European Oil and Gas Issue 118 Early Edition

oil&gasf r o m e x p l o r a t i o n t o e n d u s e r

europeanis

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118

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How can companies combat plummeting oil prices?

Keep it cleanMaintaining hygiene practices on offshore installations

Right on scheduleusing one integrated schedule platform to achieve success

Who will pay the

this issUE: Extending bearing life

www.mtcltd-blog.com

Much has been made of the changes

in the sector over recent months, with prices crashing to less than

half of their previous high. In such an uncertain market, where

many believe that things could even get worse, companies are

having to take drastic measures including job cuts and curtailing

investments in new products in order to combat the challenges.

Taking this into consideration, in this issue we take a look at what

the evolving market means for companies and how they should best

prepare for the future. In fact, there could be much to do, as Charles

Dewhurst explains on page four. “I believe that we are seeing a

system-wide change and I’m not convinced the price has bottomed

out,” he warns. “Producers are being buffeted by a combination of

surging US production, slow economic growth in many markets and

of course OPEC not slowing down supply, instead believing that

lower prices will stimulate demand.”

This is a problem that is being felt industry-wide, from the majors

such as BP, Shell, ConocoPhilips, Chevron and Schlumberger,

through to smaller niche service providers, meaning that we, as

an industry must take action sooner rather than later. As Charles

points out: “It’s safe to assume we aren’t going to see a spike in oil

prices any time soon, so with producers and their suppliers under

mounting pressure, that means taking action now to get themselves

fit for the immediate and long-term future.”

Have a read to see what you can do!

editor Matt high

I believe that we are seeing a system-wide change and I’m not convinced the price has bottomed out”

PlEASE nOTE: The opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Schofield Publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Chairman andrew Schofield Group Managing director Mike tulloch

Managing editor Libbie [email protected] Matt [email protected] Staff Writers Jo Cooperandrew DannSteve Nash

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Editors

1EuropEan oil & gas europeanoilandgas.co.uk

Editors

Profiles

Regulars

19 InterOil Corporation

23 Advanced Actuators

26 Global Marine Systems

28 North Sea Systems

30 Top Oilfield Industries

32 A.Hak Drillcon

35 TME Hydraulics

37 Subsea Technologies

40 Bowtech Products

14

4 Lead Feature What can companies across the sector do to combat plummeting oil prices?

8 IT Using one integrated scheduling platform to achieve multiple business benefits

10 Technology To ensure reliability it is essential to eliminate oil bearing contamination

13 News Some of the recent developments within the oil and gas industry

14 HSE The importance of maintaining hygiene practices on offshore installations

37

35

19

2 EuropEan oil & gas europeanoilandgas.co.uk

4

10

Contents

61 Rubis Terminal

64 Technip Umbilicals

67 Kongsberg Maritime

42 Silicone Engineering

44 Parkburn Precision Handling Systems

46 E.ON Gas Storage

48 CSUB

50 Infinity Oilfield Services

52 Perforator

54 Shepcote Engineering

56 Inter Terminals

58 EV

52

35


61

67

www.modulift.com

hroughout 2010 until towards the end

of last year, oil prices were pretty much

a case of steady as she goes. While other

commodities – iron ore, gold, lead and

copper – had all been hit by stalling

Chinese demand over the last 18 months or so, oil was the

exception to the rule. It managed to hold up. Such stability

seems a long way away now, with prices more than halving

in the past six months.

Are we talking structural change or is this a case of

boom and bust? With plentiful supply thanks to new

discoverers of shale and the global economy struggling

to pick up the pace, we are seeing dwindling demand.

Indeed, many people I speak to would be happy if the

price point makes it back up to $80. As a result, I believe

we are seeing a system-wide change and I’m not convinced

the price has bottomed out.

How is this manifesting itself? Producers large and small are being buffeted by a

combination of surging US production, slow economic

growth in many markets and also of course OPEC not

slowing down supply, instead believing lower prices

will stimulate demand. With the US showing no signs

of slowing down production and newly crowned Saudi

monarch King Salman Bin Adbulaziz confirming he will

extend the policies of his predecessor King Abdullah, it

seems that there will be no let-up in the impasse and that

T

CHarles DewHurst discusses how plummeting oil prices are impacting companies in the oil sector. what are the factors determining future outlooks and how should organisations prepare for the future?

who will pay the


Belowcharles dewhurst, global head of natural resources at Bdo

Lead one

and Schlumberger are examples of companies to have cut

jobs in the area and other organisations have either frozen

or reduced wages. Smaller companies might not have such

room for manoeuvre, especially when we look longer term

and at potential capital expenditure - Robin Allan, chairman

of the independent explorers' association Brindex, has said

hardly any new projects in the North Sea are profitable with

oil below $60 a barrel.

It’s not just the majors and mid-caps who are feeling

the effects – service provision industries in markets

around the world are seeing their businesses hit too. In

particular, the technology, human resources and safety

service providers in the UK are seeing a decline in

demand as the majors look to cut spending.

we will be left with the oil equivalent of pile it high, sell

it cheap.

But as prices plummet and producers attempt to navigate

ever more choppy waters, what are the factors that will

determine the future for companies in our sector?

The first is size… and in this situation, size matters. Size

provides room for insulation. So for example at the end of

last year, BP announced plans to restructure, including the

loss of hundreds of back office jobs, many of them in the

US and UK. Shell has also said it will cut $15bn from its

global investments.

So, it seems to me, sensible contingency planning from BP,

and they aren’t the only ones, with operations in the North

Sea being particularly hard hit. ConocoPhilips, Chevron


What’s the story in Europe? In some markets shale might be the answer. Fracking

operates at a significantly lower cost compared to

deepwater offshore production, but we all know that there

remain a number of political questions over this often

controversial method.

In the UK, Prime Minister David Cameron has been

supportive of exploring the shale option and given security

of supply issues, Poland and Ukraine might also be tempted

to investigate. In addition, Russia themselves could well be

investigating shale further. Shale or no shale, Russia faces a

difficult balancing act. It loses around $2bn worth of revenue

every time a dollar is shed from the oil price, but at the same

time refuses to cut production and in so doing shore up

prices. The worry is that in so doing, Russia would lose its

foothold with importers.

Looking further afield, other markets being hugely impact

by the current situation are Canada and Venezuela. Although

the Canadian oil sands are not the most efficient, they have

been well managed and so far successful - Canadian crude

supply to the US has meant Saudi supply being squeezed,

and now there’s a risk that the oil sands could be victims

of their own success, with the danger of being priced out

by a sustained period of low prices. In the meantime, the

Why is this the case? It comes down to the second future-determining factor…

efficiency. This is particularly prevalent in the North Sea,

where high production costs are draining what little profits

are possible at this time. However, McKinsey believes all

is not lost. In its 2014 paper ‘Meeting the challenge of

increasing North Sea Costs’ it set out an assessment that

‘Many parties are responsible for the North Sea’s rising costs

— the industry as a whole has not been co-operating or

co-ordinating, and individual operators and suppliers have

allowed inefficiencies to creep in, with a multiplier effect.’ On

this basis, it recommended actions to:

1. Increase productivity in currently operating assets

2. Improve the economics of new investments through

standardisation and simplification

3. Collaborate to ensure industry-wide, structural and lasting

cost reduction

Looking more broadly across the continent, Raymond

James Euro Equities said in a note earlier this year it

would ‘not be buyers of any’ of the European integrated oil

companies it covers if Brent averages over $70 a barrel in the

longer term.


Lead one

BDOCharles Dewhurst is global head of natural resources at BDO. BDO provides public accounting, tax and advisory firms provide advisory services in over 150 countries, with almost 60,000 people working out of over 1300 offices worldwide.

For further information please visit:bdo.com

Congressional debate over whether or not to approve

the Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta down to the US

continues, with environmental and now also economic

concerns at the heart of the debate.

Elsewhere Venezula’s Ministry of Petroleum and Mining

reported in January that prices had halved from their June

peak. This is decimating the Venezuelan economy and

inflation is at over 63 per cent, with China having to pledge

$20bn in financing.

So what does the future hold? It’s safe to assume we aren’t going to see a spike in oil prices

any time soon, so with producers and their suppliers under

mounting pressure, that means taking action now to get

themselves fit for the immediate and long-term future.

It’s no surprise that the disparity of high lifting costs and

plummeting prices per barrel will have dire implications for

many, particularly the smallest firms where we’re likely to see

more and more bankruptcies.

So for many small and mid-cap companies, I believe it

will be a case of biting the bullet: Some revenue stream is

better than none. We’ve seen a huge exploration wave for a

number of years but are now feeling the pressure as majors

look to cut costs and dial down investment to break even.

We only need to look at the junior equity market and the

disproportionate number of oil and gas companies to see the

squeeze. Larger revenue projects inevitably give more yield

but they take more investment. Against a backdrop that is

unprecedented in recent times, small and midcaps are likely

to find themselves plumbing for smaller deals around the

10,000 barrel rather than 200,000 barrel mark.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Yes, the world in

which we operate is fundamentally changing, but there are

also tremendous opportunities for ambitious businesses

operating in the natural resources sector around the world.

Demand for efficiency, for resources, for improved access

to credit and technological innovation is fuelling growth

opportunities, particularly for those focused on non-

conventional resources – whether harnessing the power of

technology for responsible shale fracking or capitalising on

the potential of liquefied natural gas to answer energy needs.

Midstream and exploration are two areas in particular

where we’ve seen opportunistic companies going out and

snapping up weaker ones. For those mid-caps and majors

with the financial resources and infrastructure, joint ventures

must look an appetising prospect to expand their portfolios.

In fact, I’m already starting to see that our teams around the

world will increasingly be called on to help facilitate these

partnerships or deals, whether making the introductions or

undertaking the necessary due diligence, and I predict it’s

something we’ll only see continue as more companies look

to capitalise on the current climate.

The changing dynamic means that small and mid-sized

companies in particular must get fit for a rapidly changing

future. These are the companies without the insulation that

scale provides. They must be prepared to mitigate challenges

and maximise opportunities, be that through the likes of

debt financing or exploring merger and acquisition options.

They need to look at themselves in the cold light of day and

think about where they want to be this time next year and in

five years’ time.

It’s clear that our industry is experiencing an era of

unprecedented change – in recent times at least. With the

landscape evolving so quickly after such a sustained period

of steady, it might seem difficult for companies of all sizes to

diversify their risks. But in facing the future, there really is no

time like the present.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Yes, the world in which we operate is fundamentally changing, but there are also tremendous opportunities for ambitious businesses operating in the natural resources sector around the world


nformation is power – mastering dynamic

information delivers a competitive edge.

Automated scheduling with refinery-

wide visibility helps to mobilise crude oil

through production to refined products,

enabling companies to optimise operational efficiency and

maximise profitability.

As new feedstock becomes available on the market and

petroleum supply chain complexity increases, having a

comprehensive overview of the process is vital in today’s

marketplace. Tracking crude and product movements

from a single platform is necessary to master multiple

events occurring within the refinery, via pipelines, dock

operations down to ancillary terminals. With cutting-edge

software, global refineries can now manage movements more

effectively, reduce errors, save time and increase visibility

within the refinery schedule.

Bridging the gapScheduling bridges the gap between the monthly plan and

daily operations. Where planning determines ‘what is to be

done’ (i.e. what crude to buy and what products to make),

scheduling determines ‘how and when’ products must be

produced. Tankage and storage is not only expensive it is

also frequently one of the biggest constraints within the

supply chain. Hence, understanding where things are and

being able to minimise holding costs is essential to maximise

production. The challenge is being able to streamline the

process and execute the plan as efficiently as possible.

Technology is a lifeline. The adoption of automated

cutting-edge petroleum supply chain software extends the

refinery scheduling capability beyond the refinery gate to

include pipeline movements and dock operations. Refineries,

therefore, can increase agility and perform all key scheduling

activities within the same platform. The software helps to

streamline production, respond quickly to disruptions, and

improve inventory and transportation assets.

Tracking crude and product movements via pipelinesPipelines provide an economic method to transport

petroleum, especially when huge volumes of petroleum

derivatives have to be pumped across long distances. In

practice, the pipelines are sectioned into many parts and

require experienced operators to manage the oil transfer

between different parts. In the US, for example, nearly two-

thirds of all petroleum products are carried by pipelines.

Usually, crude oil and refined products are transported via

different lines. Therefore, managing the overall pipeline

network presents many challenges.

Schedulers sit at the heart of the plant and a key part

of their role is to accurately track incoming and outgoing

movements via pipelines down to the ancillary terminals,

enabling more accurate crude unit scheduling. Managing

multiple and bi-directional pipeline segments with injection

I

Allison McnulTy on managing crude through refined products and using one integrated scheduling platform to achieve multiple business benefits

scheduleright on


Belowallison mcnulty, supply chain manager for aspentech

IT

AspenTech Allison McNulty is AspenTech’s petroleum supply chain manager for refinery planning & scheduling and she joined the company in 2011. She brings to AspenTech more than two decades of experience in technology and professional services marketing, product marketing and business development. Prior to joining AspenTech Allison led the marketing effort for supply and distribution management solutions at FuelQuest. She also held strategic marketing positions at SunGard and Hitachi Consulting, and has a Bachelors degree from Texas A&M University.

For further information please visit:aspentech.com

longer time scales (medium to long-term)

Reduce demurrage costs by as much as $60,000 per day 6

for a single supertanker

Easily manage incoming and outgoing shipments all the 6

way down to the docks

Easily manage multiple and bi-directional pipeline 6

segments with injection points and pipeline fill

management

Track crude and product movements via pipelines 6

Manage in-transit inventory to assist material balance 6

management outside the refinery fence, including ancillary

terminals

Minimise wasteful man-hours by eliminating the need 6

for inefficient spreadsheets and other external pipeline

scheduling tools

Automated petroleum supply chain software also helps

schedulers anticipate issues before they occur and, in turn,

enables better decision-making in the overall management of

the refinery. Hence, transparency maximises profitability and

dramatically improves the ability to meet customer demand.

Visibility, volumes and valueScheduling all activities from one platform provides greater

visibility of the entire petroleum supply chain. Implementing

an effective automated scheduling software solution

improves co-ordination and results in increased margins.

A single standardised platform helps to optimise feedstock

volumes, respond quickly to disruptions, and optimise

inventory and transportation assets.

So, moving away from traditional tools is a major step

to achieving a comprehensive refinery-wide view of the

operation. By adopting automated scheduling software,

refineries can gain a better understanding of feedstock

management, efficiently schedule crude through refined

products, and deliver optimal results across the entire

petroleum supply chain.

points and pipeline fill is a complex task. Dock scheduling

is an equally complicated affair, especially trying to take all

unassigned ships and assign each to a legal berth, as well as

taking into account economic feasibility and the physical

characteristics of both ships and berths. Managing the daily

operation of a refinery, its pipeline and dock operations using

Excel spreadsheets is now widely recognised as inadequate.

The use of traditional tools is an inefficient way of

handling highly complex scenarios in the dynamics of

today’s petroleum environment. Using such tools as Excel

spreadsheets, costs are immediately incurred when essential

information is delayed to schedulers. Dedicated advanced

petroleum supply chain software, however, enables

schedulers to optimise the process from crude feedstock to

the refinery through production of refined products. Pipeline

schedulers need the cutting-edge tools to schedule batch

injections to and removals from the pipeline along with tank

loading or unloading operations. Tracking movement in

the pipeline and having up-to-date data on the status of the

product movements to shippers and the refinery significantly

helps optimise production.

One scheduling platform – greater accuracy and yield predictabilityNow refineries can schedule from a single platform - crude

receipts through refined products shipments. Aspen

Petroleum Scheduler (APS) software enables fast, accurate

and collaborative creation of the refinery schedule with

integration to refinery planning, blending, pipeline and dock

operations. As an event-based, single-blend optimisation

solution, the tool supports the scheduling of all refinery

scheduling activities for over 45 per cent of global refineries.

Unlike traditional tools, a key advantage with the APS tool is

that it provides greater accuracy and predictability for yields

and product properties, allowing the scheduler to understand

what is being made over longer time horizons. The scheduler

can easily generate reports, giving greater visibility of the

schedule, and reconcile data quickly when any changes may

occur to the plan. It seamlessly integrates with Aspen PIMS

planning software to achieve greater profitability through

more accurate planning and scheduling. For optimised

blending, Aspen Petroleum Scheduler also integrates with

Aspen Refinery Multi-Blend Optimizer.

Over 200 refineries worldwide leverage the power of

Aspen Petroleum Scheduler to manage refinery-wide

schedules in a multi-user environment. The integrated

software provides crucial benefits to schedulers, including

the ability to:

Avoid disconnect between refinery operations, pipelines 6

and dock operations

Eliminate product downgrades and unplanned blends 6

Predict yields and product properties accurately over 6


he reliability of most rotating equipment is

almost inevitably linked directly to bearing

life, and it is estimated bearing failure is

responsible for almost 21 per cent of these

equipment failures (Bloch, 2011). Research

into bearing failures1 shows that just over half of these are a

result of contamination of the bearing oil (Figure 1). Clearly

it is therefore essential to ensure that contamination of the

bearing lubricant is minimised and if possible eliminated if

optimum bearing life is to be achieved, thereby improving

the equipment reliability (MTBF).

Prevention of bearing lubricant contamination can

be provided by use of commercially available bearing

isolators (or ‘bearing protectors’), however, before applying

such devices it is advisable that the user ensures that the

protection device used does not itself adversely impact on the

equipment reliability.

The use of labyrinth design bearing protection seals

can eliminate bearing oil contamination. This is further

demonstrated through the use of statistical modelling and

analysis of field data such that a properly designed device

will last at least as long as the theoretical life of the bearing it

is protecting.

Figure 1: Causes of bearing failure1

One of the significant contributors to bearing oil

contamination is the bearing enclosure breathing process

required by rotating equipment. When equipment rotates

the bearing housing heats up and the oil/air mixture inside

expands and this is forced through the seal (Figure 2). The

real problem arises when the equipment cools because the

oil/air mixture cools and contracts sucking air from the

external atmosphere through the bearing seal back into the

housing (Figure 3). If bearing seals are to work effectively

they must facilitate this ‘breathing cycle’ in order to extend

bearing life.

Figure 2: When the equipment rotates the bearing housing heats up and

the oil/air mixture inside heats up forcing air through the seal

Figure 3: As the equipment cools the oil/air mixture contracts sucking air

from the atmosphere through the bearing seal into the housing

T

Dr Chris CarmoDy, special products manager at aesseal, looks at the need to eliminate oil bearing contamination

life


extending bearing

Technology

An alternative to lips seals are bearing protector seals. The

design of bearing protectors varies significantly. Typically

some of these bridge the gap between rotating and stationary

components with an ‘O’ ring or wedge ring (Figure 6). These

components often wear or don’t adequately effectively seal

the bearing housing. As a consequence of this many of these

designs are now viewed as outdated and ineffective.

Figure 6: Two different “generic” versions of bearing housing seals.

Styles with contact between O ring and sharp edge grooves are

vulnerable, especially if rotors incorporate low clamping forces.

Some styles have high drag force between the rotating and stationary

components

Labyrinth designIn recognition of these shortcomings, more advanced

labyrinth bearing protection seals have been developed,

which can offer dust tight protection against both solids and

liquids and are also non-contacting in operation.

LabTecta 66 is one such labyrinth bearing protection seal

that incorporates patented dynamic lift technology to protect

against the ‘breathing’ issues that contribute to 52 per cent

of all bearing failures5. This dynamic lift technology uses the

centrifugal force of rotating equipment to open a temporary

micro gap, allowing expansion of the oil air mixture in the

bearing housing, which consequently allows the equipment

to breathe (Figure 7).

