As a leading global manufacturer of syntactic foam-based solutions, Trelleborg’s offshore operation has been awarded a purchase order from a major European Drilling Contractor for Drill Riser Buoyancy Modules (DRBMs). As a trusted partner, this is the 6th order from this contractor for their new build rig series.

Photo courtesy: Trelleborg

Alan McBride, Vice President of Trelleborg’s offshore operation based in Houston, says: “We are thrilled that our long standing relationship with this contractor has grown into a wonderful partnership. This additional order strengthens the relationship between our two companies and we are confident in our ability to deliver the buoyancy solution required to meet their needs.

“As the trusted supplier of choice for this opportunity, Trelleborg has been able to provide the entire stock of buoyancy needed for this exciting new build program and we look forward to delivering the buoyancy by the end of 2016.”

Trelleborg has a long-standing commitment to developing sophisticated syntactic based materials designed specifically to exceed market requirements and meet the demands of increasing service depths for the offshore drilling segment.

In order to reduce a drilling riser’s net weight in water, and ensure that the structure and drilling vessel are supported, Trelleborg offers a range of DRBMs, fitted around the length of the riser pipe, improving the riser’s buoyancy and protecting it from service damage.

Hoover Container Solutions has announced three new changes to its senior management team, supporting its continued global growth. Joseph Levy has been appointed senior vice president and chief financial officer; Johan Wramsby has been appointed senior vice president and chief operating officer; and Arash Hassanian has been appointed senior vice president, global sales and marketing.

Levy will manage Hoover’s complex banking relationships, worldwide IT efforts, merger and acquisition activity, integration initiatives and extensive consolidation of international financial reporting. Levy has more than 25 years of capital investment experience and has served on the Hoover Materials Handling Group board since 2008.

Joseph Levy

Wramsby will be responsible for North American operations, which include manufacturing, service, technology and transportation. He will also be responsible for the continued integration of the TechOil and Hoover Offshore businesses. Wramsby has been with Hoover for 15 years, previously as financial analyst, controller and chief administrative officer.

Johan Wramsby

Hassanian will manage and oversee worldwide efforts to drive sales, marketing and business development. He will continue to ensure consistent global marketing messaging and branding, while managing operations in Malaysia, Brazil, the UAE and Australia. He will ultimately transition management of those businesses to operations once they reach a substantial size. Hassanian has been with Hoover for more than a decade, serving as purchasing manager, international business development director and vice president of international sales and global marketing.

Arash Hassanian

Hoover’s chairman and chief executive officer, Donald W. Young, said, “Within Hoover, upper executives guide our company towards our strategic goals, focusing on differentiating our product lines of fluids, cargo and waste supported by technology and services. Since 2010, Hoover has grown from two locations to 15 global locations; from 65 employees to more than 300 employees; and from $20 million to more than $100 million in revenue. As part of this ongoing process of growth, we have evaluated our organization to ensure optimum structure and processes that will deliver the highest value to our customers and shareholders. These appointments recognize the significance of each of their contributions to the organization’s success.”

Delmar Systems, Inc., a worldwide supplier of offshore mooring and subsea services, announces an expansion of products and services with the acquisition of privately owned InterOcean Systems, Inc. InterOcean will be operated as an affiliated entity of Delmar.

Since 1946, InterOcean Systems is the leader in the design and manufacture of high quality oceanographic and environmental equipment and systems, including its proprietary Rig Anchor Release (RAR), acoustic technology and releases, METOC buoys, current meters, transponders, transducers, hydrophones, subsea winches, and other specialized equipment including its proprietary remote oil spill detection system – Slick Sleuth™.

“Delmar is committed to providing the offshore industry with quality products and services,” said Brady Como, Delmar’s Executive Vice President. “InterOcean’s products, services, and long- standing customer service will enhance Delmar’s product offering beyond the traditional oil and gas industry customer base. Their excellent reputation for quality and innovative products will be a great addition to Delmar. We welcome the dedicated professionals as InterOcean has a long standing reputation serving the specialized marine equipment industry on a global basis.

