Subsea & Offshore Magazine March 2016

March 2016 Issue

Oceanology International 2016 Show Preview | Ports & Quayside Facilities Marine Equipment & Engineering | Welding & Fabrication | Hazardous Area Lifting Equipment, Deck Machinery & Winches

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Contents

edi to r s l et t er Welcome to the March issue of Subsea & Offshore Service Magazine, the journal for the Oil and Gas, Subseas, Offshore and Renewables markets.

W ithin this i s s u e INDUSTRY VIEW POINT

4

ne w s i n b r i e f

6

industry news

8

Oceanology international 2016 show preview

21

marine equipment & engineering

28

Lifting equipment, deck machinery & w i nc he s

30

p o rt & quay si d e fac i li ti e s

36

w e ld i ng & fab r i c ati o n

38

HA ZARDOUS AREA

40

PRODUCT S POTLIGHT

44

A - Z D i re c tory

51

With Oceanology International 2016 coming up this month (15-17 March, London, Excel) we preview the event and some of the exhibiting companies from (p21). Again we would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this issue.

We begin this issue with David Liddle, Business Development Executive of SUT (The Society for Underwater Technology) who gives his view on how growth in offshore oil production is expected to exceed the growth in onshore production over the next few decades (p4).

Our Ports & Quayside Facilities feature (p36) is headlined by Forth Ports Limited and their recent announcement on plans to make the largest investment in the history of the Port of Dundee.

Within the Hazardous Area feature (p40), CSA Group offers expert guidance on new ATEX directives.

Next month’s features include Pumps & Valves, Hose & Coupling Supplies, Flow Measurement, Subsea Equipment & Underwater Inspection and Hazardous Area. So if you would like to be involved in the next issue, please send through your material and images at your earliest convenience to editor@sosmagazine.biz For advertising and e-newsletter opportunities, please email Jon McIntosh for further information jon@sosmagazine.biz

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March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p3

The Oceans: Open for Business The current state of affairs in the oil industry leaves many of us wrestling with the issues of keeping the ‘business’ going. Nevertheless, one can only surmise that this will be another blip in the economic cycle and waiting around the corner is some light at the end of the tunnel. The Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) has the oil and gas industry very much at the core of its activities and it too wrestles with the same issues. However, the SUT also encompasses many other facets of underwater technology used in our oceans which are part of the much talked about ‘blue economy’ and which could provide a potential new economic frontier.

It may not seem so at the moment but the growth in offshore oil production is expected to exceed the growth in onshore production and share an equal proportion of total oil production over the next few decades. This is in part due to the technological progress that allows exploration in deep water resulting in the majority of oil and gas discoveries being made offshore in the last decade.

Shipping, which is already part of this economy, could expand by two or three times according to some in the same period.

Indeed, in the coming decades all our existing ocean industries will grow in parallel with growing population, global income and consumption (supply and demand).

We can now add to our existing portfolio a new set of emerging industries and the European Commission has highlighted five key areas: aquaculture, coastal tourism, marine biotechnology, ocean energy and sea-bed mining.

Deep sea mining presents something of a double edged sword. Just as it presents promise of a future ‘blue economy’, it also creates tension between growth and conservation of the sea. The first commercial mining operation is not scheduled to begin until 2018 when Nautilus Minerals, a Canadian company, will mine copper off the sea-bed in 1600m of water at its Solwara-1 concession off Papua New Guinea.

There is no doubt that new technologies are opening up deeper waters, none more so than in the subsea industry.

At the same time science, policy and governance of the ocean is struggling to keep pace; the fear being that ocean ecosystems will be damaged before they are properly understood.

Especially when we realise that only a very small portion (orders of magnitude less than 1%) of the deep sea has been sampled biologically.

p4 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

What is important is that the multidisciplinary SUT embraces cross disciplinary discourse and connects some of the best minds the world has to offer in all aspects of marine science, subsea engineering and policy. Hopefully such connections will allow valuable dialogue, research and new technologies to emerge that allow us to progress our knowledge of the oceans such that we can benefit from them in a sustainable manner. Along the way there is much opportunity for us all to grow our businesses together.

2016 sees the SUT celebrate 50 years of progressing knowledge in underwater technology and our major international conference (15-17 November) in London will bring together some the world’s expertise to discuss our existing ocean economy and also the emerging ‘blue economy’.

Below: David Liddle Business Development Executive, SUT.

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Tripwire Study: Two-Thirds of Energy Sector IT Professionals Lack Visibility into Cyber Attacks That Cause Physical Damage A leading global provider of advanced threat, security and compliance solutions, today announced the results of a study conducted for Tripwire by Dimensional Research on the cyber security challenges faced by organizations in the energy sector.

The study was carried out in November 2015, and respondents included over 150 IT professionals in the energy, utilities, and oil and gas industries.

Falklands Islands’ Sea Lion Project Could Yield First Oil within Next Decade, says GlobalData Analyst Despite current low oil prices, the oil and gas industry in the Falkland Islands is continuing to go from strength to strength as its first project, Premier Oil’s Sea Lion, moves closer to commercialization, according to an analyst with research and consulting firm GlobalData.

Adrian Lara, GlobalData’s Senior Upstream Analyst covering the Americas, says that governmental changes in Argentina add to the favourable conditions supporting the Falkland Islands’ industry’s advance towards its first oil.

While only 15% of the total available blocks in the Falkland Islands have been awarded, farming into existing licenses has been the primary strategy for participation in the basin.

With an extensive list of prospects identified in licensed blocks, farm-ins will continue to be the main entry tactic for new companies.

The analyst adds that the current landscape supports maturing existing prospects rather than developing new opportunities, with Sea Lion the most successful discovery in the region maturing towards commercial viability to date.

The analyst concludes that while development in the Falklands will not carry the publicity of the recent Liza discovery in Guyana by ExxonMobil, the sector is moving forward at a steady pace and first oil is expected at Sea Lion within the decade.

p6 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

According to Tripwire’s study, 82% of the respondents said a cyber attack on the operational technology (OT) in their organization could cause physical damage.

However, when asked if their organization has the ability to accurately track all the threats targeting their OT networks, 65% replied, “no.”

Additional findings from the study include: More than three out of four respondents (76%) believe their organizations are targets for cyber attacks that could cause physical damage.

78% of respondents said their organizations are potential targets for nation state cyber attacks.

100% of energy executive respondents believe a kinetic cyber attack on operational technology would cause physical damage.

“The incredibly high percentages of these responses underscores the need for these industries to take material steps to improve cyber security,” said Tim Erlin, Director of IT security and risk strategy for Tripwire.

“These threats are not going away.

They are getting worse.”

JDR scoops two gongs at Subsea UK Awards JDR, a leading supplier of subsea umbilicals and power cables to the global offshore energy industry, is celebrating after winning the Global Exports and Young Emerging Talent categories at the Subsea UK Awards.

The awards ceremony, hailed as the most prestigious in the subsea sector, took place at the AECC in Aberdeen. Attended by over 600 industry professionals, the highly coveted awards highlight the achievements of individuals and companies throughout the subsea industry, and bring together peers in mutual celebration of the UK’s leading position on the global stage JDR took home the Global Exports Award for its successful global exports strategy and its adaptability to foreign markets, and the Young Emerging Talent Award, which recognises an individual under the age of 35 who has significantly contributed to the development of the subsea sector.

Robert Weeks, Lead Engineer at JDR, was presented with the award for his contribution to the development of subsea umbilical design calculation tools.

Weeks says: “It’s an absolute privilege to be recognised by my peers in the industry.

At JDR, I have the fortune of working alongside a number of very talented individuals who, in sharing their experience, have enabled me to develop my own skills and expertise, and make a real contribution to the industry.”

David Currie, CEO at JDR, adds: “These awards are a fantastic recognition for the whole JDR team. Over the past year, we have continued to secure and deliver a large number of overseas projects, which we can only achieve with the hard work and dedication of our employees.

Special thanks also go to Robert and all of our young engineers who continue to help JDR position for future growth.”

New Assessor Courses from MBA COMPETENCE Assurance Specialists, Maggie Braid Associates (MBA), have added to their portfolio of training recently, introducing two new courses specifically aimed at qualified Assessors and Verifiers.

“BREAKING GROUND” IN THE OIL & GAS INDUSTRY WITH INVESTMENT OF NEW £4 MILLION NDT FACILITY With the oil prices at a record low and so many companies within the industry battling to keep their doors open, global leader in non-destructive testing, Sonomatic, is doing everything it takes to turn a negative today into a positive tomorrow. With high hopes, Sonomatic now believes the time is right to invest in building a brand new multi-disciplined facility that will allow the company to cover the entire range of NDT Inspections. Scottish Minister for Business and Energy, Fergus Ewing attended the “Breaking Ground” event of The Core, the new state of the art facility, along with Sonomatic UK Business Development Manager and RAIS (Rope Access Inspection Services) Division Manager, Tracy Anderson.

Sonomatic’s direct investment envisaged at this stage is to be in excess of £4 million, including the land, building and fit-out costs. In terms of employment, provided by the overall investment, Sonomatic will first of all maintain 50 jobs within the construction industry to build our new base.

Thereafter, in the short term we are likely to create around 15 full time jobs, with a long term view of creating anything from 20 to 70 full time jobs, depending on the success of our initiatives and successful bids via our Rope Access Division.

Sonomatic’s new facility will create a centre of excellence for all NDT, NII and Advanced NDT requirements and will pull together the highly specialised technicians and engineers from the existing Sonomatic specialised services division.

However, the vision does not stop at NDT. The company’s RAIS division has listened to its clients and has ensured there is room to extend its facilities and services to cover the addition of a paint shop and possible other offerings.

Sonomatic aims to show their current and prospective clients they are a willing partner to help with all of their needs and requirements.

The MBA SQA 9Di Assessor Refresher Course is a half day course and is aimed at all qualified Assessors, including those who may not have been very actively involved in assessing for some time. It will bring all Assessors up to date with current best assessment practice and serves as an excellent CPD opportunity.

The MBA SQA 9DI & L&D11 Standardisation Course is also a half day course, again aimed at all qualified Assessors along with qualified Verifiers as well. The course will cover current best Quality Assurance practice including standardization activities, interim and summative quality assurance and current QA principles.

These new courses are as a result of the recent changes in the oil and gas industry where perhaps the need for competence assurance and employing best practices is now of heightened importance.

Streamlining staff and cutting costs should not mean higher risk or lower standards, a sentiment that was summed up recently by David Doig, Group Chief Executive for OPITO who commented: “Hazards and risk remain the same regardless of the oil price and a lower BOE must not mean that they are managed differently…….. If we take a cynical view that maintenance activities will be reduced then the need to ensure the workforce is trained and competent becomes even greater.”

MBA’s Refresher and Standardisation courses have been designed to strengthen the industry by offering trained Assessors and Verifiers the chance to perform at their best with some upto-date training.

NEPTUNE AWARDED KITAN DISCONNECTION CONTRACT Neptune is pleased to announce it has been awarded an air diving services contract by Technip Oceania Pty Ltd (“Technip”) for the Kitan disconnection project.

The project is offshore and includes the provision of air diving services to assist with the disconnection and abandonment of risers, mooring chains and the umbilical from the Glas Dowr FPSO in the Joint Development Petroleum Area (JDPA).

Neptune will perform the services from the Crest Hydra DP2 Dive Support Vessel (DSV).Neptune Chief Executive Officer, Robin King, said “this is the second diving contract awarded to Neptune by Technip in recent months and we are pleased to continue to support Technip in the execution of their projects.”

Subsea Expo Draws Record Attendance as the industry gets fit for $30 oil Almost 7,000 visits were made to Europe’s largest subsea event, Subsea Expo, held in Aberdeen this week, despite the industry facing its toughest year ever.

The exhibition and conference, organised by Subsea UK, attracted just under 5,000 individual delegates, many of whom visited more than once over the three days. International delegates flew in from all corners of the world, including Africa, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria and the US. Chief Executive of Subsea UK, Neil Gordon, said: “A clear message from the show was that we have to get fit for $30 oil. We cannot keep hoping that the price, and therefore investment and activity, will pick up in a year or so. Transforming the way we work is crucial.

A large dose of vision and courage from the leaders in our industry is needed to achieve the behavioural changes that will ensure we are profitable and sustainable at $30. The good news is that we can do this but it’s not going to be easy. Much greater collaboration will drive standardisation and simplification which are key to getting the cost base down. The subsea sector is up for the challenge and there was real evidence of this type of collaboration in action during Subsea Expo.”

Graham Bennett, DNV GL – Oil & Gas, Vice President, Region UK & West Africa, who exhibited at the show said: “Subsea Expo has always been a key event in the industry calendar and it was hugely beneficial to be exhibiting again. Despite the tough times ahead, delegates showed a real determination and drive to find new and improved ways of working. To ride out the crisis, collaboration should be seen as more than just the latest buzzword, it really is the call to action to bring down costs and ultimately improve quality and safety for the future survival of the sector.”

The show, which is in its eleventh year, hosted several first-time exhibitors this year.

They included ABB, AISUS Offshore, EC-OG, Iqarus and CENSIS.

p8 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

Stuart Lawson, Managing Director of AISUS Offshore said: “This highly focused event has generated huge interest in our inspection technology. It’s been a great opportunity to engage with the industry to look at ways in which we can work together to satisfy the rigorous demands of the oil and gas sector in the current climate. The atmosphere was encouragingly upbeat, it was clear that there is a real determination to ride out the current crisis by focusing on delivering cost effective solutions which will bring real value to the industry.”

