OFFSHORE excellence
Award for Innovation in Oil & Gas Project Management Software We are honoured to be recognized for providing innovative software to benefit the oil and natural gas industry. Yogesh Khandelwal, President and Chief Executive Officer of GeoAMPS
Best Global Piling & Ground Engineering Contractor & Best-in-Class for Commitment to Excellence Alongside constantly delivering results, awards such as these are also a testament to our success. Mark Williams, Van Elle Limited
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OFFSHORE
foreword
excellence
Welcome to AI Magazine’s 2015 Offshore Excellence Awards. From law to accountancy, from engineering to industry assistance, The Offshore Excellence Awards recognise advancements, care, leadership and exceptional commitment to client support, commending teams across a variety of services for their forward thinking, client-focused business ethic, which has helped to transform the offshore industry. These awards recognise firms from all spectrums of the offshore industry, from the smallest local companies to the international heavy-hitters, celebrating the endeavours, accomplishments and ambitions in their specialist field; most crucially, these companies are nominated by their clients and their peers. The awards are presented solely based on merit and are given to recognise those most deserving for advice, support and services provided over the last 12 months. As a result, award winners can be safe in the knowledge their awards are a testament to their exceptional performance in these ever-changing and innovative industries. So to find out more about these exciting and innovative companies, read on…. geoAMPS
Van Elle Limited
Award for Innovation in Oil & Gas Project Management Software / Page 4
Best Global Piling & Ground Engineering Contractor & Best-in-Class for Commitment to Excellence / Page 10
BARTEC Group
CPNL Engineering GmbH
IMG Composites Ltd
Process Safety Solutions Ltd
Best Offshore Safety Technology Provider / Page 14
Most Innovative Cable Protection Engineer & Best Offshore Product Award: CPNL ARTICULATED PIPE / Page 16
Best Repair Systems Product: CompoSol® & Award for Innovation in Offshore Asset Integrity / Page 20
Best Safety Software Packages / Page 24
Sory @ Law
Sub-drill
Aqua Tech Diving Services
Arosemena & Díaz
Best for Offshore Dispute Resolution - West Africa / Page 28
Best Oil & Gas Industry Manufacturer / Page 30
Best Offshore Diving Services Firm / Page 34
Best Maritime Law Firm - Panama / Page 38
Augentius
Balmert Consulting
Bio-Microbics, Inc
Emergency Fire & Safety Ltd
Best Offshore Fund Administrator / Page 40
Best in Offshore Safety Management - USA / Page 42
Award for Innovation in Marine Environmental Technology / Page 44
Excellence in Electrical Safety Training / Page 46
Global Wealth Services S.A.
Grantec
House of Louis
KROHNE Oil & Gas B.V.
Best for Offshore Company Formation & Award for Excellence in Banking Services - Liechtenstein / Page 48
Best for Global Engineering Analysis & Design & Award for Excellence in Offshore Structures & Ocean Engineering / Page 50
Best Offshore Hotel Brands / Page 52
Award for Excellence in Oil & Gas Flow Computers / Page 56
SFM Corporate Services S.A
Sika AU - NSW
Svendborg Brakes A/S
Independent Corporate Service Provider of the Year - UAE / Page 58
Award for Innovation in Commercial Marine Fabrication & Best Renewable Energy Product & Solution Provider - Asia Pacific / Page 62
Best for Industrial Brake Technologies & Award for Innovation in Hydraulic Braking Systems / Page 64
Offshore Excellence Awards 2015 / 3
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Award for Innovation in Oil & Gas Project Management Software
geoAMPS geoAMPS is the premier provider of software solutions to manage land rights and infrastructure assets. Their main mission is guided by their core values, which will enable them to remain the technology leader in the land rights and infrastructure management industries. They are committed to providing quality products and best-in-class service. Due to their commitment to quality, innovation and customer service, they were recently presented our award for Innovation in Oil & Gas Project Management Software. We spoke to Yogesh Khandelwal, President and Chief Executive Officer of geoAMPS, to find out more about the company and how the geoAMPS team and he feel about winning this title.
Company: geoAMPS Email: sales@geoamps.com Web address: www.geoamps.com Address: 3821 Attucks Drive, Powell, OH 43065 Telephone: 614-389-4871
We are honoured to be recognized for providing innovative software to benefit the oil and natural gas industry. We are proud of our software products and pleased that a growing number of organizations, including leaders in their respective industries, are utilizing geoAMPS to decrease costs and bring operational efficiencies to their projects. geoAMPS solutions are aimed at bringing efficiency, standardization, transparency and predictability to organizations of all sizes with a pricing model to fit all budgets. Organizations that utilize geoAMPS enjoy significant ROI. Our customers find that they are able to realize on average 35 percent savings on project costs through efficiencies. That translates into substantial savings for projects that involve investment of millions of dollars. We are especially pleased to be recognized for providing this level of savings through innovative products that benefit a variety of industries, including the oil and gas industry. By staying true to our mission, geoAMPS is now the industry leader in software solutions to manage land rights and infrastructure assets. The geoAMPS product line has been expanded considerably to encompass land management needs in a number of industries. Today, there are 11 industry-specific software products. These include a separate geographic information system (GIS) viewer, which can be offered as a standalone product or added as an option to any of geoAMPS other software products. Each of these products is highly configurable to meet the specific needs of the client. geoAMPS standardizes and automates processes through a proven software solution. Our products are available across multiple technology platforms - Web, mobile, detached and GIS - for optimal flexibility and deployment. The Web platform is the core component of the suite of products and can be utilized as a standalone product or combined with any other geoAMPS software product. geoAMPS also offers data migration services, which migrates an organization’s records and data, stored in a variety of formats, into a centralized Web database to ensure easy and reliable access. geoAMPS products and services are constantly being enhanced through a research and development process that engages clients and industry experts. Our software has been proven effective in saving costs on midstream pipeline projects in the oil and natural gas industry. These are especially complex land services projects for pipelines stretching hundreds of miles. Our software is also effective in managing mineral rights in oil and gas exploration and production. With our software, oil and gas companies are able to manage fast-paced lease acquisitions and costly drill schedules, as well as workflows of crews onsite. Large industries tend to be cyclical in nature. That is true for the oil and gas industry. In recent years, the industry enjoyed phenomenal growth, even as sources of alternative energy were being developed. That process was indicative of changes in the industry and how Western nations, historically large importers of oil and gas, accelerated energy development domestically. The industry is experiencing further change due to the drop in oil prices. geoAMPS provides software solutions that help companies adapt to such market and price fluctuations.
Offshore Excellence Awards 2015 / 5
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geoAMPS played, and continues to play, a significant role in that development. Our customers include some of the largest oil and gas producers in the world. Their projects require many miles of pipeline. In order for those long, linear projects to be completed, property right of way must be acquired, tracked and managed. geoAMPS is the go-to software to manage land rights and infrastructure assets. Efficiencies made possible through using our software have made geoAMPS the market leader in software solutions for the midstream industry. Those efficiencies are especially important today as the oil and gas industry experiences pricing challenges in the current market cycle. In order to continue a robust exploration and production schedule, oil and gas organizations are pursuing ways to complete those projects as efficiently as possible. The current trend in the market, and what geoAMPS offers, make working in the oil and gas industry both challenging and rewarding. There are many strong aspects to our business. For example, we know the industries we serve. Besides the oil and gas industry, geoAMPS currently serves organizations in the land services (right of way), utilities, mass transportation, renewable energy and survey industries. Through engagement with our clients and industry leaders, we maintain a rigorous research and development process that leads to product enhancements in two-week iterations. The geoAMPS method is based on innovation, quality and speed. We work hand-in-hand with industry experts to offer comprehensive and innovative products for the industries we serve. We produce unique solutions for common challenges in each industry. We are also able to configure our products to meet the unique needs of each client. geoAMPS provides comprehensive training with each implementation of our software solution. Because geoAMPS software is configured to the client’s specific needs, training time is minimal. Training typically takes two to five days and is scheduled onsite, at the geoAMPS home office or even remotely, as determined by the client. We provide training videos, webinars and extensive user guides that are easy to understand. geoAMPS goes the extra mile to ensure our clients are comfortable with our product and that the product is performing to their satisfaction. We provide Product Support services 24/7 for the length of the contract. Our Product Support is second to none. geoAMPS’ customers experience a 99.9% uptime rate with minimal to no interruption in service. But in the unlikely event that a problem does occur, our Product Support team is there 24/7 to help. We are available around-the-clock, because we realize that speed is essential for our clients as they compete in the marketplace. Regarding our competitors, geoAMPS offers the only software on the market that allows clients to manage all land management needs within the same software. Historically, organizations have had to sometimes use 18 different software programs to manage all the information that can be centralized in a single install of geoAMPS. This is a service unmatched among U.S. companies and even among Canadian software providers. In addition, geoAMPS configures its software to meet the needs of each client, another service that sets the company apart from the competition. Each client provides different services and thus requires different capabilities from their software system. Rather than offer software and leave it to the client to adapt their operations to the software, we offer a software system that can be configured to the client’s business processes. This is a capability that geoAMPS’ competitors, some of whom have been in the business many more years, do not provide. This approach reduces the need for extensive training and frustration among users of the software. geoAMPS software was built to include configurability that would reduce turnaround time for adjusting the software to new or revised business processes. All of these lead to better return on investment for clients and make geoAMPS their logical choice. In several head-to-head evaluations, geoAMPS was favoured 9-to-1 to our closest competitor. geoAMPS introduced mobile technology to the land rights industry. We wanted to bring mobile capability to replace predominantly paper-based processes in that industry. Now, mobile capabilities are the market standard. By introducing this capability, it positioned geoAMPS well ahead of the competition. geoAMPS’ mobile capability accelerated growth of our client base. Because geoAMPS software is Web-based, landmen can access and update project information on mobile devices. This capability enhances project efficiency, as geoAMPS software enables average savings of 35 percent on project costs. Projects in the oil and gas industry and other industries geoAMPS serves are oftentimes in remote areas, many miles from the company office. Agents working in the field need the ability to access the centralized Web database to receive and upload information. They need to be able to receive notifications of inspections and other workflow. Mobile technology allows agents to complete work in the field, saving travel time and work duplication. geoAMPS also offers
Offshore Excellence Awards 2015 / 7
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Leena Madan, Chief Operating Officer pictured with President and CEO Yogesh Khandelwal
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detached capability, which provides the ability to access the Web database even in areas that lack Internet access. The system provides sync-on-demand capability once connectivity is restored. This also is a capability that sets geoAMPS apart from its competitors. From our headquarters in the Columbus, OH area, geoAMPS is making a major impact in the energy, utilities, land services and transportation industries in Canada as well as the United States. Although a U.S firm, geoAMPS products and services have been so well received by industry-leading companies in Canada, especially in Alberta, there are plans to open a geoAMPS office in Calgary. This expansion across the border is no accident. It is the result of a concerted effort to develop a software product that addresses the unmet needs of Canadian organizations. Because geoAMPS software has both Canadian and U.S. capabilities, it can be utilized for projects in either country or those that straddle the border. As of early 2015, nine Canadian organizations have become geoAMPS clients. Going the extra mile toward configuration made the geoAMPS solution more attractive to Canadian companies, especially for service companies acquiring land rights for large projects. geoAMPS software is a highly intuitive tool for tracking and management of Crown lands. Unlike other software providers, geoAMPS tracks Crown land at the tract level. That includes occupant and landowner contacts, stakeholder management, consents, payments and the addition or removal of tracts from the project. geoAMPS software is unmatched in Crown land disposition tracking, even among Canadian software providers. The software helps project planners navigate the strict national and provincial regulations regarding Crown dispositions. geoAMPS software alerts planners to requirements for each project type, such as pipelines, utility lines or transportation. It helps companies meet those requirements, including necessary landowner contacts, project mailers and the payment of fees. geoAMPS’ GIS capability assists with project planning and compiling the required legal description of each tract. The Offshore Excellence Award is a natural result of the growth of the global economy. That is especially true for the oil and gas industry, which is global in nature. And the industry’s impact on the global economy is sure to grow. Companies must provide products and services that meet the needs of global industries. Through innovation and quality of our products and services, geoAMPS is addressing those needs. We are especially proud of this award, because it affirms the quality of our products and services and the work done by our outstanding geoAMPS team. Looking to the future, we anticipate continued growth by increasing our customer base in the United States and globally. Although no timetable is set, we look forward to one day opening an office in Calgary. In addition, we intend to take our company public. geoAMPS’ flagship product is our initial software product offering, rowAMPS. rowAMPS is software specially designed for the right-of-way industry. Whether the project involves construction of oil or natural gas pipeline spanning many hundreds of miles, a new road or railroad line, new utility lines, a wind farm, solar panel field, hydropower or geothermal facility, or any other energy-related project, acquiring and managing right of way is essential to the project’s success. rowAMPS provides a centralized database for managing all land rights and infrastructure asset information for one or multiple projects. The rowAMPS solution allows organizations to manage right-of-way projects and land assets in a real-time, paperless environment that enables collaboration, efficiency and error reduction. rowAMPS provides detailed coverage of all right-of-way processes. By utilizing geoAMPS software, including rowAMPS, organizations realize measurable cost savings in their capital projects and ongoing operations through efficiencies. As is the case with all 11 geoAMPS software products, rowAMPS is a secure, Web-based system that can be coupled with an optional mobile or detached platform for agents in the field. All geoAMPS products come with optional GIS capabilities, delivering an integrated geospatial view of an organization’s projects. The GIS viewer is also available as a standalone product. Our software products increase the speed of project completion. It gives our clients a quicker time to market. Our software streamlines business processes, resulting in shorter project timelines. geoAMPS cloud-hosting services have proven effective in standardizing processes across an organization. With geoAMPS, our clients enjoy greater efficiencies and lower project costs.
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Best Global Piling & Ground Engineering Contractor & Best-in-Class for Commitment to Excellence
Van Elle Limited Over the past 30 years, Van Elle has established a reputation for delivering high quality piling and ground engineering solutions. We spoke to them about the steady growth of their company to becoming the UK’s largest independent piling and ground stabilisation contractor. Company: Van Elle Name: Mark Williams Email: mark.williams@van-elle.co.uk Web Address: www.van-elle.co.uk Address: Kirkby Lane, Pinxton, Nottinghamshire. NG16 6JA Telephone: +44 (0) 1773 580580
Our current workload covers a very wide spectrum from domestic foundations to works on the UK rail infrastructure and major construction contracts. Due to our capability, attitude and commitment to achieving the right result every time, much of our work is for clients with whom we have a long lasting relationship or to whom we have been recommended. These include many of the world’s largest contractors, developers, energy suppliers and petrochemical companies. As the UK’s largest independent ground engineering contractor offering the most comprehensive portfolio of geotechnical solutions, Van Elle has significant expertise in ground investigation, drilling and grouting, the installation of ground anchors and soil nails, restricted access piling, open site piling, precast modular foundations and geotechnical design. Regardless of your ground engineering requirements, access restrictions and where in the world your project is, it is likely that Van Elle has the solution for you. Over the years we have developed an enviable reputation for our strength across all technical aspects of geotechnical engineering in all sectors as well as our generic business success. Our workforce is our greatest asset and we have many highly experienced engineers and site teams working together to provide clients with the best solution and an unbeatable service every time. We are currently looking to develop our presence in the global offshore marine piling/drilling industry and our ability to adapt to project variations quickly and effectively in this challenging environment has set us apart. Whether a change of drilling methods, the need to build bespoke plant, an influence of weather/environment on programme or simply working closely with other contractors on site, Van Elle has the experience, capability and attitude to meet clients’ needs. As for the present period, business at the moment is great. Our investments over recent years in the latest plant and equipment has meant that we can not only offer a greater variety of solutions to meet clients’ project requirements but also often reduce programme due to the rigs’ efficiency. Our long-term business strategy has served the company well providing stability and ensuring that we are focused on health & safety, the training and development of our staff and embracing technology to the benefit of our clients. In terms of the industry as a whole, the construction market in the UK is currently burgeoning across the majority of sectors despite the recent drop in oil prices; ground engineering is no exception. As is typical among the first contractors on site, we tend to experience any peaks and troughs before other specialists and due to our diversity and experience, this gives us the opportunity to adapt accordingly. The energy sector as a whole is becoming increasingly busy in the UK with wind turbines, electricity pylons and biomass projects currently leading the way, however, from Van Elle’s standpoint, the oil and gas industry is never far behind and demands commitment to exacting standards and planning for future developments both onshore and off. What distinguishes us from our competitors is that we are the largest independently owned ground engineering contractor operating out of the UK and offer clients the most diverse portfolio of geotechnical solutions many of which are unique. Working closely with suppliers to develop bespoke plant to meet the demands of today’s projects helps to maintain reliability and flexibility enabling real-time decisions to be made throughout the duration of schemes. Regardless of access restrictions, our ability to supply clients with the most effective solutions to overcome challenges in the ground is only matched by our willingness to work collaboratively to meet project requirements in terms of budget and programme. Furthermore, we offer one of the largest and most powerful down the hole drilling with casing advancement systems and have tailored it specifically for the offshore and marine environment.
Offshore Excellence Awards 2015 / 11
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Whilst working in a burgeoning industry, many challenges remain. The biggest challenge facing offshore projects, especially when working around the world, is the logistical aspect of the works. Substantial pre-planning ensures that you are prepared for whatever situation may arise including having backup rigs, spare parts, alternative solutions and the relevant plant at your disposal, helping to avoid delays to programme. It is also essential to select the correct items of plant, best suited to the work site restrictions and the type of works that we are required to carry out. The weather conditions that one may be faced with when working offshore can have a major impact upon the task at hand, again, from the logistics of actually getting to and from the working location to carrying out the operation itself. We may need to adapt the equipment and plant to suit the working conditions ensuring safety and maximum production at all times. There is always an element of the unknown in geotechnical engineering and even the most accurate of sub surface investigations can throw up surprises but establishing details, workarounds and possibly carrying out further investigation when offshore adds significant additional complications. One particularly challenging project we operated on was in December 2014. Here we completed a project off the east coast of the Falkland Islands to drill rock sockets to anchor large diameter steel driven piles into the sea bed for a series of 125t GPS positioned dolphin platforms. Due to the distance and journey time from the UK, planning was of the essence in order that all the required equipment could be dock-side in Southampton within the allowed 3 week window ready for the shipping date. To ensure maximum reliability and efficiency, a full overhaul was conducted on the rig which included modifications so that the machine could utilise a system that was beyond the capability of the standard manufacturer’s specification. The design and fabrication of the drilling system and sourcing of spare parts was also carried out within the same time frame. Once the ship had docked in the Falklands and the site teams arrived on site to carry out their initial investigations, it was discovered that there were serious design issues with regard to the actual tension anchor that was to be installed after drilling the rock socket. Our design team back in the UK, worked alongside the client’s designers to rectify these issues and the relevant changes to the existing anchor were carried out on site. Whilst waiting for design approvals, our site teams worked as part of our client’s team carrying out roles which included lifting operations, cutting and welding, operating plant and other general duties on the platform. This was possibly due to the extensive training, experience and varied skill set gained throughout the years working for Van Elle. Each corner of the 4 platforms had a 1150mmØ circular hollow section leg which acted as a guide for the 1060mmØ steel piles to be driven into the tillite bands using a 36t hammer. Each dolphin then raised up its new legs and was welded into position 6m above sea level to create a piling platform. Once the void between the pile and the leg annulus had been grouted, we lowered the 660mm casing within the pile down to 3m into the seabed and drilled a 610mm DTH at 4000CFM and 25bar up to 37.5m from platform into the granite with a tolerance of only 15mm. A specially designed 595mmØ 40m long anchor pile was lowered to the toe of the void in 2 sections to create the rock socket which once grouted was welded to the 1060mm pile. During the drilling of the rock sockets, we encountered unforeseen ground conditions and other operational difficulties, but due to our foresight in the pre-planning and having taken into consideration all issues that could arise on the platforms, we maintained our client’s programme despite the significant environmental challenges including restricted work area, 100+mph wind, heavy snow and temperatures as low at -22°C. Alongside constantly delivering results, awards such as these are also a testament to our success. Accolades such as the Offshore Excellence Awards enable clients, main contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers alike to share their experiences of different projects, working environments and specific companies. This, in turn, helps to promote alternative solutions to those commonly encountered, new technologies and performance excellence allowing diversity in the supply chain and helping to drive the industry forwards. For a specific business, being nominated or even winning one such award, shows recognition for a company’s devotion and willingness to deliver over and above what is expected and readily available in the market which will hopefully lead to new opportunities. Our professional approach and unrivalled commitment to meeting the demands of today’s projects has hopefully gone some way in prompting our extensive client base to vote for us. Our ability to think outside the box and willingness to push the boundaries when it comes to both operational and design aspects may also have had an influence, however, we believe the overriding factor is likely to be the work ethic of our company and its staff both on site and within the office. Although a renowned specialist in ground engineering and with no immediate plans to diversify outside of this area of expertise, Van Elle are always innovating and looking for new sectors and geographical markets into which we could supply our industry-leading services. The offshore oil and gas industry offers one such environment where we believe Van Elle’s unique approach could add maximum value, reducing programme and costs through value engineering. As has been experienced by the company over many years, we have planned for significant, yet controlled, year-on-year growth and our investments in new plant, precast factories, offices, training and development supports this aspiration.
