Subsea cable and connector specialist Hydro Group has teamed up with mechanical engineering group EnerMech to launch an innovative new product offering to the market.

In response to significant customer demand, Hydro Group and EnerMech have combined expertise to deliver a new hydraulics hose product, offering lay-up and over-sheathing of hydraulic hoses for use in umbilical, topside and well intervention projects in the oil and gas industry. The partnership could generate in the region of £500,000 in the next 12 months.

Graham Wilkie, Sales Director at Hydro Group said: “Building on three decades of proven capability and industry experience at Hydro Group, we know collaboration, diversification and innovation are key to surviving in challenging markets. Knowledge sharing with EnerMech has resulted in an important market offering which brings together expertise from both companies.”

The bundled hose, which are available in ¼” to 2” size from Hydro Cable Systems, a Hydro Group company, integrate hydraulic components with electrical and fibre optic cables, resulting in a more compact and easier to handle assembly.

Mr Wilkie continued: “The new hose bundles offer significant benefits to installers and users for flying lead, workover umbilicals, well intervention, Topside and BOP control and injection systems. The bundles also allow greater versatility when faced with awkward routing or high dynamic usage, and may incorporate strength members such as aramid braiding, steel wire central ropes and aramid central ropes to the customer’s specification.”

EnerMech supplies a broad range of mechanical services to the international energy industry and has a 40 year heritage in hydraulic services including engineering and design, hydraulic component supply and hose integrity management.

Gary McRobb, EnerMech Business Development Manager, said: “Innovation and offering integrated solutions for our global clients is a central tenet of everything we do at EnerMech. Together with Hydro Cables Systems we are able to provide full engineering support, sourcing and supplying hoses, including high specification hoses such as High Collapse Resistance (HCR), and can also supply fully fitted, flushed and pressure-tested umbilicals which can also be deployed onto a reeler at the customer’s request.”

Further expanding the product offering and several recent increases to capabilities has meant the creation of new jobs for Hydro Group. Staff numbers at the firm’s Aberdeen base rose to over 100 for the first time this year and projected turnover for 2015 is predicted to rise by 12% from £9million thanks to increased development of new and existing markets.

Hydro Group has seen a period of significant investment in new machinery, with this new capability allowing the company to extrude up to 120mm diameter over composite bundles or single hoses. Final produced lengths can be supplied from 50 to 2000 metres depending on the size of hose, number of components and the finished diameter of the umbilical.

Mr Wilkie added: “Training and information transfer will be mutual between EnerMech and Hydro Cable Systems, for the benefit of customers and the market as a whole. Evolving our product offering in line with client demand is paramount and the new hose bundles, as an extension of our current products, represents significant growth potential.”

Hydro Group is at the forefront in the development and innovation of subsea product technologies, with involvement from prototype concept through to design, manufacture and project management. Hydro Group manufacture the complete package including FAT at its state-of-the-art facilities in Aberdeen, Scotland; umbilical cables, electrical and optical connection systems / assemblies for data, power and signal transmission.

HBW Resources, LLC (HBW), an integrated strategic consulting and advocacy firm focused on energy and transportation issues, and CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA), a firm specializing in services related to environmental impacts of activities throughout the world, have announced a global strategic partnership to perform a variety of services in support of offshore commercial projects worldwide. This new offering will combine HBW's unique skills in consulting and advocacy for energy and transportation projects with CSA's offshore environmental expertise to present a combined level of global capabilities that is unmatched.

Through this strategic partnership, HBW and CSA will jointly pursue a number of commercial opportunities, including non-technical risk assessments utilizing HBW's PRIME+ platform for offshore projects. HBW Resources established the PRIME + (Project Risk, Intelligence, Mitigation and Evaluation) process as a way to proactively identify and map non-technical risks to energy and infrastructure projects, prioritize them according to their likelihood and impact, and allow for proactive mitigation and management of project risks.

The combined service, PRIME + H20, will assess non-technical risks associated with offshore projects, quantify and qualify those risks in terms of impact to projects and likelihood of occurrence, and develop implement mitigation strategies to avoid those risks.

