Subsea & Offshore Service Magazine March '14 Issue

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NEWS & PRESS RELEASES PRODUCTS & SERVICES EXHIBITIONS

SERVICE MAGAZINE

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March Issue 2014

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Instruments

Engineering

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Telemetry Instruments

Ocean Engineering

Welcome to the Subsea & Offshore Service Magazine Aimed at Sub-Contractors all the way through to OEM’s, the publication backed by the Website is a great marketing tool for the companies choosing to advertise and market their products and services with us.

With a good sized circulation across the UK, we will distribute to the companies that will use the products and services that are advertised in this magazine.

Print runs are increased when we are to attend both the national and international oil and gas exhibitions, gaining our clients as much awareness and exposure as possible.

CONTENTS Regional focus on Aberdeen. Number of 4 Enterprises rises by 4.2%

Rovop kick starts 2014 with further growth

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Hydro Group Kick off 2014 by Securing Multimillion Pounds

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UK company looks towards a new standard of safety in the subsea industry

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Hone-All Precision takes on turning capacity to meet growing demand

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Next generation topside and subsea ROV hooks from Nautilus Rigging

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NeoNickel, delivering quality alloys throughout Europe

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worth of contracts

Belzona, helps keep the oil pumping!

Staff

Editor: David Sullivan editor@sosmagazine.biz

Designer: Steve Simmonds design@sosmagazine.biz

General Manager: Robert Taylor rob@sosmagazine.biz Tel No: +44 (0)1634 867404

Sales Manager: Jon McIntosh jon@sosmagazine.biz Tel No: +44 (0)1634 682464

Publisher: Crystal Design & Media Ltd 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

Oil & Gas and the challenges of working in extreme environments at Oceanology International

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

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Regional Focus on Aberdeen News & Products

SOARING DEVELOPMENT REFLECTS CITY’S STRENGTH The level of demand for office space in Aberdeen has rocketed.

The amount of class four office (at least 500 square metres) developments completed, under construction, and granted detailed planning consent in 2013 was significantly higher than in 2012.

The city’s planning authority granted detailed planning consent for 81,146 square metres of class four office space in 2013; 103,409sq m was under construction; and 11,474 sq m was completed. In comparison, 2012 saw detailed planning consent granted for 11,520sq m of office space; 67,990 sq m were under construction; and 3,225 sq m was completed.

Council leader Barney Crockett said: “There is no doubt that Aberdeen is booming. The city is seeing incredible levels of investment and development from the UK and beyond. We’ve recorded the UK’s highest level of business increases, are second only to London for new business start-ups, and are experiencing some of the UK’s fastest growth in private sector jobs.

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“Rapid progress is being made on the business parks, which are quickly

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attracting new tenants – many of them very big players on the business stage.

The city centre is also proving popular, with some very significant developments planned for the area. There is a soaring demand for office space and it is clear that the opportunities offered here are unrivalled elsewhere in Britain and many parts of Europe.”

Major office developments in Aberdeen city centre have been noticeable by their absence in recent years. However, a number of very large city centre schemes received planning permission in 2013,

including Triple Kirks (6,750 sq m) and the former Capital Cinema on Union Street (9,180 sq m).

A significant proportion of the new office floorspace is being built on the large new business parks on the edge of the city.

However, Aberdeen’s established business and industrial areas are also seeing considerable activity and several more projects are planned for the city centre.

Established business areas remain popular, evidenced by the developments taking place at Altens, Pitmedden, and Kirkhill industrial estates. Several very large schemes are underway or planned for the up-and-coming North Dee Business District, just south of Union Square, while a number of schemes, including the proposed Marischal Square development, are in the pipeline for the city centre.

Demand for hotel developments also remains high, with 294 new bedrooms in class seven developments (at least 10 new bedrooms) completed last year, compared to none in 2012. One hundred and sixty eight bedrooms are under construction, and detailed planning consent granted for a further 384. Two more hotels are planned for the ABZ business park, and construction work has begun on a 148-bedroom hotel at the Prime Four business park. Work

incredible. Officers are working closely with developers to ensure that their plans comply with the local planning guidelines and fit with the Local Development and Structure Plans, and that their proposals are suitable for Aberdeen.

“This city is well and truly open for business, which is clearly demonstrated not only by the level of inquiries and

planning applications being received by the planning authority, but also by the amount of construction work which is getting under way very quickly after planning consent has been granted.

Businesses want to be operating here, which is great news for the city.”

News & Products

has also begun on serviced apartments on the upper levels of the Athenaeum building, while the former Bruce Millers building is being redeveloped to create a nine-storey, 134-bedroom hotel with a rooftop restaurant. Almost 400 additional bedrooms have planning permission which has yet to be implemented. A four-star hotel is planned for the Marischal Square development in the heart of the city centre, and an eight storey, 92 bedroom extension is planned for the Station Hotel on Guild Street.

Planning development management convener Councillor Ramsay Milne said: “The number of major development applications being handed by the planning and sustainable development team is

NUMBER OF ABERDEEN’S ENTERPRISES RISES BY 4.2%, Latest Entrepeneurs Index finds:

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Number of Aberdeen’s active, growing companies recording share sales falls by 16.7% as entrepreneurs hesitate in selling up

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Aberdeen and Edinburgh are two of the three cities outside the greater South East in the top ten UK cities with highest start-up rates in 2011.

Aberdeen (55.1 per 10,000 of the population) was second only to London (72.5)

The number of enterprises and highgrowth companies has increased in the past year in Aberdeen, the latest Barclays and BGF Entrepreneurs Index report reveals.

The report found there has been a 4.2% rise in the number of enterprises[i] in the past 12 months, making Aberdeen now home to 8,270 enterprises.

ups, growth and share sales.

Aberdeen saw a 16.7% fall in the number of active, growing companies recording share sales in the past year to 65[ii]. This

Mark Flynn, Director, Barclays Wealth and Investment Management, Aberdeen comments on the report findings: “Although the number of Aberdeen companies recording share sales in the past year has fallen, we are seeing many positive signs of strong entrepreneurial activity in Aberdeen and a sense of renewed confidence, illustrated by these strong figures. As British entrepreneurs are on target to start more than half a million new businesses this year alone, it is clear to see that Aberdeen’s microeconomy and new businesses – and the individuals that set them up – continue to be an economic ‘tour de force’.

“Aberdeen is rightly dubbed the “Oil Capital of Europe.” Energy provides the backbone of the local economy and it has seen enormous new investment in recent years assisted by rising oil prices and supportive government tax incentives.

Several major oil production and service companies have also built new global offices in the city and shire and we look forward to supporting existing and new

enterprises operating in the region.”

Simon Munro, Regional Director, BGF, Scotland, said: “As long-term equity investors in growing UK companies, we are encouraged by the fact that there is a clear and addressable market in Scotland where we have been very active investors to date. These figures match the ambition that we have seen as we meet business owners in Scotland who are keen to expand and explore the type of growth capital BGF is able to provide to facilitate this.”

Mark Flynn Director, Barclays Wealth and Investment Management

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This Entrepreneurs Index is the third in an ongoing series; this is the first to track activity levels throughout the UK of the entrepreneurial life cycle, including start-

could reflect potential investors being selective and/or Aberdeen’s entrepreneurs waiting for more favourable conditions to sell: if business values increase in a stronger market there is the potential for a greater return to shareholders.

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News & Products

DNV GL WINS “MEGA” PROJECT CONTRACT FOR THE NORTH SEA’S LARGEST NEW OFFSHORE DEVELOPMENT DNV GL UK has secured the third party ICP (Independent Competent Person) multi-million GBP contract, related to compliance with UK Offshore Regulations for the Statoil Mariner project.

approximately 150km east of the Shetland Isles. The project is the largest new offshore development in the UK in more than a decade, with production expected to start in January 2017.

The award is the culmination of two years’ of project FEED support, assisting Statoil in developing Performance Standards and the Written Scheme of Examination (WSE) under the UK Offshore Safety Case Regulations for the Production Drilling Quarters (PDQ), Subsea, Umbilical’s, Risers & Flowlines (SURF) and the Floating Storage Unit (FSU).

The field is estimated to produce for 30 years, with average production of around 55,000 barrels of oil per day over the plateau period from 2017 to 2020. The project will involve DNV GL offices worldwide and draw on integrated services of third party Verification, Classification and Consultancy; with the majority of the design review work being undertaken in London where the three main design subcontractors reside.

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The Mariner Field is located on the East Shetland Platform of the UK North Sea,

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Mariner with reservoir Statoil ASA

Hari Vamadevan, Regional Manager UK and Southern Africa said the project is complicated as it involves many contractors working across multiple countries. “The commercial and technical support teams in the UK and Korea worked hard to explain to all the project stakeholders the role of ICP and Class in UK waters which was critical to securing the contract. This project will continue to cement DNV GL’s position as the Verification and Classification Company for the North Sea, and open more opportunities for us in the future.”

News & Products

HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR UK COMPANIES IN THE MIDDLE-EAST BUT TECHNOLOGY NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED, SAY EXPERTS Andrews Kurth and Murgitroyd Seminar to help businesses capitalise on the opportunities Increasing production challenges in the Middle-east, the world’s largest petroleum region, are fuelling the demand for advanced technology. Specialist energy lawyers, Andrews Kurth, claim there are more opportunities for UK energy companies than ever before.

The law firm, which specialises in the energy sector in the Middle-east, North America and the Far-east, has teamed up with intellectual property experts, Murgitroyd, for a seminar in Aberdeen to highlight the growing potential in the Middle-east, but also to warn of the pitfalls if technology and know-how are not properly protected.

Entitled “Intelligent Energy Law in the Middle-east – Protecting and Exploiting Advanced Energy Technology and KnowHow”, the seminar will take place at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre on 6th of February 2014, during Subsea Expo.

Following an overview of the Middle-east market, delegates will be able to learn more about acquiring and transferring energy technology in the region, explore IP strategies developed by large companies and find out how smaller firms can cost-effectively implement a global IP strategy.

protect their intellectual property.

“Conventional thinking has been to focus IP protection in the US and Europe.

Our seminar will highlight the legal protections available for technology, brands, engineering designs, software and other specialist know-how in the Middleeast and explore the trends in global IP strategies.

Hugh Fraser, Jeff Dodd and Greg Porter of Andrews Kurth will be joined on the panel

by James Brown of Murgitroyd.

Mr Brown said: “The Middle-east provides unique Intellectual Property protection for

technology, brands, engineering designs and software. We will outline the options available in the six GCC countries and will also touch on Iraq, as well as the improving position with Iran. By exploring the consequences for IP in these locations and discussing the procedures, costs and timescales involved, we aim to help companies capitalise on the current market whilst minimising the risks of proprietary technology and know-how being exploited by others.”

Places for the seminar are limited but can be reserved by contacting: events@bigpartnership.co.uk

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Hugh Fraser, managing partner of the Dubai office of Andrews Kurth (Middle East) JLT, said: “There is a rapidly changing scenario in the Middle-east as the challenge of optimising production requires advanced technology and expertise. This trend, which can be evidenced by Saudi Aramco’s drive towards high technology solutions, presents major opportunities for British companies.

The caveat is that firms looking to exploit their technology and know-how in this region must guard against risks of exposure by taking steps to robustly

Hugh Fraser

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News & Products

BENTEC GMBH DRILLING & OILFIELD SYSTEMS WINS MAJOR CONTRACT IN ALGERIA German based manufacturer of drilling rigs and equipment, Bentec has won the largest single contract in its 20 year history.

The multi-million dollar contract was awarded by Algerian state owned drilling contractor, Enafor and will see Bentec deliver seven desert drilling rigs within the next 17 months.

All drilling rigs will be fully equipped with Bentec equipment, including top drives, pumps, drawworks, power control rooms and electrical controls, all of which are manufactured at Bentec’s Bad Bentheim site.

Bentec previously sold and successfully delivered four drilling rigs to Enafor in 2013.

Bentec’s unique combination of technical solutions, industry knowledge and expertise were the decisive factors that Enafor needed when selecting a drilling

Bentec Desert Rig

rig and equipment manufacturer to significantly modernise its drilling rig fleet.

Dirk Schulze, Bentec Chief Executive Officer said: “We are extremely proud to have secured our largest deal since the company was established in 1994. We work hard to maintain the highest quality standards across our drilling rig systems and this success is testament to that, the services we provide and our continued commitment to developing additional business in Algeria.”

Bentec is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of drilling rigs and oilfield equipment with a long history and vast experience. Bentec manufactures and delivers high-quality, cost-effective and durable drilling and oilfield systems for harsh and hostile environments to serve the needs of the international oil and gas drilling The company operates worldwide across several regions and currently employs more than 2,000 people globally.

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OIL & GAS UK DISCUSS NEW OFFSHORE WELL INTERVENTION TECHNOLOGY

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Oil & Gas UK discuss their focus on new technology developments for offshore well intervention projects in the North Sea.

this strategy for North Sea intervention operations. The results of the interview are of huge benefit and value for anyone involved in this sector.