Figure 7: Centrifugal force causes a temporary micro gap to be created

allowing expansion of the oil air mixture in the bearing housing,

allowing the equipment to breathe

When the equipment stops rotating the micro gap

immediately closes, forming a perfect seal (Figure 8). This

prevents dust and moisture being sucked back into the

bearing housing and eliminates bearing oil contamination.

The effect of water contamination on a continuous

digester that was originally fitted with inadequate bearing

protection is shown below (Figure 4). The moisture

contained in the atmosphere was able to penetrate into the

bearing housing. This was enough to destroy the bearings.

Independent research2,3 has shown that water contamination

as low as 0.002 per cent (20ppm) in some oils can reduce

bearing life by as much as 48 per cent. The challenge for

maintenance and engineering professionals is to reduce this

contamination and provide an effective method of sealing the

space between the bearing housing and the drive shaft.

Figure 4: Water contamination on a continuous digester prior to a

LabTecta® 66 being installed

Figure 5: Traditional lip seals cause damage to shafts

Early bearing protection designHistorically the most common way of protecting bearings

was to use a lip seal. Today however it is generally accepted

that lip seals have limitations4 (due to inexpensive initial

cost they continue to be widely applied). They also rely on

surface contact between the seal lip and the shaft to form

the seal. This surface contact often results in costly damage

to the shaft itself (Figure 5). In addition, lip seals can’t fully

protect the bearing from moisture or particle ingress, which

ultimately results in bearing failure. Other factors to consider

are that they have short service life compared to labyrinth

seal designs, they cannot be used in API applications and

they don’t prevent the loss of bearing oil and hence gradual

loss of lubrication resulting in premature equipment failure.


aessealDr. Chris Carmody has 25 years of experience in the design of mechanical seals and is a named inventor on many AESSEAL product designs. In addition to his responsibilities at AESSEAL he also sits on several different bodies including the API692 Compressor Dry Gas Seal Committee.

For further information please visit:aesseal.com

Technology

only 52 of the 120,000 plus LabTecta 66 bearing protector

seals were removed from service. After detailed examination,

it was concluded that any abnormality was found to be

operator based (such as mis-installation and lubricant

overfilling) and that the failures were not actually attributable

to the design of the product.

The research also conducted an accelerated life test with

a stop start cycle of four times a day, which determined that

the average LabTecta 66 life expectancy was over 10.5 years.

The paper also showed that by using an established statistical

(WeiBayes) technique, the average life expectancy was also

in excess of 10.5 years. However, because such statistical data

can only be modelled with failure data, and as no LabTecta 66

has ever failed, the results have to be viewed as conservative.

With an average life expectancy of over 10.5 years a

LabTecta 66 bearing protector seal has been proven to be the

most effective way of protecting and extending the life of the

bearing fluid and hence the bearing itself. The cost of this

kind of protection is minute compared to equipment failures,

machine downtime, lost production and more onerous

maintenance requirements that are caused by premature

bearing failure.

The real life examples of LabTecta 66 in service today

show that such upgrades can have payback periods of as

little as one month. Even in the arduous moisture laden

environments frequently found in pulp paper manufacture,

LabTecta 66 has the longevity that both experimental and

statistical data suggests.

1.Bloch, Heinz; “Pump Users Handbook: Life Extension” 2011

2.Schatzberg and Flsen 1983, “Effects of Water and Oxygen During Rolling

Contact Lubrication”, Wear, Volume 12, 1968, pp. 331-342.

3.Cantley 1977 “The Effect of Water in Lubricating Oil on Bearing Fatigue Life”,

ASLE Transactions, Volume 20, No. 3.

4.Heinz Bloch, “Rotating Seals or lip seals” Plant Engineering July/August 2014

5.Heinz Bloch and A. Budis. Pump Users Handbook: Life Extension 2nd Edition

2006

6.AESSEAL Internal Test Results

7.C. Carmody and C Rea. “Predicting product life expectancy of the LabTecta

bearing protector” Sealing Technology, August 2014

Figure 8: When the equipment stops the micro gap immediately closes

Rated to IP66 of the ingress protection code, LabTecta 66

is capable of reducing water contamination of the bearing

oil from as high as 83 per cent to just 0.0003 per cent

compared to lip seals6, even when exposed to high pressure

water jets. The range is ATEX certified for use in explosive

environments and a number of special designs make it

suitable for a wide and varied range of applications.

LabTecta 66 is also designed with a thinner cross section

and seal length than competing devices, which means that

it can be retrofitted on more equipment without having

to carry out modifications. Furthermore, the design of the

LabTecta 66 enables it to be positioned differently on the

shaft meaning that shafts already damaged can be fitted with

LabTecta 66 without replacing the shaft.

Life expectancyLabTecta 66 is a labyrinth bearing seal design that is non-

contacting during operation. Once the seal starts to rotate

centrifugal force acting on the dynamic o ring forces it

outwards creating a micro gap and hence no wear can

take place during rotation. Therefore, a carefully specified,

properly installed and operated non-contacting labyrinth

bearing protector can have an infinite life expectancy.

Year Quantity Supplied Number of Returns2006 5182 52007 11721 12008 17714 52009 14245 102010 16925 82011 20993 72012 20132 62013 (Aug) 13785 10 Note: All reported failures were attributed to installation errors.

None of the instances were design or wear failures

Table 1 details the recorded LabTecta® 66 returns between January 2006

and September 2013 (note that the first occurrence was in June 2006).

A recent research paper7 produced by AESSEAL analysed

the 120,000-plus LabTecta 66 products that had been

supplied in the eight years since the product was launched.

During the period from January 2006 to September 2013


News

Swire Oilfield Services has restructured its leadership team and created two new senior roles to

support an ambitious growth plan for 2015 and beyond.

The two new roles, HR director and chief business development officer, will help the company

develop new product lines and expand into new markets as well as continuing to provide career

opportunities and a great working environment for its global team.

Wayne Manning has been appointed as chief business development officer. Wayne joined the

company in 2010 as general manager for Africa, before moving on to become regional general

manager for Europe and Africa. In his new role Wayne will be responsible for diversification,

evaluating the commercial opportunities of new product lines and services including modular

systems, track and trace solutions and special units. He brings a wealth of experience from a varied

career spanning a variety of industries including travel, advertising, media and PR.

HR director, Dag Rune Gabrielsen, joined Swire Oilfield Services in Norway in 2007 as HSEQ and

HR manager before becoming Group HR manager in 2012. In his new appointment Dag Rune will

lead people development and a global HR strategy to underpin the company’s expanding business.

Dag Rune has enjoyed a diverse career that includes positions in the police force and the army.

Game change technologyIndependent project services consultancy, Cambla, has announced the launch of its state-of-the-art

technology software, the Schedule Animation Tool (S.A.T), a first of its kind for the oil and gas

industry.

The company will unveil its groundbreaking technology during Subsea Expo, which will take

place between 11th-13th February 2015 at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre. The

multi-user software has been developed to meet the needs of businesses operating within the subsea

sector, significantly reducing man-hours and offering substantial cost savings.

S.A.T provides an accurate visual representation of a vessel’s actual location and planned activities,

making it easier to understand Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPs), construction sequences and

plan global subsea and marine operations.

Transforming the way that vessel schedules are analysed before, during and after performing

subsea operations, the software is capable of identifying occasions when vessels are required to be in

close proximity to other vessels or installations. In addition, it can generate a list of relevant SIMOPs

or Close Approach Risk Assessments required to be carried out in advance.

Alexander MacLeod, owner and project services manager at Cambla, says: “This is a monumental

step for Cambla and a game changer for the entire industry. The team has been dedicated to

producing an innovative product that will benefit the oil and gas sector.”

New year, new appointments

A vital task forcePhil Saxton, general manager

of Dräger Marine and Offshore,

which is based in Aberdeen,

said that in light of the low oil

prices, he fully supports the idea

of a task force working with

Aberdeen businesses.

Chaired by Scottish Enterprise

chief executive Lena Wilson,

the task force will report to the

Scottish Energy Advisory Board

and focus on supporting jobs

across the energy sector, with

initial emphasis on oil and gas.

Mr Saxton says: “The energy

industry is crucial to the Scottish

economy. I’m hopeful that the

new Scottish Government task

force will work to help maintain

posts across the oil and gas

industry and mitigate the impact

of redundancies. I’m keen to see

how this develops. While the

oil price is low at the moment,

it won’t stay low forever, and

the important thing is that the

task force itself isn’t a temporary

solution for the next six to 12

months, but that it is something

that actually secures the long-

term future of Aberdeen-based

businesses.”

He also says it is also vital that

the task force looks at the wider

supply chain. “The oil and gas

industry is a major success story

for Scotland, but it’s important

that the task force doesn’t just

support the oil companies, but

looks at the bigger picture.”

Above: Alexander MacLeod, owner and project services manager at Cambla


n this article Dr Peter Barratt, technical

manager, Initial Washroom Hygiene,

discusses how managers can look to

maintain the highest hygiene standards on

an offshore rig and prevent the spread of

illness with some simple, practical top tips. David Lamont,

offshore and marine specialist, Rentokil Pest Control, also

provides some information on which pests can be found on

rigs, and what can be done to prevent them from setting up

home on yours

Working conditions in an offshore environment can be

challenging. Employers in this sector must adhere to some

of the toughest industrial health and safety regulations in the

world. Moreover, they are faced with the added challenge

of creating an environment that will attract and retain

employees with the right skills.

Protecting employees from illnessProfessional hygiene practices play an important role in

maintaining safe and appealing conditions for staff on

offshore sites. Not only do they ensure a happier workforce,

but also they limit the spread of infections in the enclosed

environment of a rig where there may be high-risks of cross-

contamination if proper hygiene practices are not followed.

A healthy workforce means less disruption to the day-to-

day running of a business, particularly offshore, where staff

replacements cannot necessarily be easily or quickly brought

in. A report conducted by the Centre of Economic and

Business Research (CEBR) on behalf of Initial Washroom

Hygiene, showed that illness caused by a lack of proper

hygiene costs the UK economy £13.7 billion per year,

equating to £700 per employee.

It is vital that businesses and staff have effective hygiene

standards in place, to reduce the chances of colds, flu and

other illnesses disrupting the workforce. Oil and gas rig

workers become increasingly vulnerable to illnesses in the

winter months, as temperature extremes coupled with the

high density of people confined to a small space increases the

chance of infection.

Contagious infections, such as Norovirus and the common

cold, are often passed from person to person through indirect

contact; for example via an infected person’s environment or

personal belongings.

Encourage good hygiene practices on your rigGood hygiene maintenance applies to all sections of an

offshore premise, from washrooms and kitchen areas,

to work spaces and storage units. But there are certain

risk hotspots in the washroom and canteen area where

employees can pick up germs from contaminated surfaces,

including toilet seats, flush and cubicle handles, and even

the buttons and handles associated with canteen equipment.

Norovirus and bacteria such as coliforms and Campylobacter

can be found in these areas, both of which can cause

I

The imporTance of mainTaining hygiene pracTices offshore: infecTion prevenTion and pesT conTrol

cleanKeep it


HSE

unpleasant smells. Air disinfection and scenting products can

help to control, minimise and mask aromas that might derive

from malodour-producing bacteria. There are many different

scents available and using a scenting unit could make the

environment far more pleasant for those that work on the

rig. Air disinfection units, which can be installed on walls,

will also help reduce airborne microorganisms.

Strict hygiene practices should always be encouraged in

the kitchen and catering facilities. Food preparation surfaces

in kitchens can become home to pathenogenic strains of

bacteria and viruses, such as Listeria and Norovirus. These

could be transmitted from surface to hand, hand to mouth

or by infected food, and can lead to illnesses from low-level

intestinal infections, to more serious and debilitating illnesses

such as urinary tract infections.

Here are eight top tips that can be introduced in the

washroom in order to maintain high hygiene standards:

gastric ailments. However, the spread of infection can be

significantly minimised by encouraging proper and regular

hand washing, and the use of hand and surface sanitisers

along with regular and thorough cleaning of the washrooms.

Door handles between rooms and entrance areas can

harbour bacteria, which can be transferred from surface

to hand. Skin infections, food poisoning and respiratory

diseases can all be contracted from touching these surfaces.

To counteract this, managers are encouraged to provide

hand and surface sanitiser dispensers in all rooms to help

kill germs and prevent the spread of infection. Good hand

washing and, just as importantly, effective hand drying

products, will always help to minimise the risk of infection.

Bad odours can also be a symptom of a confined

environment, and are often related to bacterial activity.

The corridors in between workstations, kitchen and living

areas including the gym and activity rooms, can harbour


embedded dirt and associated microorganisms. High

footfall makes corridors and common areas particular

germ hotspots, so concentrate cleaning efforts in these

areas.

5. DO: Minimise your use of handles in the washroom

to prevent the spread of germs. Touch-free sensors can

now routinely be used for taps, soap dispensers and

hand dryers, so limiting what employees touch in the

washroom can dramatically reduce the risk of bacteria

spreading.

6. DON'T: Install hot air hand-dryers as modern cool air

dryers use much less power than conventional hot air

ones, are more cost efficient and help reduce your carbon

footprint. Their high air speed also dries hands quickly,

eliminating damp hands that are attractive to bacteria.

7. DON'T: Forget to ensure communal areas such as

washrooms are cleaned thoroughly and regularly. It goes

without saying that your workforce will be happier if their

facilities are pleasant to be in and they’re not exposed to

harmful germs.

8. DON'T: Miss those critical areas outside washrooms which

can be hot spots for microbial cross-contamination. Tea,

1. DO: Ensure hand sanitisers are always available for

employees and visitors to the rig. Non-alcoholic sanitisers,

like Initial’s UltraProtect, are generally the most effective

at protecting against a wide range of bacteria and viruses,

including Campylobacter and Norovirus, and form a

gentle, long-lasting and invisible barrier across hands,

inactivating for hours after use.

2. DO: Install air disinfection units in washroom facilities

and other busy indoor environments. They help reduce

harmful airborne microorganisms and odours, while

scenting products will help mask low levels of malodour

and positively enhance washroom ambience.

3. DO: Promote good hand hygiene amongst employees

by encouraging regular and thorough hand washing

throughout the day and between shifts. Fingertips and

thumbs are often missed, according to research, and it is

recommended that you should wash your hands for as

long as it takes to sing happy birthday twice (up to 30

seconds). Thorough hand washing helps to reduce and

remove potentially harmful bacteria and viruses.

4. DO: Schedule a professional deep clean in the washroom

and kitchen at least twice a year. This helps to remove

any contamination and prevent the build-up of hidden


HSE

InItIal Washroom hygIeneDr Peter Barratt is technical manager at Initial Washroom Hygiene, a leading provider of support services including washroom servicing, medical and clinical waste management and floor care services. Since 1903 the business has built a large national network of core support services that allows it to combine them into a single solution.

For further information please visit:initial.co.uk/washroom-services/

rentokIl Pest ControlDavid Lamont is offshore and marine specialist at Rentokil Pest Control, a leading expert in pest control. For 85 years the business has been protecting homes and businesses across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from all kinds of pests.

For further information please visit:rentokil.co.uk

coffee and food preparation areas are frequently and

wrongly ignored from a hygiene perspective. Make sure

that surface sanitising wipes are present, and that where

there are sinks as well, both soap and paper towels are

provided and managed.

Dealing with unwanted pests offshoreAn offshore installation or marine vessel can easily

harbour unwanted visitors such as bed bugs, cockroaches,

mosquitoes, flies, fleas and even rodents. These may enter a

vessel directly via access points such as portholes, ramps and

hawsers, or come on board with cargo, food deliveries or on

the personnel themselves.

Such infestations can quickly spread through any rig, so

detection and eradication of pests at the earliest possible

stage is essential. Discovering a pest on board is, at best,

an unpleasant experience and, at worst, a major health

and safety issue. Once a foothold has been gained, it is

important to not only treat the infestation but also to

investigate the source of entry to ensure any future pest

problems can be mitigated.

The first sign of a pest problem varies by species;

cockroaches are one of the most common offshore and

marine pests. Evidence of an infestation includes droppings,

damage to foodstuff, live and dead insects and cast skins.

The telltale signs that rodents are present include smear

marks, droppings, a strong ammonia smell, damage, ripped

food packaging, nests and burrows. For unwelcome visitors

in sleeping areas, such as bed begs you should look out for

small, dark marks on bed frames, headboards and mattresses

and a distinctive sickly sweet smell.

When a pest problem is suspected onboard a rig or marine

vessel, expert pest control help should be sought quickly.

The first step a pest control technician will take will be to

undertake a thorough inspection and survey of the entire

vessel to establish the level of infestation and the locations of

main pest activity. Once these details have been investigated

then the appropriate treatment can be advised, and very

often can be carried out with minimal disruption to onboard

personnel and business activity.

It is worth remembering that the majority of pests can

carry bacteria and viruses that can pose a serious health

risk to humans. It is therefore advisable that, following a

pest outbreak on board, a thorough disinfection service is

undertaken to reduce the risk of the illnesses associated with

pest infestations.

Concluding remarksOffshore hygiene should be high on the installation

manager’s agenda. Not only will it make the rig a more

pleasant and enjoyable place to work, but also it will

positively affect the health of all employees and improve the

financial performance of the business as a consequence. If

you have a pest problem, or are simply looking to prevent

one, it’s important that you know who to contact. It is the job

of external contractors to be fully up-to-speed on the latest

legislation changes in their area of expertise.

Offshore hygiene should be high on the installation manager’s agenda. Not only will it make the rig a more pleasant and enjoyable place to work, but also it will positively affect the health of all employees and improve the financial performance of the business as a consequence


www.bgp.com.cn

in new growth through its PNG exploration

licenses, which were granted in March 2014,

last up to 11 years and cover 16,000km2 in the

Eastern Papuan basin; a move that led to the

selling of its refinery and downstream business,

a new management team and board renewal.

With its vision in place, the company signed a

multi-billion dollar LNG development deal with

Total in December 2013 and appointed Don

Spector and Jon Ozturgut as CFO and COO

respectively. Jon is a senior oil and gas executive

with comprehensive experience in multi-billion

dollar investments in exploration, development

and production projects, while Don brings

experience in senior roles in Woodside, BP and

CRA, which has since been renamed Rio Tinto.

On top of these appointments, the company’s

board was complemented further with the

inclusion of industry veteran Chris Finlayson,

who became chairman in August 2014. As a

geologist, physicist and petroleum engineer,

Chris brings to the company nearly four decades

of global experience in leading exploration

and production ventures in locations such as

Formed in 1997 by Phil Mulacek to

establish an oil refinery in Papua New Guinea,

independent oil and gas business InterOil

Corporation today is focused on high-value

exploration and LNG development. A year

after its inception the company acquired its

first exploration licences in Papua New Guinea

and drilled its first exploration well in 1999;

four years later the first crude oil was refined, a

development that was followed by the discovery

of Triceratops in 2005, Elk in 2006 and Antelope

in 2007. In 2009 the successful firm was

listed on the New York stock exchange and in

2013, in line with plans to transform InterOil

Corporation into a well funded, streamlined

organisation, Dr Michael Hession, a former BP

and Woodside executive, was appointed CEO.

Continuously exploring for oil and gas across

16,000km2 (four million acres) in the south of

PNG, the company discovered Raptor and then

Bobcat, its fifth consecutive discovery, in 2014.