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Best Offshore Safety Technology Provider
BARTEC Group “It is a great honour to have won this award for Best Offshore Safety Technology Provider and we feel very proud that we have been acknowledged for our work.” Dr. Ralf Köster, CEO BARTEC Group
Company: BARTEC Email: info@bartec.de Web Address: www.bartec.de Address: Max-Eyth-Strasse 16, 97980 Bad Mergentheim, Germany Telephone: +49 7931 597-0
For 40 years, the BARTEC brand has been synonymous with safety in hazardous areas. A product and solutions portfolio optimally tailored to customer requirements as well as consistent internationalisation have made the company world market leader in the field of explosion protection. There are working situations in which sparks should never be allowed to fly! For these situations, the explosion protection specialists at BARTEC Group develop innovative products and solutions. The reason: wherever hazardous substances such as flammable gases, vapours, mists or dust can occur the components and system solutions developed by BARTEC prevent explosions and ensure the safety of both people and the environment. The main customers of the global corporate group include the oil and gas industry as well as chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical companies from all around the world. The comprehensive product portfolio ranges from complex measurement and analysis technology via innovative heating technology solutions to explosion-proof components and systems for automation, monitoring, control and communication. BARTEC products have proved themselves in numerous projects right around the globe. Founded as a one-man operation in 1975, in the subsequent years BARTEC developed into a fast-growing company, which constantly introduces innovations to the market. A number of acquisitions also followed, most recently the acquisition of the Italian-based TOP GROUP, the biggest take-over so far in BARTEC’s forty year company history. “This acquisition is a successful step in supporting the ongoing growth of our group as we continue to provide our customers with even more comprehensive turnkey solutions,” states Dr. Ralf Köster, CEO of the BARTEC Group. Thanks to the acquisition of TOP GROUP, the BARTEC product portfolio has been ideally complemented by innovative technologies such as LED lighting technology for use in hazardous areas. In addition, the product portfolio will in future be completed by in-house, all-round solutions in the field of explosion-proof aluminum and stainless steel housings and control equipment. By acquiring, the BARTEC Group is on track to achieve an annual turnover of over EUR 400 million. BARTEC operates an international sales and service network right around the globe in order to provide international customers with on-the-spot services. With 12 production locations in Germany, the USA, Switzerland, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Slovenia and China together with 35 sales units in Europe, America and Asia backed up by 50 international sales partners, the technological leader in safety equipment is well-positioned worldwide. The world market leader in explosion protection employs an expert workforce of 1,800. Every year the group invests up to 10% of its revenues in research and development. The portfolio has recently been supplemented by two innovative products in the field of mobile solutions: with its virtually permanent connectivity the “Agile X” explosion-proof industrial tablet PC enables access to all databases which technicians in the field require. “Impact X”, a high-end smartphone using the Android operating system, is designed for use in difficult environments with a risk of explosion, while providing the user interface which is familiar from normal mobile phones and even enabling operation with gloves. The “BARTEC goes mobile” strategy which has been launched with these products aims in future to add a wide range of explosion-proof tablet PCs, smartphones and cameras with the relevant software integration, so that the future market for mobile solutions in hazardous areas can be served optimally.
Offshore Excellence Awards 2015 / 15
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Most Innovative Cable Protection Engineer & Best Offshore Product Award
CPNL ARTICULATED PIPE - CPNL Engineering GmbH CPNL Engineering is a family business, established by father, Ton, and daughter, Marloes, in 2009. Together with Marcel - an engineer - the first steps were taken to redesign the CPNL Articulated Pipe. We spoke to them about their substantial growth since then and their views about the ever-evolving offshore industry.
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Company: CPNL Engineering GmbH Name: Marloes Tuk Email: marloes.tuk@cpnl.eu Web Address: www.cpnl.eu Address: Frohland 4, 49733 Haren (Ems) Germany Telephone: +49 5932 71 40 111
After beginning operations in 2009, it took two years until our product was introduced in a cable replacement project in the Dutch North Sea. It took more than a year to make the step towards a complete offshore wind farm – RWE’s 295 MW Nordsee Ost – with 104 cable protection systems. In our business, we work for the entire supply chain with utilities, cable manufacturers, cable installation and diver firms, such as Dong Energy, RWE, ABB and more. The work that CPNL offers to its customers is project specific subsea cable solutions. The core product is the articulated pipe, which is a bend restrictor and a reliable cable protector. Furthermore, CPNL offers certified bellmouths, centralisers, airtight hang-offs, cable crossing solutions, spreader beams with compressed-air release systems and product development according to a concept. From our experience, we believe customers value CPNL for its consistency. When we say yes, we act as promised. Where the market requires a delivery lead time of 26 weeks, CPNL can provide a solution within 4 – 8 weeks (depending on the request). Furthermore, complete offshore wind farm protection can be delivered in 6 to 8 months. CPNL has proven to be a reliable partner in providing ad hoc solutions. We find that the strongest part of our business is that problems are not perceived as problems, and we like to see them as challenges. It is important to keep our products simple to assemble and install, as offshore activities are already complex of nature. By experiencing the installation activities ourselves and hearing the comments from the crew working with the products, we have done our best to make these activities easier. Our focus is on getting it right the first time. The reason why CPNL focuses on doing this is because we have seen quite a lot of cable failures around us related to existing cable protection systems, which are over-engineered to make it fit for offshore use. As a result, these systems have no safety margins whatsoever. As soon as something goes wrong, it gives a chain reaction of issues, which eventually will lead to downtime as power distribution is disrupted. This is the point where CPNL Engineering believes that an adequate assessment and product testing (instead of product demonstrations) serves the project in doing it right the first time. Cable failure is an under exposed, yet crucial subject to the offshore wind industry. The industry constructs a wind farm to last 25 years with product warranties for 3 - 5 years. Once a cable is damaged, the power generated cannot be distributed to shore and ends in a loss of income. The expenses to replace the existing cable for a new one are high, and it is difficult to compensate these expenses after replacement. Therefore, CPNL is in favour of doing it right the first time with 25 years product lifetime with a safety margin of factor 5 under worst site conditions, as second times are so very expensive. Because of the potential for mishaps, the industry encompasses many challenges. There is a discrepancy between what is presented on conferences and practice. Frequently returning subjects are broader supply chain and cost reduction potential. In reality new entries experience restrained access to projects, the reference list is more important than the technical verification and validation of the cable protection systems to be used and the cost reduction potential is not properly used. Furthermore, some parties do not share the interest to extend the supply chain and/or cost reduction potential, as it is not their interest to do so. This is harmful for the industry in general, as short term visions win from long term visions. As a result of the instability in our industry, CPNL has decided to focus on reliability of its systems on the long term. We do this by using construction norms and recommendation practices of DNV-GL, committing to independent testing of our systems at official test facilities and at universities and cooperating on independent scientific research for offshore applications. We do this in cooperation with clients in order to create a certain awareness. The offshore wind industry finds itself on a cross road where it needs to decide what to do with its future. Continuing the way we do now, without standardisation, proper administration about service and maintenance and control on learning curves it has the potential to break itself. Precaution is necessary, as the industry has the ambition to go further and deeper offshore. The industry has already difficulties coping with shallow water installations and we foresee that if the subject “ cables” is not properly assessed, this will lead to more cable failures – as polyurethanes are not adequate for deeper and further offshore – and more expensive cable replacements when it takes the step to further and deeper. For CPNL Engineering the biggest challenge is to separate fact from fiction when it comes to using metals offshore. We understand that suppliers with in-house production facility have to promote what they manufacture. In our case we strictly focus on engineering of the best possible solution. This means that after – thorough research - we decide to use a certain product material to support our end product. In case of the articulated pipe, we decided that nodular cast iron was the best product material. In practice, there are representatives completely in favour of polyurethanes as a remedy for all cable protection related solutions, while objectively this material has serious limitations as discovered in more than 20 offshore wind projects. We beg to differ this perspective as we see divers intervene in difficult sites to replace a cable with high
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risks. The articulated pipe is often compared with polyurethane products in terms of: What are the heat transfer capabilities of your system? What about corrosion? The heat transfer capabilities of nodular cast iron are good, because it conducts heat, whereas plastics isolate a cable and contribute to overheating issues. Corrosion is a matter of correct anticipation on the environment it will be installed in and avoiding galvanic corrosion. In the end, there is no universal cable protector to fit all cables and in all sites. Therefore, we adapt our products to the project requirements and have preselected manufacturing partners to assist in creating the best possible solution. The solution is for us key to success. Cable protection is not a matter of rocket science, but common sense thinking. Our competition tends to focus on product demonstrations, whereas CPNL is fully committed to independent testing, calculations and simulations. CPNL presents the outcomes of these tests as “as is”. A customer deserves to know what it purchases: a product suitable for an offshore project. We are a straight-forward and flexible organisation. We offer potential clients a simple story with simple products that do as promised, with the necessary verification and validation that it will last for 25 years with a safety margin. Therefore, CPNL is the first supplier worldwide with DNV-GL recognition. The products are simple to assemble and have proven to be entirely diverless in installation stage and O&M, as well as a cost reduction contributor for CAPEX and OPEX. One example of the high level service we provide is the 295MW Nordsee Ost offshore wind project, which is the biggest achievement of CPNL Engineering so far. Within 8 months CPNL engineered, produced and delivered the cable protection systems for our customer RWE. In the first round of cable installations the cable protection systems were installed with a different installation methodology. Moreover, it was the first time that the cable installer had to work with CPNL’s system. The installation was – despite an alternative installation method than recommended by CPNL – faster than usual. Furthermore, contingency work could be performed immediately without diver intervention. Additionally, the second cable installation round was planned tighter than the first round and still the cable installer managed to stay ahead of schedule. A total installation time saving was reported of 2 months including the immediate cable replacements without divers. For our customer NSW, we engineered a spreader beam for cable joint activities in the winter period. Such a spreader beam cannot use hydraulics, as this will lead to complications where a diver needs to intervene, and a compressed-air solution as an alternative was considered useful and relevant. Within 8 weeks CPNL Engineering engineered and supplied this spreader beam with lifting gear and bend restrictors to them. Also, DNV-GL certification for offshore use was provided within that time. NSW has reported to CPNL that it was satisfied with how the spreader beam works and has a placed a new order for lifting tools and bend restrictors for their new activities scheduled in 2015. As well as providing top quality service for our customers, these awards also highlight how successful the company has been. We think that the Offshore Excellence Awards provide a highlight of what the industry offers and give an independent vision on organisations that truly innovate and try to make the best possible product to the market. We hope that clients and peers voted for us because we have built CPNL on character and a firm belief that the articulated pipe – and our other products as well – functions offshore as a reliable product. It has been said many times to us that we are too modest about ourselves, but we believe that our actions and products should speak louder than words. We aim to be a committed partner and hope to welcome our customers back after we have delivered our solutions. For us, it is recognition for our effort. The recognition of being named Most Innovative Cable Protection Engineer & Best Offshore Product Award means a lot to us. We have taken a different approach: where polyurethanes currently dominate the market of cable protection systems, CPNL has decided to put its nodular cast iron articulated pipe in the lead for cable protection. The design of this half pipe construction excludes the use of fasteners over the entire length and even surprises us in how strong this product is. In November 2014 CPNL was the first cable protection supplier to receive DNV-GL certification on its systems, but it feels good to be aware of other parties reviewing our product as the best offshore product. Therefore, we are very thankful to receive this award. Each year we experience a substantial growth in projects, and we wish to accomplish a similar scenario this year as well. Currently, we focus on cable replacement solutions for existing systems, cable crossing solutions and support tools for the spreader beam. We definitely see an opportunity for us, based on our product material choices, for future projects that will go further and deeper offshore. With metals there is sufficient margin available to scale up and provide the required protection.
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Best Repair Systems Product: CompoSol® & Award for Innovation in Offshore Asset Integrity
Based in Aberdeen, IMG Composites is a composite engineering specialist company that provides high quality composite repair solutions to the Oil and Gas industry. In their 10th year, IMG Composites and their CompoSol® Brand are delighted to be recognised for 2 respected awards. We spoke to them about their firm and working in the composite repair industry.
Company: IMG Composites Name: Ian Taylor, Commercial Manager Email: contact@imgcomposites.com Web Address: www.imgcomposites.com Telephone: +44 1224 879966
2015 is the year that IMG Composites and the CompoSol® Brand have been independent for 10 years. It was in 2005 that the founders lead a management buyout of a division of a maintenance company to establish an engineering technology company that is now exporting all over the world. Commercial Manager Ian Taylor states; “We are proud of Our Story, which we talk about on our website www.compositepiperepairs.com, as it is a success story for innovation and industry. In our tenth year, being awarded for our expertise serves as reinforcement that our hard work is appreciated by our clients. To the industry as a whole, reputable awards like this enable asset operators to identify the companies they should work with and give competing companies examples to emulate.” Our business is to provide asset integrity repair and maintenance services to industry via sophisticated non-metallic engineering, utilising Fibre Reinforced Polymers. We are specialists that are focused on the application of this engineering, mainly to elements such as pipes and structures, on Oil & Gas facilities. Oil rigs are sites that benefit the most but many onshore Oil & Gas facilities also utilise our repair services. We work for all the 6 supermajors and some of the biggest national Oil & Gas companies in the world. However, services are not just limited to the Oil & Gas industry and we have worked on projects for other sectors like military bases and nuclear power plants. Due to our world leading expertise and technology our clientele is spread around different regions of the world, with Australia being a recently opened market. The strengths of our company are 3 fold: we formulate and control the manufacture of our own high performance CompoSol® FRP Composite materials, we have an excellent level of professional customer service and our engineering capability is sector leading. In relation to the engineering capability in the business, we have design methodologies for repairing high pressure pipes and complex structural scenarios. Winning the award for the Best Repair Systems Product: CompoSol® is not only a testimony to the high quality of our unique material, but also to the other aspects that go into executing a successful repair. The world of composite repairs is one that is not well known beyond engineering professionals, but its obvious advantages has resulted in the service becoming more and more widely utilised. Our specialty of providing composite repairs, offers a retrofit, online, repair that prevents downtime and is often substantially lower cost than a traditional option. This is the essential value of a composite repair and it is why they have grown so much in utilisation since their initial development. Pipe repairs especially present excellent value to operators as pipes can be repaired in an engineered manner without the need for a shutdown of flow, thus operators can continue production. Through developing sophisticated engineering technology for Structural repairs that utilise in-house Finite Element Analysis for design, the economies offered from CompoSol® Structural repairs can often be much more apparent. Logistical and design issues associated with decommissioning and installing a new structure often result in large bills. IMG Composites have recently worked with a client to assess a business case for utilising a CompoSol® Structure innovative repair and the composite reinforcement was significantly faster and lower cost than a replacement. Speaking about the project, Ian Taylor says: “It is great to work with the structural engineers at a client to see that they appreciate the level of understanding and engineering expertise behind a CompoSol® Structure repair.” We have carried out multiple deck repairs, some now having seen several years of service
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As Commercial Manager, Ian Taylor has a global brief but with a focus on the mature European market. Stavanger, Norway, in the background of the photo is a successful market for CompoSol速 repairs.
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without issue. With deck repairs an added consideration of reduced carbon footprint compared to the production of alternative replacement sheet steel has an environmental aspect. On average steel manufacture generates 1.23 tons of CO2 per ton of steel produced, however, sheet steel production generates 4 tons of CO2 per ton. In comparison, the production of epoxy resin generates 0.75 tons of CO2 per ton and beneficial weight to strength ratio of CompoSol® composite materials means this is a not insignificant CO2 reduction for the often large deck repairs. Innovation has always been a key word in composites. The composite repair industry has seen a period of success and expansion over the last decade, which was the result of the dedication shown by ground breaking British companies to develop the technology to carry out composite repairs to a high standard. Individuals in a few key businesses, such as Brian Whytock (Managing Director) and Bob Taylor (Technical Director), worked hard to put together a joint industry working group, committee, association and ISO Standard in order to develop this manner of repair maintenance engineering into a reliable solution. The Oil & Gas operators were involved in funding development as well as participating in perfecting and utilising the technology so that Aberdeen has become a unique centre of composite excellence. As a result, the UK is a world leader in the technology and now a couple of UK companies, of which IMG Composites is one, are exporting expertise to many countries around the world. In the industry, it comes as no surprise that IMG Composites have won the Award for Innovation in Offshore Asset Integrity. After a decade of success, IMG Composites is the forerunner in the industry of composite repairs, providing a wealth of experience and the CompoSol® brand repair systems. We continue to cut new ground with our developments in engineered structural repairs that have been years in the development. The development of this capability to an appropriate standard represented a significant investment in R&D, consisting of the compilation of the best design methodologies for structural repairs from various international studies and the procurement of in-house F.E.A along with the specialisation of analysing FRP. Now our years of work on NDT of composites (Non Destructive Testing) techniques are coming to fruition. Having previously worked in the technical department the IMG Composites Commercial Manager, Ian Taylor, has worked on a project into the research of NDT of composites for years. On April 20th 2011, he organised the first trial day of the IMG Composites ‘Huginn Project’, which involved developing techniques and strategies for pipe operators to be able to inspect pipes repaired with composite wraps, and he has continued to work on this ever since. The challenge posed for IMG Composites is to maintain their significant lead as the high quality supplier of composite repair engineering. Now is an exciting time for our company. Despite our impressive performance over the past months, we are working in an industry where we will continually need to improve for our clients. The current market conditions, with depressed Oil prices, are challenging for the industry around the world. With tighter operating budgets producers must be more efficient in maintaining facilities and integrity. One major way to way to economise is to take advantage of the support of an expert asset integrity engineering resource like IMG Composites. In a difficult economic climate like today, the extra assistance that IMG Composites offer as part of the service, in the form of sophisticated engineering analysis and project management, means that resources are freed up in the client’s organisation to achieve more. We often work on a project by project basis so there is no need to be tied into long running financial commitments in order to take advantage of our support. Below is a 3D model of an oil rig designed and generated to help navigate round the different areas of a rig during onshore planning discussions.
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Best Safety Software Packages
Process Safety Solutions Ltd Process Safety Solutions Ltd (PSS) is an independent, local safety systems specialist. We spoke to them about their company and the many changes facing them in their industry.
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Company: Process Safety Solutions Limited Name: John Stott Email: sales@pssuk.co.uk Web Address: www.pssuk.co.uk
Over the last 4 years we have developed and expanded our team of specialised engineers within the Safety and Control systems industry, during that time we have listened to our clients and reacted to their needs accordingly. As the opportunities have arisen we have been able to offer a wider range of services to our existing client base via complimentary diversification, this has resulted in the development of our Control and Instrumentation engineering business, we now supply these services to a number of Oil & Gas operators. As a safety system specialist, our core speciality is the design, modification and maintenance of fire and gas, emergency shutdown and process shutdown systems to IEC 61508 and IEC 61511. We constantly look to innovative and improve our services which has been a major factor in building our business. We hold workshops, lunch and learns, open days and events, all designed to engage with our prospective clients and peers, which also help to educate our target audience on our capabilities. Moreover, PSS are bridging the gap left in the market by much larger, less agile engineering houses by offering a local, high value, cost effective service. From original construction and commissioning through to decommissioning, we offer lifecycle support, modification and upgrade. PSS is product independent and have gained expertise in many safety and control systems which have been developed over numerous sites, systems and projects. We employ a quality assurance system certified to BS EN ISO9001:2008. Our clients include major operators such as: Total, BP, Nexen, EPC Contractors, WGE PSN, Petrofac, and Doosan Babcock. As a result of PSS Engineering Consultants no nonsense and dependable approach, existing clients have gained the confidence to request our services time and again. We regularly receive feedback confirming that our capabilities and integrity provide our clients with reliable and trustworthy solutions. From our services, we have formed strong working relationships with both local and international leading oil and gas companies, such as Total, BG Group, BP and WGPSN. We believe that the strongest part of our business is our systems and software. What we do particularly well is third party systems support, maintenance, modification and repair. Among our experienced team is our technical director Andrew Thompson BSc CEng FSEng, who has developed numerous safety system products over the years and is an industry expert. In the current climate, it is a challenging time for the Oil & Gas industry. However, we aim to provide a high value cost effective service working with our clients rather than for them. Since we set up in 2010, we noticed that oil companies are much more cost conscious and open to new ideas and approaches from smaller companies. The challenge of working in offshore jurisdiction is finding the right people and ensuring they are safety and security conscious. Due to the industry’s demand to reduce operational costs, PSS recognise the benefits of having remote sites for systems and engineering projects We believe that the key to success of satellite offices is based on employing key personnel and a close working relationship between all of the management and engineering teams at all locations. These offices cannot be allowed to work in isolation. We also believe that where a remote office is more cost effective then these cost savings must be reflected in the rates and charges passed onto our clients. In 2013 we opened our satellite office in Colchester, Essex giving PSS access to a large pool of engineering resources. These resources are engaged in providing local support to the Southern North Sea and engineering effort for both Aberdeen and London based clients. This allows PSS to provide trained, experienced engineering resources cost effectively, but managed and interfaced locally via our Aberdeen and Colchester Offices. Furthermore, in 2014 we opened our second satellite office in Wick, Caithness. This enables us not only to provide additional resource for our Aberdeen based Oil & Gas clients but to also provide engineering services for Dounreay Nuclear Installation, Shetland Gas Plant, West of Shetland and the Renewables Industry. These local offices are what makes us unique, and allows us to reduce costs and operate efficiently. A particular project that displays the high quality service of our company was when we completed the automation of safety system testing for Total using our Process Safety Management suite. In order to maintain a high standard, we employ a quality assurance system within PSS Engineering Consultants that is certified to BS EN ISO 9001:2008. In addition to meeting the requirements of the standard, our quality system is based on the philosophy that the prevention of problems is preferable to rectifying them and attention to detail is the cornerstone of good engineering practice. Our company is divided into four sections: Engineering, Systems, Consultants and Software.