"Non-technical risks account for 73 percent of cost and schedule failures for energy projects today," said Jack Belcher, executive vice president, HBW Resources. "We are pleased that our strategic partnership with CSA Ocean Sciences will provide the unique ability to deliver unmatched risk assessments and other services to offshore projects that will avoid and mitigate those risks and associated cost and schedule failures."

"By combining CSA Ocean Sciences offshore technical and environmental expertise with HBW's energy, government and regulatory expertise, our partnership will offer the offshore industry an unprecedented ability to identify and mitigate risk and provide valuable service to our clients, said Al Hart, Executive Vice President of CSA. "Our PRIME + H20 and other service offerings will provide companies a safe harbor in the uncertain offshore environment we face today."

CSA offers a wide range of marine services, including environmental impact analyses worldwide, drawing upon the extensive knowledge of its qualified personnel in addition to the techniques, facilities, equipment, and business considerations of applied sciences and technologies. Over the last 45 years, CSA has successfully conducted approximately 2,500 studies for more than 500 clients, including the oil and gas industry; engineering/surveying firms; utility companies; law firms; land development companies; and local, state, federal, and international government agencies.

imorph, the Aberdeen-based specialist training and change management provider, has launched Gloe, an innovative training program based at tackling the issues behind the growing problem of obesity facing the nation - and the offshore industry.

It is a sensitive issue, which regularly hits the headlines. The Step Change HSSG (Helicopter Safety Steering Group) recognizes that whilst this issue is not exclusive to the offshore industry, the sector does have a duty to ensure it sets workers up to succeed in the offshore environment, with health and well-being as crucial factors.

It is clear that whilst operators are aware of this issue and do work to ensure that nutrition programs based on low calorie and low fat eating are available offshore, statistics and recent news suggest that - as with most weight reducing measures – these measures just aren't working.

Addressing the full spectrum of challenges associated with changes to diet and lifestyle, Gloe aims to improve both the health and consequent work output of offshore personnel - whatever their size - by creating a sustainable health programme, developed by imorph's behavioural change experts, in conjunction with nutrition consultant Dr Chris Fenn.

Caroline Hughes, director at imorph (photo), is enthusiastic about the fundamental changes the course can bring to the industry and beyond: "Gloe is a really exciting development for the oil and gas industry, as it's the first course truly aimed at creating a more energised, more productive and generally healthier workforce, which brings almost immediate health and cost benefits to the companies who undertake the training.

"It's not just about weight loss, and it's definitely not a lecture. It's about practical adjustments to existing routines, and in an industry so driven by routine, those changes are almost impossible to sustain without the knowledge and behavioural change support Gloe offers."

With 25 years' experience, Chris Fenn understands the benefits nutrition and habit can have upon a work force: "Obesity is linked with well-known health risks, and can significantly reduce quality of life and work. It can result in the psychological challenges of depression, stress and self-consciousness – all of which can affect interpersonal relationships, performance and attendance at work.

"At this crucial time for the oil and gas industry, a healthy work force performing at its optimum level is one of its greatest assets."

Aker Solutions presents five strategic objectives after splitting in two in September last year tobetter position all parts of the business and meet the needs of customers.

The company, which met with investors in London, will build on its strengths in key subsea and field design markets as it seeks to:

Be the preferred partner, with an unparalleled level of safety and performance
Capture growth in offshore deepwater, subsea and harsh environment markets
Maintain and expand a global presence through disciplined, organic growth
Further develop portfolio with a diversity of customers, regions and strong contract mix
Deliver operational excellence, realize synergies, strengthen cost control and capital discipline

"The split allows us to reduce complexity, build on synergies and bring down costs, which makes us much better equipped to respond to the needs of customers in the 22 countries where we operate," said Chief Executive Officer Luis Araujo. "Our focus now is on creating value for our clients and shareholders through the right technology development, quality in execution, cost control and by applying the full force of our engineering skills at the conceptual stage of a project to find the most effective solutions."

