Newbuild orders for Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) are picking up in expectation of rising demand but risk putting the sector's recovery at risk, according to Drewry's latest Tanker Forecaster report.

New ordering activity has accelerated in the VLCC segment, extending the upward trend of 2013. VLCC orders started picking up in 2013, when 26 units were ordered after the subdued contracting period of 2011-12, during which just 21 VLCC orders were reported. The trend gained momentum in the first quarter of 2014 with a total of 15 VLCCs ordered, as compared with only six vessels in the fourth quarter of 2013.

"Attractive yard prices, expectations of faster growth in demand for large crude carriers (amid rising trade on long-haul routes) and growing interest from private equity firms in the tanker market resulted in increased ordering in 2013," said Rajesh Verma, editor of Drewry's Tanker Forecaster. "The recent firming in freight rates in the period market also added fuel to the fire."

Demand on long-haul routes is increasing with changing trade patterns in the oil market. The surge in US shale oil production and downstream expansions in Asia are resulting in higher crude oil exports from Latin America, the Caribbean and West Africa to distant Asian markets. By contrast, exports to the US are declining.

"Tonnage utilization in the VLCC market has not picked up sufficiently to accommodate any surge in ordering activity, putting the sector's recovery at risk over the coming years," warned Verma. "The recent slowdown in the Chinese economy is an additional concern for the VLCC market, as many refinery projects are being delayed or cancelled due to slowing oil demand growth in the country. So, owners need to be cautious."

"Tanker Forecaster" is a quarterly report published by Drewry Maritime Research and is priced at £2075. The report will be available from the Drewry website www.drewry.co.uk.

Genesis has finalized the lease for office space in Covington, Louisiana, USA, and will shortly begin supplying engineering services to clients in the Greater New Orleans area. This new location is an integral part of Genesis' global growth strategy.

The New Orleans office will focus on providing both Capital Project (green and brownfield) and Operations support to Genesis' clients. The office will also include a facility for training and the company expects to begin offering regular technical training in areas such as subsea systems, flow assurance, risk, integrity management and GIS.

John Cambridge, Managing Director at Genesis, declared: "We are very excited about entering the New Orleans marketplace as it will enable new possibilities for the Genesis team to grow and expand and will also allow us to offer further opportunities to the local community.".

About Genesis

Genesis is a market-leading engineering company focused on providing engineering and technical services to the global upstream oil and gas industry. The company's services are utilized by oil and gas companies during planning and development phases of oil and gas projects and in the execution of subsea, onshore and offshore engineering projects. Its clientele includes super-majors and national oil companies, as well as small independents. Genesis develops innovative solutions for the E&P business, by leveraging on its core engineering and techno-economic skills. The company helps achieve world-class performance from its assets by providing expertise, novel methods and tools to realize its maximum potential.

Today, Genesis is a company with more than 1,500 engineers and offices in seventeen locations worldwide. Genesis is an ISO 9001: 2008, ISO 14001: 2004 and OHSAS 18001:
2007 certified company.

Boost for Novorossiysk supply base to meet growing demand

GAC Russia is underlining its commitment to offshore oil & gas exploration and extraction in the Black Sea with a major project to upgrade its facilities at the port of Novorossiysk.

The Black Sea is one of the areas in which the development of fields looks set to boom as Russian oil majors are granted licenses and joint ventures are formed with international energy companies to develop blocks.

Supply Base Manager Alexander Pavlov (left) discusses planned upgrades

GAC Russia has already signed contracts with one of the key players to provide supply base support for their operations from Novorossiysk. Facilities include a dedicated berth, open and closed storage areas, site for liquid mud plant and dry bulk plant and office premises.

During the pre-drilling phase, GAC's Novorossiysk supply base will be used for the accumulation of materials and equipment being gathered in preparation for offshore operations. When drilling starts, the base will swing into full action with round-the-clock operations loading and offloading supply vessels supporting the offshore operations. GAC will provide experienced personnel, mobile cranes, forklifts and trucks to arrange the full scope of supply base management in strict compliance with national and international HSSE regulations.

The project will include coordination with a range of local authorities and service providers, as well as screening and pre-qualifying partners to ensure they meet the stringent standards of the GAC Group. Arkady Podkopaev, GAC Russia's Managing Director, says his company is equal to those challenges, and has already obtained OHSAS 18001:2007 certification in preparation for the task.