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Within our engineering division we are able to utilise our extensive portfolio of engineers to deliver a fully integrated detailed design service for all Control & Instrumentation projects. Our engineering division can continue our consultancy work from the FEED (Front End Engineering Design) stage as well as taking on new projects where the FEED work has already been developed. Working with our clients engineering and construction contractors, our engineering teams take the project from kick off through to close out. Our team of control and instrumentation engineers, many of whom are TUV FSENG accredited, each have an area of specialism and work together to utilise their wealth of experience. A knowledgeable and pragmatic approach to your problems is delivered through the team’s practical understanding, gained from decades of experience working in the global oil and gas sector. To ensure our team remains experts in their field we run an extensive training programme for the on-going development of both trainee engineers and established personnel. Engineering is implemented and delivered through flexible, dynamic and innovative methods to fit the clients needs. Seamless client interaction ensures we eliminate project cost escalation through improved quality of fixed price, on time engineering deliverables. With deliverables, we offer a full range of Control and Instrument deliverables which including: •Instrumentation Data Sheets •I/O Schedules •Full Drawing packages •C&E Generation •I.S Loop Calculations •Alarm & Trip Schedules •Site Surveys •SIL Management Plans to IEC61511 •Volt Drop Calculations •SIL Assessments •Vendor Equipment Specifications •Technical Bid Evaluations •Procurement & Expediting •Construction Work packs •Commissioning Dossiers •As-building & Close Out At the moment, our company is working on three major projects. These include Thistle Platform engineering and procurement for Gas Import HP/LP Interface Protection Project, ETAP Platform detailed design for upgrade of the firewater system controls, as well as St Fergus Gas Terminal engineering and procurement for utilities F&G system relocation project. Furthermore, we also offer a multi-discipline engineering service in conjunction with our Oil & Gas partners, providing a centrally managed full EPC service covering all disciplines. This enables us to provide all the benefits of a major EPC contractor at a significantly lower cost. With well over 200 years systems experience in total our team believe we are one of the best independent systems specialists in the UK. At PSS we have a clear Functional Safety policy that includes measures and systems we use to achieve functional safety, we ensure that appropriate techniques and measures are in place to ensure conformance with our FSM Plan. All hardware and software modification and design projects are technically assessed, checked and reviewed we also assess the competencies of all staff to ensure they are capable of the jobs and duties undertaken. Regular audits ensure all non-conformances are identified and corrective actions are implemented Winning an award such as this demonstrates that our products are recognised and appreciated. We specifically hold our PSMS suite in high regard as it is the most advanced software product in the safety system industry Our local Training and Support Facilities enable clients to carry out simulation of systems and run scenarios, allowing us to diagnose system failures and faults. Our Support Facilities also allows us to thoroughly validate software before it is installed onsite, providing our clients with a high degree of confidence in our software engineering. We work closely with a number of manufacturers and have a wide range of systems and hardware installed in the Support Centre. Our facilities are regularly used by clients for workshops and training days. Our plans for the future is to continue to provide a high value local service at a competitive price. We constantly strive to set the industry benchmark for high standards with cost effective and efficient systems and engineering services. To achieve this, we have set ourselves 8 goals for the future. •To provide a local high value service, competitively priced •To provide aTUV Functional Safety Training program •Continued investment in products and technology that compliment our range of services •Investment in our business and people •Maintain high standards and professionalism •Continually develop of our client base •Extensive local recruitment and training program •Be a great place to work
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Best for Offshore Dispute Resolution - West Africa
Sory @ Law Name: Thaddeus Sory Company: Sory @ Law Address: No. 4, 2nd Close, Boundary Road Extension, America House, near UBA, East Legon, Accra Phone: +233 (0) 281 06 63 64 Email: info@sorylawgh.com Web: www.sorylawgh.com
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Sory @ Law was founded in 2013 with two partners, Thaddeus Sory and Carl Adongo. For several years these partners have worked closely for Dery & Co., one of the best law firms in Ghana. We spoke to Thaddeus Sory about his firm and the diverse range of expertise they provide for their clients.
Thaddeus Sory Thaddeus has been managing partner of Dery & Co for about ten (10) years. During this period, he played an instrumental part in building Dery & Co into one of the most reputable law firms in the Republic of Ghana.
Currently, we have three associates who are experienced lawyers and two administrative staff. Our clients are offered more specific and expert legal services in the areas of corporate law, investment, banking, insurance, property, employment, conveyancing and drafting, litigation, alternative dispute resolution, chieftaincy, etc, with results being the focus and target.
He is a very versatile lawyer and is a much respected litigation lawyer in the Republic of Ghana. He has conducted a number of cases with success that have demonstrated his prowess with the different branches of law. In the year 2012, he was featured by the well-known Chambers and Partners and was described as “a battle horse” who “knows all his procedures”.
With us, our clients are assured of teamwork as well as: (a) A thorough analysis of the causes and matters the reason for which you consult us, (b) An excellent legal advice on the causes and matters in respect of which our advice has been solicited, (c) An objective advice on your legal problems taking into account your position, interests and risks, (d) An expert services in litigation and alternative dispute resolution to bring the matter to closure, and (e) Advice on the changes in the state of the law in cases where the client is on retainer.
He was also highlighted in 2013 as “a fantastic litigation lawyer,” whose wide-ranging disputes capabilities include commercially significant cases, as well as constitutional disputes. Recently, Thaddeus has been featured in Who’s Who Legal, an independent assessment of the world’s top law firms. He also wrote the Ghana chapter of the fifth edition of The International Arbitration Review which was published in July 2014. Thaddeus has been involved in arguably the biggest commercial disputes in the Republic of Ghana. Some of these disputes were resolved through the standard court process, whilst others were resolved by Alternative Dispute Resolution procedures such as arbitration and negotiation.
Our lawyers have considerable experience in all the areas of law outlined above, having assisted reputable corporate bodies like Takoradi International Company, Metropolitan Life Insurance, Unibank and Ghana Commercial Bank resolve varied corporate, banking and insurance matters.
We are optimistic that our firm will grow significantly over time, insofar as growth serves the needs of our clients. At Sory @ Law, we offer our clients more specific and expert legal services in the areas of corporate law, investment, banking, insurance, property, employment, conveyancing and drafting, litigation, alternative dispute resolution, trusts, estates, chieftaincy, etc with results being the focus and target. Among our services includes: • Antitrust Asset Finance Banking • Capital Markets Employment & Benefits Commercial Litigation • Data Privacy • Intellectual Property • Environmental law • Financial Restructuring and Insolvency • Mergers & Acquisitions • International Arbitration • International Trade • Project Finance Private Clients • Pro Bono • Tax • Sovereign Wealth Funds • Trusts • Estates (Probate & Administration) • Corporate Due Diligence Among our sectors includes: • Communications and Media • Construction • Emerging Companies • Funds • Mining Oil and Gas • Pharmaceuticals and Health Care • Power • Real Estate • Transactions
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Best Oil & Gas Industry Manufacturer
Sub-drill Sub-drill is a manufacturing company that supplies a range of high quality subsea and drilling equipment to the oil and gas industry. They also provide top drive valve and drill stem valve inspection, service and repair. We were recently in contact with Mark Paton from Sub- drill after the business won our Best Oil & Gas Industry Manufacturer award.
Name: Mark Paton Email: mark@subdrill.co.uk Web-Site: www.subdrill.co.uk Address: Sub-drill, Endeavour Drive, Arnhall Business Park, Westhill, Aberdeenshire, AB32 6UF
We are greatly honoured to have been named Best Oil & Gas Industry Manufacturer. We humbly accept this award on behalf of everyone at Sub-drill for the company’s contribution to the offshore Oil & Gas industry. Just to be nominated for the award by one of our customers was a great payback for the team. Many companies in the industry believe that they offer the best possible products and service to their customers but to find out that your customers believe that your products and services are worthy of an award gives us a sense of achievement and confirmation that we are following the correct path to not only serve our customer’s needs and expectations, but to exceed them. Sub-drill was started in 1992 as an Oil & Gas Supply company. The business quickly moved into development and manufacture of Oil & Gas equipment and launched its first worldwide product line SUB-X, wellhead and BOP Gaskets in 1994. Building on the success of SUB-X, the company looked to develop products that would benefit offshore operations and improve the safety of the crews using them. We pride ourselves on developing niche products and services that help to improve our customer’s performance. This includes our DSV Test Stand, MS-V Mud Saver Range and Range of Drilling Tools, equipment and services. Sub-drill’s main customer bases are Drilling Contractors, Oil Companies and Major Service Companies, to whom the quality and reliability of the products and services that we offer are critical to their operations. All of Sub-drill’s Products and services are manufactured in our purpose built plant based in Westhill, Aberdeenshire, completed in 2011. In 2009 the company made a decision to consolidate all of its divisions on one site and invest in state of the art machines and equipment to enable the business to offer industry leading products and services. Our facility is located in Arnhall. Westhill, the Global Centre for Subsea Excellence. Since moving into our purpose built facility we have carried out expansion plans which have seen the addition of extra warehouse facilities and a Coating Plant. This has further increased our capacity to manufacture equipment in the most cost effective and efficient manner possible. We have key stocking distributors in 6 worldwide locations which enable us to best serve our customer’s needs, no matter where they are carrying out operations in the world. It is important for Sub-drill to understand what we do well and also what we do not so well. By identifying areas for improvement we are able to continually move the business forward. We like to invest time in pro-active ideas to improve our efficiency at our manufacturing plant so that we can offer the best possible service, quality and value for money to our clients. This forward thinking attitude helps us to stay ahead of our competitors and to be the first name that our customers think of when they require the products or services that we offer. That said there is only so much planning that can be done. Due to the nature of the industry that we work in, there are often situations that arise and require a reactive approach to solve the issue at hand. We feel that focusing on Customer Service is key to retaining our customer base and keeping our business moving forward in an ever changing oil and gas industry.
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Due to the present low oil price affecting the industry, SME’s like us have an increasing part to play in developing technology and offering good value products and services. We have to consider how development will help the industry to produce lower cost oil and gas for years to come. The role of SME’s can be overlooked and it is important to note the part that they play in a much more challenging oil and gas environment. North Sea production levels have been hit hard recently and companies that were focused on this specific sector must find ways to become involved in areas where production is more buoyant, to ensure survival into the future. In the changing market it is vital that SME’s become more diverse in order to cope with the present challenges that face us. Due to our increasingly diverse range of products and services, we are able to offer a larger range of equipment to our customers that would normally need to be purchased through a number of suppliers. We specialise in supplying drill string tools and equipment for new build, refurbishment and existing drilling rigs. We like to focus on providing equipment solutions that are delivered on time to the specifications required at a lower cost than our competition. The company has retained good equipment knowledge over the past 23 years which gives our Sales team excellent knowledge of equipment, past and present and it also enables us to provide effective solutions to our customer’s requirements. Due to the nature of the products that we manufacture, we are quite often involved in Rig Down situations. These are vitally important for our customers because during this type of situation we must be committed to producing an effective solution in a very timely manner. This is something that we do well and can be relied upon to find a solution to the problem quicker and more decisively than any of our competitors. We know that when the rig is down, our customers need answers as fast as possible and we are here to provide them. I believe that the Offshore Awards are an excellent way for companies to be recognised for their contributions and achievements within the industry, which would otherwise go unnoticed. These awards can either be used as a unique marketing tool to engage new prospective customers, or as a way of recognising the effort that the company’s team gives to ensure the satisfaction of their customer. This ultimately leads to better job satisfaction and increased levels of good moral within organisations. It is vitally important that we reward a job well done. If we can recognise the people and organisations that excel within our industry, we can better understand how our industry can excel into the future. I believe that we have been given this reward for our ability to not only meet, but exceed our customer’s expectations. We like to make their problem our problem to fix. By utilizing a true team effort we achieve the results they need. I strongly believe that if you keep performing to a consistently high level then you become the only choice for your customer. We believe that they have nominated us for the award because when we say we will deliver, we do so and they recognise how important it is to do what you say you will in an industry that never sleeps. Looking to the future we are currently redesigning our website to give us a more attractive online presence and also to showcase additional product lines and services that we have recently launched. We are focused on expanding our international business and raising the awareness of our present product lines but also developing new products so that we can better serve the industry. We see the present challenge as a way to gain customers, with all areas of the industry looking at ways to save money. This can be a blessing in disguise, where businesses are willing to investigate what manufacturers like ourselves can offer, rather than going back to the same suppliers that may have become complacent and who are not offering as good a deal as they think they are. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
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Best Offshore Diving Services Firm
Aqua Tech Diving Services Based in Durban, South Africa, Aqua - Tech Diving Services offers the Merchant Shipping and Civils Industries a variety of different services. We spoke to them about their wealth of experience and the unique services they provide.
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Company: Aqua Tech Diving Services Web: www.aquatechdivingservices.com Address: 56 Dudley Road (Entrance in Manchester Road) Jacobs, Durban 4052 P O Box 35375 Northway 4065 Telephone: +27 (0) 31 301 3631 Fax: +27 (0) 31 468 5403
With the experience of the divers employed with Aqua - Tech Diving Services, we are able to offer solutions timeously to our clients’ diving requirements. Although our Head Office is in Durban, South Africa, this does not limit the locational reach of the company and our expertise. We have also expanded our services into Mozambique in areas such as Maputo, Beira and Nacala. We have also expanded into Mauritius with an office in Port Louis. Over and above the expanded branches, Aqua - Tech Diving Services is able to mobilise to other ports in African countries such as Kenya, Madagascar and Tanzania to assist with all diving requests and their requirements. We have a vision that will extend our network of diving facilities to the rest of the continent’s major ports with the possibility of growing its presence in other dominant Ports around the world. Aqua - Tech Diving Services is currently and has been associated with many small to large firms and we have been privileged to provide diving services for them in and around South Africa. In this regard, Aqua - Tech Diving Services has been asked to provide diving services for pipeline maintenance and inspections. In addition to the pipeline maintenance, Aqua - Tech Diving Services is also involved in providing divers for the maintenance of many dams and reservoirs around the country in association with the Department of Water Affairs, Ethekwini Municipality as well as many small to medium sized private farmers. Among the range of services we provide, they are generally tailored towards either civil divisions or merchant shipping. Within the civils division, Aqua - Tech Diving Services assists in the following requests: • PIPELINES: This service includes pipeline installations, inspections, as well as maintenance and repairs • RESERVOIRS: With regards to Reservoirs, Aqua - Tech Diving Services assist the large corporate plants, as well as the local municipalities in the surveying, dredging and general maintenance in aspect to their: Fire reservoirs; and clean water reservoirs. • DAMS: Aqua - Tech Diving Services is involved in assisting with the maintenance of the State Dams nationally and locally. Diving assistance is also given to those Private Sector Dams. The services requested for the maintenance of Government and Private Sector Dams include, but are not limited to: • General survey inspections of in water infrastructure (i.e. wall sluices/ valves; mechanical equipment) • Inspections for leakages and damages • Installation and Removal of steel structures (i.e. sluice gates; guide rails; new valves) • Repairs and maintenance of infrastructure (i.e. leakages and damages) • Dredging and clearing of silt/debris • Taking of all required measurements • HARBOUR: The Management of Aqua - Tech Diving Services have extended their expertise to include the following scopes of diving work within Harbours: • Berth extensions • General survey work • Repair of the quayside and underwater structure • CONTAMINATED WATER DIVING: When diving in contaminated waters, safety is an essential priority. Aqua - Tech Diving Services has the specialised divers, along with the correct safety diving equipment, allowing this work to be completed. Aqua - Tech Diving Services takes the safety to all involved very seriously which allows successful diving. With our merchant shipping services, aquatech provides the following: • IN WATER SURVEYS: These are split further into Photographic Surveys and CCTV Surveys. Aqua - Tech Diving Services has the experienced diving, administrative and management teams to handle all aspect of the underwater inspections processes. This results in producing detailed reports for a wide variety of purposes. These include: • Damage assessment • Preparation for Sales or Purchasing
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Assessment of Anti-fouling paint systems General Inspections of Hulls, Platings, Welding, Water Intakes, Propeller and Rudder Assessment of general Hull condition and/or damage for classification society approval.
Class surveys can vary in detail and length, dependent upon the requirements of the clients. Aqua - Tech Diving Services maintains a high standard of reporting, whether for general or specific conditions. Our inspection capabilities cover visual with photographic documentation, closed circuit TV and video as well as crack detection and definition. • SHIP REPAIR: This would include the following scopes of work: • Kettle Patches • Crack Arrests • Installation of Cofferdams (Small to Medium) • Blanking of Seawater inlets or Overboard Discharges for in board repairs • Sealing Stern Tube Glands • Replacement of wasted anodes (welded on or bolted on) • Damage repair by means of: Underwater Welding, Cutting and Burning • Taking Rudder Pintle and Tailshaft measurement readings • Non-destructive testing for Plate Thickness • Cropping of damaged Propeller blades Aqua - Tech Diving Services has the teams available and capable to perform and complete any of the above mentioned services. • PROPELLER POLISHING: Thousands of dollars are lost annually due to the inefficiency of the propeller. A Propeller clean is completed by firstly removing all the growth and fouling off the blades. The disc pads are then changed out for polishing pads to complete an “A” Grade Propeller Polish finish as measured by the Rubert Gauge Roughness Comparator Scale. Correct maintenance can reduce fuel consumption and decrease stress on all blades. Propeller inefficiency can be caused by many things namely marine growth and mechanical damage. This can have significant impact on the vessel including: • Increased drag resulting in increased torque • Decreased thrust • Increased load in the propulsion plant at a given speed • Increased fuel consumption • HULL CLEANING: A known fact that every dollar spent on a Hull Clean and Propeller Polish saves the company at least US$8 in fuel. Hull Cleaning includes the cleaning of the following areas of the Vessel: • Flat Bottom • Vertical Sides • Sea Chest Grids • Rudder Aqua - Tech Diving Services has the expertise that has been gained from performing this service on numerous vessels in their working history. Our cost effective solutions and modern machinery are ready to cater for your every need.
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Best Maritime Law Firm - Panama
Arosemena & Díaz Arosemena and Diaz was established as a new Law Firm in 1991. After reshuffling their goals around, based on the constantly changing needs of the Panamanian market and the international community as well, this highly personalised type Law Firm has offered top services to an extremely assorted group of clients, both locals and internationals.
Company: Arosemena & Díaz Website: http://arodi.com/
The roots of this very particular Law Firm were set by three prominent attorneys, who not only practiced within the boundaries of the Panamanian Jurisdiction, providing legal services to national and international companies, but also to multinational corporations, financial institutions and similar enterprises around the world for more than half a century. Arosemena & Diaz is now focused on practicing a high end and ethic strict personalized legal service to our clients, providing, by the same token, any assistance in which our clients demand our legal opinion. Even though Arosemena & Diaz is a young and small firm, the most relevant principle followed by all the members, either partners or associates, is that their client’s needs will always be the office’s first priority. Arosemena & Diaz offers a broad range of legal services, especially those related to commercial matters. Their final commitment is to keep up to date with the constant evolution of the world’s legal atmosphere in order to face, not only the ever changing rules of trading and legal environment presented by the new century, but also to fulfil the needs and expectations of all of their clients. They are a law firm that, with the support of a team of competent, engaged and motivated collaborators, provides legal, integral and innovative solutions for our clients, satisfying in an efficient way their needs and resting on their growth. Lawyer, Cecilia Arosemena states that, “We offer integral legal solutions designed to give an aggregate value and to satisfy the needs of our clients, guarantying them quality, reliable and efficient services always searching for new business opportunities.”
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Best Offshore Fund Administrator
Augentius Augentius Recognised Again…… Augentius is very proud of having been named as the Private Equity Fund Administrator of the Year in Singapore. The Augentius Group expanded into Asia in recent years and has quickly become one of the largest and most respected providers in the region. Augentius’ operations span both the onshore and the offshore world covering the US, Europe and Asia. We are one of the very few specialist administrators that really do have operations right across the globe – from New York to Singapore, Mauritius to the Channel Islands, London to Luxembourg - and our clients use our different offices for administering both Offshore and Onshore funds as well as SPVs, Holding Companies, GP entities, Co-Invest vehicles and the like. Every structure that we administer is different, these days often using more than one geographic location and more often than not a combination of both onshore and offshore locations.
