Subsea & Offshore Service Magazine April'15

SOS

Exploration & Production p24 Hazardous Area Supplement P38 Welding, Fabrication & Alloys p28 Corrosion Services & Protective Coatings p34 SUBSEA & OFFSHORE SERVICE MAGAZINE Subsea Equipment & Underwater Inspection p14

April 2015 Issue

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Pg 32

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Pg 44

Microturbine Technology that’s perfect for both manned and unmanned platforms

• • • •

One moving part, no gearbox or other mechanicals Uses no oil, water or other hazardous materials Reduced maintenance and downtime Can run on unprocessed wellhead gas (economic or flare, sweet or up to 7% sour) • Can generate 3-phase, load-following continuous power

The kind of rugged, low-cost, dependable, set-it-and-forget-it operation you need to maximize platform performance and minimize downtime risk. www.turner-eps.co.uk

Medway May14_new.qxp_Layout 1 07/05/2014 07:34 Page 1

Welcome to the April issue of Subsea & Offshore Service Magazine, the journal for the subsea, offshore and renewables markets.

From page 24, we round off our preview on Ocean Business (which takes place from 14-16th April at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton) by looking at how the Blue Economy Seminar Programme aims to develop a ‘forward strategy’ at this year’s show.

We begin with The Insights Report written by Jo Coleman (The ETI’s Director of Strategy Development), which reveals that the next decade is critical if the UK is to have an affordable, low carbon energy system by 2050.

In our Subsea Equipment & Underwater Inspection feature, on page 14, we take a look at PSL who has recently developed the deepwater SLS7000, a new version of LIGHTPATH – Which won the Subsea UK Innovation for Safety Award last year.

From page 27, in our Exploration & Production feature, NCIMB advise on how MARA and LumiMARA toxicity tests help companies comply with new OSPAR regulations.

Finally, from page 42 we review the latest news, products and all things associated with the Hazardous Area market.

If you have any news, insights or product launches that you would like to share with our readers, please send me an email to editor@sosmagazine.biz for consideration in our May issue.

David Sullivan

Editor

Contributors Staff

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Contents The next decade is critical if the UK is to have an affordable, low carbon energy system by 2050

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James Fisher & Sons aquire National Hyperbaric Centre

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Zenith Energy announce start of drilling operations at its first project managed UK exploration well

26

Churchill Drilling Tools delivers first HyPRTM HolesaverTM stuck pipe insurance to operators

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Major joint industry project launched to examine performance of polymer lined pipes in sour hydrocarbon service

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Leading the way in fire and safety services by Bill Hogarty

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Editor: David Sullivan editor@sosmagazine.biz Tel No: +44 (0)1634 568925

Sales Manager: Jon McIntosh jon@sosmagazine.biz Tel No: +44 (0)1634 568929

Publisher: Robert Robinson Crystal Design & Media Ltd Tel No: +44 (0)1634 568925

Designer: Steve Simmonds design@sosmagazine.biz Tel No: +44 (0)1634 568925

Sales Manager: Alex Wetton alex@sosmagazine.biz Tel No: +44 (0)1634 568926

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The Big Partnership Browser Media Fifth Ring Ltd Wordsun Ltd Katina Read Think PR I.M.C.A

Contents

In this issue we are covering a huge variety of topics, from Subsea Equipment & Underwater Inspection, Exploration & Production, Corrosion Services & Protective Coatings to Welding & Fabrication Services, and our ongoing Hazardous Area Supplement.

Crystal Design & Media Ltd and the publication Subsea & Offshore Service magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material or the accuracy of information received.

All material will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication under copyright and within the editors rights to edit and offer comment. All editorial contributions are to be sent to editor@sosmagazine.biz

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Industry Viewpoint

The next decade is critical if the UK is to have an affordable, low carbon energy system by 2050 – ETI report • ETI publishes insights into how the UK needs to prepare for a transition to a low carbon energy system.

• UK has 10 years or two Parliaments to prepare for transition if 2050 targets are to be met.

• Not including bioenergy or CCS could double the costs of transition and it will be difficult to meet the targets if neither are developed.

Significant policy intervention will be needed to support these technologies along with nuclear, offshore wind and heat networks, which is why decisions taken over the next decade are so important.”

The UK can implement an affordable transition to a low carbon energy system by 2050 but decisions taken in the next decade will be critical, according to a new report published by the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI).

The Insights Report tackles what support might be needed, the opportunities and challenges for the UK, what an affordable transition might look like, how to prepare, financing CCS and building investor confidence.

The Insights Report, written by Jo Coleman, the ETI’s Director of Strategy Development and Chief Engineer Andrew Haslett, looks at the targets, technologies, infrastructure and investments needed to ensure a smooth and affordable low carbon transition out to 2050.

ETI Chief Engineer Andrew Haslett said: “2050 may seem a long way off but there is no time to invent and deploy a set of novel breakthrough technologies and the cost of adaptation will inevitably be higher than the cost of mitigation.

However, decisions taken in the next decade are critical in preparing for the transition and crucial decisions must be made about the design of the UK future energy system by 2025 to avoid wasting investment and ensure the 2050 targets remain achievable.

The report acknowledges that there is not one single technology answer but a need to develop and prove capability across a complementary basket of technologies. The immediate large scale development focus should be on replacing the UK’s nuclear power stations, energy efficiency measures and generating energy from waste.

It also highlights the enormous potential of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and bioenergy to the UK’s future energy system.

According to the ETI’s analysis, if either of these technologies do not feature it would at least double the cost of delivering climate change targets from around 1% of GDP to 2%. www.sosmagazine.biz

We see enormous potential and value in developing CCS and bioenergy and the success or failure of deploying these two technologies will have a huge impact on the cost of achieving the UK’s legally binding climate change targets.

• UK can implement an affordable, 35 year transition by

developing, commercialising and integrating known, but currently underdeveloped, technologies and solutions.

It concludes that the UK can implement an affordable transition to a low carbon energy system over the next 35 years by developing, commercialising and integrating technologies and solutions that are already known, but underdeveloped.

Another way of looking at it is the value of CCS or bioenergy to the energy system is £200bn each and if neither are developed it is really difficult to see how the UK would be able to meet its climate change targets.

ETI Strategy Director Jo Coleman said: “Our analysis has shown that the UK can implement an affordable transition to a low carbon energy system over the next 35 years.

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But, by the mid 2020’s the UK has to make important decisions about its energy infrastructure, so the country has 10 years or two parliaments to work through these decisions.

Many of the UK’s ageing power plants need replacing, so the UK will have to pay for this new capacity anyway. This is why we focus on how you can reduce the abatement cost, the additional cost of meeting energy demand through a low, rather than high carbon energy system. It shows in the modelling to be a modest incremental cost when viewed against the lifespan of the new technology and long-term environment benefits.

In the next decade the UK should focus on ensuring it is prepared by developing options and exploring trade offs between particular sets of technologies, and also testing technical, business and regulatory models at scale to give stakeholders the confidence they need to move to fullscale implementation.”

Jo Coleman adds: “People are often surprised by this but CCS must be central to any national strategy for meeting carbon targets cost effectively as it enables flexible, low carbon electricity generation, supports renewables and cuts emissions from industrial processes.

It can also deliver negative emissions when combined with biomass. By growing biomass, carbon is actively removed from the atmosphere and stored in plant matter as it grows.

When the biomass is then harvested and converted into energy, the opportunity is taken to capture the emitted carbon and store it securely offshore. In this way, the cycle becomes carbon negative, creating headroom in the emissions budget and reducing the need for expensive abatement measures elsewhere.”

Links to the report, infographics and a video of Jo Coleman explaining the findings can be found at:

www.eti.co.uk/development-insight

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News In Brief

News In Brief....

North-east firm shows motivation for further growth

Harkand strengthens inspection division with new leader

Motive Offshore, which is headquartered at its 30-acre site in Boyndie, near Banff, in Aberdeenshire, has been restructured as the Motive Offshore Group, comprising of two key operating companies, Motive Engineering and Motive Rentals, allowing the company to strengthen its offerings for clients in the UK and internationally.

Leading inspection, repair, maintenance (IRM) and light construction company Harkand has bolstered its inspection services with the appointment of a new inspection manager based in their Aberdeen office.

The group, which is entering into its fifth year of business, has experienced considerable growth since its inception, investing £3.5 million pounds in its rental equipment in the last two years, which has seen an overall increase in turnover from £5.2m in 2013 to £7.8m last year.

As part of the restructure, the firm, which currently employs more than 100 members of staff, expects to create a number of jobs for the local area and has invested a six-figure sum in its branding and marketing, working with Scottish Enterprise to define and align the objectives of each division across the group.

The firm has ambitious growth expectations for 2015, following successful developments at its first international base in Stavanger, Norway, which has exceeded its expected turnover figures to NOK 5m in 2014 and secured several large contracts since launching at the end of 2013.

Chief Executive Officer of Motive Offshore Group, James Gregg, said: “The company re-structure marks a pivotal time for the business as it continues to expand with an increasing portfolio of clients and workforce.

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The market is currently facing some challenges but we are continuing to strengthen our position in the industry, continually re-investing profit in our equipment and people to drive the business forward and offer our clients innovative products and an unrivalled service.

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Andrew Inglis has more than 15 years’ experience in delivering subsea inspection services in the North Sea region.

He previously held inspection management roles at Subsea 7 and Bibby Offshore Ltd. Mr Inglis said: “This is an incredibly exciting time to be joining Harkand. Inspection is a core part of the company’s portfolio of services and I’m looking forward to helping further the success of the business by supporting ongoing projects and using my experience to further develop new opportunities for our in-house inspection team.”

Proserv named subsea company of the year at Subsea UK Awards The outstanding achievements and innovative technologies devised by some of the country’s leading subsea companies over the past 12 months were recognised at the Subsea UK Awards.

The gala event, which was attended by over 850 people, closed the opening day of Subsea Expo in spectacular style and was sponsored by Forum Energy Technologies, Costain Upstream, Genesis and SETS. Energy services company, Proserv, was crowned company of the year in the category sponsored by 3sun Group and RRC Controls. During the past 12 months, Proserv marked a number of key milestones including a series of high profile contract awards across the globe, expanding its manufacturing facilities and launching a new game-changing subsea technology. Proserv also secured major investment to help ensure its future sustainable growth and success.

North-east survival training firm lifts charity with fundraising events A leading offshore survival training firm has completed its fundraising year with a significant amount of money raised to help a local air ambulance service run its vital services.

Falck Safety Services (Falck), which has 32 training centres across the world, including two UK centres in Teesside and Aberdeen, has raised more than £5000 to its chosen charity of the year, The Children’s Air Ambulance (TCAA).

The firm, which globally delivers over 200 safety and survival training courses to more than 340,000 people each year, participated in various fundraising initiatives throughout the year, including a sponsored HUET (helicopter underwater escape training) dunk in its state-of-theart helicopter simulator facilities, which challenged 14 clients and employees from Falck to switch roles and undertake two escape runs in the helicopter.

The team at Teesside, which handed over the cheque to TCAA last week, managed to more than double the original target of £2000 by hosting bake sales, a race night, football and Christmas raffles, dress-down days, individual challenges and received donations from training delegates and clients.

TCAA is the first and only dedicated national helicopter emergency transfer service for critically ill children and babies across the whole of the UK. TCAA national partnerships manager for the north, Sophie Burt, said: “It was great to meet the team at Falck and thank them in person for all their hard work raising such a fantastic sum of money. As we receive no government funding and each transfer costs approximately £2,800, generous donations like these really do keep hope alive for our young patients.”

News In Brief....

EcoEnergy Group joins forces with Crowley Carbon

Penspen strengthens integrity division to support global growth

Global equipment specialist ATR Group has signed a new long-term lease, relocating its Power Solutions division into a new purpose-built facility in Aberdeen with 50% more space than the previous address.

Scottish company EcoEnergy Group has carved out a major foothold as a niche specialist in helping industries across the UK to significantly reduce their carbon footprint after announcing that it has joined forces with Ireland’s global-leading energy efficiency services company, Crowley Carbon.

Penspen, a leading global provider of engineering and management services to the energy industry, opened its new Newcastle office last February to support its expanding asset integrity division.

The agreement for the workshop and office space at the ABZ Business Park near the city’s international airport in Dyce will see the company better equipped to service existing customers and increase capacity for new business.

The 43,000 square foot area has two open plan offices, designated storage areas, a fully concreted yard with a wash bay three-stage interceptor, two eight tonne overhead cranes, and eight metre-wide workshop doors allowing easy access for the larger of the machines in the fleet including Zone II compressors and 1250kVA generators to be housed and repaired.

The new building, which will house the 20plus personnel who have moved from the company’s previous location in Dyce, could potentially accommodate up to double the staff in the future. It also has a dedicated room where the company will be able to deliver its Zone II compressor as well as other equipment familiarisation training by their in-house qualified personnel.