“The synergies between Delmar and InterOcean make this combination of strengths a key benefit to our mutual customers,” says Mike Pearlman, President and CEO of InterOcean. “Our dedicated professionals look forward to continuing the tradition of providing the very best service and quality that has led to our success the last 70 years in business.”

InterOcean Systems will continue to operate with its existing management from its San Diego, CA headquarters as an affiliate of Delmar Systems, Inc., offering the same products and services the company has been known for the last 70 years.

Headquartered in Broussard, LA, Delmar Systems, Inc. has provided mooring and subsea installation services for over 48 years to every oil and gas region around the globe, with offices strategically located to serve the offshore industry in the world’s most challenging offshore environments. For more information on Delmar Systems www.delmarus.com.

Mermaid Maritime Public Company Limited (“Mermaid” or "Company") has announced that its Indonesian business unit PT Seascape Surveys Indonesia (“Seascape”) has entered into a one (1) year charter-in contract with PT Nusa Perkasa Permai for a DP2 dive support vessel (“DSV”), the ‘Mermaid Nusantara’. The vessel is expected to be delivered to Seascape in August 2016.

Photo courtesy: Mermaid Maritime

Formerly ‘Windermere’ and renamed as ‘Mermaid Nusantara’, the vessel comes with a 15 man built-in saturation diving system and air diving system, 120 beds and a 50 ton crane. The vessel will undertake inspection, repair, and maintenance contracts as well as performing saturation diving for construction support, ongoing field maintenance and call out repair.

Mermaid had previously chartered-in this vessel and deployed the vessel to support its various subsea projects in 2015. The re-chartering of this vessel comes at the back of anticipated continuing demand for subsea services in both Indonesia and the rest of the South East Asian region. This latest charter also comes with a one (1) year extension option which, if exercised, would extend the charter through to July 2018.

This charter-in of the ‘Mermaid Nusantara’ is an opportunity for Mermaid to continually secure a dedicated DSV for the South East Asian market and also to materially increase the revenue and profit of Mermaid in the Eastern Hemisphere. Being Indonesian flagged, the vessel will be in prime position to secure any potential work in Indonesia.

Mermaid has already secured subsea contracts worth circa USD 10 million that will utilize this vessel for a scheduled duration of approximately 70 days, and is actively bidding for more work utilizing the vessel in the South East Asian region.

Hess Denmark ApS has awarded a contract to DNV GL to provide asset integrity inspection management of its South Arne field including Risked Based Inspection (RBI) services and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) inspection services. The contract continues an 18 year partnership between Hess and the leading technical advisor to the oil & gas industry.

The asset integrity inspection assessments will address:


• The process systems using pressure-retaining equipment and piping

• The concrete gravity base and tower

• The steel structure, both topsides and subsea

• Oil export pipeline and offloading buoy

Kjell Eriksson, Regional Manager – Norway, DNV GL Oil & Gas

“DNV GL has been contracted to provide integrity inspection on the South Arne field since 1998. The renewal of this partnership demonstrates the importance of high quality service delivery in a cost pressured market. Further, the contract shows Hess’s confidence in DNV GL’s ability to deliver efficient solutions which can help manage operation costs for the South Arne field,” says Kjell Eriksson, regional manager for Norway, DNV GL – Oil & Gas.

The contract has an estimated annual value of 10 MDKK and is based on both KPI, lump sum and rate based remuneration principles.

Det norske oljeselskap ASA (Det norske) has entered into an agreement with BP p.l.c. (BP) to merge with BP Norge AS (BP Norge) through a share purchase transaction, to create the leading independent offshore E&P company. The transaction will significantly strengthen the combined company’s operations, cost efficiency and growth potential, enabling the company to initiate dividend payment. The company will be named Aker BP ASA (Aker BP) and will be headquartered at Fornebuporten, Norway, with Aker ASA (Aker) and BP as main industrial shareholders.

“We are proud to announce this merger to create Aker BP, the leading independent offshore E&P company. Aker BP will leverage on Det norske’s efficient operations, BP’s International Oil Company capabilities and Aker’s 175 years of industrial experience. Together, we are establishing a strong platform for creating value for our shareholders through our unique industrial capabilities, a world-class asset base and financial robustness. We look forward to taking advantage of the attractive growth potential on the Norwegian Continental Shelf through this industrial partnership with BP and to deliver on Aker BP’s dividend story,” says Øyvind Eriksen, Chairman of the Board of Directors in Det norske.