Mark Begbie, Business Development Director at CENSIS, said: “This was a great event which opened up new opportunities for CENSIS, helping us to make valuable connections with a number of innovative companies.”

Tim Mitchell, CEO of Iqarus said: “Participating in Subsea Expo has been hugely beneficial to us; we’ve been able to meet with international delegates and showcase our new brand proposition. It’s shown that despite the low oil price, there is still plenty of engagement in the industry. The show provided an excellent opportunity to announce our acquisition strategy and our new environmental sciences capability.”

A number of companies launched technology at the show. Xodus unveiled its new asset lifecycle screening tool HAWXEYE at the event.

Graeme Rogerson, Operations Director at Xodus

Group said: “Subsea Expo has been the ideal venue to not only showcase our new HAWXEYE technology but also demonstrate and discuss our agile way of working in this cost constrained climate. The mood at the show has been buoyant and very much focussed on the need to look at new ways of working to adapt to this ‘new norm’.”

The conference programme was packed with high profile industry speakers delivering leadership messages on the themes of transformation, maximising global opportunities, key projects around the world, standardisation and technology R&D. The technical sessions and technology spotlight boasted a host of insightful sessions on integrity management, pipelines, ROV inspection and field development.

Ernie Lamza, Oil & Gas Innovation Centre Chief Operating Officer, said: “The quality of technical discussion at Subsea Expo has been exceptionally high this year. The subsea sector is clearly focussed on the strategic challenges facing exploration and production in the North Sea and internationally. Key themes at this year’s Subsea Expo have included cost reduction through technology and process enhancements, opportunities for standardisation and small pool development. Everyone we have spoken to has been interested in taking research and development projects forward within the subsea industry and there is clearly an appetite for innovation from businesses and operating companies.”

Industry news

OilMac Secures $20million Exclusive Stock Reduction Deal Aberdeenshire based Oilfield Machinery Ltd (OilMac) wins major exclusive stock reduction deal with a leading international drilling contractor, to hold and supply predominantly unused, equipment with a sales value in excess of $20millionUSD. The stock reduction program will see OilMac retrieve 200 – 300 major items of high-quality surplus equipment, including high pressure testing equipment, BOPs, connectors and winches, held by drill rigs, with plans to repeat the process on further assets by the end of 2016.

Alex Fyfe, Managing Director at OilMac said: “Current market opportunities and this latest major win sees OilMac stock increase five fold, helping position us as the go to low cost supplier of predominantly unused and new equipment direct to drillers and operators worldwide.”

This significant deal underpins the firm’s dedication to redefining the process for the reallocation and direct supply of equipment, and making it available to the international market usually at less than half of the original cost and zero lead time.

Mr Fyfe continued: “Our commitment to safety, service and quality equipment is demonstrated by our ability to provide independent inspection and recertification, as well as global sea and air freight experience with our established engineering based approach, ensuring OilMac equipment can be provided off the shelf, with documentation and at greatly reduced prices.

“By providing a single point of contact, taking full responsibility for document control, removal, storage and re-sale of any equipment purchased and with all stock originally sourced from the major OEMs, OilMac is leading the reallocation and direct supply in the unused equipment market, making the process of dealing with redundant stock as effortless as possible.”

Below: Eric Poole, Sales Manager, Alex Fyfe Managing Director, Gordon May Business Development Manager.

OilMac enjoyed a successful 2015 and the win allows OilMac to increase its team to six, including the recruitment of Eric Poole as sales manager, with plans to create a further six jobs in Scotland in the next 12 months.

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19/02/2016 11:43 March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p9

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Industry news

NOW OR NEVER - LEADING ENGINEERING CONSULTANCY URGES NORTH SEA OIL COMPANIES TO INNOVATE Iain Hutchison, Managing Director of engineering consultancy Merlin ERD, believes much of the cost crisis in the North Sea can be solved if the Government encourages oil companies to look ‘outside the box’ and apply innovative solutions from overseas.

Merlin ERD Ltd, a Scottish based market leader, says it has the key to unlock cost reductions which will protect jobs and make North Sea oil more competitive. Merlin designs and drills the longest wells in the world. These state of the art technologies and latest innovations, some borrowed from the aerospace industry, have allowed oil to be produced from reservoirs previously deemed uneconomic.

Over the past 7 years our company has developed innovative Extended Reach Drilling technologies which have enabled oil companies to extract oil from places previously thought impossible to reach.

This solution has been deployed on a global scale and could provide a vital lifeline for the North Sea wells.

Extended Reach Drilling can lower drilling costs, extend field life and increase ultimate recovery of our hydrocarbon reserves. Our technology can exploit reservoirs at 12km and beyond from the wellhead position, often without prohibitively expensive subsea equipment.

Iain Hutchison, Managing Director, Merlin ERD. He added: “Clever engineering allows existing infrastructure (platforms) to tap stranded reserves on the periphery of their reserves. In true “can-do” approach, our engineers have repeatedly impressed me with their ingenuity at reducing drilling risk, time and cost to exploit hydrocarbon reserves.

I’ve lost count of the number of supposedly impossible wells that we have delivered.”

p10 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

The award winning engineer follows a rich heritage of Scottish engineers and entrepreneurs who would not take no for an answer. “We relish the difficult and view the impossible as merely an opportunity awaiting a solution. Merlin ERD provides those solutions.”

Iain goes on to say: “At the moment we stand on a dangerous precipice – politicians are debating while Rome - or should I say in this case Aberdeen - burns. If we lose the fantastic infrastructure that has been built over the past decades it will be lost for a generation and it will be impossible to make up the lost ground.

In a report to Scottish Government, it was estimated the value to the UK of exploiting difficult-to-reach oil could range from $250Bn to $1.2 Trillion. If platforms become redundant and offline, a fortune in untapped fuel will be lost. Billions of barrels of oil could be left in the ground. Even before chasing new fields where the payback is much longer, there is a huge opportunity to fully capitalise upon the untapped reserves adjacent to the existing infrastructure. We have only seen the tip of the iceberg in job losses with the inevitable reduction in tax income on which our local services rely.”

Last year Malcolm Webb, CEO of Oil and Gas UK said UKCS (UK Continental Shelf) exploration was in a “parlous state” and said “we are just not drilling enough wells in UK offshore waters and those that we are drilling are not finding enough oil and gas.

This worrying trend has been growing for some time.”

Iain, who has represented UK government interests overseas commented: “I couldn’t agree more and urge Amber Rudd to take timely action to ensure years of intense investment in the North Sea is not lost forever. Long distance drilling is carried out across the world and the North Sea must capitalise on proven technology.

The Germans are beating us in their world class wells and innovators in the Norwegian, Dutch and Danish sectors of the North Sea have the technical advantage. We have British engineering leading the world with highly technical solutions in well bore stability and hole cleaning.

Success breeds success as drill crews gain confidence and the vital skills to take on another extended reach in the same well.

A simple, tried and tested solution.”

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ABB to improve uptime and reduce maintenance costs for unmanned oil platforms Integrated electrical and communication solutions to increase productivity at seven unmanned oil platforms off the UAE coast

ABB will provide electrical equipment, power management and telecommunication systems to ensure the highest levels of efficiency, reliability and safety for the project.

ABB has won orders from National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) for the delivery of electrical and telecommunication systems to the Al Nasr Full field Development Project in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. The orders are worth around $18 million and they were booked in the fourth quarter of 2015.

“Tight power and automation integration is a key element of ABB’s Next Level strategy to ensure safe, reliable and efficient operations for our customers,” said Peter Terwiesch, President of ABB’s Process Automation Division.

“These continuing orders affirm the strength of our long standing relationship with Hyundai Heavy Industries and NPCC for this project.”

The solutions from ABB will enable NPCC to fulfill its obligations to Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Co. (ADMA-OPCO), which includes safe operation of seven wellhead towers located approximately 130km northwest of Abu Dhabi City. Coupled with last year’s orders for the project, ABB will deliver a seamless electrical distribution system, including power from shore, covering the complete Al Nasr oil field. The new orders bring the total order volume for ABB on the project to more than $120 million.

Maintaining continuous energy supply and ensuring process uptime are critical in the oil and gas sector. ABB’s power management system will use ABB’s market-leading control System 800xA, which seamlessly integrates all components of the vast electrical system, enabling remote operators to control the network safely and efficiently. An intelligent asset management system for predictive maintenance will further reduce operating costs and extend

service life as it reduces the risk of failures and/or unexpected shutdowns.

ABB will supply 11 kV and 6.6 kV air insulated and low voltage switchgear that continually provide data to verify and ensure a high level of safety, availability and reliability. ABB is also providing a fully integrated telecommunication system to the super complex for internal and external communication and field security.

Key products are computer networks, electronic personnel tracking, camera system, radar, public address and general alarm systems, access control, telephone system, radios and a transmission system between platforms. Delivery is scheduled for the second half of 2016.

ABB has supported the Al Nasr Full Field Development Project from the concept stage, through front-end engineering and design and now the construction phase. The scope of supply includes design, engineering, supply, and supervision of installation and commissioning.

March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p11

Industry news

Young subsea engineers inspired to design underwater robots with support from subsea industry Subsea UK to sponsor MATE ROV competition for second year Subsea UK announced at Subsea Expo, that it will sponsor an initiative which inspires budding subsea engineers for a second year.

The body which represents the £9billion subsea industry has now committed £20,000 to the Scottish MATE ROV competition. The initiative, organised by the Robert Gordon University, encourages young engineers to design and test underwater machinery with help from industry mentors.

Subsea UK joins BP, which has supported the competition since its first year, as headline sponsors, with ROVOP and The Underwater Centre in Fort William providing additional support.

The major STEM initiative aims to inspire future engineers through hands on experience of designing remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) used underwater in the oil and gas, defence, oceanology and marine renewables industries.

Last year’s competition was won by a team from Peterhead Academy who, along with runners up from Mackie Academy, who displayed their winning remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to thousands of delegates at the Subsea Expo 2016 exhibition and conference earlier last month.

Blair Paton, Principal Teacher, Faculty of Technologies, at Mackie Academy, said: “The value of extra curricular work, particularly in engineering, should not be underestimated. The MATE ROV project allows students the opportunity to take the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom, and apply them to a real life problem, giving a real insight into the world of subsea engineering and technology. The pupils have also benefited from the opportunity to present their design to subsea engineers at Subsea Expo.”

Subsea UK Chief Executive, Neil Gordon, added: “With all the recent bad news about

p12 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

Above: Erin Kindness of Mintlaw Academy.

Right: Stephanie Buchan, Joanne McDonald and Erin Kindness of Mintlaw Academy.

the oil and gas industry, it is more important than ever to continue to inspire young people about our sector.

Initiatives like MATE ROV are dynamic and practical ways of attracting young people into engineering and the exciting world under the sea.

“We were blown away by the creativity and ingenuity of all of last year’s participants, and in particular the teams from Peterhead and Mackie Academy, who have been impressing some veteran engineers with their approaches to designing ROVs at the exhibition.”

The annual event, which is co-ordinated by the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Centre in California in partnership with Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University (RGU), involves teams made up of pupils from schools across Scotland.

RGU Engineering Lecturer and Competition Co-ordinator, Graeme Dunbar, said: “We are delighted that Subsea UK is continuing its support of the competition again this year. Without Subsea UK, BP and our other sponsors, we would not be able to run the initiative, meaning many young people across Scotland would miss

out on a unique opportunity to see what engineering is all about.”

Tim Smith, Vice President Communications & External Affairs for BP North Sea, added: “The ROV design competition has become a real highlight in the engineering calendar and BP is delighted to once again support RGU with this excellent initiative. The MATE ROV challenge offers pupils a fantastic opportunity to find out more about the oil and gas industry and supports BP’s strategy to develop capability and talent in the STEM subjects.”

MATE’s international student underwater robotics (remotely operated vehicle or ROV) competition consists of an international event and a network of 28 regional contests that take place across the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Scotland, Egypt, Russia, and Turkey. The competition consists of four different classes that vary depending on the sophistication of the ROVs and the mission requirements.

Industry news

CGG Conducts Multi-Client Airborne Gravity and Magnetic Survey Offshore Mexico CGG has announced that it will commence a multi-client airborne gravity and magnetic survey offshore Mexico. The Comisión Nacional de Hidrocarburos (CNH) has authorized the program, which will include the acquisition of approximately 200,000 line kilometers over six areas across the Mexican Gulf of Mexico.

Data acquisition will commence in March 2016 and is anticipated to take twelve months utilizing specialized geophysical survey aircraft. The project has received significant prefunding from the oil industry.

CGG believes that the Mexican Gulf of Mexico has significant new petroleum potential, both in the shallow and deepwater areas and that CGG’s ability to image complex geological environments will help unlock that potential. The survey will provide coverage over the most prospective areas from the prolific Perdido fold belt with AOI 1, to the more mature near-shore heavy oil belt with AOI 6. The data will help explorers map crystalline basement and magnetic and density anomalies within the sedimentary section. The airborne survey will also collect continuous data through the “transition zone” from the marine environment to onshore.

A comprehensive interpretation, combining this new data set with available geologic and geophysical data, will also be

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undertaken by CGG’s in-house interpretation team.

Deliverables will include a full geophysical interpretation report, including definition of basement lithology and structure, mapping of sediment fairways and depositional-centers and any intrusives or salt which may be present in the sedimentary section. The final results will be presented in ArcGIS® format for assimilation into the clients’ own seismic, geological and well control databases.

