Datacom, LLC ("Datacom") has secured a capital investment in the Company of $19.2 million led by Main Street Capital Corporation (NYSE: MAIN) ("Main Street").

The initial investment proceeds were used to complete a minority recapitalization, refinance existing debt and provide working capital for growth in Datacom.

In addition to the initial investment, Datacom secured an additional tranche of growth capital totaling $13 million through the Main Street-led facility to expand its current business lines and make acquisitions.

Datacom's management team retained majority equity ownership in Datacom. Its leadership consists of veteran energy telecommunications and engineering managers who have a combined 175 years of experience in the field.

CEO and founder, John Poindexter, and COO Walt Messa, said, "We are happy to welcome Main Street as a capital partner in Datacom, and we are eager to pursue the significant growth opportunities that are available to the Company with this large capital pool and major financial partner like Main Street. We believe this will be a period of exciting and exponential growth for Datacom and its employees."

Datacom was assisted in its selection of a capital partner and counseled throughout the transaction by Bruce Bown of Dancing Bear Resources, LLC.

Datacom, LLC
Datacom, LLC is a leading provider of telecommunications, security, surveillance, engineering and data transfer services and products for companies involved in operations in remote and harsh environments. Founded in 2002, Datacom serves the onshore and offshore energy industry from its headquarters in Lafayette, Louisiana, and offices in Cutoff, Louisiana; Carthage, Texas; Devine, Texas; and Midland, Texas.

Foster Marketing, a full-service marketing communication firm serving the worldwide energy industry, has named Kathleen Murrill (left) as public relations account executive and Alex Mouton(right) as digital associate, President Tiffany Harris announced.

Murrill will enhance Foster Marketing's public relations abilities as a member of the public relations team based in Houston. She will be responsible for coordinating media events, public relations campaigns and handling public relations for Foster Marketing's energy clients, including writing and distributing news releases and articles.

Mouton will boost Foster Marketing's online efforts as the digital associate based in Houston. She will focus on social media content planning and monitoring, digital media reporting, online analytics tracking and will assist with website maintenance.
"Adding Kathleen and Alex to our Houston team will provide additional experience and expertise for our clients in the public relations and digital arenas," said Harris. "We're excited about them joining Foster Marketing."

Murrill was previously selected for internships with the Houston Chronicle and New England Center for Investigative Reporting; and served as a production assistant for Dave Campbell's Football Fridays. She was also the assistant sports editor and senior sports reporter for her university's newspaper, The Daily Cougar.

Murrill graduated magna cum laude with university honors and received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism with a minor in marketing from the University of Houston.
Mouton gained energy industry experience as an intern for Weatherford International's corporate communications department; and public affairs expertise as an intern at the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.

She also developed and coordinated a social media communications strategy for the LSU Staff senate, the governing body of university staff members; and acted as media liaison for a nonprofit school for students with learning disabilities.

Mouton received a Bachelor of Arts in public relations with a minor in business administration from Louisiana State University.

Foster Marketing is a 34-year-old business-to-business marketing, advertising and public relations firm. The firm serves clients internationally in the energy industry from offices in Lafayette, Louisiana, and Houston. Visit http://www.fostermarketing.com

Arnlea Systems (Arnlea), the leading asset management provider in the North Sea, has received a £5.5 million investment package from a combination of NVM Private Equity and management as part of a buy-out. The investment will provide the firm with capital to fund product development and international expansion.

Arnlea targets the global upstream oil and gas industry, helping operators, offshore floating systems and drilling companies to optimise their inspection and repair processes, ensure compliance with industry regulations, and manage asset integrity during the entire lifecycle. The deal included NexusAB, Arnlea's partner company, which provides integrated quality assurance and technical inspection technology.

The management team of Arnlea includes Allan Merritt, managing director, Martin Slowey, business development director and Jeremy Lai, finance director.

Mr Merritt said: "The NVM investment is a great opportunity for Arnlea; our business is now perfectly poised, as the demand for our inspection and tracking solutions grows rapidly.