Offshore well intervention has become critical to the economic recovery of North Sea reserves. However, erratic well behavior, unpredictable conditions and a changing regulatory landscape coupled with key technical challenges cause routine overruns and project abandonments at huge expense to the operator. Global intervention costs are now expected to rocket from $9.97bn in 2013 to $17.48bn in 2018.

Details of this discussion include:

To tackle this issue, Oil & Gas UK’s Dr Andrew Leonard will spearhead a strategy to accelerate new technology deployment, resulting in greater offshore efficiencies.

In late January, Oil & Gas UK and Offshore Network discussed the implications of

• The need to introduce new technologies that can mitigate economic and operational risk • The concerns operator’s face when introducing new technology to field operations • Future strategies to develop and introduce new technologies • An assessment of the need to accelerate new technological innovation

You can access the full interview at: http://bit.ly/wellint.

Dr Leonard will also be addressing this issue alongside BG Group, Shell, Tullow Oil, HSE, PSA, Halliburton, Expro and many other presenters at the Offshore Well Intervention Conference in Aberdeen (15-16 April).

This operator lead conference also has confirmed attendance from BP, Total, EnQuest, Helix Well Ops, Island Offshore, ITF and many more.

For more information, please contact Tommy Angell on the below details: Tommy Angell Director Offshore Network Ltd. Call: +44 (0) 203 411 9184 | E-mail: tangell@offsnet.com

HARKAND RAMPS UP SURVEY CAPABILITIES IN GULF OF MEXICO News & Products

International subsea inspection, repair, maintenance (IRM) and light construction company Harkand is expanding its global services with a renewed focus on delivering high-specification survey services in the burgeoning Gulf of Mexico market.

An already established, rapidlygrowing player in the region, Harkand is harnessing its extensive experience in delivering specialist offshore survey work across the North Sea, Europe and West Africa to extend its portfolio of services in North America.

Mark Beaton has been appointed regional survey manager tasked with delivering Harkand’s completely integrated services.

Based in Houston, he brings with him a wealth of IRM, project management and commercial experience to the role.

“This is a very exciting time to be joining Harkand in North America,” he said.

“As subsea work in the Gulf of Mexico goes deeper we are seeing a shortage of resources, specifically in the deepwater survey and high-spec, dual-role ROV market segment.

“Harkand is a full solutions provider to the oil and gas construction and IRM market but has an unrivalled breakout survey

service with 30 years of experience in Harkand Andrews Survey. This strategic move will allow our customers in North America to leverage this unique pool of knowledge.

“I am looking forward to expanding on our capabilities in this sector and being part of a company whose mind-set clearly sees technology as integral to its success.”

A former project manager and engineering manager with Fugro for 23 years, Beaton has extensive knowledge of pipeline construction support, predominantly with long baseline acoustic positioning including metrology, pipeline trenching

support, floating production, storage and offloading unit mooring chain and riser hook up, fibre optic cable installation, and annual pipeline inspections with 3D imaging, multibeam and inertial positioning technologies.

Harkand CEO John Reed said: “Mark’s appointment and the expansion of our survey provision is both a positive step forward for our business but also for the industry itself in the Gulf of Mexico.

“With Mark’s extensive knowledge of working in the region along with his experience in subsea oilfield construction and the survey sector, we are now well placed to grow these services significantly in the future.”

Harkand has seven XLX ROVs currently operating in the Gulf of Mexico which are fitted with dual-purpose sensors allowing one pilot to carry out light construction and survey work on the same dive, saving on downtime for reconfiguring ROV equipment and vessel time.

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Mark Beaton

Harkand aims to grow turnover to $1 billion in the next five years. The group was formed in February 2013 through the merger of Iremis, Integrated Subsea Services (ISS) and Andrews Survey.

Harkand now employs close to 1,000 people at bases in Singapore and Perth in Asia Pacific, Sharjah in the Middle East, Aberdeen and London in the UK, and Houston in North America.

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News & Products

ISURVEY GROUP ANNOUNCES UK GROWTH PLANS iSURVEY Group, a leading provider of survey and positioning services to the global oil and gas and telecommunications sectors, has announced the launch of a new offshore division as part of UK growth plans. iSURVEY Group, based in Norway, is establishing a new Aberdeen-based entity supporting clients operating in the UK North Sea and other global regions, including the Mediterranean Sea and Africa. Recruitment has started and it plans to have 30 staff in place by the end of 2014. The move represents a £500,000 investment and signals strong confidence in the region as an opportunity for growth.

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Key to the establishment of iSURVEY Offshore Limited is the appointment of Andrew McMurtrie as managing director, which will see him take responsibility for growing international business through the new division.

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Andrew began working in the offshore industry in 1990 as an offshore surveyor and since then has built up a wealth of experience in survey and positioning, including consulting for several operators.

He moved into sales and business development in 2004, working for Andrews Survey, Nautronix, DOF Subsea and most recently NCS Survey.

Recruitment will remain a strong focus for iSURVEY throughout 2014, with plans to rapidly increase the team of offshore and onshore personnel.

Mr McMurtrie said: “I am delighted to join iSURVEY at this exciting time, as ambitious plans for UK expansion are set out. My experience lies in business development and supporting companies to extend their offering to new markets, and I am very much looking forward to driving the growth of iSURVEY.” iSURVEY Group was founded in 2004 by seven highly-experienced figures in the

oil & gas industry and has grown to have almost 100 employees, with an estimated turnover in 2013 of £14million {NOK 140 million}. The group works with a number of global clients, including Statoil, Maersk, ExxonMobil, Nexans and Island Offshore. iSURVEY Offshore Limited will provide the same services from Aberdeen as it has been doing for several years from its base in Oslo and more recently Singapore, including rig positioning, marine construction, cable installation and seabed mapping.

Mr McMurtrie continued: “iSURVEY Group already has a well-established global reputation for survey and positioning, which provides the new offshore division with an excellent platform for growth.

Setting up this base in Aberdeen demonstrates our commitment to expanding operations in the region and from here, we will continue to offer world class support for our clients’ project requirements.”

Andrew McMurtrie has been appointed as managing director of iSURVEY Offshore Limited

INTRODUCING THE RCO54, HEAVY DUTY WIRE CUTTER

This new cutter has been designed with an open sided body for ease of location over the material to be cut. The anvil is a stationary blade design to reduce the cutting forces required during operation. In addition, the body has cutaways to reduce the weight whilst maintaining its strength. The RCO54 had been designed with total reliability and quality in mind.

On the left, is a picture of the RCO54 cutter and handle kit in use.

News & Products

Allspeeds Ltd, designers and manufacturers of Webtool® for over 30 years, have now developed a new heavy duty steel wire rope cutter.

The RCO54 has been designed for use in severe working conditions such as Oil and Gas, Subsea and Nuclear applications.

The capacity of the RCO54 is 51mm or 2” diameter steel wire rope with a tensile strength of 1960 N/mm², it will also cut 38mm or 1.5” diameter steel wire rope with a tensile strength of 2160 N/mm².

The RCO54 Heavy Duty Wirecutter

3SUN ACADEMY ON THE HORIZON Specialist provider of products and services to the global energy industry 3sun Group has announced the rebranding of its skills development division Eastern Training Services (ETS) to 3sun Academy.

Purchased by 3sun Group two years ago, ETS is an Approved Centre for the delivery of ECITB vocational qualifications. Since 1997 ETS has offered technical training, vocational assessment and verification, industrial, health & safety courses, as well as supervisory management and bespoke courses, with the aim of enhancing client safety and operational performance.

To meet increasing demand for its training services, and in response to the growth of wider 3sun Group, 3sun Academy has relocated its head office to Great Yarmouth.

James Hall, Operations Manager for 3sun Academy said: “The 3sun Academy adds a new dimension to the Group’s capabilities and client offering. As the specialist training arm of 3sun Group, we deliver technical and vocational training to the energy, and engineering construction industries.

3sun Academy tutors and lecturers are qualified practitioners in their areas of expertise and have many years’ experience in the design and delivery of training. From one-day courses on a diverse range of topics, to the ECITB-accredited Client Contractor National Safety Group (CCNSG) ‘passport’ that represents a

With training hubs across the UK and Europe, courses can be offered at specialist 3sun facilities or at client premises. Tapping into the experience and expertise of the wider 3sun Group also adds a new depth and flexibility to training capabilities.

The Group employs over 200 staff offshore and onshore and is currently working on oil and gas and renewables projects in the UK and Europe.

Headquartered in Great Yarmouth, England, it has a base in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and has seen recent expansion internationally following the creation of bases in Bergen, Norway and in Esbjerg, Denmark. It is also currently looking at other UK and overseas locations.

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“We recognise the current skills shortage in the energy sector, and understand that the success of any business is dependent on having the right people with the right skills. Our training courses offer clients the opportunity to up-skill or re-train employees from other industries, or to enhance the skills within their current workforce. This brings major benefits for energy businesses by creating a robust and sustainable workforce for the future.”

nationwide health & safety standard for site contractors, 3sun Academy work with clients to identify skills deficits and provide relevant training to address them.

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News & Products

HYDRO GROUP KICK OFF 2014 BY SECURING MULTIMILLION POUNDS WORTH OF CONTRACTS Innovative subsea design and manufacture group set to invest heavily in new equipment and increase staff numbers thanks to impressive demand from domestic and global markets.

Aberdeen-headquartered Hydro Group Plc, specialists in design, engineering and manufacturing of underwater cables and connectors for subsea, underwater, topside and onshore applications, today announced securing strategic contracts worth more than £2million over the last quarter.

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produce high quality products suited for their environment, this means investing in new equipment to keep pace.”

“Our target turnover for 2014 is £8.5million, with future projected growth predicted to reach £10million over the next two years.”

With an extensive product range, Hydro Group takes the raw materials and manufactures products from start to finish in Scotland, before exporting globally.

The contracts mean the Group is on course to meet its turnover target of £8.5million for 2014. At the end of 2013 the Group reported a significant increase in market activity in all of the subsea business sectors it operates in and a

2010 saw the firm invest over £4.2 million in a state-of-the-art research, design, engineering and manufacturing facility at Aberdeen Science and Energy Park. Staff numbers have grown by 40% since 2010 and a further £500,000 is to be invested this year in new Cable Manufacturing machinery and Test Equipment, to allow Hydro Group to fully support increasing demands from customers in energy, defence and offshore renewables markets.

Doug Whyte, Hydro Group managing director, said: “2012-13 was our most successful financial year to date, leading

Mr Whyte continued: “The team at Hydro Group are increasingly being asked for complex designs. Our engineers apply their extensive knowledge and expertise in materials and applications, developed over 30 years of manufacturing, to

record financial year as a result, with a 12% rise in comparable turnover from £6.3million to £7.1million.

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to significant investment in equipment and staff to keep pace with global demand.

Investing in increased capabilities will see the firm create 20 jobs in Aberdeen before the end of the year. Further investment during the course of the year will be focused on Hydro Group’s innovative R&D program, including trialling various low smoke flame retardant materials to address single cable designs capable of operating between separate boundaries from topside to subsea.

Hydro Group plc, subsea cable systems

manufacturer, made up of Hydro Bond Engineering and HydroCable Systems Ltd, is a major global supplier of harsh environment engineered products to the offshore oil and gas, defence, oceanographic, renewable energies, diving and ROV/AUV markets.

Doug Whyte, Hydro Group managing director at the Aberdeen headquarters, where products are manufactured from start to finish

PWA-PROSEP SECURES NEW CONTRACTS WORTH OVER $10 MILLION

Houston headquartered oil, gas and water treatment specialist, PWA-ProSep has secured contracts worth $10.5million this year for technologies to be delivered to clients operating in Africa, Norway, Malaysia, South America and the USA. The company, which offers a life-cycle portfolio of patented solutions to the global oil and gas industry received one order worth over $5 million for use in the Republic of Benin, West Africa. It is planned that the products, which include oil recovery in water treatment systems and chemical injection technology, will help enable the field to produce again after being shut in for over a decade and it is estimated that a further 16 years of production can be achieved.

Contracts totalling $2.7 million have also been secured from a client operating in Venezuela to provide corrugated plate interceptors, a produced water treatment for onshore applications to remove bulk oil and solids along with induced gas flotation equipment.

A further two orders have been landed with a major operator in Malaysia. The produced water and nitrogen generation packages are for a new platform in the North of Bintula, Sarawak.

The system utilises the company’s Total Oil Remediation and Recovery (TORR) propriety technology, providing high turn down ratio, whilst ensuring that discharge exceeds regulatory specifications.

News & Products

Global orders flow in for oil, gas and water treatment specialist in 2014

Contracts were also secured from a super major for the ProScav technology, a hydrogen sulphide scavenging mixing solution, which will be delivered to a facility in the US and from an operator in Norway for a ProMix C100 injection mixer.