These survey deliverables will provide important insights to exploration and de-risking of prospective areas by oil companies.

Above: Location of areas covered by CGG’s multi-client airborne gravity and magnetic survey offshore Mexico.

This airborne gravity and magnetic survey offshore Mexico will be a significant addition to our existing gravity & magnetic database in the Gulf of Mexico where we have over 1,000,000 line kilometers of multi-client data.

Combined with our other seismic, geologic and satellite multi-client data in Mexico, this new airborne survey will provide a unique geoscience-rich library to support the successful exploration and economic development of this high-potential area for many years to come.

Jean-Georges Malcor, CEO, CGG.

March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p13

Industry news

Robust results for Atlas Knowledge Group Product development, global growth and diversification deliver for leader in learning technology Atlas Knowledge Group has reported robust financial results for 2014/15, with continued growth and further international expansion set to continue.

The leading provider of learning, compliance and competency solutions to safety critical industries around the world has seen a rise in both turnover and profits for the financial year ending 30 September 2015.

Turnover at the company has risen by 1.2% to £7.1 million while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) surged by 62% to £1.7 million.

Atlas Knowledge Group has started the new financial year with £42million of contracted revenue, which will be delivered over the next three to eight years, including four major international multi-year contract wins in 2014/15 worth £18 million.

In addition, with a strong sales pipeline of opportunities in excess of £22.6 million for 2015/16 and beyond, Atlas has extended its reach into more than 110 countries worldwide.

Atlas’ growth strategy has seen it move into new, adjacent and diversified safety critical industries around the globe, more than doubling its client base to over 1,600 companies. Its technology led, digital learning solutions are now available to a potential culturally diverse workforce of over 6.4 million people worldwide.

“These are outstanding results in the current climate. Our resilient performance, in the face of considerable market disruption and the lowest oil price for more than a decade, has been driven by a strengthened business model.

This has seen investment in new product lines and technologies, improved operational performance and a successful diversification strategy which has taken the company beyond its traditional upstream oil and gas market.

We have established pathways into more than 700 new customers, reducing our reliance on the UK Continental Shelf and oil and gas, and a much wider range of products and service options than ever before.

The fall in oil price and reduced North Sea workforce did impact on domestic business lines with a 21% reduction in revenues from one of our key service lines.

However, our drive towards new sectors and regions has paid off with international sales now accounting for 44% of our revenues.”

Robert Morgan, Chairman.

Atlas also continued to invest in its people and products throughout the year, ploughing 30% of EBITDA into the evolution of its content library and digital delivery formats.

In total, Atlas launched five new products and 16 new service options across 2014/15, including its Competence Assurance

Left: Atlas.

Right: Chairman Robert Morgan.

p14 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

Management System (CAMS) and a worker passport model which allows individuals to take control of their own skills and competence development, manage their training records and increase portability between employers and job markets.

In line with a significant rise in the number of products and services which are accessed via tablets - up from 4.2% in 2013/14 to 24% last year. Atlas continued to invest in the development of multi platform capabilities and on-demand services.

Mr Morgan added: “Our increased product lines and diversified customer base means that one of our courses or services is now being accessed somewhere in the world every minute of every day. The development and roll-out of new products and technology platforms has allowed us to exceed customers’ expectations in addressing their learning requirements, wherever they are in the world, with easy to access solutions which ensure compliance and competence.

“In addition to a growing requirement for evidence based technical qualifications we are seeing a continued appetite in the marketplace for smart, innovative and intuitive technologies fit for modern working in today’s business environment.”

Industry news

Flexitallic support growth of family owned business Flexitallic, the global leader in static sealing solutions, is supporting the development of a family run business based in Warwickshire, after it reached a distribution agreement that will allow the company to significantly expand its offering to industry.

SJG International, which manufactures rubber extrusions, gaskets and foam conversions for a number of markets including chemical and utilities, will also have access to Flexitallic’s full range of sealing solutions, including Thermiculite® Spiral Wound Gaskets and the innovative ChangeTM Gasket.

Flexitallic has provided SJG International with an in-depth training course at its Cleckheaton headquarters, which will give SJG’s employees a comprehensive understanding of the products it will be distributing on behalf of Flexitallic.

For more than 100 years Flexitallic has been at the forefront of the gasket and sealing industry. The inventor of the spiral

would gasket in 1912, the company has continually innovated to create products that can operate in harsh industrial conditions meeting and exceeding the increasing demands of modern industry.

In addition to directly supplying customers in the oil and gas, chemical, nuclear, power generation and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Flexitallic operates a network of distributors across the UK and around the world.

Sam Bradley, UK Sales Manager, at Flexitallic, said: “SJG International is an ambitious company; this partnership will enable it to provide a more comprehensive

catalogue of products to clients, and will ensure it has the capabilities to meet the changing demands of the industries it operates in.

“We carefully choose our approved distributors, and after meeting with the company, we’re confident it will promote our products and represent Flexitallic with high levels of customer service, professionalism and technical knowledge.” Robert James, Director at SJG International, said: “Flexitallic’s products are commonly regarded as the best in industry; we’re relishing the opportunity to share these products with companies across the Midlands and expanding our client base as a result.”

Tel: +44

(0) 1730 895785 sales@ceep.co.uk www.ceep.co.uk

March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p15

Industry news

Deep Trekker DTG2 Tackles Underwater Munitions Response Project Hidden below the surface of the ocean’s waters are numerous unknowns ranging from unidentified species to missing shipwrecks.

Among these unknowns are munitions dropped into the ocean around the globe during decades of military training and conflict.

Today, the locations and state of these munitions is of ever increasing concern due to the potential hazards they pose to surrounding ecosystems and people that may come in contact with them. Companies like CH2M, an organization dedicated to finding solutions to complex problems, are helping the military find underwater munitions and develop solutions to the hazards they may pose.

When possible, CH2M is utilizing Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), such as the Deep Trekker mini ROV, to provide critical information on the location and condition of underwater munitions and their surroundings through the lens of a camera instead of risking the safety of divers.

CH2M Company Background CH2M is a global engineering company providing consultancy, design, construction, operations, munitions response, and other infrastructure services for cities, private companies, communities, and local and federal governments, including the Department of Defense.

With over 25,000 employees, CH2M can be found all around the world tackling complex issues such as the cleanup of River Thames in London, developing water treatment technologies in Northern Virginia, and tapping remote gas fields in Abu Dhabi.

that highlight integration of creative solutions.

The first is tracking the movement of munitions surrogates that were placed in known locations on the sea floor to help predict how actual munitions move, where they may end up on shore, and how they become buried/ exposed. The second is evaluating sensitive and endangered underwater species and habitats to ensure that they can be protected while conducting munitions related investigations and clean up. Lastly, the project consists of inspecting the structure and integrity of marine barricades and buoys that deter the general public from conducting recreational activities in areas where underwater munitions may be located.

Their creative solution for this task comes in the form of a Deep Trekker ROV. Deep Trekker ROVs are completely portable and affordable, yet robust underwater inspection devices.

Deep Trekker is a Canadian company based in Ontario committed to providing quality products and exceptional customer support. With the help of Deep Trekker’s DTG2 ROV, CH2M has been able to conduct much of the work described above that was traditionally performed by divers, thereby avoiding the inherent dangers associated with diving in general and the additional dangers associated with diving around unexploded munitions.

The Project One such project CH2M has taken on is a munitions response operation in the United States for which a creative solution is necessary.

Two of the biggest challenges that the company has faced by taking on this project have been the issue of safety for the workers, as well as the designing of ways to protect the marine environment from the impacts that a job like this can have.

“Diving is an inherently dangerous activity.

Where we can find alternatives to diving that still allow us to achieve our project objectives, we do” stated Lora Pride from CH2M. Since the company’s entire purpose focuses on tackling difficult challenges, it is not surprising that ensuring safety is a high priority for CH2M. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Handbook on the Management of Munitions Response Actions munitions survey work has traditionally required the use of divers swimming in search patterns and marking any anomalies located. It explains that this method creates safety risks that are not encountered when similar work is being done on land due to the fact that blast impacts carry further underwater than they do on land for an equivalent amount of net explosive weight.

It states that ‘the average safe distance from an underwater detonation can be over five times that of a land detonation.’

Among the many elements and tasks associated with the munitions response, there are several

Despite being a difficult feat, the team at CH2M understands the importance of a task like this

p16 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

and with the help of the Deep Trekker ROV, they have been able to significantly reduce the safety risks associated with how they go about their operations while simultaneously saving the client time and money. Due to the logistics and costs associated with using divers for jobs such as those described above, Pride explains that they estimated the Deep Trekker ROV paid for itself within the first several weeks of use.

Not only have they improved project safety with the use of the Deep Trekker ROV by no longer needing to send in divers for certain tasks, but they have found that having the ability to film the surrounding ecosystems and underwater structures has its advantages as well.

Currently the team at CH2M is looking into other opportunities and applications for their Deep Trekker ROV, stating the fact that the unit is battery powered is a “big plus” for them.

The combination of Deep Trekker’s small size and batteries allow the team to use it off the side of the small project boats without having to worry about lugging around a topside power generator or additional components.

The battery life of the ROV is between 6 – 8 hours, providing ample time for the team to complete their work. The recharge time of 3 hours is well worth the portability and ease of deployment.

While the project is currently still underway, the team at CH2M has seen success in terms of their project goals. Combining the Deep Trekker mini-ROV with the creative thinking and diverse specialties that their employees offer has created the perfect team to tackle this otherwise complex job. Pride explains that as they continue to tackle this issue, they will utilize the ROV anywhere they can and brainstorm new ways in which the unit can be applied.

Industry news

Oil & gas companies’ roundtable talks with national leaders Under pressure, oil & gas businesses in the East of England took seats at roundtable talks with national industry leaders earlier this month.

Companies that have had to lay off staff, cut salaries and urgently look for new opportunities in tough times offshore were invited to the table for frank talks with North Sea operators and leaders from the industry regulators Senior Executives of companies feeling the full effects of the downturn of the oil & gas industry and fighting to keep people in the East of England in work sat opposite the Chief Executives of the Oil & Gas Authority (OGA) and Oil & Gas UK and key southern North Sea operators, including Perenco, Faroe, Shell, Centrica.

Waveney MP Peter Aldous, who is campaigning for urgent support for the troubled industry on behalf of the many employers in his constituency and the neighbouring constituency of Great Yarmouth MP Brandon Lewis, joined the talks with Andy Samuel, CEO of the OGA, and Deirdre Michie, Chief Executive of Oil & Gas UK.

We are a member organisation representing companies across the industry and finding new opportunities for them.

Members needed a forum to speak frankly about their businesses and the future with operators and industry leaders.

We found a way to facilitate this with our SNS2016 conference.

Some of our members are really feeling the pressure from the down turn. We believed that a round table and open honest discussions away from the main conference was a constructive approach, which was welcomed by the operators and our visitors.

Simon Gray, Chief Executive, EEEGR.

In Norfolk and Suffolk between April and November last year, 26 companies went into administration and more than 1000 people lost their jobs with predictions that more people are likely to be affected with reduced hours and unpaid leave as the current conditions continue to be challenging, with projects being pushed back.

Last month, the East of England was disappointed to be overlooked in UK and Scottish governments signed a £250m city deal for Aberdeen and the surrounding area, which includes plans for innovation in the oil and gas industry.to help the oil & gas industry announced by David Cameron focused heavily on Scotland.

At the time, Mr Gray said the downturn was seen as very much an oil issue and not a gas issue - which is at the heart of the Southern North Sea industry.

Left: The East of England Energy Group (EEEGR) setting up roundtable talks for their members with national industry leaders discussing frankly about the state of the troubled offshore oil & gas industry, including Deirdre Michie, Chief Executive of Oil & Gas UK, pictured here with EEEGR Chief Executive Simon Gray on a visit to the region last month.

EEEGR Chief Executive Simon Gray chaired the talks.

NOW OR NEVER - LEADING ENGINEERING CONSULTANCY URGES NORTH SEA OIL COMPANIES TO INNOVATE Iain Hutchison, Managing Director of engineering consultancy Merlin ERD, believes much of the cost crisis in the North Sea can be solved if the Government encourages oil companies to look ‘outside the box’ and apply innovative solutions from overseas.

Merlin ERD Ltd, a Scottish based market leader, says it has the key to unlock cost reductions which will protect jobs and make North Sea oil more competitive. Merlin designs and drills the longest wells in the world. These state of the art technologies and latest innovations, some borrowed from the aerospace industry, have allowed oil to be produced from reservoirs previously deemed uneconomic.

Iain said: “Over the past 7 years our company has developed innovative Extended Reach Drilling technologies which have enabled oil companies to extract oil from places previously thought impossible to reach. This solution has been deployed on a global scale and could provide a vital lifeline for the North Sea wells.

Extended Reach Drilling can lower drilling costs, extend field life and increase ultimate recovery of our hydrocarbon reserves. Our technology can exploit reservoirs at 12km and beyond from the wellhead position, often without prohibitively expensive subsea equipment.”

He added: “Clever engineering allows existing infrastructure (platforms) to tap stranded reserves on the periphery of their reserves.

In true ‘can do’ approach, our engineers have repeatedly impressed me with their ingenuity at reducing drilling risk, time and cost to exploit hydrocarbon reserves. I’ve lost count of the number of supposedly impossible wells that we have delivered.”

The award winning engineer follows a rich heritage of Scottish engineers and entrepreneurs who would not take no for an answer. “We relish the difficult and view the impossible as merely an opportunity awaiting a solution. Merlin ERD provides those solutions.”