Aker Solutions yesterday won a contract from Statoil to deliver a concept study for future phases of the North Sea Johan Sverdrup development, Norway's largest oil find in three decades. While Norway is the company's single largest regional market, Aker Solutions is this year set to get 60 percent of its revenue outside its home market amid an expansion in key offshore oil and gas markets in Africa, Brazil and Asia Pacific. That share is growing from 50 percent last year and about 40 percent the year before.

Aker Solutions had a near-record order backlog of NOK 48 billion kroner in 2014 after winning major contracts including a NOK 14 billion order from Total at the Kaombo field in Angola, one of the world's largest subsea developments, and a more than USD 300 million contract from Petrobras in Brazil to deliver subsea manifolds.

The company's subsea, umbilicals, engineering and maintenance, modifications and operations (MMO) areas were spun off in September 2014 to create a new business under the Aker Solutions name.

"We're ideally placed to excel in key subsea, deepwater and field design markets through our considerable local content, strong client relationships, leading technology and unique engineering," said Araujo. "We're taking on current market challenges from a position of strength, with a robust order backlog and a sharp eye on our operational and financial performance.''

Aker Solutions has intensified its focus on operational excellence and cost control through improvement agendas within the company and externally with customers. New cost-savings programs in all business segments and corporate functions are well underway. These include a goal for the engineering business to reduce engineering and procurement services costs 30 percent by the end of 2017. The MMO area is also on track to lower the cost of modifications 30 percent by the end of 2016. The subsea segment has set a target to improve operational efficiency 15 percent annually. This was achieved in 2013 and 2014.

Outlook
Uncertainty has increased for oil-services providers as oil companies scale back spending amid concern over capital and the slump in oil prices since last summer. This is particularly affecting the Norwegian MMO market and the company anticipates a continued slowdown in this area over the next one to two years. Major projects such as the Johan Sverdrup development will help offset some of the decline.

Aker Solutions expects to grow with its key markets over the medium term and at least maintain market share in its core businesses. Margins are expected to remain robust in Engineering and gradually recover in MMO. Aker Solutions targets peer-group margins over time for Subsea.

"Longer term, we are optimistic," said Araujo. "Our leading technology, engineering and project management skills put us in a prime position to benefit from a shift toward more complex offshore resources. Few companies are better placed in the global deepwater and subsea segments, which are among the fastest-growing offshore oil and gas markets in recent years."

Jee Ltd, a leading independent multi-discipline subsea engineering and training firm, has secured a six figure contract with E.ON Exploration and Production (E.ON E&P), to deliver subsea integrity management and engineering services for its North Sea assets.

The three year contract, which was awarded in March 2015, involves Jee supporting E.ON E&P’s Subsea Technical Authority, by providing annual integrity management services for its subsea assets. The scope of work includes flowlines, risers, umbilicals and structures on EON E&P’s Huntington, Babbage, Hunter/Rita and Johnston assets.

Vivek Chhabra, Senior Engineer at Jee Ltd, said: “This is a significant contract win for Jee, with the scope of work involved reinforcing our integrity management and engineering reputation and capabilities.

“Effective integrity management can lead to significant cost saving potential for companies by minimising operational interruptions and reducing downtime. At a time when cost saving is so imperative to the industry, and as subsea assets are maturing and reaching the end of their design lives, good integrity management has never been more important.

“We are delighted to be working with the E.ON E&P team, and believe our experience positions us perfectly to support this project. We look forward to strengthening our relations with E.ON E&P now and into the future, by successfully delivering optimum engineering services for the company,” concluded Mr Chhabra.

Jee is an independent subsea engineering and training company with offices in Aberdeen, London and Tonbridge. Jee’s multi-disciplined capabilities and integrated services cover the spectrum of subsea engineering for the whole life-of-field for the global oil, gas and renewables industries.

FMC Technologies, Inc. and Technip have signed an agreement to form an exclusive alliance and to launch Forsys Subsea, a 50/50 joint venture that will unite the skills and capabilities of two subsea industry leaders. This alliance will redefine the way subsea fields are designed, delivered and maintained.