Following these major developments, the

company made the strategic decision to stabilise

its business, monetise its gas resources and invest

potentialUnlimited

PROFILE IntEROIL CORPORatIOn


www.helifix.com.pg


Russia, Nigeria and the North Sea; he also boasts

15 years senior level experience in the LNG

industry. Also strengthening the board are Dr

Ellis Armstrong and Katherine Hirschfeld, two

former BP executives, who join Ford Nicholson,

president of Kepsis and Pobe financial group,

Samuel L Delcamp, former executive director

and chief investment officer of the Fuller

Foundation, Sir Wilson Kamit, former governer

of the bank of Papua New Guinea; Roger Lewis,

former group financial controller of Woodside

Energy and Sir Rabbie Namaliu, Papua New

Guinea Prime Minister from 1988 to 1992.

In February 2014 Oil Search joined the Elk-

Antelope joint venture, with Total closing the

deal in March 2014; so far this partnership

has progressed positively, with the companies

involved using their expertise to ensure

optimum development and exploration, as

vice president of InterOil Corporation Rob

Milhouse discusses: “InterOil is well placed as an

exploration and development company. We have

one of the region’s biggest gas fields and great

partners in Total, a global super-major, and Oil

Search, a partner in PNG’s only LNG project so

far that has been active in PNG for more than 80

years. For the Elk-Antelope joint venture we are

currently working on market surveys, LNG site

screening, meteorological and ocean analysis,

geophysics, topography, and environmental and

social studies as part of development planning

for the LNG development. The venture expects

to select a preferred site for the LNG facilities in

2015, with early works in 2016, and for us to

commit to construction contracts in 2017. First

gas is expected in 2021-22.

“Our primary focus is on developing the Elk-

Antelope LNG project with Total and Oil Search.

According to some analysts, Elk-Antelope has

the potential to be among the lowest-cost LNG

projects in the world. PNG is on the doorstep of

the world’s largest LNG markets in Asia and has

demonstrated it can deliver mega projects ahead

of schedule and on budget.”

With more than 500 personnel working

on the Elk-Antelope LNG project, InterOil

notes that the gas field provides a number of

advantages to those involved: “Elk-Antelope is

closer to infrastructure than any other developed

gas field in the country, is close to a major river

- an important cost benefit when transporting

people and equipment to remote areas – and is

in a less-mountainous region than other major

gas fields, which is a big factor in development

cost. Furthermore, it is a single gas field that can

be developed without the expense of pipelines

and processing facilities to collect gas from

multiple fields.”

Operating in a region that will lead global

gas demand by 2025 and have the largest

amount of middle class people in the world by

2030, InterOil Corporation is in an enviable

position as a limited supply of conventional

gas creates dependence on the import of


InterOil Corporationinteroil.com

ServicesDeveloper of oil and gas fields

ever to be conducted in Papua New Guinea, as

Rob concludes: “We have a premium position

in the highly prospective Papua Basin, where we

have drilled five consecutive discoveries. This

puts us in an enviable position. Our focus over

the next year is on developing Elk-Antelope;

we will also explore our licences and look to

monetise discoveries.”

LNG. To meet that demand the company has

a comprehensive drilling campaign that has

yielded the Raptor discovery, 12km west of

Elk-Antelope. It has been drilled to a measured

depth of 4032 metres below the rig rotary table

and was recorded to have gas and condensate

at surface in November 2014.

Following this discovery, the company

notified the Papua New Guinea Department of

Petroleum and Energy of a discovery at Bobcat,

about 30km north-west of Elk-Antelope. “The

Raptor discovery is promising, particularly as it

is close to Elk-Antelope. Appraisal of the field is

planned for the second half of 2015. Depending

on its size, the field could be tied in to Elk-

Antelope,” says Rob.

Benefiting from a new team, secure tenure,

strong financial backing and increased interest

from investors, the company is keen to monetise

its resources and secure its future through

further exploration. Committed to its mission of

being a world-class organisation with world-class

resources, InterOil Corporation will focus on

optimising operations and continuing the largest

exploration and appraisal drilling programme

InterOil Corporation will focus on optimising operations and continuing the largest exploration and appraisal drilling programme ever to be conducted in Papua New Guinea



Helifix Operations has established a strong market presence in PNG’s mining, resources and construction sectors as a supplier of first class aviation support since 1997.Since 2013 Helifix has been contracted to Interoil to supply both rotory and fixed wing support for their PNG Operation. During this time Helifix has flown in excess of 15,000 hours, transported over 18,000 personnel and carried over 11,000 underslung loads all without accident or serious incident.As well as Interoil, the company has forged relationships with many of the world’s leading mining, resources and exploration companies including ExxonMobil, Saipem, ENI, Xstrata, and Harmony Exploration to name but a few.Helifix Operations is now a market leader in aviation services and has differentiated itself from other competitors by adding value to its contracts. The company has an effective, highly focused team providing first class support, assisting site managers to maintain a high level of efficiency and low cost of production using Helifix Operations.Helifix is approved for flight operations under CAR Part 119. Helifix has CASA Air Operators Certificate No.026/119 and from PNG Transport Department Air Service Lic No.PNG151. Helifix is also BARS accreditedand provides comprehensive aviation solutions to industry and governments through a wide variety of operational roles, including:S Oil & Gas industry support - offshore and onshore S Mining industry support S Heli-rig - oil and mineral exploration S Seismic surveys S Special mission support S Medical evacuation - including search and rescue S Passenger transport - VIP and general S Ship to shore transfers S Aerial construction work The diverse nature of the company’s many clients’ needs is matched by the equally diverse range of skills, experience and aircraft configurations it can provide.No matter how large or small or how unique the task, Helifix has a proven track record of delivering unique aviation solutions in a safe, efficient and cost effective manner.

HELIFIX OPERATIONS LIMITED

Advanced Actuators started

business in 1999 in Bradford West Yorkshire,

evolving from a company known as Elram

International Actuators Limited. In 2005 the

business moved to a purpose-built factory

outside the town of Skipton, and since that time

has focused its efforts on manufacturing a range

of electro-hydraulic actuators used primarily

for valve controls in the oil and gas, water and

power generation markets.

As Chris Woodhead, managing director

explained, its products come in a number of

guises from linear modulating units to quarter

turn actuators for ball and butterfly control.

“With our specialist team of design engineers

we also get involved with unusual applications,

for instance radio controlling a Chieftain tank

for the British Army,” he added. “Hydraulic

actuators lend themselves to applications of

high thrust or torque requirements, fast speeds

or a high degree of positional accuracy, and we

address all these with our actuator range.”

The company was last featured in European

Oil & Gas Magazine during March 2011, and

since that time it has seen several significant

developments. Said Chris: “One example of this

was the need to establish a general manager for

the Middle East, as this is a huge market for

valves and actuators, primarily to be used in the

oil and gas sector.

“We had tried breaking in to this market at

‘arms length’ by visiting from the UK every four

months but this proved to be unsatisfactory, as

even though we were seeing great interest in

the product we were not offering support for

what is a niche market, where the workings of

these products is not well understood. Having

studied how our customers cover the region and

canvassed their thoughts, it became imperative

that we had a general manager based out there,

and as a result we appointed Alistair Carson as

our Middle East general manager.”

He added: “There are a number of large

projects under review in the Middle East at

present that we would like to be involved with,

and also one of Alistair’s key tasks is strongly

pursuing end user approval. Middle Eastern

clients require that you have end user approval

to do business with them, so this is at the top of

the agenda.”

As well as the Middle East, Advanced

Actuators is currently involved in new projects

in Brazil, and the projects in both countries

are on oil or gas field developments, both on

and offshore. “In the majority of cases the

applications are on choke valves,” said Chris.

“The actuator types being built for these projects

are our linear modulating control version

and our stepping type actuator. We have also

expanded into the Indian and Far East sectors,

and our end users include blue-chip names

such as Koso, Cameron, Weir, ADMA, Petronas,

Petrobras and Statoil.”

Alongside the expansion that Chris

highlighted in the Middle East, Advanced

Actuators is also growing in the UK, currently

PROFILE AdvAncEd ActuAtORs


BelowChris Woodhead, managing directorAdvanced Actuators

An eye on themarket


www.eckart-gmbh.de

www.bifold.co.uk

www.physio-control.com

Advanced Actuatorsadcomtec.co.uk

ServicesElectro-hydraulic actuators

Actuators’ dedication to the development of staff,

and to ensuring that as the business grows it can

continue to find skilled and valuable employees.

“Even though we are not a large company, we

have a policy of encouraging young people to

look at engineering as a career. Without more

students becoming part of engineering, our

manufacturing base will go into further decline,

and so we are doing what we can to avert this,”

Chris stated.

Thanks to its growing order books and new

projects in the Middle East, Advanced Actuators

is set to achieve 40 per cent growth in 2015.

Chris highlighted what he believes are the key

strengths of the company: “Innovation and

standardisation are the two key words I would

use. We have taken a product that normally sold

in quantities of four to ten and standardised it

such that we can bulk purchase and compete

for quantities of 100 plus. Furthermore, we are

constantly looking to see how we can improve

what we do whether by design of the product or

how we assemble and test the units.”

As we enter 2015 and oil prices continue

to decline, Chris and his team at Advanced

Actuators are keeping their eye on the market,

to ensure that they can meet the future needs of

clients. “Even with the oil price heading down

on what seems to be a never ending spiral and

a number of major players trimming budgets

for 2015, from where we stand and for what we

want and can offer, the market is still strong,”

Chris confirmed, adding: “Even though politics

is denying or preventing business with countries

such as Russia or Iran at the moment, at some

stage these policies will change. Both these

locations have huge oil and gas reserves, as well

as Russia being a major player in coal mining. So

for the longer term we must be prepared to be

ready to enter into these markets as well.”

being in the process of enlarging the factory

by a further 350 sqm. Such has been its

success over the past three years that in 2014

Chancellor George Osborne heralded this

factory as an example of the national recovery in

manufacturing following a visit. “The Chancellor

was ‘hugely impressed’ with the business and

our investment in apprentices and the future

generations of engineers,” stated Chris. “He was

shown the depth of innovation taking place

within the company, from actuators that have an

output torque of over 1.2 million Newton meters

to linear actuators that develop 2500kg of thrust

from a total power consumption of 50 watts.”

He continued: “In September 2014 we also

showed our commitment to developing the future

of hydraulic engineering by partnering with the

University of Bradford on a Knowledge Transfer

Partnership (KTP) to employ a graduate on a two

year, part-funded government project.” KTP is a

national programme supporting UK businesses

to innovate and grow by partnering with UK

universities and colleges to gain access to the

technology, expertise and skills available. “As part

of this Evangelia Tsasliagkou has been hired as a

mechatronics development engineer to work on

the design and prototyping of power generators for

remote valve actuation,” Chris added.

This project perfectly illustrates Advanced

The Chancellor was ‘hugely impressed’ with the business and our investment in apprentices and the future generations of engineers

PROFILE AdvAncEd ActuAtORs


Eckart GmbH

Eckart is an innovative and dynamic mechanical engineering company providing solutions for limited rotating movements and combined rotary - linear movements. As one of the leading manufacturers worldwide, Eckart develops, designs and manufactures valve actuators, rotary actuators, rotary-linear combinations, linear cylinders and special equipment. With more than 45 years of experience, the Eckart name stands for innovation, reliability and success.Advanced Actuators is an official representative for Eckart products.

Following a highly successful year on an

operational level, 2014 also proved to be a

landmark year for the company when it was

announced in September that the business

had been purchased by the New York listed

investment fund, HC2. The acquisition of Global

Marine by HC2 is a reflection of the focus that

has gone into growing the business over the

last decade and a strong indicator of confidence

surrounding the company.

The acquisition has been warmly welcomed

by the Global Marine team and lent the

company even greater resources with which

to maintain its leading position as the premier

name in subsea cable installation. “The purchase

by HC2 has been very good for us,” Ian adds:

“It has given us a very long-term view of the

world and also a lot of stability, which has been

great. It is an investor group that is committed

to buying and growing businesses, which is

of great benefit to us as a capital-intensive

business. It is important to have a shareholder

that is committed to supporting us.” As such,

Global Marine is in a firm position to execute

new projects and grow the business heading

into 2015, as Ian continues: “We have a strong

pipeline of upcoming work in both installation

and maintenance in the North Sea, West

Africa and East Asia, and this gives us a strong

commitment to strengthening our team. We

increased our headcount by around ten per

cent during 2014; most notably this was around

strengthening our solutions development and

project engineering capability, i.e: the people

who actually go out and design the solution both

before contract award and who then actually put

Since Global Marine Systems Limited was

last featured in European Oil & Gas Magazine

during January 2014, it has continued to

strengthen its position as a leading supplier of

specialist subsea cable installation, and it has

also witnessed exciting developments that will

allow the business to further define its place as

the premier subsea cable installation solution

throughout 2015 and beyond.

The roots of the company date back to the

1850s, giving Global Marine a 160-year history

that ranks it as one of the longest serving

organisations in the subsea cable installation

market. During this time it has distinguished

itself through the execution of a number of

industry firsts, including the delivery of a

contract for Uninett – a non-profit that supports

Arctic Circle research institutions with high-

speed networks. The new networks delivered

during 2014 provided network support to

the Ny-Ålesund research station, which is the

world’s most northerly research community.

Indeed, Global Marine has nurtured a proven

track record in cable installation across a number

of applications both within and outside of

the oil and gas industry, as CEO, Ian Douglas

elaborates: “In reality 2014 was a great year for

us from an operational perspective. We had a

number of projects, three of which were quite

large and that was an opportunity to showcase

our skill in the installation of cables in telecoms,

oil and gas, and through a charter to our JV

company, SBSS in offshore power. So for me it

was a great example of how the future looks,

with our main activities being diversified across

these three markets.”

supplierDistinguished

PROFILE GLObaL MaRInE SyStEMS


Global Marine Systemsglobalmarinesystems.com

ServicesSubsea cable installation

together the detailed engineering once we have

won the contract.”

In addition to its own success in delivering

groundbreaking services on a turnkey basis,

ranging from design and planning through to

installation and finally lifetime support and

maintenance, Global Marine is also a joint-

venture partner to some of the largest players

in the offshore and telecoms industries. For

example, during November 2014 Global Marine

and Huawei Marine undertook successful

sea trials of second-generation RPT 1660 R2

Repeater and BU 1650 R2 Branching units

in the Atlantic Ocean. The new RPT 1660

R2 provides an optical loop back facility for

performance monitoring and accurate fault

location. The upgraded product supports up

to six fibre pairs and incorporates a unique

4x4 pump redundancy architecture, further

enhancing reliability and performance

parameters. The BU 1650 R2 enables fibre

pairs to be routed to multiple destinations in

a submarine communications system either

through direct routing of fibres or through an

optical add-drop function, which facilitates

sharing of bandwidth. Multiple terminals can

be connected supporting up to eight fibre pairs

from each port. A new bipolar power supply and

power switching function provides the necessary

configuration options during system operations

and maintenance, which enables the Branching

Unit to function even when cable faults occur.

Such functionality is further enhanced with a

dual polarity remote earthing design providing

additional system powering flexibility.

Further to the RPT 1660 R2 Repeater and BU

1650 R2 Branching units, Global Marine has

recently achieved another industry first with the

introduction of the first digital submarine cable

x-ray Camera, DXr1 developed in conjunction

with leading UK radiography company, JME.

This digital x-ray camera will supersede

traditional film based cameras and eliminate wet

chemical processing. The camera itself retains a

rugged design while incorporating fully digital

technology, which reduces equipment repair

time by eliminating the film processing stage

and allowing image assessment to commence as

soon as the first image is available. The digital

images are stored in a dedicated folder on the

vessel server, and are immediately available to

the assessor to assess them with special software

incorporating a range of drop-down tools such

as wall-thickness and inclusion gauges.

Digitalisation and the deployment of fibre

optic infrastructure is an increasingly important

development within the offshore oil and gas

industry. The ability to transmit data quickly

and efficiently is of growing interest to operators

looking to enhance their operations and

reduce operating costs. Within the North Sea

for example, Tampnet selected Global Marine

during 2014 to extend its offshore fibre network.

“We discovered in telecom that when we were

able to increase capacity and install fibre cable,

it is possible to give people a very large internet

‘pipe’ if you like and people will find a way to

use this additional capacity,” Ian concludes.

“Operators are able to take data from the well

in real-time and send it to people in Houston,

Stavanger and Aberdeen, for example, and this

means that you do not need as many people

out on the platform. Another thing that is very

interesting, which is happening in the North

Sea with Tampnet is that they are using the

platforms as hubs for mobile networks, so

when your support vessel comes into the field

you can give it a 4G data card that allows it to

become part of a private wireless network. We

will continue to support various activities across

the industry, particularly as people start to realise

the capacities and the efficiencies that digital

communications can bring, and then to leverage

those benefits to make fields more efficient.”

Global Marine has nurtured a proven track record in cable installation across a number of applications both within and outside of the oil and gas industry

PROFILE GLObaL MaRInE SyStEMS



Founded in 2012 with the vision of

providing premium quality survey systems for

highly kinetic subsea environments, North Sea

Systems is the only company in this sector that

is dedicated to the development and operation

of systems for high flow offshore environments.

“We provide bespoke survey equipment for

offshore environments,” confirms Ben Baker,

project manager and CableFish operator at

North Sea Systems. “As an R&D business at

heart, we are able to discuss any technical

problems a client may have and work to find

a solution for them. This sometimes may

involve utilising products already available in

the market place, or perhaps in developing a

new solution, such as our innovative products

CableFish and DataFish. With a pedigree in tidal

marine renewables, we are able to offer turn-

key solutions to all industries, not only with

products, but also with services thanks to our

in-house engineering team.”

With the capability to offer a complete solution

for met-ocean survey, the company provides high

quality support to the burgeoning tidal, wave and

wind industries, as Ben notes: “At present North

Sea Systems has focused efforts on the tidal

marine renewables industry. We have worked

for various developers and are currently looking

to secure a contract with the largest tidal energy

project globally. North Sea Systems is also looking

to enter other industries, such as offshore wind

and the oil and gas sector.”

Aware that there are unique challenges

when operating and collecting data in some

of the harshest environments, North Sea

Systems has developed two patented systems

to meet the needs of this demanding market,

as Ben discusses: “We have two products

currently; DataFish is a met ocean survey buoy,

which has the ability to mount a variety of

instrumentation on the water surface, on the

seabed, and throughout the water column. All

data is transmitted from the buoy in real-time.

DataFish can provide environmental data for

real-time operations and can survey a location

prior to an operation; it can also monitor

environmental restrictions.”

Highly suitable for unforgiving marine

environments, DataFish is capable of

undertaking long duration, multi-application

surveys and is the only system able to provide

real-time data from tidal energy sites. A key

benefit of DataFish is its customisable platform;

by using mountings on the anchor and mooring,

the system can collect a range of metaocean data

thanks to instrumentation that can be positioned

at any depth. Instruments include ADCP, which

measures flow profiles, heave sensor to provide

wave heights, GPS, hydrophone for measuring

acoustics and PAM and cameras. DataFish can

also be configured for acoustic monitoring,

which enables developers to assess the acoustic

output of vessel noise, mammal presence and

marine turbines. Not only does DataFish provide

fishGo

PROFILE NORth SEa SyStEmS


North Sea Systemsnorthseasystems.com

ServicesPremier supplier of bespoke survey systems

benchmark in submarine cable installation for

high flow environments, as Ben highlights:

“The CableFish development was funded

by The Carbon Trust Marine Renewables

Commercialisation Fund programme. The final

stage of the project was to prove the system

could operate in a tidal location, so CableFish

was tested at EMEC’s tidal test facility in

Scotland. The system was deployed throughout

a tidal cycle, and was able to monitor the

touchdown point continually. Cable lay

scenarios were represented, and CableFish did

not impede the speed of cable lay. North Sea

Systems were very pleased with the performance

of CableFish and that the objectives of the

testing were met.”