John Sabey, VP Business Development of PWA-ProSep said: “We have ambitious growth plans and these contracts secured in early 2014 demonstrate the value of our innovative approach to oil, gas and water treatment. Our technologies are helping our clients to increase oil recovery and comply with environmental regulations. We are confident our unique approach to these challenges will continue to deliver impressive results.”

PWA-Prosep’s 20” C100W Injection Mixer

PWA-ProSep was launched in 2013 following the acquisition of assets of ProSep Inc by Produced Water Absorbents Inc. PWAProSep can now offer the most comprehensive portfolio of patented solutions to treat oil, natural gas and produced water – a growing challenge for global oil and gas operators.

NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO BUILD ON GROWTH AND CONSOLIDATION AT SPARROWS Stewart Mitchell will take over as chief executive of global offshore and mechanical handling group, Sparrows, on 10th of March 2014.

The announcement follows the decision of current chief executive, Doug Sedge, to stand down after four and half years with the company. During this period Mr Sedge led the significant expansion and internationalisation of the business, positioning Sparrows for strong long-term global growth. He will remain on the board of directors.

“I would like to thank all the staff at Sparrows, our customers and our suppliers for their loyalty and support during my tenure. I have every confidence in the future development of the business and am pleased to continue my involvement on the board.”

Established in 1973, Sparrows is one of the most well-known and trusted names in the oil and gas services industry, employing over 2,000 people in 19 locations worldwide. The company specialises in the provision of lifting, crane engineering and mechanical handling services to the offshore oil and gas industry.

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Stewart was previously a senior executive with McDermott International, a $3.1 billion revenue company, which is a global leader in the provision of engineering, procurement and installation services to the offshore oil and gas industry. Most recently, Stewart has been responsible for running McDermott’s business across Europe, North and South America, Middle East, India and the Caspian.

Commenting on his departure, Mr Sedge said: “Now that we are in a very healthy position, it is time for me to step aside and allow someone with new ideas and energy to take the business to the next stage in its global expansion plans. With his extensive international experience in the oil and gas services industry, Stewart will build upon the growth and consolidation we have achieved both at home and overseas.

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News & Products

EXPRO WINS THE SUBSEA UK AWARD FOR GLOBAL EXPORTS Leading international oilfield services company, Expro, has won the Global Exports Award at the Subsea UK Business Awards 2014.

hubs in Norway, USA, Nigeria, Australia, Brazil, Angola, China, Malaysia, Ghana and India, with potential future expansion into Azerbaijan.

The Award, which was presented last night (5 February) at the AECC, Aberdeen, recognises a company’s successful exploitation of, and export to a global subsea market. The judges based their decision on Expro’s Subsea product line’s export strategy, adaptability to foreign markets and demonstrable success.

Colin Mackenzie, Expro’s Subsea Director said: “Our international investment is driven by a combination of customer and technology demand.

The components of Expro’s Subsea Safety Systems ensure well integrity throughout the commissioning or intervention phases of a subsea well. As subsea wells are located in deeper water environments, fast response systems were developed by the company to meet new market requirements.

The engineering and manufacture of this product is undertaken in the UK, and exported to the major subsea regions including Sub Saharan Africa and Asia. In response to its strong growth throughout the deepwater regions, Expro set up subsea-specific

“Our engineering and delivery teams work tirelessly to provide tailor-made technical solutions for the most challenging environments. This includes working with a range of operators in deepwater and frontier areas. This strategy has seen us achieve leadership in West Africa, the Gulf of Mexico and Asia.

“We take pride in our export strategy and adaptability to the changing subsea markets and are thrilled to receive this prestigious award. Our success is in part due to the recognition of global leadership in this sector, and this award will reinforce our position and help perpetuate the success that our teams have built.”

Expro was shortlisted alongside ROVOP and Subsea Innovation Limited within the Global Exports category, and was awarded due to its retained leadership in subsea landing strings, providing evidence of continued product development through its market leading Subsea Safety Systems.

Expro’s mission is well flow management. We provide services and products that measure, improve, control and process flow from high-value oil and gas wells, from exploration and appraisal through to mature field production optimisation and enhancement.

Our vision is to be the market leader in well flow management, using the industry’s best people, to deliver the highest standards of safety, quality and personalised customer service.

We provide a range of solutions across six areas of capability: • Exploration & Appraisal Testing • Subsea Safety Systems • Drilling & Completion • Flowback and Clean-up

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• Production

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• Well Integrity & Intervention Expro’s 40 years of experience and innovative technology empowers the company to offer tailor-made solutions for its customers across the energy sector. With 5,000 employees across 50 countries, Expro offers a truly global service solution.

HVAC & REFRIGERATION ENGINEERING READY FOR RECORD BREAKING 2014 News & Products

Market leading manufacturer of hazardous and harsh environment HVAC products to the oil and gas industry, HVAC & Refrigeration Engineering is predicting another successful year following record growth in 2013.

The outlook comes after the Aberdeenbased company reported an order book exceeding £11m at the end of the first quarter of its new financial year, a figure that exceeds its total sales for 2012-13, with the firm growing in both domestic and international markets.

HVAC & Refrigeration Engineering managing director, Raymond Davidson, said: “We won a number of significant orders towards the end of 2013, some of the biggest in our company’s 15-year history. This period of growth is a great reflection of our commitment to provide our customers with a complete service that includes design, manufacturing, installation and maintenance.”

Mr Davidson added: “The North Sea oil and gas industry had an excellent 2013 with significant levels of investment and the lifetime extension of many of the region’s major fields and we expect this trend to continue throughout 2014.”

In addition to the expected growth in sales the company is also committed

to investing £3m in new premises this year, which will include a custom built manufacturing facility in Aberdeen as it looks to build a solid foundation for future growth and keep up with demand.

Mr Davidson continued: “These new premises will represent a logical step for us as a business and help us continue to

grow and develop our offering, both from a product perspective and geographically.

As a result, it is predicted that we will increase our 90 staff by as much as 20% over the course of 2014. As a specialist engineering and manufacturing company in a niche market we are finding increasing demand for our products and services on an almost daily basis, from international oil, gas and petrochemical related clients.”

“Our expertise in designing and building ATEX certified HVAC products and systems is becoming well known within an ever increasing number of major engineering, procurement, construction, drilling companies and operators in the energy industries worldwide.”

The firm’s Hazcool product range is recognised as a market leader in hazardous area equipment.

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HVAC & Refrigeration Engineering specialises in the manufacturing of ATEX certified HVAC products and systems for hazardous and harsh offshore, onshore processing and marine environments.

15

Corrosion

CHALLENGING OFFSHORE NORTH SEA PROJECTWILL USE SPECIAL ANTI-CORROSION INSTRUMENTATION MADE IN DEVON Project could bring in £10m of business for Barnstables Parker Hannifin.

An offshore oil and gas project that will site new offshore platforms in challenging conditions in the North Sea has selected high-reliability valves and tube connection fittings from the Instrumentation Products Division of Parker Hannifin in Barnstaple – the global leader in motion and control technologies.

Named after the pioneering Norwegian feminist Gina Krog, the new oil and gas field is located some 250 km west of Stavanger, Norway. The offshore

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platforms for the Gina Krog project will be constructed rapidly. Parker anticipates that this could result in more than £10m

16

of orders over the next 12 months for its Barnstaple facility - which employs over 200 directly and many more at local subcontractors.

are required to combat the threat of corrosion, which is a major problem in harsh offshore environments such as the North Sea.

Parker estimates that it will supply at least 10,000 individual valves, tube fittings and other components for this project, as well as some 10 kilometres of tubing. These will be used to construct liquid and gas instrumentation systems that will measure parameters such as temperature, pressure and flow to help control gas and oil and processing operations.

Parker’s know-how about machining valves and fittings using 6Mo and titanium, and its proven supply chain for these specialist raw materials, were important factors in securing this business. Another key aspect was the global nature of the Parker business, as the engineering and construction work for Gina Krog is taking place in numerous locations around the world.

As well as manufacturing using highgrade stainless steel materials, this project will make extensive use of titanium and the 6Mo steel alloy in key parts of the fluid tubing systems. These specialist materials

“In the oil and gas production sector today there’s an intense focus on extending equipment lifetimes and eliminating the threat to reliability that corrosion

“Our products have a performance edge because we always focus on adding value to industry-standard instrumentation products by employing unique features and superior materials and quality to design-out potential failure modes and improve reliability,” adds Ian Huggins, General Manager of the Instrumentation Products Division of Parker Hannifin. “This is particularly relevant in the oil and gas marketplace which is doing all it can to improve safety and reliability, and it’s helping our business to flourish even in the face of intense competition from low-wage Asian economies.”

Turnover at Parker’s Barnstaple facility has grown significantly in the last two years alone - largely as a result of being selected as the instrumentation supplier to major engineering projects for offshore platforms. North Sea oil and gas production continues to be a major business opportunity as production innovations continue to increase the volumes of oil and gas that can be extracted from existing and mature fields. As a result, lots of offshore platforms are being refurbished and extended. Parker’s share of this market has grown so much that it believes it is the

largest supplier of fluid instrumentation components in the North Sea sector today.

Another interesting aspect of the latest North Sea project order will be the specification of tube connectors for critical parts of the fluid tubing system that are able to withstand higher working pressures. This is being met by Parker’s new Autoclave product line, which is the result of an acquisition in 2012. Although these products are manufactured at a sister factory in Wexford, Ireland, both the R&D and customer service departments for this advanced product line have recently been relocated to Parker’s Barnstaple facility for efficiency. The ability to offer instrumentation solutions for both conventional pressure ranges and higher pressures is also helping Parker to win more business.

Corrosion

brings. The know-how that Parker has built up in the area of anti-corrosion materials is bringing us considerable success,” says Parker Hannifin’s Andy Guest. “A large proportion of our production output is now manufactured from corrosion-resistant alloys instead of more conventional stainless steels.”

To help cope with the higher levels of business, Parker has invested around a million dollars in eight further computercontrolled machining centres for the Barnstaple facility. These new machines will be manufacturing many of the tube fittings required for Gina Krog. The automated machines add to the

capability of one of the Parker Hannifin’s corporation’s most sophisticated manufacturing businesses worldwide. Parker in Barnstaple manufactures products using advanced build-todemand ‘lean manufacturing’ principles. It was the first plant worldwide to be awarded ‘Lean Model Plant’ status by the $13 billion Parker Hannifin corporation - a major accolade.

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17

Belzona Polymerics Ltd Corrosion

BELZONA HELPS KEEP THE OIL PUMPING “In recent years, we see more process vessel linings being specified at the design stage to prevent corrosion. Anecdotal evidence suggests that lining a vessel at the design stage with an epoxy coating in place of using metal cladding is more costeffective when taking into account the life-cycle costs.” – Jeremie Maillard, Belzona Oil and Gas Industry Manager.

In 2009 Belzona high-temperature linings were used to prevent corrosion in four pressure vessels, which remained in use for three years on P57 FPSO to process oil from the Jubarte field, Brazil. Inspection of the dehydrator in 2013 showed no signs of deterioration in the lining and the customer has commissioned further work to commence in 2014.

About the P57 FPSO project

In February 2008, a major Oil and Gas company signed a contract for the supply of the P57 FPSO with delivery of the unit planned 33 months later. Construction took place in Singapore and Brazil and the contractual requirement of 65% Brazilian content was

Internal corrosion protection of the four pressure vessels Four pressure vessels, two desalters, a dehydrator and a separator, for handling liquid hydrocarbons at extremely high temperatures, V-T6205A, V-T6205B, V-T6204 and V-T6206 respectively required internal corrosion protection. Belzona’s high-temperature solution was chosen and supplied by the Brazilian Belzona Distributor, Hita Comércio e Serviços.

Diego Hita of Hita Comércio e Serviços carefully evaluated temperature, pressure and chemical resistance requirements before specifying Belzona 1591 (Ceramic XHT), capable of withstanding immersion temperatures of up to 180°C (356°F), to line the vessels. Other areas that commonly suffer from corrosion, such as small bore nozzles and flange faces, were also to be isolated from the environment with the use of Belzona materials.

exceeded.The facility was operated for the first three years of production at the Jubarte field. The FPSO, capable of processing up to 180,000 barrels of oil and 2,000,000 cubic metres of gas per day, facilitated production from 22 interconnected wells

The work was carried out in September 2009 and in February 2013 V-T6205A was opened for inspection. The condition was described as “flawless”; lining, flange faces and nozzles all showed no signs of deterioration.