"We already maintain a market-leading position with established and new products being delivered to the oil and gas sector, however we have created a three year business plan, aiming to triple our turnover to £15 million by 2017. To help support this demand we also look to double our head count to 60 staff."

The product demand for Arnlea is driven by growth in asset integrity, health, safety and environmental concerns; and a tightening of compliance and regulation post the Macondo oil spill. BP is currently among Arnlea's extensive blue-chip customer base, along with Total, Shell, Nexen, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Talisman and Subsea7.

Mr Merritt added: "The global demand for our products emphasises a need for us to be based overseas, and we are aiming to open a second office in South East Asia as part of our three year business plan."

Mauro Biagioni, director of NVM Private Equity said: "We are delighted to back an experienced and high quality management team from two businesses that have the potential to create a large international company.

"Allan and the team delivered significant growth in 2013, more than doubling the group's revenues. This demonstrates the capability of the team to take their business forward to the next stage, and we look forward to supporting them on this journey."

KPMG Corporate Finance advised the management team. Dane Houlahan, head of KPMG's Oilfield Services M&A team in Aberdeen, said: "KPMG were delighted to advise on this successful transaction. Through combining two quality businesses, Allan and the team have created a fantastic platform for growth and now, with the support of NVM, have the backing to significantly expand Arnlea's portfolio and international footprint.

"This transaction represents another great example of how growth capital is being used to drive accelerated growth for a number of SME businesses in the Oilfield Services sector."

Arnlea is the leading asset management provider in the North Sea and has supported companies operating in hazardous and harsh areas for more than 20 years to maximise operational efficiency and effectiveness. The company's suite of mobile and radio frequency identification tracking technology, used by the oil & gas, petrochemical and food & drink industries, enables users to manage and monitor their assets. 

Baker Hughes Incorporated (NYSE: BHI) announces the appointment of Greg Brenneman, chairman of CCMP Capital Advisors, LLC (CCMP Capital), and W.H. "Bill" Easter III, retired chairman, president, and chief executive officer of DCP Midstream, to its board of directors.

Prior to his role as chairman, president, and CEO of DCP Midstream, Easter, age 64, served in several leadership, operating, and commercial roles at ConocoPhillips, including areas related to gas and natural gas liquids as well as petroleum refining, marketing, and transportation―domestically and internationally. Easter is a director of Concho Resources and Delta Airlines. Easter earned a master of science degree in management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a bachelor of business administration degree from the University of Houston.

Before serving as chairman of CCMP Capital, Brenneman, age 52, held a variety of senior-level management positions, including chairman and CEO of Quiznos and Burger King, CEO of PWC Consulting, and president of Continental Airlines. Brenneman also serves on the board of directors of Automatic Data Processing, is lead director of the board of The Home Depot and is chairman of the board of Francesca's Collections. Brenneman earned a master of business administration degree from Harvard Business School and a bachelor of business administration degree in accounting and finance from Washburn University of Topeka, Kansas. He was awarded an honorary doctor of commerce degree from Washburn University.

Baker Hughes is a leading supplier of oilfield services, products, technology and systems to the worldwide oil and natural gas industry. The company's 59,000-plus employees today work in more than 80 countries helping customers find, evaluate, drill, produce, transport and process hydrocarbon resources.

NYC-based PIRA Energy Group believes that Brent crude prices will average higher as global oil markets tighten. On the week, U.S. products continue to build, crude draws again.  In Japan, turnarounds continue, crude stocks build. Specifically, PIRA’s analysis of the oil market fundamentals has revealed the following:

European Oil Market Forecast

Brent crude prices will average higher, in the $110-115/Bbl range for the third quarter, as global oil markets tighten. Urals differentials will firm over the next two months. Rising product exports from Russia, the U.S., and Saudi Arabia will be absorbed by demand increases in Latin America, Africa, and elsewhere in the Atlantic Basin, as well as by lower runs in Europe year-on-year.