ATR Group’s Power Solutions divisional director John Cooper said: “The company’s success is demonstrated through continuous repeat business and impressive feedback from our clients so our loyal customer base was a strong driving force behind this investment. As we strengthen our capability in the workshop, our focus now is to continue delivering great value to our clients. This new facility has been designed and constructed to best suit their needs by enabling us to offer an increased range and depth of services.

It also provides a more modern and safer working environment for our staff to carry out their work, including demonstrations and training.”

The strategic partnership not only brings together both companies’ next generation energy and cost-effective solutions but underlines the strong alliance and track record that has been established between Scotland and Ireland.

The announcement was made in the presence of Ireland’s Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, Alex White TD, at a networking event at the Irish Consulate in Edinburgh, hosted by Consul General Pat Bourne, to coincide with the Enterprise Ireland Trade Mission to the Low Carbon Scotland Conference in Scotland’s capital.

Opito announces date for 2015 Safety and Competence Conference The “economics of safety at $50 oil” is the topic for this year’s OPITO Safety and Competence Conference (OSCC) which will take place on 3 November 2015 in Abu Dhabi.

OSCC is the only global annual event wholly focused on safety and competence in the oil and gas industry.

With the offshore industry’s focus firmly on reducing costs and increasing efficiency, this year’s OSCC will explore how the sector maintains competence and continues to keep its people safe in a lower oil price environment.

News In Brief

ATR Group moves to larger premises to house Power Solutions

Led by Walt Doxford, the newly appointed head of integrity for Europe and Africa, the new premises will deliver an array of integrity services for the energy sector including risk assessment, inspection, defect assessment, materials selection, training, corrosion management and engineering critical assessment.

The move comes after Penspen increased its workforce at its current Newcastle base by 30% from 38 staff members to a team of more than 50 in only six months.

Peter O’Sullivan, Chief Executive of Penspen said: “We have been in the integrity business for 60 years and the rapid growth of our Newcastle centre of excellence, which supports our teams around the globe with consulting and training services, demonstrates the outstanding value that our integrity engineers deliver to our clients.

Walt’s career in engineering spans more than 35 years working with major oil and gas companies and service providers including: BP, British Gas, Lloyds Register and Wood Group. He has a depth of knowledge in quality assurance and inspection, materials engineering and non-destructive testing, making him very well qualified to lead our Asset Integrity division in Europe and Africa.”

Mr Doxford said: “I am thrilled to be joining Penspen at such an exciting time for the company. We have ambitious growth plans and I’m confident that my skills and experience will help drive this expansion and open new doors for Penspen.”

www.sosmagazine.biz

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Industry News

High voltage courses designed for all levels of knowledge and experience The Faraday Centre Limited is a privately owned, international training company specialising in the provision of Electrical Power Training, either at our purpose designed facilities in the UK and Cyprus (Thomas-Faraday Training Ltd), which are equipped with a wide range of operational high/low voltage electrical training equipment or at the client’s site, in the UK and worldwide.

Their courses cover a wide range of areas; for those who are specialised Engineers to those who come into contact with Electrical Equipment. The courses are designed to be delivered over a matter of days and we can also provide bespoke courses for our clients whose remit does not fit into the standard courses.

The Faraday Centre undertakes a wide range of High Voltage courses - depending upon your level of knowledge and experience.

The S4 is for those seeking Full Authorisation. This programme requires a good foundation of electrical knowledge. It is designed to bring candidates up to a competency level suitable for Senior Authorised persons. Their S9 course provides candidates with practical, hands on introduction to high voltage switching.

ELECTRICAL HIGH VOLTAGE TRAINING 01642 467236

training@faradaycentre.co.uk

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Please quote Ref: SOS5 to receive your 5% course fee discount (Terms & Conditions apply)

They have many other High Voltage courses for people to choose from.

Visit their website for further information:

www.faradaycentre.co.uk/high-voltage-courses

Survivex aims for growth with new appointment to management team Leading North East training provider Survivex has made a key managerial appointment. Following an internal promotion, Chris Bews takes up the position of Business Development Manager.

Tasked with day-to-day responsibility for leading the sales team and meeting pre-defined revenue targets, he takes the role at a crucial time in the company’s development.

Chris has extensive experience in energy training having been with Survivex as a member of the business development team since its inception in 2011. Chris has played a fundamental role

in identifying business opportunities, growing the customer base and securing sales. Prior to this he held an account management position for an electrical and engineering consumables supply company.

“Chris was the ideal person to take up this challenge”, said Survivex CEO Andrew Green, “he knows the business inside out, is a well-respected member of the team and has developed good relationships with many of our major clients”.

“These are difficult times for the sector”, continues Mr Green, “but we’re aiming to get ourselves into the best position to maintain market share and to enable us to press ahead with our strategic growth plans”. This recent announcement follows the appointment of two additional company directors since Mr Green took over the reins of the company in the middle of 2014.

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Chris will be based at the multi-million pound training facility in Aberdeen but will count international travel in his remit.

Working closely with the company’s office in Dubai he will focus on growing the global arm of the business and promoting North Sea safety standards across the sector as a whole.

“I’m delighted to be tasked with the responsibility of leading the team at this current time”, said Chris, “despite the uncertainty in the sector Survivex is actively pressing forward; we’ve been awarded significant accreditations from OPITO in recent months, and have developed a strategic collaborations with other training providers, allowing us to offer a comprehensive training portfolio designed to deliver to the specific requirements of our clients”.

www.survivex.com

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Industry News

ELECTRICAL HIGH VOLTAGE TRAINING 01642 467236

training@faradaycentre.co.uk

www.faradaycentre.co.uk

Registered office: Unit 3 Stephenson Court, Skippers Lane Industrial Estate, South Bank, Middlesbrough, TS6 6UT, UK

Please quote Ref: SOS5 to receive your 5% course fee discount (Terms & Conditions apply)

Hazards25 Title

Sub heading

In association with the Mary Kay O’Connor Process Safety Center

13–15 May, Edinburgh, UK The most dangerous phrase in the industry? It can’t happen here.

We continue to see process safety accidents caused by human error, a failure to learn from past incidents and a breakdown of process safety systems.

Hazards 25 provides the chance to learn and share process safety best practice to help you avoid repeating past mistakes or making new ones as processes change.

Find out more and register at www.icheme.org/hazards25

www.sosmagazine.biz

This is an ideal event for anyone involved with operating systems and processes handling hazardous materials.

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9 C0321_15 Hazards HP.indd 1

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Industry News

Wood Group PSN appoints new CEO Dave Stewart has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Wood Group PSN (WGPSN). Effective this month, Dave

moves into this role from his previous position as UK Managing Director of WGPSN’s UK operations.

Dave has more than 38 years of oil and gas experience and joined Wood Group 17 years ago. During this time Dave has been responsible for the establishment of Wood Group’s duty holder business and creating WGPSN’s industrial services capability through the acquisition of Pyeroy Group Limited in 2013.

Dave is also on the leadership team of Step Change in Safety, co-chair for Human Factors and Competence steering group and board trustee for the Oil and Gas Chaplaincy.

In his new position, Dave will focus on continued business efficiency and support WGPSN’s growth in the global oil and gas industry.

Dave said: “I am passionate about the company and committed to focusing on how we deliver collaborative, competitive and cost-effective solutions that enhance value for our clients in these challenging times.

WGPSN is leading the charge in terms of understanding the measures required to safeguard the future growth of the oil and gas industry globally, and I look forward to taking on this challenge.”

www.woodgroup-psn.com

Onsite power solution with no waste that’s perfect for both manned and unmanned offshore platforms and onshore CHP & CCHP applications Turner EPS can offer Capstone MicroTurbine technology as an alternative solution to traditional diesel engine powered packages across a wide spectrum of applications including; Data Centres, Farm Digesters, Hotels, Hospitals, Large Retailers, Landfill, Marine, Office Buildings, Waste Water Plants and Oil & Gas.

Offshore Oil & Gas Applications Capstone MicroTurbines reliably power offshore and onshore operations using unprocessed wellhead gas (economic or flare, sweet or up to 7% sour) to generate 3-phase, load-following continuous power. Perfect for both manned and unmanned platforms, Capstone MicroTurbines can provide continuous load following power down to an idle and up to a few hundred kilowatts in easily manageable, redundant 30 and 65kW models.

www.sosmagazine.biz

Capstone platform power solution dramatically reduces scheduled maintenance to mere filter changes twice a year.

They have just one moving part, no gearbox or other mechanicals, and use no lubricants or hazardous materials, resulting in minimal maintenance while providing reliable, dependable performance. This also eliminates transporting,

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storage, and costly hazmat spill/leakage issues associated with diesel engine generator sets.

Onshore CHP & CCHP Applications As Capstone MicroTurbines generate clean-and-green electricity, they produce exhaust heat. With CHP and CCHP, the waste heat is captured rather than released to the atmosphere.

This thermal power is then used to heat the building, provide warm water for laundry or heat swimming pool water.

By recycling waste heat, businesses reduce reliance on outdated, traditional energy sources - grid power and boilers.

In a CCHP application, an absorption chiller is added to the system, which turns waste heat into a cooling source most commonly used for air conditioning - further boosting energy efficiencies since less utility power is needed to run the air conditioners. Steam can also be produced as a bi-product of the microturbine exhaust through the absorption chiller which can be used for example as part of a hospital’s sterilisation or cleaning process.

www.turner-eps.co.uk

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Industry News

Cougar Automation develop pioneering system for Guara-Lula oil field site National automations system provider, Cougar Automation, has developed and commissioned an innovative control system for Balltec to use on the first Buoy Supported Riser (BSR) system installed on Brazil’s Guara-Lula Project.

The system is a world’s first in design and will support Petrobras in eventually reaching a projected total production capacity of over 300,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd).

The Guara-Lula project is the largest engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning (EPIC) SURF contract ever to be awarded in Brazil. Operated

by Petrobras and located in Santos Basin approximately 100 miles off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, the BSR system consists of four submerged buoys each weighing approximately 2,000 tonnes which lie around 300 metres below sea level.

Cougar Automation was commissioned

by Balltec to design a dedicated control and automation system consisting of a surface-mounted primary control that would control the movement of the buoy support system via tether adjustment, using a linear chain tensioner. This was required in order to manage the tension in the risers.

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The pioneering system allows surface control of the subsea tensioner system via a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV).

Once over-boarded, the ROV facilitates establishment of the data pathway linking the surface control to the subsea control modules. The surface control is then used

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to effect buoy movement as required.

This ‘robotic like’ system enables the controller to make adjustments to the position of the buoy using the tensioners, via visual monitoring and control using surface-mounted touch-screen HMIs. The surface control system is also able to automatically interrogate and identify the exact tensioner it is connected to, as well as generating advanced statistical reporting, operational and historical data for convenient trouble-shooting and audits. The intuitive control system can also make rapid decisions in real-time to protect the equipment and facilitate safe operation; which a human would be incapable of. This includes highlighting of any anomalies to the Operator and the generation of events during normal operation. This ensures that the system can be protected against any damage quickly and efficiently.

Liberty Mabaleka, Project Engineer at Cougar Automation said “The design of this automation system was very different in comparison to our usual projects, in that it works very much like a robot would.

The user can command the control system exactly what it needs to do and then it can report back findings through programmed intelligence. We’re extremely pleased with the end result and this has a lot to do with how closely we worked with the client throughout the entire process – actively engaging them at every stage of the project in order to ensure that we were delivering exactly what the client required. It’s been a fantastic opportunity

for Cougar to showcase exactly what we’re capable of, and we’re very proud to be part of such a revolutionary system “ Balltec was extremely pleased with the work carried out stating “We are extremely satisfied with the level of support CougarAutomation has provided. The flexibility & speed in which the software was updated was very impressive”.

Cougar Automation has five offices throughout the UK and specialises in providing control and automation systems to the oil and gas, power generation and utilities sectors. The company has a wealth of experience with an extremely impressive client base, working on some of the biggest projects in the industry.

www.cougar-automation.com

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Subsea Equipment & Underwater Inspection

Award winning scottish company is leading light for offshore safety New technology which aims to enhance safety and productivity in the oil and gas industry has been produced for use at depths of up to 3,000m by a Scottish research and development company.

PSL, a spin out company of the University of St Andrews, has further developed its award-winning unique fibre lighting system LIGHTPATH, which offers an innovative technical solution to many sectors where safety of life is paramount.

In recent months, there has been increasing investment by oil and gas companies in deep and ultra-deep water operations, and PSL has been asked to enhance its product, making it capable of being used at more significant depths.

As a result, PSL has developed the deep-water SLS7000, a version of LIGHTPATH that may help identify the position and orientation of seabed operations down to 3,000 metres to reduce the time for installation, maintenance and repair by work-class ROVs.