"By combining our local experience and expertise with the GAC Group's versatile range of services and international experience in supply base business, we have what it takes to overcome the current limitations of Novorossiysk port to create a strong supply base to support upcoming operations in the Russian Black Sea," he adds. "We are also well prepared to set up bases elsewhere in Russia in the near future."

ABS Secures Prestigious FLNG Classification Contract

The PETRONAS facility is scheduled to start deepwater operations offshore Sabah, Malaysia, in 2018

ABS, a leading provider of classification and technical services to the global offshore industry, has been awarded the classification contract from PETRONAS, Malaysia's national oil company, for the company's second floating LNG facility (PFLNG 2). The vessel will be built at the Samsung Heavy Industries yard in Geoje, Korea.

"This is a very significant award for us," says ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher J. Wiernicki. "It also is the natural next step for an organization that is widely recognized as the leader in the classification of offshore production units and LNG ships."

ABS has a long history working with floating gas concepts, classing the first offshore LPG storage unit in the world in 1997 and the first LPG FPSO in 2005. ABS has awarded approval in principle (AIP) for ten floating LNG concepts and has performed pre-front-end engineering and design (FEED) and FEED work on a number of others.

As the selected class society for the PFLNG 2 unit, ABS will provide a comprehensive suite of technical services, including classification.

PFLNG 2, which is scheduled to see first gas production in early 2018, will be moored via an external turret on the deepwater Rotan gas field offshore Sabah, Malaysia. Designed to produce 1.5 million metric tons of LNG per year, the vessel is expected to operate on site for a minimum of 20 years without dry docking.

ABS Vice President for Global Gas Solutions Patrick Janssens views this as the first of many potential awards.

"The search for new energy reserves is seeing exploration activities shift to the type of remote offshore fields on which facilities like the PFLNG 2 are perfectly suited to operate," Janssens says. "With the growing demand for gas around the world, there will be a continued emphasis on FLNG-related technology, and ABS will continue to play a leading role."

The award to class this FLNG newbuild comes just months after the unveiling of the ABS Global Gas Solutions team, a multidisciplinary group of engineers formed to respond to the rapidly escalating number of gas-related projects, including LNG and LPG transportation, the use of LNG and LPG as fuel and the growing number of FLNG projects.

There currently are more than 150 floating oil and gas facilities in the ABS-classed fleet, the largest single market share of any classification society.

Over the past decade or so, as offshore oil has grown in importance, the development of vessels to meet the needs of the industry has made great strides. The needs for reliability in demanding sea conditions will put any hull to

A starboard-side view of the Royal Thai Navy patrol boats.

the test. It is not unusual for a commercial vessel serving the petro-industry to clock up 6000 or more hours of operation per year. For vessels operating on time charter, down time can be expensive.

The versatile crew boats that have been developed to meet these expectations are particularly versatile. Their aluminum hulls and multi-engine power provide safe transport of personnel and well as the versatility to carry significant cargos.

Thailand’s Marsun Shipyard has built many of these boats over the years. With three Cummins KTA38 M2 engines each rated at 1350 HP turning fixed pitch propellers the aluminum-hulled vessels make speeds in excess of 24 knots with positive sea-keeping abilities. Marsun also has a long established relationship with the Royal Thai Navy. Not surprisingly the crew boats for the petro industry drew the attention of some astute navy people and an idea was born.

The concept of a military style patrol boat on a commercial hull platform was developed with the engineering departments of Marsun Shipyard and the Royal Thai Navy. A patrol boat required a larger superstructure as well as some armament. To accommodate the additional weight, with increasing speed, the design team decided to increase the horsepower of the navy patrol version. This was accomplished by replacing the Cummins KTA38 M2 engines with three 1800-HP Cummins KTA50-M engines. The 36-meter hull maintained the same 7.6-meter beam and hull form. 

The latest three modified version vessels, with 63-square-meters of clear deck space, retain much of the 36-meter crew boat’s large 67-square-meter after deck. This gives the patrol boat the same 50-ton load capacity and allows the vessel to carry two 20-foot containers on the aft deck should the need arise. Modifications also give the vessel significant flexibility in operations, such as search and rescue capabilities, not found on most patrol vessels of this size. The aft deck is designed with the capacity to mount surface-to-surface missiles. The forward deck has installed a 20 mm machine gun (a 30 mm machine gun is an option). Additional flexible space is designed-in to provide a control system command room in future.