Company: Augentius Name: Alexander Traub Managing Director, Asia Web Address: www.augentius.com Telephone: +65 9114 2366
We have led the way in the development and advancement of the fund administration service. With offices around the world, working on a centralised technology platform, facilitating data and information sharing across multiple locations (as regulations allow), Augentius is an efficient and highly professional global business. Working throughout Asia we meet the specific local requirements of each of individual clients. But we are also able to help our clients in their global aspirations, providing Depositary and AIFMD Reporting services for those that are marketing their funds into Europe, assisting with Form PF and other regulatory reporting to the US authorities and FATCA reporting on a global basis. Gone are the days when an administrator can service a single domicile alone. Funds are marketed to investors across the globe, they are structured using a multitude of domiciles and locations – and as a consequence an administrator needs to have the capability to service the full structure, across all the domiciles involved, to ensure maximum operational and economic efficiencies for the fund, the investors and the fund manager. For fund economics to work, fund operations have to be efficient to meet the increasingly demanding needs of institutional investors; whilst complying at the same time with global regulation. Augentius has proved this can be achieved and is proud of the service it delivers – and even more proud of the acknowledgement it receives from the industry and the awards that it wins.
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Balmert Consulting Execution Solutions Best in Offshore Safety Management - USA 42 / Offshore Excellence Awards 2015
OFFSHORE excellence
Our mission is to “make a difference” by providing supervisors and managers in our client companies the tools and skills they need to send people home alive and well at the end of the day. We might never know that anything we did prevented a specific event or injury from occurring but we can see positive change in our client’s performance. That is good assurance that a lot of people went home safe to their families at the end of the day. For us, that is reward enough that keeps our staff excited and motivated. To hear that some of our peers and clients have nominated and testified to our excellence is icing on the cake.
Balmert Consulting was the vision of Paul Balmert, Principal, as he contemplated life after a career spanning thirty years in the chemical processing industry. He wanted to leverage what he learned from his experienc¬es and from working with and observing the managers and supervisors who were the best at getting great execution and safety performance. The opportunity came to start his management consulting company in 2000. Since then we have grown from a two-man shop to the organisation we are today providing service to hundreds of clients around the world. Our clients come in all size of organisations, from a broad range of industries, onshore and offshore exploration and production, refining, chemical processing, construction, agriculture, recreational products, security services, maintenance services, wind power, mining, heavy manufacturing, power generation and distribution, paper and forestry, and house¬hold products. Their operations are scattered around the world. The most fascinating thing I can say with certainty about all of our clients is that the challenges their managers and supervisors face day-in and day-out sending people home safe are identical, save a few environmental and culture factors. Name: Paul Balmert, Principal Company: Balmert Consulting Contact: V. Scott Pignolet Email: vspignolet@balmert.com Web Address: www.balmert.com Address: 1023 Tangle Briar Drive, Seabrook, TX 77586 Telephone: +1 (281) 359-7234
We have had the opportunity to work with offshore operators in the Gulf of Mexico, Norway, UK and Australia. Certainly the work space is compressed, the weather and sea can be harsh, there are fewer escape routes in the event of a cata¬strophic failure and help is often miles away, but the day-to-day challenges for offshore leaders getting people to work safe are not much different than their onshore peers. You could make a list of those challenges from a to z – accountability, attitudes, behaviour, buy-in, managing change, compliance all the way down to achieving zero. We did and from that list we developed much of what we teach, the practical “what to do” and “how to do it” skills and tools to deal with all of those and more. In 2010 Paul Balmert wrote the bestselling book “Alive and Well at the End of the Day: A Supervisor’s Guide to Managing Safety in Operations” that goes into more details about those challenges. The book is published by John Wiley and Sons. For our classes, great content alone is not enough. Much of our success is a product of our teaching process. Our classes are taught using the Socratic Teaching Method. It’s the oldest teaching technique on the planet, dating back to the famous Greek philosopher, Socrates, who once said “I cannot teach anyone anything. I can only make him think.” We apply that ap¬proach in our classes through the use of questions, problems and case studies that are based on our own real world experience as leaders. Our students routinely tell us “This is the best course I’ve ever attended.” The baby boomers are retiring in droves and there is a whole new generation of supervisors and managers who need to learn the skills of leadership especially around sending their fellow workers home alive and well at the end of the day. What makes us unique? In addition to great content and great delivery, it is that we are a small company that can respond to our client’s need for flexibility of content, delivery and schedule. None of our solutions are shrink-wrapped, one size-fits-all. Why would anyone nominate and vote for Balmert Consulting? One of the concepts we teach is that you can never know with certainty what another person is thinking. So, it is difficult to know what led them to nominate and vote for us. I would like to think it is because our body of work, the concepts, tools and skills we teach, have made a difference sending people home alive and well at the end of the day. We have ample evidence that says it has made a difference. Our plans are for controlled growth to meet the demands and needs of our clients without diluting the quality of the content and delivery we are known for and that we know makes a difference.
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Award for Innovation in Marine Environmental Technology
Scienco/FAST a division of Bio-Microbics, Inc. Internationally recognized for quality products and top-notch field services, Scienco/FAST is an original equipment manufacturer specializing in marine sewage devices, environmentally-friendly cleaners & maintenance tablets, and other industrial water management technologies. Since the first installation in 1969 on board the M/V Missouri Tugboat, these MarineFAST® Sewage Treatment Systems are installed on some of the ‘greenest’ boats and Offshore facilities in the world to provide total sewage treatment, pretreatment, and (in some cases) water reuse opportunities. We got in touch with them about this expansion and how their experience of the offshore industry.
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Company: Scienco/FAST, a division of Bio-Microbics, Inc. Web Address: www.sciencofast.com Address: 12977 Maurer Industrial Dr., Sunset Hills, Missouri 63127 USA Telephone: 314-756-9300, 866-652-4539
Simply put, we feel we offer the best sewage treatment unit on the market. We started in the marine sewage treatment equipment design and manufacture over 40 years ago as part of a towboat and barge building company. Mainly involved in the inland waters during those early years, Scienco/FAST expanded into ocean vessels and the offshore market. Today, thousands of systems consistently operate to keep vessels in compliance with stringent water quality regulations. Our industry at the moment is very competitive. Other technology may use dilution as a method for treatment, but is not a “fully treated” process to ensure that raw sewage does not enter our waterways. The cost of replacing this failing, “less expensive” treatment plant will cost the owner much more than the initial savings at time of purchase. Sewage treatment units are normally located in the lower decks of the vessel, usually surrounded or blocked by other equipment. This necessitates removing several pieces of equipment, and cutting holes in the hull or deckhouse to gain access to the treatment unit. Add to that, the down-time of the vessel, and one can see the added expense really amount to a much larger sum than the original savings. After 40 years, the Fixed Activated Sludge Treatment (FAST) process has evolved into the State of the Art marine technology that it is today. The system incorporates all the proven history and longevity of the MarineFAST® process with better methods of sludge management and storage. The Scienco/FAST MarineFAST units treat both blackwater and graywater, which is required for commercial and inspected vessels operating on the Great Lakes and inspected vessels traveling the globe. The technology manufactured by Scienco/FAST addresses both the organic loading and hydraulic loading without operation oversight. We have units that are well over 30 years old and are still in operation today. We take great pride in our material selections, coating systems, and weld and assembly techniques to insure high quality. A large percentage of our sales come from repeat customers that own or have owned several of our units, and also those that are looking to replace a failing competing unit. One of the major challenges facing us is the rising cost of water. As it continues to increase and the supply of fresh water decreases, the need for reuse or consumption will increase. As a company that specializes in water treatment, we are always looking at ways to best treat water for the applications intended. Another challenge facing us is the documentation. Because of the rules and regulations that the builders and operators of vessels must adhere to, the contract specifications can be overwhelming at times. There is substantial documentation that must be provided on each and every contract. There are also special material requirements that differ greatly from what your standard offerings may be. All this adds cost. To remain competitive in this environment, we have a range of services that distinguish ourselves from our competitors. Buyers are not only looking for the best unit at the best price, but also quick delivery. We have had to structure our manufacturing layout and processes to basically cut in half what lead-times from acceptance of order to shipment of finished goods were just a few years ago. Many models are in stock ready to ship. We take pride in the fact that our Marine Sanitation Devices (MSD) and Systems are installed on some of the ‘greenest’ ships in the world. These Type II MSDs treat sewage from the facilities and help lessen the environmental impact of contaminants to keep the vessel in compliance through changing regula¬tions, including graywater discharges from commercial vessels (as defined at 33 U.S.C. 1322(a)(10)). We have several different models to offer, depending on space allowed for installation, overall weight of operating unit, access for retrofit installations, and price. We are willing to look at any application to determine if treatment can be accomplished with any of our standard offerings or a custom derivative. In addition to delivering the highest quality products and support, Scienco/FAST provides assistance with marine engineering knowledge, solutions for projects, and experience with applications to improve system performance, safety, equipment reliability, treatment quality, and environmental impact of operations. Every system is functionally tested with clean water before shipping to ensure performance and eliminate extended out of service issues. Speaking about the award, Bio-Microbics President, Robert J. Rebori, said: “We are honoured and privileged to receive the 2015 AI Offshore Excellence Award. I would like to thank AI Global Media Ltd, International Publishing Group, for granting us this honour which recognizes our continual efforts and improvement in marine envi¬ronmental technology. I should also take this opportunity to thank every single employee of Scienco/ FAST for their outstanding work and contributions to this achievement.” “We feel that this award is the result of decades of experience to provide the best services to our clients and why our Marine Environmental Technology is considered by Ship Owners, Ship-builders, Naval Architects, and Chief Engineers Moving further into 2015 and beyond, Scienco/FAST will continue to improve and enhance marine sewage treatment units, plus develop additional equipment that plays a vital role in water treatment, whether it be for discharge or reuse.
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Excellence in Electrical Safety Training
Emergency Fire & Safety Ltd As the name suggests, Emergency Fire & Safety (EFS) Ltd is a company that specialises in safety. The managing Director is Kevin Howlette who has over 22 years experience in the UK Fire & Rescue Services, Military and over 20 years’ experience managing business in the Fire and Rescue sector. We spoke to him about their company and the level of professionalism required for life saving.
Company: Emergency Fire & Safety Ltd Name: Kevin Howlette Director Email: kevin@emergencyfire.co.uk Web Address: www.emergencyfire.co.uk Address: 15 Lower Woodlands Ballycarry, Carrickfergus,Northern Ireland Telephone: 0044 7730929207
We specialise in Emergency Stand-by Services with clients from the Power Generation, Offshore (Oil Rigs), Petrochemical and Pharmaceutical and many more. We cover stand-by rescue for the following clients: Harland Wolff, Dolphin Drilling, Scottrenwable Energies, AES Power Generation, Northern Ireland Electricity, Arco (Ireland & UK) ESB, Brenntag Europe and many more in specialist rescue teams. We provide full emergency rescue capability on land, sea, air, bike, off-road, and drone capability 24/7. We also provide consultancy and training to support this sector of the business. We have over 35 Rescue specialist which has a global capability to travel where and when required for your outage projects, we have managed in the last year over; • 160,000+ confined space man entries . • 50 shutdown projects. • 300,000+ gas freed space. • Over 4000 candidates have trained in high level confined space courses, with over 1500 in 2015 at Harland Wolff. • IOSH Confined Space Medium Risk Courses starting in May 2015. • 400 candidates trained in Water Awareness through the UK and Ireland. Our specialist areas are • Medical • Confined space rescue • Emergency Trauma Specialist, • Fire Fighting, • Search & Rescue, • Command & Control, • Water rescue, • Hazmat, • Height Rescue, • First Aid Instructors, As for our region, we are a Belfast Based Company in Northern Ireland and a very proud of the industries that have emerged in Northern Ireland over the last decade. We provide state of the art rescue and care in a very harsh industry. Companies like AES Power Generation, Harland and Wolff continually support the small business sectors in a predominately SME sector. Our big blue chip clients have vision and see the support and loyalty we give them and come back to us time and time again. Furthermore, Belfast is now a thriving industrial city. Some of the challenges of working in this industry include being away from families and loved ones. We also we pride ourselves on our company motto: ‘Safety Education is Wealth’. I saw this in Abu Dhabi about 6 years ago when the His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi put up a poster for the schools saying education is wealth and thought it was such a though provoking comment. As a result, we added and implemented the ‘Safety Education is Wealth’ slogan and intend on carrying this forward We feel this award was awarded to the team, as without the professionalism of the team saving lives and the hard work they put in, we would not have won the award.
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Best for Offshore Company Formation & Award for Excellence in Banking Services- Liechtenstein
Global Wealth Services S.A. Global Wealth Services is a leading, independent offshore service provider. They offer tailor made offshore and trust solutions. We spoke to Count Oliver of Wurmbrand Stuppach to find out more information about the company and how they feel about winning the Best for Offshore Company Formation & Award for Excellence in Banking Services - Liechtenstein awards.
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Company: GWS Consulting GmbH / Global Wealth Services S.A. Name: Count Oliver of Wurmbrand Stuppach Email: info@gws-offshore.com Web Address: http://gws-offshore.com Address: Alte Churerstrasse 45, 9496 Balzers, Principality of Liechtenstein, Europe Telephone: (+423) 384 50 80
We are very happy and proud to have won the award, which validates our work. The highest award, however, is our client’s satisfaction, which is the focus point in our everyday work. We believe that awards like the Offshore Excellence Award are very important. They serve as a quality seal for high quality services and save a lot of time for customers who are searching for and expecting professional services. As a leading offshore service provider, our core services comprise business consultancy and the formation of international business companies. We have put our focus on company formation in the United Arab Emirates, where we are licenced by the government of Ras Al Kahimah to set up both free trade zone companies and International Business Companies (IBC). Additionally, we have a broad network of partner banks and offer corporate bank account opening on an international level. When considering the strongest points within our business and the aspects that we believe we do very well, I feel that on one hand, our professional and efficient customer service is outstanding. We are there for our customers as registered agents even after the incorporation for 365 days a year. We also provide the professional and confidential environment which is essential for the business success of our customers. On the other hand, we collaborate closely with international and well capitalized banks, in order to open corporate bank accounts for our customers without hindrance. The international developments require our team to always be up to date, in order to be able to offer our clients a practical approach. We do not offer outdated offshore solutions, but instead observe every minute aspect of the offshore industry, so our clients can do business in a secure environment and with high banking secrecy. Our work has become increasingly complex with the higher due diligence obligations and KYC regulations. This affects the opening of new bank accounts in particular, due to the developments in recent years. The challenge surely lies in recognizing these changes in order to offer personalized solutions and an optimal business structure for each of our clients. We have a broad network of banks located in Andorra, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, UAE, Hong Kong, Singapore, Latvia, Taiwan, Malta, Cyprus, Monaco, Seychelles, Mauritius and other countries. We are continually expanding this network, so our clients can have a large selection and are sure to find a bank that suits their needs. Finding the right bank is, ultimately, pivotal for our clients and their company. On the other hand, we are convinced that our professional client service distinguishes us from the competition. We are only satisfied if our clients are satisfied. One of the biggest challenges of working in jurisdictions like Belize, Dominica, Hong Kong, the Seychelles or the British Virgin Islands is certainly the intercultural management. There is no patented recipe or formula for working in so many and such diverse countries. We have to be familiar with the general challenges in each jurisdiction and find individual solutions. Recently, GWS has started offering company incorporation in the free trade zone of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) in the United Arab Emirates. This way, we can offer our clients a solid structure for a wide range of business activities in the Middle East, for example import-export. This stands as proof that we continuously try to offer our clients new structures and solutions, and do not rely solely on classic offshore solutions. In the process of setting up the appropriate confidential corporate structures, besides tax and international treaty application, and in the course of bank account opening, our clients can be absolutely sure that they can rely on us. I believe that this feeling of security, in particular, is highly appreciated. We protect their privacy and are up to date with current developments and international tax practices, so that our clients can focus on their business succeeding. Due to recent developments, many businessmen and entrepreneurs not only relocate their companies abroad, but also their place of residence. Therefore, we are increasingly supporting customers who wish to relocate their place of residence to low tax jurisdictions or countries with territorial tax systems. Because the nationality is – except for a few jurisdictions, such as the USA – irrelevant for tax purposes. What matters is tax liability, which is almost uniformly based on residence.
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Best for Global Engineering Analysis & Design Award for Excellence in Offshore Structures & Ocean Engineering
Grantec Engineering Consultants Inc. Company: Grantec Engineering Consultants Inc. Name: Richard M. Grant Email: info@grantec.ca Web Address: www.grantecengineering.com Address: 53 Lakefront Drive Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia Canada B4B 1L4 Telephone: +1 902 835 6982
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Grantec Engineering Consultants Inc. provides specialist engineering analysis and design for the offshore, manufacturing, energy, petro-chemical, marine, and defence sectors. We got in touch with founder Richard M Grant about the history of his company, Grantec’s projects, and his role in advancing safety for offshore platforms through his work with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Grantec’s Richard M. Grant has strove to be at the leading edge of technology since starting his professional career over thirty years ago. He has taken on some difficult challenges. His depth of knowledge and attention to detail have been noted by others. Some of his accomplishments, prior to incorporating Grantec, include: detailed assessment of the safety of a subsided subsea wellhead system following the emergency evacuation of the offshore drilling platform; development of methods for analysis of deep water marine riser systems (then at 5000 foot water depth); independent review of the certification of the first offshore production platform in Canada; review and recommendations leading to the granting of the Leave to Open for the first offshore pipeline to shore in Canada; critical review of the integrity of “certified” offshore platform fire deluge systems, leading to their replacement; and was the engineer responsible for the advanced structural analysis (i.e. shock, blast, vibration, fatigue, etc.) of the Canadian Navy’s Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel (MCDV). He has been called upon as an expert to assess numerous failures including those involving loss of life. Grantec was founded in May 2006 with the goal of providing world-class advanced engineering services with specialization in the areas of structural dynamics, pressure vessels, offshore structures, and ocean engineering. Grantec has provided services as far away as the East China Sea. Some of Grantec’s offshore areas of expertise include: offshore structures; marine risers; subsea, including launchers and receivers; design for resistance to accidental actions; process equipment design; and fitness for service assessment. Richard Grant’s offshore expertise has been called upon by government for the independent review of developmental marine energy converters. In addition to the offshore sector, Grantec has provided highly specialized expertise on a range of very notable projects such as for the design of the Sequoia Detector Vessel for the $1.4 billion Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) Project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. The SNS facility provides the most powerful pulsed neutron beam in the world for scientific and industrial research. The Sequoia Detector Vessel is one of the largest vacuum chambers ever built in North America. Some of Grantec’s other notable accomplishments include the design of the TEXCC Chamber for the Trident Laser Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory, advanced analysis in the area of naval shock and vibration to support the design of the US Navy’s Expendable Mine Neutralization System (EMNS); and development of sophisticated hydrodynamic models for simulation of proprietary offshore aquaculture systems. Grantec routinely employs very advanced technologies such as the Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) capabilities within the ANSYS multiphysics software. Grantec was a very early adopter of this leading edge technology in 2007. Some of their advanced simulation efforts for the offshore sector have been included in ANSYS Advantage magazine articles, the most recent entitled “Raising the Standards” that appears in the 2014 Oil & Gas Special Edition distributed at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston. “We are very honoured to receive these two awards” states Grantec’s Richard Grant. “It is excellent to be recognized for the specialized and advanced engineering analysis and design services that we provide. Further, it is humbling to be recognized internationally for the work done to advance offshore safety in both Canada and internationally.” Richard Grant has been an instrumental leader in Canada’s offshore structures standards development initiatives and those under ISO since 1997. He currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Canadian Strategic Steering Committee on Offshore Structures Standards and represents Canada on several of the ISO offshore structures standards working groups and technical panels. He has made significant contributions to the advancement of offshore safety standards. One of his most significant accomplishments was the work he performed to advance fire and explosion safety for offshore platforms. This work was initiated by Richard after he identified serious shortcomings in both the Canadian offshore regulations and the offshore standards in 1999 and he has worked tirelessly since to advance safety in this area. Much of his work in the area of fire and explosion safety formed the basis of the provisions in revised CSA offshore standards. This work was recognized by the international offshore community and he was subsequently called upon to participate directly in the ISO initiatives on fire and explosion safety. He has since contributed to the authoring of the provisions for accidental actions, including fire and explosion safety, within the ISO offshore structures standards. The ISO standards will improve safety in offshore structures around the world. Another of his notable accomplishments includes initiating and directing, as the Chair of the Canadian offshore welding subcommittee, the rewrite of the Canadian offshore welding requirements. These new welding requirements are published in the CSA W59-13 standard which is referenced by the ISO 19902 standard for Fixed Steel offshore structures. Offshore Excellence Awards 2015 / 51
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Best Offshore Hotel Brands
House of Louis
House of Louis is a 100-year entrepreneurial house of brands with operations in Europe, Africa & Asia
Company: House of Louis Name: Craig Seaman Email: craig@hsvhospitality.com Web Address: www.houseoflouis.net Address: PO Box 68, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 7600 Telephone: +27 21-865 2012
Thank you for this award. It is always a privilege for our Company to be acknowledged by others. We are essentially a wholly owned family business and one of its operations is both the ownership of Hotels and management of third party owned Hotels. One of our brands, HS&V Hospitality Management, provides owners of independent hotels and resorts with turnkey management and marketing solutions that will grow their brand equity and profitability. Our dedication and commitment is based on delivering service excellence to private hotel owners to optimise their hotel investment while being released from daily management responsibilities. Our hotels are supported by a sophisticated infrastructure and a highly experienced management team who understands how to tackle and resolve the core issues of optimizing revenue across the spectrum of the hospitality business. What would you say are the strongest parts of your business? What do you do particularly well? ‘Handmade hospitality’ is the essence of our hotels in the House of Louis – as a family business inter-personal relationships are key to our success. As such HS&V’s focus is on providing a handmade, personalised and authentic experience which epitomises the uniqueness of the individual hotel. In addition to this, HS&V offers state of the art revenue management systems and distribution solutions to our hotels, helping them to effectively yield revenues and ensure market penetration by having a prominent presence in all major distribution channels. What is it like to be a business working in your industry and environment at the present time? In a recessionary environment it is always difficult to own or manage hotels, but as the global economic recovery is moving forward, the Hotel sector is also benefitting. Can you tell us about the current state of the hotel industry? How has it changed over recent years, what have been the biggest and most significant developments and what challenges do businesses such as yours face? The industry remains closely tied to the political, social and economic fluctuations in the marketplace. Worldwide the industry is recovering from the economic downturn and in general has reached levels that surpass 2007. The most significant developments in the industry have been on the technological front, specifically in the e-commerce sphere with the number of online travel agents increasing (and yet consolidating at the same time). The enduring challenge that independent hotels face is competing with major brands for market share.
