells Engineered Solutions and Mitigations at BP said, “The collaboration between BP and Fugro demonstrates a leap forward in monitoring capability for the industry.”
Specialist Software Helps Manage and Secure Process Critical Software Assets
Asset Guardian Solutions Ltd (AGSL), which specializes in protecting companies’ process critical software assets, announced that it has received a contract from McDermott Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. (McDermott).
The contract requires AGSL to provide its Asset Guardian software management toolset to protect and manage the software installed on the process control systems that McDermott uses to operate several of the company’s pipelay vessels.
Asset Guardian Solutions has already installed Asset Guardian software on McDermott's pipelay vessel North Ocean 105. The software helps to protect and manage the process control systems that McDermott uses to operate the vessel.
Asset Guardian has been installed on the McDermott pipelay vessel North Ocean 105. Following this initial installation, configuration and testing period, Asset Guardian will be installed on the Construction Support Vessel 108 and North Ocean 102.
Streamlining Management of Change
A key factor in McDermott’s decision to purchase Asset Guardian is its ability to streamline the management processes associated with making changes to the configurations of process software and to make certain that effective version control is in place. It also ensures that backups of new and modified software are securely stored and easy to access from any location. This minimizes downtime caused by process system software failure.
Quality training holds key to maximizing return on investment
Quality training is an essential part of the implementation process. It gives users the confidence and the skills to use the Asset Guardian toolset effectively, maximizing return on the company’s investment. AGSL is providing comprehensive classroom-based training and online training through the Asset Guardian computer-based training (CBT) program.
“The contract awarded by McDermott is especially meaningful. It demonstrates the confidence that they – and the industry - have in our ability to provide a reliable, field-proven method of protecting the process control software used to operate essential assets,” said Sam Mackay, Chief Executive Officer of Asset Guardian Solutions Ltd. “We look forward to working with them to help ensure that their pipelay vessels operate at optimum levels, without disruption.”
Field-proven performance
Since 2004, AGSL has been supplying the process control industry with the Asset Guardian toolset. Nexen Petroleum U.K. Limited, Woodside Energy, GDF Suez, Inpex, Dolphin Drilling, Stena Drilling, BP, and nuclear energy provider EDF Energy are among those using Asset Guardian to protect and enhance management of their critical process control software assets.
J2 Subsea, an Acteon company, has opened a new subsea tooling facility at sister Acteon company, Seatronics’, subsea electronics location in Houston.
The new facility marks the next stage in J2 Subsea’s global expansion plan. North American customers can now access a comprehensive suite of subsea equipment for diver and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) applications. The new facility includes a workshop for tool preparation, servicing and support. It will provide torque tools, analysers, cutters, manipulators, intensifier panels, grinders, dirty work packs, jetters and more.
John Walker, director, J2 Subsea, said, “J2 Subsea has a strong reputation in the subsea marketplace for offering top quality service and fast response times. We already operate from other Seatronics facilities, and the new Houston location supports our ultimate aim of offering everything on the ROV globally. Our goal is to give customers support wherever they need it, and establishing this facility in Houston is in direct response to customer demands.
“The J2 Subsea Tool Changer and the J2 Subsea iVP Control System are examples of innovative products that will now be available from our Houston facility. By investing in product research and development, we continue to bring cost-effective solutions such as these to the marketplace. Innovation is a vital part of J2 Subsea’s business, and the new Houston tooling facility will showcase our full suite of equipment.”
CSA and EEH have teamed to expand their capabilities in Qatar.
Energy & Environment Holding (EEH), an independent consulting firm specializing in energy, environment, privatization, and sustainable development based in Doha, Qatar, and CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA), a firm specializing in services related to environmental impacts from offshore oil and gas and construction activities worldwide, have announced the formation of their new joint venture CSA Ocean Sciences (Doha) LLC. The board of directors for the joint venture is chaired by HE Sheikh Jabor bin Yusef bin Jassim al-Thani, principal holder of EEH, and includes members Roudi Baroudi, Chief Executive Officer of EEH and Robert Mulcahy, Chief Operating Officer of CSA.