Following extensive testing of CableFish and

a number of successful DataFish deployments,

North Sea Systems is keen to increase awareness

of its innovative products, as Ben concludes:

“Having spent time developing the survey

systems, North Sea Systems will now focus on

commercialisation of the products and prove

their worth to various industries. Following

this North Sea Systems will continue to develop

current products; and also look to meet client

needs by creating new technologies.”

groundbreaking advantages to customers, it

is also designed to overcome issues such as

lost equipment, poor quality data and failed

deployments in extreme environments.

Ben continues: “Our second product is

CableFish, a subsea camera system that

monitors the touchdown point of a sub marine

cable during its installation. CableFish houses

cameras, lights, altimeter, and a USBL to provide

the client with a detailed understanding of

their cable route. It is controlled by a single

operator, and its data can be incorporated into

the navigation suite already being used onboard

the vessel.”

As a low cost, low risk solution for monitoring

submarine cable installation, CableFish is

designed to operate in up to six knots of tidal

flow, conditions that were previously viewed as

notoriously challenging for cable installation.

However, by using instruments mounted on a

cable mounted carriage, as well as a fibre optic

umbilical, CableFish can provide live information

from both video and GPS co-ordinates of the

cable touch down point. Moreover, the highly

adaptable system can operate from most cable

installation vessels and is easily modified to

accommodate a broad range of sensors. Capable

of reaching 50 metre water depths and adaptable

to customer demands, CableFish eliminates the

need for an expensive post-lay ROV survey. The

system’s onboard instrumentation includes three

cameras, two of which face forward, while one

faces aft, two dimmable lights, a motion sensor

and altimeter and USBL beacon that provides

accurate subsea positioning.

The first stage of CableFish’s test programme

was completed in August 2014, with favourable

results that prove the system will be a

Highly suitable for unforgiving marine environments, DataFish is capable of undertaking long duration, multi-application surveys and is the only system able to provide real-time data from tidal energy sites

PROFILE NORth SEa SyStEmS

www.leaskmarine.com

has been overhauled to the highest industry

standards, tested and will perform to its

design specifications. We offer a ‘one-stop-

shop’ concept, whereby drilling equipment,

engines, electrical work and steel fabrication

work are all undertaken in-house, by our

own personnel. This means that we retain full

control over all aspects of the projects we are

commissioned to do.

“In addition, the savings we make (by not

sub-contracting work) are passed on to our

customers, making us the most competitive

service provider in the region.”

Top Oilfield Industries was last featured in

European Oil & Gas Magazine during May 2014,

and over the past eight months it has maintained

its drive to manufacture highly reliable, high

performance and fair priced land drilling rigs

and equipment. “We have been commissioned

to build four rigs for completion in 2015, these

are designed for desert operations, are fast

moving and because our field engineers and

maintenance personnel are available throughout

the Middle East, our clients are assured of full

after sales support,” Ian noted.

It was also during 2014 that the company

Top Oilfield was founded in 1994 in

Sharjah, UAE as a drilling equipment repair/

refurbishment service company. Over the

ensuing years the company pursued a policy of

continuous improvement in terms of the quality,

production methods and product offerings.

Significantly, this vision has resulted in Top

Oilfield receiving both ISO and API certifications

and a region wide reputation for delivering high

quality, and timely and value for money products

and services.

Ian Midgley, managing director/CEO,

expanded further on the company’s offering:

“Our services mainly cover the manufacture,

refurbishment/re-certification, repair and

upgrade of land drilling rigs. Alongside this

we also offer specialist manufacture and

maintenance services for land and offshore

drilling equipment including engine overhauls,

as well as supplying mechanical, electrical and

engineering field technicians throughout the

Middle East and beyond, who undertake vital

repair and maintenance projects in support of

our clients.”

He added: “Our commitment is that every

piece of equipment that leaves our workshops

PROFILE TOP OILFIELd IndusTRIEs


qualityDelivering

Top Oilfield Industries Limitedtopoilfield.com

ServicesDrilling equipment repair/refurbishment

the desperate need for rebuilding collapsed

oil/gas producing infrastructure will provide

opportunities for companies such as us to be

part of the recovery process.”

One month into 2015, Top Oilfield has several

significant orders on its books to complete

this year, as well as a strategy for further

development and growth. “We are dedicated

and on course to complete the four new build

land rigs I mentioned previously, and our focus

is on ensuring that these rigs are manufactured

to the highest standards available anywhere in

the world and provide highly reliable and high

performance service for our customers for many,

many years,” concluded Ian. “Looking further

ahead, our vision is to become the manufacturer

of choice for land rig operators both here in the

Middle East and globally. By ensuring that our

drilling rigs are manufactured to the highest

available standards, are built on time and are

priced in accordance with Top Oilfield’s ‘fair

pricing policy’, we believe that they will be in

high demand.”

opened a new division, Top Oilfield Rentals,

for drilling equipment. Ian explained the

thinking behind the launch and the benefits it

has generated: “Top Oilfield Rentals provides

highly reliable, high performance equipment

drilling equipment, engines/generators and

service equipment on a rental or lease purchase

basis. These products are available throughout

the Middle East and include BOP control units,

independently driven mud pumps, engine/

generator sets and batch mixers, cementing

units and so forth. For us the division provides

an opportunity to demonstrate the high

reliability and performance of the equipment

we manufacture. For our customers who wish

to restrict their ‘CAPEX’ purchases and use

operating revenues to undertake their activities,

renting equipment provides them with an

economical means to do so.”

The clients that Ian referred to for both rental

and purchase are major and minor drilling rig

operators throughout the Middle East, India

and North Africa. Ian noted that whilst the

issues that prevail in such places as Iraq, Libya

and Egypt etc. have without a doubt made

drilling operations more difficult in these areas,

Top Oilfield is still finding opportunities and

continued demand in the remaining (non-

sanctioned) locations.

Illustrating the organisation’s growing

order books, during 2015 the company will

be tendering for a number of projects in new

regions, as Ian highlighted: “For most of our

existence, we have provided products and

services to oil and gas drilling rig operators

throughout the Middle East. Whilst we continue

to develop our traditional regional presence, the

company’s reputation has spread and we are now

receiving interest and orders for our products

and services in new areas such as the North Sea,

Far East and newly emerging oil producers in

North Africa.

“Historically we also have supplied highly

experienced and qualified field service personnel

for projects being undertaken in Norway and

other North Sea oil producing nations, and this

will continue going forward.”

It is very encouraging that despite the

significant drop in oil prices over the past few

months, Top Oilfield is still finding strong

demand for its products and services within

its operating region. “I am optimistic that this

will continue,” added Ian. “Long-term, I believe

that once the current troubles affecting various

Middle Eastern oil producing countries subside,

PROFILE TOP OILFIELd IndusTRIEs


It is very encouraging that despite the significant drop in oil prices over the past few months, Top Oilfield is still finding strong demand for its products and services within its operating region

www.gosan.net


Although a relatively new

venture, A.Hak Drillcon (part of A. Hak which

celebrated its 50 years’ anniversary in 2013) has

developed a leading reputation in the field of

trenchless technology, specialising in the design

and execution of underground tunnelling and

drilling of pipelines, casings, culverts, cables

and more for the oil and water, petrochemical,

telecommunications and energy industries. “On

the 18th of December 2014 we celebrated the

fifth anniversary of A.Hak Drillcon,” observes

managing director Ronald Van Krieken. “In

2009, we started small-scale and since then

we have become a global player in trenchless

technology with over 100 highly motivated and

hard working staff. We are all very proud of

reaching this milestone and we have undertaken

some technically challenging and large-scale

projects, as well as many smaller drillings.”

To date A.Hak Drillcon has executed a

number of highly specialised projects for both

internal and many external clients, within

Europe, Canada, South America, the Middle East

and Asia. Throughout 2014 A.Hak Drillcon has

continued to win new contracts within a number

of industry sectors as Ronald elaborates: “In

September 2014 A.Hak Drillcon was awarded a

contract by Energie und Wasser Potsdam (EWP)

for the execution of five HDD crossings under

the Brauhausberg ('Brewery hill') in Potsdam,

near Berlin. These crossings are part of a new

110 kV and 10 kV cable network, which is being

constructed in the city of Potsdam. The works

comprise of the supply, welding, drilling and

pull-in of HDPE ducts in bundles of 4x200mm

and 110+160mm. After completion, EWP will

pull its electricity cables into these ducts. The

total length to be drilled is 1700m. The crossings

commence at the Geotechnical Research

Institute at the Brauhausberg and terminate at

various junctions at street level.”

Further to the contracts that it has won with

EWP, A.Hak Drillcon has also worked closely

with Gasunie Deutschland and Open Grid

Europe throughout 2014, as Ronald further

explains: “Gasunie Deutschland and Open

Grid Europe have recently awarded the drilling

works associated with the Elbedüker project to

A.Hak Drillcon as main contractor. The project

comprises of the tunnelling of a concrete

casing under the river Elbe, to accommodate

the new gas pipeline that will secure the safe

supply of natural gas to Northern Germany

and Scandinavia.

“The permits were successfully obtained and

on 14th August 2014 drilling commenced in a

24-hours double-shift system and on December

4th 2014 we concluded the drilling. The length

of the route is 1525m. The AVMD 2400/AB

3000 machine is deployed for the insertion of

the concrete casing. Subsequently, two high-

pressure gas pipelines of 30’ will be inserted into

the tunnel in addition to a few bundles of HDPE

ducts for future cable use. The remaining void

will then be grouted entirely.”

A.Hak is able to supply its clients with

fully turnkey solutions in trenchless drilling

technology, encompassing everything from

engineering to applying for a license. Once

the company has been given the location and

the preconditions of crossings it has all of the

information it needs to produce a complete

design and secure the necessary approval. Once

the application is granted, A.Hak will move

swiftly into execution of the project. As such,

the company ensures that it is able to offer its

PROFILE A.HAk DRILLcOn

partnerA vital

A.Hak Drillcon B.V.a-hakdrillcon.nl

ServicesTrenchless drilling technology

clients a full spectrum of trenchless technologies

including horizontal direction drilling (HDD),

up to 500 ton capacity, micro tunnelling up to

OD 3.000mm; direct-pipe drilling; pilot guided

auger-boring and impact ramming. Besides its

existing technologies, within A. Hak Drillcon

a dedicated team works on innovations on a

daily basis in order to provide it’s clients the best

solutions, now and in the future.

Between May 2013 and April 2014, A.Hak

was involved in a project that made use of a

number of its specialist trenchless technologies

for its client, Gasunie. ‘Gas Hub’ represented a

significant investment for Gasunie that would

transform into an integrated gas infrastructure

utilised for the production, transport, storage

and transit of gas for the European market. One

of the major operations within this project was

the construction of a new gas transport pipeline

between the Dutch towns of Beverwijk and

Wijngaarden. A.Hak Leidingbouw and A.Hak

Drillcon was granted two of the three lots of

this trajectory and thus became responsible for

the construction of 60 kilometers of this 48"

gas transport pipeline. This was a challenging

project, in part because of the surrounding soil

conditions and water management requirements

and also due to the abundance of railroads and

waterways in a varying landscape. This left it

up to A.Hak to ensure that it delivered the most

suitable drilling solution at every location.

Horizontal directional drilling, for example

was employed for long crossings. HDD

operations were carried out using a 250, 330

ton mega rig and later a 500 ton mega rig. These

operations were complicated by the presence of

ground water so the rigs were often deployed on

mounds and special return pipelines for drilling

fluid were constructed both above and below the

surface. Throughout the project micro tunnelling

was carried out using medium-capacity steel

gas pipelines, while in areas containing railroad

crossings concrete case tubes were used.

Adjacent to Highway A4 near Hoofddorp, close

to Schiphol International Airport, the local

N201 road and its neighbouring business park

were crossed using the direct pipe method. This

method was selected as the available space was

limited and this drilling method allows for work

with short pipeline sections.

Although A.Hak Drillcon is a relatively new

business, it has rapidly developed a leading

reputation as a vital partner in trenchless

technology through the delivery of several

specialised technique and swift, turnkey service.

As such, the journey of A.Hak Drillcon is set to

continue for many years.

A.Hak is able to supply its clients with fully turnkey solutions in trenchless drilling technology, encompassing everything from engineering to applying for a license

PROFILE A.HAk DRILLcOn


www.prime-drilling.de


www.rensonproducts.com

www.tube-mac.com

www.atlascopcorental.nl

Having built upon a reputation for

providing bespoke services to local companies,

TMA Hydraulics has become an established

hydraulic specialist, employing technicians

and engineers capable of undertaking some of

the most challenging hydraulic projects and

installations for the oil and gas industry.

“We offer both local services in engineering,

as well as more specific hydraulic systems. The

biggest investment for us as a young company

has been into people and skills, taking our

time to build a team to accelerate the business

within the oil and gas market,” begins Frederic

Besse, general manager. Over the last 18 months

the company has continued to evolve to meet

the needs of customers and the marketplace.

“Clients are now more aware of the importance

of hydraulic piping in the scheme of their

overall system performance, and as we take on

larger builds of hydraulic power units, we have

further increased our engineering and design

capacity,” adds Angela Cameron, sales and

marketing executive.

The provision of detailed pipe route

modelling and installation plans in advance,

increases the initial engineering time, but

substantially reduces the overall cost saving and

reduced time on-location. “By undertaking this

work before ordering fixed components such

as manifolds and filter housings it is possible to

identify and eliminate common problems such

as irregular size steps and minimise the use of

tees and elbows. When the high specification

of materials and high pressure rating of

hydraulic lines are considered, it is possible to

save £10,000’s on large installations through

collaborative engineering between the hydraulic

installer and the equipment design company,”

points out Angela.

Reinvestment of funds into the business

forms part of a key strategy that has helped TME

grow within the market. Commenting, Angela

continues: “We are improving and expanding

our hydraulic installation service through

our partnership with Tube-Mac Industries, as

an authorised installer of the weld-free pipe

connection technology. Investment in an EO2

Form F3 Workstation for standard DIN2353

connections was also a logical step. The use of

weld free connectors for offshore applications

is becoming the norm, although the UK still

lags behind other regions in the full adoption of

some of these technologies.”

The system is very well suited for hydraulic

systems, not simply through the elimination

of weld-associated debris but also the speed of

installation. As a product suited to large bore

pipe, the oil and gas industry is an obvious

candidate to benefit from it. “It takes time and

cost out of projects, as well as eliminating hot

works permits, NDT testing on wells, and well

procedure approval. It is very universal and

compatible with SAE flanges, allowing it to be

connected with any other type of system,” says

Angela. TME was recently involved in a project

installing stainless steel hydraulic pipes of up to

specialistAn established

PROFILE TME HydRauLIcs


TME Hydraulicstmehydraulics.co.uk

ServicesDesign, supply and installation of hydraulic systems

equipment manufacturers. The end location

for these projects is diverse, spread throughout

the North Sea, West Africa, Australia and GOM

and Brazil. “We have recently established a full

time presence in France to support business

development in the region and expect to see

continued diversification of our customers

geographic base,” says Frederic. The business

already holds very close links with French

manufacturers able to provide a competitive and

proactive offering, resulting in a very short time

scale between order and delivery.

Following the increase in the company’s

internal capacity for the design and assembly of

hydraulic power units for offshore applications,

many of the projects in which it is now involved

are for hazardous (ATEX) areas. At present,

preparations are underway for the assembly

of a twin 132kW power unit, to be supplied

within a container for location on the deck

of an FPSO. “Our main strength comes from

our engineering knowhow and ability to take

on difficult projects and offer expertise as well

as manufacturing capacity. We see plenty of

opportunities, particularly through the work

with our existing customers. We also expect that

as larger companies are pushed to review costs

and supply chain this will create new demand

for technologies such as Tube-Mac that save time

and money,” says Angela.

Highlighting the company’s appearance at

Subsea 2015 in Aberdeen, Frederic concludes:

“We are working towards building a rapport

with new customers, driving forward

installation, and show casing the Tube-Mac

products, providing hands on interaction.

Increasing our presence in the UK with Tube-

Mac will be one of our primary targets for the

period ahead, not only selling the product,

but the full package, including installation.

We are very keen to undertake more complex

installations in the coming 12 months,

increasing the technicality of those projects.”

2”diameter with 37o flare technology. “We were

able to demonstrate to the operator that should

the need arise the pipes formed and installed by

TME could be connected to any corresponding

SAE flange without the need to stock special

parts,” explains Frederic.

“People are beginning to notice the benefits

of our systems. If you can take hot works out

of jobs, and reduce risks and hazards on any

kind of working, then people become interested

and we are seeing more companies using us,”

highlights Angela. The reality is that Tube-Mac,

has been proven for a number of years in the

US and Norway, receiving DNV and Lloyds

approval. “It is an established product, and we

are just bringing that to a new market, and

showing people that it works really well. It is

important to focus on bespoke engineering, and

highlight that by outsourcing the hydraulics,

customers can achieve cost savings and better

efficiency, ending up with systems that work

better,” she adds.

The company’s hydraulic installation

capabilities have been put to the test on

demanding projects over the last year, including

a novel walk to work gangway for offshore

personnel transfers and a large subsea trenching

vehicle. Both highly time sensitive as well as

requiring high levels of documentation and

quality assurance, one of the requirements

was to have full traceability for each pipe and

hose installed. To achieve cross-referencing of

the material certification, line configuration,

flushing report and pressure test report whilst

still progressing the work on-site the business

devised a common installation report format

that could be completed on-site but gave the

client the necessary information, working with the

component supply chain to ensure full traceability

of materials through batch numbering.

With a customer base centred on the north

east of England and Scotland, TME sees

continued opportunity for growth with offshore

People are beginning to notice the benefits of our systems. If you can take hot works out of jobs, and reduce risks and hazards on any kind of working, then people become interested and we are seeing more companies using us

PROFILE TME HydRauLIcs


Renson Products Ltd

Congratulations to TME Hydraulics on continued growth, we are proud to be one of their main suppliers. Renson Products Ltd has been established for over 20 years and in this time we have covered all aspects of fabrication, including hydraulics, tanks and auxiliary equipment, material handling stillages and coal mining.We have an ever-growing reputation for high quality products and OTIF. Standard industry working practice includes ISO9001 2008, TUV287 – 4872 and accredited welding is adhered to.At Renson Products Ltd we have invested in the latest 3D design, advanced manufacturing techniques and the newest Robotic Welding Systems. All of these allow us to keep costs to a minimum and give us the flexibility to ensure that the final products are made to exact requirements.If you require a steel fabricator with in depth knowledge, a flexible team and the resources to help you move forward then please get in touch.

Managing director Drummond

Lawson and technical director Dave McKay

founded the subsea pressure equipment

specialist, Subsea Technologies (UK) Ltd.

(STL) in January 2010 to provide subsea

engineering solutions to blue-chip oil majors

and service organisations requiring well control,

well intervention and subsea control system

applications. Since that time the company has

continued to develop its service offering and won

highly regarded acclaim throughout the subsea

sector within the UK and around the world.

From its base in Aberdeen STL specialises

in the design and manufacture of first-class

subsea pressure control equipment, which

is delivered as a bespoke solution designed

to meet the specific requirements of each

of the company’s clients. The STL team is

committed to the provision of high quality

and innovative well intervention, well control

and subsea control systems that often include

the company’s proprietary application-specific

connectors. Developing products for this

technically challenging business segment means

that STL has built a team capable of delivering

engineering design, finite element analysis,

3D graphical visualisation, systems integration

engineering, project management, QA, and

assembly, test and maintenance.

