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FOCUSIN THIS ISSUE:

MEETING THE DEEPWATERINSTALLATION CHALLENGE

NEUTRALISING THE THREAT OFPOTENTIALLY POLLUTING

SHIPWRECKS

Issue

2,

2005

HELPING TO ASSESS THE IMPACTS OF OFFSHORE WIND FARMS

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CONTENTS

Cover image: Mike Page and E.ON UK Renewables

Inside cover image: E.ON UK Renewables

2 News

5 Meeting the deepwater installationchallenge

Increases in oil and gas prices and the need todevelop hydrocarbon finds in greater ocean depths

have given added urgency to the Deepwater

Installation of Subsea Hardware (DISH) joint industry

project which is managed by BMT.

6 Helping to assess the impacts ofoffshore wind farms

There are a number of challenges which must be

overcome if offshore wind energy is to realise its

true potential. BMT has recently been appointed

to lead projects that seek to address two key

issues.

8 Marine surveying companies unite

to form new divisionTo ensure that clients receive the highestlevel of service and benefit from the broad

range of experience and skills available,

BMT has pooled the services of its three

marine surveying companies and formed

a new division named BMT Surveys.

9 Neutralising the threat ofpotentially pollutingshipwrecks

The number of shipwrecks in UK waters

has soared from initial estimates five years ago. This

is a major concern given the potential risk of leaks of

considerable quantities of oil and other hazardous

substances. To help explore the challenges BMT is

co-hosting a two day workshop.

10 Where are all the marine surveyors?Faced by a shortage of potential marine surveyors

Ken Arnott, Managing Director of BMT Murray

Fenton Ltd, highlights BMTs work to attract new

recruits into the profession.

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EDITORIAL

Focus is published by: British Maritime Technology LimitedOrlando House, 1 Waldegrave Road, Teddington, Middlesex TW11 8LZ, UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 8943 5544 Fax: +44 (0)20 8943 5347

E-mail: enquiries@bmtmail.com Website: www.bmt.org

For further information on BMT products or services please contact BMT at the

above address. Edited by Helen McInnes at Republic

Tel: +44 (0)20 7379 5000 Fax: +44 (0)20 7379 5133

E-mail: helen@republicpr.com

Statements made or opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views ofBritish Maritime Technology Limited. Permission for reproduction of articles in

FOCUS must be obtained from the Editor.

The FOCUS mailing list is held on computer. If, under the Data Protection Act

1998, you wish to have your name removed or have any other mailing list

enquiries please contact the Editor. Readers wishing to be added to the

distribution list should also contact the Editor.

Welcome to Issue 2 of Focus 2005.

Globally BMT is busy helping the oil, gas and renewable energy industries to operate in a safe, cost-effective andenvironmentally sound way.

If offshore wind energy is to be a major contributor towards European governments targets for renewable energygeneration then a number of significant issues need to be addressed. This edition of Focus looks at two highly topical BMTprojects which are exploring the impact of offshore wind farms on marine vessel safety and the environment more generally.

Elsewhere in the energy sector BMT is working to support oil and gas operators needs to install hardware in ultra-deepwater, which is being driven by increases in oil and gas prices and the requirement to develop hydrocarbon finds in greaterocean depths. This project is the subject of another feature in the edition.

We also take a look at the potential risk of leaks of oil and other hazardous substances from shipwrecks. This is a topical

issue and one on which BMT is co-hosting a debate.

Across all sectors of operation, it continues to be a busy time for BMT and our news pages include reports on theformation of a new defence company in Australia and the pooling of our marine surveying companies into a new division.

We hope that you enjoy the magazine and as always, we are interested to hear your thoughts on any of the topics featured.

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NEWS

BMT Defence Services Ltd has designed afamily of unique and versatile managementvessels named COHORT that is capable ofperforming a diverse range of roles, helpinggovernments establish effective andenforceable Exclusive Economic Zones(EEZ) supporting functions including fisherymanagement, law and order and protectionof the environment.