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excellence
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How does your business distinguish itself in your industry? What can you offer to potential clients that your competitors can’t or don’t? Our focus is on independent hotels and building the individual brands of these hotels. We offer the same management and marketing support offered by branded hotel management companies without the undue costs that are associated with royalties and additional brand requirements which increase the capital and operating costs. Our decades of experience in Africa gives us a unique advantage that is invaluable to hotel developers and owners who are wishing to optimise the opportunities offered by the continent. What are the challenges of working in offshore jurisdictions? The biggest challenge will always be coming to terms with cultural differences. Is there a particular project that you have worked on recently that you believe best displays what is special about your firm? Over the years we have worked on many exciting projects that have drawn on our multifaceted expertise. Currently the most exciting project, which is due to open mid-2015, is the Fiesta Residences in Accra, Ghana. This is a unique mixed use development and the first of its kind in Ghana with the combination of a boutique hotel, serviced apartments, restaurant and spa. What do you think awards like the Offshore Excellence Awards mean, both to individual businesses and the wider industry? Awards recognise achievements but also encourage the recipient to consider ways to do things better - they are a means of raising the bar. Why, specifically, do you think you have been given this award? What about your business do you think led to your peers and clients voting for you? If it’s a particular project, please could you give us some details? We have many fine competitors in our industry, we don’t see ourselves as better but just as hard working. Our focus has always been on the true essence of hospitality i.e. caring for people, whether that is our guests, team or partners. Our hotels have always played a key role in their communities and thus spread the vision and values of hospitality beyond ‘the four walls’ of the hotel. What plans do your firm have for the coming months and years? Have changes in the industry meant you will need to adapt or do you see an opportunity that you can turn to your advantage? We are continuously looking for ways to improve our hotels and our service to our partners. We have a couple of exciting refurbishment and rebranding projects on the cards for the next year. We are also developing an asset management service for existing and potential developers/owners. We have a passion for the hotel industry as it is a multi-facetted industry which allows individuals with a variety of talents to work together for a common good. Each hotel, with its variety of disciplines, is a cross section of society and an example of how communities can work together when there is a common goal.
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excellence
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Award for Excellence in Oil & Gas Flow Computers
KROHNE Oil & Gas B.V. KROHNE is a world leading manufacturer and supplier of solutions in industrial process instrumentation. They were founded in 1921 and since then they have steadily grown into a global enterprise. Today, the business employs more than 3,000 people.
Company: KROHNE Oil & Gas B.V. Website: http://krohne.com/ Address: Ludwig-Krohne-Str. 5 47058 Duisburg Germany
The company says that their aim is to always meet or surpass the needs and expectations of every customer by: • Manufacturing innovative, reliable, high-quality products and services • Employing qualified and motivated people • Listening and responding to our customers’ needs • Maintaining long-term relationships with our business partners • When it comes to process measurement, our level of expertise is unique, not just in standard applications but also for those challenges that • demand customized solutions KROHNE offers supporting products and services for one stop shopping and in industries as widespread as oil & gas, water & wastewater, chemical & petrochemical, food & beverage, power, minerals & mining and marine. As well as offering a wide variety of process measurement instruments, they actually initially invented quite a number of them. KROHNE ranks among the world‘s leading companies involved in the development and production of innovative and reliable process measuring technology for all sectors around the globe. They provide their customers with optimal products and solutions which always meet or exceed their expectations in terms of quality, performance capability, service and design. Regardless of your industry, KROHNE offers you not only measuring and analytical devices for virtually any medium but also the expertise gathered by outstanding employees over decades, providing you with support when selecting devices and systems and designing measuring points. This applies not only to standard applications but in particular to measuring points requiring a custom solution. KROHNE have put these skills that they have learnt along the way to good use, to the test in over 90 years of company history. They make it possible for their customers to manage their processes in a safe, reliable, economical, profitable and environmentally responsible way. That is why many companies around the world prefer to use KROHNE measuring technology and they are very proud of the fact that some of them have been using it for decades. KROHNE is committed to support the customers with excellent pre and after sales service and to guarantee the function of our products by delivering high quality instruments. • • • • •
Start up and commissioning on site Checking devices on site thanks to the KROHNE MagCheck software Repair devices on site Recalibration at the nearest facility (for example Netherlands, China, Brazil) Training for customers at the nearest local facility or on site at the customers facilities.
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OFFSHORE
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excellence
Rostislav Kralik / Shutterstock.com
58 / Offshore Excellence Awards 2015
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Independent Corporate Service Provider of the Year – UAE
SFM Corporate Services S.A SFM is a leading onshore and offshore company formation house who recently won our Independent Corporate Service Provider of the Year – UAE award. When competing with different corporate service providers, SFM was found, through information supplied at the time of nomination and the rigorous research carried out by our dedicated in-house judging panel, to be the most reliable, based on confidentiality, price policy, and customer service. We spoke to them about their company, and how they excel in these areas.
Company: SFM Corporate Services Web Address: www.sfmcorporate.com Address: The H Dubai, Office Building, Office 1602, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE Telephone: +97 1 4 356 2000
We are very proud to have been awarded the title of Independent Corporate Service Provider of the Year – UAE by Acquisition International. We work hard to deliver services to our clients and take pride in what we do, so it feels great to be rewarded and recognised for our diligent work. A Swiss regulated entity, SFM offers a range of corporate services to facilitate the incorporation process in over 20 jurisdictions. We specialise in offshore and onshore company formation and setting up corporate bank accounts for these entities globally. Therefore, we are able to provide our clients with the most up to date information on our industry. As we work on a daily basis with over 20 jurisdictions worldwide, the environment in which our clients are forming their companies and setting up their corporate bank accounts is constantly changing. It is therefore critical for us to remain in the know to provide our clients with current information, along with the most appropriate solutions to any issues that may arise during the process of their company’s incorporation or corporate account opening procedure. Through our Website prospective clients are just a few clicks away from beginning the setup of their entities and corporate bank accounts. We have worked hard to simplify the process of ordering these services across our range of jurisdictions. Potential clients are also invited to chat directly with SFM’s experienced members of staff via the chat functions on our Websites, providing clients with free consultations and invaluable information. Our industry is constantly evolving, which urges us to consistently adapt our services and policies. This keeps us market relevant and ensures that our international staff remain knowledgeable in all aspects of our field. This guarantees that our clients are kept updated of any changes that could potentially affect them or their businesses. With laws regularly being changed or adapted, our industry can be a volatile one. Plus, with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) working diligently to strive for transparency of tax affairs and the effective exchange of information between jurisdictions, this past decade has seen many changes in our industry. However, SFM has always remained mindful of the laws and regulations regarding the prevention of international money laundering and we implement strict risk control procedures within our corporate process. We believe that our due diligence processes are in our clients’ best interests and thus we undertake extensive compliance checks for all of our clients, while still maintaining a commercial appreciation of the practicalities of business. SFM also holds licenses with different risk intelligence companies in order to effectively conduct our due diligence policies, as we remain dedicated to delivering best business practice standards in a lawful environment.
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www.acquisition-intl.com/offshore-excellence-awards
excellence
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Our business distinguishes itself in the industry through many different ways. Firstly, SFM is a member of several reputable associations, which provides our clients with a guarantee that we are fully compliant with laws and regulations in the different jurisdictions in which we incorporate companies. Secondly, we recognise that understanding a client’s profile is critical to making smart decisions for their future and ours. Hence SFM’s professional team follows a strategic process to determine what is in our client’s best interest in order to identify the best opportunities for each of them. Finally, we have streamlined the company formation and corporate bank account ordering process via our Websites. Clients can find the information that they require on our Websites, and if they have a particular question, they can pose it directly to our team through our live chat. This ensures that the client can make clear decisions that pertain solely to their business. We have recently established a new branch of our company that specialises in onshore and free zone company formations within the UAE. With operations being conducted from our Dubai office, we are able to offer incorporation opportunities in more than 15 different zones within the jurisdiction of the UAE . Once clients opt for onshore and/or free zone UAE incorporations, we are able to assist them with the UAE residency visa process for themselves, their families, and their businesses employees. This growth within our company demonstrates our willingness and ability to adapt to the market and meet client’s demands. Prizes such as the Offshore Excellence Awards demonstrate to the industry and our client, the legitimacy of the businesses that are nominated and chosen as the award winners. Additionally, thanks to Acquisition International’s meticulously monitored nomination, judging, and selection process, the prizes are given solely on a merit basis. This encourages healthy competition between business competitors and fuelling development within our industry. SFM has become a reputable market leader, recognised for its company formation services and bespoke offerings. We have likely been awarded this title because we have consistently been able to provide clients with the opportunities to build their businesses upon a solid platform to engage in commercial activities across the world. This is as well as a tap into emerging and developed markets from business-friendly environments. Moreover, through our Websites we have been able to simply the process of understanding and ordering offshore and onshore company set ups and all that these entail, ultimately facilitating the company formation procedure for our clients. SFM intends to continue to grow in the future, with new offices being planned in more cities around the world. Moreover, we will be looking to work with more jurisdictions in order to meet the growing demands of our clients and expand their opportunities. We will continue to work on and develop our banking network to ensure that we can provide the best solutions for all of our client’s business needs. Thank you for awarding us the Independent Corporate Service Provider of the Year – UAE award! We look forward to persisting in our efforts to provide the best onshore and offshore corporate services internationally.
Artur Begel / Shutterstock.com
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excellence
Award for Innovation in Commercial Marine Fabrication & Best Renewable Energy Product & Solution Provider - Asia Pacific
Sika AU – NSW
62 / Offshore Excellence Awards 2015
OFFSHORE excellence
As a specialty chemical supplier and manufacturer for the building and construction industry, Sika Australia prides itself on being technically driven and project motivated. The business is typically balanced between contractors, architects, engineers and distribution marketing through retail hardware. The company recently won our award for Innovation in Commercial Marine Fabrication and Best Renewable Energy Product and Solution Provider - Asia Pacific. We spoke to Target Market Manager, Mark Daniels to find out more about the business and how they feel about being awarded this title. Company: Sika Australia Name: Kristopher Webb – Sales Manager Email: webb.kristopher@au.sika.com Web Address: aus.sika.com Address: 55 Elizabeth Street, Wetherill Park, NSW 2164 Telephone: +61 297251145
“It feels fantastic to have been given this award!” Daniels said of the company’s achievement. “We are very proud and honoured.” “Our brand is very strong within the marine industry and represents quality and consistency. I think it is great that we have been recognised as the drivers of excellence and innovation.” Sika has earned the award for their exemplary work supplying marine sealants and adhesives, but the organisation’s superior products can be found at all corners of transport, including such innovative solutions as acoustic flooring systems and primary deck coverings among countless others. It is clear by speaking to Daniels that he is passionate about his product, but he is also confident that Sika has more to offer their customers than high quality manufacturing. “We believe the strongest part of our business is our ongoing technical support and premium products,” said Daniels, a man whose pride in the product is evident. “Sika endeavours to work from design and specification through to the applicator using the product. We conduct product training on all our products to ensure a quality job.” The company operates a dedicated technical service lab in Sydney, which offers extensive testing for products and applications to make sure everything Sika produces meets and exceeds quality standards. The company takes their service one step further by offering these lab support services free of charge to project customers. Sika has worked through a number of challenges in recent years, including some marine market shifts overseas, but the organisation remains steadfast in its dedication to meeting those challenges and has seen new business grow as a result. “We believe the main challenge we face is speaking to the right people and decision makers. Sometimes the people using the products are not the ones specifying them and making the decisions.” Sika is making communication a priority with people at all levels along the process of specification to manufacture, and all the way through to product use. “It is definitely an exciting but challenging time for Sika in the current Australian marine and offshore market,” said Daniels. “There are competitor brands moving into Australia and whilst we’ve seen some manufacturing work move to other countries in the region, we are enjoying the challenge and evolving to adapt to the changes in the market. I am excited to see new businesses rise and start new builds into the luxury super yacht segment.” Daniels knows the importance of working with great partners, as well. Sika is collaborating with various ship builders on those super yacht builds which involves working closely with top naval architects, fit out managers and applicators. “It’s great to work with local manufacturers to come up with the most cost effective and viable solutions for their projects, especially as the solutions are being driven by our local Sika representatives.” Sika maintains local representation in every capital city in Australia because the company is dedicated to serving each regional marine market individually with their award winning products and services being delivered by highly trained personnel. “This goes a long way to offering ongoing training, technical support and solutions and also offering local advice on product selection, surface pre-treatments etc.” The company deals directly with major ship builders, including Austal Ships, as well as various other valued distributors. Sika sees its current success as a jumping off point, and is looking to keep the momentum going for the foreseeable future. “Our future plans are to penetrate the industry further. We have plans to work further with engineers, designers, architects and fabricators, not only in the new build but also into the offshore refurbishment industry. There are definitely a lot of opportunities in offshore platforms such as oil rigs. We are always thinking bigger and better for the future!”
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OFFSHORE excellence
Best for Project Finance - Offshore Asia Pacific
Adnan Sundra & Low Adnan Sundra & Low are a leading law firm in Malaysia, currently led by 13 partners and over 30 lawyers. We spoke to them about their business and the continually growing Malaysian economy.
We provide full-service legal support and services to our clients, encompassing all aspects of commercial law. Our clients include developers (e.g. concessionaires and licensees), governments and government agencies, contractors, financiers, suppliers and manufacturers. The firm has historically been involved in some of Malaysia’s largest and most complicated financing transactions and it enjoys a very close working relationship with many large financial institutions. Over the past number of years, the firm has established itself as a leading commercial law firm in Malaysia. We have a strong track record in banking & finance and capital markets practices. We have been consistently ranked as a top-tier firm in these practice areas and regularly garner awards for the deals that we worked on. On the international front, the firm is well-versed with legal issues facing the global market and is able to combine its local expertise with a strong international capability. In our industry, we remain busy despite the uncertain global economic climate. As Malaysia’s economy continues to grow, we find ourselves working on a growing number of fast-paced transactions with urgent deadlines. For the past 12 months, It has been a challenging and yet exciting time for us. Company: Adnan Sundra & Low Name: Rodney D’Cruz Email: rodney.d’cruz@asl.com.my Address: Level 11, Menara Olympia, No.8, Jalan Raja Chulan, 50200 Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia Telephone: +(603) 2070 0466
We have seen a number of regulatory changes in Malaysia in recent years, including the introduction of the Financial Services Act 2013 and the Islamic Financial Services Act 2013, the Labuan Financial Services and Securities Act 2010 and the Labuan Islamic Financial Services and Securities Act 2010, as well as the introduction of new guidelines by the Securities Commission Malaysia governing unlisted capital market products. With a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape, we will need to ensure that we have a thorough understanding of these regulatory changes in order to stay at the forefront. Working in a competitive environment such as ours involves providing unique services that separate ourselves from our competitors. The firm has developed a high level of expertise through a practice-focused approach, as a result of which the firm has been able to maintain its dominant position in both the local and the international markets. Through its work, the firm has demonstrated its specialist knowledge and skills, the ability to provide unrivalled expertise to develop innovative deal structures and provide solutions to overcome legal challenges that stem from many complex transactions. Our industry necessitates us to constantly adapt to different changes and developments. In addition to the ability to adapt to regulatory change, we find that maintaining effective communication with regulatory authorities is essential in assisting our clients to comply with the relevant requirements. Being selected for the Offshore Excellence Awards will encourage individual businesses like ourselves and the wider industry to strive for the highest standards in all aspects of work.
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www.acquisition-intl.com/offshore-excellence-awards
excellence
Best Offshore Fund Administration – Cayman Islands
Advanced Fund Administration
66 / Offshore Excellence Awards 2015
OFFSHORE excellence
Advanced Fund Administration (“AFA”) is a SOC I compliant hedge fund and private equity fund administration firm with offices in the United States, Cayman Islands, and BVI.
Company: Advanced Fund Administration Web Address: www.afaservices.com Cayman Islands: Name: Peter Young Email: pyoung@afaservices.com Telephone: 345-747-4232 Address: 27 Hospital Road Cayman Corporate Centre, 5th Floor PO BOX 1748, George Town Grand Cayman, KY1-1109 Cayman Islands United States: Name: Joseph Levato Email: jlevato@afaservices.com Telephone: 908-273-4545 Address: 51 Summit Avenue Summit, NJ 07901
We are extremely honoured to have been recognized for Best Offshore Fund Administration – Cayman Islands. AFA is a SOC I compliant fund administration firm offering a boutique service approach, providing comprehensive and cost effective solutions to all types of fund structures and investment strategies. AFA values each client relationship, partnering with clients throughout the fund lifecycle and beyond to address the complexities and challenges of their business and design solutions that meet client needs. AFA Fund Administration services include fund accounting, investor services, cash management, year-end services, shadow accounting services, FATCA and regulatory reporting, registered office, and outsourced compliance services. AFA Legal Resources provides offshore legal and fiduciary services to Cayman Islands and BVI domiciled fund structures. Services include fund document preparation and incorporation of offshore entities, directorship services, corporate secretary services, virtual office services, private client and trust services, and liquidation services. AFA Advisory Services provides fund managers with assistance in the development of websites and monthly hosting, design of pitch books and tear sheets including monthly maintenance of marketing materials, and assistance with business development opportunities for capital raise. AFA’s client service model is built on a fully integrated accounting and reporting platform, allowing for straight-thru-processing and complete transparency. Our state-of-the-art technology is designed to support our fund accounting and investor service teams, providing a scalable and efficient infrastructure to address client demands. AFA’s Executive Management Team understands every aspect of a client’s business to deliver a high quality service, while remaining readily accessible to address client needs. The financial services industry continues to undergo significant regulatory change, placing additional pressure on clients. Transparency to investors and client counterparties, as well as adherence to varying levels of compliance requirements are critical, and have resulted in clients requesting additional support from their service providers. AFA’s Executive Management Team has over 40+ years of combined experience in the financial services industry, including fund administration and auditing. Our client service team consists of CPAs and Chartered Accountants having previous work experience at fund administration firms and audit firms serving the financial services industry. Working in an offshore jurisdiction however, does not come without its challenges. The consistent policy changes by the G20 group of countries, and other regulatory bodies such as the OECD and FATF, have significantly increased the expected output by offshore fund administrators. As a result of these policy changes, clients are experiencing increased compliance costs, which in turn places additional pressure on fund administration fees and their ability to charge for these additional outputs. AFA’s dynamic approach in offering clients a turnkey solution reduces the overall cost to our clients when compared to using several third party service providers. AFA recently launched its Emerging Manager Platform (both US Onshore and Cayman Offshore) to offer early stage fund managers a comprehensive and cost effective turnkey solution, providing the necessary infrastructure to support new fund launches while minimizing fund start-up costs. Fund managers receive a high quality service from top tier SOC I compliant service providers at significantly reduced fees. Services on the platform include legal, prime brokerage, fund administration, cash management, advisory, audit & tax, and compliance. Receiving an Offshore Excellence award further strengthens our position in the financial services industry as a recognized service provider, and differentiates AFA from its competitors. In today’s heightened regulatory and compliance environment, being selected as Best Offshore Fund Administration – Cayman Islands, in conjunction with our SOC I certification, provides additional comfort to clients and investors conducting due diligence on our firm.