Aker BP will be jointly owned by Aker ASA (40%), BP (30%) and other Det norske shareholders (30%). As part of the transaction, Det norske will issue 135.1 million shares based on NOK 80 per share to BP as compensation for all shares in BP Norge, including assets, a tax loss carry forward of USD 267 million (nominal after-tax value) and a net cash position of USD 178 million. In parallel, Aker will acquire 33.8 million shares from BP at the same share price to achieve the agreed-upon ownership structure.

“We have been in close dialogue with Folketrygdfondet, Det norske’s second-largest shareholder, which supports the transaction. From our start as an exploration company, we have developed the company into a fully-fledged E&P. With BP, we are taking another leap forward with the creation of Aker BP,” says Eriksen.

The transaction will strengthen Det norske´s balance sheet and is credit accretive through a 35% reduction in net interest-bearing debt per barrel of oil equivalent of reserves. Aker BP aims to introduce a quarterly dividend policy. The first dividend payment is planned for the fourth quarter of 2016, conditional upon the approval of creditors.

“BP and Aker have matured a close collaboration through decades, and we are pleased to take advantage of the industrial expertise of both companies to create a large independent E&P company. The Norwegian Continental Shelf represents significant opportunities going forward and we are looking forward to working together with Aker to unlock the long term value of the company through growth and efficient operations. This innovative deal demonstrates how we can adapt our business model with strong and talented partners to remain competitive and grow where we see long-term benefit for our shareholders,” says Bob Dudley, Group Chief Executive of BP.

Aker BP will hold a portfolio of 97 licenses on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, of which 46 are operated. The combined company will hold an estimated 723 million barrels of oil equivalent P50 reserves, with a 2015 joint production of approximately 122,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Det norske and BP had at the end of 2015 a combined workforce of approximately 1,400 employees.

“Aker BP will have a balanced portfolio of operated assets and a high quality inventory of non-sanctioned discoveries. The company has potential to reach a production above 250,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2023,” says Karl Johnny Hersvik, Chief Executive Officer of Det norske.

Aker BP has the ambition to leverage on a lean and nimble business model and will gain access to state-of-the-art technological know-how and capabilities, through the industrial collaboration with BP.

“We will implement simple processes across the combined entity, and build a fit-for-purpose organisational structure, with corresponding capacity and competence from both organisations. We expect to realise significant cost cuts and synergies, which will be implemented in close cooperation with employees and suppliers,” says Hersvik.

Øyvind Eriksen will remain Chairman of the Board of Directors and Karl Johnny Hersvik Chief Executive Officer of the combined company.

Please find presentation of the transaction and videostream here.

The transaction is subject to approval by the relevant Norwegian and European Union authorities. An extraordinary general meeting of Det norske will be scheduled to approve the transaction. BAHR and Arctic Securities has acted as advisors to Det norske on the transaction.

Facts about BP Norge:

Facts about Det norske:

A recently signed agreement will see Saipem lead the industrialization and commercialization of SPRINGS®, an innovative subsea water treatment technology designed for deep water application, developed in collaboration with major oil & gas company Total and water treatment specialist company Veolia.

SPRINGS® (Subsea PRocess and INjection Gear for Seawater) is a nanofiltration-based sulphate removal unit designed for subsea use in deep water environments. Saipem has entered into an agreement with partners Total and Veolia for the co- ownership and exclusive commercialization of the technology. A deepsea test was successfully completed last year to prove the validity of the process in a relevant environment offshore West Africa.

A cost effective alternative to conventional topsides water treatment and injection units, SPRINGS® moves the sulphate removal process subsea, thus enhancing the economics of oil recovery by:

• eliminating water injection sealines

• producing savings in terms of topsides weight and deck space, freeing up vital topside space for production equipment

• easing brownfield retrofits, especially on FPSOs

• making distant, deep injection wells economical.

Saipem’s Chief Executive Officer, Stefano Cao, commented: “The signing of the agreement is in line with Saipem’s commitment to develop innovative technologies and deploy its capabilities in the subsea environment with a view to reducing Clients’ overall costs and enabling new business opportunities.”