Application in 2009

Inspection in 2013 - Flawless

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Pressure vessels technical data:

18

Belzona Polymerics Ltd Claro Road, Harrogate, HG1 4DS Tel: +44 (0)1423 567641 E-Mail: msilva@belzona.com Website: www.belzona.com

Small bore nozzle inserts

To achieve excellent results, three elements need to be completed correctly:

In order to protect small bore nozzles, a conventional coating would not be sufficient as it would have been difficult to guarantee no pinholes or holidays. This issue is rectified by introducing prefabricated nozzles made from Belzona composites that do not corrode. The inserts and the nozzle are wetted out with a Belzona coating grade material, before being installed and bonded together to ensure corrosion protection.

• Lining material specification • Surface preparation • Lining application and inspection by trained personnel Lining material specification is influenced by the physical design, process fluids and operating conditions of the vessels, where these are matched with the product spec compiled by a manufacturer utilising in-house and external testing data.

Field experience of said materials is also taken into account and assists with estimating the lining design life.

Surface preparation is carried out following the lining manufacturer’s guidelines: typically after testing for internal contaminants (e.g. soluble salts) the surface is cleaned, degreased and grit blasted achieving the cleanliness of “near white metal” ISO Sa 2.5 and minimum profile of 75um (3 mils).

Application environment is also controlled. The substrate and environmental temperatures as well as humidity are measured and reduced to appropriate levels.

To reduce the risk of inadequate application standards, applicators and coating inspectors are trained and validated by the lining manufacturer.

Corrosion

How Belzona technology works – internal lining

Belzona presents next generation high-temperature lining system Introduced in March 2014, Belzona 1593 and Belzona 1523 are based on a pioneering technology where the organic lining is toughened with a rubbery domains that inhibits crack propagation, thus diminishing damage caused by impact, thermal cycling or flexing. Application is also simplified, as two-coat linings can be applied with no flash blasting necessary between coats within a 24 hour overcoat window. With the ability to prevent corrosion and resist a variety of harsh chemicals at temperatures up to 160°C (320°F) and 140°C (284°F) respectively, Belzona 1593 and Belzona 1523 are set to become the first choice for the corrosion protection of Oil and Gas process vessels.

Flange face forming technology Corrosion of flange faces is a common problem affecting pressure vessels, where the face must be isolated to prevent oxidation. Hita Comércio e Serviços prefabricated formers, which were designed to form Belzona material on the raised flange face.

Next Generation Vessel Linings Belzona 1523 (spray applied) www.belzona.com/1523 Belzona 1593 (brush applied) www.belzona.com/1593

High-Temperature Belzona lining

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Flange face protected

19

Corrosion Solutions Ltd HOW CAN YOU REDUCE MAINTENANCE COSTS AND EXTEND EQUIPMENT LIFE WITHOUT COMPROMISING ON PROTECTION? CSL specialise in the preservation of equipment and systems utilising the latest in environmentally safe Vapour Phase Corrosion inhibitors.

CSL can work with your people or take over the preservation role to allow your own people to focus on their own areas of expertise.

Our range of preservation processes include:

* E & I enclosures (operational or shutdown)

* Bolt & crevice corrosion protection

* Deluge system internal cleaning & preservation

* Drilling equipment

* Process equipment & systems during construction * Corrosion under thermal insulation (CUI) Or shutdown

* Preservation during decommissioning

* Biochemical Rust Removal (dip, fill or spray)

* Specialist coatings

* Rotating Equipment

* Material spares in storage

These processes and services have been proven over the years to reduce corrective maintenance costs and ensure that equipment remains in a condition “Fit for Purpose”

CSL Corrosion Solutions Ltd CORROSION PROTECTION & PRESERVATION - THE WAY AHEAD Corrosion Solutions Ltd (CSL) are firmly established as a leading specialist corrosion control and preservation company within the worldwide Oil, Gas & Petrochemical industries.

The company is based in Aberdeen, UK and offers a range of services that include; application, inhibitor supply, instruction, supervision and technical writing/ application manuals. The company’s main objective is to reduce clients maintenance & clean up costs by the use of Vapour phase Corrosion Inhibitors (VpCI). VpCI’s provide effective levels of corrosion protection in all areas of electrical, mechanical & process systems in each phase of the equipment lifecycle from fabrication, commissioning, shutdown & storage to operational use.

Now in our 15th 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

20

Inhibitors for oilfield corrosion prevention & preservation.

Maintenance for oilfield assets is always of key importance and CSL offer the following successful programmes.

· Deluge cleaning and preservation · Bolt/crevice corrosion protection · Electrical & Instrument preservation · Corrosion under Insulation preservation · New builds preservation management · Materials spares management preservation

Corrosion Solutions Ltd Unit 5, Kirkhill Industrial Estate, Dyce, Aberdeen. AB21 0GU Tel: +44 (0)1224 772694 Fax: +44 (0)1224 775810 E-mail: info@corrsol.co.uk

Subsea Industry leader operating worldwide within the most severe oceanographic, industrial, commercial, nuclear and military environments.

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Underwater Cameras, Lights, Pan & Tilt units, Controllers & Video Inspection Systems.

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Powerful jumper and umbilical monitoring As subsea field umbilical arrays grow ever more complex then the integrity of the components becomes increasingly critical.

C-Kore is designed to provide assurance to field installation engineers that their umbilical systems will meet the client requirements by checking electrical integrity immediately prior to connector make-up.

For further information visit our website or call our sales team on 01653 602020

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Tel: +44 (0) 1653 602020 | Email: sales@zetechtics.com | Web: www.zetechtics.com

Zetechtics Ltd

Subsea

ROVOP KICK STARTS 2014 WITH FURTHER GROWTH Subsea specialist ROVOP has expanded its fleet of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) by taking delivery of four new hydraulic work class systems with a further four new ROVs expected later in the year.

The company has invested $20million (over £12 million) in the four hydraulic Schilling HD work class ROVs, which were delivered during January, and is actively working to grow its offshore team by 50 to 110 to expand its provision of best

in class ROV service to the oil and gas industry.

ROV pilots to hone their skills onshore, in physics-accurate conditions.

ROVOP has also invested in its own ROV simulator for its in-house Academy in order to further develop the training and competence of its offshore staff.

Addressing the talent shortage in the subsea industry, the Academy seeks to build skill and competence in offshore personnel whatever their current career level. The £250,000 simulator enables

In addition to this, ROVOP has been awarded ISO 9001 accreditation of its integrated management system by DNV, which is a considerable achievement and demonstrates ROVOP’s commitment to quality.

Headquartered in Westhill, Aberdeenshire, ROVOP is an independent company which is 100% focused on providing ROVs and services to the oil & gas and offshore wind industries.

The company’s latest ROVs have been manufactured by FMC Schilling Robotics in Davis, California, and were put through their paces during rigorous acceptance testing by the ROVOP team. The ROVs are

equipped with the latest Hammerhead control system which, for the first time, gives pilots the ability to use an increased suite of auto functions, including automated manipulator control.

The systems are designed around the 60-minute repair philosophy, which is unique to Schilling work class ROVs, and fitted with the latest Teledyne CDL TOGS-NAV (Tiny Optical Gyro System for navigation) technology unit which combines DVL, Fibre Optic Gyro and depth sensors in one compact package to provide maximum ROV control for safe and efficient working.

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Steven Gray, ROVOP’s managing director, said: “ROVOP enjoyed strong business growth in 2013 and this is set to continue in 2014. In order to deliver the best in class service, we are continuing to invest in the latest and most advanced equipment on the market, staffed by the best people, to ensure we are at the forefront of technology, reliability and competence.

22

Steven Gray

“Delivery of the highest quality of service is enabled by our secure internet accessible management system. The system, which has now also achieved ISO 9001 certification, ensures the business operates as robustly and effectively as

ROVOP, which has been shortlisted for best global exports and new enterprise at this year’s Subsea UK Business Awards, has fast positioned itself as a leader in ROV services. The award-winning firm has experienced outstanding growth since inception in 2011 and by early in 2014, it aims to have created more than 100 highly skilled, export-driven jobs.

Through investment in its people, equipment and systems, ROVOP has become an approved supplier to some of the world’s largest oil and gas and subsea construction companies.

Last year, the company established its own ROV Academy which has been developed to ensure a supply of the most competent offshore personnel, predominantly pilottechnicians for its rapidly-evolving fleet of subsea remotely operated vehicles.

ROVOP picked up the Great Small Company accolade at the 2013 SPE Offshore Achievement awards. Its success was also recognised with the Business Growth award at the 2012 Scottish Green Energy Awards.

Subsea

possible, with considerable cost savings for both ROVOP and our clients.”

More information about ROVOP can be found at: www.rovop.com

LEADING SUPPLIER OF SUBSEA SURVEY EQUIPMENT RENAMED AS PART OF GLOBAL GROWTH PLANS Sonar Equipment Services becomes: Subsea Technology & Rentals (STR) A new name in advanced subsea equipment supply has been unveiled at Subsea Expo on Wednesday 5th of February 2014.

Great Yarmouth-based Sonar Equipment Services will now trade under the name of Subsea Technology & Rentals (STR) to better reflect the broader range of products and associated services they now supply to the subsea sector following a restructure and significant investment in premises, people and equipment.

The name change is part of a global growth strategy which aims to see the company double in size in the next few years. STR has made several investments in its research and development capability, a new building with larger workshop area and new test facilities. The company is currently looking to recruit ten technical and sales support staff with more jobs to be created as the company opens in new overseas regions.

to manufacture a range of products designed in-house and to provide a service centre for EdgeTech sonar products. STR operates a range of specialist in-house facilities including an acoustic test tank, pressure test chamber and, due to growing demand, a fibre-optic cable moulding facility has been created to offer customers a one stop solution for custom cable requirements.

STR is aiming to rapidly become the preferred global rental specialist to support offshore survey, subsea construction, IRM as well as the marine renewables sector. The company can now compliment their equipment supply with skilled offshore engineers to attend vessel mobilisations and support worldwide operations.

Through partnerships with manufacturers and other suppliers, such as EdgeTech, Innova and Neptune Oceanographics, STR provides sales as well as rental services and is well positioned to provide procurement guidance for a range of subsea technology.

Neil Jackson, Sales and Operations Manager for STR said: “In recent years we have invested heavily in subsea technology to offer a first-class rental service and in developing our dedicated engineering team to carry out research, design, manufacture and delivery of integrated technical solutions.

With a heritage in towed sonar equipment, we have built on our reputation for delivering quality by diversifying our surface to subsea technology and incorporated services. The new name and branding better reflect our capabilities and vision for the future.”

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After nearly 20 years of operating within its original premises, STR has moved into a modern, purpose-developed building in a riverside location at Gorleston-on-Sea. The new building has over 15,000 square feet of workshops fitted-out with the latest test facilities to maintain, configure, repair and customise rental equipment for bespoke requirements.

The new premises also have a dedicated production department

23

Take a ‘laboratory’ on-site

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Atlantas Marine Ltd Underwater inspection specialist Atlantas Marine have reinforced their commitment to service quality and continuous improvement, hosting their first V8 operator familiarisation day of 2014 at Vobster Quay Dive Centre North Somerset.

The M500 will be on show on Atlantas Marine’s stand (E200) at Oceanology alongside a range of other intelligent solutions for underwater inspection tasks, including the VideoRay Pro 4 and the recently launched Teledyne BlueView V-Series sonar.

Subsea

ATLANTAS MARINE OPERATOR FAMILIARISATION DAY TO IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE

The invitation only event was arranged to allow experienced operators to get to grips with the latest Ocean Modules V8 ROV, the M500. Attendees had the chance to spend time piloting the ROV and checking out improvements to the design over previous vehicles including enhanced hydrodynamics and upgraded diagnostic and repair features.

“Atlantas Marine value events like these highly as an excellent chance for us to stay in contact with operators we work with; keeping them on top of the latest equipment developments as well as any changes to operations, maintenance, repair and emergency procedures.” said Atlantas Marine MD Charlie Foll.

The day followed the announcement that Atlantas Marine are to expand their ROV hire pool with the acquisition of a V8 M500 following a second year of successful deployment of the previous generation V8 ROV, the Sii, in the high current waters of offshore Vietnam.

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Atlantas Marine Ltd Telstar House, Mead Avenue, Houndstone Business Park, Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 8RT Tel: +44 (0)1935 426000 Fax: +44 (0)1935 426522 E-mail: info@atlantasmarine.com

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Subsea

LEADING DIVER AND ROV TRAINING FACILITY MAKES NINE NEW APPOINTMENTS The Underwater Centre in Fort William, one of the world’s leading trainers of commercial divers and Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) pilot technicians, has strengthened its team with the appointment of a number of new staff to meet ever-growing demand from industry.

working in the oil and gas industry, most recently offshore in Malaysia. He will be responsible for the management and control of safe commercial diving and ROV training for novice and experienced offshore professionals, including instructional staff at the Centre.

Seven new posts have been established in a number of areas, including the dive and ROV instructional teams, as well as the student advisors and engineering support teams, to cope with the increasing numbers of diving and ROV students, and companies using the Centre to test new equipment. Meanwhile, two already existing posts have been filled with permanent staff as opposed to contractors.