The resulting patrol boat, with a total of 5400 reliable horsepower, achieves speeds in excess of 27-knots. Although the larger engines require more fuel, navy specifications required less fuel capacity than the commercial vessel, which balanced the increase in engine weight. Overall the navy vessel has less weight and consumes less fuel than similar sized patrol boats while offering full functionality in sea state 5 conditions. The combination of a proven commercial hull and a functional patrol deck-layout and superstructure will continue to give good service under all conditions for many years to come.

BMT Group Ltd, a leading international design, engineering and risk management consultancy, has announced that Mr Charles Packshaw has joined the Board of Directors as a non-executive Director.

Charles has thirty years' experience working with financial institutions in the City of London and is currently Head of UK Advisory at HSBC Bank, where he is responsible for advice to clients on strategy, acquisitions, capital structure, equity and debt financing and shareholder relationships. Prior to this, Charles was Managing Director of Lazard's Corporate Finance Division in London. He began his career working in the construction industry and is a Chartered Civil Engineer.

Charles has worked with professional service businesses and with a broad range of industries including construction, house building, offshore, building materials, industrials and food.

He is a non-executive Director of Diploma PLC and a member of its Audit and Remuneration Committees. He has formerly been a non-executive Director of The Restaurant Group, where he was Chairman of the Audit Committee, and of Diagonal PLC and a trustee of the Lazard Directors Pension Scheme.

Commenting upon his appointment, Charles said: "I am delighted to be joining the Board of BMT, a company with a strong reputation for scientific and engineering excellence. I look forward to contributing to its future development and success."

Dr Neil Cross, Chairman of BMT Group, says: "We are very pleased to welcome Charles to the BMT Board. I am confident that BMT will benefit greatly from his wealth of experience in a broad range of financial affairs. In particular, we welcome his input as we focus on continued growth and development."

Western Europe will continue to rely on imported Russian gas into the 2020s as mature offshore provinces struggle for growth, while large-scale shale gas extraction looks increasingly unlikely in the medium term. Following Moscow's intervention in Ukraine and the resulting strained diplomatic ties with the West, it remains to be seen if North Sea production can rally to support any drop in gas flow from Russia.

With many IOCs planning investment into UK offshore fields through enhanced oil recovery (EOR), deeper water plays and downstream infrastructure upgrades, our Development Drilling & Production Forecast predicts that production will rally slightly to around 1.75 million b/d by 2017, requiring a maintaining of the recent 6% jump in well completions. The necessary high levels of expenditure are unlikely to be sustained in the long-term due to the UK's offshore maturity; therefore, DW expect a resumption of decline towards the end of the decade. Hope for any long-term growth rests with much-needed reform of the UK's offshore regulator, which must swiftly adapt to the shift towards production from smaller fields.

On the other side of the North Sea, Statoil are to attempt improved recovery from brownfield projects offshore Norway. Along with the start of projects in the large Johan Sverdrup and Goliat fields, this will see the number of well completions sustained at around 200 a year beyond 2020. DW expect these projects will see Norway break from the mould of other mature Western European producers and sustain production into the next decade. It must be noted, however, that both of these fields are currently subject to delay. Johan Sverdrup is facing electrification issues whilst ENI's Goliat FPSO is still to be completed and may take millions of man-hours more.

Potential risks to future growth include rising costs and the potential (albeit currently small, and in the longer term) competition from shale gas production. A recent victim of rising costs was the subsea compression project at Ormen Lange, despite positive results during testing and the backing of Statoil and ExxonMobil. Recent onshore legislation changes in the UK now allows for drilling and pipeline construction under private property. This, along with growing encouragement from Westminster of E&P companies, shows that shale gas extraction could be possible on a larger scale towards the end of the decade.

Matt Cook, Douglas-Westwood London

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Hoover Container Solutions (“Hoover” or the “Company”), a subsidiary of Hoover Group, Inc., announced that Rod Branch has joined Hoover as Vice President of Human Resources. He will report directly to Paul Lewis, President of Hoover.

Branch’s responsibilities include talent acquisition, employee relations, organizational design, performance management, compensation planning and change management initiatives.

“With the amount of talented associates within our organization and throughout our industry, it is important to have strong human resource leadership,” says Lewis. “Rod’s expertise will ensure that our existing team is in top form and that all future Hoover hires are properly placed for future growth.”