March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p17

Industry news

OFFSHORE OPPORTUNITIES IN A LOW CRUDE OIL PRICE ENVIRONMENT Global Marine Systems Limited, the world leader in subsea system design, installation and maintenance, has completed operations and has installed approximately 380km of OCC SC500 fibre optic cable between the Japanese island of Okinawa and an existing branching unit (BU) in the Asia Submarine cable Express (ASE) system.

This extension of the 7,200km intra-Asia cable system, which was completed in 2012, connects Japan to the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

“As an experienced operator in the Asia region, we are ideally placed to offer rapid response to short project deadlines,” states Andy Lloyd, Director, Installation at Global Marine. “With operations completed within a small timeframe, we are demonstrating how our professional team can work together to fulfil client needs, no matter how demanding.”

Masashi Nakagawa, Senior Project Manager at NTTWEM added, “We are very pleased to work with the Global Marine team and utilise a high performance installation vessel like the Cable Innovator for this important project.”

Appointed to the contract by NTT World Engineering Marine Corp (NTT WEM) via Global Marine’s Singapore operation, cable was landed from the vessel via direct shore ends at the southern tip of Okinawa before being laid to the BU of ASE. The BU stub end was recovered and jointing operations conducted, additionally PP duct fibre optic cable protection was installed to provide added protection for system security.

UK Subsea Firms Explore Opportunities Down Under The UK subsea sector took the opportunity to further bolster its international profile last month at the largest oil and gas exhibition in Australasia.

Industry body, Subsea UK, sought to establish stronger links between Australian and British businesses in exploiting the significant oil and gas developments at this year’s Australasian Oil & Gas Exhibition and Conference (AOG).

The event, took place on 24-26 February 2016, and explored how new technology and better cooperation could help drive the industry forward.

Celebrating its 35th year, AOG 2016 had ‘collaboration’ as its theme, with over 100 experts from leading companies providing input on how industry, government and key stakeholders should continue to work closely together to reduce costs and improve productivity. p18 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

With a string of world class Australian LNG projects making the transition from the construction to operational phase, the UK subsea sector is well positioned to support province in meeting its target to become the world’s leading exporter of LNG by 2018.

outstanding economic track record.

As the fifth largest economy in the Asia-Pacific region, and the 13th largest economy in the world, the country is viewed as a dynamic and stable market which presents a pool of opportunities for the UK subsea sector.

Under the Subsea UK banner, two British companies, Schoolhill Hydraulic Engineering and James Fisher Excavation got the chance to showcase their products and services to oil and gas companies, service providers, engineers, technical professionals and suppliers.

“A recent report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) revealed that Australia and the Asia Pacific region have much to be positive about in the longer term, with LNG projects predicted to create thousands of jobs, export income and new revenues.

Subsea UK was once again supporting the Subsea Australasia Conference at the event, which included a session chaired by Neil Gordon, Chief Executive of Subsea UK, on innovation, field development and the changing outlook for the global subsea sector.

Mr Gordon commented: “Australia boasts an

“It’s important that UK companies take full advantage of these opportunities, casting their nets further than the North Sea to explore ways of exporting their technology and expertise. As the industry body for the UK subsea sector, we represented all 320 of our members at the event helping them look at ways in breaking into the Australasian market.”

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Register to attend for free at: p20 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016 www.oceanologyinternational.com

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EVEN MORE TO OCEANOLOGY INTERNATIONAL 2016 THAN RECORD BREAKING EXHIBITION AND 10 CONFERENCE STREAMS The world’s largest marine science and ocean technology event, Oceanology International 2016 (ExCeL London, 15-17 March), not only features a record-breaking exhibition (the largest in its 47 year history) and a conference comprising 10 highly topical streams featuring 108 speakers over the three days, but a host of associated events and features. Online registration is open at www.oceanologyinternational.com with free admission to all the show’s component parts.

“It’s going to be a highly stimulating three days, with plenty to interest our wide ranging audience of end-users who share an interest in and commitment to the technology and science behind global ocean exploration, exploitation and protection,” explains Event Director, Jonathan Heastie of organisers Reed Exhibitions.

“Vessels and dock-side demonstrations; a programme of exciting events in our Trade & Innovation Theatre on the exhibition showfloor; and the South Gallery rooms being used for a growing number of events as well as for our 10-stream conference all play a part.

Networking will be very much the order of the day, both on the evening before OI opens with the ever-popular ‘Icebreaker’ for exhibitors; and within the exhibition at the end of the first day allowing business to continue over a relaxed couple of hours until 19:00.

About the features and associated events “Briggs Marine, CMS-Geotech, emma technologies, Hays Ships, Kongsberg Maritime, NDT Offshore, Norbit Subsea, the Port of London Authority and Teledyne Marine have already confirmed vessels coming to OI 2016; and DWTEK-Tritech; RTSYS, SeaBotix and Seafloor Systems are amongst those staging dockside demonstrations and making use of our seated area for their guests,” he adds.

“We are expecting more vessels and more demonstrations to be confirmed in the coming weeks.”

The Trade & Innovation Theatre events include: • ‘Near & Far Market Trading’ offering new investment, export and partnership opportunities for exhibiting and visiting organisations (15 and 17 March) • ‘Open Ocean & Coastal Observatories Workshop’ (15 March; 14:00-17:00, organised by SLR Consulting) • ‘Clusters, Collaboration & a Common Blue Voice’ (16 March; 13:00-14:30) an event featuring The Maritime Alliance (TMA), partners in the inaugural Oceanology International North America in San Diego (15-17 February 2017) • The ‘Meet the Investor’ Seminar (16

March; 10:00-12:30 organised by the Oiltech Investment Network), followed by the ‘invitation only’ ‘Meet the Investor

Workshop’ (13:00-17:00) • And the OI 2016 New Products Showcase on the afternoons of 16 and 17 March The programme for events in ExCeL’s South Gallery is growing and includes: • XPRIZE Workshop: Design a Prize – the “Blue Button Challenge” (15 March, afternoon, time tbc) • ‘Technology Cluster Workshop’ (16 March; 09:30-11:30 organised by SLR Consulting and open to all) • ‘IMCA ROV Workshop’ (16 March; 13:30- 17:00 – events@ imca-int.com for free registration) • ALSEAMAR’s conference (with Total) on the SeaExplorer glider with hydrocarbon sensor (17 March; 10:00 - 16:45) • And the OI 2016 Careers Day on 17 March organised in association with the Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) and the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST).

“And, of course, there is a growing calendar of events taking place on stands throughout the three days,” adds Jonathan Heastie. “All of these events and features, set against the ‘pillars’ of OI, the exhibition and multi-stream conference, add up to make OI 2016 an unmissable event for all involved in every aspect of ocean technology and marine science.”

Careers Day Careers Day is aimed at students, graduates and post graduates seeking future career opportunities in the marine science and technology related fields.

The morning session is hosted by the SUT Young Professionals Committee enabling attending students to hear first-hand accounts from SUT’s young professionals of their journeys from graduation to securing jobs and the exciting ways their work is contributing to the marine industry (registration in advance to claire.martin@reedexpo.co.uk).

The afternoon session takes the form of the IMarEST Careers Workshop providing an introduction to researching and applying for job opportunities. Spaces are limited and registration in advance to events@imarest.org is recommended.

The pillars of OI 2016 There are Canadian, French, German, Irish, Dutch and US national group stands at OI 2016, as well as a diving pavilion; and individual exhibitors come from 32 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE, UK and the USA. Together they take up over 8,000m2 of stand space making OI 2016 the largest ever held in its 47-year history. In 2014 there were 520+ exhibiting companies and total attendance over the three days of over 8,400 industry professionals.

Conference topics this year are ‘Ocean Observing Systems: Marine technology and services sector role in the Blue Economy’; ‘Positioning & Metrology’; ‘Marine Renewables’; ‘Green Shipping’; ‘What’s next for Ageing Offshore Assets (for the offshore oil and gas industry)’; ‘Monitoring Structural Integrity: Understanding risk and reliability’; ‘Handling Big Data’; ‘Aquaculture’; ‘Hydrography, Geophysics and Geotechnics’; and the Unmanned Vehicles and Vessels Showcase’.

March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p21

oceanology international 2016 preview Visit us on Stand

Valeport Valeport are the UK’s leading manufacturer of Hydrographic and Oceanographic instrumentation which include Sound Velocity Probes / Sensors, Altimeters, Radar Level Sensor, Current Meters, Tide Gauges, Fluorometers, Wave Recorders, CTD’s, Multi-Parameter CTD’s and GPS Echo Sounders.

H301

Valeport have long been associated with providing reliable products for survey operations offshore and we continue to meet customer demands for cost effective and reliable solutions in these challenging times.

ROV instrumentation remains at the forefront of customer demand and our packaged or OEM products are suitable for all ROV types.

Typical of this is our ultraP depth sensor variant where customers can fit a bulkhead connector and interchange depth sensors to suit working depth and increase accuracy of readings. Sales Manager Kevin Edwards will be on stand H301 and happy to discuss your application.

Tel: +44 (0) 180 386 9292 Email: sales@valeport.co.uk

www.valeport.co.uk

Visit us on Stand

digital edge subsea Digital Edge Subsea supplies the oil & gas, defence and civil ROV and diving companies, with our digital video inspection system, the EdgeDVR.

R100

There are currently 7 models of EdgeDVR, 3 standard definition, 3 High definition and an SD fully rugged laptop version.

Along with multi-channel video recording, the EdgeDVR has built-in digital overlay, with the facility to display logos and any serial data required. Events are entered using simple, user configurable hot keys. These event are transferred into automatically generated dive, video, photo and anomaly excel logs. As well as the main video recording, the system also automatically records all video to the blackbox.

Multi-channel video clips and photos can also be easily added, using a simple interface. Over 350 EdgeDVR systems are now out in the field, with a proven record of reliability.

Tel: +44 (0) 122 920 6456 Email: info@digitaledgesubsea.com

www.digitaledgesubsea.com

Visit us on

CodaOctopus Products Ltd CodaOctopus is a global leader and specialist in underwater technologies including being the patent holder for the real time 3D sonar, the Echoscope®. Its team of experts design innovative solutions for tasks including subsea surveys, marine construction, ROV operations, dredging and port security.

Stand C100

With offices in the USA, UK, Australia and Norway, CodaOctopus has been designing, delivering and supporting products to the global offshore market for almost 20 years. With expertise in supplying leading-edge software and hardware solutions within our 3D, MOTION and GEO range of products, CodaOctopus has built a reputation of delivering quality solutions and after sales technical support. With exciting new products, backed up with 24x7 customer support CodaOctopus continues to shape the future of subsea operations.

Tel: +44 (0) 131 553 1380 Email: sales@codaoctopus.com

www.codaoctopus.com

Ocean Marine systems Ocean Marine Systems produce a range of products for marine instrument deployment systems suitable for the Offshore Oil & Gas, Survey and Search & Rescue industries.

All their products are designed and manufactured at their UK based factory for and exported to the worldwide market.

Their products are designed to complement leading edge underwater instrumentation and integration companies.

Tel: +44 (0) 120 259 6630

www.oceanmarinesystems.co.uk

Visit us on

Stand J550

oceanology international 2016 preview

Hydramec Offshore Hydraulic Systems Hydramec Offshore Hydraulic Systems based in Gt. Yarmouth was founded in 1990 and is pleased to have celebrated its twentieth year in business in 2010 and its fifteenth year building ROV Launch And Recovery Systems (LARS) and will be celebrating its 25th year in business in early 2015 by buying and moving to 20,000 square foot new premises doubling existing internal floor space and complete with half an acre of outside storage.

The company started out repairing and maintaining a large variety of ships deck equipment and refurbishing ROV LARS. In 1996 Hydramec started building the first Hydramec LARS from scratch and re-evaluating what would be most

important to the customer, since then LARS have been a core business.

Another core business Hydramec is proud to be a part of is the responsibility of maintaining a considerable fleet of offshore vessels on the behalf of our clients, such as rig supply, cargo, survey and fishing fleets, we regularly repair deck cranes, davits, windlasses, power packs, Steering gear and controllable pitch propeller systems and we will work on any hydraulic system that needs repairs or maintenance in the area. This has given us the opportunity to comply with all the latest regulations and where possible improve the design from experience and customer feedback.

Hydramec’s new build LARS are fully design reviewed and approved either by Lloyds Register

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of Shipping or DNV to customer requirements and are inspected for compliance during various stages of build by surveyors.

All the designs are independently analysed by their Consultant Chartered Engineers and calculations produced for inspection by the certifying bodies.

M300

Hydramen are based at two sites in Great Yarmouth, Their head office comprises 9000 square feet of factory and office space, it is equally divided into offices, a well equipped machine shop, Fabrication shop and our second site is a final assembly fitting shop with a LARS test area, the capability of running up to 100KW electric power units and substantial outside storage facilities.

NEW MARINE ELECTRONICS DOLPHIN 2D SONAR IS NOW OCEAN READY Marine Electronics Ltd is presenting its new Dolphin 2D sonar at Oceanology (Stand E200) where designers of small AUVs and ROVs are expected to be impressed by its performance and compact size. The new sonar was first shown to the industry in prototype form a year ago.

Since then further design, development and testing has been completed and Marine Electronics is now able to demonstrate this impressive new product to potential customers who have been waiting eagerly since its preview.

The new Dolphin 2D is a 720 kHz system that has evolved from the company’s existing Dolphin 3001 model while introducing several new key benefits.