Steven Clare (26) has joined the engineering support team as an Assistant Engineer. A qualified diesel fitter, he will be responsible in part for the maintenance of the two recently-acquired ferries, the Loch Sunart and Loch Scavaig. He will also be a part of the marine operations team, as well as carry out routine maintenance on vessels owned by the Centre.

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Former Royal Air Force Officer (Engineering) Kevin MacIvor (38) has been appointed Training Operations Manager. Originally from London, Kevin has a number of years experience

26

Patricia Archibald, of Fort William, is a new Student Advisor. Recruited to the increasingly busy sales team, Patricia will provide assistance to those looking for a new career as an ROV pilot technician or commercial diver, as well as those looking to add to their existing qualifications

or to advance their careers. She will be on hand to answer questions regarding career opportunities, training, facilities and accommodation provided by the Centre, as well as dealing with enquiries, providing information to students in advance of coming on course, and offering support once they arrive.

Meanwhile, the ROV team has been bolstered by the arrival of two new instructors – Paul Mitchell (34), of Inverness, who will be trained as an ROV and electronics instructor and Kevin Randerson (52), originally from Yorkshire.

A time-served engineer, Paul is a graduate of The Underwater Centre. His most recent job was providing deepwater ROV support for a company in Dubai. Kevin, also an experienced ROV instructor, worked previously for Forum Energy Technologies.

Two new trainee Assistant Life Support Technicians (ALST) posts have also been

The Centre has also appointed Closed Bell Supervisor Yuri Di Pietro (45), who was born in Italy, and Life Support Supervisor Charles Staniforth (52), of Fort William, as permanent members of the team. Yuri has moved to the West Coast from the Czech Republic. A former freelance Closed Bell Supervisor and Air Diving Supervisor, he has worked all over the world in Vietnam, Libya, Nigeria, Angola and the Congo. Charles also has considerable offshore experience and has worked for Subsea 7 as a Life Support Technician since 2004. They will both work on the HSE Closed Bell course, which was previously run by contractors.

Steve Ham, General Manager of The

Underwater Centre, welcomed the new arrivals.

The Underwater Centre is the only training centre in the world that offers the full range of Health and Safety Executive (HSE) commercial diving qualifications in air and mixed gas diver training, from HSE SCUBA to HSE Closed Bell diving.

“The Underwater Centre has become increasingly busy in recent years and as such it has become necessary to expand the team to cope with demand,” he said.

“These new appointments come at an important time for the Centre, which is developing new initiatives to respond to the needs and demands of industry for skilled personnel. The appointment of so many experienced and enthusiastic new colleagues will help the Centre as it continues to compete, grow and develop in the current environment.

“We are very much looking forward to the many new opportunities that 2014 will bring, as we continue to build relations with industry. The newly-bolstered team will be central to helping us increase our ability to respond to the needs of the industry.”

Subsea

created. Christopher Simpson and Connor MacRae, both 18 and from the local area, have been taken on as part of the Centre’s highly successful two-year training programme.

Based at the head of Loch Linnhe, The Underwater Centre offers a unique sheltered, seawater site with a large private pier extending into the loch. The waters plunge to depths of 150 metres, which are ideal conditions for commercial diving and ROV pilot technician training.

There is also a large, purpose built, onshore tank complex.

For more information call: 01397 703786 Or e-mail: fortwilliam@theunderwatercentre.com

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f: +44 (0) 1305 259573

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Oceanology Stand N600

Also ROV Gauges

27

Subsea

UK COMPANY LOOKS TOWARDS A NEW STANDARD OF SAFETY IN THE SUBSEA INDUSTRY Allspeeds Ltd, designers and manufacturers of the Webtool™ range, have nominated the Webtool™ HP690 intensifier panel for the Subsea UK Innovation for Safety Award.

Safety concerns were being expressed with regards to the use of high pressure hydraulics and ROV hydraulic intensifier panels.

Allspeeds identified the main safety issue was standard pressure intensifiers contain a check valve. Failure to reverse pressure manually or in the event of an HPU or ROV breakdown causing the inability to reverse pressure, will result in a high pressure circuit at approximately 700Bar (10,000psi) this will remain energised whilst the ROV resurfaces.

Allspeeds designed the Webtool™ intensifier panel (HP690) which safeguards the user with automatic protection from the possibility of locked in high pressure hydraulic fluid. The

The user has the ability to set the input pressure using the pressure release valve, so the maximum pressure output can be set to match the requirements of the tooling prior to the launch of the ROV. There is also an additional relief valve in the output of the intensifier panel so that if the input pressure is accidentally set too high there is no possibility of damaging the panel or the high pressure connection hoses.

A further safety feature is the addition of two sub-sea pressure gauges, one monitors the input pressure and the second monitors the output pressure. This allows the user to verify that the circuit is no longer pressurised before attempting to disconnect or service the tooling.

The Webtool™ HP690 is designed and manufactured to be a better, more reliable and safer product motivated by industry concerns and reports concerning the dangers of high pressure hydraulic sub-sea systems.

Written by Daniel Ernest Hill Allspeeds Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1254 615100 E-Mail: info@allspeeds.co.uk

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intensifier used in the HP690 contains a proportional valve rather than a check valve. The output pressure is proportional to the input pressure, so when the supply pressure drops, so does the output pressure. There is no longer any need for the user to manually reverse the pressure to make the hydraulic system safe, this will happen automatically. In addition to this, the input pressure will be automatically compensated for depth via the ROV’s own HPU, so as the ROV surfaces, the high pressure side of the circuit also compensates. These features also allow any

pressure build up due to temperature variation to be vented back to the ROV’s pressure tank.

The Webtool™ HP690 Intensifier Panel

24 20 28

Cygnus Instruments Ltd Cygnus DIVE is a wrist-mountable underwater ultrasonic thickness gauge which provides an invaluable free hand while taking metal thickness measurements. The Cygnus pioneered Multiple-Echo technique is at the heart of the electronics and ensures protective coatings up to 20mm thick are ignored, therefore no need to remove coatings. Additionally, this ensures all measurements are automatically checked and verified.

Subsea

NEW CYGNUS DIVE THICKNESS GAUGE NOW WITH SUPER BRIGHT AMOLED DISPLAY

Following the success of the DIVE launched two years ago, Cygnus is introducing the DIVE Mk2 with a number of key new features: • Super bright AMOLED display that is easily viewable by both the diver and his camera, even in the poorest visibility • Updated topside and reporting software

• Twin Crystal probes for use in Single-Echo Mode.

Having the capability of using DIVE in Single-Echo mode with Twin Crystal probes can offer advantages where there are no protective coatings. This includes on very heavy front and back wall corrosion as is sometimes found on sea defences and harbour pilings. It is also useful for attenuative materials such as cast iron found in water and sewage outfall pipes and on round bar such as anchor chain links.

Measurements on the surface can be displayed by various methods, including a hand-held display repeater and superimposed with the composite video signal from diver’s camera and overlaid on the topside monitor. The latest version of CygLink software allows measurements and A-Scans to be shown on the surface and data logged topside. These can then be displayed in colour 2D and 3D representations and exported into a spreadsheet.

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Cygnus Instruments Ltd Cygnus House, 30 Prince of Wales Road, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1PW Tel: +44 (0)1305 265533 Website: www.cygnus-instruments.com E-mail: sales@cygnus-instruments.com

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Turner Engine Powered Services Ltd Engines & Transmissions

“TOGETHER WE’RE STRONGER” Turner EPS was established in 2009 as a result of the Turner Group merging four separate Sister Group companies into one organisation that could provide a comprehensive “one-stop-shop” power generation service to the market.

The Company’s marketing strapline reflects this key decision; “TOGETHER WE’RE STRONGER” Turner EPS are now one of Europe’s largest single source providers of maintenance and repair services, bespoke design & build solutions and systems for power generation equipment involving; diesel and gas reciprocating engines, electrical & mechanical governors, explosion protection systems, low carbon/emission microturbines, organic rankin cycle machines and uninterruptible power systems.

The company is made up of four distinct business units or trading divisions; • Turner Engine Powered Services • Turner Engine Powered Solutions • Turner Explosion Protection Systems • Turner Engine Control Solutions Turner Engine Powered Services, formally known as Turner Diesel Ltd, provides a comprehensive and diverse range of diesel engineering and support services, from basic pre-planned and response maintenance of standby & or emergency generators and UPS systems including load testing, polishing and decontamination of diesel fuel - to the installation, maintenance, overhaul and repair of prime power units installed in marine applications and offshore oil & gas platforms.

The company are official distributors for some major manufacturers including; Capstone Turbine Corporation, GE Marine and GE Waukesha and operate on an international basis.

Turner Engine Powered Solutions, formally known as Tilsley & Lovatt Ltd, is recognised as a European market leader in the design and supply of bespoke special project power generation systems & solutions for the offshore oil & gas industry and specialist industrial & marine market.

We have unrivalled and extensive experience in the design and build of continuously rated emergency standby generating sets and fire pump generators for Offshore Normally Unattended Installations with extended service interval requirements. Typical design & build packages range from 20kW to 2.5MW. Turner Explosion Protection Systems, formally known as FlameTech Ltd, designs and manufacturers flame / explosion protection components and packages / systems. All fully integrated with diesel & gas engine pump / compressor drivers, including generating sets, for a range of various makes of engines selected for their suitably and compatibility for Hazardous Area applications.

The range starts from 20kW to 2.5MW with Full Metal Jacket (3G PAC engine with surface temperature below that required for the project, typically 200⁰C)

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In addition we can also provide packages up to 2.5MW in Force Ventilated Containers for applications where the surface temperature is higher that the rating of the hazardous gas (typically dry manifold turbocharged engines).

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Turner EPS’s explosion protection systems 3G PAC® diesel engine packages are all explosion tested with verification from reputable third party test houses.

Continued on page 32

Providing Innovative Diesel Solutions for the Drilling, Marine and Stationary Industry Turner EPS is proud to be the newest member of GE Marine’s global distributor network that provides regional support and service for GE Marine’s engine portfolio.

GE Marine Engines GE has been designing and building highperformance diesel engines for more than 40 years and today they are one of the world’s leading manufacturers of diesel engines with over 15,000 engines operating worldwide.

GE Marine’s medium-speed engines are fuelefficient, emissions-compliant, dependable, longlasting and durable. The family of marine diesel engines includes 8, 12 and 16 cylinder V configurations, as well as 6 and 8 cylinder inline or L configurations.

100% engineered for reliability and maintainability The V250 is designed not only for higher efficiency and lower emissions but also for improved reliability and maintainability. Every critical component and system is engineered, manufactured, tested, refined and validated extensively for reliability and for easier maintenance.

Based Upon Proven Technology GE’s newest L250 Inline performer engine design is based on the successful V250 engine platform using the Six Sigma Quality design process. Together, with flexible installation and maintenance options, proven parts performance and first class support from Turner EPS, part of GE’s worldwide distribution network, the L250 offers marine customers reliability and limited downtime.

Turner EPS are also Europe’s largest single source providers of maintenance and repair services, bespoke design & build solutions and systems for power generation equipment involving; diesel and gas reciprocating engines, electrical & mechanical governors, explosion protection systems, low carbon emission microturbines, organic rankin cycle machines (ORC) and uninterruptible power systems (UPS).

Turner Engine Powered Services Ltd Unit 1A Dyce Industrial Park, Dyce Aberdeen AB21 7EZ Tel: + 44 (0)1224 723925 Email: sales@turner-eps.co.uk Web: www.turner-eps.co.uk

Engines & Transmissions

Turner Engine Control Solutions provide a complete turn-key service for control and power management systems for mechanical / electrical governors, gas & steam turbines and compressor equipment in the petrochemical industry. As a Woodward recognised turbine retrofitter (RTR), TECS has the knowledge and specialised experience to offer solutions for speed / load controls, generators, extractions, compressors, excitation controls and integrated turbine compressor controls. We utilise Woodward’s control, actuation and valve technologies, and can integrate other brands of controls to fulfil requirements.

We have many years of experience upgrading both electrical and mechanical control systems installed on all types of reciprocating engines. This also includes the design and build of control panels / cabinets which is done in-house.

TECS are one of five global Channel Partners for Woodward with responsibility for the United Kingdom, Benelux and the Middle East.

The power generation market is a very competitive and

challenging place and there is no question some companies have found it extremely difficult since 2008, not just to compete, but to be able to manage their costs, make a profit and invest in their business at the same time. However, companies can’t afford to stand still and this respect Turner EPS has kept ahead of their competitors by continually re-investing in their business and people, developing and diversifying their products and services range.

Not being restricted to a single market is a key strength and this diversification and flexibility allows Turner EPS to operate in several markets domestically and overseas including; offshore oil & gas, marine, industrial and emergency/standby power generation. In addition they also benefit from being part of the Turner Group, a third generation family owned and operated autonomous group of companies.