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OFFSHORE excellence
Most Innovative Rig Personnel Training Course
Auriga Training Auriga Training is a training consultancy company for the global drilling industry. They have 30 years’ experience in the global drilling industry, with more than 20 of those years spent specialising in the training and development of personnel at all organisational levels and from all parts of the world. We recently spoke to Dave Cormack, from Auriga Training after they won our Most Innovative Rig Personnel Training Course award.
Our business is primarily aimed at helping drilling contractors get their crews through the bi-annual well control certification that certain job disciplines are required to do. Our strength lies in our very deep understanding of training drill crews across the globe and our ability to get that training across in a way that is both understandable and meaningful to drill crews. Our flagship product, The Roughneck’s Guide to Drilling Calculations, is not only easily understood and liked by drill crews, but is also company friendly in that it can be distributed and used in a number of different ways. Once bought is licensed forever giving not only real flexibility in how it is distributed, but also real value for the training budget. I’m guessing that some of our clients have stated how beneficial The Roughneck’s Guide to Drilling Calculations has been to their crews. The immediate effect on the individual crew members will have been an easier passage through well control school. The knock on effect for the company will have been better prepared and more confident crews, which in turn helps with safety and productivity. Company: Auriga Training Limited Name: Dave Cormack Email: dcormack@aurigatraining.co.uk Web Address: www.aurigatraining.co.uk www.roughnecksguide.com Address: Aberdeen, Scotland Telephone: +44 (0)7795 621 258
Our next target is to try and break the large US onshore drilling market and hopefully the recognition from industry that this award demonstrates will make entry into that market a little easier.
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OFFSHORE
www.acquisition-intl.com/offshore-excellence-awards
excellence
Best Offshore Anodes Producer
BAC Corrosion Control A/S
70 / Offshore Excellence Awards 2015
OFFSHORE excellence
Company: BAC Corrosion Control A/S Website Address: http://www.bacbera.dk Address: Faeroevej 7-9 DK-4681 Herfoelge, Denmark Phone: +45 70 26 89 00 Fax: +45 70 26 97 00
After being nominated by clients and other companies for the award of Best Offshore Anodes Producer, AI Global Media looked into their business and at their competitors to find out more. BAC Corrosion Control was then shortlisted for the title after research was completed. The history of BAC Corrosion Control A/S dates back to the year 1902 when the Danish company Poul Bergsoe & Son A/S was founded. In 1956 Bergsøe Anti Corrosion (BAC) was formed in Den mark with sister companies in Great Britain and Sweden, specializing in the production of zinc and aluminum anodes for the marine industry. In 1992 BAC Corrosion Control became part of Midroc Europe. In 2002, the Danish BAC Corrosion Control A/S was bought by Christian Thomsen and became an independent entity. In 2004 a French affiliate was established in Paris, and in 2006 the UK foundry Impalloy Ltd. was acquired. The extensive product portfolio comprises hull anodes, tank anodes, shaft anodes, iron anodes, ICCP systems, shaft grounding systems, anti-fouling solutions for water-cooling systems, harbour anodes and monitoring equipment, offshore platform anodes and bracelet anodes, pin bracing equipment and many more advanced cathodic corrosion protection solutions. The company is equipped with a modern plant with ample capacity to meet all customer orders at the shortest notice. We have two of each type of machine in order to be able to deliver on time even with breakdown of equipment. The product portfolio includes anodes from a mere 15 g to 500 kg for larger applications such as off- shore platforms, windmill farms or pipeline structures. We are also able to deliver our patented cadmium-free zinc anode, a ‘green’ anode which is more environment-friendly than conventional zinc anodes. All products designed and manufactured by BAC Corrosion Control A/S have the same goal: to protect metal objects against corrosion and thus ensure their trouble-free lifetime operation– be it a ship or a construction. From Denmark, BAC Corrosion Control A/S ships 80% of its high-quality corrosion protection systems abroad. Today, BAC Corrosion Control A/S is one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of sacrificial anodes and BAC Corrosion Control A/S (BAC), is a market leader in Cathodic Protection, providing a full range of products and services in the sector of cathodic protection, from pre-installation designs, survey activities and installation testing to commissioning surveys, maintenance services and inspection programs.
BAC Corrosion Control Ltd (BAC), has recognised the importance of being able to offer clients truly international products and services. BAC Corrosion Control A/S is represented in several countries worldwide and serves a broad variety of industrial sectors, including the oil and gas industry, power stations, the marine and offshore sectors, offshore wind sector as well as diverse industrial customers. These representatives are backed up by our Engineering Services, Products and Technical Development Departments. Sea water is a very aggressive opponent which can quickly cause very extensive damage. In the event of complex installations, costs for repair may run into huge amounts of money. And sea water often has natural access to places where you would not imagine it could go. Corrosion control and protection can be provided in several ways, but in most cases the use of sacrificial anodes will be preferable. Correctly performed corrosion protection by sacrificial anodes is designed so as to be very durable, often in the entire usual life of the protected vessel, installation or component. However, requirements in relation to the supplier and their base of experience, quality control and capacity to deliver are high. Everything can be protected On the whole, there are not many limits to what can be protected by corrosion protection correctly made by means of sacrificial anodes. From pumps and pipe systems to containers and vessels of any type and size, to protection of offshore wind turbines and production equipment for sea based research and oil and gas extraction - and even the largest ports. Sacrificial anodes may be designed and produced for any purpose Irrespective of the variations in shape, size or complexity of the item to be protected, there is corrosion protection with sacrificial anodes. BAC Corrosion Control (BAC) or their sister company Impalloy Ltd. can supply sacrificial anodes for all purposes, each anode having a weight from 15 g to 600 kg. with extensive experience in bracelets for pipes and platform anodes. With offices and cooperative partners in many places in the world, expertise, advice or products are readily available. Also, with more than 50 years of expertise, BAC specialises
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Our Services OFFSHORETAX.RO offers professional services in incorporation of offshore and onshore companies with a favorable tax regime in most jurisdictions, fiscal planning, financial consultancy and opening of bank accounts. Liberty Avenue, no. 22, block 102, scale 4, 3rd floor, District 5, Bucharest, Romania Phone: 004031.408.21.75; Mobile: 0040751.385.929 E-mail: office@offshoretax.ro
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Offshore e-commerce, include integrated solution: offshore companies, bank account, implementation of payment method
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Virtual office, external office, address, external phone number and fax, with redirection possibility, divert calls
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Definitions, explanations of specialized terms in order to understand the phenomenon of offshore
OFFSHORE excellence
in a large number of other protection assignments, such as shaft grounding, which effectively and easily protects against galvanic corrosion between hull, bearings and propeller shaft. BAC ensures that all equipment and materials are obtained and supplied according to specific customer requirements with close monitoring of the potential and subsequent capacity of the anode needed to ensure it will operate properly once installed. The company use modern and advanced analysis techniques such as vacuum emission and atomic absorption spectrometry for quality assuring raw materials and for ensuring the chemical composition of the final products. BAC can supply anodes according to the specifications from recognized societies such as DNV, NACE and Norsok – as well as to any customer specifications. Choose the right quality When selecting a supplier of corrosion protection, there are a number of factors which will necessarily determine the choice if you want optimum protection of your investments - and the wrong choice may be disastrous. Production of sacrificial anodes based on aluminum and zinc is a delicate process, and many things can go wrong if the manufacturer is not in full control of all production processes and able to exercise very precise quality control and management throughout all stages. If e.g. the iron content is too high (variations in the ppm range), the anode will lose its capacity and thus its capability of providing optimum protection. BAC has supplied corrosion protection to both the French and American naval forces: Marine National (“La Royale”) and the US Navy as well as a very large number of businesses in the oil and gas industry globally. BAC casts a number of patented special products under licence for French DCNS (Direction des Contructions Navales Services), which has supplied naval vessels to the French navy for many years. As the only one in the world. BAC is represented in the CEN/ TC219 WG3 European Committee for standardization of cathodic protection.
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Best in Offshore Outsourcing Consultancy – Philippines
Clegg & Mopitt In the face of mounting protest by pressure groups on tax avoidance Clegg & Mopitt would like to repeat their suggestion of the last 8-9 years. Do not go offshore to some struggling tax haven when you can get better benefits from onshore service providers. We spoke to Clegg and Moppitt’s Martin Taylor for more.
Email: ask@clegg-mopitt.global Website: www.clegg-mopitt.global
You simply do not need to get mixed up in the offshore world when you can legally get the better benefits onshore in jurisdictions like Australia, England, Philippines, Hong Kong, Scotland and USA with Clegg & Mopitt. Your business will be respected more and will attract less adverse attention than it might if you go the “tax haven” route. Benefits Structured correctly you will enjoy the same benefits that you might get in a tax haven, and importantly, the price will be right. Additionally, in these solid jurisdictions you:• Will find it easier to open a bank account • Will find it easier to borrow clean money • Will find it easier to obtain credit from suppliers • Can expect a much wider choice of suppliers, buyers and service providers • Can enjoy lower all round prices due to economy of scale and greater competition • Will enjoy better, more complete services with legal protection from the law of the land • Could with the right choice pay less tax, or even no tax at all You need not sacrifice privacy by using the right nominees for the job. Ensure that you are legally avoiding tax (avoiding is legal) rather than evade tax (evasion is illegal) by running your plan past your professional adviser. Be entirely open and discuss your plans in some detail. Increase your return on equity Philippines is well known for its suitability in offshore outsourcing. Clegg & Mopitt has ready access to a pool of well educated and qualified staff and specialize in doing back office work for clients as efficiently as the clients but at a lower cost. When you add savings in your overheads, leading to a reduction in capital costs, you will soon wonder why you did not outsource earlier. The Philippines has a well educated workforce and a shortage of work for them locally. Many go overseas to seek out alternative income. In addition, most overheads cost substantially less. This is why you can benefit.
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Client’s Choice for Banking and Finance Services – Switzerland
Croce & Associés SA CROCE & Associés SA is a Geneva based firm of international lawyers. The company mainly focuses on the fields of commercial, financial and business law. We are proud to award this business with our Client’s Choice for Banking and Finance Services – Switzerland award. We spoke to Lorenzo CROCE, partner of Croce & Associés SA to find out how they feel about winning the award and gain more information on the company.
Company: CROCE & Associés SA Name: Lorenzo CROCE Email: info@croce-associes.ch Web Address: www.croce-associes.ch Address: rue des Alpes 7, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland Telephone: +41 (0)22 906 85 00
We are delighted to have been nominated for this award among all our competitors. We feel we have won because we have striven to find pragmatic and innovative solutions to the competitive challenges facing business today. CROCE & Associés SA is a leading business law firm. We have offices in Geneva, London and Singapore. It is part of CROCE & Associés Group, a multi-family office which includes two wealth management companies (Geneva and Singapore) and a New Zealand-based trust company. The firm offers a wide range of legal services to private individuals, financial institutions, industry and commerce, placing a strong emphasis on providing clear, concise and practical advice. CROCE & Associés SA uses its vast experience in the areas of banking law and company law to assists corporations at all stages of their development. The firm advises on formation of companies, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, shareholders agreements, investment and cross border transactions. The company also offers its private clients the full range of “family office” services including wealth management, estate planning and legal advice on work and residence permits in Switzerland, London and Singapore. With over 30 years of experience assisting clients from around the globe, we have today the ability to anticipate and satisfy the rapidly changing needs of business, both nationally and internationally. The abolition of bank secrecy has created a paradigm shift for the Swiss financial centre. This trend will continue with the automatic exchange of information starting from 2018. Our mission today is to advise clients on the various options of how to regularise their assets and assist them in the voluntary disclosure procedure before the tax authorities. The financial and economic crisis has shown that people want to diversify their investments across the world. With offices in Geneva, London and Singapore, CROCE & Associés SA provides its clients with comprehensive knowledge of local markets and regional expertise. We offer European investors looking to move into Asia or set up a business there prompt and intelligent guidance in their choices and make them aware of local specificities. On the other side, Asian investors benefit from our in-depth knowledge of the various European markets to maximize their investments, this ia an area in which we excel. In the last few months we have worked intensely on the US programme for Swiss banks as well as FATCA. Through this time we have gained a vast experience in this area.
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Best for Offshore Due Diligence - UAE
Diligence Management Consultants Diligence Management Consultants are the primary risk and crisis management consultants for numerous international organisations in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. They guide their clients to make the right decisions to grow their businesses and safeguard their people, assets, and reputation.
Company: Diligence Management Consultants Web Address: http://diligence.ae/ Address: PO Box 487177, Dubai, UAE
With over forty years combined experience in emerging markets, the business has the experience, knowledge, expertise, and resources that their clients need and trust. With consulting, investigative and research capabilities they mitigate the myriad of physical, information and regulatory risks clients across the region. Diligence Management Consultants advises and supports organisations with people, assets, and operations across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. Starting with market entry, our guidance and services appropriately mitigate our clients’ risks and address their regulatory and compliance concerns. They provide advisory and consulting services, including risk and crisis management, personnel and asset protection, and business continuity. For their many clients across the region, they also conduct due diligence and fraud investigations and provide business intelligence, risk reporting, and bespoke research and analysis. Meshing with their clients’ daily operations and projects, they are able to provide appropriate advice and services, enabling them to conduct business successfully in the complex, often unpredictable, markets of the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. The senior management and consultants within the business have accumulated more than forty years international experience in finance and risk management, compliance, security and risk consulting, investigations, corporate security management, military special operations, and with a variety of security forces. Additionally, they have widespread applied experience in security operations and systems, crisis management, and business continuity planning. Having previously established and managed the Middle Eastern and South Asian offices of international risk management and security companies; speaking English, Arabic, Urdu, and Pashtun; intimately understanding the region’s interrelated cultural, political, and business dynamics; they are recognised professionals with demonstrated records of achieving goals and delivering value to their clients in multiple cultures and challenging environments. Prior to establishing Diligence, the team at Diligence Management Consultants have served as country and service line managers with risk management and security companies based in the Middle East and Asia; senior consultants with leading providers of management and technology consulting services to the US government in defence, intelligence, and corporate security managers for an Asia-Pacific IT/communications service provider, a global investment bank, and a global automotive manufacturers.
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Best for Hedge Fund Administration
Equinoxe Alternative Investment Services (Mauritius) Limited Equinoxe is a premium Alternative Investment service provider founded in 2005 by experienced hedge fund administration professionals. We spoke to Irfaan Hossany, Director of Equinoxe Mauritius after their Company won our award.
Company: Equinoxe Alternative Investment Services (Mauritius) Limited Name: Irfaan Hossany, Director of Equinoxe Mauritius Email: ihossany@equinoxeais.com Web Address: www.equinoxeais.com Address: 12th Floor | Raffles Tower | 19 Cyber City | Ebene | Mauritius Telephone: +230 468 1291
Mr Hossany outlined: “We are thrilled to be recognized as best for hedge fund administration by Offshore Excellence Awards. “At present we have headquarters in Bermuda, with offices in Bermuda, Ireland, Atlanta, Mauritius, Malta and Singapore. We are a full service Alternative Investment fund administration company, currently servicing 195 funds across a diverse range of strategies in hedge funds, private equity and pension funds.” “Our Fund Administration services include advisory services, NAV calculation, shareholder servicing, financial report preparation, audit coordination and liaison, Director Services, Corporate Secretarial Services, tax preparation services and performance reporting. “Our Middle Office support includes a range of activities between execution and settlement of the trade. Including daily P&L services: trade capture, income/expenses, cash and position reconciliations, corporate actions, pricing and valuation, daily reporting, NAV reporting, NAV reconciliations as well as performance reporting.” Equinoxe’s service model is customised, with one primary point of contact for each manager. This differentiates them from the larger administrators, who have a functionalised service model with multiple teams in different locations, focusing on different parts of the administrative process. The service teams are in the time zone of the client, making it easy for contact with a person who understands every aspect of the client’s business. Furthermore, this service model is overlaid on top of an institutional technology infrastructure, utilising robust procedures documented with a SOC1 report. Mr Hossany continued: “The industry is undergoing a raft of new regulation which puts significant pressure on the clients who, in turn are looking for more support from their service providers.” “Our management has had extensive experience of setting up and servicing funds. From the take on of new clients, which have extensive management resources dedicated to them, to daily servicing by highly experienced account managers.” Equinoxe has recently launched a new product offering known as Equinoxe Solutions to help managers evaluate their back, middle office and technology requirements and assist with implementation, as well as outsourcing certain activities. We have been doing a lot of work with Calypso, implementing and installing the platform to provide managers with an institutional grade platform in a short space of time. The manager can decide whether certain processes should be outsourced with others being kept in house for client specific reasons. Straight through processing and automation are increased with the use of this platform and help provide more control and oversight. Offshore excellence awards endorse our position in the market as a recognized leading service provider and give comfort to those performing due diligence upon us. The firm has built out a global platform with its 7 offices, enabling our clients to add products in different jurisdictions, understand changes happening in different regions and be serviced in their time zone servicing over $20 billion in assets, whilst having the strength of a significant global organisation at hand.
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Award for Excellence in Wind Turbine Technology
FT Technologies Ltd FT Technologies specialises in the design and supply of high performance Acoustic Resonance air flow sensors to wind turbines and meteorological applications. They spoke to us about the intricacies of their products as well as the opportunities and challenges facing them in their industry.
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Company: FT Technologies Ltd Email: sales@fttech.co.uk Address: Sterling House 18 Church Road Teddington Middlesex TW11 8PD England Telephone: +44 (0)20 8943 0801
We are very pleased to receive this award as we think it recognises 10 years of hard work and success developing the world’s toughest wind sensor. Our ultrasonic wind sensors are small, rugged and reliable, operating in the harshest of environments, yet delivering high levels of data availability, consistently, for years at a time. Without doubt, we are the market leader in the offshore wind energy sector as more than 70% of all offshore turbines in the world are fitted with an FT sensor. Our company was established 35 years ago but for the past 12 years we have been focusing on developing wind sensors for the control of utility-scale wind turbines. We do all our design and manufacture in the UK, in our factory in west London, and are particularly proud of the fact that 99% of our products are exported. Our success over the decade has enabled us to more than triple in size. We now have over 55 employees and are having to look for new, larger premises. Key to our success is the reliability of our products. Our customers demand high levels of performance and data availability in a sensor which does not require regular maintenance or calibration. Our sensors are basically computers and, once they are on top of a wind turbine, they get no service and yet still have to have to deliver an accurate measurement, five times every second, for years on end. Life on the back of a wind turbine is pretty hard and the wind sensor has to survive 300 foot up in the air in the middle of the North Sea, or in a snow storm in Kansas, and it has to keep on working. What makes FT wind sensors unique is our use of Acoustic Resonance Technology. Invented by our Executive Chairman, Dr Savvas Kapartis, and patented in 1997, Acu-Res® is a solid-state (no moving parts) technology for measuring wind speed and direction. It uses an acoustic (ultrasonic) wave which is resonated inside a small cavity. Using Acu-Res® technology results in a small, easily heated sensor which operates reliably, even under extreme weather conditions. Our latest news is that we are just about to launch a new product range, the FT7-Series. In response to our customers’ demands, these new sensors will have a higher wind speed range, reading up to 75 metres per second, as well as improved accuracy. With these technical enhancements, the FT7-Series of products will enable us to enter new markets, specifically general meteorology and weather systems at sea. There are many buoys deployed around the world to capture wind data and our sensors, being corrosion-resistant, are ideally suited to this application. Rolls Royce already use our sensors in marine navigation. There are FT sensors at the top of some of the world’s tallest buildings, on portable weather stations used to chase hurricanes and along the test track of the Maglev train in Japan. FT sensors were chosen by the Bloodhound SSC Engineering Team as ideal for use in the dusty environment of the Hakskeenpan in South Africa where the Bloodhound Supersonic Car will attempt to break the world land speed record and travel at 1,000mph in 2016. With our new products coming to market, we are also looking at expanding into new geographies. Brazil, for example, is aggressively developing wind energy. Our sensor has an advantage there because it is resistant to heavy rain, to lightning and to salt in the atmosphere which is a big problem in the coastal districts of Brazil. Similarly, we believe there may be applications in South Africa where dry, dusty environments are very damaging to mechanical wind sensors. The FT7-Series, with its high resistance to dust, sand and solar radiation will provide excellent wind speed and direction measurements in these harsh environments. Over the last 10-12 years the wind energy industry has grown significantly, both in volume and in the size of the individual wind turbines. When we first started manufacturing, wind turbines would typically be 700 or 800 kW. They are now typically 2 or 3 MW on land and up to even 7 or 8 MW offshore. The wind industry has grown but it has also changed dramatically. Whereas it was, essentially, a European and North American industry, the position now is that 45-50% of all wind turbines are installed in China. Also, wind energy has now achieved ‘grid parity’ meaning that it has become a competitive source of energy. In parts of the US and Europe, it is now as cheap to make wind energy as it is to make energy from fossil fuel. In fact, in many places around the world, wind energy is the most popular choice of new energy installation. The future for wind energy, and for FT Technologies, is bright. The United States has pledged to generate 35% of its energy from wind by 2050, currently only 4% comes from wind. China is installing 10,000 wind turbines every year. Wind turbines are getting larger and therefore manufacturers are increasingly demanding a quality wind sensor that will minimise their downtime and keep their turbines turning. If you hadn’t heard it before, in our industry, wind is money.