U.S. Products Continue to Build, Crude Draws Again

Overview inventories increased this past week with product stocks increasing while crude stocks fell. It was the second consecutive weekly crude inventory decline, and declines should generally be commonplace in the weeks ahead. For products, the large inventory build reflected weak reported demand. It turns out last year’s stock build for the same week was more than twice the size of last week's reported inventory increase, thereby widening the year-on-year stock deficit. Most of the deficit is in crude and the two major light products.

Japanese Turnarounds Continue, Crude Stocks Build

Crude runs dropped back, and while crude imports also dropped, crude stocks built over 4 MMBbls for the second straight week. There have been two key delays in planned turnarounds, which will keep runs low for at least the next two weeks. Finished products drew slightly. Product demands showed only modest changes. Refining margins continued to decline with all the cracks, other than fuel oil, losing ground. Margins are deemed to be weak, despite ongoing refinery downtime.

International LPG Prices Mixed Last Week

Despite WTI crude oil prices rallying nearly 3% last week, U.S. propane prices were flat on another huge stock build. Butane prices fared only slightly better. High U.S. LPG inventories, which will soon be in surplus to the year-ago period, will pose challenges for domestic prices. European and Asian LPG prices proved to be far more susceptible to geopolitical supply risks than their American counterparts. Both European propane and butane surged with rising crude by 3% to $780/MT and $747/MT respectively. Asian prices were even stronger with propane’s weekly average up 3.1% to $919/MT, and butane up 3.3% to $921/MT. A lack of incremental European demand and tight competition with naphtha in Asia will continue to act as headwinds for international LPG prices. Record waterborne exports from all regions to Asia will ensure the region remains well supplied in June.

Ethanol Prices Decline

U.S. ethanol prices declined during most of the week ending June 6 due to greater production, rising inventories, and lower corn costs. Prices manufacturing margins fell, breaking three straight weeks of gains, as lower product and co-product prices outweighed the decrease in corn cost.

Ethanol Output and Stocks Increase

U.S. ethanol production increased for the fifth consecutive week the week ending June 6 to 944 MB/D, the highest level thus far in 2014. Inventories accumulated, building by 172 thousand barrels to a 14-month high 18.4 million barrels.

Iraq Update Conference Call with Dr. Kenneth Pollack and Dr. Gary Ross

Iraq is now in a state of sectarian civil war. The most likely situation is that Iraq will become mired in a Syria-like stalemate, with the population divided along ethno-sectarian lines. Kurdish independence looks more likely, but only if Turkey supports an independent Kurdistan. Northern Iraqi exports are unlikely to return, but the 2.6 MMB/D of current southern exports could remain relatively well-protected in Shia-dominated territory. However, periodic disruptions are likely, either from local extortionists or Sunni militia attacks. Right now, oil markets are firmly in a $110-$115/Bbl Brent price range, but even a temporary disruption in the south could quickly send prices into a $115-$120/Bbl range, where risks of an SPR release would increase. Forecast Iraqi production growth (in 2014, 2015 and beyond) is now called into question, providing more support to prices as the pressure on Saudi Arabia to cut production (in 2015+) is likely diminished.

The information above is part of PIRA Energy Group's weekly Energy Market Recap, which alerts readers to PIRA’s current analysis of energy markets around the world as well as the key economic and political factors driving those markets.

The Damen shipbuilders in the Dutch province of Friesland will not just be sitting on their laurels after the delivery and christening of the two Damen Combi Freighters 3850 (the Noordvliet and Zuidvliet) and the Damen Combi Coaster 2500 MV Anita (photo). "We are seeing a real market for smaller vessels and an interest in the vessels we build." The specialised yard, part of Damen Shipyards Group, is ready for a market revival.

This was what Remko Bouma of Damen Shipyards Bergum had to say about the developments in the maritime industry, in which Damen Shipyards plays a prominent role. This is because the Damen Group's shipyards have plenty to offer. The branch in Bergum contributes by building vessels in the 8200, 2500 and 3850 series, as well as other products in its portfolio. The Combi Freighters 3850 Noordvliet and Zuidvliet have already been deployed in regular service from the Baltic States to the Black Sea, where their sister ships previously supplied by Damen have already proven themselves. The Combi Freighters 3850 generally transport project-specific, bulk and non-bulk cargoes. The Noordvliet and Zuidvliet showed what they could do on their maiden voyages, during which they transported parts and equipment for wind farms from Germany to the Mediterranean region. Both ships had cargo on both of their two cargo decks.