LIGHTPATH – which won the Subsea UK Innovation for Safety Award 2014 - is a patented side-emitting flexible fibre that projects a continuous and flexible line of light that carries no electrical power. It combines second-generation, highperformance light emitting diodes (LED) with a life expectancy of 50,000 hours/five hours continuous operation. A unique coupling system for the optics to allow more light into the fibre, which is just 5mm in diameter, is used in combination with a new fibre quick release coupling system.

Simple yet highly effective, it can be used for a wide range of applications, from guide path illumination through to the extremes of challenging, hazardous and submerged environments.

To date, PSL has targeted the subsea sector, using the technology to illuminate saturation diver umbilicals, enhancing safety and productivity for all parties, including the individual diver, colleagues in the water, the bell-man and giving confidence to the ROV pilot as to the location of diver umbilicals.

This awareness for ROV pilots of the route of the umbilical minimises the risk of collision and can significantly reduce the incidence of umbilical snagging.

PSL, which has its origins in scientific research undertaken at the University’s Photonics Innovation Centre, aims to turn the LIGHTPATH concept into a global commercial product allowing it to become part of the broad and growing domestic upstream oil and gas supply chain.

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PSL Director Don Walker said: “Since winning the award, reaction to the product has been overwhelmingly positive, with both divers and companies alike endorsing it as a significant contribution to safety.

“We will continue to focus on increased safety and productivity through innovative forms of illumination broadly based on LIGHTPATH. We can, we believe, find applications in many operational scenarios many of which we are ignorant; however exposure to a wider experienced knowledge base will allow for the joint development of new applications.”

www.photosynergy.co.uk

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So ask yourself ­ Why choose anything else?

Specialists in the supply of World Class ROVs, Sonars and Accessories to the Subsea Market. www.atlantasmarine.com T: +44 (0)1935 426 000 F: +44 (0)1935 426 522 E: info@atlantasmarine.com

Visit us at Ocean Business 14-16th April Stand S7

Subsea Equipment & Underwater Inspection

The Smart Choice ­ Trusted by some of the biggest names in the subsea industry The VideoRay Pro 4 helps you get the job done quickly and safely

From the leaders in subsea control systems…

Rotary Docking Class 1-4 and Class 5 Torque Tools Designed to allow seamless integration with Zetechtics manufactured Jupiter Subsea Control Systems; these tools are also compatible with other operating systems that have suitable hydraulic and electrical interfaces.

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Tel: +44 (0) 1653 602020 www.zetechtics.com

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Subsea Equipment & Underwater Inspection

JFD acquires National Hyperbaric Centre “Opportunities for Growth” for the leading provider of Subsea Training, Testing and Consulting services.

James Fisher and Sons plc recently announced the acquisition of the National Hyperbaric Centre Limited. NHC will become a division of JFD, which was formed by the merger of James Fisher Defence and Divex in 2014. The move broadens JFD’s portfolio of services offered to customers in the oil and gas, hyperbaric medical, and defence markets.

NHC’s training centres in Aberdeen and Singapore join JFD’s training facility in Perth, Australia in the provision of industry-respected subsea training courses for commercial and defence divers.

Whilst continuing to operate as a standalone business, NHC maintains its commitment to all existing and future

customers who will benefit from an expanded support network, extensive global presence and greater financial stability.

David Smith, former owner and Managing Director, has stepped down and is supporting the transition process, as new General Manager, Alan Green, joins the team in Aberdeen. All other employees have remained with the business.

David Smith said: “Since NHC’s establishment in 1987 we have built our reputation as a centre of excellence for hyperbaric support, testing and training.

With promising growth prospects for the business and the backing of JFD, I am confident that our commitment to improve the standard of subsea safety worldwide will be upheld.”

brand in hyperbaric testing, training and support which builds upon, and compliments, the range of services offered

by JFD. I am pleased to welcome the team at NHC to JFD and I look forward to our combined growth opportunities globally in the subsea sector.”

www.nationalhyperbariccentre.com

Mike Howarth, Managing Director of JFD, added: “NHC has a strong and established

Subsea industry recognises commercial diving champion ‘Leading light’ Alf Leadbitter awarded Outstanding Contribution Award at Subsea UK Awards Dinner The achievements of one of the world’s most experienced commercial diver trainers have been recognised at a prestigious subsea awards ceremony.

Alf Leadbitter, Diver Training Authority at The Underwater Centre in Fort William, was presented with the award for Outstanding Contribution to the Subsea Industry at the annual Subsea UK Awards in Aberdeen.

The award is in recognition of the impact made by an individual to the subsea sector over the course of their career.

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Alf’s long and successful career - which spans 50 years not only as a commercial diver, but also as a dive supervisor, instructor and assessor - has seen him travel the globe sharing his expertise with commercial diving students.

He has worked at the globally recognised diver training establishment, The Underwater Centre on the west coast of Scotland, for more than 30 years, where he has led diver training for the last 10 years.

Steve Ham, General Manager of The Underwater Centre, believes the commercial diving industry has a lot to thank Alf for following his tireless work ensuring training reaches the highest standards in health and safety and in subsea skills.

www.theunderwatercentre.com

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Alf Leadbitter

Subsea Equipment & Underwater Inspection

Deep C complete mass flow excavation and dredging contract in the Black Sea Deep C has completed a Mass Flow Excavation and Dredging contract in the Black Sea utilising there in house designed Deep C Blower. The Deep C blower is an electrically powered Mass Flow Excavation solution with unique capabilities and the ability to be used at considerable water depths.

The project involved freespan correction prior to pipelay operations in a water depth of approx 110 m. The Deep C Blower was also set up with an onboard jetting system to aid clay disintegration.

www.deepcgroup.com

The key challenge was the client’s requirement for strict tolerances for trench profile, and the approach requirement for obtaining this profile in steep downhill terrain. To encounter these requirements, Deep C engineered and developed a methodology pre-determined excavation speed along predefined passes, taking both excavation target and actual soil conditions into consideration.

The scope of work was successfully completed within time frame, and without any incidents.

Aquaterra Energy prepare to deploy new riser monitoring system The Riser Monitoring System (RMS) provides integrated monitoring and analysis and is designed to improve understanding of riser fatigue, facilitate the safer extension of asset life and enhance health and safety. RMS developers Aquaterra Energy have fully utilised their vast in-house technical and operational riser systems expertise in the development of this innovative technology.

The RMS delivers accurate information about the condition of riser as it undergoes stresses and strains whilst deployed

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This project follows on the back of recent contract wins in the UK and overseas for a diverse range of projects involving spudcan remediation workscopes, trenching scopes, dredging operations and boulder removal scopes.

offshore. Robust strain gauges, specifically designed for subsea use, accurately measure the movements of the riser for a range of durations, from short campaigns to five years of continuous logging. The gauges are housed within a heavy-duty casing, designed to provide maximum protection whilst minimising operational impact.

Aquaterra Energy showcased the RMS at ONS 2014 and Subsea Expo 2015.

“We know that a heightened sensitivity towards health and safety and project critical risks associated with riser fatigue means ingenuity in riser integrity management is important,” says Eric Doyle, Aquaterra European Regional Director. “The RMS design utilises a combination of direct riser strain measurement, subsea data logging and riser analysis processing algorithms.

We have already won a contract to supply the RMS to a client on the Norwegian Continental Shelf for which we are creating a bespoke system,” says Doyle. “There is a strong market for tried and tested, simple and well-engineered equipment. We can offer traditional solutions as well as tailored systems to increase peace of mind, enhance safety and ultimately reduce project expense.”

The Riser Monitoring System provides unparalleled opportunities for improvements in safety and reduction in costs. The robust, integrated data monitoring and analysis enables engineers to accurately make vital decisions regarding asset life, maintenance and safety.

Aquaterra Energy have a proven track record in delivering innovative world-class offshore solutions to the global oil and gas industry.

www.aquaterraenergy.com

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● Diamond wire cutting machine design and fabrication specialists

● Diamond wire machines built to client requirements ● Diamond wire spreads available for hire operated by experienced technicians ● Subsea cutting solutions

Contact Kevin on +44 (0)7836 724329 contact@subsea-cutting.com

Subsea Equipment & Underwater Inspection

Sub Sea Cutting

www.subsea-cutting.com

Cygnus DIVE Underwater Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge

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Subsea Equipment & Underwater Inspection

New magnetic crawler solution developed for remote subsea inspection.

The ACFM® MagCrawler Following on from a recent successful diverless ACFM® inspection campaign in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, a new development has evolved in the arena of subsea inspection the ACFM MagCrawler™.

TSC’s ACFM® inspection method is widely used for subsea weld inspection, deployed by diver. This specialised solution enables accurate inspection of subsea welds where access can be difficult or costly to reach with divers. Advanced control software enables the ACFM MagCrawler™ to track a wide range of weld geometries typically found on fixed and floating structures.

The ACFM MagCrawler™ is magnetically attached to the inspection surface. Two rubber caterpillar tracks provide the traction and allow accurate steering of the ACFM MagCrawler™ across the surface. When deployed by ROV the ACFM MagCrawler™ is delivered to the structure and operates autonomously with the ROV stood off. This minimizes the station keeping requirements of the ROV. The ACFM MagCrawler™ can manoeuvre easily on flat surfaces or tubulars with a diameter greater than 30 inches (760mm).

Motorised adjustments of probe position can be made in both parallel and transverse directions, allowing full coverage of the area to be inspected. The probe is held in contact with the inspection surface using passive compliance, ensuring that the probe is aligned correctly at all times. A 360 degree rotation head means flange welds can be inspected with full coverage of the weld and heat affected zone.

The combination of TSC’s ACFM® inspection technology with the ACFM Magcrawler™ deployment can deliver particularly high inspection performance with a capability to detect and size defects as small as 15mm long by 1mm deep in welded connections, even when inspected through a protective coating.

About TSC Inspection Systems TSC Inspection Systems provides Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) service, rental and product solutions founded on their unique and patented Alternating Current Field Measurement (ACFM®) Technology.

The ACFM® technique detects surface-breaking cracks in metallic structures and components, without the need to remove protected coatings, therefore minimizing downtime for critical operations.

TSC Inspection Systems was established in 1984, as a spin-off from University College London, by a team of Professors and Lecturers who were recognised leaders in the fields of NDT, robotics and fracture mechanics.

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ACFM® was developed with support from BP, BG, Conoco and Shell, who were keen to dramatically improve the reliability of underwater inspection, reduce the reliance on the operator and provide auditable inspection records.

TSC offers clients a wide range of support in the execution of inspection programs around the world including Inspection Services, Equipment Rental, Product Sales and Technical Support.

For further information please visit the TSC Inspection Systems website:

www.tscis.com

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Skilled operators certified to Level 2.5 & 3.4U Original and customised ACFM® equipment ACFM® data review and report vetting Level 3 technical support

Integrated service solutions for diver and ROV campaigns

✔ Detection through coatings up to 12mm thick ✔ Crack sizing for length and depth ✔ Reduced cleaning requirements ✔ Full data capture and audit trail ✔ No on-site calibration required

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Contact Us Locations

Milton Keynes (HQ)

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Aberdeen

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Subsea Equipment & Underwater Inspection

NHC appoints Global Training Manager Lieutenant Commander Richard Watson has been appointed as Global Training Manager for National Hyperbaric Centre (NHC) the leading provider of worldwide training courses for the subsea industry.

During 2014, the centre drove forwards development within its successful training department. New courses were added to the NHC portfolio including Subsea Isolations and ROV System Auditing & Assurance, both receiving positive interest and feedback within the industry.

Further investment was made by opening a new training and consulting office in Singapore, which is now running courses on a regular basis and experiencing positive results.

Richard, or as he has been known for the past 31 years, “Soapy” (Watson being the name of the soap used in the Royal Navy during the early 20th Century), brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the centre.

Working his way up through various positions led him to become Head of Diving Training for all Royal Navy Diving and Operations Manager of all Diving Units based in UK (around 190 divers). Finally, Richard was the Client Representative/Diving Standards Officer on behalf of the Ministry of Defence for Royal Navy and Royal Marines which is the UK’s largest single employer of divers.

management to the competitive arena of training to make NHC the best training organisation in our specialist field.”

For more information about National Hyperbaric Centre’s Training Department, visit their website:

www.nhctraining.com

Alongside his new role, Richard continues his service as a reservist in the Royal Navy Reserves (RNR) where he is Officer in Command of Reserves Diving Unit 2, which supplies operators and supervisors to the NATO Submarine Rescue System.

Lieutenant Commander Watson commented: “I am truly delighted to be joining the NHC in these very exciting times and hope to bring my knowledge and experience of diving/underwater operations and

Dynamic new pipeline grouping is formed IK-Group AS (IK) is pleased to announce that it has acquired Online Electronics Limited (OEL), a leading global pipeline communications specialist.