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Award for Excellence Offshore Compliance Software
Integrum is a fully integrated Quality Health Safety Environment (QHSE) Risk and Compliance management system solution, rich in functionality and highly configurable. Beven Schwaiger, Chief Executive Officer, explains how it feels to have been named Offshore Focused Software Solution of the Year.
Name: Beven Schwaiger Company: Integrum Telephone: +61 2 9663 1004 Website: www.integrumsystems.com
Today, Integrum is a mature 8th generation application with in excess of 250,000 users across more than 40 countries. Integrum possesses a range of unique features and functionality that is not available in other compliance software applications. As well as being OGP compliant, Integrum conforms to International Standards including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, AS/NZS 4801, ISO 31000 and ISO 22000. In addition, Integrum also includes a fully integrated ‘world-class’ business intelligence capability, providing rich reporting & dashboard capability as well as revolutionary mobile analytics and collaboration tools that are simple and intuitive. Our clients include large industry (Fortune 500), such as Energy, OGP, Shipping, Manufacturing, Engineering, Utilities, Aviation, as well as small to medium sized operations across all sectors. Chief Executive Officer, Beven Schwaiger, explains the unique challenges and opportunities working offshore presents. “The remoteness of the worksites and connectivity issues provide challenges in providing web based software solutions for the offshore sector. The uniqueness of the integrum solution to fully operate offline on Windows based devices has given us a significant competitive edge in the offshore market. The highly configurable nature of the system means all types of sectors can utilise, configure and deploy the integrum system without massive customisation required.” Schwaiger continues to describe how it feels to be awarded the prestigious title of Offshore Compliance Software Solution of the Year. “We are very honoured to have been named Offshore Compliance Software Solution of the Year. “Our success is largely due to the ability for the offshore industry to operate our web based system fully offline with simple synchronisation back to head office. This is highly attractive for the offshore industry, together with rapid deployment and first class global support of our solution. “Awards such as this are important, as recognition of Integrum’s achievements and progress we have made and continue to make in the various industry sectors in which we operate.” Integrum have offices located in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Netherlands, UAE Qatar, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Colombia, and the USA.
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Best in Maritime Law – Singapore
Joseph Tan Jude Benny LLP (JTJB) Joseph Tan Jude Benny LLP (JTJB) is a full service law firm particularly known for their Shipping and Admiralty Expertise. The firm is a prominent part of the legal landscape in Singapore with an international clientele and reputation. We recently spoke to K Murali Pany, Managing Partner of the firm after they won our award for Best in Maritime Law – Singapore. We are very pleased to be awarded Best in Maritime Law – Singapore by Acquisition International. The award attests to the quality of the service we provide our clients. Joseph Tan Jude Benny LLP (JTJB) was formed in 1988 by the merger of the practices of Joseph Tan and Jude Benny. While we are today a full service firm, we are particularly known for our Shipping & Admiralty expertise. We are regarded as a leading maritime law firm in Singapore and one of the most experienced shipping practices in Asia. We are also ranked and recommended by the Legal 500 for our Shipping and Dispute Resolution Practices. Our lawyers are able to provide advice, assistance and representation in all aspects of Maritime law including Cargo and Charterparties, Casualties, Salvage and Towage, Marine Insurance, Shipbuilding and Repair, Ship Mortgage as well as Ship Finance, Sale and Purchase. Company: Joseph Tan Jude Benny LLP Name: K Murali Pany Email: Murali@jtjb.com Web Address: www.jtjb.com Address: 6 Shenton Way, OUE Downtown 2 #23-08 Singapore 068809 Telephone: +65 6224 3645
We have extensive experience in admiralty proceedings, including arresting and releasing of vessels and limitation funds for collision cases. Our lawyers also regularly conduct domestic and international arbitrations under the various bodies such as SCMA, LMAA, KLRCA and HKIAC on maritime related matters. Some of our clients include P & I Clubs, H & M underwriters, shipowners, charterers, shipyards, brokers, shipmanagers, ship agents, other insurers and various cargo interests. We take pride in the fact that many of our clients have supported us over the years, and have become our longstanding partners in the maritime industry. We are also privileged to be listed as correspondents for several members of the International Group of P&I Clubs. The maritime industry is a global industry and any legal service provider has to have an ability to provide multi-jurisdictional advice, assistance and representation. JTJB is well-equipped to provide this service because of our global network of eight international branches and associate offices, as well as being the only Singapore member of the ADVOC group, a network of independent law firms spanning sixty three countries. The shipping industry has been going through challenging times. The legal approach has to be creative and effective to achieve clients’ desired objectives. We focus on providing our clients with personalized, fast, practical and creative legal solutions in the most efficient and cost effective manner possible.
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Best in Marine Engineering
Maw Consulting Based in Poland, Maw Consulting are small firm specialising in marine engineering. Founder Michal Wilkolek spent 20 years at sea, before going on to establish his own company in 2014. He spoke to us about how his experience has given him an excellent position to provide a support for companies in the field of marine engineering.
The Marine Engineering is challenging business for all parties. At the present day everybody tries to improve the safety, efficiency and of course profit. From large governing bodies, to small shipping companies, we are all are trying to become even better. Moreover, as bigger companies can develop their own solutions inhouse, the smaller ones need to sometimes outsource it and this is where consulting can be utilized. With my strategic client we are trying to provide new technologies and ideas in the field of lubricants and tribology for shipping companies. My long experience working at sea supported with marine engineering is what separates us from our competitors. This experience gave me an understanding of shipping from the very root of it. My professional development and recent investment in new areas of the industry putted the bridge between the shore and the sea, and this has been greatly appreciated by clients both in the office and at sea. Furthermore, we are constantly trying to improve and develop our unique set of abilities which helps to provide solid and comprehensive information in Marine Engineering.
Name: Michal Wilkolek Company: Maw Consulting Email: info@mawconsulting.com.pl Address: Rubiez 14B/35 Str. 61-612 Poznan Poland Telephone: +48501773976
Changing from the working at sea to running a consulting company is quite huge change, and has provided so many new challenges and opportunities. As shipping is constantly evolving, the services must do the same. At the moment I’m trying to expand my core business and diverse it into new areas to provide more complex services and this I see as the biggest challenge. An important aspect of how we deal with clients is that don’t promise something we can’t deliver. Recently we were in a situation where we had to choose between professional integrity and new area of business. We chose integrity and this is, what I believe, distinguishes my company from others. I believe that money is not always paramount in business. At the moment, one particularly exciting project we are working on is implementing new systems for two stroke engines. Part of this project is 3D documentation and installation guidelines for the vessels. It seems maybe quite obvious considering that the CAD systems are widely used for almost decade in shipping industry but we are providing complete location’s scenery in 3D for existing vessels. Recently 3D scanning has been used in the industry what can be a next step for company, but we are doing the same in an old-fashioned way. Of course, some examples can be found on the company’s web page (mawconsulting.com.pl). Looking ahead, our short term plans are mostly focused on securing current business and developing further areas of services. Expansion of core business and possessing of new clients is the long term plan, as well as continuing to develop in new areas that will expand our company’s portfolio.
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Award for Innovation in Offshore Wealth Management - CATCH®
Recognising MilleniumAssociates’ unique, industry wide, CATCH® programme which enables participating private banks, wealth managers and IAMs in key wealth management centres and relevant onshoring markets to manage and execute their client and market focus resegmentation strategies in a friendly, orderly and profitable manner.
Company: MilleniumAssociates AG Name: Alexandra Pastollnigg Email: alexandra.pastollnigg@ milleniumassociates.com Web: www.milleniumassociates.com Address: Kreuzstrasse 54, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland Telephone: +41 58 710 47 00
About MilleniumAssociates MilleniumAssociates is a leading independent Swiss and UK-based international M&A advisory firm with a global network of strategic alliances. As a privately held partnership, it is uniquely positioned to offer independent and non-conflicting advice to its clients. MilleniumAssociates’ dedicated Financial Services practice focuses on engagements for the global financial services industry, in particular the Swiss and global wealth, asset management and private banking sectors in, while its Entrepreneurs and Corporates practice focuses on providing M&A advice to Entrepreneurs and Small and Mid-cap Business Owners across all industry sectors globally. The company’s fully dedicated team of M&A and Corporate Finance specialists are currently involved in variety of advisory assignments, supporting a number of Swiss, British as well as international clients with their global expansion or divestment strategies, as well as consulting for organisations seeking to determine their ideal strategic options including partnerships, alliances and IPO or debt raising plans and arrangements. Industry experts providing innovative solutions With a long history in supporting the private banking and wealth management sector, over recent years MilleniumAssociates has witnessed the industry’s collective market re-segmentation challenge, with private banks, wealth and asset managers in traditional “offshore” markets having to re-focus on developing core client and market segments while discontinuing others. MilleniumAssociates is instrumental in supporting the industry in this growing need and has originated the innovative CATCH® programme for the straightforward referral and transfer of private banking and wealth management clients amongst qualified institutions who focus on differing market segments. Successfully launched in Q1/2 2014, CATCH® enables participating private banks, wealth and asset managers to manage their client and market focus resegmentation strategies in a cooperative, orderly and profitable manner. Contrary to traditional re-segmentation measures, CATCH® is designed to provide a client friendly solution with the end client having an input in selecting their new wealth manager. The programme is totally confidential and open to participant organisations in most key wealth management centres as well as relevant on-shoring markets. Recently the programme has been expanded to also meet the needs of the independent asset management industry and, next to re-segmentation, also supports independent asset managers in their search for like-minded collaboration partners. MilleniumAssociates is the only independent and unconflicted provider of this unique industry service.
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Best Upstream Oil & Gas Management Consultants
MSE Consultants For more than 25 years, MSE Consultants has been providing specialist machinery and compression engineering consultancy services to the Global Oil, Gas and LNG industries. We contacted their Technical Director, Dr Sib Akhtar, who spoke to us about why mega oil & gas are overrun and what should be done to reduce cost escalation.
How can we Reduce Cost Escalation of Oil & Gas Projects Name: Dr Sib Akhtar Company: MSE Consultants Ltd Web: mse-consultants.com Address: Thorncroft Manor Thorncroft Drive Leatherhead KT22 8JB United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0) 1372 700 760 Fax: +44 (0) 1372 700 761
Introduction In our industry, there is a prevailing problem that large scale oil and gas projects have been suffering from cost overruns combined with delayed start-ups. All of this is leading to reduced return on investment, as an IHS report found last year. Furthermore, a comprehensive study of 205 projects by Ernst & Young found that 64% had overrun on cost and 73% were behind schedule Reference 1. The study found that the cumulative cost overrun was circa $500 billion. The report attributed delays to a number of softer, non technical factors including portfolio and commercial JV issues, ineffective planning and project control. We can gather from this information that there appears to be a systemic failure that causes the project cost overruns. To prevent this from happening, this issue needs to be addressed when the project starts, otherwise the cost overruns and project delays will continue. Additionally, the fall in oil prices will put further pressure on new projects seeking financial sanctions. Project Design and Project Costs To understand why costs escalate we need to examine the way the projects are carried out. Figure 1 shows the main stages of such projects. Mega projects start with Feasibility/Concept Design where the owner selects the specific plant design that meets the project specifications in terms of plant size, capacity, performance location and budgetary cost. Concept Design is followed by Front End Engineering Design (FEED) usually performed by an experienced contractor; the purpose of the FEED is to provide accurate costs (usually +/-10%).
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The results of the FEED study and costs are critical to obtaining project approval. The Final Investment Decision (FID) to proceed with the project is normally made after FEED is completed.The decision to proceed with the project is based on the FEED as well as EPC costs, which are received from selected contractors with the experience to handle mega projects. In theory such a system should work. In practice there are many pitfalls that can cause the costs to escalate from those determined at the FEED stage, especially when EPC bids come in at unrealistically low prices to win the job; resulting in cost escalation! Richard Long Reference 2, Founder and CEO of Long International Inc., has prepared a document that lists 13 Technical and Project Related reasons leading to delays and cost overruns. Top of the list is insufficiently defined Front End Engineering Design, which is the basis of cost estimates. The author, with vast experience of Project Management, concludes that an inadequate basis of design, which changes to the design specifications as the project progresses, is responsible for cost escalations. Dr Sib Akhtar Technical Director MSE Consultants Ltd. Dr MS Akhtar is the Technical Director and a founding member of MSE (Consultants) Ltd with over 30 years experience with gas compressors (centrifugal, axial and piston types), heavy turbomachinery (gas and steam turbines, pumps) as well as carrying out audits, performance testing and failure investigations. Dr Akhtar specialises in the application of engineering for new projects, re-design and modifications of gas compression facilities for offshore platforms, FPSOs plus onshore oil and gas production systems. He also provides consultancy and specialist engineering know-how for major new oil and gas projects as well as design and modification of existing projects. Dr Akhtar has held Senior Engineering and Technical Managerial positions with turbomachinery manufacturers and Engineering Contractors and worked with major compressor and turbine manufacturers Elliott Turbomachinery, GEC Gas Turbines and English Electric. He was also Principal Machinery Engineer with MW Kellogg and Chief Engineer with Global (now ABB).
The Best Time to Influence Project Cost The best time to influence the project cost is at the concept stage. Experience shows that not enough time is spent on the concept design, which is the greatest opportunity to influence project costs. FEED takes a long time to complete because the concept design work is repeated by the FEED contractor in order to learn about the project intricacies.
Figure 1 Front End Loading An alternative strategy is Front End Loading of Engineering Design; in this scenario more time is allocated to the Concept Design and FEED does not commence until the concept design, costs and schedule are clearly defined, understood and accepted. Obtaining design and cost information of long lead items, including heavy machinery e.g. large gas turbines, compressors and major items of processing facilities have a large impact on project cost. Fixing their design at the concept stage helps to mitigate cost escalation later. While such concept studies take longer to complete, they do reduce the time required for FEED work; this is because design information on major items of machinery and process equipment is available at the start of the FEED. This reduces FEED time and cost, but more importantly improves project cost estimates. When implemented correctly, such a study can save the cost and time for the FEED work as well as overall project cost and schedule. Conclusion Past experience shows that large scale projects end up costing more than the original estimated at the project start. This is mainly due to insufficient time allocated at the start of the project to properly design and cost the processing facilities. EPC contractors have a major role to play in controlling the project cost but need to be incentivised to do so. Performing a more detailed concept study, with accurate equipment cost of processing facilities and long lead heavy machinery items, will help to determine more accurate project costs which do not escalate during project execution.
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excellence
Best in Private Equity Investments - Offshore South Africa
Musa Capital Musa Capital is a boutique merchant-banking firm that provides private equity investment and corporate finance advisory services throughout sub-Saharan Africa. We spoke to them about their business, and how they connect global and regional capital to African investment opportunities
Company: Musa Capital Email: Info@musacapital.com Address: Block 3, Commerce Square, 3rd Floor, 39 Rivonia Road, Sandhurst, Johannesburg, 2196. Phone: +27 11 771 6300 Fax: +27 11 771 6333
Our firm is based in Johannesburg South Africa, but has an established network of partners across sub-Saharan Africa. This regional platform plays a significant role in our ability to source and actively manage the investments that the firm makes. Musa Capital leverages its relationships with global institutional investors and Development Financial Institutions together with regional pension funds and public sector institutions to catalyse development while delivering sustainable returns. Our focus on mid-market companies fills a funding gap that is currently not being provided by banks or larger private equity firms. World Class Execution Capability with an African Focus and Presence Musa Capital has a unique focus on the African market and since its inception, has principally engaged in the pursuit of executing profitable transactions in Sub-Saharan Africa. The firm’s global reach and local knowledge serve to assist in providing world-class solutions tailored for local market conditions. Importantly, Africans make up over 80% of the team, providing important local relationships and superior access to deal flow in their respective countries. Social Impact – Towards Impacting 100,000 Lives The firm embraces a holistic investment model which creates sustainable returns for its clients, investment partners and portfolio company owners, while acting as a catalyst for development in the communities in which the companies operate. Our investment strategy focuses on companies that provide basic goods and services to “Base of the Pyramid” consumers, particularly in; the agribusiness value chain, affordable housing, education, financial services, and health sectors. Our team approaches each investment opportunity with a set of financial and development principles that assess the value creation potential. By this approach, we maximize the impact in value realization and socio-economic transformation. One of the more tangible examples of this approach is the firm’s farming investments, which have successfully integrated commercial and emerging farmer programs. In these initiatives, we address food security issues as well as rural development challenges in the Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal in partnership with the South African Government. In practicing this philosophy, Musa Capital has been very focused and involved with local communities by building sustainable and value-added relationships particularly in the area of education. Musa Capital has and continues to support various educational initiatives and by doing so, having a positive transformational impact on people’s lives, and further striving towards impacting 100 000 lives and beyond within the communities in which we operate. 20 Years of Good Investment Practices 2015 marks Musa Capital’s 20th year of operation in Africa. Over two decades, the firm has evaluated and invested approximately $120mm in over 25 sub-Saharan African countries. The Musa Kingdom Fund (vintage 1996) returned over 5 times the capital invested to investors. The Musa Kubu Fund (vintage 2008) is on track to have a similar performance, with the value already multiplying by 3 times since the fund’s inception.
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OFFSHORE excellence
Pipeline Construction Firm of the Year - Australia
People often say that you are only as good as your last project and Nacap has been consistently building on capability and experience from our last project for the past 30 years. They spoke to us more about their firm and how they constantly deliver.
Company: Nacap Australia Name: Matthew O’Connell, President Email: info@nacap.com.au Web Address: www.nacap.com.au Address: Level 1, 601 Doncaster Road, Doncaster, VIC 3108 | Level 2, 22 Cordelia Street, Brisbane, QLD 4101, Australia Telephone: +61 3 8848 1888 +61 7 3328 8800
Nacap is a Quanta Services Company, reporting through Quanta Services Australia. US based with U$7.9B in revenue in 2014, Quanta Services, an S&P 500 company, is the largest electric power and oil and gas infrastructure speciality contractor in North America. Quanta Services purchased Nacap in 2013 and this acquisition has provided a catalyst for other acquisitions and integration of its service offerings in North America into Australia. Nacap is a proven leader for pipeline projects and surface facilities in Australia. Experienced staff, well-developed management systems and a modern fleet of plant and equipment make Nacap a leading constructor for oil and gas, water, slurry, power and communications infrastructure. We have an excellent safety record and proven ability to provide a range of services from project management and design through to construction and commissioning. Our experience in the oil and gas industry extends from small diameter steel and high density polyethylene (HDPE) gathering / flowlines, to larger diameter and long distance welded steel transmission pipelines. The staff at Nacap has significant experience with mechanical installations such as compressor stations, metering stations, mid line and end of line facilities. Nacap is committed to providing safe and sustainable outcomes to the construction industry. This is underpinned by its core values of integrity, teamwork and to strive to be better. As for the award, Nacap is delighted to have been named Pipeline Construction Firm of the Year – Australia 2015. We are proud of this achievement and feel it recognises the uncompromising efforts of Nacap people to make sure that we consistently deliver outstanding results. Furthermore, it is a testament to the good things happening at Nacap and to the excellent work by the people at Nacap. Their commitments are a true demonstration to Nacap values and a focus on our four execution pillars of Safety, Quality, Productivity and LECH (Lands, Environment and Cultural Heritage). Moreover, this award follows on from Nacap’s runner up success with the 2014 IPLOCA Health and Safety Award. The award is designed to recognise the efforts of those who succeed in improving safety regulation and decrease the number of accidents each year. Nacap’s entry included the Plant Assessor Initiative and the Journey Management System. Looking to the future, Nacap is committed to maintaining our position as a proven leader in Australia’s linear infrastructure industry and we strive to build on this award and further our reputation in 2015 and beyond.
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OFFSHORE
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excellence
Best Pre-Investment & After-Care Guidance for Investors & Best International Financial Centre
Nevis Investment Promotion Agency (NIPA) Nevis is a small island in the Caribbean Sea that forms part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies. Nevis Investment Promotion Agency (NIPA) seeks to explore, attract and promote investment opportunities that will stimulate economic growth and contribute positively to Nevis’ long term development. We spoke to them to find out more about their company and this exciting region.
Company: Nevis Investment Promotion Agency (NIPA) Email: info@nevisipa.org Web: www.nevisipa.org Address: P.O. Box 1063 Suite 1 Horsfords Business Complex 2nd Floor Farms Estate Nevis, West Indies Telephone : +1 869 469 0038 / +1 869 469-5521 ext 2172 Fax: +1 869 469 0039
NIPA seeks to create an investor friendly environment which facilitates the ease of doing business by being the investor’s point of contact in matters related to investment opportunities in Nevis. The Nevis Investment Promotion Agency (NIPA) was established to facilitate investment activity throughout the island of Nevis - providing both pre-investment and after care services. With the addition of our Nevis Investment Promotion Agency, Nevis now provides one of the most “attractive” jurisdictions for investors from around the world. This explains why the Global Banking & Finance Review committee named Nevis the “Best Offshore Financial Services Destination in the Caribbean 2012”. Our Mission is to provide the intelligence, the tools, and the support necessary for investors to exceed their financial objectives on the island of Nevis. Among the many ways that Nevis is an attractive location is its educated workforce. It has a population with 98% literacy with an adaptable, skilled and trainable workforce. The workforce on Nevis is trainable with professionals who have gained and continued to advance in specialized degrees, MBAs, PHDs, specialized skill-sets, attorneys, asset and property management from each sector is available to assist you. Over 50 qualified trust and asset management companies and registered agents with expertise in law, accounting, banking, taxation and finance Furthermore, there have been prompt incorporations for IBCs, Trusts, LLCs, Foundation and Insurance Nevis is simply your gateway to peak returns, strategic market access and the island of investment opportunities. NIPA is a member of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies. We look forward to serving you.