MV Anita
Erik Schultz, the Commercial Director at Damen Shipyards Bergum, seconded his colleague Bouma's positive interpretation of the market, including while serving as master of ceremonies during the christening of the Damen Combi Coaster 2500 MV Anita. This sea/river vessel has been chartered by Vertom USC Holding, a Rotterdam-based tramp shipping agency. Among other things, MV Anita can transport 54 TEU or a total of 2,500 tonnes of dry bulk goods, steel, or other types of cargo. The sea/river vessel runs routes between the United Kingdom and ports in continental Europe. Through environmentally friendly features, in particular by flexibly deploying its main engine (which saves fuel) but other "eco" measures as well, the vessel can be operated much more fuel efficiently than its predecessors in the same class.

This vessel and "marine freight superbroker" (and former chair of the Dutch Marine Freight Brokers Association [Nederlandse Zeebevrachters Sociëteit]) Ary Vijfvinkel have something in common: MV Anita was named for Vijfvinkel's wife, Anita Vijfvinkel-Pevenage. Damen Shipyards and Vertom UCS Holding found this gesture to be a proper way to honour the man who for many years was the face of international marine freight brokerage. His wife Anita was proud to be able to assist with the christening of the MV.

CGG has announced that Robertson Geolab, specialists in surface geochemistry in its GeoConsulting business line, is currently performing a multi-client surface geochemistry (shallow core) survey to detect seafloor seepages of hydrocarbons in the South East Barents Sea. The project has received high prefunding from major oil industry players.

The survey covers all the blocks in this region which have been recently proposed by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), as well as sampling of outlying sub-areas where hydrocarbon seepages are suggested to be present by methods including satellite image analysis from NPA Satellite Mapping. The coring method used has minimal environmental impact, being simply the dropping of a thin, clean iron core barrel and penetrates the seafloor sediments to a few meters depth to retrieve mud samples.

The main aim of the survey is to detect active petroleum systems in the area, targeting both larger and smaller structures of interest. The extensive geochemical analysis program for both the gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons in the sediments will yield information as to the gas- or oil-affinity of the petroleum systems and the sourcing /maturity of the hydrocarbons. This information will be of prime importance in connection with de-risking of areas by the oil companies, prior to more detailed investigations. It is therefore also of importance in limiting any future environmental issues, e.g. from over-drilling, and not least in assessing the background levels of natural seafloor seepage pollution that occurs in the region.

The collected data will be processed to provide a full geochemical interpretation report, including anomaly mapping in ArcGIS format for assimilation into clients' own seismic or geological databases. The final report for this survey will be available in December 2014, in time for our clients' future licensing round decisions.

Sophie Zurquiyah, Senior Executive Vice President of CGG's Geology, Geophysics & Reservoir Division (GGR), said: "Our Barents Sea oil and gas seep survey is part of our rich multi-disciplinary multi-client data library that we are developing in the region. It complements existing exploration products ranging from our offshore hydrocarbon seeps database and regional Gravity & Magnetics coverage to our state-of-the-art BroadSeisTM surveys. It will result in unique exploration data, which directly targets and measures the hydrocarbons, within an exciting frontier area about which we have, as yet, very little information regarding active petroleum systems."

Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE: BRS), the leading provider of helicopter services to the offshore energy industry, announced today that John Briscoe has been appointed to the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective June 9, 2014.

John has an extensive background in senior financial leadership positions, most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Weatherford International Ltd from March 2012 to September 2013. As CFO, John set the financial direction of the company and helped bolster investor confidence during a turnaround of the financial organization. He joined the company as Chief Accounting Officer in August 2011.

Prior to Weatherford, John served as a senior executive at Transocean from 2005 through 2011 in financial roles including Vice President and Controller and Director of Investor Relations. During John's time at Transocean, he was responsible for audit, controls, financial systems, joint venture accounting and financial planning and analysis for operations in 40 countries. Among his achievements at Transocean, he led the integration of the $18 billion acquisition of GlobalSantaFe.