Bringing the industry's most talented subsea professionals together early in the project concept phase, Forsys Subsea will have the technical capabilities, products and systems to significantly reduce the cost of subsea field development and provide the technology to maximize well performance over the life of the field.

By combining the industry-leading technologies of the parent companies, Forsys Subsea will reduce the interfaces of the subsea umbilical, riser and flowline systems (SURF) and subsea production and processing systems (SPS). It will also simplify the seabed layout, reducing complexity, accelerating time to first oil, and maximizing sustainable peak production. This unique combination will drive a new, step-change approach to how equipment designs and installation methods converge in a new generation of subsea architecture.

Gathering the expertise and experience of its parent companies, Forsys Subsea will focus on:

• Early involvement in the concept selection phase of front-end engineering and design, when ability to influence cost is greatest.
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• Integrated life-of-field well surveillance, monitoring, data interpretation and advisory services.
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• Joint R&D to drive technological innovations that will boost efficiency and further reduce development costs.
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In addition, the alliance will be uniquely positioned to deliver and install a seamless subsea infrastructure from seabed to topside by eliminating interfaces and by integrating SPS with SURF, attaining the highest reliability and uptime and the lowest total ownership cost available in the industry.

"The world needs new sources of oil, and deepwater holds the greatest promise of meeting this demand. But these sources are expensive to develop, and operators will not pursue them unless they can significantly reduce costs," said John Gremp, FMC Technologies Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "This requires not just incremental improvements, but step changes and new ways of thinking. Service providers must be involved at the project concept stage, provide innovative technology that reduces costs, standardize processes and equipment for greater efficiency, and execute flawlessly. The creation of Forsys Subsea with an industry leader such as Technip embodies this new way of thinking to a degree that's never been done before."

"In today's fast-changing environment, clients require closer relationships with, and more integrated solutions from, their partners of choice. This imposes a new way of working in the industry," said Thierry Pilenko, Technip Chairman and CEO. "Beyond products, we need to design optimized development concepts. Beyond concepts, we need to be strongly focused on the practicalities of project execution. Simplicity, standardization, innovation, technological creativity and delivering tangible results to clients — this is exactly what Forsys Subsea is about, and we are delighted to make this step a reality with FMC Technologies."

After closing and upon launch of the joint venture, Forsys Subsea will have a workforce of 320 people and will be supported by the 58,000 employees of FMC Technologies and Technip. The company will be headquartered in London, with regional hubs in Oslo, Houston, Paris, Rio de Janeiro and Singapore.
The leadership team of Forsys Subsea will include Rasmus Sunde (FMC Technologies) as CEO, Alain Marion (Technip) as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Arild Selvig (FMC Technologies) leading front end engineering and Gerald Bouhourd (Technip) leading life of field.

FMC Technologies and Technip will have 50/50 ownership of Forsys Subsea. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

ASCO announces the award of a contract by BP Exploration and Production to provide a range of integrated oilfield services to support its UK North Sea operations.

The comprehensive contract, which is worth in excess of £100 million, covers a variety of activities including: supply-base operations; warehouse operations; the provision of waste management and local freight forwarding services.

The 5 year contract with options will bring all ASCO's service lines together to provide a strong, cohesive delivery model focused on the provision of value and service excellence.

Craig Lennox, CEO – Europe at ASCO said: 'We are pleased to be building on a client relationship that spans more than 20 years. Maintaining this strong and successful connection with BP is a great achievement and we look forward to safely and efficiently delivering on this key contract.'

Danos executives recently announced the formation of a Project Management Group (PMG) to provide a single point-of-contact for customers with large-scale projects involving multiple services lines.

The PMG will streamline critical project communication as well as ensure complete project integration across Danos' core service lines – production workforce, construction, fabrication, coatings, instrumentation and electrical, environmental services, scaffolding, and shorebase and logistics management.

Danos President and CEO Hank Danos said, "The addition of the PMG enables us to provide expert help for every phase of our customers' projects: from pre-job planning to quality and project controls and subcontractor management to project reporting."