Its compact size and light weight now make it an ideal choice for use on small ROVs and AUVs as well as for other applications on surface craft. Its versatility and ease of use is also improved by an Ethernet connection to the underwater unit.

A one piece composite ceramic unit with 96 elements gives the new Dolphin 192 acoustic beams that create a 120 degree

horizontal display. With a low power consumption of less than 15 watts the sonar can provide clear images at 30 frames per second for very close range work at less than 1 metre, or for long range imagery up to 100 metres at 7.5 frames per second. It is able to provide the clearest imagery at most ranges but if customers need a 2D sonar for targets at a specific distance the basic model can be adapted to meet their needs. The new sonar also contains a nine-axis MEMS motion sensor and requires no surface image processing. This means that what leaves the unit via its Ethernet connection is the image that the user sees.

The new Dolphin 2D now joins a range of sonar products developed by Marine Electronics Ltd. The company is based in Guernsey, UK and is well known for its ability to design and build specialised acoustic products that are tailored to meet the specific needs of clients around the world. Visitors to the company’s stand at Oceanology will have the opportunity of discovering the full specifications of the new sonar and discussing how it might meet their needs for high performance technology at a competitive price.

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E200

Above: The Marine Electronics Dolphin 2D sonar head.

March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p23

oceanology international 2016 preview Visit us on Stand

innovatum ltd Innovatum Ltd. have over 30 years’ experience in the business of submarine cable and pipeline surveyance.

G301

Innovatum Ltd. are the only company in the world to successfully use magnetic fields to locate and track targets.

Our range of products and services make us uniquely positioned to meet and exceed client’s expectations: SMARTRAK submarine cable & pipeline tracking system SMARTSEARCH magnetic magging & survey system TONE GENERATOR (TG10-UK) MAGNETISATION SERVICE for cable, pipeline and flexible flowline SUBMAGNETIX Inshore Survey Division (Beach to 50m) ROV RENTAL Tel: +44 (0) 780 289 2936 Email: sales@innovatum.co.uk

www.innovatum.co.uk

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tecnikabel Tecnikabel has been designing and producing special electrical and optical cables since 1978. Owing to our solid experience in high tech sectors, we are today an established leading company in the cable market.

Stand E602

Our production includes an extensive range of product families, all fully compliant with national and international standards and all suitable for applications ranging from underground to overhead and submarine cables. Advanced technologies enable us to not only develop standard cables but also projects that meet our customers’ stringent technical and economic requirements.

Tecnikabel’s constant commitment to quality has awarded us with the most demanding international manufacturing and quality standards from both American and European Authorities, such as IMQ CSQ, UNI EN ISO 9001: 2008 and IRIS REV. 2.

Tel: (+39) 011 995 1997 Email: tecnikabel@pec.it

www.tecnikabel.it

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WGP Exploration ltd WGP is a marine geophysical services company that offers bespoke project management and geophysical services throughout the global upstream oil and gas industry.

Stand N600

WGP’s operational expertise spans across the Exploration sector, discovering new hydrocarbon reserves, and Beyond… into production, presenting contemporary services to increase the value and output of active reservoirs.

By specialising in seismic projects driven by modern technology and supporting new methods, WGP has kept at the forefront of the industry. Its focus is to provide bespoke operational solutions for projects that will become increasingly important as exploration continues to move into ever more challenging frontiers.

Tel: +44 (0) 198 580 7880

www.wgp-group.com

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Applied Acoustic Engineering Applied Acoustics will be adding further innovations to its existing product range and expanding the capabilities of the multi award winning company that designs and manufactures high-tech products for the subsea survey market.

Stand G400

A new range of acoustic transponder will be launched at Oceanology 2016 alongside a major evolution in its USBL tracking system product line. In addition, the company’s geophysical portfolio welcomes the 5th generation seismic energy source, the CSP-V, which features all the safety and reliably of the current range but with an LCD display and advanced control features.

These products will be displayed alongside other recent exciting developments – the DTS-500 deep-tow sparker and the Blowfish acoustic trigger.

Tel: +44 (0) 149 344 0355 Email: general@appliedacoustics.com

www.appliedacoustics.com

oceanology international 2016 preview

Imenco UK Ltd HD over Ethernet Camera at Oceanology International 2016 Imenco UK Ltd will be exhibiting at Oceanology International 2016 at ExCel Exhibition and Conference Centre in London where they will be sharing stand L150 with their Middle East Agent Indepth International Ltd. Imenco will be highlighting the world leading SubVIS Orca HD over Ethernet subsea camera along with the widest range of SD and HD subsea cameras, LED lights and green line lasers available from a single manufacturer. The range of Imenco electronics provides complete spreads for all classes of ROV, Trenchers, Ploughs, and for diver support.

The SubVIS Orca has undergone successful trials in the Northern North Sea over the last six months producing stunning video outputs for environmental research organisations and oil and gas companies alike. Imenco will be showing some of the results on a large video screen on stand.

Imenco UK Ltd will have sales and technical support available throughout the exhibition to answer any customer queries on existing and future HD over Ethernet ranges of subsea electronics, of which the SubVIS Orca is the first.

Imenco SubVIS Orca HD over Ethernet Camera Functions:

Imenco SubVIS Orca HD over Ethernet Camera Technical Data:

► HD Ethernet 1080p@60fps low latency video streaming ► Camera with an Imenco designed powerful Embedded Computer ► Ready for advanced image

enhancement ► Software client with OSD and recording ► Standard video streaming protocols RTSP / RTP ► HTTP commands for configuration and control Dimensions: ► Main dim. (ex conn.) Ø 140 / 117 x 226 ► Optical Zoom 12x ► Angle of view (in water) 65° -

horizontal ► Housing Titanium ► Depth rating 4 000 msw ► Standard connector Subconn DBH13M ► Power requirements 24VDC (18 – 75) / 17W ► Mass in air 5,3 Kg ► Mass in water 3,7 Kg

► Ethernet: 10/100/1000Mbit TP ► Ethernet video streaming protocols: RTSP/RTP, UDP, Unicast/Multicast ► Ethernet control protocol: HTTP ► Video compression: H.264 AVC ► Video resolution: 480p@30/60, 576p@25/50, 720p@50/60,

1080p@25/30/50/60 ► Optical: Ivanoff-Rebikoff water

correction lens ► Latency: ~100mS ► Built in 9-axis sensor: • 3-axis

gyroscope • 3-axis accelerometer • 3-axis magnetometer ► Internal Interfaces: • RS232 & RS485

Rather than using a CCTV module in a subsea housing Imenco purposely designed and built hardware and software for the SubVIS Orca, which for the first time in the subsea industry, embeds the PC behind the camera in the same housing.

This enables the image to be manipulated to customer requirements and fully optimised before being sent to the surface.

Come to Stand L150 and see the results for yourselves!

Right: Imenco SubVIS Orca HD over Ethernet Camera.

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L150

March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p25

oceanology international 2016 preview

OI 2016: MONITORING STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY: UNDERSTANDING RISK AND RELIABILITY The contribution of the monitoring of offshore structures to reduce risk and improve reliability is key to achieving operational efficiencies in the offshore oil & gas industry and is a new topic to come under the conference spotlight at Oceanology International 2016 (OI 2016), the world’s largest marine science and ocean technology exhibition and conference (ExCeL London, 15-17 March).

A half day session on Wednesday 16 March will look at ‘Monitoring Structural Integrity: Understanding Risk and Reliability’ through the eyes of its co-chairmen, Tom Johnson, President, BMT Scientific Marine Services and Feargal Brennan, Director of Energy, Cranfield University and six experts in the field.

Those attending the session will learn how regulators, certification authorities and industry practitioners use measurements and monitored information to conduct quantitative assessments of risk and reliability across a range of offshore engineering functions.

Presentations will address uncertainty and fitness for service approaches for non-standard operations and the session discussions will explore how novel technologies can be further developed to better support structural integrity offshore.

Presentations in this highly relevant session will be mirrored by some of the exhibits on a packed exhibition showfloor.

Naturally at this challenging time for the offshore industry operational efficiency is vital, and we are delighted to host such an important session. Like all OI 2016 conference streams it is free to attend.

Tom Johnson, President, BMT Scientific Marine Services and Feargal Brennan, Director of Energy.

p26 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

Down to detail Taking place on the morning of Wednesday 16 March, Alex Stacy, Structural Inspector, Energy Division, Health & Safety Executive will be addressing ‘Management of risk and reliability in structural integrity during the life cycle of offshore installations by the implementation of structural monitoring techniques’. His presentation will be followed by ‘Design of a monitoring system for determining wellhead fatigue utilisation’ by Prahlad Enuganti, Technical Manager, 2H Offshore; and ‘Jackup motions monitoring for safety and operational efficiency’.

Following a short break for networking, Sandip Ukani, Engineer Director, Pulse Structural Monitoring Ltd will be talking about ‘ROV deployable curvature sensor for pipeline span monitoring’; his presentation will be followed by Robert J Barker or BMT Scientific Marine Services who will be considering ‘Marine and structural integrity monitoring for the Glen Lyon FPSO’. The final speaker in the session will be Neptune Geomatics’ Project Manager, Gwilym Conran, looking at ‘NepCAT 3D catenary monitoring system’.

Below: Exhibitors come from all over the globe to be at Oceanology International.

Photograph taken at Oceanology International 2014 courtesy of Trevor Smeaton.

Packed exhibition There are Canadian, French, German, Irish, Dutch and US national group stands at OI 2016, as well as a diving pavilion; and individual exhibitors come from 32 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE, UK and the USA. Together they take up over 8,000m2 of stand space making OI 2016 the largest ever held in its 47-year history. In 2014 there were 520+ exhibiting companies and total attendance over the three days of over 8,400 industry professionals.

OI 2016 is staged in partnership with the SUT and with The Hydrographic Society UK; the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST); the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA); the Marine Technology Society (MTS); and the Society of Maritime Industries (SMI) as endorsing organisations.

Further information on all aspects of Oceanology International including visitor registration is available online at:

www.oceanologyinternational.com and OITeam@reedexpo.co.uk

oceanology international 2016 preview

Stinger Load Monitoring System International Load Cell and System Designers Dynamic Load Monitoring Ltd (DLM) working in conjunction with their Singapore partners Northbridge Load Cell Services, have just completed delivery of one of their largest projects to date, a complete stinger load monitoring system for pipe lay stinger designer and manufacturer Antares Energy Solution Pte. DLM successfully designed, manufactured and assisted commissioning of the Load Monitoring system with Northbridge Engineers at the end of January in Singapore.

Incorporating 46 of DLM’s Force Magnitude Load Pins, the function of which enables load to be read on multiple different planes around a Load Pin, is unique in the world of load monitoring. The Load Pins monitored pipe forces at each of the fourteen pipe roller boxes and combined with depth sensors at each end of the three articulated stinger sections, along with an inclinometer in order to determine depth of stinger sections and angle of the stinger during pipe lay operations.

DLM’s Design Engineering team employed the use of various industrial control technologies including Profinet, Profibus, RS485 Modbus and Modbus TCP. A Siemens PLC and HMI display were implemented to integrate and display the sensors values, with the HMI screen allowing for interrogation of each Load Cell and Sensor, configuration of alarm reporting, historical data logging and many other features.

The biggest challenge was to enable the 46 Load Cells to communicate down a single pair of twisted cabling,this was achievedby using RS485 Modbus to sequentially communicate with each Load Cell.

Using this method also allowed for enhanced diagnostics and alarming as it is possible to tell exactly which Load Cell is outputting a certain value.

Chris Scrutton, Technical Manager, DLM.

In order to ensure a robust solution was provided the system incorporates full redundancy to allow operations to continue in the event of damage.

This included a redundant power supply and a separate standalone UPS allowing the system to continue running and eliminate data loss in the event of total power failure. The system operates through RS485 twisted pair, however in order to protect against data loss should

a signal cable be damaged, the system will automatically switch over to a fibre optic redundant loop without loss of signal.

DLM’s Managing Director Martin Halford commented: “This is biggest system design project DLM have completed in recent years and really displays our ability to combine our expertise in manufacturing Load Cells with our rapidly expanding system design service.

We have a great relationshipwith our partners Northbridge in Singapore, who share our values of supplying quality service and products along with the ability to offer clients a turn-key solution”

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A523

March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p27

Amarinth designs innovative low-shear vertically mounted API 610 OH 1 pump for the produced water nutshell filters from AI Energy Solutions Amarinth, a leading company specialising in the design, application and manufacture of centrifugal pumps and associated equipment to the Oil & Gas, petrochemical, chemical, industrial and renewable energy markets, has designed a bespoke vertically mounted API 610 OH 1 pump with Plan 13 seal support system for AI Energy Solutions to use with its nutshell filters for cleaning produced water.

AI Energy Solutions (AIES) approached Amarinth to design a pump for the final cleaning phase of produced water using its nutshell filters on an offshore platform.

Amarinth has successfully delivered pumping solutions for numerous produced water treatment systems and so already had a good understanding of the requirements.

The location of the platform however, posed project specific challenges of high daytime and low night time temperatures,

high salinity and a high 30% rated solids concentration.

The pump had to exhibit good low shear properties in order for the AIES nutshell filters to work optimally by ensuring that the oil and water was not emulsified. This could be achieved using an API 610 OH1 pump but in order to fit with the nutshell filter package, Amarinth had to design a bespoke solution.

This involved taking the proven OH 1 hydraulic design and engineering a vertically mounted close coupled arrangement so that the suction was at the bottom and the discharge at the top.