Since it was first established Subsea

Technologies has worked to grow its product

portfolio and offer its clients the very best

in subsea pressure equipment solutions. In

February 2010 for example, it acquired the

intellectual property and assets of Lewis Ltd.,

adding its highly regarded Extreme Release

(XR) Connector and Stackable Lightweight

Intervention Connectors (SLIC) to STL’s

existing portfolio of products. Lewis Ltd. had

previously been founded by Drummond Lawson

in 2005 and was subsequently acquired by a

Norwegian entity in 2008. The Norwegian

parent company got into financial difficulties

during the economic crisis and ultimately went

into liquidation in late 2009, prompting Dave

McKay and Drummond Lawson to establish

a new venture to acquire the technology

previously owned by Lewis Ltd. In under a year

of operation STL secured a prestigious contract

through Halliburton to develop and deliver SLIC

products to Shell in Nigeria, which provided a

huge boost in confidence to the young company

as during this time the SLIC existed only as a

highly detailed concept. The belief and support

of companies like Shell and Halliburton allowed

STL to finally transition SLIC from design to

field and allowed it to go on to sell a number of

SLICs in a variety of configurations.

“STL’s technical director Dave McKay and

I believed in the business and the technology,

so we created STL, re-employed a number of

the former staff, gathered support from the

previous clients and suppliers and ultimately

managed to acquire the intellectual property

PROFILE SubSEa TEchnOLOgIES (uK)


pressureCool under

group compan y

Specialising in repair of surface and sub-sea drilling equipment, blowout preventors, drilling and production tubulars, new equipment manufacture and cold extrusion.

BS EN ISO 9001:2008

BS EN ISO 14001:2004

Quality Management System

AJT are accredited by BSI

Environmental Management System

AJT Engineering Ltd. Craigshaw Crescent, West Tullos, Aberdeen, AB12 3TB. ScotlandTel: +44(0) 1224 871791. Fax: +44(0) 1224 890251

[email protected] | www.ajt-engineering.co.uk

Experts in the provision of services for theOil, Gas, and Heavy Engineering Sectors.

ajt_advertising_(A4)_09_2014.indd 8 03/10/14 15:00

www.ajt-engineering.co.uk

Subsea Technologies (UK) Ltdsubseatek.com

ServicesSubsea pressure equipment specialists

of Maximum Riser Disconnect Angle, as

Drummond highlights: “The XR Connector is

designed for occasional use in an emergency; for

example, if you have a vessel connected to the

seabed by a riser and the vessel drifts off, you

need to be able to disconnect from the subsea

infrastructure quickly and reliably. Patented

worldwide, the XR Connector is able to release in

situations where previously existing connectors

could not release.” Significantly improving vessel

safety and reducing environmental risk, the

XR Connector also lowers costs through vastly

increased vessel operability.

“We have grown fairly rapidly in both position

and in recognition within the subsea well

intervention industry as a whole over the last

few years. In fact, we were told by Bumi Armada

that an industry survey it carried out identified

us as the recognised source for subsea well

intervention systems, hence the company came

to us,” he adds.

Since the company was established it has

worked with its suppliers and clients to develop

its global presence and has worked with service

companies such as Helix Energy Solutions Group

and Halliburton in the UK, and Weatherford and

Well Wild Control in the US, as well as major

oil firms such as Shell and Statoil. Furthermore

STL has developed a renowned reputation for

providing high quality solutions to technically

challenging requirements through innovative

engineering. As such, a major contributing factor

to the company’s success is its focus on delivering

bespoke solutions and innovative products that

maximise operational uptime in subsea and

surface applications in any weather.

Today STL continues to grow and strengthen its

position within the offshore market through the

delivery of its bespoke solutions to some of the

industry’s leading blue-chip companies. During

2014 STL won high-level recognition in the

prestigious Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Manufacturing Excellence Awards, indicating that

the future of STL is very bright indeed.

that we had initially developed. I think that

the demonstration of our commitment to both

our clients and suppliers, and some of the

technology foundations laid prior to founding

STL can be acknowledged as contributors

towards the reason why STL has developed at

such an impressive rate,” explains Drummond.

The SLIC comprises of a family of products,

which provide the user with a riser connector,

a subsea lifting tool or a wireline pressure

control head through the installation of different

cartridges. Drummond explains: “Designed

specifically for the well intervention market,

the SLIC Connector is made to be constantly

connected and disconnected, unlike previous

connectors used in this market, which were

originally designed for a different, much less

onerous purpose and so were not ideally

suited to this application. The SLIC connector’s

interface is extremely robust and can be used

even in marginable weather conditions.”

Patented worldwide, the SLIC Connector

features built-in redundancy and was designed

for maximum ease of maintenance offshore.

During 2013 STL continued in its success,

winning a significant contract through Interwell

with Shell in the North Sea to build a simplified

well intervention system. Shortly after this

highly successful project STL began work with

Malaysian firm Bumi Armada Berhad, delivering

a FEED study for the design of a complete

subsea well intervention system. Again, this

project was delivered successfully and received

positive acclaim from Bumi Armada as the

project entered into its construction phase.

“The Bumi Armada project stands out as the

first time that a client has asked us to design,

develop and supply a full specification subsea

well intervention system. It is a significant step

forward in terms of the company’s progress,”

Drummond explains.

Subsea Technology’s Xtreme Release (XR)

Connector; highly regarded within the subsea

industry and removes the entire concept

PROFILE SubSEa TEchnOLOgIES (uK)


AJT Engineering

AJT Engineering Ltd looks forward to growing its support to Subsea Technologies Ltd (STL) on future projects.AJT Engineering Ltd is part of the global company ‘Camellia’ and forms part of an engineering group focused sub-division, which includes British Metal Treatments in Port Glasgow and British Heat Treatments in East Kilbride. AJT Engineering’s main area of expertise is centred around new manufacture and refurbishment of various equipment including blow out preventers, casing hangers, wellhead connectors, riser, flanges, hubs and bodies predominantly in the oil and gas industry incorporating its comprehensive machining, welding, cladding, PWHT, fitting and assembly capabilities on customer specific turnkey projects.AJT Engineering’s company philosophy is to support the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in both manufacture and refurbishment of equipment where it can operate under an approved vendor status, which ensures the equipment is in full compliance with the OEM standards and specifications.


and technicians that strive to provide high

quality technical support to the entire product

range. The growing numbers of staff operate

at Bowtech Products’ brand new headquarters,

located in Aberdeen’s major new international

business park, ABZ, which it moved into

in December. Having secured a prominent

entrance plot, the company developed a high

specification office and manufacturing facility,

which centralised its operations to one site

and ensured there is potential to double staff

numbers over the next five years.

“The new building is an enabler; with all

departments under one roof it allows us to take

innovations from concept through design and

production as well as the ability to offer training

in house now and ongoing support. The new

facility is 2.5 x larger than all our previous

facilities combined, which will enable us to grow

to over 100 personnel in the coming years,”

highlights Mike.

Key to this ongoing expansion is Bowtech

Products’ impressive portfolio of innovative

underwater harsh environment vision systems,

which includes video inspection systems,

underwater LED lights, xenon underwater

emergency relocation strobes, custom moulded

cable assemblies, pan and tilts, underwater

electrical and fibre-optic connectors, fibre-optic

multiplexers and slip rings for use in hazardous

areas or subsea, to 6000 metres.

“Bowtech Products’ underwater vision systems

are deployed in the harshest environments

within the ROV AUV, oil and gas, defence,

oceanographic, nuclear, leisure and marine

science industries. We pride ourselves on

listening to customers to ascertain their

requirements and supply to OEM manufacturers

such as SMD, one of the largest suppliers of

work class ROV’s, trenchers and ploughs as well

as Sub Atlantic and Seabotix who manufacture

electric ROV’s primarily for light intervention

and observation tasks. Contractors such as

Subsea 7, Oceaneering, and ROVOP are key

clients as well as drilling contractors such as

Transocean. SBM head up the customer base for

FPSO’s but are often specified by operators such

as BP,” says Mike.

The most recently launched product within

the company’s range is the high-resolution

Pioneer multipurpose underwater camera with

six integral high intensity LEDs. Suitable for

general underwater viewing observation at

depths as great as 4000 metres, the product

measures only 53 mm diameter and 78.8 mm

From its humble beginnings

as a net importer of US manufactured products

specifically designed for the subsea arena,

Bowtech Products Ltd has grown over the years

to become a specialist in the design, manufacture

and supply of underwater harsh environment

vision systems, as Mike Winstanley begins:

“Bowtech Products Ltd (Est. 1989) began

trading in January 1990 with just two members

of staff: founder Steve Bowring and myself, then

operating as sales executive. Bowtech grew over

the next 18 years to become a specialist in the

supply of cameras, lighting, connectors and

multiplexers. In 2008 we decided to concentrate

on the design, manufacture and supply of our

own range underwater harsh environment vision

systems. Today our underwater vision systems

are deployed in the harshest environments

within the ROV AUV, oil and gas, defence,

oceanographic, nuclear, leisure and marine

science industries.”

On the verge of celebrating its 25th

anniversary in operation, Bowtech has expanded

in all areas over the years as it

developed a strong reputation

for meeting market demand for

innovative and game-changing

products. Beginning with two

personnel, the Aberdeen-based

company today boasts 50, of

which over 30 are highly trained

electrical and mechanical engineers

portfolioImpressive

PROFILE BOwtEch PROducts

Bowtech Products Ltdbowtech.co.uk

ProductsUnderwater harsh environment vision systems

scope of supply for the subsea system includes

high sensitivity, high resolution monochrome

cameras and LED lights. These will be installed

on the I-tubes above the chain stoppers to allow

downward viewing of operations throughout the

installation. Meanwhile, the scope of supply for

the topside system includes a video inspection

and control system, which will enable viewing

and controlling of the cameras and LED lights.

On top of this, Bowtech Products supplied all

associated cables, connectors and brackets for

the contract.

Having earned a reputation for excellence in

the oil and gas industry, Bowtech Products is

now focusing on its strategy for future growth by

taking its products overseas to new geographical

markets and continually improving its portfolio

in conjunction with its client base. “We want

to work with customers to enhance the vision

systems and create solutions which make remote

operations safer, more reliable and more cost

effective,” concludes Mike.

in length, and provides a cost effective solution

for projects involving tooling and manipulators.

Enclosed within a high quality titanium housing,

the camera is fitted with a fixed focus wide-

angle lense, thus providing customers with a 58

degrees diagonal angle of view when submerged

through its highly scratch resistant and 98.8 per

cent optically pure sapphire window.

“The Pioneer is a product that is so typical

of how Bowtech create new products. A

Norwegian client, FMC, was being supplied by

a competitor but found that they were lagging

behind in technology and non-responsive.

Bowtech listened to the clients’ needs and

created with them their ideal solution, which

was to fit within the existing space envelope

but deliver higher performance,” explains

Mike. “The camera is 4000 meter rated with

a 720 TVL resolution camera, 300 lines

greater than the incumbent. In addition it has

greater sensitivity, draws less power and is

manufactured with a highly corrosion resistant

titanium housing and sapphire viewport. The

camera has been designed with other markets

in mind and is already being introduced to

other clients.”

Although the innovative firm boasts a global

client base, the highest areas of activity are

the North Sea, Asia Pacific and Brazil, where

its products are used in projects involving

equipment such as ROVs, semi-submersibles

and FPSOs. In fact, Bowtech Products was

recently involved in BP’s Quad 204 project,

which involves the redevelopment of the

Schiehallion and Loyal Fields in the North Sea.

The project, which was approved in July 2011

and is due to begin production in 2016, will

extend the life of both fields, thus enabling them

to continue production beyond 2035. Since

being awarded the EPC contract for the internal

turret mooring system (TMS) for the Quad 204

project, SBM Offshore subcontracted Bowtech

Products to supply its Chain Stopper Monitoring

System during the TMS’s installation.

Following this contract win, the global market

leader in subsea vision systems announced

the delivery of a new £100,000 Chain Stopper

Monitoring System in July 2013; the system

will allow visual monitoring of each chain

stopper ratchet when chains are being tensioned

during the installation phase. The TMS has

a total of 20 chain stoppers located on the

chaintable on the lower turret; because these

will be based approximately 15 metres below

sea level during the phase, the company’s

PROFILE BOwtEch PROducts


www.seaconworldwide.com


Silicone Engineering was

established in 1959 as a manufacturer dedicated

solely to the production of silicone rubber

products. Today, it maintains those same

values, producing the product in sheet, rolls,

extrusion and moulded form. Drawing on

over 55 years’ experience, the business has the

ability to formulate silicone formulas to specific

industry requirements, satisfying the toughest

specifications and standards.

“We separate ourselves from the competition

by providing solutions to today’s industrial

applications and pride ourselves on working

closely with customers and channel partners

to understand their exact requirements. With

a state-of-the-art laboratory combined with

industry leading mixing facilities, customers

benefit from high quality, fully traceable

materials that can be processed and delivered

in very short lead time,” says Simon Holmes,

marketing manager.

Being one of the largest consumers of Heat

Cured Rubber (HCR) silicone in Europe,

processing in excess of 2000 tonnes per annum,

Silicone Engineering has gained an international

reputation for providing the best quality silicone

sheets, rolls and extrusions in both solid, closed

cell sponge and reinforced fabric ranges. “The

amount of silicone we consume also allows us

to be very competitive on price, giving us great

economies of scale. Our materials are generally

applied in the outer construction of oil and gas

pipelines. Due to silicone’s extreme temperature

resistance, typically running from 250°C to

-60°C (482°F to -76°F), it can be used to protect

oil and gas pipelines that run through extreme

environments,” explains Simon.

Silicone Engineering’s products are

continuously meeting challenges and helping

transform the industry and its applications, and

one such product is the solid silicone rubber.

The silicone acts as a protector between the pipe

and the pipe brackets that hold the pipeline

in place. “The silicone sheet gets adhered to

the bottom of the pipe bracket and allows

the pipe to sit in place without any metal on

metal contact. If this occurred, any movement

or abrasion between the pipe and the bracket

could cause damage and cracks to develop in

the pipeline. The benefit of using silicone for

solutionsSilicone

PROFILE SILIcOnE EngInEERIng

Silicone Engineering Ltdsilicone.co.uk

ServicesSilicone rubber manufacturer

high temperature grade (250°C), and neutraSil

- our antimicrobial grade used in the food,

beverage and medical industries,” he adds.

The business is investing heavily into state-

of-the-art processing equipment to ensure it

can continue to produce the highest quality

silicone rubber in the marketplace. Combined

with investment into staff through training

and expansion of departments, it continues

to search for new applications of silicone in

emerging sectors to expand its reach. “Working

with innovative channel partners and industry

leaders, our vision is to be the silicone partner

and market brand of choice internationally.

With over 65 per cent export figures and selling

into 44 different countries we are already in a

great position to build on this vision. In essence,

Silicone Engineering is not just a silicone

manufacturer that makes and sells silicone,

instead we develop solutions and material

innovations for industry leaders to transform

their sector,” concludes Simon.

this application is mainly for its temperature

resistance at low and high temperatures.”

Another advantage of silicone, especially

silicone sponge, is its insulation properties.

Again, due to the harsh environments where the

pipelines are situated, silicone can be used around

the outside of the pipe to provide insulation and

protection from the environment. With excellent

weather resistance properties, silicone is resistant

to UV, Ozone, oxidation, corona discharge, and

cosmic and ionising radiation.

As a silicone elastomer manufacturer actively

doing business within the oil and gas arena

in Northern Europe, Russia and Canada, the

company has seen great potential within the

market for its specialist materials. “Business as a

whole has been very positive for the last seven

years. We have seen consistent growth year on

year and emerging market sectors such as oil

and gas and rail have been very successful in

recent years,” highlights Simon. As demand for

both natural resources and speed in extracting

these resources grows, silicone as a material

comes into its own. “Higher performance, as a

rule of thumb, generates high heat at the source.

Silicone will most certainly be used where

sealing is needed under high temperatures. This

is where we see potential going forward with

the ability to formulate silicones to suit varying

performance requirements and environments.

“One challenge to the oil market in particular, is

the fact that silicone has poor performance when

in direct contact with oil/petroleum. However,

there are many application requirements for

silicone in the industry that do not have contact

with oil or gas, with one example being silicone

sheeting used on the outside of the pipelines.

This is where we have seen great demand for

our products,” he continues. Fluorosilicone is a

material that can be used in direct contact with oil/

petroleum, however the premium of this elastomer

is very high.

From its laboratory, technical engineers are

able to create silicone formulations in house, with

full control of the process. By working closely

with clients, understanding their problems and

requirements the company successfully helps

develop a perfect silicone to serve that purpose.

“With over five decades of experience solely

in silicone, our team of experts can advise on

performance, ensuring a silicone solution is

provided,” points out Simon. “We have a vast

range of formulations such as low smoke, low

toxicity grade – used heavily in the rail industry

and developed after the Kings Cross rail disaster,

Again, due to the harsh environments where the pipelines are situated, silicone can be used around the outside of the pipe to provide insulation and protection from the environment

PROFILE SILIcOnE EngInEERIng


We believe that the best project solution is for

all involved to feel that they are a valued team

player with a combined ‘desire to succeed’ rather

than a ‘commercial fear of failure.’ We do not

promote blame culture or complacency and

believe that it is a constant learning process

in moving ahead and appreciating where

improvements can be made.”

Through its commitment to technical

excellence and dedicated research and

development, Parkburn has been able to deliver

many differing types of Marine handling system

solutions for applications including diving bell

launch and recovery, rigid and flexible pipelay,

HV cable storage and lay, seismic and sonar

system deployment, deck module handling and

seabed landout in both offshore and renewable

sectors. Additionally, complete carousel cable

or pipe storage and handling systems, land and

sea, with payloads of up to 7000 tons have been

provided year on year.

Increasingly, as oil and gas operators move

into ever-deeper waters the demand for robust

and reliable equipment is becoming an ongoing

concern. Through its in-depth experience,

Parkburn has devised a new deepwater heavy

lift fibre rope winch system, which aims to

revolutionise deep sea operation, as Andy

explains: “With the move into deep water,

beyond 1500m depth, for the majority of

future oil and gas developments; the need to

be able to safely and economically deploy and

recover equipment to and from these depths

has brought many challenges to the industry. At

depth, the weight penalties of current steel wire

systems are becoming a major issue and as we

go deeper we will soon reach the point where

the wire weight alone will be too much even

to support itself, therefore alternative solutions

are essential. The industry for the last 12 years

has been striving for reliable solutions utilising

synthetic rope in lieu of steel wire as this type

of rope is effectively weightless in water and has

Operating out of its two UK bases

in Hamilton and Telford, Parkburn Precision

Handling Systems is a specialist marine handling

systems provider that was rebranded in October

2002 to combine the extensive experience and

complimentary products of Parkburn Controls,

Dowty Precision Handling Systems and Marine

Project Development (MPD). Engineers Dennis

O’Hara, Campbell McFall and Andy Lawson,

who today remain equal shareholders and

owners as well as working directors within the

business, originally founded Parkburn in 1989

as a private limited company providing control

and drive solutions for original equipment

manufacturers (OEMs) across a wide range of

industries. Later during 2002 Parkburn, having

made the conscious strategic decision to become

its own OEM product manufacturer, completed

the acquisition of its largest customer at that

time, Dowty Precision Handling Systems, part of

the Smiths Industries Group.

Today, Parkburn has evolved into a total

handling systems solution provider to the oil

and gas, offshore, naval, and oil and renewable

energy sectors. With three engineers running

the company, there has always been a total

commitment to technical excellence and full

customer support. “The company remains

engineering driven as well as a strong believer

in research and development and continues to

re-invest significant turnover in this respect,”

elaborates director, Andy Lawson. “Partnerships

with both customers and suppliers are key.

excellence

PROFILE PaRkbuRn PREcIsIOn HandLIng systEms


Commitment to

Prout Engineering

Prout Engineering is a family owned and run company based in Kingston Upon Hull. We have developed a strong working relationship with Parkburn PHS over recent years, which we are keen to develop further. We have supplied a vast range of components from shaft keep plates to painted and assembled sheave assemblies, all complete with fully traceable documentation. As Parkburn PHS continues to grow our aim is to continue in supporting them and be a vital part in their supply chain.