Initially founded in 1912 as a supplier to the emerging automotive industry, the Turner Group has evolved through steady organic growth as well as acquisition. Currently, the Group enjoys a turnover in excess of £270m, a reputation for profit retention and a solid financial base from which to operate.

The Turner Group is engaged in the supply and servicing of equipment, as well as the provision of comprehensive support services including asset rental. Although the individual companies span a remarkably diverse range of sectors, firstclass service to customers is the principal object of every single activity.

Employing around 2,500 loyal and dedicated professionals across both hemispheres (mostly outside its native Scotland), the customer-focused group is driven by a passion for taking ownership of customers challenges.

Turner EPS’s strategy has always been diversification and to differentiate themselves from their competitors by offering added value to the high end quality products and services they provide to their wide and varied customer base.

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One of their focused areas for growth, both on and offshore, going forward is Micro turbine technology.

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Turner EPS can offer Capstone Micro turbine technology as an alternative solution to traditional diesel engine powered packages across a wide spectrum of applications including manned and unmanned Offshore Oil & Gas platforms and hazardous areas.

Capstone Microturbines reliably power onshore and offshore operations using unprocessed wellhead gas (economic or flare, sweet or up to 7% sour) to generate 3-phase, load-following continuous power.

Microturbines 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.

Turner EPS’s Capstone micro turbine solutions reduce energy costs, ensure power availability and help preserve the environment with its ultra-low emissions profile. They can operate on a variety of gaseous or liquid fuels making Capstone a clean, green, reliable source of energy. The Micro turbines can be installed individually or multi-packed and can function in parallel or independent from the grid. Capstone Microturbines are compact, lightweight, affordable, and quiet and provide a robust and reliable solution to your energy needs.

• Oxygen rich exhaust with less than 5 ppm NOx

Advanced engineering and more than 100 patents put the Capstone Microturbines in a class of their own. Capstone

• Air cooled design: no cooling system maintenance or coolant disposal issues • Patented air bearings: no lubrications system maintenance or oil disposal issues

• Modular design permits scalability • Multi-fuel capability

Engines & Transmissions

Perfect for both manned and unmanned platforms, Capstone Micro turbines can be fuelled with unprocessed wellhead gas to provide continuous load following power down to an idle and up to a few hundred kilowatts in easily manageable, redundant 30 and 65kW models. Capstone’s offshore C30 and C65 models are UL Certified to meet Class 1, Division 2 NFPA 496. For hazardous-area placement, a more affordable stainless steel package is available for each model. Non-hazardous units are UL-certified to meet the new UL220 and UL1741 category for engine generators fuelled with “raw natural gas.”

• Lightweight and compact design

“We can think of no other comparable group within the same market sectors that embraces a greater diversity of service”

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Turner Engine Powered Services Ltd Unit 1A, Dyce Industrial Park, Dyce, Aberdeen, AB21 7EZ Tel: +44 (0)1224 723925 Website: www.turner-eps.co.uk E-mail: sales@turner-eps.co.uk

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SEA CON® Electrical

HYDRALIGHT UNDERWATER MATEABLE CONNECTOR RANGE The HYDRALIGHT is a field proven, second generation underwater mateable, high integrity, fiber optic connector. Fully qualified to 7,000m with an average single mode insertion loss of less than 0.2dB and an average single mode back reflection of -50dB, this connector has a design life of 30 years and a life cycle of a minimum of 100 mate/de-mates and meets optical wet-mate connector specifications for Norsk Hydro, Statoil, Elf Exploration, Total, Hess and BP.

The HYBRALIGHT Hybrid Optical and Electrical Connector

Key Features • Second generation, field proven, underwater mateable connector

• Over 5,000 units sold worldwide • Up to 8 channel optic • Up to 10,000 psi • Oil filled and pressure balanced

1 - 48 Channel Optical HYDRALIGHT

• Qualified for 7,000m • Average single mode insertion loss of less than 0.2dB • Average single mode back reflection of -50dB • Titanium • Design life of 30 years • Typical uses; High speed communications, long distance production control, pumping systems, sensing systems, riser and PRM systems

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SEA CON® has also expanded the capabilities of the HYDRALIGHT connector series with the introduction of an APC (Angular Polished Contacts) variant which improves back reflection performance and a high fiber count version providing up to 48 fiber optic channels within the same basic envelope as the standard HYDRALIGHT. There is also a hybrid optic and electrical version combining the qualified and field proven technologies of the HYDRALIGHT and CM2000 electrical underwater mateable connector.

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For more information about SEA CON® products and services please visit our website at: www.seaconworldwide.com HYDRALIGHT 8 Channel Underwater Mateable Connector

SEA CON (europe) Ltd Seacon House, Hewett Road, Gapton Hall Industrial Estate, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR31 0RB Tel: +44 (0)1493 652733 Email: sales@seaconeurope.com Web: www.seaconworldwide.com

Nautilus Rigging LLP Pumps & Valves

NEXT GENERATION TOPSIDE AND SUBSEA ROV HOOKS FROM NAUTILUSRIGGING Since launching their first product in 2009 NAUTILUSRigging (UK) Ltd, have become internationally recognised as the leading innovators in safe lifting solutions as the manufacturers and suppliers of Nautilus Safety Hooks.

By focusing their design criteria to eliminate industry concerns with respect to the known and inherent hazards of traditional style lifting hooks the company developed, and patented, the next generation of lifting hooks that put safety and security as the first priority.

The innovative Nautilus Hooks were awarded the prestigious American Society of Mechanical Engineers - Best Mechanical Engineering Award at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston where the unique, patented, safety features and the global potential to raise personal safety standards in lifting operations were cited by the judges as the deciding factors in awarding Nautilus Hooks this highest accolade.

Four years on and the company is growing from strength to strength with 20 models of the topside hooks in production and 2 models of the ROV/Subsea Hooks currently available, All Nautilus Hooks are manufactured to exceed the industry standard BS/EN 1677-1 and have complete traceability with individual numbering and proof testing to 2.5 x their working load limit.

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Managing Director, Mr Bill Toon, said “The Nautilus Subsea range, launched at Subsea 2013 in Aberdeen, has proved extremely popular with the major offshore ROV and Subsea contractors who have been quick to recognise the safety benefits that our positive locking ROV hooks will provide” “Our patented locking mechanism eliminates the risk of unintentional release common to traditional “snap on” style ROV hooks, by ensuring load integrity the Nautilus ROV Hook offers a cost efficient solution to significantly reducing the risk of operators incurring expensive downtime and equipment damage which often results from unintentional release load release”

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Nautilus ROV hooks incorporate all the innovative safety features of the company’s topside hooks, including the integrated safety handle and dual sided sliding lock mechanism which makes topside handling a simple, safe and secure operation, removing fingers from the hazardous hook/sling interface area and providing an easy one handed operation.

The ROV Hooks are currently available in 2 versions, both with a WLL of 22 tonnes, the Long shank NH-ROV22E and eye top release hook NH-SS22E. The hooks are fitted with a bespoke 316 stainless steel ROV activation wire tested to 1200 kg. Nautilus Hooks are supplied with the manufacturers test certification which includes the individual proof test details and the unique hook number for simple traceability and corporate compliance requirements.

A short video detailing the unique operational and safety benefits, and the full product specifications can be viewed at: www.nautilusrigging.com

Operators can purchase direct from the manufacturers, Nautilus Rigging LLP: E-mail: sales@nautilusrigging.com Or call: 01224 772323.

Nautilus Rigging LLP 23E Burnside Drive, Dyce, Aberdeen, AB21 0HW Tel: +44 (0)1224 772323 Website: www.nautilusrigging.com E-mail: sales@nautilusrigging.com

NautilusRigging Manufacturers of Nautilus Hooks™

Introducing the world’s first range of ROV hooks with ‘positive locking function’ Nautilus Rigging are raising industry standards with the launch of a range of ROV hooks with patented ‘positive locking function’, built to complement our range of award winning topside hooks. u Nautilus ROV hooks manufactured to BS/EN 1677-1 - CE certified u Individually numbered and proof tested to 2.5 x WLL - supplied with test certification u Long Shank and Eye Top models are supplied with a bespoke primary activation wire fitted u Additional primary wires and secondary wire kits are available as accessories For full details and specifications visit www.nautilusrigging.com

NautilusRigging Safer lifting, efficient solutions

T: +44 1224 772323 E: sales@nautilusrigging.com www.nautilusrigging.com

Forthcoming Exhibitions

Reed Exhibitions Ltd OIL & GAS AND THE CHALLENGES OF WORKING IN EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS ON THE CONFERENCE AGENDA AT OCEANOLOGY INTERNATIONAL The challenges and the technologies used by the offshore oil and gas sectors operating in extreme environments will come under the conference spotlight in one of the eight highly relevant conferences being held as an integral part of Oceanology International 2014, the world’s largest exhibition for marine science and technology taking place Tuesday 11 – Thursday 13 March 2014 at London’s ExCeL – and there are other features of the show of key importance to the offshore oil and gas sectors too.

The conference, which, like all the component parts of Oceanology International, is free to attend, starts with the ‘Operating in Deepwater’ component with presentations on ‘Direct Computation of Workability and Loads’ (David Hurdle, BMT ARGOSS); ‘Violent Wave Trapping - Some Results on Water Projection Around Semi-Subs and TLPs’ (Paul Taylor, Oxford University); ‘The Effects of Squalls on Floating Vessels’ (Finlay

‘Oil & Gas: Operating in Extreme Environments’ a day-long conference chaired by Richard Gibson, Metocean Engineer, BP and Graham Feld, Senior Metocean Engineer, Shell takes place on Wednesday 12 March and will be split into two parts, with presentations focusing on deepwater operations and operating in the Arctic.

“The offshore oil and gas industry is pushing into deeper water locations and harsher environments,” explain the co-chairs.

“The challenges of exploring and operating in these regions are often exacerbated by also being remote from infrastructure and support.

“The session focusses on some of the metocean challenges of working in such areas, particularly those in deep water locations or in arctic conditions.

The challenges that the presentations will cover are in the context of understanding and mitigating the effects of severe environmental phenomena such as squalls and, polar lows, as well as methods being used to calculate their loading effects on floating vessels and on risers.

Some case examples of measurement campaigns in the arctic will also be presented illustrating how the challenges there are being met particularly in the context of iceberg tracking and avoidance.”

McPhail, Shell); ‘Into Deepwater & Back Again: New Challenges for Current Profile Characterisation’ (Gus Jeans, Oceanalysis Ltd); and ‘Joint Conditions for Riser Fatigue Analysis’ (Oliver Jones, BP).

‘Operating in the Arctic’ is the topic for the second half of the conference when the following presentations will be given: ‘Challenging the Arctic Weather - Polar Lows’ (Nina Winther-Kaland, StormGeo AS); ‘Measurement Campaign North East Greenland’ (Roy Wollvik, Statoil); ‘A Metocean and Ice Measurements Campaign in Baffin Bay, Greenland’ (Mariska van der Boon, Shell Global Solutions NL); ‘An Iceberg Monitoring Service by Spaceborne Radar Technologies and Drift Modelling: From Yacht Races Around Antarctica to Offshore Oil Rig Safety in the Arctic Sea’ (Marc Lucas, CLS); ‘Ice Management Strategy to Support Greenland Exploration Operations’ (Nicolas Fournier, Shell Global Solutions NL); and ‘A Case Study: Safe and Cost Effective Metocean Survey in a Remote Location’ (Greg Bush, RPS Australia Asia Pacific).

Also on the conference scene

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Ocean science and technology lie at the very heart of OI 2014, with the conference programme picking up on each major technology strand featured in the exhibition.

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As well as the traditional areas, all relevant to the offshore oil and gas sectors – ocean observing systems, hydrography, geophysics, and site investigation; and dealing with UUV development, there are two new conference programmes this year – underwater positioning and metrology; and underwater communications.

Continued on Page 36

OceanOlOgy InternatIOnal 2014 wIll feature: n 8 newly developed conference programmes covering the latest developments for key service and industry sectors n The world’s largest exhibition featuring over 520 exhibitors, 10% larger than the previous event n A product demonstrations programme including more visiting vessels, on-water and waterside demonstrations than ever before n Networking opportunities with your international peers across every related sector

OceanOlOgy InternatIOnal 2014 shOwcases sOlutIOns fOr: n n n n n n n n n n n n

Hydrographic Survey Geophysical Survey Geotechnical Survey Subsea Engineering Services Oceanographic Measurement Ocean Forecasting Metrology Navigation and Positioning GIS Marine Environmental Survey Marine Environmental Consultancy Coastal Engineering Consultancy

Organised by:

Register to attend for free at:

www.oceanologyinternational.com

Learned Society Patron:

Offshore oil and gas in the Exhibition

Forthcoming Exhibitions

Established in 1969, Oceanology International attracts those involved with all aspects of marine science and technology from all over the globe – total attendance was 7,669 in 2012. The exhibition this year is the largest ever with the 520 exhibiting companies from over 35 countries taking an additional 10% more space than at the record-breaking 2012 event.