Manufactured in stainless steel, the pump incorporated an open impeller design to handle the high solids concentration and a vacuum operated backwash facility to allow for ease of cleaning and maintenance.

A single seal plan 13 seal support system, normally used on vertical pumps, was integrated with the vertically mounted OH1 pump. In line with project schedule,

Below: Amarinth nutshell filter pump.

Amarinth was able to supply the bespoke pump on a fast track basis, with delivery in just 23 weeks.

Amarinth has successfully delivered reliable pumping solutions for nutshell filters in the past and is pleased to be continuing our successful working relationship with AIES established during previous projects.

Oliver Brigginshaw, Managing Director, Amarinth.

Marine Equipment & Engineering

MAJOR INDUSTRY BOOST FOR AWARD-WINNING LIGHTPATH TECHNOLOGY AS IT LAUNCHES LATEST PRODUCT Sector endorsement for patented flexible line of light which supports divers in subsea conditions.

Scottish research and development company PhotoSynergy Ltd (PSL) is enjoying a hat trick of successes as a major operator and two subsea service companies push the envelope to further the safety of their diving personnel and increase efficiencies in the subsea sector.

The North Sea Operator has, for the first time, included PSL’s LIGHTPATH technology in its diving operations and management guidance document, which aims to ensure compliance with latest legislation and industry best practice.

Meanwhile, leading international inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) companies Harkand and Bibby Offshore have announced their continuing support for PSL’s LIGHTPATH range of products, which offer an innovative technical solution to sectors, including the challenging and hazardous subsea environment, where safety of life is paramount.

Winner of the Subsea UK Innovation for Safety Award 2014, LIGHTPATH is a side-emitting flexible fibre that projects a continuous and flexible line of light that carries no electrical power and has a life expectancy of five years.

PSL today (Thursday, February 4) launched the latest in its portfolio of subsea products, the SLS2000, which was developed following feedback from divers and their teams, providing the option to illuminate the dive umbilical from the diver end.

It was produced following requests from industry for a minimal-sized light source which would not impede the diver during his work. A small, compact unit at just 30mm in diameter and 70mm long, it was designed to provide a light source to saturation divers using an LED attached to the umbilical at the diver’s end.

We are very grateful for all the help and guidance we have received over the past few years from Harkand and Bibby Offshore – the level of support they have shown has been invaluable and helped us develop LIGHTPATH further for more specific markets.

We have been operating the LIGHTPATH in the North Sea for the past three years, and the general consensus among the dive community is that divers feel safer using the technology to illuminate saturation diver umbilicals, which enhances safety and productivity for all parties, including the individual diver, colleagues in the water and the bell-man.

It also gives confidence to the ROV pilot as to the location of diver umbilicals, thus minimising the risk of collision and can significantly reduce the incidence of umbilical snagging, both for saturation and surface air divers.

Don Walker, Director, PSL. Harkand, which has been using another of PSL products – the SLS5000 - on two of its North Sea vessels for the past few years, has also recognised the importance of the SLS2000 and is currently in talks with PSL about trialling it.

Jerry Starling, Harkand’s Group Diving Manager, and a member of the IMCA Diving

Division Management Committee, said: “Harkand is committed to the wellbeing of its personnel and presenting the most appropriate solutions for clients.

As a company we have recognised that although not a mandatory or industry specific requirement, LIGHTPATH further enhances the diver’s ability to manage their umbilical, improving their safety and simultaneously delivering more efficient operations.

“Umbilical management is a key component of diver activity for both safety and time saving reasons. We have found that LIGHTPATH helps reduce recovery time as the diver can track and identify their route back to the bell, as well as identify any snags and entanglement of the umbilical due to the variations in colour offered by the equipment. It also ensures divers and ROV pilots can constantly monitor that the umbilical is clear during equipment deployment and recovery, which are generally high risk activities. We look forward to working further with PSL in the future.”

Meanwhile, Bibby Offshore, who have worked with PSL from the outset to help with the development of LIGHTPATH, is about to start trials of the SLS2000 within the next few weeks.

Diving Manager Ian Mitchell, said: “Bibby Offshore regard the LIGHTPATH as a significant safety enhancement and use it as standard on all our DSVs. We are pleased to be involved in the further development of the LIGHTPATH system and believe the SLS2000 will further enhance the usefulness of the product and increase its potential applications.”

Operational sea trials of the unit, which can be used in both saturation and air diving, are planned with existing clients following successful competition of final in-house tests and third party pressure testing.

March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p29

LEEA helps shape the future of overhead lifting With membership fast-approaching 1,000 employers, LEEA is firmly established as the leading representative body for the overhead lifting sector. The Association has always been a technically-focused organisation, offering industry recognised training, qualifications and accreditation for businesses responsible for the test and examination of overhead lifting equipment.

Designed to offer a more rigorous, flexible and enjoyable experience for Diploma students, the LEEA Academy marks the beginning of a new era in the training and continuing professional development. It encompasses a range of delivery methods, including a new e-learning service employing the latest 3D modelling and interactive techniques. The comprehensive range

of options available also incorporates instructorled practical training, and ‘blended learning’ which combines e-learning, supported revision and a final examination.

The LEEA Academy makes full use of technology to fit around the diverse and varied working lives of students. E-learning can be accessed around-the-clock via PC, Mac, laptop or tablet.

An extensive library of high quality, computer generated 3D images of equipment has been created, making it far easier to relate learning to ‘real life’ working situations.

Whilst training and qualifications represent a major element of LEEA’s activities, they are far from the full story. The benefits of membership extend much further. Members enjoy access to expert technical advice and the latest industry updates and safety notices, as well as a variety of marketing and networking opportunities

including LiftEx, the association’s annual exhibition for the overhead lifting and safe work at height industries (www.liftex.org). LEEA publishes a number of highly respected publications, including the authoritative Code of Practice for the Safe Use of Lifting Equipment (COPSULE).

LEEA plays a truly international role in the overhead lifting industry and beyond.

Over half its membership is based outside the UK, with a strong and expanding presence across Europe, the Americas, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia. Reflecting a growing recognition of the importance of a professional approach to overhead lifting, and the unique ability of LEEA to help turn positive aims and aspirations into the practical action needed to raise standards of safety and efficiency in this vital industry sector.

www.leeaint.com

RUD ICE Chain Offers Extreme Resistance to Temperatures -60°c to +300°c Used across offshore, arctic projects & extreme materials handling at ports or construction.

Innovation and product development is important at RUD, being the first manufacturer to be approved for Grade 120 chain you can be sure of the quality and design of our products and the advantages the innovative ICE chain has to offer.

RUD ICE chain offers extreme resistance to temperatures from -60°c to +300°c.

The chain is coated with their innovative pink powder coating which acts as an overheating indicator, which shows the temperatures in which the chain can be safely used. The chain cannot be used in temperatures above 300°c. If the chain reaches temperatures of 300°c or above it will turn from a pink colour to brown, then black which indicates that the chain is unsafe to use and must be taken out of p30 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

service. RUD ICE lifting chain is often used across polar and arctic projects due to its extreme resistance to temperatures.

The advantages of ICE chain are abundant.

It offers a considerable 30% reduction in weight than Grade 80 hooks, using less material and energy used due to its light construction & easier handling.

It possesses a 60% higher breaking force than grade 80 chains, is extremely robust, tough and resilient to sharp and rough edges due to the chains increased strength.

Operating in hot or cold environments from -60°c to +300°c ICE Chain offers the solution to your lifting requirements.

From offshore, arctic projects to extreme materials handling at ports or construction sites where sharp and rough edges are present, RUD’s ICE Chain offers ultimate strength and resilience to varied environments.

For more information call: 01227 276 611 Email: katie.crane@rud.co.uk or visit: www.rud.co.uk

lifting equipment, deck machinery & winches

Custom Modulift Subsea Spreaders for Major North Sea Oil Project Modulift has manufactured two custom subsea spreader beams for one of the world’s leading subsea construction companies, which is currently conducting a large scale engineering, procurement, installation and construction contract for EnQuest’s Kraken development. Kraken is one of the largest subsea heavy oil field projects under development in the UK sector of the North Sea. The below the hook equipment manufacturer delivered the 303t capacity, 6.8m span spreaders to its customer on site, where the scope of work includes template and manifold installation at three drill centres.

Modulift’s spreaders will be used to lift the manifolds into position on stage one of the project, before going into storage for six to 12 months prior to reuse on later stages.

Liam Botting, New Business Development Manager at Modulift, said: “This is a landmark project on which to showcase the engineering behind our new range of spreaders for subsea use. The range incorporates our drop link design to ensure the beam doesn’t have any bending force through it, other than due to self weight, thus reducing the overall size and weight of the beam, creating a more efficient design.”

Botting added that the design features an open section to ensure that there are no issues with pressure equalisation, and that all surfaces can be covered with a high build epoxy paint suitable for subsea environments.

Modulift timed the launch of its new subsea modular spreader beams to follow publication of a revised offshore standard from DNV titled DNV-OS-H206, that references the use of spreader bars.

The manufacturer took the concept behind the unique modular elements of its standard and heavy spreader beam ranges to product a versatile and efficient collection for deep water lifting, features demonstrated in the custom subsea spreader beams for the Kraken development.

Before delivery, each item of equipment used on the Kraken development was required to be sent to DNV GL AS, formerly known as Det Norske Veritas AS, a global provider of knowledge for managing risk, for inspection.

Tradition in Dynamic Innovation

RUD ICE Chain operational from -60°c to +300°c • Grade 120 ICE Chain • Offers 30% reduction in weight than grade 80 chain • Extreme resistance to temperatures from -60°c to +300°c • Innovative pink powder coating acts as an overheating indicator • RUD ICE Chain used across offshore, arctic and extreme handling projects • Extremely robust, tough, resilient chain

March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p31

lifting equipment, deck machinery & winches

Nautilus Rigging (UK) Ltd Safe Lifting Practice - It’s in your Hands!

Nautilus Rigging (UK) Ltd are internationally recognised the leading manufacturers and suppliers of innovative ‘next generation’ safe lifting systems, which includes the companies range of patented Nautilus Topside Hooks™ together with the highly acclaimed Nautilus ROV Hooks™ and Nautilus Subsea Hooks™ specifically designed to provide safe, secure lifting operations.

The patented safety features incorporated in the Nautilus design is proven to eliminate the known risks and inherent hazards associated with the use of traditional style lifting hooks.

Nautilus Hooks provide a major technical advancement in operational and safety concepts for lifting hooks, the first in more than 40 years, which places safety as the priority.

Nautilus Hooks set a new standard for personal safety in self locking and swivel safety hooks where the patented safety handle and side mounted locking mechanism effectively eliminates the risk of, potentially serious, pinch and trap hand or finger injuries by removing the operators hands from the hazardous hook/sling interface area.

DNV Type Approved - Supply Compliance Nautilus Hooks are manufactured to exceed industry standards, All Nautilus hooks CE Certified and are manufactured to BS/EN16771, In addition Nautilus Hooks are individually numbered and individually proof tested to 2.5 times the Working Load Limit, to surpass the requirements of corporate supply and compliance criteria, complete traceability from raw materials to finished product.

Nautilus Hooks are type approved as “fit for purpose” by the independent classification society Det Norske Veritas (DNV) under regulation 2.22 for lifting appliances.

Approval Certificate No.S-6716.

Nautilus Topside Hooks Nautilus Topside safety hooks have been specifically designed for offshore lifting, where the unique safety features are of particular benefit in the unpredictable dynamics of the offshore marine environment. Nautilus have a range of swivel safety hooks, self locking eye hooks and clevis chain hooks, with working load limits from 4 to 22 tonnes, to suit all applications.

Nautilus Rigging (UK) Ltd Email: sales@nautilusrigging.com info@nautilusrigging.com Web: www.nautilusrigging.com

The Nautilus “positive locking” system, and “integral safety handle” which are patented features of both the Topside and Subsea hooks, were cited as deciding factors in Nautilus Hooks winning the American Society of Mechanical Engineers prestigious Woefel, Best Mechanical Engineering Award at OTC and the Offshore Support Vessel conference Innovation of the year award.

Model: NH-ROV22E SWL: 22 Tonnes

p32 | www.sosmagazine.biz | February 2016

Nautilus ROV/Subsea Hooks “Nautilus ROV/Subsea hooks have been specifically developed to address growing industry concerns over the suitability and safety of traditional “snap on” style ROV hooks which have a known, high risk, of unintentionally self releasing the load due to their internal spring latch design.

The risk of self release is eliminated with the Nautilus ROV hook design where, in an industry first, the positive locking function maintains load integrity at all times until released by the ROV, with the added benefit that the positive locking arm prevents any unintentional hooking on of umbilical cables and subsea equipment to provide subsea operators with a safe, secure, ROV operated lifting hook.

The company has produced excellent short videos, of the Topside and ROV hooks, which detail the unique operational and safety benefits of these innovative lifting hooks which can be viewed from the home page at: www.nautilusrigging.com Nautilus Hooks provide a cost efficient solution to ensuring load integrity, safety, and security for all topside, subsea and ROV assisted lifting operations, in adopting Nautilus Hooks as the safest solution organizations will align practice with the stated objectives of corporate safety policies in achieving the common goal of reducing risk and improving workplace safety.

Safe Lifting - It’s in your hands!