Branch joins Hoover with 20 plus years of experience and a diverse background in both large and small organizations. He was most recently Vice President of Human Resources for PSC Industrial Services, a supplier of industrial cleaning and repair services for the refining, downstream, oil and gas and utilities industries.

He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering Technology from Oklahoma State University and was a production and drilling engineer for British Petroleum (BP) for 12 years in the Midcontinent Region. Branch served two years in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, for BP where he drilled directional wells from offshore gravel islands.  He was also a lobbyist for BP for two years before joining Enron Liquid Fuels as government affairs director, and later joined Enron’s HR team in 1995. He was HR director for The Coca-Cola Company over plant operations and R&D for six years.

NYC-based PIRA Energy Group reports that Asian oil markets remain constructive. On the week, demand surge lessens U.S. stock build, while Japanese turnarounds build crude stocks. Specifically, PIRA’s analysis of the oil market fundamentals has revealed the following:

Asian Oil Markets Remain Constructive

Crude oil stock draws have begun and will continue through September. As expected, physical markets are now supported by relatively low stock levels and higher crude runs. The Atlantic basin has tightened first and Asia will follow. Supply disruptions remain near record highs, and while some return of shut-in supplies are assumed in PIRA's balances, they are by no means assured and can be accommodated if fully realized. Product demand growth trends remain positive as we move off the May lows to the summer peak.

Demand Surge Lessens U.S. Stock Build

Overall commercial inventories increased this past week, with nearly 1.0 million barrels of the build being in crude oil. It was the smallest stock increase in six weeks as reported demand surged. With a roughly similar sized build last year for the same week, the year on year inventory deficit narrowed marginally. Most of this deficit is in gasoline and distillate.

Japan Turnarounds Build Crude Stocks, Finished Product Stocks Rising, while Gasoil Demand Remains Weak

Crude runs eased slightly while crude imports rose such that stocks built 1.9 MMBbls. Finished product stocks also built 1.6 MMBbls due to builds in jet-kero, gasoil, and a modest rise in fuel oil. Finished product stocks have been rising steadily since mid-March. Gasoil demand was exceedingly weak, even post holiday. Refining margins were slightly higher but remain in the lower half of their statistical range.

Scenario Planning Quarterly Highlights

US shale liquids growth continues to outpace our forecast, but only slightly. A close examination of shale potential in Western Canada has led us to increase our outlook for crude and condensate although production costs in Canada appear to be higher than in the US. The developments in Ukraine increase the odds of greater investment in gas exports in the US and around the world in response to supply security concerns

Freight Market Outlook

The U.S. shale crude revolution is changing the dynamics of global crude and product trade, and there is now an active dialogue on whether to lift the ban on crude exports from the U.S. If exports of crude or condensate are allowed at some point, global crude trade and ton-miles would increase, as U.S. refiners import heavier grades more suited to their refinery configurations, while some lighter crude grades and condensates are exported to Europe and Asia. PIRA’s Reference Case outlook in a soon-to-be released multi-client study anticipates that some crude and condensate exports will be allowed but not until 2017, after the next presidential election.

Low Shoulder Season Demand Exacerbates Upcoming Inventory Builds

Large stock builds continue to weigh on prompt prices. As the year-on-year deficit continues to narrow, US LPG prices could come under additional pressure. Low shoulder season demand will only exacerbate upcoming inventory builds. Excess ethane due to surging production will leave ethane prices tied to natural gas prices for some time to come.

Ethanol Prices Rebound

U.S. ethanol prices bottomed early the week ending May 9 but rose sharply after the DOE reported that production and inventories both declined during the week ending May 2. Cash margins dropped for the sixth straight week.

Record Ethanol Blending

U.S. ethanol-blended gasoline manufacture rocketed to a record high 8,957 MB/D the week ending May 9, up 4.5% from 8,571 MB/D during the previous week, as gasoline output remained extremely strong. Ethanol production rose to 922 MB/D, the second highest output thus far in 2014

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.

Kongsberg Maritime Engineering (KME) has signed a contract with Gina Krog LLC, a subsidiary of Teekay Shipping AS, for supply of an Integrated Control and Safety System (ICSS) and Power package to the Gina Krog FSO (Floating Storage and Offloading) unit, to be delivered to the Statoil operated Gina Krog field on the Norwegian continental shelf, North Sea.

Teekay recently entered an agreement with Statoil to provide the FSO for the Gina Krog field. The $220 million conversion project is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2017, before the newly converted FSO unit will commence operations under a time-charter contract to Statoil.