COHORT features a spacious aft working

deck, garage deck and helicopter platform.This is supported by interlinking handlingequipment for the embarkation anddisembarkation of a wide variety ofautonomous vehicles, interception craft,stores modules, navigation buoys and evensubmarine rescue vehicles.

The vessels are designed to launch four 7mautonomous or manned vehicles from thestern for rapid interception and off-boardsurveillance. In addition a 20-man boardingparty can be deployed in four dedicatedrigid inflatable boats.

COHORT is designed for effectivemanning, with its containerised supply ofrefrigerated stores and waste collection.The containers form an integral part of

the stores system and can be exchangedat port, requiring minimal shoreinfrastructure.

For further information, contact:Rob Steel at BMT Defence Services Ltd,rsteel@bmtdsl.co.uk

BMT designsversatile vesselconcept

The US Navy has launched the X-Craft, anexperimental platform for an innovative newclass of fast, littoral, warfare craft, designedby BMT Nigel Gee and Associates Ltd.

The vessel, a 1,500 tonne, 50 knotcatamaran, will be used by the US Navy toevaluate the hydrodynamic performance,

structural behaviour and efficiency of highspeed vessel technology. It is designed for

coastal region warfare missions, includinganti-mine and anti-submarine duties. TheX-Craft is capable of carrying its own weightin payload and fuel and can cross oceans athigh speed without refuelling.

The US Navys requirement was for theX-Craft to remain fully operational in sea

state four at 40 knots. Model tests of thehull form have shown that thecraft can remain fully operationalwell into sea state five.

The vessels structure is allaluminum with propulsion bywaterjets driven by gas turbinesfor high-speed operation anddiesel engines for low speedcruising. The hull form wasspecially developed to enablehelicopters to land and take off inconditions up to sea state five.

A ramp at the stern allows boatsup to 10m long to be launched

and recovered in sea state four at speedsup to 10 knots.

BMTs innovative design is already attractinginterest around the world for other militaryand commercial applications.

For further information, contact Nigel Gee at

BMT Nigel Gee and Associates Ltd,ngee@ngal.co.uk

AustralianexpansionA strategic long-term investment in Australia is being made withthe establishment of a new Melbourne company.

Last year the Australian Government launched a new navalconstruction programme. It is in this context that BMT isexpanding its international operations to provide independentnaval design, engineering and support services.

BMTs capabilities have already been recognised by theAustralian Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) which hasengaged BMT to support it during the current phase of the navalacquisition programme.

The company, BMT Defence Services (Australia) Pty Ltd is nowoperational. Its Managing Director David Maclean and DirectorTechnical and Operations Gordon MacDonald lead a team ofBritish and Australian nationals who will be affordedopportunities to gain experience from a wider base of projectswithin BMT. In this way the company will maintain its

philosophy of continuous learning and development which willsustain the business long-term.

For further information, contact David Maclean at BMT DefenceServices (Australia) Pty Ltd, dmaclean@bmtdsl.com.au

Fast cat

takes tothe seas

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NEWS3

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The Canadian Government is currently developing regulations andport state control procedures to reduce the risk of invasivespecies being released with ships ballast water. BMT FleetTechnology Ltd is assisting in this work by conducting riskanalyses and developing new tools to support decision making.

The similarity of the environmental conditions in origin anddestination ports or bioregions and the characteristics of thespecies that can be found at each end of the route are bothimportant invasion risk factors. Work is ongoing in Canada andinternationally to develop more comprehensive data on both ofthese aspects. BMTs risk assessment approach is beingdesigned with the flexibility to work with what is known today andalso with the more detailed information that will become available

in the future.

This latest project is one of several independent assessmentswhich BMT has performed for vessel operators, suppliers andregulators. Prior research projects have included system specifictests, focusing on the efficacy of mechanical, biocidal andbiological approaches to the control of invasive species as wellas investigations into the effect of de-oxygenation and chemicaltreatment systems on ships structural integrity.