The new relationship combines the core capabilities of CSA and EEH to provide a comprehensive suite of environmental services in the Gulf region, including environmental impact assessments, risk assessments for offshore oil and gas activities, support for large marine infrastructure projects, biological impact assessments, and regulatory compliance permitting and monitoring.
EEH is a Doha-based strategic advisory consultancy that provides studies and market analyses related to environmental policies and programs with a focus on sustainable energy projects, environmental programs, deregulation, privatization, security and other issues related to energy projects in both the Gulf and the Eastern Mediterranean. Since 2007, EEH has positioned itself to be a leader in energy and environmental affairs in the Gulf region while supporting numerous efforts to promote business growth within Qatar.
CSA has successfully conducted over 45 environmental programs off the coast of Qatar since 1994 with verified long-term results, including oil and gas environmental compliance projects and mitigation programs using methodologies approved by the Qatari Ministry of Environment. Notably, CSA was contracted to conduct a Benthic Ecological Survey and develop a Coral Management, Relocation, and Monitoring Plan (CoMRMP) for the Barzan Project. Subsequently, CSA modified the CoMRMP in 2014 to address the needs of the Flow Assurance Project off Ras Laffan City, Qatar. Currently, CSA is monitoring corals, benthic colonization, fish assemblages, coral recruitment, water quality parameters, and urchin populations at both the Barzan and FAP site.
Mr. Baroudi of EEH stated, “We look forward to joining forces with CSA to build the leading environmental services firm in the GCC region. EEH is dedicated to quality and sustainability of the natural environment, which will only be reinforced with the assistance of CSA.”
“CSA is pleased to have EEH as a partner,” added Mr. Mulcahy. “We are very excited to be able to provide not only CSA’s core service offerings, but to also expand our services and capabilities in concert with EEH. EEH’s focus on sustainable energy development supports the Qatar National Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to provide a balance between sustainable development and the protection of Qatar’s unique and diverse natural environment. We are proud to be working with an organization such as EEH and we look forward to a long and prosperous relationship.
MMT, specialists in high-resolution marine surveys, has successfully completed offshore integration trials of their new high-speed remotely operated vehicle with Sonardyne International’s SPRINT inertial navigation system.
The 2,000 meter rated vehicle, named Surveyor Interceptor, has been developed by MMT to improve the speed and efficiency of seabed mapping and pipeline inspections surveys. Its revolutionary design features a hydrodynamic hull and powerful drivetrain enabling the vehicle to travel at up to six knots, around 50% faster than conventional Work-class ROVs. The accuracy of SPRINT complements the vehicle’s state-of-the-art imaging and mapping sensors, resulting in improved survey data quality and substantially reduced ‘cost per kilometer’ of surveys.
MMT’s record-breaking Surveyor Interceptor ROV is equipped with Sonardyne’s SPRINT INS system to improve the accuracy of high speed pipeline inspections and surveys.
Travelling at high speed close to the seabed requires the vehicle’s automatic maneuvering and propulsion systems to be supplied with highly precise and uninterrupted position updates. To meet this requirement, MMT selected Sonardyne’s acoustically aided inertial navigation system, SPRINT. Designed for subsea vehicles, SPRINT makes optimal use of acoustic aiding data including USBL, LBL and Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) and other sensors such as pressure sensors to improve accuracy, precision, reliability and integrity in any water depth.
Inertial navigation is inherently self-contained and robust with very good short term accuracy but can drift over time. SPRINT is therefore aided with complementary acoustic positioning data to provide long term accuracy and robustness and greater vehicle control. On the Survey Interceptor, a Sonardyne Inverted Ultra-Short BaseLine (iUSBL) transceiver has been interfaced directly to the SPRINT resulting in a highly optimized navigation solution that delivered position updates up to 100 times a second.