Before joining Transocean in 2005, John held senior financial positions with Ferrellgas Inc. and Dresser Industries. His career also includes seven years of public accounting experience with KPMG and Ernst & Young. John is a certified public accountant and holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas.

Jonathan Baliff, who has served as Bristow's Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since 2010 and with this appointment will now serve as President until assuming the additional role of Chief Executive Officer on July 31, 2014, said: "John has a tremendous track record of value creation and depth of experience in numerous senior financial roles, including CFO, at complex, global energy service companies. His proven executive leadership,
comprehensive investor relations skills and commitment to safety and to prudent balance sheet management uniquely qualify him for this important role. John complements our senior management team as we continue to safely serve our global clients, honor our core values and grow Bristow for the benefit of all our stakeholders."

Oceaneering International, Inc. (NYSE: OII) announced it has acquired Spectrum Sales & Services LLC, a nondestructive examination (NDE) company that has developed subsea pipeline inspection technology based on the use of Electro Magnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) technology. Spectrum currently serves the oil and gas, petrochemical, and power industries primarily in the Gulf Coast Region of the United States. Spectrum's revenue for 2013 was approximately $4 million.

This acquisition adds the EMAT service line to Oceaneering's Asset Integrity business segment, which Oceaneering intends to grow by leveraging its global footprint.

James Fisher Defense, the leading global sub-sea operations and engineering company, has stated that navies around the world are now seriously addressing the need to re-develop their skills in the use of maritime warfare, specifically in relation to maritime Special Forces and strategies for operations and intelligence gathering. This is leading to new challenges in how sub-sea and surface systems are designed, manufactured and integrated.

JFD, which is exhibiting its new range of Swimmer Delivery Vehicles (SDVs) at the Undersea Defense Technology conference in Liverpool, UK, believe there are a number of reasons for this changing dynamic. This includes the increasing reliance on good and accurate intelligence to enable successful missions despite reduced defense budgets; the fast-paced nature of today's threats and the need to launch intelligence operations at very short notice. As well as this, there is still a continued need for human intelligence gathering to complement the progression in satellite and overhead surveillance innovation.

Ben Sharples, Director, James Fisher Defense, said:

"In recent years there has been a shift to land-based conflicts, such as Afghanistan, as well as the war against terror. However, we are now seeing a significant change as navies look to reintegrate and develop their maritime Special Forces skills. In particular, in today's environment, threats happen quickly, which demands a rapid response in the gathering of accurate intelligence. In addition to this, with navies wanting to keep their physical assets as far away from conflict as possible, we are seeing a focus on surface and sub-surface delivery, which is leading to the development and integration of advanced swimmer delivery vehicles onto suitable submarines and other platforms."

However this change also presents challenges from a design, manufacture, implementation and training perspective. For example, it is critical to be able to get combat divers successfully through Lock in/Lock out (LiLo) systems. And with divers needing to operate at shallow depths to avoid decompression issues, the design of sub-sea systems is also being tested in terms of delivery capability and the rapid configuration that is required to suit a specific mission.

Sharples continued:

"What we're finding is that it is critical to be able to deliver a scalable solution that facilitates the inclusion of existing legacy systems, as well as allowing room for the development of new and emerging technologies and next generation systems. And importantly, there must be a phased integration, in conjunction with advanced training, so that systems can be increased in their sophistication as skill sets develop."