OEL, headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, is the parent company of Online Pipeline Solutions Inc. (OPS), Houston and additional Business Units in Dubai, Singapore and Perth W.A., the acquisition further strengthens and widens IK`s position within the pipeline sector of the International Oil & Gas industry.

www.sosmagazine.biz

This now takes the number of employees in the IK Group closer to 200. The investment in OEL is expected to create additional jobs in the next twelve months through increased market share driven by Research, Development and Special Engineering Projects.

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The combination of OEL’s cutting edge products for pipeline pig monitoring, pipeline data communication and logging systems with IK’s top of the line PIG manufacturing and niche pipeline engineering services will provide our shared clients with a strong, innovative service partner to help them with the challenges now seen in the Oil and Gas Market. This combination is expected to enhance IK’s Special Project capability and overall significantly increase IK`s market share.

IK-Group will keep the well-established OEL brand and global structure as this has proven to be highly successful. The companies are an excellent fit and fully complement each other in terms of sector, technology and geography.

IK has a well-established model where each company within the Group operates as a separate entity yet leverages the strengths and knowledge to provide top services to each other and the industry.

The main shareholder and current CEO of OEL, Brian Gribble, will remain in the company as an advisor and Director on the Board.

Customers will continue to receive the same high quality and services they have come to expect.

www.online-electronics.com www.ik-worldwide.com

Ocean Business 2015 Preview

Blue Economy Seminar Programme aims to develop a ‘forward strategy’ at Ocean Business 2015 The Federation of Surveyors (FIG) and International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) are hosting a vital seminar for the Blue Economy at this year’s Ocean Business event on 14 April from 9.00 - 5.30pm at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, UK. Gordon Johnston, Vice Chair of FIG Commission 4 – Hydrography explains, “We’ve just launched an unmissable programme for those interested in reaping the benefits of the Blue Economy.

From government to commercial organisations and coastal communities, the seminar ‘Blue Economy, Bridging the Gap’ helps us understand how we can all gain sustained benefits from the sea. The seminar includes outstanding speakers from all corners of the industry, but more than that, it offers delegates an opportunity to contribute and make a difference to help develop a strategy for the future.”

At a time when the industry is facing financial, geopolitical and technical challenges, the Blue Economy seminar aims to provide an opportunity for innovation, collaboration and enterprise.

From the seminar, FIG and IHO intend to develop a summary position document to further advance the concept of developing and growing a Blue Economy.

Gordon Johnston continues, “The seminar couldn’t be timed better as governments are now setting policy and looking at the next stage of how to administer and manage their marine areas.

We urge the industry to take part in the seminar to help us devise the best way forward.”

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There will be five different sessions running at the seminar, with numerous presentations and a final discussion session to understand outcomes.

Dr. Jonathan Williams, CEO of Marine South East, will be presenting an inspiring keynote speech about ‘turning aspiration into opportunity.’ Using his vast industry experience, his presentation will explore the growth potential of the Blue Economy in terms of new markets, new customers and new technologies.

Other highlights of the seminar include a talk by Michael Jones, President of the Maritime Alliance, who addresses a fundamental question: ‘how big is the Blue Economy?’ by looking at the size of the US Blue Economy and BlueTech and efforts that are underway to quantify and promote them. Dr Gordon Drummond, Project Director of Subsea UK, provides a perspective on innovation and the offshore industry opportunities. Also of interest are success stories such as the talk given by Massimo Sarti, Project Director at the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, which demonstrates successful fisheries management for Asia’s largest lagoon ecosystem through a combination of stakeholder collaboration and spatial data.

Looking to the future, Paul Holthus, CEO of the World Ocean Council, talks about the need for cross sectoral leadership and collaboration organisations to help resolve complex business challenges such as cumulative environmental impacts, conflicts in marine space and resources, and policies and regulations that do not support responsible ocean economic development.

Cheri Arvonio, Ocean Business’ Event Manager, commented, “We are delighted that Ocean Business is the venue for such an important seminar. As the biggest gathering of the year for the international ocean business community, Ocean Business 2015 has become a centre for related industry events and we hope that delegates will benefit from the Blue Economy seminar to help develop a strategy for the future.”

Delegates to the Blue Economy seminar will enjoy free entrance to the Ocean Business exhibition, which provides a high calibre mix of technology and business for visitors with over 300 companies exhibiting. As in previous years, the show will include a full three-day programme of hands-on training and demonstration workshops, enabling buyers to actually test drive equipment before purchasing. Also running alongside Ocean Business will be the Offshore Survey conference to address the technical and business issues facing the global field of offshore surveying.

As always, the combined events bring a lively social programme, culminating in a gala dinner, held at Southampton’s Guildhall on 15th April.

For the full programme of Blue Economy - Bridging the Gap, or to register to attend please visit:

www.oceanbusiness.com

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Steatite win Innovate UK funding to research and develop the next generation of lithium batteries for marine autonomous systems

Steatite is a specialist in the design and manufacture of Lithium battery pack solutions specifically for harsh operating environments including military, oil & gas, subsea, marine monitoring, and unmanned vehicles. Having previously worked with the NOC to develop a mission-critical battery solution that increased the AUV’s endurance whilst reducing whole life cost, Paul Edwards,

Battery Business Manager said, “This success strengthens our position as a manufacturer of battery and power solutions, the Innovate UK funding will bring together a class leading partnership from industry and academia which will provide a platform for future success, with each partner bringing a significant level of domain expertise to the consortium” Collectively this team will benefit from expertise at academic level, cell research level, pack assembly,and as operational end users of MAS in the most challenging environments. This is a unique opportunity to establish a high pedigree consortium with an extensive knowledge of MAS, their operational requirements, product opportunities, with already established routes to market.

aspects of innovative underwater vehicle design and manufacture.

The NOC has consistently been at the forefront of pioneering marine autonomous developments.

Kevin Forshaw, Associate Director of Innovation and Enterprise at the NOC, said “We are delighted to have secured this Innovate UK funding, and look forward to working alongside our industry partners to produce these exciting new developments in Marine Autonomous Systems.”

Steatite are exhibiting on stand V16 at Ocean Business 2015.

Ocean Business 2015 Preview

Steatite is delighted to announce that Innovate UK has awarded collaborative funding of £1.1 million for research and development of the next generation of Lithium Batteries for Marine Autonomous Systems. A consortium of UK companies and academic partners, led by Steatite, will produce a battery pack that will be pressure tolerant up to depths of 6000 metres. The collaboration includes cell manufacturer OXIS Energy Ltd, underwater vehicle designers and manufacturers MSubs Ltd and scientific expertise from the National Oceanography Centre (NOC).

www.steatite.co.uk

OXIS Energy has been at the forefront of innovative R&D, building Next Generation Battery technology since 2005, while MSubs have a wealth of experience in all

Del Norte technology ltd See us at Ocean Business 2015 Stand No F13

Product Line 2015

All Hypack Software, Hypack, Hysweep and Dredgepack

Ross Mini Sweep system

Tritech Starfish Side-Scan Sonars

Cee HydroSystems CeeducerPro and Ceestar

Hypack Hydrographic Software SB , MB and DredgePack

Syqwest StrataBox Sub Bottom Profiler

Del Norte Technology Ltd

3 Douglas Avenue, Brixham, South Devon TQ5 9EL UK Mobile: +44(0)7836 741288 Tel: +44 (0)1803 844555, Fax: +44 (0)1803 844555 Email: delnorte@btconnect.com

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Ross Mini Sweep System Installed on a small river vessel

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Exploration & Production

Optimus Seventh Generation develops new training program for drilling Aberdeen based behavioural change consultancy, Optimus Seventh Generation, has reinforced its commitment to safety in the drilling industry, by today announcing the launch of its new ‘Operationalising the Safety Case’ workshop.

The workshop, designed for drill rig crew and leadership in the global drilling industry, has been developed to raise awareness of major hazardous accidents within the safety case, and to provide a greater understanding of the strength and depth of plant, people and process barriers designed to protect the rig.

Optimus Seventh Generation Chief Executive Derek Smith said: “In the current economic climate it is increasingly important that expenditure on training is focused on the most vital areas.

In our experience there is little of more

importance than protecting people, the environment and the rig, by bringing alive the barriers to major accident hazards that are contained in the safety case.

While the drilling industry is challenged by the current low oil price, Optimus remains committed to investing in the development of training products specifically designed for the global drilling industry. ‘Operationalising the Safety Case’ was the first in a suite of training products we’ve developed, and later in the year we will be launching Crew Resource Management (CRM) for Well Control.”

Optimus showcased their ‘Operationalising the Safety Case’ workshop at the IADC Drilling HSE&T Conference in Kuala Lumpur earlier in March.

www.optimus-she.com

North-east firm announces start of drilling operations at its first project managed UK exploration well An Aberdeen-based well management firm has commenced drilling at the UK’s first conventional onshore exploration well of 2015.

Zenith Energy, which was established in 2012, has initiated drilling operations of the Europa Oil & Gas operated Kiln Lane well, which is located in North-east Lincolnshire on licence PEDL 181.

The Kiln Lane well is the first full project management contract for Zenith Energy, which will involve drilling to a total depth of approximately 2,500 metres. Europa Oil & Gas estimates Kiln Lane, a conventional exploration well targeting oil in upper carboniferous sandstone reservoirs, has mean gross un-risked recoverable resources of 2.9 million barrels of oil.

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The independent well engineering and project management company, which is based at Bon Accord Square in Aberdeen, has executed all well planning, regulatory permitting and full project management of the drilling operation.

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Managing Director of Zenith Energy, Martin Booth, said: “The Kiln Lane well is Zenith’s first complete well management project and we are pleased to announce that drilling has begun.

Due to previous work with Europa Oil & Gas, we have built a close working relationship with the firm, so it is great to work on this exciting project so we can again showcase our skills and expertise. It’s a great achievement to be involved in one of the first onshore wells in the UK in 2015 and a fantastic start to our third year of business, as we continue to expand our client portfolio and track record of working with a number of operators worldwide.”

Europa’s CEO, Hugh Mackay, said: “We are delighted to commence operations on the Kiln Lane conventional oil prospect and we look forward to updating shareholders with the results from this well towards the end of March. I wish to thank our geoscience, operations and permitting teams all of whom have delivered excellent performance and have brought the well to spud on schedule against a tight timeframe.”

Zenith Energy, which currently has 18 employees, has over 100 years of professional experience in the industry and last year more than doubled its client list to 19, working with a number of operators in the UK, Ireland, Norway, France and West Africa.

www.zenith-energy.co.uk

Call for tax cuts for Irish oil exploration operators

The Department of Natural Resources has suggested it will table certain incentives for those active in the sector for inclusion in the bill, which is due to be drafted in October or November, without expanding on possible moves in detail.

While not actively lobbying the Government at present, the Irish Offshore Operators’ Association (IOOA), the chief representative body for companies prospecting for oil and gas in Irish waters, has suggested such measures would help progress Ireland’s exploration sector.

“It would be nice to see some incentives flagged ahead of both the closing date for licensing round applications and the publication of the Finance Bill,” said IOOA chairman Pat Shannon said.

Last summer was a significant one for Ireland’s exploration

sector, with the Government launching its first offshore licensing round for three years (the 2015 Atlantic Margin Oil and Gas Licensing Round is open for applications until September) and significantly altering the tax framework for the sector, with the top rate of tax on profits made from any future oil find (charges, vitally, will not be backdated to include previous finds) in Irish waters going from 40% to 55% and a 5% royalty revenue also going to the State for each year of a producing field’s lifespan.

The IOOA has said there should be some room for improving Ireland’s attractiveness, noting last year’s fiscal terms were introduced at a time of $100 being the average oil price.

Speaking recently, Prof Shannon, who took over at the helm of the IOOA last year, said the altered fiscal terms were not incentives, but the lack of retrospection and the saving from the heightened tax of older fields was a welcome feature.

The association would like to see, via the Finance Bill, the level of corporate tax for firms operating here lowered from 25% and brought into line with Ireland’s broad 12.5% rate and a potential exclusion of small and marginal field operators from the proposed 5% royalty revenue element of the new terms.

Exploration & Production

The main representative body for Irish oil and gas exploration firms wants to see more incentives for marginal field operators, as well as a lowering of the corporate tax rate for such companies, included in the Finance Bill later in the year.

NCIMB’s MARA and LumiMARA toxicity tests help companies comply with new OSPAR regulations OSPAR requires full implementation of a risk based approach to testing of produced water discharges from offshore installations by 31 December 2018, and NCIMB’s MARA and LumiMARA bioassays have been recommended by the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), as part of their preferred approach to achieving this.

OSPAR manages international cooperation on the protection of the marine environment of the northeast Atlantic.