Sophisticated planning and scheduling software and detailed client reports will provide customers with single-source accountability for project planning, management, communication and execution. While 2015 marks the official launch of Danos' PMG, the company's team of project management experts has years of experience successfully managing critical projects across the globe for Chevron, DSME, McDermott, Shell, Flour, BP, ExxonMobil, CBI, AkerSolutions, URS and Exterran.

"The PMG is just one more way Danos continues to respond to customer requests for world-class energy solutions by offering a more complete package to meet their project needs," Danos said.

BMT Scientific Marine Services (BMT), a subsidiary of BMT Group, a leading international maritime design, engineering and risk management consultancy, has been selected by Hess Corporation to supply an Integrated Marine Monitoring System (IMMS) for the Stampede Tension Leg Platform (TLP) in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

The system includes instrumentation to measure the environmental conditions impacting the TLP and the platform dynamic responses. The IMMS displays real-time sensor data in an easy to understand format to support platform marine operators, as well as collecting detailed data sets to support long term integrity monitoring of the asset.

The Stampede TLP is another addition to the long list of floating production facilities that BMT has instrumented and serviced in the Gulf of Mexico over the past 15 years.

BMT provides innovative IMMS for a wide range of floating offshore oil facilities including the associated subsea risers and mooring systems. It delivers custom-engineered products from design through procurement, assembly, installation and operational support service. In addition, BMT deploys temporary monitoring systems for performance assessment, acceptance trials and forensic investigations. In combination with its extensive monitoring system experience, BMT provides data management and technical analysis of data acquired by the various permanent and temporary integrated marine and structural integrity systems.

Anders Opedal (photo) is appointed executive vice president and takes on a new position as chief operating officer (COO) in the corporate executive committee (CEC) on 1 April.

Opedal will be responsible the corporate improvement programs and for driving operational efficiency across Statoil's business areas.

"I am pleased to announce that Anders assumes this new position in the CEC. He will be a driving force in our effort to further improve the safety and efficiency of our operations. I really look forward to his contribution to develop a highly profitable, competitive and resilient Statoil," says president and CEO Eldar Sætre.

Anders Opedal comes from the position as senior vice president of projects in Statoil's Technology, Projects and Drilling business area, where since 2010 he has been responsible for Statoil's approximately NOK 300 billion project portfolio. Previously he has held a range of positions in drilling and well, procurement and projects. Anders Opedal joined Statoil in 1997 as a petroleum engineer in the Statfjord operations.

"We must prepare for challenging times ahead. Uncertainty and volatility will remain a key part of our business environment. Against this backdrop, I have decided to establish a COO role to drive our corporate-wide efforts to strengthen safe and efficient operations across Statoil. The current line accountability for the safe, efficient and reliable operation of our assets remains unchanged," says Sætre.

Over the last few years Statoil has continuously improved its safety performance, and the serious incident frequency (SIF) for 2014 was at an all-time low. Statoil started to address the cost and efficiency challenge of the industry well ahead of the downturn in the oil price seen over the last few months.

The staffs and services project, strong prioritization of spending levels, organizational efficiency projects in the line (OE), and last but not least the Statoil technical efficiency program (STEP), are examples of how Statoil have been addressing this fundamental challenge of efficiency and competitiveness.

"The COO will play a key role in the further development of Statoil. I want Anders to lead the process of reviewing the corporate operating model with emphasis on simplification and efficiency," says Sætre.

Anders has an MBA from Heriot-Watt University and an engineering degree from NTH. He lives in Sandnes, Norway.

Frontier International, specialists in international oil and gas resourcing, has opened its first office in India.

An integral part of its global growth strategy, Frontier's new premises signifies further international expansion for the company and will support its increased activity in Asia and the Middle East. The Gurgaon-based operation will be led by local manager, Arjun Bhakhri, (photo) who brings with him over 10 years' oil and gas recruitment experience within India and the Middle East, with a history of working with both operators and tier 1 contractors.