JFD, as one of the world's most experienced and innovative SDV providers, recently launched a new range of SDVs called The SEAL Pod; surface or sub-sea craft, which can be optimized for a particular deployment method or mission profile and can be provided in a number of configurations:

SEAL Carrier; surface and subsurface vehicle operating at speeds greater than 30 kts delivered by surface ship or air-drop.
Sub SEAL; six-man submersibles delivered via an attachment to the casing of a submarine
Torpedo SEAL; a two-man chariot delivered within a standard submarine torpedo tube

NYC-based PIRA Energy Group reports that Cushing crude stocks continue to fall. On the week, product inventories push U.S. stocks higher.  In Japan, refiners begin coming out of turnarounds. Specifically, PIRA’s analysis of the oil market fundamentals has revealed the following:

Cushing Crude Stocks Continue to Fall, Supporting WTI

Crude differentials in Midcontinent markets were mixed in May, with improvement in the most heavily discounted grades, like Canadian heavy and those in Midland, but declines in most other light grades. Cushing crudes remained relatively strong, with plenty of outgoing pipeline capacity now in place. Cushing stocks in May reached an all-time low in percentage terms and a five-year low in absolute terms. As Gulf Coast stocks drop this summer, causing the Cushing-Houston arb to reopen, severe WTI backwardation is a strong possibility. In other regions, rail and pipeline projects expected in the second half of this year portend increased takeaway capacity and stronger differentials in coming months.

Product Inventories Push U.S. Stocks Higher

Weaker reported product demand and a product import high for the year caused product stocks to increase, also a weekly high for 2014. Crude inventories fell for the week, leaving the overall stock build at 8.8 million barrels, which is in sharp contrast to last year’s 1.2 million barrel inventory decline during the same week. Thus, the year-on-year stock deficit narrowed by 10 million barrels to 13.6 million barrels, or just 1.2%.

Japanese Refiners Begin Coming Out of Turnarounds

Crude runs rose 29 MB/D as it appears turnarounds have begun to wind down. Imports rose from relatively low levels and crude stocks built 4.9 MMBbls. Finished products built slightly though gasoil and jet kero stocks posted draws. Refining margins were slightly lower with falling middle distillate cracks more than offsetting higher gasoline, naphtha, and fuel oil cracks.

India Quarterly Oil Demand Monitor

Market jitters that shook India in mid-2013 have faded. Economic data on growth continue to be disappointing, but optimism is running high after a decisive outcome in last month’s national election. Oil demand was held down in recent quarters by the sluggish performance of the economy and a continuous rise in retail diesel prices. But recent data on diesel under-recoveries showed that price hikes should be over soon. PIRA projects a moderate acceleration in oil demand growth going forward.

LPG Scorecard

Surging LPG inventories complicated by an upcoming export facility turnaround will pose challenges for domestic prices. A lack of incremental European demand and tight competition with naphtha in Asia will act as headwinds for LPG.

Ethanol Inventories and Production Soar

U.S. ethanol inventories soared to a 14-month high the week ending May 30 as plant output increased for the fourth consecutive week and ethanol-blended gasoline production dropped sharply. As a result, June ethanol futures prices plummeted.

Biofuels Programs Continue to Proceed Actively in Many Countries

Enerkem recently started its 10 million gallon per year waste-to-biofuels plant in Edmonton, Alberta. Universal Robina started up its 30 million liter per year ethanol plant in Manjuyod in the Negros Oriental province of the Philippines in May.

The information above is part of PIRA Energy Group's weekly Energy Market Recap, which alerts readers to PIRA’s current analysis of energy markets around the world as well as the key economic and political factors driving those markets.

TETRA Technologies, Inc. (TETRA or the Company) (NYSE: TTI) has announced that Joseph Elkhoury has agreed to accept the positions of Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer effective upon the commencement of employment with the Company, which is expected to begin on or about June 16, 2014.

Joseph Elkhoury previously served within the Schlumberger Limited organization for twenty years, most recently as Vice President and General Manager, Microseismic Services since 2012. Previous to this role, Mr. Elkhoury served in various other managerial positions including VP, Information Solutions, North America; VP, Production Services; and Director, Global Supply Chain – EMS. Previous to this, Mr. Elkhoury served within Schlumberger in various technical, commercial, and managerial positions dating back to 1994.

Stuart M. Brightman, TETRA's President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We are extremely pleased to welcome Joseph as a member of our management team. Joseph brings to TETRA extensive experience serving in operating and administrative positions with a public company in the oil and gas services industry. During his career, Joseph has demonstrated through his leadership the ability to grow businesses globally and achieve sustained operational excellence.