The exhibitor directory on the show’s website at www.oceanologyinternational.com/ExhibitorDirectory/ Categorises exhibits – with oil and gas being one of the options available.

Marine renewables; and maritime security both also come under the conference spotlight. Topical panel discussions looking at areas which are creating a growing demand for marine science and technology – aquaculture, ballast water and subsea mining are an OI 2014 introduction.

The OI 2014 Innovation Zone is another introduction to the long-running show, and held in collaboration with the Oiltech Investment Network (Oiltech).

Innovative technology providers are being invited to showcase their technology innovations to Oiltech investor members as well as to the large international community visiting OI 2014 with the aim of connecting innovative technology providers with access to funding opportunities.

A ‘Meet the Investor’ Workshop, comprising one-to-one meetings with Oiltech members, will provide guidance in terms of getting technology to market in the fastest and most effective way. The Oiltech Investment Network was established in 2010 by leading global investors in upstream oil and gas technologies to encourage the uptake of innovative products.

Between them these organisations have invested more than $1 billion in over 80 oil and gas technology companies over the past five years. The network is managed by specialist technology management consultants OTM Consulting.

Dockside demonstrations, vessels and associated events No Oceanology is complete without its display of vessels and dockside demonstrations - this year’s will be no exception with a growing list of both on the show’s website. The early list of vessels includes an oil spill response (the new Spillex area is being held as an integral part of the OI 2104 exhibition); survey vessels – both conventional and remotely controlled; and a vessel with a deployable ROV on board.

The expanding programme of associated events run by supporting organisations such as IMarEST and IMCA, and exhibitors on topics as varied as ‘Meet the Metocean Expert’, and ‘ROV training – an international perspective’ is well worth keeping an eye on – check out the list at the ‘visiting’ section of the website Oceanology International is the global forum where industry, academia and government share knowledge and connect with the marine technology and ocean science community, improving their strategies for measuring, exploiting, protecting and operating in the world’s oceans.

Oceanology International 2014 is due to be the largest event of its series, featuring: ● Over 520 international exhibitors ● 8 technical conferences and 3 new panel discussions on key topics that are set to drive demand for marine technologies ● A new Innovation Zone

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● A visiting vessels and waterside demonstration programme

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● Endless networking opportunities with peers across every offshore and subsea sector

Further information on all aspects of Oceanology International, and free online registration, is at www.oceanologyinternational.com

A-Z Directory Tel +44 (0)1493 666266

Website. www.3sungroup.co.uk

Pg 11

Allspeeds Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1254 615100

E-Mail. info@allspeeds.co.uk

Pg 25

Atlantas Marine

Tel +44 (0)1935 426000

E-Mail. info@atlantasmarine.com

Pg 45

Belleville Springs Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1527 500500

E-Mail. info@bellevillesprings.com

Pg 18

Belzona Polymerics Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1423 567641

E-Mail. msilva@belzona.com

O/B/C

Bender UK Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1229 480123

Website. www.bender-uk.com

Pg 43

Bifold Fluid Power

Tel +44 (0)1613 454777

E-Mail. gbancroft@bifold.co.uk

Pg 17

Corroless Offshore

Tel +44 (0)1224 723207

E-Mail. sales@corrolessoffshore.com

Pg 20

Corrosion Solutions Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1224 772694

E-Mail. info@corrsol.co.uk

Pg 29

Cygnus Instruments Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1305 265533

E-Mail. sales@cygnus-instruments.com

Pg 6

DNV GL Group

Tel +47 6575 9900

Website. www.dnvgl.com

Pg 9

Harkand

Tel +44 (0)1224 857711

E-Mail. info-europe@harkandgroup.com

Pg 44

Hone-All Precision Ltd

Tel +44 (0)845 5555111

Website. www.hone-all.co.uk

Pg 12

Hydro Group Plc

Tel +44 (0)1224 822996

Website. www.hydrogroupplc.com

Pg 36

Nautilus Rigging

Tel +44 (0)1224 772323

E-Mail. info@nautilusrigging.com

Pg 48

NeoNickel Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1254 582999

E-Mail. salesblackburn@neonickel.com

Pg 8

Offsnet Ltd

Tel +44 (0)203 41191841

E-Mail. tangell@offsnet.com

Pg 24

Quantitech Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1908 227722

Website. www.quantitech.co.uk

Pg 38

Reed Exhibitions

Tel +44 (0)20 87212133

Website. www.oceanologyinternational.com

Pg 45

Reliance Precision Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1484 601000

E-Mail. sales@reliance.co.uk

Pg 21

Remote Ocean Systems

Tel +44 (0)1467 681780

Website. www.rosys-uk.com

Pg 45

Rotaflow FV Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1663 735003

E-Mail. sales@rotaflow.com

Pg 22

ROVOP

Tel +44 (0)1224 472565

Website. www.rovop.com

Pg 34

Seacon (europe) Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1493 652733

E-Mail. sales@seaconeurope.com

Pg 46

Seco Tools Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1789 764341

E-Mail. uk.sales@secotools.com

O/B/C

Sherwin-Wiliams

Tel +44 (0)1204 521771

E-Mail. enquiries@sherwin.com

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Sparrows Group

Tel +44 (0)1224 704868

Website. www.sparrowsgroup.com

Pg 23

Subsea Tech & Rentals

Tel +44 (0)1493 445400

Website. www.sonar-equipment.com

Pg 39

Subsea UK

Tel +44 (0)845 5053535

Website. www.subseauk.com

Pg 26

The Underwater Centre

Tel +44 (0)1397 703786

E-Mail. fortwilliam@theunderwatercentre.com

Pg 27

Tritex NDT Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1305 257160

E-Mail. sales@tritexndt.com

Pg 30

Turner EPS Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1224 723925

E-Mail. sales@turner-eps.co.uk

Pg 2

Valeport Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1803 869292

E-Mail. sales@valeport.co.uk

Pg 45

Valley Springs Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1246 451981

Website. www.valleyspring.com

Pg 47

Vega Controls Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1444 870055

E-Mail. info.uk@vega.com

Pg 21

Zetechtics Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1653 602020

E-Mail. sales@zetechtics.com

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3Sun Group

Forthcoming Exhibitions

Pg 11

37 41

Do you need to Advertise?

The Publication Place your advert in this A4 publication, from a 1/4 page to a double page spread.

Take advantage of the free editorial which will equal the size of your advert.

A great way to showcase both your Company details and to also explain a product or a service you supply in your own words and with colourful images.

With a good circulation across the UK and distribution at the major exhibitions both here and overseas, you can expect awareness from companies in the industry looking to purchase equipment you manufacture or seek your specialised services.

The Online Version

Company Logo advertising is available on our website.

We allow for static Logo’s that can be placed in a prominent position on our Home Page.

Demonstration Videos are another option!

Have your advert display the video play sign in the on-line magazine. Readers can click on the link to activate your video.

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Take a look on our website www.sosmagazine.biz

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Contact our sales team: Robert Taylor Sales Manager 01634 867404 rob@sosmagazine.biz

Jon McIntosh Sales Manager 01634 682464 jon@sosmagazine.biz

Directional Control Valves and Valve Assemblies for Subsea Applications Bifold have been successfully designing and manufacturing valves for operation directly immersed in sea water since 1987 and have applied this experience to develop our extensive range of technically superior subsea valves, maintaining safety factors and reliable operation across the pressure range to over 15,000 psi / 1035 bar with an operating temperature range of -50°C to +140°C. With a focus on safety and reliability in subsea control, Bifold’s directional control valves maintain safety factors on pull in and drop out voltage as well as de latch pressure, throughout the pressure range, but also during long term cycling (in cycles) and long term static hold tests.

Qualification in accordance with ISO 13628-6 Endurance tested to in excess of 1 million cycles

High and low temperature storage and function testing Hyperbaric function testing to 3500m

Corrosion testing in direct seawater immersion for 90 days and 50/50 seawater internally at 60°C

Shock and Vibration testing

Contamination resistance testing on class 8 fluid over 30,000 cycles without filter

Visit us at Subsea Tieback Forum & Exhibition, San Antonio, March 4th - 6th 2014, stand No.2324

For more information Bifold, Greenside Way, Middleton Manchester, M24 1SW, UK. Tel: +44 (0)161 345 4777 Fax: +44 (0)161 345 4780 Email: marketing@bifold.co.uk

Web: www.bifold.co.uk

www.bifold.co.uk

Hone-All Precision Ltd Engineering

HONE-ALL TAKES ON TURNING CAPACITY TO MEET GROWING DEMAND With its order book double that of 12 months ago Hone-All Precision is continuing to invest in new machine tools to meet the growing demand for its machining services. This led to a requirement for additional turning capacity, so an order has been placed for a Colchester/Harrison Alpha 1550XS manual/CNC lathe from RK International Machine Tools.

The mix of work undertaken by Hone-All Precision requires versatility in its manufacturing capacity and with a 3000 mm between centre distance and a swing over the bed of 554 mm the new Alpha lathe will allow the Leighton Buzzard-based subcontractor to generate greater productivity, and make further improvements to its processes in order to meet the demands of customers across many sectors, such as oil & gas, hydraulics, automotive and motorsport, where on-time delivery is as vital as piece part cost.

Hone-All’s mix of batch sizes from one-off to medium quantities of often complex components, in a wide range of materials also suits the format of the Alpha lathe perfectly due to its ability to operate in manual or full CNC mode. “Versatility is at the heart of everything we do at Hone-All Precision, and having the capacity and ability to quickly turn jobs around for customers is a vital part of our success. When combined with the highly skilled workforce that we have and the enthusiastic approach that they bring, we are confident that business will continue to grow.”

Typical of the response that Hone-All Precision gets from its customers is this sent to Andrea Rodney from Chris O’Sullivan, Delivery Project Leader at BP: “It was extremely refreshing to walk into a supplier that cares about their customers and especially to see a solid effort made by everyone to ensure that the whole experience is positive. I was very impressed with the professionalism of yourself and it was clear, that is carried right through to the team working on the factory floor. This doesn’t happen overnight and requires a certain level of dedication and passion at each level of the organization. I left today with a very positive feeling that next critical stage of this project is now in the right hands.”

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“Our order book is double that of this time last year thanks to increasing quantities from existing contracts and a number of new customers that have recognised the benefits that Hone-All Precision can bring to their operations through our ability to completely manage the sub-contract process for them and deliver finished components on-time and to budget.

Pressure to deliver on-time is increasing and while we wait for the Alpha 1550 to arrive in March, RK International Machine Tools has arranged for a smaller machine to be supplied on loan to help with the current order situation, which is extremely helpful of them.

We will be using our attendance at MACH 2014 to promote this new machining capacity as well as the specific skills sets that we can provide to customers looking for a wide variety of machined components and the total management of their sub-contract machining, ” says Andrea Rodney, Director, Hone-All Precision.

Much of this new business has been won on the back of HoneAll Precision’s commitment to continual improvement and lean production techniques that has seen it become highly efficient and by default, a cost-effective supplier of machined components, whether it is in the specialist area of deep hole boring and honing or just general machining. To that end the new Harrison Alpha 1550XS lathe fits seamlessly into Hone-All’s production systems as it employs the same Fanuc 0i TD control system as existing lathes in the factory, so the learning curve will be minimal and will quickly add to the company’s turning capacity.

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Hone-All Precision Ltd Cherrycourt Way, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 4UH Tel: +44 (0)845 5555111 Website: www.hone-all.co.uk E-mail: andrea@hone-all.co.uk

Valley Spring is a member of the Springmaster速 Group

Consultancy, Design, Manufacture and Distribution...

Engineering

SPECIALIST PRODUCER OF MEDIUM AND LARGE DIAMETER COMPRESSION, EXPANSION AND TORSION SPRINGS.

Belleville Springs is a member of the Springmasters速 Group

Your complete solution for DISC SPRINGS AND BELLEVILLE WASHERS Pottery Lane East, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S41 9BH Tel: +44 (0)1246 451981 Fax: +44 (0)1246 454327 E-mail: sales@valleyspring.com www: http//www.valleyspring.com

Arthur Street, Lakeside, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 8JY. Tel: +44 (0)1527 500500 Fax: +44 (0)1527 517039 info@bellevillesprings.com www.bellevillesprings.com

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Seco Tools (UK) Ltd Engineering

WELL SORTED WITH SECO Supplying the energy and essential chemicals that help power the world economy is a continuing battle between nature and man-made materials.

These materials, able to withstand extremes of temperature, corrosion, pressure, abrasion etc, and equally as exotic as those found in the aerospace and power generation sectors, play a critical role in ensuring the fast, safe and uninterrupted delivery of oil and gas from the wellhead to the consumer.