With delivery due to start Q2 2014, KME's project scope includes design, engineering, manufacturing, testing and supply of all materials, equipment, accessories and tools required for the complete ICSS, Medium Voltage Switchboard, Low Voltage Switchboard (440VAC / 230VAC), thruster transformers, thruster drives, thruster motors and 230VAC distribution, for installation and operation on the FSO.

KME is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime and has since 2008 acted as a contracting solution company specialising in EIT engineering and system integration on an EPC basis (Engineering, Procurement & Construction) with strong focus on project management, contracting engineering and site management. KME offers a coherent engineering and management service based on Kongsberg Maritime's established technical competence and experience with marine and offshore operations.

Teekay Offshore Partners L.P. is an international provider of marine transportation, oil production and storage services to the offshore oil industry focusing on the fast-growing, deepwater offshore oil regions of the North Sea and Brazil. Teekay Offshore owns interests in shuttle tankers, floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) units, floating storage and offtake (FSO) units and conventional oil tankers. Teekay Offshore has rights to participate in certain other FPSO and shuttle tanker opportunities provided by Teekay Corporation (NYSE: TK) and Sevan Marine ASA (Oslo Bors: SEVAN). A majority of Teekay Offshore's fleet trades on long-term, stable contracts and it is structured as a publicly-traded master limited partnership.

NYC-based PIRA Energy Group reports that midcontinent crude differentials strengthen in April. On the week, another U.S. commercial stock build narrows the stock deficit versus last year. In Japan, total commercial stocks built. Specifically, PIRA’s analysis of the oil market fundamentals has revealed the following:

Midcontinent Crude Differentials Strengthen in April

Canadian crude differentials strengthened relative to WTI in April, and all Midcontinent crude prices strengthened relative to Brent and LLS. Stocks continued to fall in Cushing, as recently installed pipeline capacity continues to move the PADD II crude surplus into PADD III.

Another Commercial Stock Build Narrows the Stock Deficit Versus Last Year

Although U.S. crude stocks posted their first weekly draw since the end of March, a total commercial stock build for the week of May 2 narrowed the year-over-year stock deficit by building at about twice the rate as the same week last year. The deficit of the four major refined products actually widened, while the deficit of propane and all other products was almost halved. Propane led the way with the largest weekly build in at least 10 years.

In Japan, Oil Balances Reflect Golden Week Holidays

Due to the "Golden Week" holidays, two weeks of data were reported this past week, both April 26th and May 3rd. Total commercial stocks built with finished products and crude rising. Runs declined in both weeks. There were two consecutive stock builds for both gasoline and gasoil. Gasoline demand didn't exhibit as much of a "holiday pop" as expected and stocks built both weeks. Gasoil demand declined due to holiday impacts and stocks built for both weeks.

Ethane Prices Tied to Natural Gas Prices

Low shoulder season demand will continue to pressure propane prices. Next week’s propane inventory report will be an important indicator. Excess ethane due to surging production will leave ethane prices tied to natural gas prices for some time to come.

Ethanol Prices Plummet

After a brief pause at the end of April, U.S. ethanol prices resumed their freefall the week ending May 2, as inventories built for the second straight week, reaching the highest level since July 2013. Cash margins declined again, but they are still substantially higher than at this time last year.

Aramco Announces Crude Price Differentials for June

Saudi Arabia's formula prices for June have just been released. Most notably, U.S. formula prices were increased by $0.80/Bbl versus the sour benchmark and stand at their highest levels seen yet. Since December 2013 the price for Saudi crude for U.S. destinations has risen by $3/Bbl compared to local competing USG grades. This will ultimately result in lower liftings by U.S. refiners and consequent repositioning of Saudi exports more toward growing Asian import markets.

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.

Diamond Petroleum Ventures LLC, a thermal unit provider based in Lafayette, Louisiana, has appointed Em Roosevelt as technical sales representative.

Roosevelt is responsible for direct sales and account management and will work toward expanding the company’s markets in the offshore oil and gas industry. He will also manage marketing and sales efforts aimed at bringing new technologies to commercialization.

Roosevelt joined Diamond Petroleum Ventures in December 2013 and has more than 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. In his previous position, Roosevelt led the development of services utilizing membrane nitrogen for reviving and sustaining production of offshore platforms. He has also held positions at Nitro-Lift Technologies and Tesco Corporation.