This global experience will greatly benefit TETRA as we seek to continue to grow our product and service offerings in international markets. We are delighted that Joseph will take on this senior leadership role and we are confident in his ability to excel as our Chief Operating Officer."

In accordance with NYSE requirements, the Company hereby discloses that its Board of Directors has authorized the grant to Joseph Elkhoury of an employment inducement award of 232,302 shares of restricted stock, such grant to be effective on the date Mr. Elkhoury commences employment with the Company. Unless Mr. Elkhoury terminates his employment with TETRA or is terminated by TETRA for cause, 35,111 shares of the restricted stock will vest on the date that is six months following the grant date of the award, 79,381 shares of the restricted stock will vest on the one-year anniversary of the grant date of the award, 44,602 shares of the restricted stock will vest on the second anniversary of the grant date of the award, an additional 55,685 shares of the restricted stock will vest on the third anniversary of the grant date, and the remaining 17,523 shares will vest on the fourth anniversary of the grant date of the award.

TETRA is a geographically diversified oil and gas services company focused on completion fluids and associated products and services, water management, after-frac flow back, production well testing, offshore rig cooling, compression based production enhancement, and selected offshore services, including well plugging and abandonment, decommissioning, and diving.

Aker Solutions has recruited David Phillips from HSBC Global Equity Research as head of industry and investor relations. He will start on June 17.

Phillips, 43, served as global co-head of oil and gas research and managing director at HSBC since mid-2011 after joining the bank as an analyst in 2005. He earlier specialized as an analyst covering the chemicals sector for banks including Commerzbank, Morgan Stanley and Dresdner Kleinwort Benson.

Phillips will be based at Aker Solutions' London office and report to the company's chief financial officer. He has a BA in Chemistry from Oxford University and a PhD in Chemistry from Cambridge University.

Marsol International, a UAE-based global marine solutions provider focused on the offshore oil terminal market and related infrastructure, has entered into a partnership with RMA Engineering Solutions (RMAES) to support its international growth strategy.

RMAES is a member of the RMA Group, a diversified American-owned company headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand. RMA specializes in providing innovative infrastructure, automotive and engineering solutions to clients in the emerging markets of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, often in extremely challenging frontier environments. The company has approximately $1 billion in annual revenues with offices on the ground in 21 counties, and has over 8,000 staff.

Marsol International men at work

RMA's global breadth and support via development and investment funding will enable Marsol to deliver its solutions to a greater service level and a wider customer base. It will also allow Marsol to pursue international growth through its ability to train local resources to take their rightful place in the operation and maintenance of the facilities and related equipment.

Since 2005, based on experienced gained over 46 years, Marsol International has provided operational engineering and management solutions to clients, consultants and EPC contractors for new offshore facilities, and operational and IRM services for existing facilities to offshore terminal owners and operators.

Mike Young, Managing Director of Marsol International, said: "Marsol International has always employed a holistic approach to growing our business. We understand that the key to developing emerging markets is to train local people to an internationally accepted level, whereby empowering them to manage their own resources.

"Marsol International adds value by managing this process. From the concept and design stage, through to installation and operation, we work closely with clients to understand their requirements to ensure their needs are met by a fully operational solution with minimal modifications. Taking ownership of this process and training local staff to operate the field on a day-to-day basis is key to this integrated approach."

"We are delighted to be working with RMA. Its understanding of emerging markets gives another dimension to our service and offers real value and insight to our customers."

James Hamann, CEO RMAES, said: "For the past 25 years RMA has enjoyed steady growth across the globe. This is largely through our ability to diversify our offering while remaining focused on servicing clients with excellence across the frontier markets of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Combining the global size and breadth of RMA with Marsol International's specialised skills and experience in the oil and gas market will give Marsol the platform it needs for growth."

Marsol's team of experienced engineers understand first-hand the real life scenarios on a busy oil field and ensure their services and related infrastructure / products are designed, manufactured and installed to meet customer's operational requirements. The focus being on OPEX control, reliability with limited risk through ensuring integrity and life extension potential. The company is involved in all stages of offshore terminal projects from Front End Engineering Design (FEED) to Operations and Maintenance (O&M).