A cross-industry project led by DNV GL to halt the boom in subsea documentation shows that implementing a standardized approach can significantly reduce engineering hours. The two-year collaboration led by DNV GL has concluded in a publicly available Recommended Practice which can reduce the amount of subsea documentation and enable documentation reuse in a typical subsea field development project.

Image courtesy: DNV GL

DNVGL-RP-O101 ‘Technical documentation for subsea projects’ details a required minimum set of documentation transferred between E&P companies, operators and contractors for the construction, procurement and operation of a field. The outcome will reduce the volume and variety of documentation exchanged between the parties in a project, thereby making project execution more cost effective.

According to a contractor in the JIP, subsea documentation increased by a factor of four between 2012 and 2015. Previously, a contractor in a typical subsea project would deliver around 10,000 documents, with each one averaging three revisions, resulting in up to 30,000 transactions between two actors. Today, projects can deliver 40,000 documents, with three revisions resulting in 120,000 transactions. Handling time has also doubled per revision. A big project may require a contractor to have 25 people just on document control.

“We like solid documentation in DNV GL, but this massive explosion in paper hasn't tangibly improved performance, safety or environmental impact – it’s just escalated costs without adding value,” says Bente Helén Leinum, Project Manager, DNV GL – Oil & Gas.

“A benchmarking exercise by one JIP participant showed that adoption of the RP could deliver a 42% potential reduction in engineering hours. The savings come from reduced reviews by reusing documents, having more standardized documents and avoiding unnecessary reviews of non-critical documents. Another supplier estimates that the potential cut in documentation can be as high as 75-80% through increased use of standardized documents,” continues Leinum.

Jan Ragnvald Torsvik, lead engineer of Life Cycle Information at Statoil and co-chairman of the project, comments: “All JIP partners have invested considerable time and the outcome is a fantastic achievement that will dramatically cut waste in the handling of technical information in projects. We have already learned that this standard’s approach in utilizing package-specific requirements has a positive impact on standardization and efficiency. We are already seeing the benefits of implementing a draft version of the RP in Statoil’s Johan Sverdrup project last year,” he continues.

“The RP encourages more reuse of subsea documentation and will deliver more predictability throughout the value chain. It provides clear expectations for all parties involved, and duplications, misunderstandings and unnecessary work can be avoided,” says Tommy Lien, Senior LCI Process Coordinator, Aker Solutions.

JIP partners were Aker Solutions, Brightport, Centrica Energi, DEA Norge, Det norske oljeselskap, DNV GL, ENI Norge, GCE Subsea, FMC Technologies, GDF SUEZ E&P Norge, Kongsberg Oil & Gas Technologies, Lundin Norway, Oceaneering, OneSubsea, Statoil, Subsea 7, Subsea Valley and SUNCOR Energy Norge.

Observers: The Norwegian Oil and Gas Association and Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) Norway.

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has published ‘Guidance on drug & alcohol policies and testing’ (SEL 040). It is downloadable free of charge to members and non-members alike.

Within its 28 pages there are sections on ‘Who should be tested? - Reasons for testing’; ‘Tests for drug and alcohol abuse’; ‘Urine testing’; ‘Breath testing’; ‘Record keeping’; ‘Problems with testing’; and ‘Cut-off levels’ as well as a useful glossary of terms and guidance on further information.

The document addresses the importance of a broad multi-disciplinary approach, with the involvement of different departments, including Occupational Health, Human Resources, and Legal as well as operations departments.

“Naturally, the focus of a drug and alcohol policy should be on prevention,” says Richard Benzie, IMCA’s Technical Director. “Education of the workforce will help them ‘buy into’ the process, making it easier to implement policies and procedures relating to drug and alcohol testing.”

Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. (NYSE: DO) and Trelleborg's Offshore operation have announced a Joint Development Agreement to develop, manufacture and market Helical Buoyancy™ riser technology developed by Diamond Offshore. This innovative, patented riser buoyancy design reduces riser drag and mitigates Vortex-Induced Vibration in offshore applications and enables improved operational efficiency.