Model: NH-SS22E SWL: 22 Tonnes

NautilusHooks

TM

OFFSHORE

MINING

CONSTRUCTION

SHIPPING

Across industry and around the globe Award winning Nautilus Hooks© are setting the new safety standard for lifting operations • Winner 2010 ASME Best Mechanical Engineering Award - technically advanced • CE Certified and DNV type approved - safer operation • Eliminates pinch and trap hand injuries - reduces risks • Range of hooks from 4 to 20 tonne W.L.L. - cost effective

Safety, it’s in your hands.

NautilusRigging Manufacturers of NautilusHooks

TM

To find or become a distributor contact:

www.nautilusrigging.com Tel +44 1224 772323

Type Approved

lifting equipment, deck machinery & winches

LEBUS INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERS LTD LeBus International Engineers Limited is the U.K. subsidiary of LeBus International Incorporated of Texas, U.S.A. The American parent company has been in existence since 1900 and actively involved in the oil, mining, construction and marine industries.

The U.K. operation has been in existence in excess of 50 years and accordingly has a long established association with the supply of winches, drums, spooling devices and lifting equipment etc to the marine and other markets.

There are two divisions of LeBus International Engineers Ltd within the U.K. namely ‐ Dane Works, Head Office, based in Kent and primarily engaged in the production of the world renowned LeBus scrolled sleeves/drums and wire spooling devices etc and Fylde Works, based in Lancashire is the Deck Machinery Division specializing in the design and manufacture of all types of winch systems and associated lifting equipment.

Both establishments consist of staff

who have considerable design and manufacturing experience to suit the products offered.

Recent special purpose projects include the supply of WROV winches, plough tow winches, deep water salvage winches, plug/play containerized CTD/scientific winch systems, transverse spooling systems, traction capstans, spooling winches etc ‐hydraulic, pneumatic or electric variable speed drives can be offered.

In addition to the deck machinery indicated, LeBus can also offer a wide range of associated equipment within our product supply, inclusive of: Cranes, davits, ‘A’ frames, fairleads, chain stoppers, rollers, power packs, controls, monitoring equipment, AHC systems, rendering/CT systems, rescue boats, lifeboat launching systems, etc.

www.lebusintengineers.com

Active Heave Compensation available for existing winches & cranes As the demand for Active Heave Compensation (AHC) technology has increased for operations that require precise control of the load, Scantrol has made their system available for a wider range of winches and cranes, even existing ones.

“AHC technology is used when lifting equipment during subsea operations in order to filter away the heave motion of the vessel. The system compensates for the movements caused by the waves with the aim to keep the load motionless with regard to the seabed, a subsea installation or another vessel. Retrofitting of existing equipment to AHC is often a very cost effective way to increase operational time.”

Helge Hammersland, Managing Director at Scantrol.

The technology was originally developed p34 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

by Scantrol as a control system for highend winches and cranes in the offshore sector. In order to facilitate installation of AHC on existing equipment, Scantrol has developed AHC Toolbox, a smart set of tools used during design, testing, operation and remote support. All stages in the process can be monitored from a remote office location independently of where the vessel is located, saving valuable time and resources for both Scantrol and its customers.

Image 1: Increase operational time: The application of AHC makes it possible to use lifting equipment even when weather conditions are not ideal, and this significantly increases operational time for vessels operating with AHC. Scantrol AHC software gives the operator continuous overview of both the vessel motion and the percentage of the compensation of the load.

Image 2: Scantrol Bluecon Toolbox Scantrol has developed a smart set of tools used during design, testing, operation and remote support. The factory test can be done remotely with the Dynatest tool so that engineers from Scantrol can supervise the process from their company offices in Bergen, keeping the time and costs as low as possible for the customer that saves valuable time and resources.

Image 1

Image 2

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March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p35

New quayside to prepare port for North Sea oil & gas for decommissioning and offshore wind sectors Forth Ports Limited has announced that it plans to make the largest investment in the history of the Port of Dundee. The port owner is to invest more than £10 million to create a new quayside with an industry leading “heavy lift” capability, coupled with a significant onshore operational area. This will position the Port of Dundee at the forefront of the North Sea oil & gas decommissioning and offshore wind sectors.

This privately funded investment will result in the development of the quayside at the east end of the port, connecting to the existing Prince Charles Wharf. The quayside will offer heavy lift capability over its entire 200m length with an ultra-heavy lift pad at one end.

This capability, coupled with a deep water berth and significant land area of around 60 acres, will facilitate the handling of the largest cargoes, as demanded by these emerging North Sea industry sectors.

Charles Hammond, Chief Executive of Forth Ports, said: “This is an important, privately funded investment for the Port of Dundee which is ideally placed to service the needs of North Sea oil & gas, decommissioning and Scotland’s offshore wind sector over the coming years.

The port’s existing skills base and location, combined with its riverside berths, deep water and rock river bed, put the port in a key position to become a hub for these sectors for construction, operations and maintenance and for decommissioning.

“Our investment also puts Dundee in a position to benefit from offshore renewable projects such as Neart na Gaoithe* which has the potential to deliver cost efficient renewable energy and economic benefits for Dundee. We are committed to investing in the port to ensure that the infrastructure is in place to support these industries and for the city of Dundee to fully capitalise on the significant opportunities they present.”

The quayside will effectively add both berthing and land capacity at the Port of Dundee and, once complete, will represent a significant increase in port capacity in the North East region.

The construction process will take 18 months to complete with work starting immediately.

Upon completion, the quayside will be 200 metres longer than currently and will be one of the strongest quaysides in Scotland, at a strength capability of 80 tonnes per square metre.

The strengthened quayside will be equipped to handle marine projects such as offshore anchor and chain servicing, which require a strong quayside, and offshore wind turbine assembly and deployment activities, as well as operations and maintenance, for which the Port of Dundee is ideally placed due to its proximity to the proposed offshore wind farm developments in the Forth and Tay Estuaries.

It is anticipated that the quayside would also enable Dundee to benefit from future North Sea oil & gas decommissioning projects.

Business at the Port of Dundee has grown in the past 12 months, with the port attracting a new general cargo tenant, as well handling and drying a record 60,000 tonnes of barley during harvest 2015, reflecting the importance of the port to the local agricutulral sector. Renewed interest in Dundee from the passenger cruise sector will see cruise liner visits to the port increase from six in 2015 to a planned 10 in 2016, with further growth expected upon the opening of the V&A Museum of Design in 2017. The quayside development at Prince Charles Wharf will free up space within the port to accommodate further growth in these important sectors.

p36 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

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L&T ties up with McDermott Intl for exploring East Coast exploration opportunities L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering, a unit of Larsen & Toubro, said it has signed a long term agreement with McDermott International to explore joint execution of subsea projects in deepwater segment emerging on the east coast of India.

Under the agreement, LTHE and McDermott will develop a cost effective approach which will utilize LTHE’s state of the art, strategically located Kattupalli facility near Chennai.

It will be used for fabrication and setting up of a local spoolbase in India.

A spoolbase is a shore based facility used to facilitate continuous pipe laying for offshore oil and gas production. It allows the welding of single or double joints of steel pipe for spooling onto a reel lay vessel.

India’s offshore oil blocks off the east coast are expected to hold huge reserves of oil and gas. However, the high cost of extraction has deterred companies from tapping the area so far.

The versatile fleet and combination of reel lay and S lay methods for laying of subsea pipelines will be

by McDermott. This offers a unique and compelling value proposition for future East coast India deepwater developments.

L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering.

LTHE and McDermott have successfully cooperated on several other projects in India previously and this agreement further

strengthens the relationship between the two companies.

The agreement builds on successful collaboration between McDermott and L&T which resulted in the recent Rs. 2450 Crore order to the Consortium of McDermott and LTHE for Vashishta Deepwater Greenfield development.

L&T has been serving the upstream hydrocarbon sector since the early ’90s.

The Company’s offshore track record includes successful completion of several challenging projects for domestic and international clients.

LTHE provides complete ‘EPCI’ solutions for the offshore oil & gas industry combining customized engineering, procurement, fast track project management and world class fabrication & installation capabilities.

March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p37

In the Zone A new approach to solve welding arc blow Magnetism stops welding.

New methodology complements techniques using cables wrapped around the object. John Anderson reviews demagnetising deployment methods and introduces the new product concept - ZeroZone.

Typically, magnetic arc blow turns up in pipelines or constructions where the steel components have been aligned North-South for long periods of time. This causes the components to become magnetised and, typically when repairing or tying-in a new part, magnetic arc blow occurs. There are other causes of remanent magnetism, most notably, NDT, storage and handling.

At the sharp end, magnetic arc blow causes welding job delays, poor weld quality, welder frustration and unexpected costs; this is particularly frustrating when everything is in place yet the project is completely stalled.

When working from a lay barge or subsea the costs incurred in setting up the job and the day cost of the support means that even short delays are very expensive. For those who have not planned for this problem all sorts of schemes are tried: heat it up, hit it with a hammer, trail the weld set cables over it or put in sacrificial bridges of weld metal.

Each of these has an element of truth in the thinking but in practice all are poor or impossible subsea, briefly: 1. Heating the material beyond the Curie point will remove the magnetism but heating the whole pipe to ~600C, is energy inefficient, dangerous and could cause metallurgical changes.

2. Vibrating parts can in time remove magnetic fields - not practical with even modest sized components.

3. Magnetism will be affected by current from conductors - the bad news is it can make it worse.

4. Weld metal bridges across the joint will divert magnetic flux - but many such bridges are required for a good result which is the same as putting in bad welds and grinding them out! p38 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

The magnetic effect The effect of magnetic arc blow is that the combination of current in the weld plasma and the magnetic field result in a force on the plasma that is perpendicular to the current flow in the arc and the magnetic field direction. For a pipe weld, the magnetic field direction is axial with the pipe, the current will be radial to the pipe and the resulting arc deflection will be circumferential.

With low magnetic field levels welding can proceed unaffected, however, as magnetic field levels increase, the arc becomes progressively more unstable and difficult to control. The result is often poor quality welds that have to be ground out. At even higher fields the arc blows out such that the arc is immediately extinguished and no welding can take place.

Subsea wet welding is difficult so removing magnetism problems is an essential prerequisite for quality welds.

Methods that work: Fortunately, there are a number of methods for overcoming magnetic arc blow that work well if you have the right equipment - Zeromag, essentially a smart bi-directional high current power source. The techniques that can be used are: 1. Field nulling or balancing: this sets up a magnetic field in the opposite direction to the remanent field reducing the net field to zero. This works almost instantly minimising job delays.

2. Degaussing: this down cycles the magnetic material in ever reducing bipolar current loops until the magnetism is gone (see graph). This is only really practical for pipe ends or a pipe weld joint.

Although a good approach it has several practical problems. It can be slow taking minutes or even tens of minutes to do the job. Worse it may not be effective at all if the strength of the degaussing field is too low (below the saturation

magnetisation of the material).

3. Single cycle degauss: this method, unique to Zeromag, is to ‘learn’ the pipe material and then execute a specific single cycle degauss profile. The time taken is much reduced, although the levels of remanent field are slightly higher than down cycling.

4. AC degaussing: Penetration depth into the steel when running at line frequency of 50/60Hz is insufficient to degauss thick walled plate or pipes completely but can work well on thinner material.

For all the above methods, demagnetising cable must be deployed, preferably around the steel object that has the magnetism. This can be facilitated for pipes up to about 2 metres diameter using clam coils that effect the cable wrapping of 25 turns in a single action.

Enter the zone When working with large plate or pipes, the demagnetisation process requires that the magnetic field is controlled via the demagnetising cables. When the object is large it cannot be coiled around with the cables. As a result lay on coils are used where coils are simply laid on the component either side of the weld prep. This works well for modest fields, but for high fields the most efficient way to null the magnetic field is to use ZeroZone. This pre-wound assembly provides a magnetic bridge across the weld prep to allow control of the magnetism.

ZeroZone is a new concept marrying together all the demagnetising methods that work, with the metal bridge idea discussed earlier. The product

Top picture: Down cycle of magnetism in steel. Above: Dark blue shows zone of low magnetism.

welding & fabrication is an optional add-on to the Zeromag system and when deployed on a pipe or plate produces a zone that can be completely controlled magnetically without the need for demagnetising coils. The resulting system is highly efficient and will nullify fields approaching 1000 gauss.

In operation, ZeroZone is placed across the weld prep. The arms and pole pieces are adjusted so that the active area of the pole

Above: ZeroZone on two weld plates. pieces are in close contact with both sides of the work piece. Mechanical adjustments provide 2 orthogonal angular adjustments to allow for misalignment of the abutted planes of

the 2 plates. Pole pieces are supplied to cater for both plate and a variety of pipe diameters.

In deployment, ZeroZone is connected back to Zeromag and the system can be operated with all the normal modes of Zeromag - manual nulling, automatic nulling, downcycle degauss and single cycle degauss.

Using Zeromag nulling, welding can commence immediately within the jaws of ZeroZone. Once this area has been welded, ZeroZone needs to be moved to the next position along the weld. With lower remanent fields, welding can proceed well beyond the jaws - see blue areas on the above plot.

Subsea zone ZeroZone can be used subsea with wet welding. In this case the Zeromag is sited topside and ZeroZone and the Zeromag probe used by the diver in the water. Its operation in this mode requires some small changes to the standard set up: the connectors to the cables to Zeromag need to be sealed from the water and a special version of the Zeromag probe is required sealed for subsea operation.

With this arrangement ZeroZone can be used

at depths of up to 40 metres (130 feet), so it can be used for repairs on rigs and offshore steel frameworks for wind power generators.

The key advantages are efficient nulling of the magnetism and complete electrical safety. Working subsea with ZeroZone the largest possible potential difference is 15 volts, although in practice the normal working potential is about 1 volt at 30 amps.