Besides its stand-out levels of precision and fast update rates, MMT also chose SPRINT as it is the most cost-effective and low risk technology on the market. The system architecture inside SPRINT has been developed with flexibility and expandability in mind. This means the same vehicle-mounted hardware can be used as a premium survey vehicle grade gyrocompass or an acoustically aided INS depending on operational requirements. Users are able to upgrade and switch capability on demand using remotely activated in-field upgrades, meaning they only pay for the features they need.
Alan Macdonald, Sales Manager for Sonardyne commented, “We are obviously delighted with the outstanding results that MMT has achieved using SPRINT, both in testing and more recently, during its first commercial operation. At a time when the offshore industry is focused on ways to reduce costs without compromising on quality, the combination of MMT’s ground-breaking ROV and our SPRINT INS represents a unique offering to the construction survey marketplace.”
Jonas Andersson, R&D Manager at MMT said, “When testing the new MMT Survey Interceptor ROV, we were looking for an inertial navigation solution that would deliver real-time performance with high speed updates. By running Sonardyne’s SPRINT inertial navigation system we witnessed a marked difference in the accuracy of all ROV positioning activities during the period, which in turn made a marked difference to the quality of the survey data received.” He went on to say, “Now that Sonardyne has also released their new Syrinx DVL, we will be looking to run further tests in the future. This will be done with a view to achieving even more precise position accuracy using a tightly integrated Syrinx DVL, SPRINT and USBL acoustics.”
Blue Ocean Marine & Offshore Solutions (BOMOS) has announced their new strategy to focus much stronger on cost reductions as shipping and offshore companies continue their fight for survival in the challenging market conditions.
“Current financial realities are calling for some tough decisions and there is an increasing demand to improve operating margins. There is no single solution to radically change the cost structure of shipping and offshore companies. Instead, these companies will reach their goals with a combination of several actions. And labor costs is one of them,” says CEO Cristina Garcia and Paal Utvik, one of the investors behind BOMOS.
Established January 2014, BOMOS obtained its license to operate as a crew provider the same year in November and its staff is well qualified within a wide scope of shipping activities, ranging from offshore rigs and support vessels , chemical and product tankers, to VLCC´s, gas, container and bulk carriers.
Lower seafarer prices: the option is out there
Labor is a major cost for a shipping company’s P&L. BOMOS says that many shipowners are reducing their own permanent crew and opting for more cost effective qualified crewing vendors to supply trained temporary crew during this very tight period. The increased competition between the independent crewing suppliers benefits the owners in the end.
“The current global economic situation is having a clear and significant impact on global shipping operations. Some manning agreements no longer fit. Shipowners need budgets that work for them and are ready to look for cheaper options. That option, negotiating lower seafarer prices, is out there,” says Utvik.
Lowering cost by analyzing every step of the supply chain
Throughout the process of reducing costs and downsizing, shipowners need to ensure that their crews remain safe and productive, which means focusing on people and maintaining the same level of skills and quality.
“There are solutions out there. Shipowners can cut costs and improve quality and operations by using a crew provider that has much stronger cost culture from the ground up. In doing so, they shift the administrative burden and free key personnel to focus on core operations,” maintains Garcia.
BOMOS combines over 80 years of in-house seafaring consultancy experience and supplies first class manning services, and, according to Garcia, BOMOS is all about crewing.
“We provide our clients access to well-trained, ocean-going personnel. We understand this industry, from recruitment, training, deployment, and repatriation, to accounts payable, payroll, port agency services and coordination with seafarers’ unions,” she says.
Ready to talk
“The benefit of being the new kid on the block is that we can think new and innovative from the very beginning. We are ready to assist the industry with the right personnel and become a valued sparring partner to help them achieve their budgetary and operational goals. We are ready to talk, do busines and help shipping companies weather the storm, emerge successfully and continue to operate in the years to come,” said Utvik.
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