This solution is an alternative to adding fairings or strakes to the drilling riser and can reduce deployment time and operating expense. The Helical Buoyancy design also improves safety in challenging environments by eliminating the need for personnel to work below the drill floor to attach a separate apparatus.

Diamond Offshore’s Ocean BlackLion. Photo courtesy: Diamond Offshore

The "helical" design is the result of several years of development by Diamond Offshore utilizing Computational Fluid Dynamics and high Reynolds Number Wind Tunnel testing. Diamond Offshore will work with Trelleborg on further application engineering, data acquisition, testing and development of Helical Buoyancy applications across the offshore drilling market.

"Development of this new technology for riser buoyancy is even more important as drilling moves into deeper waters," said Ron Woll, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Diamond Offshore. "We continually look for ways to improve the economics of offshore drilling for our customers, and this new buoyancy design will enhance drilling efficiencies in high-current environments."

"At Trelleborg, our goal is to perform at every level to deliver innovative and reliable offshore solutions and we welcome this opportunity to team up with Diamond Offshore on this exciting venture," says Alan McBride, Vice President at Trelleborg's offshore operation in Houston.

In conjunction with this agreement, Diamond Offshore has ordered Helical Buoyancy from Trelleborg for drilling risers on the Ocean BlackRhino and Ocean BlackLion, two of Diamond Offshore's sixth-generation drillships currently under contract in a high-current area in the Gulf of Mexico.

"This technology advancement is the result of Diamond Offshore's engineering expertise and thought leadership and should benefit the broad offshore drilling industry as it gets adopted," said Woll.

BP Egypt announced on June 9, another important gas discovery in the Baltim South Development Lease in the East Nile Delta.

The Baltim SW-1 exploration well, drilled in water depth of 25 meters by operator IEOC (Eni), reached a total depth of 3750 meters depth and penetrated approximately 62 meters of net gas pay in high quality Messinian sandstones. The discovery, which is located 12 kilometers from shoreline, is a new accumulation along the same trend of the Nooros field discovered in July 2015 and currently producing 65,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Further appraisal activities will be required to underpin the full resource potential of the discovery.

Hesham Mekawi, Regional President of BP North Africa, commented: “We are pleased with the results of the Baltim SW-1 well as it is the third discovery along the Nooros trend and confirms the great potential of the Messinian play and its significant upside in the area. Our plan is to utilize existing infrastructure which will accelerate the development of the discovery, and expedite early production start-up. This announcement is another example of BP’s commitment to unlock resources in order to bring critical gas production to Egypt.”

BP holds a 50% stake in the Baltim South Development lease, and Eni, through its subsidiary IEOC, holds 50%. The well was drilled by Petrobel, a joint venture between IEOC and the state partner Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC).

• BP has a long and successful track record in Egypt stretching back over 50 years with investments of approximately $30 billion, making BP one of the largest foreign investors in the country. In Egypt, BP’s business is primarily in oil and gas exploration and production. BP is working to meet Egypt’s domestic market growth by actively exploring in the Nile Delta and investing to add production from existing discoveries.

• To date, BP Egypt, in collaboration with the Gulf of Suez Petroleum Company (GUPCO), BP’s joint venture (JV) Company with the Egyptian General Petroleum Company (EGPC), has produced almost 40% of Egypt’s entire oil production, and currently produces almost 10% of Egypt’s annual oil and condensate.

• In addition, through joint ventures with EGPC/EGAS and IEOC (ENI) the Pharaonic Petroleum Company (PhPC) and Petrobel BP currently produces close to 30% of Egypt's total gas.

• The West Nile Delta (WND) Project is a strategic project for BP. BP is the operator of the project. The West Nile Delta project, involves the development of 5 trillion cubic feet of gas resources and 55 million barrels of condensates. Production from WND is expected to be around 1.2 billion cubic feet a day (bcf/d), equivalent to about 30% of Egypt’s current gas production. All the produced gas will be fed into the country’s national gas grid. Production is expected to start in 2017.

• BP has made a series of discoveries in Egypt in recent years including Taurt North, Seth South and Salmon and Rahamat, Satis, Hodoa, Notus, Salamat and Atoll.