Implementation of a risk based approach requires examination of the exposure resulting from produced water discharge to be combined with determination of the sensitivity of the environment to the whole effluent.

“All substances present in produced water will contribute to the total environmental risk, and whole effluent toxicity testing measures not only the effects of substances known to be present but also the impact of unknown substances and the combined effects of all components”.

She concluded: “Using MARA or LumiMARA as an alternative to toxicity testing with a single species of bacteria is a very simple and cost effective means of increasing the breadth and genetic diversity of toxicity testing, and may give more robust results.”

www.ncimb.com

While companies have already been undertaking chemical analysis as part of the biannual testing program, whole effluent toxicity testing is a new requirement. NCIMB’s MARA and LumiMARA bioassays, which include an array of carefully selected microorganisms, have been recommended in preference to single-species microbial testing. While MARA assesses toxicity on the basis of microbial growth, LumiMARA uses light output from naturally luminescent microorganisms. www.sosmagazine.biz

The microorganisms provide a rapid and cost-effective analysis of produced water toxicity and have been trialled on samples from 15 offshore installations as part of a wider DECC coordinated study to assess the role of whole effluent toxicity (WET) testing.

Dr. Carol Phillips, CEO of the Aberdeen-based microbiology and chemical analysis company explains more about the approach:

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Exploration & Production

ExxonMobil resumes Point Thomson drilling ExxonMobil Corp, resumed drilling at Point Thompson on Alaska’s North Slope, the company said earlier in February.

The initial production system is being constructed and is scheduled to be brought online in 2016. It will produce up to 10 Mbbl/d of natural gas condensate.

Two injection wells will work in tandem with a production well, cycling up to 200 MMcf/d of natural gas through an onsite central processing facility. The condensate will then be transported by a 22-m pipeline to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.

Point Thomson is located on state acreage along the Beaufort Sea, 60m east of Prudhoe Bay and 60m west of the village of Kaktovik.

about 70% of that amount has been spent in Alaska.

The Point Thomson reservoir holds an estimated 8 Tcf of natural gas and condensate. The gas represents 25% of the North Slope’s known gas resources, and could be used to partially underpin the proposed Alaska LNG project.

As of year-end 2014, Irving, Texas-based ExxonMobil and working interest owners have invested more than $2.6 billion in the development of Point Thomson, and

Churchill Drilling Tools delivers first HyPR™ HoleSaver™ stuck pipe insurance to operators Churchill Drilling Tools, the provider of innovative Dart Activated Strings™, has recently announced that the first of its new HyPR™ HoleSaver™ hydraulic pipe recovery systems has been delivered, amidst growing international demand.

Two major operators have now selected the cost-saving tool for projects in the North Sea whilst another is planning imminent deployment in the Gulf of Mexico. Encouragingly, some onshore operators have also identified potential scenarios in which the system has applications too.

www.sosmagazine.biz

Developed by the Houston and Aberdeen-located company towards the end of 2014, the HyPR™ HoleSaver™ is the world’s first hydraulic pipe recovery system. It is faster, simpler and safer than using traditional recovery methods and is set to save the global drilling industry millions of dollars in cost and time reduction.

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The HyPR™ HoleSaver™ consists of a full strength sub positioned in the drillstring, which is severed in approximately one hour.

A jetting dart is launched and lands inside the sub and, after a relatively short period of pumping, the sub parts easily under a small loading, offering a perfect fish-neck or immediate sidetrack cementing options.

Mr Churchill added: “Stuck pipe incidents cost the drilling industry millions, if not billions of dollars each year. With the sector tightening the purse strings even further, it’s paramount to ensure cost-effective solutions are established to mitigate the burden inherently associated with stuck pipe.

Churchill is recognized for products of trusted quality, simplicity and performance for the oil and gas industry, many of which exploit its Dart Activated Strings™ technology.

“The HyPR™ HoleSaver™ can be run singly, normally above a circulation sub, or in multiples throughout the string to maximize coverage options.

Director Mike Churchill said: “The first orders for the HyPR™ HoleSaver™ confirm the need for simple technology that lowers the cost of drilling and we are delighted to have received such a positive reaction so quickly.”

“Once landed, the dart will jet the internal API pin connection in around 60 minutes and the sub can be easily parted with a small amount of torque and or over pull from the surface. Once parted the pipe can be recovered allowing side-tracking or fishing operations to commence instantly.”

“An operator who has concerns over stuck pipe can effectively insure against excessive costs by running the HyPR™ HoleSaver™ in the drillstring to recover the program more quickly should things go wrong. The low cost of running the tool, which requires no specialist mobilization, combined with rapid recovery will provide significant cost reductions in these challenging wells.”

For more information about the HyPR™ HoleSaver™ and the company’s Dart Activated Strings™ please visit the Churchill Drilling Tools’ website:

www.circsub.com

Paradigm Drilling Services launches Mexico operation

President Enrique Peña Nieto’s arrival in Aberdeen, as part of an official state visit to the UK, has stimulated interest from the oil and gas industry in developing opportunities for investors within the emerging Mexican market, particularly in light of the country’s recent energy reforms.

Paradigm Drilling Services this week finalised the establishment of a new Mexican subsidiary, Paradigm Drilling Services Mexico, in Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico, and is currently looking for premises to locate a large manufacturing and service facility in the city to support its operations. The new operation is expected to create around 15 jobs by the end of the year with more to follow.

Paradigm recently secured an initial £5m injection from new investment partners – Buckthorn Partners and Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures (SAEV), the corporate venturing subsidiary of Saudi Aramco – which will fuel Paradigm’s strategy to broaden its product portfolio, extend its geographical activity and bolster its R&D activities, in particular its Horizontal Drilling System.

Established in 2009, Paradigm designs, manufactures, sells and rents a number of new generation drilling and intervention technologies, used both in the conventional and unconventional oil and gas sectors. Paradigm forms part of the Paradigm Group, a corporate entity established in the Netherlands in 2009 to develop new generation oil and gas technologies.

www.paradigm.eu

Exploration & Production

A North-East drilling technology business has announced an initial $5m investment in Mexico after the country’s President visited Aberdeen to establish greater links between the two oilproducing regions.

The company has also announced it has won an initial $500,000 contract in the region with an international oilfield services business for the supply of rental equipment in support of an operator’s drilling operations. This is the first of a number of significant contracts the company has tendered for.

Paradigm Drilling Services is targeting turnover of £10m in 2015 – a projected rise of 54% on its December 2014 year-end run rate of £6.5m. The company employs 52 people and plans to recruit an additional 10 locally in the next six months.

Mexico is the world’s ninth largest oil producer and aims to become one of the top five economies by 2050. The country’s 2014 Energy Reform Programme allowed private firms to invest in the state-owned energy industry, Pemex, for the first time in 75 years – a move described as the biggest economic breakthrough in the country in the past two decades.

Fraser Innes, Managing Director of Paradigm Drilling Services, said: “We are delighted to announce this next step in the development of our company. The Mexican market presents opportunities for proactive companies and we are extremely excited about the growth potential of the new operation in Veracruz.”

Mr Peña Nieto met with the Queen and Prime Minister David Cameron for talks in London. During his visit to Aberdeen, the President signed an energy collaboration agreement with North Sea leaders and visited the Robert Gordon University.

Paradigm Drilling Services operates from a 40,000 sq ft facility at Thainstone, near Inverurie, and plans to open another large facility in Aberdeen to accommodate its drilling tools and research and development (R&D) functions.

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An Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce event for the oil and gas industry was also held at the Aberdeen Douglas Hotel with speakers from the Mexican Government, the country’s National Hydrocarbons Commission and the country’s stateowned oil company PEMEX, as well as representatives from BP, Shell and Wood Group.

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Welding & Fabrication

TWI: providing internationally recognised qualifications demanded by industry TWI offers a complete range of underwater inspection and non-destructive testing courses around the world, leading to internationally recognised certification from major awarding bodies. With options tailored for personnel involved in plant inspection and in-service inspection, as well as a host of other disciplines, training with TWI improves industrial capability and enhances careers.

More than 50 years’ history of delivering training to industry personnel has allowed TWI to establish a reputation as the go-to provider for anyone seeking to build their knowledge, improve their skills and gain qualifications in NDT, welding, welding inspection, underwater inspection, and a plethora of related disciplines.

Among the many courses available at TWI, some of the most popular are its underwater inspection and NDT programmes, which endow commercial divers with the skills and qualifications they need to become underwater inspectors and find work with oil and gas companies in locations all over the world.

Such specialised courses require highly specialised facilities, and TWI’s purpose-built facility in Middlesbrough, complete with modern classrooms, deep-water dive tank and all the latest equipment necessary, is the ideal location.

Underwater inspection courses with TWI lead to qualifications from CSWIP: the Certification Scheme for Welding and Inspection Personnel. The scheme was introduced by TWI in the 1970s in response to a growing demand for assurance of the competence of engineers and technicians working in industry. In the intervening four decades it has become a byword for proficiency and professionalism, and is now one of the most highly regarded providers of certification in welding, NDT, inspection and allied disciplines.

TWI is the only place in the UK where divers can carry out their training and gain CSWIP certification in the same location. With courses ranging from underwater inspection diver through to ROV inspector and underwater inspection controller, as well as refresher courses, the centre offers all the training necessary to forge a lucrative career underwater.

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As well as its complete range of underwater inspection courses, TWI also provides a full selection of topside plant inspection and NDT training programmes. Taking place in Aberdeen, Middlesbrough, Rotherham, Port Talbot or at TWI’s headquarters

just outside Cambridge, these range from training in conventional techniques such as visual inspection, radiographic interpretation and penetrant testing, through to advanced methods including time of flight diffraction (ToFD), eddy current testing, digital radiography and phased array ultrasonic testing.

Other options include courses focusing on corrosion awareness and ultrasonic testing, digital radiography of welds and offshore visual inspection.

TWI’s NDT courses lead to certification from CSWIP and PCN, providing qualifications recognised and required by employers all over the world. Training is also available covering essential knowledge and skills for plant inspection and in-service inspection, again underpinned by CSWIP certification.

TWI Training and Examination Services has grown exponentially in recent years, and the company is now the world’s largest provider of training in NDT, welding and welding inspection.

Thanks to its excellent global reputation, it has established offices in South East Asia, the Middle East, India, Central Asia, North America and Europe, and last year delivered training to more than 26,000 students from more than 70 countries.

TWI Training and Examination Services is part of TWI Ltd, one of the world’s leading research and technology organisations. With a global staff of more than 1000, TWI is a trusted and highly respected authority in the area of joining technologies, structural integrity and materials science.

To find out more about courses available from TWI, visit:

www.twitraining.com Or email:

trainexam@twitraining.com

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Established in 1949. Specialist fabricator of rolled and welded cylindrical products.

Working to recognised offshore industry standards including EEMUA 158.

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31

Welding & Fabrication

Arc Energy Resources creates a ‘full-supply’ riser for Aquaterra Energy North Sea customer Weld overlay cladding specialist Arc Energy Resources has successfully completed a contract for supply of two riser joints for Aquaterra Energy, the provider of world-class and awardwinning offshore solutions.

The components are part of two low pressure risers for an oil platform. The finished risers were destined for a set of twenty wells being drilled in the North Sea off the coast of Norway. It is a brand new development for a low pressure section of pipes to deal with any drill fluids and shallow gas that they may encounter while drilling the first top-hole section of a well.

Commenting for Arc Energy Resources, director Andrew Robinson says: “This project played well to our core strengths, a full supply contract for which we secured the material for both components (a flange and pipe for each), applied the weld overlay cladding, welded the flanges to the pipes, organised the pressure testing, completed radiographic testing requirements and arranged final coating of both items all within a very tight delivery schedule.”

The project is a DNV class rig, designed to the DNV0SE101 code and was signed off by Det Norske Veritas as suitably manufactured and designed for the task. Aquaterra Energy Project Engineer Matt Hugo comments: “DNV is one of the oil & gas industry’s largest verification bodies, which confirms calculations that pipe wall thickness and flanges are sufficient for the pressure. For this project they also undertook a review of the overall design of this section of pipe.”

The component acts as a conduit for drilling fluids and equipment during the top hole section and ensures that in the event of gas passing up through the well it can be contained and routed to the rig diverter where it can be vented to atmosphere.

www.arcenergy.co.uk

Leading North-East manufacturing, engineering and machining firm makes key appointment A North-East manufacturing, engineering and machining firm has made a key management appointment to assist with the continued to growth of the company.

Fabritech UK, which is based at the Insch Business Park in Aberdeenshire, has appointed Gary Boyne to the role of Production Manager, with the responsibility of overseeing all work carried out in the company’s workshop and managing staff.