Commenting on the new office, Mr Bhakhri said: "I am delighted to be a part of Frontier's increased international expansion. The company continues to grow in strength across India and the Middle East, working with some of these areas' most significant oil and gas companies, and I look forward to being a part of this continued success."

Paul Radcliffe, Frontier International's managing director explains the importance of the company's permanent Indian presence: "As a company, Frontier has a long pedigree of working with clients in Asia and the Middle East. Our investment in this office is a succinct illustration of our commitment to ensuring we continue to provide the very best service in oil and gas recruitment to our clients in these areas.

"The combination of Frontier's global footprint and local knowledge fuses our expertise and understanding of regional requirements with unrivalled access to international talent and skill."

In business since 1999, Frontier International was established by oil industry engineers Mark Clarke and Paul Radcliffe in response to industry requirement for expertise-driven management of specialist well design and drilling engineering. Quickly identifying a gap in the market, they moved to grow Frontier in answer to the lack of technical expertise in the staff recruitment and contractor recruitment/management sectors.

Frontier holds a substantial number of global contracts with the major oil and gas operators and service companies. International client demand in recent years has led the company to successfully expand in several key regions, with wholly owned subsidiaries covering East Africa and the Caribbean, as well as the Gurgaon-based subsidiary which serves both India and the Middle East.

Jordan Westmoreland brings extensive industry expertise to identify and meet customers' marine scientific equipment needs.

Okeanus Science and Technology, LLC (Okeanus) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jordan Westmoreland to Operations Manager. Westmoreland, an employee of Okeanus since its inception in 2013, will oversee day to day operations, as well as maintenance and mobilization efforts of the company's fleet of marine scientific rental equipment.

Leveraging his wealth of hydrographic survey and oceanographic research experience, Westmoreland will be responsible for assessing customer and project specifications to develop specialized equipment packages and solutions that best suit each customer's needs.

"I look forward to applying my skills and knowledge in the oceanographic research industry to further help Okeanus grow its business relationships," Westmoreland said. "By providing customers with the best options to facilitate their data requirements, we will become known as a partner rather than just a supplier."

"Jordan's experience in the fields of hydrographic survey and oceanographic research have given him vast knowledge about every type of project," added Benton LeBlanc, Vice President and General Manager of Okeanus. "He truly understands our customers' needs, and has the unique ability to custom-build solutions to solve their most complicated problems."

Jay Johnson appointed Executive Vice President, Upstream; Joe Geagea named Executive Vice President, Technology, Projects and Services

Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) confirmed today that George L. Kirkland (photo), vice chairman and executive vice president, Upstream, will retire from the company, effective June 15. He will be succeeded by James W. (Jay) Johnson, as executive vice president, Upstream, effective June 16.

"George's business acumen and deep operational knowledge of our industry have helped create enormous value for Chevron and our shareholders over many years," said John Watson, chairman and CEO. "I am confident our track record of success in the upstream will continue under Jay's leadership, as his broad base of experience has prepared him well for the job."

Kirkland, 64, joined Chevron in 1974. He was named executive vice president of Upstream in 2005 and elected vice chairman in 2010. During his career he has held numerous assignments across the company's worldwide operations, including leadership roles in Indonesia and Nigeria, as well as president of the North America and international upstream businesses. Under his stewardship, the company enhanced its position as an industry leader – it applied advanced gas injection technology to grow production at the Tengiz field in Kazakhstan, developed groundbreaking Lower Tertiary resources at the Jack and St. Malo fields in the Gulf of Mexico, assembled a world-class shale oil and gas position in North America, enhanced functional capabilities and base business reliability, and developed long-lived liquefied natural gas assets at Gorgon and Wheatstone in Australia. Under his leadership, the company consistently reported peer-leading performance.