• BP is a 33 per cent shareholder of a natural gas liquids (NGL) plant extracting LPG and propane, United Gas Derivatives Company (UGDC) in partnership with ENI/IEOC and GASCO (the Egyptian midstream gas distribution company).

• BP is also present in the downstream sector through Natural Gas Vehicles Company (NGVC, BP 40 per cent) which was established in September 1995 as the first company in Africa and the Middle East to commercialize natural gas as an alternative fuel for vehicles.

With the continuous search for new gas supplies, companies like Gazflot often find themselves in harsh geographical conditions trying to unlock the next reserve of natural gas. Such explorations require robust and reliable equipment to work under some of the most difficult conditions imaginable. As such, there is a need for genuine partnerships with companies that understand what it takes and are well-positioned to deliver technologies that support more efficient exploration activities.

GE’s Marine Solutions (NYSE: GE) was recently awarded a service contract by CIMC Raffles to provide the first dry-dock services on two of Gazflot’s semi sub drilling vessels—Northern Lights and Polar Star. During the dry-docking, GE’s Marine Solutions will thoroughly test its scope of supply and will replace and upgrade parts where necessary.

Semi subsea drilling vessel Polar Star: Photo courtesy: Gazflot

With years of experience in carrying out similar activities, historical data from these vessels and an understanding of how systems interact with each other, GE’s Marine Solutions is ideally placed as a one-stop solution to carry out the dry-docking of these vessels. This dry-docking will enable Gazflot to continue operating its vessels at optimum levels.

“GE will not only carry out the required maintenance activities on the two vessels, but will also be assisting with the supervision of the activities throughout dry-docking. We are impressed by GE’s technical and operational finesse and look forward to working with them in the long-term,” said Mr. Yongqiang Shao, deputy general manager, CIMC Raffles.

Commenting on the contract, Andrey Nikireev, deputy head of power supply department, Gazflot, said, “We have been very happy with GE, and its technology is running flawlessly on board our vessels. GE’s deep understanding of these technologies makes them an ideal partner for this dry-docking, and with GE’s engineers carrying out the maintenance activities, we are confident that our vessels are in a safe pair of hands.”

The two vessels were equipped with GE technologies including dynamic positioning, automation, drilling drives, MV 7000 propulsion drives, Power Management System, Vessel Management System and Thruster Assisted Mooring System. These technologies have been reliably at work on Gazflot’s ice class vessels, which are capable of drilling up to 10,000 feet in the adverse conditions in Northern Russia. Through the current contract, GE’s team of on-site engineers will ensure the longevity of installed systems while working with the yard to supervise the dry-docking activities.

“We have had a long-standing relationship with Gazflot and are happy to further our partnership through this deal. With our reliable technologies on board their vessels, GE is at the heart of Gazflot’s exploration activities. Our thorough maintenance services and assurance of providing technical support for these vessels will ensure uninterrupted operations for Gazflot in the years to come,” said Tim Schweikert, president & CEO, GE’s Marine Solutions.

After the dry-docking, GE will continue to provide remote technical support for the Northern Lights and Polar Star semi sub drilling vessels.

Ninety-six Crowley Maritime Corporation owned or managed vessels recently received the Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA)’s annual Jones F. Devlin Awards in recognition of their outstanding safety records in 2015. Each year the CSA grants Devlin Award certificates to manned merchant vessels that have operated for two or more years without incurring a Lost Time Injury (LTI), specifically highlighting the skills and dedication of the crewmembers responsible for safe vessel operations.

Capt. Seven Gilkey, master, USNS Invincible and T-AGOS / T-AGM Port Captain and Program Manager, Capt. Jonathan "JC" Christian, accepting the awards on Crowley's behalf.

Crowley’s 2015 Devlin Award-worthy vessels together have achieved an impressive total of 639 years of service without an LTI. Of the 96 awarded, 23 have gone without incident for 10 or more consecutive years, including the following notable vessels: Valdez Star, 25 years, and Gus E, MV Chief, MV Guide and Roger G, each with 17 years; MV Aku, MV Veteren, MV Vigilant and Tug Nanuq, each with 16 years and Cape Edmont with 15 years. Crowley’s vessels have earned Devlin Awards annually since 2005.