For further information, contact David Stocks at BMT FleetTechnology Ltd, dstocks@fleetech.com

The persistent beaching of oil spills on the1,000 islands in the West Java Sea, one ofIndonesias most important marine parks,

is a major environmental issue.To help alleviate this, BMT Asia Pacific PteLtd has been contracted by ChineseNational Overseas Oil Corporation(CNOOC) to set up a round-the-clock oilspill pollution surveillance service. Theservice uses satellites to identify the

trajectories of oil spills to predict whetherthey are likely to reach coastlines.

The data on the spills observed can thenbe interpreted using specialist predictivesoftware that takes into account tides andcurrents. Advice is being made availablethrough a web portal within hours of data

collection to organisations involved inemergency response operations. Backtrack modelling is also being used toidentify the source of spills.

For further information, contact: DavidWignall at BMT Asia Pacific Pte Ltd,david.wignall@bmtasia.com.sg

Controlling aquatic invaders

Monitoring deepwater

currents

Wisconsin Sea Grant, C. Ramcharan

RSI

BMT Scientific Marine Services Inc hasbeen contracted by oil and gas operatorsin the Gulf of Mexico to help them complywith a new regulation requiring deepwaterocean current monitoring on floatingfacilities.

Real time monitoring of ocean currentdata for facilities in water depths greaterthan 400m is now required in the Gulf ofMexico region. Currents must bemonitored from near surface to

approximately 1,000m and the datareported every twelve hours to a publiclyavailable internet website specified by thelocal Minerals Management Service.

In addition, facilities in water depthsgreater than 1,100m must install a currentmeter to record near bottom currents

which must be reported every six months.

BMT has provided Integrated MarineMonitoring Systems (IMMS) on seventeenof the floating facilities affected by the newregulation. Most of the monitoringsystems on these facilities have currentprofilers which either meet the newrequirements or may qualify for apreinstalled exclusion.

BMT is now working with operators andowners to determine on a case-by-case

basis the lowest risk and most cost-effective method to bring other facilities intocompliance with the regulation.

For further information, contact CraigCampman at BMT Scientific MarineServices Inc, ccampman@scimar.com

Monitoringoil spills bysatellite

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NEWS

Maritime

statistics tobe collectedby BMTThe UK Department for Transport (DfT)has awarded BMT Reliability ConsultantsLtd a contract to collate information on allmaritime freight traffic and shipmovements to and from UK ports.

The information is required by the DfT to

support the European Communitymaritime statistics directive. Onceanalysed by the DfT, shipping lines,shipping agents and port operators willalso be able to access the data todevelop their own business strategies.

Port traffic statistics are derived fromreturns by shipping lines or their agentsof traffic loaded or unloaded at major UKports. Port authorities also supplysummary information on the tonnage ofships using their facilities.

Each year the DfT publishes national

statistics on port traffic and UK and worldfleet statistics. The next edition ofMaritime Statistics will be published inOctober 2005.

For further information, contact: MikeSillett at BMT Reliability Consultants Ltd,mike.sillett@bmtrcl.com

BMT SeaTech Ltd has expanded itsleading range of ship-handling tools andhas launched a Manoeuvring EngineSoftware Development Kit (MeSDK).

For the first time the MeSDK enables thirdparty companies to incorporate BMTsworld-renowned theoretical expertise andmathematical models within their ownsoftware applications.

MeSDK customers will immediatelyhave access to PC Rembrandtsdatabase of fully validated library shipsand environmental models. ExistingPC Rembrandt customers will now beable to run these models on a widevariety of platforms including full bridgesimulators and stand alone trainingtools.

The benefit to the industry at large isbetter quality simulations over a farbroader range of applications and atreduced cost.