In his role at Fabritech, which provides a comprehensive turnkey engineering and manufacturing service in steel, aluminum and stainless steel, Mr Boyne who has almost 30 years experience in the industry, will also assist senior management with the day-today running of the business.

The company offers a range of in-house services including CNC machining, fabrication, design and load simulation, lifting and profile cutting. Designers are fully conversant with current industry standards and legislative requirements and use the latest Solidworks software, and using aluminum and stainless steel, all products are designed to meet Lloyds and DNV approved offshore standards.

Fabritech UK is currently undergoing a period of rapid growth with the launch of a new engineering division, and recently invested half a million pounds in new tooling and machinery to strengthen its services of its engineering division as the firm continues to secure high-profile contracts for major operators in the oil and gas industry.

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Managing Director, Stuart Mackie, said: “I am delighted to welcome Gary to the company and look forward to working with him to continue to grow the business using his vast experience and knowledge in the industry.

“Our existing staff will benefit from his experience and value his insight into other avenues through which to secure new clients and nurture existing relationships.”

Mr Boyne added: “I am happy to be working with Fabritech and look forward to bringing in more business and ensuring that client projects are completed on time, on budget and to the highest standard every time.”

www.fabritechuk.com

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33

Corrosion Services & Protective Coatings

Major joint industry project launched to examine performance of polymer lined pipes in sour hydrocarbon service A joint industry project (JIP) has been launched between Swagelining Limited, Saudi Aramco and The Welding Institute (TWI) to conduct investigations into the use of polymer lining in carbon steel pipelines. The JIP will examine the extent of corrosion incurred in a polymer lined pipeline when subjected to a sour hydrocarbon fluid environment.

Between the three parties, a total of £330,000 has been invested into the project, which commenced in October 2014 and is expected to last 30 months.

Dr Steve Brogden, Technical Engineering Manager at Swagelining Limited, said: “We are delighted to be working closely with Saudi Aramco and TWI on this JIP. When compared with corrosion resistant alloys, polymer lining systems are attracting growing interest within the pipeline industry. This comes as a result of significant cost advantages, increased corrosion prevention and reduced fabrication and installation time.

“All three parties felt that it was time to build upon this interest and demonstrate concrete evidence of how polymer lining can perform under a range of conditions.

Part B is funded by TWI and will look to gain an understanding of the transport processes through the partially confined polymeric layer. TWI’s diverse expertise means that it is able to deal with all of the material components of the project.

The JIP has plans for further growth, achieved through sponsorship and involvement from other organisations, which will allow additional, more extensive testing of higher temperature polymeric and composite liners.

Dr Brogden added: “We hope to attract input from further parties which can add value to this JIP, particularly in the latter stages as we look to perform tests under strenuous conditions. As the offshore oil and gas industry continues to move into more hazardous and extreme environments, it is critical that we demonstrate how polymer lining systems can continue to be used.”

We are excited by the potential this JIP brings and look forward to seeing the results. We are confident this will represent a step change in pipeline management, particularly as we see operators looking to reduce costs whilst maintaining a high level of operational efficiency.”

The JIP is divided into two parts. Part A, sponsored by Swagelining and Saudi Aramco, will use applied testing on lined pipe sections to determine the corrosion rate during simulated service conditions for 180 days.

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This section of the JIP will also look at the occurrence of liner collapse during multiple pressure cycles, and how this can be prevented by implementing an internally vented system which will be represented by Swagelining’s LinerVent™.

Permeation Rig for core research part of Polymer Lined Pip

Paul Woollin, Director of research at TWI, said: “There is appreciable interest in the use of polymer lined pipe for affordable, corrosion resistant hydrocarbon production.

Currently, there is a lack of supporting integrity data, in particular for sour fluids, to provide sufficient confidence for widespread use. TWI’s JIP specifically aims to address the primary issues from an industry perspective, namely the enduring concern of ‘liner collapse’ and risk of corrosion of the carbon steel pipe.

Supporting work in the TWI Core Research Programme aims to underpin the JIP by providing a fundamental understanding of both the time-dependent alteration in the polymer layer and processes occurring at the polymer-carbon steel interface.”

www.swagelining.com

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Axair Fans for marine & offshore coastal environments and chemical processing plants. Finally, C5M applies to high salinity found in marine, offshore and coastal areas.

www.axair-fans.co.uk

They have a variety of axial fans available in stainless steel or marine grade finishes such as C3, C4 and C5M according to ISO 12944 which describes the types of paint and paint systems commonly used for corrosion protection of steel structures.

CH3 applies to urban and industrial atmospheres and production areas with high humidity while C4 applies to industrial and

High-build, direct-to-metal atmospheric coatings reduce waste, increase productivity for corrosion protection Industrial maintenance coatings are shifting from two-coat to one-coat solutions in order to reduce complexity and improve productivity in the shop or in the field. Coatings specifiers are increasingly turning to polyaspartic urethane coatings technology from Bayer MaterialScience LLC to achieve these goals.

One-coat formulations are commonly used in the oil and gas market to increase productivity, decrease down time and reduce waste and inspection. Traditional high-build technologies for the corrosion protection market include direct-to-metal epoxy and polyurethane, while technologies developed over the last decade based on polysiloxane and polyaspartic urethane are becoming used more frequently. To benchmark the performance of these coatings in corrosive environments, accelerated testing was conducted on six commercial direct-to-metal coatings and a polyaspartic urethane guide formulation from Bayer MaterialScience. Their performance was compared against a twocoat epoxy / polyurethane control.

“One-coat polyaspartic urethane formulations used in this study showed rapid dry times while maintaining equivalent-tobetter performance when compared with traditional epoxy / polyurethane two-coat systems,” Williams said.

Additionally, Olson and Mark Hudson, corrosion specification specialist, Sherwin-Williams, will present “Two-coat systems, myth or reality?” at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, March 17, during the NACE DOT forum. Olson and Hudson will discuss polyaspartic urethane technology and its value for asset owners. They will also share select case studies.

With 2014 sales of EUR 11.7 billion, Bayer MaterialScience is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction and sports and leisure industries. Bayer MaterialScience has 30 production sites around the globe and employed approximately 14,200 people at the end of 2014. Bayer MaterialScience is a Bayer Group company. Sustainability is central to the company’s business and is based around the key areas of innovation, product stewardship, social responsibility and respect for the environment.

http://www.materialscience.bayer.us

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Todd Williams, Laboratory Manager, Corrosion Protection, Coatings, Adhesives & Specialties (CAS), Bayer MaterialScience LLC, presents “High-build, direct-to-metal atmospheric coatings for moderately corrosive environments,” at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday, March 17, during CORROSION 2015 Conference and Exhibition in Dallas. The study, co-authored by Ahren Olson, market manager, Corrosion Protection, CAS, Bayer MaterialScience LLC, compares performance characteristics tested to C3 requirements per ISO 12944. C3 environmental conditions are defined as industrial and urban atmospheres with an average sulfur oxide contamination level, or onshore areas of low salinity.

Additional accelerated testing not specified in ISO 12944 was also performed.

Corrosion Services & Protective Coatings

The harsh, corrosive environments of marine & offshore applications can have a significant impact on the lifetime and performance of fan systems. For this reason, leading Spanish fan manufacturer, Sodeca, designed a fan range to withstand such tough conditions. Rugged, robust, high-performance fans complete with durable weather protection. Axair Fans, based in Staffordshire, are the exclusive UK distributor for SODECA and can supply a broad range of specialist systems to fulfil your marine & offshore ventilation requirements.

35

Corrosion Services & Protective Coatings

Hempel’s HEMPADUR AvantGuard wins Frost & Sullivan award for new product innovation Hempel’s HEMPADUR AvantGuard range of products have won the 2014 European Frost & Sullivan Award for New Product Innovation. To be presented on May 14, 2015, in London, the award recognizes the products’ ability to provide superior anti-corrosive protection for iron and steel structures in tough environments.

Hempel’s HEMPADUR AvantGuard activated zinc primers include patented technology that provides better anti-corrosion protection than zinc epoxies without AvantGuard. The coatings are developed to protect industrial structures and equipment in C4 and C5 corrosive conditions, where saltwater and high humidity corrode unprotected steel. They can be used in a range industries and applications, from offshore platforms to onshore wind turbines.

This award recognizes the products’ ability to offer reduced corrosion, improved performance in extreme temperatures, and improved mechanical strength.

As Frost & Sullivan Senior Research Analyst Soundarya Shankar explained, “The AvantGuard technology uses hollow glass spheres and a proprietary activator to activate more zinc and enhance the anti-corrosive properties of the coating.”

Shankar praised Hempel’s customer and technical service as a unique value-add for customers. “Apart from designing an enhanced product portfolio, Hempel delivers a seamless customer service experience,” he said.

“Without use of Hempel’s AvantGuard anti-corrosion technology, here’s an example of system damage that can occur for different

types of protective coatings in different regions of Europe due to varied climatic conditions, the company customises its solutions to suit specific customer needs. Designing a global solution and tailoring it to suit customer requirements is Hempel’s USP.” Pernille Lind Olsen Group Product Director, Protective Marketing, at Hempel, comments: “We are very pleased to have received this award. We spent many years developing AvantGuard, and we believe the technology is the biggest step forward in anticorrosive coatings since zinc coatings were first introduced during the 1960s. As well as delivering stronger anti-corrosive performance, AvantGuard coatings can be applied with standard application techniques. They show high tolerance to excessive dry film thicknesses and different application conditions, which helps customers improve application productivity.”

The increased protection and durability of HEMPADUR AvantGuard coatings have been proven in extensive Hempel tests, including salt spray tests (ISO 12944 part 6), cyclic corrosion tests (ISO 20340 – NORSOK M-501 revision 6), and thermal cycling resistance tests (NACE cracking test and Hempel’s welding test).

The HEMPADUR AvantGuard series was released worldwide in September of 2014. Currently it comprises three zinc primers (HEMPADUR AvantGuard 550, HEMPADUR AvantGuard 750, and HEMPADUR AvantGuard 770). Hempel is developing more AvantGuard technology-enabled products, including products that can be applied on components off site and then transported for onsite installation.

www.hempel.com

Axalta Coating Systems display Nap-Gard Product Line at NACE Corrosion 2015 7-2514EN series, 7-2508 series, and 7-2610 series products in our booth,” explained Amber Rodriguez, Nap-Gard sales and service representative.

For the past three years, the company has offered its customers and other attendees important insights and in-depth corrosion protection information and continued the customer experience this year at their booth. Visitors to the Axalta booth were greeted by knowledgeable employees and oil and gas pipes coated with Nap-Gard® products were on display.

Designed for coating pipe for underground and sub-sea pipeline service, the Nap-Gard 7-2514EN series and 7-2508 series are single layer pipe coatings that can be applied over wider temperature ranges than conventional FBEs. These products can be used as a single-layer corrosion coating or underneath multi-layer systems. The Nap-Gard 7-2610 series is a dual layer system that is designed to protect the corrosion base layer. “It is one of the most flexible on the market,” stated Amber Rodriguez.

For over 40 years, Nap-Gard fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) powder coatings have been one of the leading innovative products in anti-corrosion protection offered by Axalta. These coatings also provide ideal corrosion protection on rebar used to strengthen concrete in the construction of highways and bridges. Nap-Gard is also a great choice for valve coatings for use in many different environments ranging from drinking water to more demanding wastewater and saltwater.

“We were looking forward to sharing our Nap-Gard line with our visitors at Corrosion 2015. This year we highlighted Nap-Gard

NACE Corrosion is the world’s largest corrosion conference and expo. The 2015 show boasted more than 7,000 corrosion professionals and 450 exhibiting companies at the Dallas, Texas area for an educational experience focused on the prevention and mitigation of corrosion worldwide.

For more information about Nap-Gard, please visit:

www.axaltacs.com

Corrosion Services & Protective Coatings

Axalta Coating Systems a leading, global manufacturer of liquid and powder coatings participated in the NACE Corrosion Expo this March in Dallas, TX.

Mothballing and Lay-up - A corrosion challenge

By Allan Durham – Corrosion Solutions Ltd In these challenging economic times within the Oil & Gas Industry, never is it more important to look after your assets effectively and efficiently.

You will find that some assets need to be mothballed from weeks to months to years until they are once again needed and when you need them, you need them to be fit for purpose. This can be anything from entire drilling rig lay-ups to specific systems, pieces of equipment or spares.

Preservation of equipment can be highly variable and unreliable if a nominated individual or team does not maintain control of such a programme. Loose specifications, vendor misinterpretation and pressure to meet work schedules inevitably mean preservation requirements are compromised. In addition drilling equipment is not designed to be idle for long periods of time and can deteriorate quickly, leading to costly repairs and replacements upon start up.

A managed preservation programme will define and control standards and minimise both corrosion and construction related damage. Throughout the project an auditable record of preservation works should be maintained and available.