Johnson, 56, joined Chevron in 1981 and has been senior vice president of Upstream since the beginning of 2014. Previously, Johnson was president of Chevron's Europe, Eurasia and Middle East Exploration and Production Company and managing director of its Eurasia business unit, responsible for upstream and transportation activities in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkey. Johnson also was managing director of Chevron's Australasia business unit, responsible for exploration and planning for the development of the Wheatstone and Greater Gorgon area gas fields. Past positions also include work in production operations, major capital projects, shipping and strategic planning.
Watson also announced that effective with Kirkland's retirement, Joseph C. (Joe) Geagea is appointed executive vice president of Technology, Projects and Services (TPS).

TPS includes a number of key functional groups that support the enterprise with services such as major capital project development; drilling and upstream base business operations; energy and information technology; health, environment and safety; procurement, and workforce development.

Geagea, 55, joined the company in 1982. He has been senior vice president of TPS since the beginning of 2014. Previously, he was president of Chevron's Gas and Midstream group, managing director of the company's Asia South business unit and president of downstream operations in East Africa, the Middle East and Pakistan.

Both Johnson and Geagea will report to Watson.

UTEC Survey, an Acteon company, has announced award of a 3-year Master Service Agreement (MSA) with Technip, North America.

The award confirms a three-year extension to its current North America MSA with Technip, an agreement which encompasses a full range of survey services including, but not limited to, pre-lay and as-built surveys, pipeline and flexible installation support, acoustic and laser spool-piece metrologies and shore based dimensional control services.

UTEC has held Technip's North America MSA for projects operated out of Houston since 2008 and the latest announcement is viewed as an important development in the relationship between the two companies.
Commenting on the news, UTEC's Americas Regional Manager, Dave Ross, said: "UTEC continues to grow its reputation in both North America and overseas, and this award further underlines the company's position as a market leader."

UTEC CEO Martin O'Carroll added: "We are pleased to reinforce our long-term relationship with Technip by providing global capabilities, key core values and teams of highly skilled and motivated people who safely deliver high quality services to a growing number of key clients all over the world."

Fugro's continued expansion in Africa was marked with the recent establishment of Fugro Ghana Limited in Accra. This new base provides access to Fugro's comprehensive range of services and will support the promising market for oil and gas projects for its clients in the processes of exploration, construction and field development in Ghana.

Demonstrating its commitment to the Ghanaian market, as well as the implementation of the Local Content legislation, Fugro has established a partnership with Lima Oil Services Ltd in Accra. The partnership also ensures that Fugro is ready to comply when the Local Content Policy is extended to other market sectors, including mining, energy and infrastructure, as expected.

Kelvin Abdallah, Director of Fugro Ghana Limited stated, "I am proud to be part of the process of integrating Fugro's experience and knowledge into the Ghanaian community. Our country is full of opportunities and the group's extensive expertise and state-of-the-art technology mean we are best placed to maximise them.

"Our plans include extensive training programmes which will benefit from close coordination with Fugro Academy, the initiative that facilitates staff training and development across the Fugro Group," he continued. "I am confident that with such support, Ghanaian resources can meet the requirements of the international oil and gas industry."

On 12th February 2015, the new JV company was presented at the Ghana Petroleum Commission.

Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. (NYSE: HLX) announces that effective May 11, 2015, Cliff Chamblee will retire after 36 years in the offshore services business and will resign as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Also effective May 11, 2015, Scotty Sparks will be promoted to the position of Executive Vice President – Operations. Scotty has 25 years of industry experience and has been with Helix since 2001. He currently holds the office of Vice President – Commercial and Strategic Development, and has also served in various positions within Helix's robotics subsidiary, including as Senior Vice President, during his tenure at Helix. Prior to that Scotty held various positions within the industry, including Operations Manager at Global Marine Systems.

Owen Kratz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Helix, stated, "Cliff has proven to be an invaluable asset to Helix in all of the roles that he has had in his 14 years with the company, including the last four years as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Cliff has through the years demonstrated operational excellence, leadership and unparalleled drive, and we wish him well. I am also pleased to announce Scotty's promotion to the position of Executive Vice President – Operations. In his new role, Scotty's responsibilities will include operational and commercial responsibility for all of Helix's business units, and I am confident that he will bring his operational knowledge, commercial acumen, and leadership skills to the position.