“Em is particularly experienced within the Gulf of Mexico area where our company's core operations are located,” said Rusty Lamb, Diamond Petroleum Ventures, CEO. “He has directed business development activities and brought new technologies to market throughout his career, and we are proud to have him as a member of our team.”

Roosevelt graduated Cum Laude with a degree in agribusiness management from Texas A&M University. 

Award-winning subsea installation contractor, Bibby Offshore, is proud to announce a successful first quarter of the year for its recently opened Newcastle office.

With existing premises in Aberdeen and Liverpool, Bibby Offshore is expanding its presence across the UK. Since its opening in November 2013, the Newcastle office has employed 23 skilled personnel, with a further ten to be recruited in the coming months. The 4724sqft office, located in Gateshead Quays on the River Tyne, will provide Bibby Offshore with an excellent hub in the region both now and as it increases staff numbers and service offerings in the future.

The team in Newcastle is supporting North Sea UKCS projects, equipped with a multi disciplined project management team. However, it is anticipated that following on from the success of the company's Liverpool office there will be opportunities to utilise the team's skills further afield as the fast growing company rolls out its services overseas.

Shawn Bulgen, Project Director, (photo) said: "Our expansion into the north east of England is in response to the industry-wide skills shortage. For a number of years skilled engineering professionals have been commuting to Aberdeen based oil and gas companies on a weekly basis. Our expansion into Newcastle will make us well placed to attract talent from the strong engineering tradition in the region."

Since its inception ten years ago, Bibby Offshore has experienced unprecedented growth. It now employs more than 1,200 people onshore and offshore with offices in Aberdeen, Liverpool, Singapore, Houston and Trinidad. The company now has an international fleet of eight subsea support vessels and 15 Remote Operating Vehicles (ROV), which will continue to increase to meet demand. The company has an extensive backlog of committed work and its Newcastle office offers clients a dedicated and self-sufficient project management team in the local area, in partnership with locally based technology manufacturers.

Following the successful delivery of a fast-tracked Inspection, Repair and Maintenance (IRM) project in Tunisia, that came in on schedule and under budget; the team in Newcastle is currently working on a number of projects for prestigious local and international clients that include IRM, riser and umbilical installations, decommissioning and an annual IRM contract for a Danish company.

To launch the new office, an event inviting local businesses, friends and colleagues is planned for this evening [Tuesday 20th May] at the premises, followed by a drinks reception and networking event nearby. A brief presentation will be given by Howard Woodcock, Bibby Offshore Chief Executive, and Shawn Bulgen, Bibby Offshore Project Director.

In May 2013, Bibby Offshore relocated to its new multimillion pound, purpose built headquarters in Westhill, Aberdeen, and recently opened additional new 50,000sqft storage, workshop, warehouse, office space, a yard and maintenance facilities called 'The Hangar'. Bibby Offshore's sustained growth and success was acknowledged in February this year when it won the Company of the Year award at the 2014 Subsea Expo Awards, which recognises excellence in overall company performance in the subsea sector based on developments to date, as well as plans for future success and growth, both within the UK and internationally.

Fueled by continuously increasing demand for complete integrated underwater system solutions, MacArtney has opted to significantly bolster its North American system sales focus. Spearheaded by the hiring of experienced sales and business development professional, Shannon Lewis, as System Sales Manager, and appointment of long-standing MacArtney ocean science expert, Andrew Ziegwied, as Vice President of Ocean Science and System Sales, MacArtney is well-equipped to handle even more projects and complex system challenges in the future.

ROV winches and business development
As part of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) operations in Houston, TX, Shannon Lewis is set to leverage her 16 year track record of team leadership, sales and business development to take MacArtney system sales to the next level. Recently, MacArtney has seen significant growth in sales of its complete systems, hereunder especially, winch and handling systems for ROV, subsea and scientific applications. Drawing on the experience, skills and extensive network forged during her time as Business Development Manager at Forum Energy Technologies and Business Development Executive at Deep Down, Shannon is dedicated to bringing even more growth to this and other key MacArtney system markets.

"As a former MacArtney customer, I am profoundly honored to join the team, the innovative technology, the vision and to be part of it all", says Shannon and continues: "I've seen a lot of companies - vendors, startups and partners - MacArtney is truly one of a kind and I am both blessed and excited to have the opportunity to be a part of the company's continued success and leadership, as we continue to grow and improve at a shockingly fast pace."