For further information, contact GwynneLewis at BMT SeaTech Ltd,g.lewis@bmtseatech.co.uk

Transforming maritime

simulation training

Improving disabledaccessibility planning

Lairdside Maritime Centre

(Left to right in the foreground) Chris Hughes of

BMT SeaTech Ltd, HM Ambassador to the United

Arab Emirates Richard Makepeace, a member of

staff from the office of Sheikh Khalid Bin Abullah

Bin Sultan Al Qassimi, the Sheikh himself

(Chairman of the Sharjah Ports Authority and sonof the Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah)

and Mark Willbourn of BMT Marine Procurement

Ltd discussing BMTs role in ferry procurement at

the Gulf Maritime Exhibition in Sharjah, United

Arab Emirates. The event was attended by BMT

Marine Procurement Ltd, BMT Nigel Gee and

Associates Ltd, BMT SeaTech Ltd and The

Salvage Association.

BMTs research directorate is working on a pioneering system todevelop an integrated information system to enable disabledpeople to plan excursions at any time, using public transport,their own vehicle, by walking or using a wheelchair, taking intoconsideration real-time accessibility issues.

Many disabled users have problems with participating inimportant social and functional activities, such as shopping,visiting public parks and theatres, because they cannot easilyfind out whether their access needs will be met. It can bedifficult, for example, to identify at short notice whether the nextbus will be wheelchair friendly or if there will be anyone availablein the supermarket to help with shopping.

The Mobilisation and Accessibility Planning for PEople withDisabilities (MAPPED) project aims to develop a newintegrated information system which will include a multi-modalroute planner with accessibility information on a user-friendlymobile interface which would enable accessibility services to

be reserved.BMT has already defined user requirements and will sooncomplete the specifications for the system. The first prototypesof the system will shortly be developed with user testing plannedfor early next year.

For further information, contact: Rory Doyle at British MaritimeTechnology Ltd, roryd@bmtech.co.uk

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The DISH project started four years ago to identify andaddress the challenges of installing subsea oil and gasproduction hardware in ultra-deepwater, withparticipants from major industry stakeholders throughoutthe world. The initiative is focusing on the technologyneeded to enable the industry to install subsea hardwareweighing up to 250 tonnes in water depths greater than2,000m, without the self-weight limitations imposed bysteel wire rope lowering systems.

DISH Phase 3 started in December 2004. In an 18month work programme it is addressing majorremaining uncertainties and risks associated with ultra-

deepwater installation and aims, in particular to providethe technology and confidence needed to design,develop and operate a synthetic Fibre RopeDeployment System (FRDS).

The aim is to provide a solution that can be usedworldwide in benign and severe environments and canbe deployed using conventional offshore constructionvessels. Key areas of application include the Gulf ofMexico, West Africa, Brazil and the North AtlanticMargin. Installation has become a significant issuewhen operators assess the practicality and economicsof developing ultra-deepwater oil and gas finds. Theyneed confidence that subsea hardware will be installed

in a safe and economic manner. Operators will bemaking major decisions about finds in water depthsclose to 2,500m in about two years time and studiesare currently considering how to develop fields downto 3,500m depth.

DISH Phase 3 includes an investigation into fibre ropefailure and wear mechanisms, based on a study of

rope samples tested during DISH Phase 2 and a seriesof new tests to evaluate fibre rope life on sheaves ofheave compensators and winches. Phase 3 will alsoinvestigate whether in-field rope life management andrope retirement procedures are practical and will

assess the extent to which existing and planned FRDSsystems meet identified requirements. The workprogramme also includes studies on subsea hardwarehydrodynamics and on the need for heavecompensation during lowering.

The project has brought together a strong team ofmajor operators, engineering and installationcontractors, specialist suppliers and technical experts,all with the common aim of giving the industry thetechnology and confidence necessary to enable majordevelopment decisions to be made in 2006.Participants include oil and gas operators BP, Shell,Statoil and TOTAL, engineering and installation

contractors Stolt Offshore, Subsea7 and Technip andspecialist suppliers AmClyde, Bureau Veritas, CortlandGroup, DSM Dyneema, Honeywell, Marlow Ropes,Noble Denton, ScanRope and Teijin Twaron. OTMConsulting Ltd is responsible for project co-ordination.