Parkburn Precision Handling Systemsparkburn.com

ServicesMarine handling systems

on to a ship,” Andy says “The cost of these ships

at the quayside when not working is very high

so downtime for the vessel must be mitigated

wherever possible. Our new test facility at Telford

will allow a far higher and more thorough set of

tests to be carried out on our handling systems,

far more like its actual use and installation on the

ship. In this way, the client can be thoroughly

satisfied that the system will work as required.

Our new test tower is 30m tall and is capable of

lifting loads up to 125te, we can also simulate

many of the emergency situations likely to be

seen in an offshore environment, such as full

speed dynamic testing and black ship situations,

to ensure safety circuits and back-up systems are

fully functioning”

Parkburn has a strong dedication to achieving

‘best in class’, which is reflected in its rolling five-

year plan to raise the bar of what is technically

possible. With continued focus on technical

excellence and customer support Parkburn is set

to remain a vital partner to operators looking for

the most demanding and reliable solutions.

no penalties associated with depth. Parkburn

has worked and developed patented solutions

for handling and deploying synthetic ropes as

part of its R&D work in addition to its normal

project work and after extensive testing, is now

looking to take these solutions to the offshore

heavy lift and crane sectors in the coming year.

Parkburn’s system, we believe, provides the

kindest de-tensioning, handling and storage of

rope in the market today and coupled with the

rope termination technology of our partners;

we believe this will be the game changer for

deepwater heavy lifting.”

Further to the development of bespoke

equipment that the company delivers, Parkburn

is also keen to ensure that it invests in its facilities

and testing capabilities to ensure that it is able to

fully meet the demanding needs of its clients and

to ensure all equipment delivered is fully tested

and validated prior to delivery. “In the UK and

Europe, there is a major lack of good facilities

that would allow winch and handling systems

to be thoroughly tested prior to being installed

PROFILE PaRkbuRn PREcIsIOn HandLIng systEms


www.proutmarine.co.uk

two billion cubic metres, and has been in

operation since 2012. The facility is technically

operated on behalf of the consortium by EGS,

and is the largest of four EGS storage facilities in

northern Germany,” said Peter.

He went on to highlight some of the

essential factors that gas cavern storage

facilities need to meet today’s market needs:

“The ESE project is a very successful project,

which was completed on schedule and within

budget. The plant reflects the current status of

safety engineering and allows high flexibility

together with high availability,” he stated.

“All success factors for today’s market, such

as parallel gas withdrawal and injection due

to a dual pipeline connection, rapid change

between withdrawal and injection and a large

overall capacity, which can make a significant

contribution to supply security, are fulfilled.”

Moving onto another of EGS’ storage facilities,

the 7Fields gas storage association is unique

in Europe and connects the German and

Austrian gas markets to each other. “Through

this we have enabled customers to use cross-

border storage. The gas storage facility creates

maximum flexibility and makes an important

contribution to supply security in Austria and

Germany,” said Peter.

In fact, in the light of the Ukraine crisis, the

topic of security of supply in the gas market is

at the top of the German and European energy

policy agenda. “In recent years, the German

gas storage facilities have proven their high

performance, also in particularly long cold

Having started its activities

in 2008, today E.ON Gas Storage (EGS) can

be counted as one of the major European gas

storage companies. Together with its Austrian

affiliate Gas Storage Austria, the company has

a total of 14 underground storage facilities at

12 locations in Germany and Austria, with

a total working gas capacity (which also

includes the company’s subsidiary in the UK) of

approximately 9.0 billion cubic metres.

Underground gas storage facilities play an

important role in securing gas supplies in

line with demand. They are an element in the

infrastructure of the gas industry which makes it

possible to create a balance between the virtually

continuous supply of gas from the producing

countries and deliveries to the customers where

demand fluctuates sharply depending on the

season. Underground storage facilities also help

to bridge temporary supply bottlenecks.

To put it in basic terms, there are two ways

of storing gas underground: the storage caverns

or porous rock formations. The two differ with

regard to the reservoir rock and the storage

mechanism. One of E.ON’s major gas storage

locations, Etzel ESE, is a cavern storage facility,

and as Dr Peter Klingenberger, EGS CEO and

managing director explained, is a joint project

of E.ON Gas Storage GmbH, OMV Gas Storage

Germany GmbH, VNG Gasspeicher GmbH und

Gas-Union Storage GmbH.

“The cavern storage facility, which is located

in Friedeburg in East Fresia (northern Germany)

has a projected working gas volume of about

PROFILE E.ON Gas stORaGE


suppliesSecuring


E.ON Gas Storageeon-gas-storage.de

ServicesGas storage

energy into chemical energy,” explained Peter.

“The process has been around for a long time,

but what is new is that it is now used for

electricity generated from renewable energies.”

Two of EGS’ projects in this area are

WindGas Falkenhagen and WindGas Hamburg.

Using innovative technology, the WindGas

Falkenhagen plant produces up to 360Nm3/h of

hydrogen from about 2MW wind power through

electrolysis. It had already produced 2.8 million

kWh by December 31st, 2014.

“Power to Gas opens up the huge energy

storage capacities, which are part of Germany’s

natural gas infrastructure, to renewable energies.

This way the technology can play a key role

in balancing volatile electricity production

from renewable sources such as wind and

solar,” concluded Peter. “The chemical energy

contained in the hydrogen is also made available

to different markets including the power and

heat markets, industry and mobility. The need

for storage capacities will grow as the use of

renewables increases.”

periods, and have already made an important

contribution to the high degree of security of

gas supply,” Peter confirmed. “E.ON has made

extensive provisions to continue to supply its

customers with the gas they have ordered, some

of which can be in difficult supply situations.

These provisions also naturally include storage

capacity reservations. Storage facilities make

a major contribution to network stability and

reduce investment costs in network expansion.”

Alongside its operations in gas storage, EGS

also heads the E.ON Innovation Centre Energy

Storage. The Centre makes a key contribution

to the shift to renewable energy with its

developments in the area of energy storage, and

works on a number of different technologies for

the storage of electric power.

One of these technologies, Power to Gas

(PtG) helps to integrate electricity generated

from renewables into various gas applications.

The main step is to split water (H2O) into

hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2). “This process

is known as electrolysis and it converts electrical

The chemical energy contained in the hydrogen is also made available to different markets including the power and heat markets, industry and mobility.

PROFILE E.ON Gas stORaGE

www.silica.de

Founded in 2003 the Norwegian

composite subsea products and solutions

specialist, CSUB has developed a market

leading reputation in the provision of all types

of composite related products to the offshore

subsea market according to relevant standards

such as NORSOK DNV-OS-C501.

This business has been in operation for some

12 years and in that time CSUB has both evolved

to respond to the needs of its local clients and

gone on to grow into a global player in the

offshore subsea market. “The company was

founded in 2003 and was started mainly for

the local marine industry,” explains managing

director, Jon Inge Brattekås. “But there was more

activity within the offshore oil and gas industry.

In 2005 we began working with subsea projects

and today this represents close to 100 per cent of

our activity.”

CSUB was actually founded under the name

Sørkomp but has recently taken the decision to

rebrand to reaffirm its position as a truly global

business, as Jon goes on to discuss: “The main

reason for changing the company name to CSUB

was that we saw more and more of the business

was growing outside of Norway. Sørkomp is

derived from the Norwegian word for south,

so the main reason for the change was to drop

the Norwegian letter as we are expecting the

business to continue to grow outside of Norway.

Over the next few years most of our business

globalwill be for international customers.”

Indeed since 2005 CSUB has built a strong

reputation as an international supplier to

the industry’s most renowned subsea service

companies and has also supplied some of

the world’s largest oil majors directly. The list

of clients serviced by CSUB includes service

companies such as Subsea 7, Technip, FMC and

Ocean Installer as well as oil majors including

BP TOTAL, Statoil and Shell. Today CSUB

continues to work with the market’s leading

oil majors and service companies in locations

throughout the world, as Jon elaborates: “When

it comes to projects the biggest so far has been

the Laggan Tormore in the North Sea for Subsea

7. We are currently working with Subsea 7 and

Total on the Mariner project in the UK and we

Going

PROFILE CSUB


CSUBcsub.com

ServicesComposite subsea products and solutions

cost-saving solution. We have an extensive

knowledge of the subsea environment, the

market and its challenges. We have talented

personnel with the correct design and

engineering competence to design the right

equipment for our customers. We are renowned

for being very agile in developing the best

solutions in co-operation with our clients.”

are also involved in BP’s Caspian project Shah

Deniz 2. We have a lot of repeat business and

a very good track record with the major oil

companies. Last year we had a lot of deliveries

to West Africa with Technip and Total, we also

started work with some Far Eastern projects in

Indonesia. This region will continue to grow and

we will also look at future projects in the Gulf of

Mexico and Brazil.”

CSUB has established itself as a premier

supplier of composite products that offer

robust solutions in the protection of subsea

equipment. It also offers benefits in reduced

operating costs and improved survivability. “The

company’s main products are focused on the

protection of pipelines and subsea equipment

using glass reinforced plastics (GRP), which

have been a core part of the business. However,

during the past two years the market for seabed

foundations has grown substantially and we

see a lot of activity for supporting pipelines

and structures. A similar development is seen

for pipeline crossings. All of the products can

include buoyancy elements for flexible access

and these are also provided in composite

materials,” Jon says.

“Glass reinforced plastics are able to withstand

impacts, these materials are very strong when

compared to steel - especially in terms of

structural integrity and impact. Secondly they

are non-corrosive and can easily withstand

40 plus years in operation, and they are also

lightweight and can normally be installed at

one third of the weight of steel structures,”

he continues. “Our products are stackable,

which is important when there is limited

deckspace onboard ship. This means that when

undertaking offshore campaigns it is possible to

save vessel time during the installation phase as

more units can be installed per campaign.”

Although the current low oil price is creating

a certain level of uncertainty within the market,

CSUB is confident that the combination

of its in-depth subsea knowledge and the

demonstrated benefits of its GRP products

will allow it to continue to operate as a global

leader, as Jon concludes: “I would say there are

challenges but also certainly some opportunities.

Everybody knows that oil prices have gone

down, and as such some projects will be

postponed or even cancelled. However, we

also see a lot of opportunity because CSUB’s

products and solutions reduce costs, and this

makes it easier to discuss alternative solutions

with oil and gas companies, as GRP is a proven

PROFILE CSUB


DSM

A brighter future with compositesAs leading global innovator of sustainable Composite solutions, DSM tailored its Synolite 1967 resin for the CSUB infusion process. The resin has been approved by Statoil for offshore installation, and has demonstrated excellent corrosion resistance and continued structural integrity in submerged structures for over ten years. DSM has also been successful in supplying Atlac resin solutions for use with carbon fiber in deepwater sea cables, and Daron resins for parts that require resistance to chemicals and elevated temperatures.

www.dsm.com


With its headquarters in

Aberdeen and facilities in Singapore and the

UAE, Infinity Oilfield Services Limited (Infinity)

is a dynamic, customer driven engineering

business with a comprehensive portfolio of

services covering hydraulic services, project

management, engineering, integrated services,

ROV technical services and subsea tooling

design. Infinity Oilfield Services International

(IOSI), the parent company of Infinity was

founded in 2002 with operations in Abu Dhabi

and Tunisia. Following a decade of success

overseas, it was decided to bring the talents of

the IOSI services ethos to the North Sea and

Infinity was founded in 2013,” reveals CEO,

Andrew Mackay.

“Infinity opened up the IOSI family to the

drilling sector, particularly in the North Sea, and

our first client was Transocean with whom we

have developed a good working relationship,” he

explains. “IOSI has since been almost constantly

employed on or for Transocean rigs including

the John Shaw, Monarch, Sedco Energy and

Sedco Cajun Express. We also provide services

to the production sector with manpower and

equipment working for Total E&P UK, BP, CNR

and Shell.”

Although the company is presently most

active in the North Sea, Infinity is a truly

global enterprise with a proven reputation

for providing high quality engineering and

project management services with on-going

work in West Africa and the Mediterranean.

Its committed and high-calibre core of

engineers give Infinity a particular strength

in inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM)

and re-certification in upstream exploration

and production and drilling sectors, with

emphasis on hydraulic and ROV systems. A

key-differentiating feature of the business is its

ability to provide turnkey support services to

clients at the planning and execution phases

of maintenance programmes with proven and

detailed maintenance, testing, inspection, design

and operational experience. As such, Infinity

is the ideal solution for in-field support during

both the start-up and operational phases. The

company values close working relationships

with its customers, as such Infinity encourages

its clients and associated engineering and service

providers to integrate with it appropriately to

create a seamless project team, working towards

one common goal and overall success.

Presently Infinity Oilfield Services is working

closely with Total E&P UK and was recently

awarded the campaign management contract

for all of the company’s North Sea assets, as

Andrew elaborates: “The contract covers all

Total E&P UK North Sea assets including Elgin-

Franklin, North Alwyn, Dunbar, and St. Fergus.

The campaign is intended to manage both

the certification status and condition of all the

pressure vessel units on these assets, including

accumulator bottles and pulsation dampeners.

The activities are composed of offshore survey

and repair/replacement and onshore information

management on SAP data conducted out of

Total’s offices in Altens.”

Furthermore Infinity has recently signed a

service agreement with Paladon Systems Ltd,

which will see the two companies working to

provide a solution to fix process valve actuator

deterioration. “Paladon are a manufacturer of

valve actuators and valve actuation systems,

including HIPPS systems and were previously

the sole packager for Bettis in the North Sea. As

such Paladon have a large embedded equipment

portfolio and IOSL provides the support services

to survey and maintain these systems and

equipment when required. Our technicians are

trained by Paladon for this work and are able to

interface with Paladon design staff on technical

and design issues as they arise,” Andrew details.

“The importance from a Paladon point of

beyondInfinity and

PROFILE InFInIty OILFIELd SERvIcES

Infinity Oilfield Servicesinfinityoilgas.com

ServicesROV, hydraulic and BOP systems engineering

number of highly significant contracts, that will

enable the company to continue to grow and

pursue its vision to further develop its expertise,

as Andrew concludes: “Our first priority is

investing in bringing in new people with new

skills, and enhancing our existing work force

with more skills. We feel that a multi-skilled

engineer or technician is more valuable to the

industry as, for one, there is so much pressure

on bed space and efficiency. Perhaps more

importantly though, a multi-skilled person is

better able to look holistically at offshore work

programmes, bringing additional insight and

solutions to the customer, assisting in driving

down costs and reducing downtime. Our

second target is bringing in the ROV and subsea

technologies IOSI is developing overseas into the

North Sea arena. This latter effort will be a big

push for 2015 and we are very excited by their

prospects, having already approached clients

in the ROV sector in the North Sea and having

received excellent feedback.”

view is that they have come from a traditional

manufacturing background, but more and

more are being asked by their customers to

increase their presence and service capability in

Aberdeen and abroad. Paladon are a worldwide

provider of equipment servicing many areas

including non-oil and gas projects and Infinity

brings a pure oil and gas service capability to

the Paladon value proposition.”

In addition to its on-going co-operation with

Paladon, Infinity is currently providing a large

amount of support services on the Energean

Force drill ship located quayside in Athens for

its five-yearly SPS. “The scope of the work being

performed by Infinity includes BOP overhaul,

Koomey (BOP control) system overhaul

including accumulator bottle overhaul, choke

and kill manifold, cementing manifold, all HPUs,

and hose integrity management,” Andrew said.

“Infinity are providing a multi-skilled team

and specialist equipment spreads to undertake

this work. It is being done in conjunction with

Lloyd’s Register as the certifying authority.”

Indeed 2014 was a highly successful year

for Infinity, with a number of significant

projects for clients throughout the oil and

gas industry. A further milestone for the

company is a memorandum of understanding

that was signed between Infinity and TSC

GROUP, which promises to present a number

interesting opportunities for both companies

well into 2015 and beyond, as Andrew

elaborates: “Possibly Infinity’s most important

contract was signed at the end of 2014 after

a year of working together with TSC. Similar

to the Paladon situation, TSC (owners of

the MOS and Ansell Jones brands) have a

large infrastructure worldwide, but are only

beginning to move into services on the huge

amount of their installed kit in the North Sea.

As well as providing customer relationship

management support and mutual business

development resources, Infinity are providing

onshore mobilisation and offshore workscope

services as TSC’s partner in offshore survey,

maintenance, repair, and installation of new

equipment. Most recently regarding new

equipment installation, Infinity have been

providing critical support to TSC in the

upgrade of two umbilical tensioning systems

on the Prospector 5 and Prospector 1 jack-

up drill rigs and are currently embarking

on survey and FEED opportunities with

Transocean in West Africa.”

As Infinity transitions into 2015 it can boast a

PROFILE InFInIty OILFIELd SERvIcES


Agra Precision Engineering Co Ltd

We have worked on a number of projects with Infinity including reverse engineering work, traverse-mechanisms, sheave pins, worm wheels and gearboxes, load-testing, gear-cutting along with Jack-up gearbox fabrication, overhaul and testing to meet international standards. They are a highly diverse, flexible company we are proud to work in partnership with.

www.agra-eng.co.uk

coreQuality at its

maintaining our high manufacturing standards,

such as in the production of drill pipes

according to API 5DP, and continuing to update

our quality management system according to

ISO 9001. Both of these are traceable through

regular certification, which offers peace of mind

to our customers.”

The clients that Steffen referred to are drilling

contractors, rental companies or customers in

the construction and mining industry. “We take

care to keep in close contact with our customers

through an experienced field sales force and a

well-structured net of associated companies and

partners, mainly independent local companies,

who ensure the distribution of our equipment

worldwide,” he explained.

When European Oil & Gas Magazine last

spoke to Perforator in 2014, one area that

was highlighted was the need to focus on

new product development. The company

has indeed sustained its focus on these areas,

and at the beginning of 2015 it produced a

complete, newly designed reverse circulation

(RC) drill string including a new generation of

RC pipes for a customer in central Africa. “The

main focus concerning the design was easy

handling and maintenance of the string, since

both the technical requirements as well as the

infrastructure of this region do not correspond to

the European standard,” Steffen highlighted.

In addition to products such as this for

the oil and gas sector, Perforator is also very

active in the development of customer specific

soil conditioning solutions. “Using advanced

technologies for the production of polymer

foams we were able to shrink the needed

Perforator, under the direction of CEO

Wolfgang Schmidt, offers customised solutions

for worldwide drilling projects, supplying

innovative and technically advanced drilling

products to an international range of customers.

The company has significantly evolved since it

was founded, and today the cornerstones of its

production are drill pipes and tools for oil and

gas field drilling, DTH and HDD pipes, augers

for vertical and horizontal drilling, and drilling

tools and injection systems for applications in

mining, tunnelling and reconstruction.

It is thanks to Perforator’s experience in the

market that customers keep returning, and

as Steffen Henning, sales director noted, the

company also keeps a keen eye on quality and

product development. “Drilling equipment is

our business; we have decades of experience

in the range of different horizontal and vertical

drilling techniques,” he stated. “High quality

products secure our good reputation, but as well

it is most important to remain flexible and to

continuously adapt the design and manufacture

of products to keep up with customer

requirements or new technical standards. A

close collaboration between our engineers,

production, sales team and customer guarantees

that customised products can be supplied within

a short time frame. At this time, we have a staff

of 120 motivated and highly trained employees,

which also helps to ensure that the quality of our

products is first class.”