Now in our 16th year we continue to work closely with our clients to ensure their assets remain in fit for purpose condition.

CSL are registered with FPAL and certified to ISO 9001:2008 Inhibitors for oilfield corrosion prevention & preservation Equipment preservation for oilfield assets is of key importance for both safety and efficiency.

CSL offer the following successful programmes.

• Mothballing and Lay-up or rigs and equipment • Operational Deluge cleaning and preservation • Operational Bolt/crevice corrosion protection • Operational Electrical & Instrument preservation • New builds preservation management • Materials spares management preservation

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The results of inadequate preservation throughout the idle period can lie undetected until start up, when the process of defects listing, rectification and re-inspection commences. All this adds costs and time delays at a critical period when the overriding requirement is simply to get the problem fixed and get the plant running.

Corrosion Solutions Ltd has no functional conflicts.

Our sole purpose is to ensure that equipment is kept in the best achievable condition. The results of a managed preservation programme will be evident throughout the project, but the real benefit is at commissioning when the incidence of corrosion related faults would be vastly reduced.

www.corrsol.co.uk

37

Corrosion Services & Protective Coatings

Continued success for Ecoshield Underwater technology expert, Hydrex, reported that sales of its rudder protective coating Ecoshield, are going from strength to strength.

Over the last few months, several newbuild container vessels, a cruise ship and a Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability tanker (MARS) have had their rudders coated with Ecoshield at shipyards in China, Singapore, Germany, Italy and South-Korea.

The applications will protect the rudders against cavitation and corrosion damage for the remainder of the vessels’ service lives.

nozzles, thruster tunnels and other underwater ship gear which needs special protection from corrosion.

The coating can be applied at the newbuild stage or in drydock for ships already in service. Overcoating time can be as short as three hours, meaning that the two coats required can usually be applied in just day.

www.hydrex.be

Some of the owners are returning customers and some new, but all vessels were suffering from severe cavitation damage on the rudders which were originally painted with conventional coatings.

Most of the owners are now converting their entire fleet to Ecoshield protection because of how well the coating has performed over several years. Last year m/v Maersk Deva came into drydock five years after application without having to replace its Ecoshield coating.

Besides offering rudder protection, Ecoshield is also suitable for thrusters, azimuth thrusters, azipods, thruster nozzles, kort

Abakan’s PComP protective coatings gaining traction in North America and Asia Abakan an emerging leader in the advanced coatings and metal formulations markets, has recently announced several recent developments related to its PComP protective coatings.

Abakan has completed field testing of a PComP coating at one of the largest steel companies in Mexico and as a result anticipates a commercial order of the product.

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Meanwhile, Abakan is now testing its PComP coatings in Taiwan in cooperation with its partner in Asia, UP Scientech Materials Corp. Furthermore, Abakan has received its first repeat orders from an international oil field services customer in Canada.

From Taiwan, Abakan’s partner in Asia, UP Scientech, intends to launch PComP coatings into Asian markets. Abakan expects UP Scientech’s testing and

validation process to be completed over the next few months with initial sales in Asia by mid-2015.

UP Scientech, with an established business presence in over 35 countries is expected to become a gateway to opening marketing channels that may lead to global sales of Abakan’s PComP coatings.

In Western Canada, an Abakan customer who had been using PComP coatings primarily to coat pumps used in oil sands production is now also using PComP to coat mandrels, plungers and other oil field components for one of the world’s largest oilfield services companies.

PComP coated plungers, which are currently being field tested, have already shown a 3 times longer life over 9 months and counting as compared to plungers coated with conventional tungsten carbide coatings which must be replaced every 3 to 4 months.

Abakan expects to be qualified as a supplier of thermal spray coatings for this and possibly other large oilfield services

38

companies within the next 3 to 9 months, which would lead to a significant increase in the use of PComP coatings to protect oilfield components.

“The demand for our PComP materials is ever increasing and it has now become absolutely essential for us to scale-up production to meet the growing demand,” said Abakan CEO, Mr. Robert Miller.

“We expect to complete the first-stage of PComP production scale-up, from 6 tons/ year to 18 tons/year, before the end of February, 2015. The initiation of Phase II of the production ramp up, to 160 tons/ year, in a new Abakan production facility, may commence within the next couple of months.

We are confident that PComP’s ability to extend the useful life of the material coated, while significantly reducing downtime and associated maintenance costs, will drive early adoption of our products, resulting in a significant increase in sales,” concluded Mr. Miller.

www.abakaninc.com

612

Tel: +971 2 4444 909 Fax: +971 2 4444 383 E: adipec@dmgeventsme.com

OTC Houston

Charity selected for 2015 annual OTC dinner The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) has recently announced the 2015 beneficiary of the Annual OTC Dinner, the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) and the Petroleum Equipment & Services Association (PESA) Energy Education Center for the benefit of the Energy Institute High School.

School in the United States. Opened in August 2013, the Energy Institute is a new magnet school in HISD for grades 9–12. Students work within one of the three pathways—geosciences, energy alternatives, and offshore technology— with a core curriculum focused on STEM subjects.

OTC will host the fifth Annual OTC Dinner on Sunday, 3 May 2015 at NRG Stadium in Houston. The event recognizes industry achievements, raises funds for a worthy cause, and provides an excellent opportunity for industry leaders to network with colleagues from around the world.

“We are honored to be selected as the beneficiary of the 2015 Annual OTC Dinner. We are committed to bringing students a ground-breaking journey into the world of energy,” explains Lori Lambropoulos, Principal, Energy Institute High School.

Because of the support of industry-leading companies, a total of $925,000 has been donated to charitable organizations over the past four years. Past recipients are Medical Bridges, Offshore Energy Center, Engineers without Borders, and Gulf of Mexico Foundation.

IPAA and PESA partnered with the Houston Independent School District (HISD) to create the first Energy Institute High

are committed to bringing students an innovative and fresh look into the world of energy and developing the next generation of talented energy professionals. Starting a program such as this from scratch is a challenge. This award enables us to add to the program and continue the momentum,” says Barry Russell, IPAA President & CEO. Sponsorship opportunities for the Annual OTC Dinner are still available at multiple levels; visit:

2015.otcnet.org

All classrooms utilize technology which provides teachers with the instructional tools necessary to engage students in a hands-on, student-centered environment. By the time a student completes four years, they will have worked in 150 different groups, on 150 different projects, and given 150 different presentations.

“The IPAA/PESA Energy Education Center and the Energy Institute High School

Meeting the challenges of small-bore tubing systems for deeper and harsher offshore environments At OTC 2015, Parker will unveil new solutions for building tubing systems capable of meeting the immense challenges posed by higher pressures and corrosion mechanisms as oil and gas exploration and production moves into deeper offshore environments. The new technology will evolve the wellknown ranges of small-bore tube fittings and valves from the Instrumentation Products Division of Parker Hannifin the global leader in motion and control technologies.

www.sosmagazine.biz

Engineers constructing tubing systems for high pressure hydraulics, chemical injection systems and other higher-pressure topside and subsea offshore applications will be presented with new tube connection technology that provides easy-to-apply solutions for pressures up to 15,000 or 20,000 PSI. At pressures of 15,000 PSI and more, tubing failures can pose an enormous threat to asset integrity.

40

Ensuring asset integrity is a critical element of the new tube connection designs. Parker’s engineering spans the spectrum of potential failure modes, from guarding against mechanical failures to combating corrosion mechanisms. The new connection technology is supported by Parker’s heritage of materials expertise, which provides users with the highest-possible materials quality and the widest choice of corrosion resistant alloys to meet corrosion threats.

Although metallurgy know-how is becoming quite common on the project teams run by operators and their engineering, procurement and construction contractors, Parker almost certainly has the broadest and deepest understanding of metallurgy in this market today and will also help users with both expert advice and education.

www.parker.com

SOS SUBSEA & OFFSHORE SERVICE MAGAZINE

www.sosmagazine.biz

Hazardous Area

GMI launches new PS500 5-Gas Portable Monitor GMI has recently announced the launch of the PS500 5-gas portable monitor that offers high performance detection of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) through market-leading PID technology.

Detecting and displaying up to 5 gases simultaneously using “plug and play” sensor design, the PS500 is suitable for a host of applications in a variety of industries using electrochemical, catalytic, infra-red, and PID sensing technologies.

The PS500 is ideal for confined space applications. Pre-entry checking can be carried out with the optional internal sampling pump and through diffusion operation ensuring maximum battery life in confined spaces.

With an expansive list of gases that can be detected for fast response times, a high level of accuracy and audible and visual alarms; the PS500 provides unrivalled protection against the potential exposure to flammable and toxic gases, along with threats of oxygen enrichment or deficiency.

Chris Robottom, GMI’s Sales Director, says “As an industry-leading supplier of portable and fixed gas detection equipment to companies operating in potentially hazardous environments, GMI strives to continuously leverage its technical leadership and understanding of its customer’s needs to increase industrial safety” “The PS500 symbolises another step in that direction and offers advancements that are valuable to industrial safety personnel for ensuring compliance and worker safety.”

For further information on the PS500 visit:

www.gmiuk.com

Leading electrical company celebrates African anniversary A leading international provider of electrical products and services is celebrating the first anniversary of a successful strategic alliance in Africa.

Aberdeen based AEL has marked one year of working with Tropical Cable and Conductor Ltd TCCL), Ghana in a collaborative approach which has yielded good levels of additional business for both organisations.

www.sosmagazine.biz

Tropical Cable and Conductor Ltd manufactures world-class conductors and cables for West Africa’s energy industry.

In spite of operating within a highly competitive arena,

42

the company has seen its market share increase steadily in recent times and has implemented a programme of ongoing development in a bid to remain at the forefront of its sector, including the acquisition of a new, ultramodern packaging line in 2013.

Founded in 1981, AEL is an international brand providing electrical products and services to the onshore, offshore, renewable, petrochemical, marine and industrial sectors. From the company’s headquarters in Aberdeen, AEL has experienced steady organic growth in many overseas markets and now

operates from a network of carefully selected locations in the USA, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan as well as Aberdeen and Ghana.

Commenting on the first anniversary, AEL operations Director Alan Mackie said: “We identified Ghana as an important emerging marketplace for AEL because of the scope for us to implement expertise and knowledge gained from working in other environments, such as the North Sea. “Using this combined approach with a fellow well-established and reputable company capitalises on the synergies which exist between our organisations in a way which is mutually beneficial. In addition to supplying new products, maintenance, installation and training, we hope to establish a turnkey service involving the manufacture of onshore and offshore cable as well as locally stocking electrical equipment for immediate use.”

He went on: “Our knowledge and expertise of the global electrical market mixed with Tropical Cable and Conductor Ltd’s regional knowledge and contacts is proving to be a recipe for success and the relationship is one which we hope will grow to enable the creation of a hub for the rest of West Africa, including Nigeria, Cameroon and the Ivory Coast.”

Tropical Cable and Conductor Ltd Managing Director Tony Oteng-Gyasi added: “The collaboration between ourselves and AEL is showing increasing signs of success.

In the last quarter enquiries and subsequent orders have risen sharply and recent review meetings in Ghana have enabled the partners to sharpen their tools for the future. We look forward to this generating a further increase in business.”

To find out more about AEL, visit:

www.ael-electrical.co.uk

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19/11/2014 15:08

Working at height lifejacket an industry first

Hazardous Area

The first lifejacket custom-designed specifically for offshore personnel carrying out rope access or work at height has been developed by Survitec Group, the leading provider of survival and safety equipment to the offshore industry.

The jacket, which has been designed in conjunction with leading offshore operators, incorporates a number of safety features which include minimising the risk of accidental deployment.

Trialled successfully both on and offshore to work in conjunction with a fall arrest harness, it has already been recognised as

an industry-leading product by companies which specialise in operating at height.

Survitec Group supplies and maintains around 85% of lifejackets and liferafts to the offshore industry in the northern, central and southern North Sea. The new jacket comes to market as the Group achieves another milestone with the supply of more than 30,000 Abandonment Lifejackets to the Oil & Gas Sector.

“We have worked very closely with the Rope Access sector to introduce a solution that offers unrivalled performance and, most importantly, minimises risk in accidental deployment,” said Kevin Laing, Head of Sales – Oil & Gas. “An additional benefit for operators is the potential for significant cost savings for service and maintenance through Survitec’s Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS) programme,” said Kevin.