For further information, contact: Dr Bob Standing atBMT Fluid Mechanics Ltd, rstanding@bmtfm.com

MEETING THE DEEPWATERINSTALLATION CHALLENGEIncreases in oil and gas prices and the needto develop hydrocarbon finds in greaterocean depths have given added urgency tothe Deepwater Installation of SubseaHardware (DISH) joint industry project,managed by BMT Fluid Mechanics Ltd.

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Offshore wind energy is anticipated to be a major contributor towards

government targets for renewable energy generation throughout Europeand many multinational energy and utility companies are now involved inthe market. Despite this there are a number of challenges which must beovercome if offshore wind energy is to realise its true potential. BMT hasrecently been appointed to lead projects that seek to address two keyissues. The first looks at the impact of offshore wind farms on marinevessel safety and the second at the impact of wind farms on theenvironment more generally.

HELPING TO ASSESSTHE IMPACTS OF

OFFSHOREWINDFARMS

BMT Renewables Ltd is working with the UK Department forTrade and Industry (DTI) to develop a formal safety

methodology for all UK offshore wind farms. Phase one of

the project will focus on the UKs round two wind farm

projects, for which 15 development leases have been

granted to date. The project will see BMT assessing the

marine navigational safety risks and emergency response

planning requirements in liaison with the UK Government,

stakeholders and developers to produce a standard marine

safety risk assessment procedure. Developers will be able to

use the procedure when taking into account the needs of

stakeholders during wind farm development.

The project looks at the impact of individual wind farmsand also the more complex issues associated with

cumulative and in-combination effects of multiple

developments. To deal with this, BMT will be employing its

broad range of navigation and emergency response

planning tools, all of which have been widely adopted and

extensively validated by industry.

BMT will carry out extensive consultation to ensure thatthe assessment procedure it develops is robust,

verifiable, auditable and accountable in a local, national

and international context. Some round two proposal

developers are already engaged in Environmental Impact

Assessments (EIAs), including the assessment of

navigational risk. The Government, with assistance from

BMT, is disseminating guidance throughout the life of

the project to ensure that developers are able to

address all relevant marine safety issues prior to the

submission of their applications for development

consent. An initial workshop for stakeholders has

already been held.

BMT is also carrying out similar developments for other

coastal administrations, most recently the Flemish

Maritime Administration. These projects place BMT at the

heart of navigation, safety and emergency response

modelling simulation and standards for offshore wind in

North West Europe.

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E.ON UK Renewables

BMT Cordah Ltd has been appointed to assess theenvironmental impact of a proposed 24 million deep wateroffshore wind farm demonstrator in the North Sea, byTalisman Energy (UK) Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary ofTalisman Energy Inc.

Talisman plans to construct the demonstrator wind farmadjacent to its Beatrice field in the Moray Firth, 15 miles offthe north east coast of Scotland in partnership with Scottishand Southern Energy Plc. Two wind turbines will be builtinitially to test new technologies necessary in deep waterenvironments and help determine if large-scaledevelopments of this type are a practical and economicsource of renewable energy.

BMT will draw on its environmental expertise in the offshoreoil and gas and renewable energy markets and on itswealth of detailed local knowledge of the Moray Firth toundertake the EIA. The project will involve an analysis ofthe three major stages of the wind farms lifespan;construction, operation and decommissioning. It will also

take into account a wide range of socio-economic andconservation considerations. The potential impact of thedevelopment on marine and coastal ecology will beanalysed, including important species of birds andmammals in the area such as bottlenose dolphins. BMTscontribution to this programme will eventually beconsidered by the UK DTI.