He continued: “We are convinced that the

quality of our products is reflected in our

customer satisfaction and that forms the basis

of our success. Thus we pay attention to

PROFILE PERFORatOR


Tuboscope | NOV Wellbore Technologies

Optimise your drilling and production programmes with the proven products and services you have trusted for over 75 years. Tuboscope | NOV Wellbore Technologies has continued to raise the global standard with a comprehensive and integrated suite of value-added solutions that maximise the life cycle of your assets, helping you to drill safer and more efficiently, increase production and decrease downtime. Tuboscope | NOV Wellbore Technologies has honored Perforator as a professional and competent manufacturer of drill pipe in the oil and gas industry for more than 20 years.

Perforator GmbHperforator.de

ServicesCustomised solutions for drilling projects

our position but to extend our share in a highly

competitive international market. Manufacturing

customised high quality products is only one

side of the coin - the cost factor of course

influences our customers’ decision to buy. As

a medium sized company we are able to keep

these two factors in balance.

“We also aim to strengthen Perforator’s

market position in the future as a global, flexible

supplier of high quality drilling equipment and

to increase our market share continuously by

entering any ‘white spots’ on our global map. At

the same time it is important to keep pace with

the changing requirements of our customers and

to have an eye on new product development –

so for example, we are looking at our own high

torque connections for oil field applications.

“This year’s target is to consolidate our

position in Europe and to intensify our activities

in the Middle East and South America,” he

concluded. “We will be focusing on our DTH

and rotary drill pipes, field-tested reliable

equipment with a high market acceptance.”

technology to not only fit into small- to midsized

TBM’s but also into custom crafted excavators,”

said Steffen. “This enables our customer to

use the advantages of polymer foam-based

soil conditioning in completely new cases, for

example dam repairs or excavations under

problematic soil conditions. Modern PLC based

controls give the customer full control of the

process and the use of well-chosen components

extends the reliability of our systems.”

It is through creating new and innovative

products such as these that Perforator can

continue to grow and develop. Steffen noted that

there are good orders on the horizon, but that

is not a reason to sit still: “We need to stabilise

and further expand our position,” he agreed.

“However, the current oil price deterioration

and consequently the decreased demand of drill

pipes do pose major challenges to us. Therefore

it is important not to lose sight of developing our

other product groups that are apart from the oil

and gas industry.

“So the challenge will be not only to assert

Drilling equipment is our business; we have decades of experience in the range of different horizontal and vertical drilling techniques

PROFILE PERFORatOR


www.nov.com/tuboscope


Shepcote Engineering is probably

the largest hydraulic cylinder manufacturer in

the UK with over 25,000 sq ft of production

floor with 50 tonnes lifting capability. Despite

that position, and having extended its services

beyond the initial hydraulic cylinder repairs

and general machining for local industries, it

remains a small private company. With over 30

years experience Shepcote Engineering today

provides hydraulic and engineering solutions to

all industry sectors.

In 2001 the company took the

opportunity to acquire a business

that had for many years served

Shepcote itself with machining

solutions for some of the biggest

types of cylinders in the UK. As

a result of the acquisition the

new owners began to establish

many client based relationships

with previous competitors, who

themselves required the services

for specific machining projects

including deep-hole boring and

honing of large tubes.

Combined with the expertise of an in-house

designer with a proven track record in the

special application cylinder market, the

new look Shepcote Engineering was able to

develop its foothold in the offshore oil and gas

market, where equipment has always been of

a significantly specialised level, manufactured

to high standards. As a key sub-contract

machinist, the acquisition of large turning lathes,

the deep-hole borer, and honing equipment

complemented one another ensuring the

business was able to firmly strengthen its

position. In fact, the business continues to invest

in new machinery regularly, with investments

including a 12-meter bed CNC lathe that was

acquired in response to customer demand over

recent years.

“As the search for oil and gas goes deeper,

and pressures become heavier, ultimately

pipe lengths and wall thicknesses of pipes

become greater, and customers are attracted

to our extensive capabilities,” says Robert

Ketteringham, sales manager. The development

of the company from a small general machine

fabrication workshop to more specialised

hydraulic cylinder and large capacity specialised

machining has seen the business produce a

range that includes riser joints, and various

components for down-hole applications.

An example of the type of work, previously

undertaken by the business, it supplied Dutch

madeCustom

PROFILE ShEPcOtE EngInEERIng

Shepcote Engineeringshepcote-eng.com

ServicesHydraulic cylinder manufacturing and specialist machining services

company Krohne Oil

and Gas BV with large bore stainless

steel pipe for installation at the Euroloop site in

Rotterdam. Each piece of the 1120mm diameter

material was bored, honed, turned and then

drilled before sections were bolted together to

form 11 metre lengths. The bores were then

honed once more for even greater accuracy

and fit over the assembled length. The finished

sections were then shipped to Rotterdam where

Shepcote engineers oversaw the final assembly.

“It references exactly what we do for the oil and

gas industry in a big way,” adds Robert.

“Our strengths are the physical size of the

material that we are capable of machining,

we have machines that can perform larger

and longer than anyone else, we can produce

hydraulic cylinders with bore sizes from 40mm

to 1600mm and with strokes up to 25 metres,

and by nature of it, we do specialised machining

work,” points out Robert. As an engineering

based organisation with unique equipment,

there is a lack of skilled personnel available for

direct employment. “As a result, we recruit and

train through apprenticeships schemes and with

two apprentices currently in the early stages of

training, and another now studying towards a

degree, the programme is proving successful,”

he adds.

In recent times the business has become

involved in renewable energy projects,

producing hydraulic cylinders for use on

tidal generators and to test the turbine blades

on offshore windfarms, with the size of the

hydraulic cylinders reflecting the large blades of

the turbine.

With a huge degree of variation in projects

today, there is often a piece of it that is outside

existing manufacturers, or their regular sub-

contractor’s machining capabilities, inevitably

promoting the company’s capabilities. “On any

given day in any week, someone is wanting

material machined to a custom size, and since

becoming established with our large machines,

progress has been ongoing. Both the sub-

contract machining and hydraulic cylinder sides

of the business have been very busy since 2012,

manufacturing and assembling deck handling

and associated equipment for cable and pipe

laying vessels, undertaking cable handling

projects and supplying cylinders for launch

and recovery systems on ships supplying to the

market, and this work will continue to 2016,”

he adds.

A strong market position holds the business

in good stead for the future: “We respond

to demand for projects, so it is hard to plan

ahead, but of course our aim is to continue

offering a good service, as that has proven

our strength throughout our history. We are a

small independent company, which gives us

the freedom to react quickly to clients’ requests,

so we are very used to helping people out of

situations,” he concludes.

Our strengths are the physical size of the material that we are capable of machining

PROFILE ShEPcOtE EngInEERIng


www.ashbourneengineering.co.uk


The Inter Terminals business

represents one of the largest independent

bulk liquid storage businesses in Europe,

encompassing more than three million cubic

metres of storage capacity situated across 12

terminals throughout Europe. Prior to 1st

January 2015 the company was divided into two

separate entities, wholly owned by the parent

company Inter Pipeline Ltd. based in Calgary,

Canada. Inter Pipeline Ltd. represents a major

petroleum transportation, storage and natural

gas liquids extraction business and is one of the

largest infrastructure businesses in Canada that

ranks among the top 50 companies listed on the

Toronto Stock Exchange.

Originally Simon Storage was responsible

for terminals located within the UK, Germany

and Ireland, while Inter Terminals in Denmark

operated deep draft coastal terminals providing

build bulk, break bulk and custom blending

services for distillates and heated oil products.

Today all of these terminal facilities are managed

under the Inter Terminal brand, led by chief

executive Martyn Lyons who brings with him

over 25 years experience in the tank storage

sector. Martyn is well known throughout the

tank storage industry and continues to serve as

chairman of the UK Tank Storage Association. He

succeeds Richard Sammons who is moving into a

new role as executive chairman. “I am delighted

to see the integration of our operations under one

unified management structure and I wish Martyn

and his team every success in their new roles,”

Richard says. “Adopting the Inter Terminals

name across our European terminal network will

strengthen brand recognition and the marketing

of our integrated suite of storage services. It

also creates a stronger branding affiliation with

Inter Pipeline Ltd., our Canadian parent, which

continues to provide strong support for our

operational and growth initiatives across Europe.

We look forward to serving both existing and

new customers in the future.”

Inter Terminals is a world-class operator that

brings first-rate engineering skill to the tank

storage market. The business has a proven track

record of operating handling and storage facilities

for a number of industrial clients that encompass

a wide range of specialist requirements. Indeed

the technical knowhow of Inter Terminals

extends beyond the oil and gas industry, with

infrastructure solutions extending into the

chemical, food and drink, agricultural and

pharmaceutical sectors. Furthermore it is able to

offer a full suite of intermodal and management

services as part of a fully integrated package.

Management solutions can be delivered in

part or fully outsourced packages to suit its

clients’ individual business needs. These options

visionOne

PROFILE InTER TERmInaLs

Inter Terminalsinterterminals.com

ServicesSupport services, storage

can range from the training and management

of customer employees through acquiring a

customer’s existing facility, upgrading it to the

latest industry standards and then operating and

managing the site as required. Key to this is Inter

Terminal’s leading position in operational safety,

which enables it to develop tailored training

programmes and competency assessment

schemes that allow clients to trust their storage

needs to Inter Terminals in full confidence.

Within the oil sector Inter Terminals is

a leading supplier of bulk liquid and gas

storage and handling facilities and maintains

a specialised position in the provision of fully

integrated solutions for clients within the

oil sector at its own terminal facilities and

through the expert management of third party

facilities. Additionally, Inter Terminals operates

a respected engineering division that boasts a

proven track record in the construction of new

facilities as well the upgrade of existing sites. The

company’s turnkey services include the design

and installation of advanced automation systems

for stock management and road loading. As

such, many oil majors rely on Inter Terminals’

technical and management skills in forming pro-

active partnerships that allow clients to focus on

their core business activities.

Further to its extensive competence in

terminal operation and management, Inter

Terminals boasts a full range of extensive

terminal infrastructure that reflects its position

as one of Europe’s largest gas and liquid storage

terminal operators. Its terminals within the

North East of England include ready access

to major road, rail and shipping routes that

facilitate the receipt and further distribution

of product to clients operating throughout

the UK and Europe. Its terminal located in

Immingham for example, offers flexible tanking

and pipeline configurations with rapid transfer

rates as well as a prime location adjacent to

two of the UK’s largest oil refineries. Within

Denmark the company’s terminals provide

specialist oil storage and handling services to

some of the industries leading oil companies

and traders. The facilities and services on offer

within Denmark include an extensive range

of tank capacities, pipeline connections to

deep draft facilities, tank-to-tank and into-tank

blending to order, as well as high loading rates.

The terminals can accommodate Suezmax and

Aframax vessels as well as VLCC-class tankers

at some locations, demonstrating the full range

of services available to clients of all sizes now

operating under the Inter Terminals umbrella.

Since Simon Storage was last featured in

European Oil and Gas Magazine during April

2014, both it and Inter Terminals have indeed

undergone an important transformation. By

becoming a single entity unified by the Inter

Terminals brand, the company can offer a

uniform and proven solution in storage and

support services that will continue to be an

attractive and effective option for its clients.

Inter Terminals boasts a full range of extensive terminal infrastructure that reflects its position as one of Europe’s largest gas and liquid storage terminal operators

PROFILE IntER tERmInaLs



Founded by chief technical officer

Jonathan Thursby in Norwich in 2001,

downhole video specialist EV began as a small

team of engineers who developed their expertise

in ruggedized CCTV cameras for use on boats

or cars, to give close up views of action related

events. “The original designs were used in

racing environments such as the British Rally

Championship, Formula One, the BT Around

the World Yachting Challenge and also Top

Gear,” explains Federico Casavantes, VP

marketing for EV. “However, in 2004 we were

commissioned to develop a camera for a UK

customer that would be used for diagnostics in

oil and gas wells in the North Sea. From here

the first generation of our OPTIS RT-120 was

launched and deployed commercially.”

Following this strategic move into the oil

and gas industry, the company’s expertise in

this business segment was further strengthened

with the appointment of Francis Neill, an

experience oilfield services professional, as

CEO in 2010. “Mr Neill has taken EV from a

small Norwich based organisation to the global

service provider it is today,” confirms Federico.

“Since 2010 we have grown from 15 employees

with annual revenues of approximately one

million pounds, to a global entity of 115

employees and annual revenues of more than

£20 million. In the last 12 months we have

run more than 1400 downhole camera jobs in

35 countries and witnessed a profit increase

of 109 per cent; this success stems from our

consistent delivery of high quality downhole

video cameras that are able to operate in the

most extreme environments as well as our

knowledge on how to obtain images in these

conditions. It is not only our leading edge

leaderTechnological

AboveComplexity of EV downhole video leading edge technology

BelowDownhole video equipment bench test workshop

PROFILE Ev

expertise in high speed data transmission, video

compression techniques, CCD sensors, optical

and lighting technology and image processing.

“We specialise in providing well diagnosis

services to oil and gas operators; our services are

based on a range of downhole video cameras,

which we call OPTIS. These can be deployed

on electric line, slick line, drill pipe and coil

tubing. The main feature of our cameras is

that they utilise a proprietary telemetry, which

enables us to stream up to 300 kilobits per

second of data on a monoconductor cable and

can thus provide a full colour video of up to 25

frames per second. We can also record up to

35 frames per second in memory. In terms of

ruggedization, OPTIS Downhole Video cameras

hit a record in 2013 when a job was successfully

run to 28,522 feet/8695 metres for an operator

in the Gulf of Mexico,” highlights Federico.

EV’s HD E-line camera works on 35,000 feet

of mono-conductor cable; this combined with

sensors that also operate at up to 15,000 psi,

means customers can rely on quality video

diagnostics deeper than ever.

The most recent example of the company’s

commitment to innovation is its new Integrated

Video Caliper (IVC), which provides real-time

answers to well integrity issues and is based on

EV’s proprietary telemetry that transmits data

to surface at a speed two to three times greater

than industry standard systems. “Thanks to

our telemetry, the main feature of the IVC is

that it combines qualitative HD video data with

quantitative Multifinger Caliper dimensioning.

Normally, in the realm of video imaging, it is not

possible to quantify the size of the problems or

anomalies encountered in the well. However,

by combining our cameras with our Multifinger

Caliper, we’re not limited to only seeing what

is happening, but now, we can also accurately

assess the dimensions of the problem we are

looking at. The benefits of this integration are

all too clear; in a single run in the well, EV is

able evaluate downhole completion problems

like corrosion, pitting or ruptures to even greater

detail than has ever been possible before with

standalone electromechanical measurement

devices,” explains Federico.

“With IVC, the axial downview camera is

run as the tool goes into the well, capturing a

real-time overview of the well features. When

at bottom, the Multifinger Caliper is opened to

obtain a dimensioned circumferential profile of

the well as the tool is pulled out. By switching

technology that is key to our success but

also our highly experienced and competent

operations team that is able to advise our

customer base on the best procedures and

preparation to capture the best video images.”

By using the expertise it gained from

operating ruggedized cameras in fast paced yet

moderately benign environments, EV has been

able to transfer and develop its know-how into

the oil and gas industry and thus transform itself

into the global market leader in downhole video

technology. “Our headquarters are in Aberdeen

and Norwich, but we also have 17 operating

locations across the world; our region head

offices located in Canada, the US, Latin America,

Europe, Western Africa, the Middle East, South

East Asia and Australia,” says Federico.

To retain its technology leadership in the

downhole video market, the company invests

more than ten per cent of its annual profits into

research and development, which has resulted in

camera systems that can work to 10,000m below

the surface in environments up to 125 degrees

Celsius and 15,000 psi. Proud of its success in

obtaining images that can help customers find

solutions in the harshest of environments, EV

has a success rate of more than 95 per cent

thanks to its ultra-modern technology and


AboveEV HD video sideview camera

PROFILE Ev

EV Engineering Limited

EV Engineering is a key supplier of complex machined prismatic components and assembled to the oil and gas industry. We pride ourselves on delivering excellence; with emphasis on ensuring every component meets the rigorous standards and specifications required.EV Engineering is a trusted supplier to EV Offshore, one of the most innovative providers of downhole video technology. Our two companies enjoy a close working relationship, working together with their design department to ensure all components are designed for manufacture with a focus on developing unique solutions and providing solutions that exceed expectation.

EVevcam.com

ServicesDownhole video specialist

of their well integrity conditions,” he adds.

Officially launched in 2014, the IVC

has successfully completed in excess of 40

operations, primarily in Canada where it

was tested and developed, but also in the

UK and Italy. Following the success of this

innovative product, Federico anticipates further

opportunities for the EV as its remains focused

on growing customer awareness of the value of

downhole video by providing them with robust,

high quality and unique answer products. “As

a firm specialising in well diagnosis, our focus

is to continue to build on our downhole video

expertise to retain industry leadership and to

add further value to our customers. Wherever

there is an opportunity to provide more robust

answer products, we will look to integrate

complementary sensors. We anticipate further

market growth in the regions where we are

already present, and will actively open operating

bases in new geographical regions to ensure we

are better able to support our growing customer

base,” he concludes.

on the lateral camera we can further inspect

any serious conditions or anomalies by taking

a circumferential 360 degree video at any point

of interest. All this data can be streamlined

instantaneously, as it is being acquired, to our

customers’ remote offices so they can make

decisions on whether additional information is

required or whether they will begin to deploy

equipment to start a repair operation. The thing

to note is that when EV pulls the IVC out of the

well, our customers have 100 per cent certainty

PROFILE EV


The thing to note is that when EV pulls the IVC out of the well, our customers have 100 per cent certainty of their well integrity conditionsLeftField engineer preparing downhole video camera for a job

www.ev-eng.com

infrastructureEvolving

Formerly known as the Compagnie

Parisienne des Asphaltes, the Rubis Terminal

was originally founded in 1877. By 1992 the

total recorded storage capacity of the business

peaked at over a million cubic meters across two

locations in Rouen and Dunkirk. These coastal

locations and connections to the main French

pipeline infrastructure provided major strategic

assets that allowed Rubis to further establish its

presence in the chemical and oil markets within

France and later throughout Europe.

Rubis Terminal is a subsidiary of the wider

Rubis Group alongside the associated company,

Rubis Energie. The Group is an independent,

international operator specialising in the

downstream petroleum and chemicals sector that

has continued to grow and expand through a

combination of organic growth and acquisitions.

Between 1992 and 2002 the Rubis Group acquired

almost one million cubic meters of additional

storage in France by taking over strategic terminals

in Brest and Saint-Priest as well Strasbourg Pétrole

and the Propetrol Company. These acquisitions

raised the total storage capacity to two million

cubic meters. Over the course of two decades,

Rubis Terminal has successfully grown to be the

number one independent operator in France and

the fifth in Europe.

Fifteen locations Today Rubis Terminal maintains 2.6 million

cubic meters of bulk liquid storage and is

present across fifteen locations within the

Netherlands, Belgium, Turkey and France.

The majority of these operate as fully owned

facilities, while others are run as joint ventures

between Rubis and its partners. While the

business is headquartered in France, in recent

years it has undertaken targeted expansion

outside of its home market. In 2007, Rubis

Terminal expanded with the formation of its

Rotterdam terminal followed by Antwerp, the

PROFILE RubIs TERmInaL


Today Rubis Terminal maintains 2.6 million cubic meters of bulk liquid storage and is present across fifteen locations within the Netherlands, Belgium, Turkey and France. The majority of these operate as fully owned facilities, while others are run as joint ventures between Rubis and its partners

pump speeds up to 1500 m3/hour from its

three jetties designed for deep-sea vessels up to

225m. A fully dedicated barge jetty completes

the highly flexible infrastructure. This allows

clients to react quickly to market demands by

homogenising and blending different grade

mineral products 24/7.