At some point these materials (i.e. Inconel, Monel, 4030/4040, Duplex stainless Steels etc), have to be machined into parts and components, and it is in this area where Seco Tools, a leading supplier of complete machining solutions to the metal-cutting industry, provides innovative and technically-advanced tooling and best-in-class support – both of which are essential for the future prosperity of the sector.

In short the oil and gas industry needs tools it can trust, that are designed to perform to exacting standards, and that are delivered on time and on budget.

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All are key strengths of Seco.

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Milling

Innovation has always been a hallmark of Seco’s milling range of products and all aspects of oil and gas component manufacture are able to take advantage of our expertise in carbide grade development, coating technologies, edge geometries, cutter body design and application knowledge.

Cutters for helical interpolation, steep ramping, face milling, square shoulder, plunge milling, high speed machining and many more are available along with the expert advice needed for their successful use and application.

Turning & Threading

Seco, always at the cutting edge, is constantly improving its turning and threading cutting tool solutions.

An example of this is our Duratomic coating technology that delivers high levels of insert toughness and wear resistance in the same grade which in turn opens a wider range of machining applications to manufacturers and a greater flexibility in cutting data.

It’s a similar situation with our standard and custom-designed threading solutions – all proven to ensure superior hydraulic seals in modern oil and gas components.

Hole-making

Seco’s hole-making range has expanded rapidly and provides all the tools and technology needed for oil and gas component manufacturing. The key to this area of machining is in achieving the correct balance between the cutting edge, grade and geometry and the material being machined.

Total Systems Solutions

As well as our standard product range we have a number of other key strengths that have helped us increase market share in the oil and gas industry and achieve preferred partner status with a number of customers operating within the sector.

These include:

• Seco’s proprietary Productivity & Cost Analysis (PCA) software that enables Seco engineers to analyse and benchmark customers’ existing manufacturing processes, and identify where improvements can be made; • Seco’s new Technology Centre where the latest (advanced) CNC machine tools from Mazak, DMG Mori Seiki and GF Machining Solutions are used to trial and test new manufacturing/ machining processes for customers;

• Seco’s CET (Component Engineering Team) where turnkey and manufacturing process improvement solutions are designed and delivered to customers; • Seco’s Custom Tool facility where bespoke tooling solutions are designed and manufactured – usually following technical consultancy input provided by CET; • Seco’s global network of application engineering experts who can assist, or even be co-opted into, project teams created to solve customer-specific manufacturing challenges and problems.

For further information call: Seco Tools on 01789 764341

For small diameter holes our Feedmax range is difficult to beat, and for larger diameter holes our Crownloc® Plus and Perfomax® drills meet all demands for accuracy and performance.

Bifix®, Precifix and EPB complete the picture for reaming and boring operations.

Seco Tools (UK) Ltd Adams Way, Springfield Business Park, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 6PU Tel: +44 (0)1789 764341 Website: http://www.secotools.com/uk E-mail: uk.sales@secotools.com

VEGAFLEX THE CHOICE FOR LEVEL AND INTERFACE CONTROL Level measurement and interface applications across the offshore oil and gas industry place very high demands on any instrument installed. They face many challenges: extremes of pressure and temperature, abrasive and aggressive process media; as well as the rugged nature of the operating environment external to the process.

The VEGAFLEX 80 transmitter is increasingly selected on projects in this sector; not only because it is designed to thrive in these application and environment challenges, but also because it meets all the users requirements. Easy set up, automatic adaption to any process changes and comprehensive diagnostics ensure the asset is managed efficiently at all times.

For level measurement, selection is easy. VEGAFLEX 80 is part of the VEGA plics® system; no twin or coaxial designs are needed for standard vessel or bridle applications, removing susceptibility

to build up or viscous media. This configuration also applies to interface measurement, which, due to the variability of process, is always a difficult measurement to make. This is overcome by industry-leading sensor sensitivity - the best signal to noise ratio ensures the level or interface is tracked reliably. Not only that, but algorithms employ a unique VEGAFLEX differential signal-processing technique, which further adds to measurement reliability and accuracy. VEGAFLEX coaxial designs are normally only deployed for low reflectivity liquid gas and steam installations.

A range of designs and materials enable application specifications like process temperatures up to 450°C and pressures to 400 bar to be met. Build options include stainless steel double chamber housings, special alloy wetted parts, twin 4-20mA outputs for both level and interface, communications HART, Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus, Modbus as well as ATEX, Marine and SIL 2/3 accreditation. For a detailed brochure or demonstration contact: info.uk@vega.com or call 01444870055 and ask for sales.

“New Guided Wave Radar from VEGA – Automatically Better.”

VEGAFLEX Reliable Level and Interface Measurement: Simple to set-up VEGAFLEX 80 series offers even greater reliability for process level and interface control in the Offshore Oil and Gas industry. Automatic algorithms are continually analysing and optimising performance. With the widest application capability for level in liquid gas, steam, liquids and solids, contact VEGA to discuss your requirement.

Phone: 01444 870055 Email: info.uk@vega.com www.vega.com/uk

NeoNickel

Engineering

NeoNickel

DELIVERING SPECIALITY ALLOYS THROUGHOUT Delivering speciality alloys EUROPE throughout Europe

NeoNickel companies have been supplying a wide range of speciality alloys for more than 30 years across the UK and Europe.

We have developed the resources, skills and inventory to satisfy the industry’s demanding needs which includes value added processing and the capability to process fast track daily transactional business to major turnkey projects.

NeoNickel is dedicated to quality, which is reflected in our quality approvals. Our knowledgeable staff and our team members understand your requirements. We are dedicated to handling orders quickly, accurately and efficiently to support our goal of constantly surpassing your expectations.

NeoNickel is a leading European supplier and processor of high alloy creep, heat & corrosion resisting stainless steels, nickel alloys (including C276 & 22) and titanium alloys. Materials stocked include the leading brands ZERON 100® super duplex stainless steel, AL6XN® super austenitic steel, 253MA® heat resisting stainless steel and RA 330® heat resistant alloy. Our extensive product portfolio and conversion capability is designed to deliver quality materials for arduous applications.

NeoNickel are specialists at servicing the high performance material requirements for the Aerospace & Power Generation, Oil & Gas, Chemical Process Industries & Thermal processing markets. Available 24 hours a day, NeoNickel provide a rapid response to enquiries and despatch requirements.

Same day – next day shipments are a key part of NeoNickel daily routine.

Alloys for demanding applications NeoNickel supplies its products, which include bar, billet and forgings, sheet and

coil, plate, pipe and tube, flanges and pipe fittings, fasteners, precision ground bar, machined parts and fabricated components to customer drawings, laser cut kits and metal spinnings for a wide range of demanding applications. These include Aerospace, Power Generation, Oil and gas, Refinery and Petrochemicals, Chemical process, Pharmaceutical, Environmental, Thermal processing, Waste incineration and Motor sport.

complete range of forged, heat treated and tested machined parts. This is supported by detailed production plans including forging, heat treatment, testing, machining, Ultrasonic’s and final inspection.

Processing includes

NeoNickel operations in Europe

trade names of Rolled Alloys, Inc., ATI & Outokumpu

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Laser cutting

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Water jet

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Under Water Plasma

NeoNickel Blackburn Email: SalesBlackburn@neonickel.com

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Shear

0044 1254 582999

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Automatic Band Saws

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Metal Spinning

NeoNickel Kingswinford Email: SalesKingswinford@neonickel.com

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Machining

0044 1384 282400

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Fabricating

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Positive Material Identification

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Ferritiscope Testing &

In situ Metallography NeoNickel operates a fully integrated laboratory on site at our facility in Blackburn in the UK. With the support of qualified metallurgists, corrosion and welding engineers, we can offer material selection advice, corrosion testing, metallurgical testing and detailed metallurgical analysis for support in problem solving.

NeoNickel operates a metal conversion centre located in Sheffield. With a team of qualified metallurgists we can offer a

NeoNickel Milton Keynes Email: SalesMiltonKeynes@neonickel.com 0044 1908 275700 NeoNickel Sheffield (Conversion Centre) Email: Sheffield@neonickel.com 0044 1142 841890 NeoNickel Czech Republic Email: SalesCeska@neonickel.com 00420 581 604712 NeoNickel France Email: SalesFrance@neonickel.com 0033 4 72 47 46 46 NeoNickel Germany Email: SalesGermany@neonickel.com

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0049 211 542 0680 NeoNickel Italy Email: SalesItaly@neonickel.com 0039 0362 494 1 Web site: www.neonickel.com 1

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®Registered

S t a i n l e s s

S t e e l

W o r l d

A p r i l

2 0 1 3

www.stainless-steel-world.net

Oil & Gas

Delivering Speciality Alloys throughout Europe OIL AND GAS NeoNickel is proud to be a certified supplier of speciality metals to the Oil and Gas Industry. In addition to our proprietary grades ZERON® 100 and AL-6XN, we offer an extensive inventory of stainless steels, nickel alloys and titanium grades in a variety of product forms. NeoNickels approach sets the industry standard by offering reliable service, superior materials, and unmatched expertise. We also offer in-depth knowledge of material specifications, supply chain management, and metallurgical expertise. NeoNickel brings your project from concept to delivered product.

Alloy

Blackburn

Zeron® 100 (UNS 32760 F55)

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Zeron® 100 AFP TM

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Zeron® 100

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FG

2205 (UNS 31803 F51)

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AL-6XN ®

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Kingswinford

C276

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C22

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625

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725

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API 6A 718

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Milton Keynes

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X750

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400

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K500

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Titanium Grade 5

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Titanium Grade 2

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* Zeron® 100 AFPTM advanced forging properties for the most demanding environments! * Zeron® 100 FG fastener grade NeoNickel are exclusive representatives in Europe of both Rolled Alloys Inc and Corrosion Materials Inc

NeoNickel Unit 16 Walker Industrial Park Guide, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 2QE. Tel: +44 (0)1254 582 999 Fax: +44 (0)1254 582 666 salesblackburn@neonickel.com

NeoNickel 8 First Avenue, The Pensnett Estate, Kingswinford, DY6 7TG. Tel: +44 (0)1384 282 400 Fax: +44 (0)1384 270 800 saleskingswinford@neonickel.com

NeoNickel Number 1 Java Park Bradbourne Drive,Tilbrook Milton Keynes, MK7 8AT. Tel: +44 (0)1908 275 700 Fax: +44 (0)1908 275 701 salesmiltonkeynes@neonickel.com

Sparrows Group Engineering

£4M INVESTMENT RENEWS SPARROWS BARICON COMMITMENT TO THE TENSIONER MARKET Sparrows Baricon, the Aberdeen-based designer, manufacturer and leaser of subsea pipe and cable tensioners, has invested £4m in the development and manufacture of new products which respond to evolving demand in the sector.

“The growing demand is for touch-screen controlled, electrically powered tensioners, as distinct from the traditional hydraulically operated units,” says Alan Saynor, Business Manager with Sparrows Baricon. The new electric models incorporate industryleading Siemens control systems.

Sparrows Baricon has recently shipped its first electrically powered 10 and 15 tonne tensioners and the first of the company’s newest design, a 50 tonne 4-track tensioner, joins the Sparrows Baricon rental fleet in Q2 2014. As part of the 50 tonne tensioner programme, the company is also building a new 150 tonne line pull test bed.

By the second quarter, Sparrows Baricon will have 10 tensioners from 3 to 50 tonne in its rental fleet. By operating units in series, this gives the capability to deliver up to 86 tonne line pull at only 35 tonne squeeze per track per metre. In addition to manufacturing these units for hire with Sparrows Baricon operators, the company also manufactures tensioners and other lay-spread equipment for sale to clients.

“With these design developments and fleet additions, Sparrows Baricon has confirmed its commitment to the tensioner market.

We are working on further product developments for the sub-sea sector which we plan launch during 2014,” concludes Alan Saynor.

“The industry is calling for greater capacity and greater control – both of speed and crush-force exerted on sensitive product,” says Alan Saynor. “These new tensioners from Sparrows Baricon deliver both.”

Preparing a Sparrows Baricon tensioner for hire

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In parallel with the development of the new 10, 15 and 50 tonne tensioners, Sparrows Baricon has also introduced design enhancements to its existing 3, 5 and 36 tonne designs, and has completely refurbished its entire rental fleet.

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Sparrows Group Seton House, Murcar Industrial Estate, Denmore Road, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, AB23 8JW Tel: +44 (0)1224 704868 Web: www.sparrowsgroup.com

We’re precise about what we do . . .

CNC Turning

CNC Honing

Deep Hole Boring

Deep Hole Drilling

Hone-All Precision Limited Cherrycourt Way, Leighton Buzzard Bedfordshire LU7 4UH

www.hone-all.co.uk

CNC Gundrilling

. . . from start to perfect finish 0845 5555 111

www.bender-uk.com

BENDER UK Low Mill Business Park, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 9EE Tel: 44(0) 1229 480123 Fax: 44(0) 1229 480345