As a result of BMTs work the developers of the UKsoffshore wind farms will soon have a standard marine safetyrisk assessment procedure to use when taking into accountthe needs of stakeholders during wind farm developments.BMT will also have assisted developers to understandbetter the environmental impact of wind farms in deepwater and determine if developments of this type are afeasible source of energy.

For more information, contact Phil Thompson at BMTRenewables Ltd, pthompson@bmtrenewables.com andOwen Harrop at BMT Cordah Ltd,owen.harrop@bmtcordah.com

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To ensure that clients receive the highest level of service and benefit from the broadrange of experience and skills available, BMT has pooled the services of its threemarine surveying companies and formed a new division named BMT Surveys.

MARINE SURVEYING

COMPANIES UNITETO FORM NEW DIVISION

The seas have never been busier, with some 50,000vessels now operating internationally which carry over90% of world trade. Despite improvements intechnology and more rigorous safety standards, a widerange of problems still occur during ship construction,when ships are loading or unloading in port, entering orleaving port and whilst at sea. These often result in fires,collisions, groundings, structural fatigue, machineryfailures, damage to cargo or accidents involvingpersonnel. It is unsurprising then that the marinesurveying sector is a growing and increasingly importantpart of BMTs activity.

Each of BMTs surveying companies currently providesexpertise to reasonably well-defined sectors in the

marine surveying market. The Salvage Association, withits well-positioned offices in the worlds main shippingcentres, is recognised as the foremost organisation ofmarine casualty surveyors. The 150-year-oldorganisation has continually strengthened its service andnow has marine engineers, master mariners and navalarchitects stationed in its network of international offices.While specialising in damage surveys for hull and

machinery insurance interests, the companyssurveyors are also heavily involved in

warranty, liability, cargo, offshore andgeneral consultancy work for

underwriters and owners alike.

BMT Murray Fenton Ltd is widely known and respectedin the protection and indemnity and expert witnessmarkets where mutual insurers and maritime lawyersdemand a high degree of experience and expertise. Thecompany has recently launched a specialist yachtsurveying service from its Southampton office, offeringpre-purchase condition, valuation, insurance anddamage surveys, with added-value capabilities such asship loading surveys, new build approval and technicalconsultancy.

The third company, BMT De Beer bv, is a wellestablished cargo surveying company and is well knownin Holland, Belgium and Germany for its expertise in thecargo and protection and indemnity fields. The company

also has a marine engineering capability. BMT De Beerhas recently purchased new revolutionary infraredthermography equipment for pre-purchase andinsurance surveys, appraisal and damage inspections. Ithas had two of its marine surveyors certified to use theequipment in inspections.

The new BMT Surveys division will provide clients withincreased access to the experience and skills of BMTssurveying companies which together employ more than80 marine surveyors (50 marine engineers, 4 navalarchitects, 15 master mariners and a number of specialitycargo and yacht surveyors) who operate from 17 officesand some 14 other locations around the globe.

By pooling its surveying expertise BMT will be able tomanage an increasingly demanding workload in thesurveying sector, thanks partly to the increasing numberof vessels at sea worldwide and the companysgrowing reputation. The new division will also help toensure that BMTs clients continue to receive a firstclass service wherever they are in the world andwhatever their particular needs.

For more information, contactJohn Noble at BMT Surveys Ltd,

john_noble@wreckage.org

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There are more than 85 different types of potentiallyhazardous or contaminating materials and substanceswhich may be onboard vessels before they sink.These include bunkers, oily waste and residues ofchemicals in ships equipment or machinery, stores orcargo, such as lubricating and hydraulic oil, solventsand thinners, chemical refrigerants and batteryelectrolyte. However, only in exceptional cases arecontaminants other than the ships bunkers or cargo

recovered from wrecks due to the high cost of theoperation and technical difficulties involved.