Extension area of 4.5 hectaresAs of January 2014 six new tanks went into

operation at Rubis Terminal BV consisting of

four 2500 cubic meter mild steel tanks and

two 2500 cubic meter stainless steel tanks

for chemicals. This represented the last of

several phases of expansion for the Rotterdam

terminal at the existing terminal, and will now

be followed on a site adjacent to the terminal

in agreement with the Port of Rotterdam for

the lease of 4.5 hectares of land. Presently

Rubis Terminal is developing new tank sizes,

which will vary between 500 cubic meters and

10,000 cubic meters in capacity and will be

suitable for chemicals and niche products. “The

present expansion represents the first period

of development with all phases scheduled to

be undertaken over a ten year period,” Paul

elaborates. “We have an extension area of 4.5

hectares of land to develop and we divided the

construction into five phases. The first phase will

be available during the fourth quarter of 2016

and will deliver extra capacity equal to 35,000

cubic meters.”

Strong interest in different tank sizes“We will expand to almost double our current

capacity in ten years time thus offering a wide

range of chemical tanks in an even wider range

of capacities,” adds commercial manager, Marlies

Tol. “We currently see strong interest from

clients in different tank sizes that we have on

offer. In addition, we also receive a lot of requests

for tank sizes we cannot offer, simply because

we do not have the right tank sizes available.

Adding additional tank sizes is an important step

forward for us.”

Small and flexibleAs the petrochemical market within Europe

continues to evolve, Rubis Terminal perceives

itself as being well placed to navigate the

changing tides of the market. “If you look at our

position both geographically and commercially,

we are a smaller player that is able to take

advantage of the fact that we are small and

therefore more flexible,” Paul says. “We have

second busiest port in Europe, in partnership

with Japanese group Mitsui in 2010.

More than 160,000 cubic meters of versatile storage capacityThe terminal at Rotterdam in the Netherlands

represents a significant capacity with

construction of the Greenfield site beginning

during 2007. Rubis Terminal BV went into

operation a year later in 2008 with a storage

capacity of just over 85,000 cubic meters.

Since then Rubis Terminal has embarked on a

continuing programme to develop the terminal

and its facilities, steadily increasing the amount

of storage available at the site. “If you look at

the development of Rubis Terminal BV over

the last two years, we have expanded our

capacity to currently encompass more than

160,000 cubic meters of storage capacity, of

which half is chemical and the other half is

mineral storage,” explains general manager

Paul van Herrewegen. “If you look at the

size of the current terminal it was originally

planned to fill the location to create an efficient

terminal in terms of both size and scale, both

from a cost and commercial perspective, and

growth has been a natural process since. Due

to the combination of an increased number

of clients and the diverse transportation

connections we have at the terminal, all

stakeholders, but primarily our customers will

benefit from this increase in capacity.”

Unique fuel oil configurationWith a state-of-the-art vapour treatment

system, Rubis Terminal BV currently reaches


PROFILE RUbIS TERMInaL

Rubis Terminal BVrubis-terminal.nl

ServicesIndependent mineral oil and chemical storage

oil is only ship or barge related while chemicals

require connections via train and truck as well.

It is important to be flexible, especially in the

chemical market, where it is very important to

be able to adapt in a short timeframe. Generally

speaking, when you change the product you also

need to change the system.

“Next to being a state-of-the-art terminal

for chemicals Rubis Terminal also provides

especially designed services for bunker fuels.

The availability of two deep-sea jetties with high

pump rate capabilities (up to 1500 m3/hour)

and a fully dedicated barge jetty completes the

highly flexible infrastructure. Together with our

homogenising and heating possibilities it allows

clients to react quickly to market demands.”

direct contact with clients, short communication

lines and rapid decision making. Within

Rotterdam, we target our market growth mainly

in chemicals. In the longer term I believe the

market will see a change in production, which

is already becoming apparent through the trends

in refineries and chemical production facilities

where some locations are ceasing their activities.

This means that North West Europe will change

into a predominantly import based continent,

which will require more storage.”

The best infrastructureAs Rubis Terminal heads into 2015, it will

continue to promote itself as a highly buoyant

and agile business that is able to deliver bespoke

storage solutions to clients within the mineral

fuel and chemical sectors. As the market adapts,

Rubis Terminal BV will continue to evolve to

ensure it maintains the best infrastructure to

meet the needs of is clients, as Paul concludes:

“There is a big difference in the logistics for

mineral products and for chemical products. Fuel

PROFILE RubIs TERmInaL


www.econosto.com

conduits. Technip Umbilicals’ track record of

thermoplastic umbilical supply showcases some

of its previous projects, which contain DUCO

manufactured hose.

Steel tube conduits were gradually introduced

in the mid-1990s, and their use has escalated in

recent years due to increased tieback distances

and the exploration of deeper water depths. As

such, Technip Umbilicals has been supplying

steel tube umbilicals to the industry since 1994,

and introduced the first steel tube umbilical

to the Gulf of Mexico region in 1995. In some

instances, combinations of steel tubes and

thermoplastic hoses are employed in umbilicals.

Pioneered by DUCO in the late 1990s, this

hybrid concept provides the subsea system

designer with greater flexibility in optimising the

performance of the subsea production system.

Acquired by the Technip Group in 2003, the

company today is a major designer, innovator

and global provider of umbilical systems for use

by the offshore industry. “We operate globally,”

confirms Technip Umbilicals’ managing

director Jean-Louis Rostaing. “If you look at

our portfolio in terms of current projects we

have a lot of work going on in the North Sea,

with further demand in West Africa, Asia and

Australia. Because of this growth, we decided

that integrating our facilities in the UK, the US,

Angola and Malaysia was important to show

customers that we maintain the same values

with regards to safety, quality and ethics as the

Technip Group. We changed our name from

DUCO to Technip Umbilicals in September

2014, a move that lets our customers know

when they deal with Technip Umbilicals Ltd.

in Newcastle, UK, or Technip Umbilicals Inc.

in Houston, US, they still receive the same

level of service in terms of safety, quality and

delivery as all segments of the Technip Group.”

Viewing quality, health, safety and environmental

(QHS&E) guidelines as key to safe and efficient

operations, the ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001:2004

and OHSAS 18001:1999 certified company

places safety at the forefront of all projects.

Taking the rebrand as an opportunity to

continue consolidating and developing best

practices across the three additional umbilical

units of the Technip Umbilicals Group –Technip

Umbilicals Inc., Angoflex Ltda. and Asiaflex

Products Sdn Bhd. - Technip Umbilicals is

keen to not only evolve with market demand,

but also maintain the North East’s position as

a leader within the subsea industry. “We have

With a history dating as far back

as 1977, Technip Umbilicals (TU) has designed,

manufactured and supplied subsea umbilicals for

the oil and gas industry for more than 30 years.

Formally known as DUCO Ltd., the company

has been developing pioneering umbilical

designs since the first subsea production systems

were installed in the 1970s. Business expanded

in the 1990s when these systems became

an accepted means of offshore hydrocarbon

recovery; the early systems tended to involve

short tieback distances installed in water depths

accessible to divers, which are typically less than

200 metres, and used umbilicals constructed

almost entirely from thermoplastic hose fluid

PROFILE TEchnIP UmbILIcaLs


providerGlobal

Mexico and West Africa.

With a strong history of successfully providing

thermoplastic hoses to the oil and gas industry,

the company’s products offer a broad spectrum

of control and chemical injection fluids and

are available in seamless lengths in excess of

20,000m depending on bore size. Meanwhile,

steel tube umbilicals can provide high

pressure, corrosion resistance, tensile strength

and deepwater and long distance operation.

Although diverse in physical characteristics,

combining both functional components can

deliver technical and commercial advantages.

Having developed a strong reputation

for superior services, Technip Umbilicals is

currently working on a major contract with

Chevron North Sea to manufacture a 28 km

umbilical for the Alder field; a critical link in

subsea operations as it relays power, chemicals

and communications between a platform or

support vessel and hydraulically operated

subsea equipment. The umbilicals are being

wholly manufactured at the Newcastle, UK

site to coincide with Chevron’s goal to develop

the field via a single subsea well. Meanwhile,

parent company Technip’s Aberdeen operating

centre will be involved in the engineering,

procurement, installation and construction

(EPIC) contract for the project.

“This is an important project for us because

we are manufacturing a 28 km hybrid umbilical,

which merges our original thermoplastic hose

technology with steel tubes,” says Jean-Louis.

“To take advantage of this demand and meet

the needs of our customers, we came up with

the idea of combining these two technologies;

this innovation is called hybrid because it is

made up of both steel tubes and thermoplastic

hoses, which thus results in an improved field

development solution. The 28 km umbilical will

be made up of steel tubes and then wrapped

in thermoplastic hoses; this is a competitive

invested vast amounts into our facilities to

ensure we have the modern assets needed to

meet the capacity and capability demands of

the current market, whilst also being prepared

for future demand. Technology is also a key

strength for Technical Umbilicals, as we have

developed products that can comply with

client application requirements and meet the

needs of the subsea market as it moves into

deeper waters. Key to these technological

developments is our Research and Development

Centre in Newcastle, which is linked with

all other research and development centres

within the Technip Group; in addition, having

a highly skilled and loyal workforce means we

have long-term experience readily available

in-house,” highlights Jean-Louis.

Considered a fundamental part of the

division’s current and future capabilities, the

Research and Development Centre receives a

significant amount of revenue to ensure Technip

Umbilicals continues to provide groundbreaking

products and capabilities. Well positioned to

handle any challenging requirements in the

future, the Research and Development Centre

focuses on umbilical/functional component

structural improvements to boost performance

and reliability, improvements in hardware design

to ensure complete protection from harsh

environmental conditions, integration of electric

power conductors into umbilicals and hardware

designs for deepwater dynamic and static

service, and the development and improvement

of mathematical modelling and analytical tools

to further grow engineering capabilities and

understanding. With strong links to other

Technip Research and Development groups,

the team are able to draw on expertise such

as flexible pipe manufacture and installation

expertise to ensure the optimal installation

ability of the umbilical and hardware.

As leaders in technology development, the

four strategically located umbilical entities are

able to design, manufacture and supply bespoke

umbilical products to customers from project

inception to project completion. Viewing

each clients’ requirements as unique, Technip

Umbilicals is a specialist in delivering optimised

industry solutions to the shallow and medium

water markets as well as the ultra-deepwater

markets. In fact, the division as a whole has

developed umbilicals for the harsh environments

of the North Sea and Atlantic Frontier region

and ultra-deepwater locations in the Gulf of

All of our efforts over the last four years have been with the intention of positioning ourselves as a leader in the umbilical market; over the next 12 months we will continue to consolidate this position and work more closely with clients to anticipate demand in terms of technology and delivery




Technip Umbilicalstechnip.com

ServicesSubsea umbilical systems

solution for a challenging bespoke project.”

Having invested in its main facility, equipment

and increased plant size over the last four years,

in addition to hiring an extra 100 personnel in

2014, the strong team at Technical Umbilicals

Ltd. in Newcastle, UK, remains committed to

operating within the North East. However, as

energy demand continues to grow in developing

countries, the company is also keeping vigilant

of any potential opportunities further afield.

On top of this, Technip Umbilicals maintains

its vision of continuous improvement with

the implementation of a quality improvement

programme, as Jean-Louis concludes: “All of our

efforts over the last four years have been with the

intention of positioning ourselves as a leader in

the umbilical market; over the next 12 months

we will continue to consolidate this position

and work more closely with clients to anticipate

demand in terms of technology and delivery.

“Moreover, we will also be focused on the

implementation of our quality improvement

programme “Quartz”; this Technip Umbilicals-

born programme has been adopted by the

Technip Group and aims to boost quality in all

areas of the company, including engineering and

manufacturing. These developments have been

well received by our clients as it means we can

meet their demands in an increasingly stringent

and challenging market. We will also be deploying

a lot of new products such as aluminium cable

umbilicals for deepwater applications and will

continue to actively work internally as well as with

clients to extend our performance.”


www.mkw.co.uk

This year Kongsberg, one of

the world’s leading providers of systems for

merchant marine, subsea and offshore, is

celebrating a milestone anniversary. For two

centuries the business has been at the forefront

of technology and innovation, transforming

from a manufacturer of small arms to a leader

in many technological fronts including marine,

oil and gas, space and defence. “The company

was originally founded in 1814 and is one of the

oldest industrial concerns in Norway,” says Dave

Shand, general manager offshore at Kongsberg

Maritime in the UK. “This year we celebrated

our 200th birthday, and we have reached this

milestone by constantly developing through

innovation.” Indeed, the history of Kongsberg

is steeped in innovation, success and a strong

vision for development, dating back to 20th

March 1814 when Poul Steenstrup established

Norway’s first factory – Kongsberg Vapenfabrikk.

Poul was a visionary who believed in industrial

progress and technical understanding, combined

with national pride and strong determination.

Innovation remained key to Kongsberg as

the business continued to develop into the

20th century, being involved in a range of

industries and technological developments, from

manufacturing world-class rifles to the ground

breaking dynamic positioning systems that the

Kongsberg Maritime business division is world-

renowned for today.

Kongsberg Maritime itself was established

in 1992 to capitalise on Kongsberg’s growing

international business within the maritime

dynamic positioning sector. Today the

business is a globally respected organisation

serving key markets in the offshore, shipyard,

and the energy exploration and production

industries. Kongsberg Maritime provides a

plethora of services and solutions to these

sectors; for example in field development it

supports construction and offshore vessels with

innovative solutions for operation and specialist

applications, in production it offers automation

systems and software to enhance output and

minimise downtime, whereas for maritime

transport and offshore vessel clients it offers a

complete package of solutions such as navigation,

automation, training and safety systems.

“We have several divisions which address

the oil and gas industry, including Subsea and

Offshore Divisions,” says Dave. “In general

we address all phases from exploration

through production to transportation. One

of our specific focuses is integrated control

and safety systems for oil and gas floating

fixed production installations. In conjunction

with this activity we established a subsidiary,

Kongsberg Maritime Engineering, which

undertakes EPC contracts to deliver complete

packages. We are one of the leading global

providers of marine systems in the oil and gas

industry, encompassing drill ships and rigs,

LNG vessels, offshore support vessels, offshore

survey and ROV support vessels.”

Indeed, for the offshore sector the business

provides a vast catalogue of products and

services that encompasses bridge systems,

camera systems, deck systems, engine room

and automation systems, engineering, safety

TopBluewater Aoka Mizu

AboveThermopylae House, Aberdeen

BelowKongsberg process automation control room

PROFILE KOngsBERg MARITIME


milestoneReaching a

systems, simulators, sensors and transmitters,

tank gauging and measurements. On a wider

scale Kongsberg is even active in other areas

of offshore energy through its Kongsberg Oil

& Gas Technologies division, such as drilling

operations support, integrated operations,

process simulation, and riser management.

“One of our main strengths is the ‘Full

Picture’,” Dave highlights. “For example, in

floating production we can utilise our strengths

in marine with our experience in topside to

realise a common solution for all control aspects

of a production installation. In conjunction

with our colleagues in Kongsberg Oil & Gas

Technologies we can deliver a solution that

includes dynamic process simulation and

operator training systems. We have built up a

strong customer focused MMO support team

in the UK as part of our global support team,

which works proactively with the customer

to maximise the operation and productivity of

their assets.”

The company is globally renowned for

its range of dynamic positioning systems,

which have been developed to minimise

fuel consumption and wear and tear on the

propulsion equipment of a vessel. These can be

used across a wide range of vessels such as drill

ships, cable laying vessels, crane vessels, FPSOs,

diving support vessels, floatels, and various other

ships and vessels for a wide array of applications.

Kongsberg’s system can be provided as a

standalone system or can be offered as part of an

integrated system that communicates with other

Kongsberg systems on board the vessel including

the K-Chief (marine automation system) and the

K-Thrust (thruster control system).

Kongsberg Maritime is also a leader in the

development and production of subsea systems

covering a broad scope of applications and

technologies. This can range from acoustic

communication and control, autonomous

underwater vehicles (AUVs) through to

environmental monitoring solutions, seabed

mapping and underwater positioning systems.

The ability of Kongsberg to provide an entire

suite of products for offshore, subsea and

maritime operations ensures the company

continually secures major contracts and

significant projects. For example, since the

business was last featured in European Oil & Gas

Magazine in August 2013 it has been selected

to supply safety, automation and lifecycle

simulation technology for the Johan Sverdrup

field development by Statoil. The business

was awarded a Project Specific Agreement,

including FEED, for the delivery of its safety and

automation (SAS) systems in May 2014, and

the deliveries will include Kongsberg Maritime’s

industry-proven SAS technology, which is

applicable for process control, power distribution

control, process shutdown, emergency shutdown

and fire and gas systems. Ultimate delivery

will also include the company’s latest systems

RightK-Chief system

PROFILE KOngsbERg MaRItIME


Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine

Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine supplies competitive technologies and services to maritime customers worldwide, and is proud of its long-standing relationship with Kongsberg Maritime, providing safe passage, performance and reliability to its customers. As supplier of gyro and magnetic compasses and radar top units, Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine is committed to first-class customer service and world-class navigational efficiency.

Kongsberg Maritimekongsberg.com

ServicesAutomation Systems

and technology for production, integration,

presentation, simulation, training and operation.

The company has already installed a range of

similar systems before on ten Statoil production

platforms, illustrating the high levels of regard

that Statoil holds the Kongsberg name, and

this particular project will further strengthen

Kongsberg’s position as a leading supplier of

automation and safety systems to the global

offshore production market.

Also, more recently the business has won

a significant contract from BW Offshore to

provide all control systems for its new Premier

Oil Catcher Field FPSO, which will operate in

the UKCS. “This is a significant project for the

Kongsberg Maritime business and for the UK

business in particular as it builds on the current

portfolio of ICSS installations, including Statoil

Mariner,” Dave highlights. “It continues our

strong relationship with BW, which includes the

BW Athena FPSO in the UK sector, and builds

on Kongsberg’s strengths in the FPSO market,

The company is globally renowned for its range of dynamic positioning systems, which have been developed to minimise fuel consumption and wear and tear on the propulsion equipment of a vessel

PROFILE KOngsbERg MaRItIME


including Bluewater Aoka Mizu, Hawene Brim

and Maersk Gryphon Alpha in the UK sector

with many more operating globally.”

With such a strong history and an equally

high reputation, there is little doubt that

Kongsberg Maritime will remain the leading

name in automation systems into the future,

as Dave points out: “We are encouraged with

the amount and quality of enquiries for our

solutions given the current market, but we

have technological differentiators that make

our solutions attractive in a sector that looks to

reduce lifecycle costs.

“We will continue to focus on the oil and

gas market, encompassing production control

systems and the subsea IRM market, where

we have key technologies such as AUV and

environmental monitoring systems. Our vision is

to be a key provider of ICSS systems in the UK

sector, building on our success in the Norwegian

sector and what we have achieved to date in the

UKCS,” he concludes.

www.sperrymarine.com

Schofield Publishing Ltd10 Cringleford Business Centre

Intwood Road Cringleford Norwich NR4 6AU

T: +44 (0) 1603 274130 F: +44 (0) 1603 274131

Editor Matt High [email protected]

Sales Manager Joe Woolsgrove [email protected]

europeanoi landgas.co.uk

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Documents

European Oil and Gas Issue 118 Early Edition