Apache Corporation (NYSE, Nasdaq: APA) announce it has donated 4,000 trees to Hike for KaTREEna, helping the organization reach a milestone of 25,000 trees planted in New Orleans.

The donated trees were planted by students from Tulane University's MBA program during Hike for KaTREEna's "Give NOLA Day" on May 6. Among the trees planted was a Southern Magnolia, marking a milestone of 25,000 trees planted by the organization to date. The tree was planted in front of the St. Louis Cathedral and the Cabildo, which is the historic site where President Thomas Jefferson signed the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
"Our city looks so good thanks to Apache Corporation," said Hike for KaTREEna Director Connie Uddo. "We thank them TREEmendously for everything they do."

Hike for KaTREEna is a nonprofit organization dedicated to replanting trees in New Orleans following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Apache's 2014 grant pushes total contributions to 13,500 trees awarded to the organization.

Planting trees for life

This planting season, Apache has distributed more than 250,000 trees to 47 organizations throughout Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

The city of Moore, Okla., received 4,000 trees for planting at Little River Park and additional trees through Apache's grant to the Tree Bank Foundation. The city is partnering with Keep Moore County Beautiful to plant the additional trees in park areas damaged by a recent tornado.
Another organization to receive trees from Apache was the Arbor Day Foundation.

"Thanks to Apache's continued support, we will be able to plant much needed trees in New Mexico," said Dan Lambe, vice president of Programs and Partnerships for the Arbor Day Foundation. "These trees will help to provide cleaner air and water, habitat for wildlife and beauty that everyone can enjoy for years to come."

The Arbor Day Foundation received 64,000 trees from Apache to restore 156,000 acres of arbor life in Santa Fe National Forest that was destroyed by the 2011 Las Conchas fire.

"We appreciate the support that the Arbor Day Foundation and Apache Corporation have provided to our restoration efforts, especially in Cochiti Mesa," said Santa Fe National Forest Supervisor Maria Garcia. "Their efforts to replant this critical watershed in our area will not only benefit the immediate area, but all who depend on it."

Sowing seeds for 2014-2015 planting season

Since 2005, Apache has awarded nearly 3.7 million trees to nonprofit organizations in 16 U.S. states to help improve wildlife habitats, restore storm damage, and enhance cities and neighborhoods in areas where the company operates. The trees go to nonprofit organizations including cities, counties, schools, parks, universities, youth associations, wildlife refuges and community groups. Grant applications for the 2014-2015 planting season are being accepted through July 31, 2014. For more information about the Apache Corporation Tree Grant Program or to access the grant application, visit www.apachecorp.com/trees.

Superior Performance Inc. (SPI), an industry leader in premium threaded tubing and casing products and services, has appointed Mitch Thibodeaux as president.

Headquartered in Lafayette, La., Thibodeaux will oversee the company's field service operations, rental tool equipment line and new product development. With offices in Louisiana, Texas and Ohio, Thibodeaux looks to further expand SPI's geographical presence.
Thibodeaux has been in the oil and gas industry for more than 25 years and has served at Superior Performance for more than 17 years. His career at SPI began as a field service supervisor, followed by multiple positions including field service operations manager, technical sales representative and manager of the rental equipment department. As he gained experience and industry knowledge, Thibodeaux was appointed as vice president of operations.

"Mitch's appointment as president of Superior Performance is a testament to his strong work ethic, unwavering dedication and vision for the future," said Louis Roth, chief executive officer, SPI. "He is an integral player in the company's success story, and we are eager to watch SPI grow as a major industry competitor under his leadership."

Superior Performance Inc., an industry leader in premium threaded tubing and casing products and services was formed in 1995 to provide experienced and knowledgeable field personnel to the oil and gas industry. The company specializes in running and servicing premium tubular connections. SPI's service personnel are qualified thread inspectors with experience in all aspects of pipe makeup, torque turn, tong operations and cleaning and handling of pipe.