Pollution which does leak from a wreck can havesevere environmental consequences. Facing thispotential pollution threat represents a complexchallenge. Purely environmental considerations mayinterfere with a series of other problems such as thehigh cost of these operations, the lack of uniforminternational regulations and ownership matters whichare especially a factor with older wrecks. Limited

information available concerning vessels generalarrangement and tanks, technical and safetyproblems including the presence of ammunition andduty of care issues are also important.

Worryingly the condition of many wrecks, their rates ofcorrosion and the environmental threat which theyrepresent are poorly studied on an international level.However, the recovery and neutralisation of shipwrecks

and ship recycling is increasingly becoming animportant issue for the international maritimecommunity. To help explore the challenges BMT is co-hosting a two day workshop on the issue with theEuropean Commission and the UKs Department forTransport for senior European delegates.

The objective of the workshop is to develop guidelinesand recommendations which can be used at aEuropean level to assess and compare the technical,legal and financial considerations for neutralisingpotentially polluting shipwrecks, taking into accountthe various risks over time. It will help delegatesdecide if a generic approach is appropriate or if wreck

specific approaches are needed and what thatapproach should be. The workshop will look at recentcase studies to determine what recommendations,best practices and guidelines can be put in place forthe management of potentially polluting shipwrecks.

For further information or to attend the event, contactJudy Jubb at BMT Reliability Consultants Ltd,judy.jubb@bmtrcl.com

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In March archaeologists working for the UKs Department of the Environment started tocompile the first list of shipwrecks in UK waters. An initial examination five years agoresulted in about 7,000 wrecks being catalogued, but it is anticipated that this figure

will rise substantially to between 10,000 and 12,000. This is a major concern given thepotential risk of leaks of considerable quantities of oil and other hazardous substances.

To help explore the challenges BMT is co-hosting a two day workshop on the issue.

NEUTRALISING

THE THREATOF POTENTIALLYPOLLUTING SHIPWRECKS

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inFOCUS WHERE ARE ALL THEMARINE SURVEYORS?Most marine engineers and master mariners have spent asignificant part of their careers involved in the manufacture,operation and maintenance of ships and machinery and it is thisexpertise and experience which is such a valuable asset to theinsurance and legal markets.

However, for several years there has been a steady decline in thenumber of young people choosing a career in the Merchant Navy,which traditionally produces the majority of marine surveyors. This ispartly due to the fact that the number of cadetships has significantlyreduced over the years. Cadetships are now at a critical level.

Consequently there is a serious shortage of potential surveyors andsurveying consultancies are finding it increasingly difficult to recruitsuitably experienced shore-based surveyors.

It is essential that the surveying industry recruits younger staff torevive what is generally accepted as an ageing profession. Like theskilled journeymen and apprentices of times past, these newrecruits need to enter industry to gain experience quickly and learnfrom the wealth of seasoned consultants and surveyors who areapproaching the twilight of their careers.

They need to become specialists in particular fields, such asnavigation and cargo surveying of refrigerated cargoes, grain, oil, gasand chemicals. In engineering they need to develop expertise in areassuch as fluid systems operation and control, machinery surveys andfailure investigations, repairs, salvage and new build surveys.

BMT takes a proactive approach to training and developing its staffwhenever possible to meet future needs and encourage staff toreach their full potential. This includes a bursary scheme forselected under-graduates during their three or four year degreecourse, whilst in the US BMT awards scholarships through theAmerican Society of Naval Engineers. BMT is also committed tofunding a merchant navy cadet through the Lloyds Office CadetScholarship scheme.

With short-term recruitment needs and long-term successionplanning now firmly on the agenda of many surveying firms, thistype of initiative is vital if the UK maritime services sector is tomaintain levels of expertise.

For further information, contact Ken Arnott at BMT Murray Fenton Ltd,karnott@bmtmarcon.com

Faced by a shortage ofpotential marinesurveyors Ken Arnott,Managing Director of

BMT Murray Fenton Ltd,highlights BMTs work toattract new recruits intothe profession.