“Because we are the only company providing a complete offshore maintenance and servicing programme for lifeboats and lifejackets, it can all be done in one offshore trip by the same multi-skilled engineer. In the current economic climate, this is an important consideration for operators because it means they can combine enhanced safety with lower costs.”

www.survitecgroup.com

More light for less power - Low voltage LinkEx™ LED Floodlite Wolf Safety, the world’s leading manufacturer and supplier of hazardous area portable and temporary lighting, has enhanced its ATEX and IECEx certified Low Voltage LinkEx™ LED Floodlite with the very latest LED technology to produce more light using less power.

www.sosmagazine.biz

Using an array of 48 high power LEDs to deliver an impressive flood of brilliant white light, the new Low Voltage LinkEx™ LED Floodlite produces 60% more light output than previously, increasing from 3,300 to 5,200 lumens, allowing hazardous area workers to carry out tasks quicker and more safely as a result of better illumination and visibility. With each unit illuminating a greater working area, fewer units are required to undertake tasks

resulting in lower initial equipment investment costs. The latest LED technology offers a 65% increase in LED lumens per watt, from 57 to 88 and provides lower operating costs by using less energy from an efficient power consumption of only 59 watts.

The cable powered Low Voltage LinkEx™ LED Floodlite now benefits from a wider input voltage range of 18 to 54 volts compared to the previously limited 24 volts, offering greater power input supply options for applications using 42-48V, which is a preferred voltage on some sites and similarly 32V too.

Critically the Floodlite is only safe when used within its voltage tolerance so the broader range now offers greater application flexibility and in turn overall product safety, plus enables longer cable lengths and facilitates the linking of units together in a chain.

The new LED technology is available in the WF-300SLH Low Voltage LinkEx™ LED Floodlite model, used extensively by terminal operators, tank cleaning contractors, maintenance and inspection engineers throughout the world, primarily in Wolf’s LinkEx™ Tank Lighting Kits, to maximise efficiency and illumination, and minimise risk to allow safe work in confined hazardous area empty storage tank spaces. The high performance, lightweight, portable floodlight for temporary application usage is CE marked to the ATEX Directive and IECEx Certified for safe use in Zone 1 potentially explosive gas and Zone 21 explosive dust atmospheres, where a T4 temperature class permits.

www.wolf-safety.co.uk

44

STS Drum Mixer units Further adding to its unique range of drum handling products, STS is enjoying success with its range of Drum Mixing units. The standard models tumble 200 litre drums end over end through 360 degrees offering a fast and efficient way of mixing chemicals.

The STS DME01 Electric Drum Mixer and the STS DTP04 and DTP05 De-palletisers are in the heart of the project, as the specialised engineering chemical system needs mixing before being introduced to the machines which then add thermal insulation to the subsea pipe line, joints, bends and manifolds.

www.sts-trolleys.co.uk

Hazardous Area

Most recently units have been supplied for a brand new factory being built in Baku (Azerbaijan) for the Shah Deniz stage 2 project.

All in all a proud moment for British Engineering and manufacturing.

The mixers were supplied to CTM Equipment who were selected as the machinery supplier for this installation, working with Trelleborg Offshore UK, who is working with Bos Shelf and BP as their operators out in Baku for an estimated 5 years.

The Shah Deniz project is the biggest Offshore energy project in the world at the moment, as part of Stage 2 they are running over 4,000 km of gas pipeline from Azerbaijan to Europe.

www.sosmagazine.biz

45

Hazardous Area

Leading the way in fire and safety services Bill Hogarty has spent his whole working life in the fire and safety industry, including the past five years as CEO at Oteac. He has played an active role in a number of industry bodies including Chairman of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) Aberdeen branch.

OTEAC is a leader in fire and safety services to the oil and gas industry with a proven track-record and more than 30 years of experience.

They deliver asset management and integrity, including performance verification, design, engineering, installation and commissioning, as well as the supply, inspection, servicing, testing and maintenance of the complete range of fire, safety and life-saving products and systems.

At Oteac, one of the main strengths lies in their efficiency and productivity when it comes to the management of services they provide. Their clients can rely on them to provide them with a high level of service, on time and on budget.

They were tasked with procuring all materials supported by relevant in-country certification, ensuring that all safety equipment was compliant with local standards for safety and occupational health. They then delivered the equipment to the vessels and arranged support training to a precise timetable.

On completion of the job, they were complimented on the overall project management and attention to detail and the client has now extended the scope of our provision and provided very positive performance feedback on all elements of the work.

Product supply is a key area of our business and their staff pride themselves in having a substantial working knowledge of the use and operation of a wide variety of products and the technical standards which apply, irrespective of where they are operating in the world.

46

Bill Hogarty, Oteac Chief Executive

A significant part of the work they undertake is being able to catalogue inspection and test parameters accurately, and their certification and tracking systems are well refined and compliant with legislative requirements, which is crucial to the clients’ needs.

Established in 1985, OTEAC is an international service company offering fire and gas detection and suppression systems and related design and engineering services to the oil and gas and marine sectors globally, together with a complementary onshore fire and security business serving large private and public sector clients.

www.oteac.co.uk

Prior Diesel launches new wireline unit

The advanced cabling technology is used to lower equipment into oil and gas wells and transmit data relating to the conditions of the wellbore. Prior Diesel’s innovative longitudinally mounted drive engine design allows for ease of operation and maintenance. The unit is acoustically enclosed ensuring low cabin noise for the operator.

Gordon MacLean, Joint Managing Director at Prior Diesel, explained: “We work in close collaboration with our customers and are continuously assessing and investing in new and technically advanced equipment. There is a huge market for this type of equipment and we’ve been able to use our engineering expertise and experience to develop what we believe is an exceptional piece of kit.”

Prior Diesel has as an established reputation in the design, manufacture and servicing of a wide range of well service equipment including nitrogen pumps, specialist skids, coil tubing and wireline units.

All of its new products are supported by thriving service and parts departments that specialise in engine rebuilding, maintenance contracts and supplying components for most of the leading engine, transmission, pump and equipment manufacturers.

Prior Diesel was acquired by Suretank in January 2015.

Suretank is a global leader in the supply of tanks and CCUs (Cargo Carrying Units) to the offshore oil and gas industry.

www.priordiesel.com

Products & New Technologies

Prior Diesel, a Suretank company, has recently announced the launch of a new phase of wireline units for the oil and gas industry. The product range boosts it portfolio of diesel driven power solutions and well service products to the oil and gas, marine and industrial sectors.

The zone II wireline unit from Prior Diesel is CE & ATX approved and built to DNV 2.71 standard. It comes with a choice of 700mm or 600mm drums. It features another innovation with an internal trolley beam designed for quick and easy removal and installation of the drums with minimal downtime and reduced manpower needed to carry out this operation, a closed loop hydraulic system and weighs in at only 6,400kgs.

New submersible logger for Turner Designs C-sense pCO2 Sensor

Turner Designs announced the introduction of a submersible logger designed to work with our C-sense pCO2 sensor.

Designed by Precision Measurement Engineering, Inc. (PME), an internationally known water quality instrument design corporation, the C-sense Logger package records time, date, internal temperature, and the partial pressure of gas in liquids.

C-sense enables in situ pCO2 monitoring over an extended period of time in water, oil or water and oil mixtures in depths up to 600m. Applications include water quality monitoring, aquaculture, wastewater monitoring, reef monitoring, carbon capture storage monitoring and biofuel production.

PME’s CEO Kristin Elliott states, “Turner Designs and PME worked together to design a submersible logger that integrates with the C-sense. After our successful collaboration providing Cyclops-7 Loggers, we saw this as an excellent opportunity to again work together to provide an exceptional tool for our customers.”

www.sosmagazine.biz

Integration with the C-sense Logger enables collection and internal storage of data at a variety of sampling rates, set by the customer. Data are offloaded to a computer via a USB cable for easy viewing and analysis. The logger and sensor are powered by the Turner Designs re-chargeable battery pack, potentially powering the C-sense Logger to collect 3,000 samples before re-charging is required.

www.turnerdesigns.com

47

Products & New Technologies

Petrofac leading the way in environmental vessel design Petrofac, the international oil and gas services provider, is introducing eco-friendly vessel design by combining and integrating the latest environmental technologies in its JSD6000 deepwater oilfield services vessel. The vessel, which will be operational in 2017, is designed to operate in the most competitive sectors in the world.

The latest technologies are helping to lower fuel consumption and other operating costs, decrease emissions released into the waters and atmosphere, and going beyond existing and planned marine protection legislation. The aim is to create a world-class vessel in every aspect of its capabilities.

Kimon Ardavanis, Senior Vice President Offshore Assets and Marine Operations said, “by using these new technologies, Petrofac is reducing operational energy consumption and maintenance costs and by improving vessel availability and operability. The vessel is on track to meet the stringent statutory compliance requirements to obtain Lloyd’s Register ECO class notation, and implementing innovations that will go beyond the statutory requirements.”

A number of features on the vessel ensure it will remain a leader in environmental standards.

These include:

● The offshore industry’s first ever fuel recovery separator

system that separates usable fuel from heavy fuel oil and marine gas oil, thus recycling wasted oil and reducing supply vessel usage during bunkering operations.

● Use of selective catalytic reactors to reduce main engine exhaust emissions.

● Incorporation of the latest generation of Common Rail

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engines with computer controlled fuel injection to reduce

48

fuel consumption and consequently CO2, NOx and other particulates release

●

● ● ●

Incorporation of absorption chillers which drastically reduce fuel consumption and gas emissions by using available resources such as heat from the ship’s engines to produce cooling power. These chillers also eliminate the need for refrigerants, which are typically used in traditional cooling systems Use of redundant membrane bioreactor sewage treatment plants to treat and store sewage Installation of a redundant bilge water centrifugal separation system, to capture the particulates and pollutants that collect in the vessel’s bilge tank Installation of a dynamic positioning and an anchoring system, to provide mooring flexibility to protect the sea bed flora or the sea fauna

The waste management system, working environment for personnel, operation of supply vessels, and management of any oil spillage have also all been optimised to safeguard the environments in which the JSD6000 will operate.

Yves Inbona, Managing Director for Petrofac’s Offshore Capital Project business says: “These achievements in vessel design and systems integration are unparalleled in the industry. Petrofac is pushing the boundaries of improved environmental standards, looking ahead 20 years to make sure we offer the highest standards of environmental safeguards and personnel workplace comfort to our clients.”

www.petrofac.com

Marine Electronics to launch compact new sonar at Ocean Business exhibition

The new Dolphin See View joins a range

of sonar products developed by Marine Electronics Ltd which is well known for its ability to design and build specialised acoustic products that have been tailored to meet the specific needs of clients around the world. Visitors to the company’s stand at Ocean Business will have the opportunity of discovering the full specifications of the new sonar and discussing how it might meet their needs for high performance technology at a competitive price.

Marine Electronics Ltd is based on the UK Channel Island of Guernsey and is widely regarded as a leading manufacturer of advanced and specialised sonar systems.

The company is structured so that it can work closely with customers in the development of unique products aimed at addressing specific challenges in a range

of marine and industrial applications.

Products include a forward-looking 3D sonar with a one kilometre range, sonars that are capable of following the movement of individual grains of sand during surveys of seabed scouring around offshore wind turbines and others that can observe the build-up of sludge in sewer pipes or oil storage tanks.

Products & New Technologies

A new 2D imaging sonar developed especially for ROV/AUV use will be launched at Ocean Business by Marine Electronics Ltd on stand L12. The new “Dolphin See View” is a 700kHz system that has evolved from the company’s existing Dolphin 3001 model but will introduce a number of key advantages.

Notable among these are its compact size and light weight which will make it an ideal choice for use in small ROVs/ AUVs as well as for other applications on surface craft. The new design will also introduce the benefit of Ethernet connection integral to the underwater unit to provide increased versatility and ease of use. It is expected to be found superior to existing sonars in this category in terms of both price and performance.

www.marine-electronics.co.uk

Magnetrol announces new foundation fieldbus digital output communications for Eclipse Model 706 Transmitter Magnetrol® have recently announced the release of the Eclipse® Model 706 transmitter with Foundation fieldbus™ digital output communications.

This is the first guided wave radar (GWR) transmitter to pass the Fieldbus Foundation testing using the latest Foundation fieldbus interoperability test kit ITK 6.1.1.

This device offers all of the advantages of the standard 4-20 mA (HART) ECLIPSE Model 706, such as:

With this release, a new Model 706 Foundation fieldbus™ DTM is also available on the Magnetrol website. This DTM will offer all of the new features of the existing Model 706 Hart® DTM. For more information about the ECLIPSE Model 706 transmitter, contact: info@magnetrol.be or visit the website:

www.magnetrol.com

• Improved Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) • Improved diagnostics (meets NAMUR NE 107) • Full complement of Overfill-capable probes This new ECLIPSE Model 706 transmitter will contain the following Function Blocks: • (1) Resource Block (RB) • (3) Transducer Blocks (TB) • (8) Analog Input Blocks (AI)

• (1) Arithmetic Block (AR) • (1) Input Selector (IS)

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• (2) PID Blocks

• (1) Signal Characterizer Block (SC) • (1) Integrator Block (IT)

49

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