“We have been holding these annual award ceremonies since 1958,” said Kathy Metcalf, CSA President. “This was the 58th anniversary of the program. For that initial year, we honored six vessels having a total of twelve years operation with no lost-time incidents. This year, awards were conferred on 1522 vessels that operated 10,084 years without a lost-time incident. This extraordinary record is directly attributable to the professionalism of our seafarers and the dedication of shore-based company personnel to safe operation.”

Additionally, the Crowley-managed, USNS Impeccable (T-AGOS 23) ­– a Military Sealift Command (MSC) Impeccable class, ocean surveillance ship - was given a Citation of Merit for heroically rescuing 11 fishermen struggling to stay afloat on a sinking vessel that had been adrift for five days in the South China Sea. Capt. Seven Gilkey, master, USNS Invincible and T-AGOS / T-AGM Port Captain and Program Manager, Capt. Jonathan "JC" Christian, accepted the award on behalf of USNS Impeccable, which is currently at sea, from Rear Admiral David Callahan, Commander, US. Coast Guard District eight.

“Safety is at the top of Crowley’s core values and strategic goals. The vessels receiving Devlin Awards exemplify this Crowley core value, because they live it every day – for themselves, their families and Crowley,” said Crowley’s Mike Golonka, vice president, government services.

Statoil, along with its partners, has finalized a 19-month exploration drilling program offshore Newfoundland. The purpose of the drilling program was to increase the robustness of the Bay du Nord project and to test new areas of the Flemish Pass Basin.

Nine wells were drilled safely and efficiently by the Seadrill West Hercules in the Flemish Pass Basin, located approximately 500 kilometers east of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. The results have improved Statoil’s understanding of the frontier Flemish Pass Basin.

The West Hercules drilling rig. (Photos: Ole Jørgen Bratland)

The drilling program included four exploration wells in close vicinity of the 2013 Bay du Nord discovery, as well as three appraisal wells on the discovery. In addition, two exploration wells were drilled in areas outside the Bay du Nord discovery. The program was conducted in a harsh offshore environment; however, with strong operational and HSE performance, setting several records on drilling speed during the campaign.

The drilling program has resulted in two discoveries of oil at the Bay de Verde and Baccalieu prospects in the Bay du Nord area, both of which add to the resource base for a potential development at the Bay du Nord discovery.

The appraisal and near-field exploration of the Bay du Nord discovery has reduced key reservoir uncertainties and confirmed that the volumes are within the original volume range of the 300 to 600 million barrels of recoverable oil initially estimated by Statoil in 2013, but potentially towards the lower end of the range.

“We are encouraged by the discoveries in the Bay de Verde and Baccalieu wells and the results of the appraisal wells,” said Erling Vågnes, senior vice president, Statoil Exploration, Northern Hemisphere. “Based on the improved understanding of the Flemish Pass Basin petroleum system, we are maturing further prospects that may add volumes to Bay du Nord.”

“The Flemish Pass Basin offshore Newfoundland is a frontier area, where only 17 wells have been drilled in the entire basin – in an area that is 30,000 km2,”said Vågnes. “This drilling campaign has been critical both to maturing the Bay du Nord discovery as well as evolving our knowledge of the greater basin and Newfoundland offshore – which remains a core exploration area for Statoil.”

The drilling program began in November 2014 and was extended by one month to incorporate the drilling of Baccalieu, a well on a license awarded by the C-NLOPB in the 2015 land sale, which Statoil was able to progress from access to well-completion in four months.

Statoil’s assessment of the commercial potential of the Bay du Nord discovery is ongoing. “The recent drilling program has been critical to Statoil’s continued assessment of Bay du Nord, and work is underway to evaluate the results related to proceeding with a potential Statoil-operated development in the Flemish Pass Basin,” said Paul Fulton, president, Statoil Canada.

International engineering and operations support services contractor ODE, part of the DORIS Group, has successfully installed new pontoon and crane facilities on the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm base in Great Yarmouth.

Ecosse Subsea Systems (ESS) has agreed the sale of an 800-ton carousel to Bibby Offshore Limited (BOL).