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OFFSHORE excellence
Award for Innovation in Energy Efficiency
Nexus Energy Solutions Ltd Nexus Energy Solutions are an energy survey and advice company who provide a wide range of energy efficiency services for residential and commercial properties throughout Scotland.
Company: Nexus Energy Solutions Ltd Web Address: nexusenergysolutions.co.uk
The company has experience in working on projects with Housing Associations, Letting Agents, Renewable Installation companies as well as individual home owners, landlords and business owners. The knowledge within the industry is second to none when it comes to technical surveys and energy advice. From recommendations on how to reduce costs & carbon to help with finding available funding and the right installation company we can walk you through each step seamlessly with their very professional & friendly team. Nexus Energy Solutions have an abundance of experience operating in the green energy sector and we are widely-regarded as one of Scotland’s leading firms in renewable energy. Clients need innovative and commercial solutions from specialist renewable energy companies who understand the industry’s key issues, risks and opportunities. Nexus Energy is also active in shaping the future of the sector through participation in key industry strategy groups. The experience that they share covers the full project plan life cycle and they support their clients through regulatory compliance all the way to successful project delivery. Along with this, the business is also there to give advice on new power generation technologies, such as wind turbines, solar power and biomass. And they also understand the role of the agriculture sector in the future of renewable energy, they are perfectly placed to advise businesses on investing in, developing and financing renewable energy projects. What exactly Nexus Energy Do “At a time when there lack of trust in the main energy providers and uncertainty with the most efficient way to manage energy, we would like to provide an alternative; a single go-to point for independent expert energy advice.” Commercial Services Renewable technology allows businesses to reduce their electrical overheads whilst reducing their carbon footprint in an ever-increasing environmentally conscious culture. Domestic Services Renewable technologies into a domestic dwelling allows landlords & home owners to reduce their fuel consumption whilst financially benefiting from government incentives. The return on investment is usually much greater than that offered on a high street bank.
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Delivering Ultra-Wide Tow Configurations ideal for today’s frontier exploration needs
Full Service Marine Geophysical Company For more information contact info@dolphingeo.com
Delivering Powerful Solutions www.dolphingeo.com
OFFSHORE excellence
Best for Offshore Real Estate Development - South America
Puga Ortiz is a Chilean highly specialised leading law firm, widely perceived as one of the most important law firms in corporate law, litigation and intellectual property. They fluently perform in cases related to civil, criminal, intellectual property and bankruptycy litigation as well as in negotiating and resolving extrajudicial conflicts. Real estate, construction, environmental, water and energy law and infrastructure are areas covered as well by experienced lawyers. We spoke to us about their company and the specialized services they provide.
Company: Puga Ortiz Abogados Name: Puga Ortiz y Cia. Ltda. Email: Abogados@pugaortiz.cl Web: www.pugaortiz.cl Contacts Partners: Alberto Alcalde: aa@pugaortiz.cl Daniel Barrientos: daniel.barrientos@pugaortiz.cl Address: Presidente Riesco 5561, 8th Floor, Las Condes, Santiago. Telephone: (56) 2 2337 7000
From the very start in 1925, Puga Ortiz acquired a solid reputation for its excellent and rigorous service, the prestige of its lawyers and their commitment to support the clients in the most complex matters. Over the last twenty years, Puga Ortiz has intensified their expansion by incorporating new partners who have made important contributions to each practice area. We have specialised in starting up and developing major real estate projects as well as handling bids for concessions and public and private projects. We can take care of all aspects involved in the construction, promotion, financing and investment in residential buildings, condominiums, office buildings, business parks, strip centers, hotels, tourist complexes and shopping centers. We provide integral assistance in negotiating contracts, purchase promises, title opinions, acquisitions, leases, sales and after-sale services, project financing, lease-purchases, rights of way, and boundary agreements, to name a few. We help our clients make the right decision in a purchase, sale, lease, establishment of collateral, any type of easement, water rights, usufructs, co-ownership, expropriations, building acceptance, urban and rural combinations and subdivisions. Top investors, construction companies and real estate investment funds are among our clients, together with banks and finance companies. We represent and assist them during the development of their projects and in matters involving the political and administrative authorities (whether municipal, regional or national). The Real Estate Area handles all stages of a project: before construction (title opinions, drafting of purchase promises and purchase agreements, the incorporation of property companies, construction contracts and co-ownership regulations), during the sale and after sales conclude. The firm is structured so that each case, matter or situation is handled personally by at least one of the partners, supported by a highly specialized team. Clients receive personalised and full-time assistance that ensures efficiency, speed and quality of service. In addition to the service it provides permanently to major clients, PUGA ORTIZ assists other large corporate law firms when a high level of specialization is required in complex matters. This is complemented by a broad expertise and vast experience in litigation.
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excellence
Award for Excellence in Petroleum & Maritime Technical Services
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OFFSHORE excellence
PVD Training is recognized as the leading Oil & Gas training, manpower and technical provider in Vietnam and in the region. They spoke to us about how they broke through as leaders in their industry and their strategy to stay on top and deliver for their clients. Company: PVD Technical Training & Certification J.S.C. ( PVD Training) Name: Mr. Bui Van - Director Email: vanbt@pvdtraining.com.vn Web Address: www.pvdtraining.com.vn Address: Dong Xuyen Industrial Zone, Rach Dua Ward, Vung Tau City, Vietnam Telephone: +84 64 3612 099
We have been working closely with Oil & Gas Operators, Drilling contractors and Service providers not only in Vietnam but also in the region and worldwide. Some of our typical clients include: MODEC, Shell, ENI, Transocean, Premier Oil, Maersk, Seadrill, Total E&P, Exxon Mobil, Schlumberger, PTTEP, Petronas, Aban Offshore Limited, Chevron, Gazprom, BP, KNOC, Rolls Royce etc. PVD Training is recognized as the leading Oil & Gas training provider in Vietnam. We are the FIRST to acquire OPITO (Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organization) approval for offshore safety training program and the ONLY training centre accredited by IWCF (the International Well Control Forum) for Well Control Drilling Training. PVD Training offers 1000 disciplines covering Safety to Technical to Online Training in Drilling and Maritime fields. In addition to top-tier training service, PVD Training owns a team of well-trained and certified workforce to compensate the shortage of manpower in the market when needed. Furthermore, the advantage of a top training provider allows PVD Training to provide sufficient training programs for the personnel to best meet the job requirements at a timely and efficient manner. A team of certified and extensively-experienced professionals along with a well-equipped workshops onsite allows PVD Training to be able to deliver the most cost effective petroleum & maritime technical services catered to your inquiry, in accordance with globally industrial regulations. Over the past years, PVD Training has been delivering successful and quality services to our clients thanks to our following distinguished and value-added features:
Since founded in 2007 on the premise of offering a multitude of specialized training and petroleum technical support services, our expertise has been categorized into 3 core activities: (I) Training & Certification This involves: • Onshore & Offshore Safety Training • Technical Training • Online Safety & Technical Training • Competency-Based Training Model for Drilling Crew/ Production Crew • Training at Wellsites, Safety & Technical Workshops • Petroleum Econs & Professional Development (II) Manpower Supply This involves supply drilling crew, production crew, FPSO, marine crew, maintenance & engineering crew, and drilling. It also includes HSE professionals to work on oil rigs offshore platforms and on onshore installations, FPSO, drill ships, construction yards and fabrication projects. (III) Petroleum & Maritime Technical Services. Our technical services are verified by international classification societies in the industries as DNV, Lloyds, ABS, BV, etc. • Supply of Oil & Gas Equipment & Life-saving Equipment • Safety Solutions (FM200, H2S, CO2, Fire Fighting…) • Inspection, Repair & Maintenance, Calibration, Re-Certification Services • E&I Engineering • Rig/ Platform/ Vessel Inspection • Drilling Equipment Testing • Well Control Services • Risk Management • Miscellaneous Services The Award is the certification for the effort of excellence in the field. And is the motivation for entities to continue to maintain and improve their quality beyond standards. Better providers make stronger industries.
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OFFSHORE
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excellence
No1 Bank in the Retail Banking Segment
SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd
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OFFSHORE excellence
Company: SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd Web Address: https://www.sbmgroup.mu/
The SBM Holdings Ltd is a leading financial services group in Mauritius, with a growing international presence. Listed on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius, with a market capitalisation of USD 1 billion as at 31 December 2014, SBM Holdings Ltd represents the second largest listing in Mauritius. SBM Group is engaged in banking, non-banking financial services and non-financial investments, and is present in Mauritius, India, Madagascar and Myanmar. The banking entity in Mauritius, namely SBM Bank (Mauritius) Ltd (“SBM” or the “Bank”), is the flagship of the SBM Group. Established in 1973, SBM has a strong franchise in Mauritius, with a market share of over 20% in domestic advances and deposits. It provides all services of a universal bank within a diversified business model. The lines of business include: Retail Banking, Small and Medium Enterprises, Wealth Management & Private Banking, Corporate and Institutional Banking and International Banking & Global Business, Treasury services, eBusiness, Fiduciary services, Asset Financing, Stock broking, Custody and Asset Management. Innovation, flexibility, accessibility and reliability are the key attributes that have contributed to the SBM Group’s reputation and trustworthiness. Owned by nearly 17,000 domestic and international shareholders, SBM Group has more than 1,200 employees and services over 340,000 customers through its network of 50 service units and counters in Mauritius, India and Madagascar. Going forward, the Group is laying greater emphasis on international operations as well as non-banking activities. The SBM brand value also benefits from continued investment in people, infrastructure and technology. Retail Banking, SMEs and Wealth Management & Private Banking SBM is well entrenched in the domestic banking landscape with a diversified and loyal customer base, serviced through a large branch network by employees who are being made more responsive to evolving client needs. Besides a broad range of savings, investment and financing products, in both local and foreign currency, SBM offers a large portfolio of cards, designed to suit needs of specific customer segments. Innovation and market insights continue to drive product development. In line with the Group’s diversification strategy and in view of market trends, the Group is now looking to further develop its Small and Medium Enterprise business as well as Wealth Management & Private Banking services. SBM’s Wealth Management and Private Banking is specialised in providing tailor-made financial planning solutions, investment advice and services to corporates, high net worth individuals and families, both locally and abroad. The unit offers increased interactions between the Private Banking, Asset Management and Securities departments by providing discretionary investment management as well as execution only services, banking and credit solutions, advice in all areas of financial planning and wealth structuring and offers a large range of products and services related to wealth management. It also measures portfolio performance and provides customised reports to enable better tracking by customers, especially those pursuing multiple investment strategies. Corporate and Institutional Banking and International Banking & Global Business The Corporate and Institutional Banking and International Banking & Global Business Divisions of the Group, through their growing team of professionals, provide comprehensive financial solutions to their business customers across geographical borders and industrial portfolios. These include traditional banking products, transactional banking services, asset finance, commercial loan and working capital finance, structured finance, structured trade finance and project finance, in both local and foreign currencies. We also provide banking services to Global Business Customers and are involved in cross-border transactions. The share of Global Business and Cross Border transactions has steadily risen over the past few years and, in line with the Group’s strategic objectives, is set to increase further over the medium term. In addition with the Group’s presence in India and Madagascar, the International Banking & Global Business Division is able to provide tailor-made solutions to customers present in these jurisdictions. Risk Management The Group has a well-diversified credit portfolio, whether by segment or by industry group. International business expansion is also helping the Group to further spread the risk in its books. The Group’s risk management structure is independent from the business generating areas to avoid conflicts of interest, and is overseen by the Board of Directors. The Risk Management Unit ensures adherence to regulatory norms and the risk appetite limits and recommends changes to the set risk parameters and limits. The risk management capabilities are supported by good management information systems, a solid internal rating system and robust policies. International Recognition & Ratings SBM continues to be recognised, both in Mauritius and internationally, for superior achievements. SBM has received many international awards including the Bank of the Year – Mauritius award from The Banker in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2013 and 2014; the Best Bank – Mauritius award in the Euromoney Awards for Excellence in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2013; and the Best Bank – Mauritius award from emeafinance in 2009. It was also awarded Best Bank Mauritius by Capital Finance International (CFI.co) for three successive years, namely in 2012, 2013 and 2014; Best Retail Bank in Africa by African Banker magazine amongst others. Corporate Social Responsibility SBM firmly believes that sustainable growth can only be achieved in partnership with the community in which it operates. SBM Group ploughs back 2% of its profits annually in the community through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The areas of intervention of SBM are: Health & Wellness, Education, Environment, Sports, Leisure & Arts and the Empowerment of vulnerable groups, all of which have an educational dimension. Education is key for the development of the individual and the country. The ultimate goal is to combat social ills and poverty by providing the opportunity to vulnerable groups to acquire skills so as to be economically independent. SBM also fosters a culture of volunteering among staff through awareness, opportunities and company support.
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OFFSHORE excellence
Award for Innovation in Offshore Scaffolding Safety
Scaffpad Europe Ltd Scaffpad was created in response to offshore requests for a more substantial solution to covering protruding scaffold joints than rags secured with barrier tape. They have recently won our Award for Innovation in Offshore Scaffolding Safety and we spoke to Michelle Sey about the business and how she feels about the business winning our award.
Company: Scaffpad Europe Ltd Name: Michelle Sey Email: michelle@scaffpad.com Web Address: www.scaffpad.com
Awards such as the Offshore Excellence Award enables recognition to businesses for the outstanding quality and service they provide. We feel very proud to have been recognised for our ongoing contribution towards safety over the past 14yrs. I feel one of the strong points of our business would be the dedication to the quality of our product and our clients. Scaffpad is a unique product that is known, by name, for durability and quality. We are constantly updating and upgrading Scaffpad to ensure our clients receive the best quality of product possible. Over the past 5yrs we have expanded globally through distributors, into different sectors including energy, petrochemical plants and construction. Some of our existing clients include; BP, Shell, Phillips66, Bilfinger, Quinta Raddison, Dounreay Site Restoration, Cape, Cape (Russia) and Craig Industrial Services etc. Due to the changes within the industry over the past few years it has made us focus on Scaffpad as a company and where we would like to see ourselves in the future. This has made us concentrate on the onshore industries and smaller businesses. It has also lead us to create an entirely new product range designed for theatre, television and movie production. We are feeling very positive about the future and looking forward to the next 14yrs.
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excellence
Best Offshore HR Strategy & Sustained Excellence in Offshore HR Consultancy
Smart HR Solutions Limited SmartHR is a leading provider of multi-sector HR consultancy, outsourcing and training solutions. They partner with organisations to help them drive sustainable performance improvement, achieve their people management objectives, and minimise the risk of litigation. They spoke to us about how they offer a comprehensive range of flexible and effective HR consultancy and training solutions including the delivery of professional advice or services that are ethical, responsible and value-adding. Company: Smart HR Solutions Limited Name: Gail Yeowell, Managing Director Email: gail@smarthr.co.im Web Address: www.SmartHR.co.im Address: 6 Hilltop Rise, Farmhill, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM2 2LF Telephone: +0044 1624 619619 +0044 7624 478764
Our clients cover a wide range of industries including accountancy, advertising & PR, architects, audit services, aviation, banking and financial services, building services, charities, CSP/TSP, e-gaming, e-business, healthcare, investment management, IT services, manufacturing, motor industry, nurseries, nursing homes, opticians, retail, ship management and the travel industry. All our clients are different, so we tailor our solutions to their bespoke business needs to provide maximum flexibility of service. I believe that SmartHR has four key strengths and differentiating factors compared to its competitors: • Our flexibility of tailored HR support and outsourcing solutions; • Our service excellence; • Our online E-HR Shop • Our wealth of HR expertise. Our HR expertise gained over 20 years and flexibility ensures that clients receive tailored HR solutions bespoke to their needs; supported by a friendly, collaborative, client-focused service. SmartHR’s online ‘E-HR Shop’ is a unique resource for Isle of Man based clients. No other company provides online template employment documents that comply with IOM employment legislation. Our online ‘E-HR Shop’ can be used by IOM and UK employers and is an easy, cost effective way for SMEs to source template documents. SmartHR will continue to support its clients providing tailored and flexible people management, outsourcing and training solutions. We will continue to keep up-to-date with changes in employment legislation so that our clients can be assured that they will receive the same knowledgeable service delivered to high standards. It is fantastic to receive an Offshore Excellence Award from Acquisition International for the second year running. I am extremely delighted and proud that Smart HR Solutions Limited (‘SmartHR’) has once again been recognised as a leading provider of multi-sector HR consultancy, outsourcing and training solutions, particularly as the award sets out to recognise the achievements of businesses operating in the offshore industry. The proposed IOM Equality Bill 2015 will have a large impact on Isle of Man based employers and should not be underestimated. Once the final content of the Equality Bill is known then we will work in partnership with local employers and businesses and strategically review their current HR infrastructure e.g. employment documents, HR policies, practices etc.; and will implement agreed changes in order that they comply with the new legislation. SmartHR can then provide any other day-to-day support on a retained or ad hoc basis as required. We are anticipating that 2015 and 2016 will be busy years and that this will provide growth and expansion opportunities for the business. We very much look forward to a busy but challenging future.
98 / Offshore Excellence Awards 2015
OFFSHORE excellence
Best Energy & Offshore Law Firm
Thomas Cooper LLP Thomas Cooper is an international law firm specialising in maritime, commodities trade and finance law. Their expertise in finding the best way to avoid, mitigate or resolve risk are why clients use this company over their competitors. They seek a firm with insight as well as experience of dealing with the law in different parts of the world.
Company: Thomas Cooper LLP Web Address: www.thomascooperlaw.com
Thomas Cooper brings together a rich body of knowledge of maritime, trade and finance law in key jurisdictions around the world. This enables the business to serve the global needs of their clients with speed and expertise, covering all the major time zones. Since 1825 successive generations of partners have seen international trade evolve and the firm adapt to meet the changing needs of clients. This particular business is an unusual combination, specialist yet international, focused on detail yet keeping the big picture in mind. Partners of the company are dotted all around the world and they help to provide a realistic perspective on the advantages, disadvantages and challenges of different jurisdictions. This enables Thomas Cooper to give insightful and pragmatic advice to clients and allows them to manage their exposure to risk more effectively. They cover the world, bringing a real, pragmatic understanding of how to interpret the law in different countries, regions and continents. Then Thomas Cooper applies this understanding to their clients’ advantage, getting to the heart of issues quickly and effectively. Throughout, they remain clear that our people are key as they provide deep expertise and strong character. The focus and commitment that this gives Thomas Cooper, sets them apart from the big, multi practice firms. All of Thomas Cooper’s global offices operate together as one firm and provide support and expertise to each other as and when required. These offices are all over the world which include, London, Madrid , Paris, Piraeus, São Pauls and Singapore. “With expertise across commodities and shipping, the firm is regularly involved in high-profile disputes, including matters arising from Russia’s ban on wheat and grain exports…”
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excellence
Global Macro Manager of the Year
Three Rock Capital
Three Rock Capital is a discretionary global macro manager with an emphasis on foreign exchange. We got in touch with them about what they provide for their clients and what it’s like working in their industry at the present time.
Company: Three Rock Capital Management Name: Ciaran Kane Email: ciaran.kane@threerockcapital.com Web Address: www.threerockcapital.com Address: 149 Francis Street, Dublin 8, Ireland Telephone: 00 353 1 440 5183
Our trading is via exchange traded futures in highly liquid contracts, with an emphasis on foreign exchange. We also trade equity indices, interest rates and precious metals. Our client base is a mix of US and European names, and our key strengths are around the identification of trending markets, the concentration of risk in those markets and a very strong risk management process. We view the environment for macro managers as promising and we believe that there will be significant further opportunities in the FX space in the coming years which we are well placed to capture. Another continuing trend in our industry is that there is increasing interest in the alternative investment industry from institutional investors, which makes the outlook very promising. While the larger managers capture the bulk of the inflows, there are opportunities for well managed smaller firms such as ours that offer a niche speciality. When working in such a competitive environment, we distinguish ourselves by offering top quartile returns at a low cost. Our fee offering for new accounts in 2015 is a 0% management fee and 20% incentive fee. In addition our strong FX focus is an area of increasing interest to investors. We see this award as a benchmark of progress for a business, both against internal goals and against competitors. We believe it reflects the progress that the business has made in recent years and, in particular, the strong investment performance in a challenging environment for macro managers that saw us deliver five consecutive years of positive returns from 2010. In the upcoming months and years ahead, we will continue to emphasise our ability to deliver strong performance in all market conditions and to maximise the opportunity that we believe FX markets will offer.
100 / Offshore Excellence Awards 2015