Ocean science growth
Another MacArtney market characterised by solid growth is related to the design, integration and delivery of system solutions for ocean science institutes, research vessels and general oceanographic applications. In response to this development, MacArtney has expanded the role of Andrew Ziegwied, who is set to support all North American sales offices and coordinate the team's efforts in the design of innovative, turnkey system solutions tailored to specific application requirements. Building on nearly 7 years as System Sales Manager, Andrew holds extensive experience with underwater technology and integrated systems. According to MacArtney Inc. President, Lars Hansen, Andrew will play a key role in implementing MacArtney's vision and overall systems focus in all markets of its North American operations.

Andrew, operating out of Portland, OR, will direct system sales and post sale customer support for existing clients in the ocean science segment and play an active role in developing the ocean science market in North America. "With my expanded role, I can help establish strategic business partnerships with vendors and improve collaborations across the growing organisation in support of systems sales", says Andrew and continues: "There is much work to be done here and many exciting opportunities to explore."

Beyond his experience with MacArtney, Andrew is a University of Washington School of Oceanography graduate. His background includes field work and project management with Evans-Hamilton, Inc. and application engineering with CTD manufacturer Sea-Bird Electronics, Inc.

Core Grouting Services, an Acteon company, is a new addition to Acteon’s operating company portfolio. Core is a specialist provider of grouting services for foundations on oil and gas platforms and offshore wind farms. Core’s grouting capability allows Acteon to offer its clients a complete suite of offshore foundation installation services – from drilling, driving and lifting to grouting.

Attendees at Core Grouting office opening: Left to right in photo: Ivan Harnett, Core Grouting Services; Gerard Flaherty, Irish Development Authority; Simon Coveney, Irish Minister for Agriculture Food & Marine; Bernhard Bruggaier, Acteon; Ray O’ Connor, Irish Development Authority.

Bernhard Bruggaier, executive vice president of operations at Acteon, said, “The offshore grouting market has historically been dominated by a small number of companies, and yet there has been significant growth in the sector over the last few years. Core will give clients a genuine new choice of grouting contractor with best-in-class equipment and a motivated and experienced team.”

John Paul O’Sullivan, engineering manager, and Colin Barrett, equipment manager, will drive the company’s growth from its recently opened global headquarters in Cork, Ireland. 

Ivan Harnett, managing director at Core, said, “At Core, we differentiate ourselves on the quality of our service offering. John and Colin have experience on more than 50 offshore projects, and with the strength of their expertise we can work closely with other Acteon group companies to help clients get their projects completed more efficiently and safely than ever before.” 

Core expects to grow to approximately 50 employees by the end of 2015 as the company extends its project range and expands its capabilities. The new enterprise in Cork was officially opened by Simon Coveney T.D., Irish Minister for Agriculture Food & Marine.

Bruggaier commented, “We selected Cork as the location in which to launch and base the business because of the availability of excellent quality engineers and technicians locally to support the company’s growth. Core will continue to recruit talent from the construction trades and will train a workforce for deployment on offshore construction projects.”

Statoil (OSE: STL, NYSE: STO) has announced that it has started its latest Gulf of Mexico exploration campaign. It started drilling Martin, a high-impact prospect, on 20 April.

"We consider Martin one of the top prospects in our global portfolio," says Jez Averty, senior vice president of exploration for Statoil in North America. "Since acquiring this prospect in 2012, we've advanced it in 20 months which is considerably faster than the normal maturation time."

As the world's largest offshore operator, Statoil has a significant presence in the Gulf of Mexico.  In addition to its active exploration program, Statoil is a partner in many of the largest fields under development, including Jack, St. Malo, Big Foot, Julia, Vito and Stampede.

"We're committed to profitability growing our business in North America," said Bill Maloney, Statoil executive vice president of its North America operations. "Having a strong and robust exploration program is essential for long-term growth, and we're very excited to begin this latest drilling campaign in the Gulf of Mexico."

In a speech at a private reception during the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Maloney explained that Statoil's growth in North America has been methodical and incremental. The company has made strategic acquisitions in onshore and offshore plays while building its midstream capacity.  The company has been active in North America for 25 years.

In 2013, Statoil was ranked as the world's most successful exploration company, finding more oil and gas than any other company. Statoil also made the world's largest conventional oil discovery in 2013. Its Bay du Nord discovery in the offshore east coast of Canada contains 300-600 million barrels of oil.