All the electrical power systems remain topside.

Summary The ZeroZone product is a new approach to solving arc blow problems. It is most applicable for large components, plate, pipeline and complex infrastructure such as heat exchangers or LPG tanks. Its advantage is that, working with Zeromag, the user can enjoy all the magnetic field control measures in a targeted zone where the welder is working.

John Anderson MPhil. (Cantab) MSPE is a magnetic technical specialist at Diverse Technologies, solving arc blow problems for leading welding companies around the world.

www.diverse–technologies.net

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March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p39

HAZARDOUS AREA CSA Group offers expert guidance on new ATEX Directives CSA Group, a leading global provider of testing and certification services and the owner of Sira Certification Service, the UK Notified Body for the ATEX Directive, is providing valuable insight and expertise to manufacturers on the new requirements for ATEX that are scheduled to take effect in April 2016.

“The new directive has caused some confusion and concern for manufacturers of equipment for explosive atmospheres.

CSA Group has decades of experience in testing and certification for hazardous locations, and are the leading third party testing laboratory for ATEX and IECEx in the United Kingdom. We are sharing that knowledge and expertise to help manufacturers understand the new EU requirements.”

Ian Rippin, Managing Director UK, CSA Group.

CSA Group offers answers to the five most frequently asked questions about the new directive.

About CSA Group CSA Group is an independent, not-for-profit membership association dedicated to safety, social good and sustainability.

The CSA certification mark appears on billions of products worldwide.

For more information about CSA Group visit:

www.csagroup.org

p40 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

1. When do we have to use the new Directive?

Although 2014/34/EU has been published, it does not become ‘effective’ until the 20th April 2016.

What this means for notified bodies is that we are unable to issue certificates stating compliance with this new Directive before 20th April 2016.

What this means for manufacturers is that they are not permitted to issue Declarations of Conformity stating compliance with 2014/34/EU before the 20th April 2016. However, the latest information from the European Commission is that manufacturers may issue Declarations of Conformity for qualifying products stating compliance to both 94/9/EC and 2014/34/EU alongside their respective dates of application. Therefore the declaration may state conformity with 94/9/EC up to, and including, the 19th April 2016 and also state conformity with 2014/34/ EU on, and after, the 20th April 2016.

2. Will we need to update our current certificate by the 20th April 2016 to be able to sell existing product after that date?

entering the market. As a result your Declaration of Conformity must declare conformity to 2014/34/EU after this date.

However, the European Commission permits Declarations of Conformity to state compliance to both 94/9/EC and 2014/34/EU alongside their respective dates of application. Therefore the declaration may state Conformity with 94/9/EC up to, and including, the 19th April 2016 and also state conformity with 2014/34/EU on, and after, the 20th April 2016.

4. Are variations to existing

certificates which are to 94/9/EC allowed under the new directive?

After the new Directive becomes effective on the 20th April 2016, variations to existing certificates which are to 94/9/EC can be updated without the certificate number changing.

The Notified Body will reissue the certificate, [but reference to 94/9/ EC will be replaced with 2014/34/EU and EC-Type Examination certificates will become EU-Type Examination certificates.

No. 2014/34/EU contains a clause stating 5. Can an EU-Type Examination

that certificates issued under Directive Certificate be issued as a 94/9/EC shall be valid under this re-issue of an existing certificate Directive. Therefore, certificates to 94/9/ and will the certificate number EC do not need updating to 2014/34/EU. have to change?

There is currently no time limit associated with this either.

Certificates do not have to be reissued because they refer to 94/9/EC. 3. Will we need to make any changes 2014/34/EU contains a clause stating to our Declaration of Conformity for that certificates issued under Directive the products which we place on the 94/9/EC on existing product shall market on and after the 20th April 2016? be valid under this Directive.

Therefore, certificates to 94/9/EC Yes. As 94/9/EC is no longer effective do not need updating to 2014/34/ after the 19th April 2016 you cannot EU. There is currently no time limit declare conformity to it for new products associated with this either.

hazardous area

LMK Thermosafe provide perfect solution for safely heating Gas Cylinders LMK Thermosafe have manufactured robust hazardous and safe area industrial heaters for drums and containers for over 30 years.

Standard product groups include a selection of sizes for pressurized gas cylinders, using designs with adjustable surface temperature thermostats for safe areas or their new INTELIHEAT™ Flexiplus models where there is risk of explosion.

These new jackets are fully ATEX certified for use in Zone 1 and 2 Hazardous Areas and come in a variety of sizes.

Custom sizes can also be designed and produced quickly.

Many industrial processes require a constant flow of gas to be delivered, and this is normally supplied from pressurised cylinders containing gas in liquid phase. If the level of liquid reduces fast, frosting can occur on the surface of the cylinder and flow rates can be adversely affected. Our gentle and insulated heating

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solutions can prevent this phenomenon and restore stability to the flow rate.

This is particularly important when using calibration gases where repeatability is vital.

Note that separate over-pressure safety systems should always be in place to meet health and safety requirements.

We can design jackets for most cylinder sizes, with our standard “HHG” being a popular size normally available for immediate delivery. Where adequate environmental protection is available, larger horizontally mounted outdoor cylinders can also be heated.

The IHF/G certified jacket does not normally require temperature control, but a thermostat is available as an option in some circumstances.

www.lmkthermosafe.co.uk

Loading

Securing

Mixing

Tel: 01736 851050 Web: www.sts-trolleys.co.uk Email: sales@sts-trolleys.co.uk

39 January March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p41

hazardous area

Communications for hazardous environments Safety is paramount when working in a hazardous environment. Communication equipment is essential and in certain circumstances and has to be intrinsically safe.

(ATEX, a technique based on limiting energy, electrical and thermal, to a level below that’s required to ignite a specific hazardous atmospheric mixture).

Bridge Systems Ltd is a communications company with many years of experience in the communication industry.

Our various technologies are used in many sectors including petrochemical sites, utilities, transportation and civil engineering.

Designing and installing systems for offshore production platforms, (rig) decommissioning and recommissioning features highly within our skillset; Together with the company’s ability to offer radio technologies from initial design to completion we have an engineering team qualified to be deployed offshore. We are a ‘one stop shop’ for all communication needs:

existing communications and offer guidance on the potential for improvement and expansion within your existing or new communication networks.

• Leaky feeder systems (confined space communications) • Point to point microwave networks • Secure ATEX mesh networks (Tag reading, CCTV, data

communications/internet) We can apply our extensive technological knowledge to audit and improve your

What is Safe Handling?

This article is written to give purchasers an insight into the selection of handling equipment.

Most people when planning a lift would ensure that they have the correct shackles and strops and that these are all within their test date.

We should also be aware that any lift is only as secure as the weakest link. All too often the weakest link is the handling equipment itself.

There is often little checking of the pedigree of the handling equipment before it is purchased.

It is difficult for a purchasing department to procure quality equipment that they have no experience in. The endless offering of web sites selling handling equipment makes it difficult for even experienced people to work out what is good and what is bad.

I am sure you have guessed by now the writer of this article works for a company who manufactures quality handling equipment.

I have a number of suggestions of ways to ensure you buy equipment you can trust.

What you should look for when choosing a supplier?

Traceability Can the supplier give you full traceability for the product? You should not simply trust in something because it is painted yellow and has some stickers on it which you recognise.

p42 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

Complying with Regulations You would expect that all manufacturers of handling equipment would be inspected by a relevant body to ensure that they design and build their handling units to be safe and compliant with any regulations relating to their product group. Unfortunately this is not the case. Anyone can set up a company and manufacture equipment and they can easily make claims about what regulations they comply with.

Build File All companies who design and manufacture equipment must produce and hold a technical file for every product they manufacture.

The question is can the company show you the build file if you asked to see it?

Just keep in mind that as the purchaser you have the right to ask as many questions as you like to satisfy yourself that you are buying compliant equipment.

Colin Jones 01736 851050 STS Bespoke Handling Equipment Ltd

www.sts-trolleys.co.uk

hazardous area

E2S Warning Signals launches GRP IECEx & ATEX Xenon strobe beacons at CIPPE, 29 – 31 March E2S Warning Signals, the world’s leading independent manufacturer of audible and visual warning signals, will launch its new GNEx GRP Xenon strobe beacons, at CIPPE 2016 in Beijing, China 29 - 31 March.

The new products add visual signalling to the explosion proof and corrosion resistant GNEx family. Suitable for all Zone 1, 2, 21 & 22 hazardous location applications the GNEx beacons have extended temperature range with IECEx and ATEX Ex d approvals.

For high ambient light or long distance signalling the GNExB2 beacon is available in 10, 15 and 21 Joule variants producing up to 902cd, a very high output Xenon strobe.

The smaller sized GNExB1 is available for where a 5 Joule (up to 117cd) unit meets requirements. Three flash patterns and second stage, set by user, are a standard feature with all GNEx beacons, depending on base model and power (DC or AC) supply.

On-site removal and replacement of the lens filter, such as for colour changes, is simple.

Polycarbonate, UV stable lenses are available in Amber, Blue, Clear, Green, Magenta, Red and Yellow as separate spare parts. Installation time is minimised by design with the GRP enclosure featuring a threaded flame path, multiple cable entries and a large termination area.

Complementing the GNEx range is the GNExJ2 Ex d junction box, which, having multiple cable entries and terminal configurations means suitability for many other applications.

Both 15 and 21 Joule versions can be supplied as a plate mounted assembly configured with up to four Xenon strobe beacons with a junction box or five beacons without a junction box. The new Xenon strobe beacon visual signals broaden the GNEx family which includes alarm horn sounders, PA loudspeakers and manual call points for activation of fire alarms, gas detection and emergency shutdown systems.

this year to showcase our products designed specifically for the needs of the industry” said Colin Tan, Regional Sales Manager for E2S. E2S will also have a preview of the new STEx family of stainless steel enclosure devices plus a selection of other explosion proof and intrinsically safe warning devices from the company’s portfolio of more than 350 different products.

“CIPPE is Asia’s largest trade show for the petroleum industry equipment and we’re happy to come back again

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Email : sales@sts-trolleys.co.uk March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p43

product spotlight Balltec Flangeless Subsea Plug Launcher in Statoil Pipeline Upgrade Project Balltec Engineered Solutions has successfully completed work using its subsea smart plug launcher. The flangeless subsea plug launcher technology played a critical role in Statoil’s ambitious infrastructure upgrade methodology for the Åsgard Millom pipeline.

Balltec established a close working relationship with Statoil whilst working on a new lifting system for the Åsgard subsea gas compression project.

It was during this time that Statoil asked Balltec to investigate the possibility of designing and manufacturing a subsea plug launcher to their unique specifications.

The plug launcher was built on technology used in Balltec’s recently developed flangeless subsea PIG launcher, a subsea tool used to deploy a PIG into a pipeline without the need for a bolted flange connection or diver intervention. The existing technology was significantly re-designed to accommodate a larger smart plug of 4.5 m in length with a mass of 1500 kg.

The plug launcher gripping mechanism was built to withstand pressure of up to 120 bar from within the pipeline.

Jon Jackson, Balltec Engineering Manager said: “This is a unique piece of subsea equipment. The subsea plug launcher is flangeless and allows the insertion of plugs without any existing infrastructure by gripping and sealing the end of a cut pipe. The plug can be launched via a simple hydraulic system and operated with minimum ROV intervention. This allowed our client to have no production loss during tie in.”

The whole project was delivered to Technip, the installation contractor, within an onerous time frame which included all FAT procedures and Statoil technical approval. The plug launcher was successfully deployed and used in the Åsgard field in August 2015.

Gunnar Paulson, Senior Technical Advisor at Statoil said: “The Balltec Plug Launcher was used for launching a Smart Plug into a producing 20” pipeline at the Åsgard field in Norway.

The objective was to isolate the gas producing part of the pipeline from the water filled section at the end, facilitating installation of a pipeline end module while the main part of the pipeline was in normal production.

The technology went through an extensive development and testing process before the launcher was qualified by Statoil for operation on a live pipeline. Several parties contributed to a safe and successful launching operation this summer.

Statoil would like to thank Balltec for their efficient design, fabrication and testing of the Plug Launcher.”

The subsea plug and PIG launcher are part of the pipeline engineering solutions offered by Balltec, which includes the original PipeLOK™ pipeline deployment & recovery tools. Both solutions are suitable for deployment across a wide variety of pipeline operations.

p44 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

product spotlight

SLOTS VERSUS HOLES IMPROVE FLOW THROUGH SAFETY SCREENs Protecting components in critical fluids handling applications from the risks of blockages caused by unwanted contaminants is essential in helping to eliminate system failure and downtime.

Miniature component specialists Lee Products are continually developing and enhancing their field proven range of HI-BAR Safety Screens which are highly effective in blocking contaminants. As a result of a special testing programme associated with an oil tool application, Lee Products are now able to offer custom designed safety screens with rectangular slots as an option instead of round holes.

Tests revealed that HI-BAR safety screens with rectangular slots, as opposed to circular holes, provided significantly improved flow control. In the tests, two screens, one with 100u slots and one with 100u circular holes (with both screens having the same open area), were subjected to a flow test while introducing glass beads to simulate

contamination. As the screens became clogged with the spherical particles, the results confirmed that the screen with the rectangular slots experienced a 50% less pressure drop compared to the screen with the holes.

Typical applications for this type of safety screen will include oil tool production where the likelihood of spherical particles (e.g. sand) could potentially lead to traditional types of safety screens clogging more easily than those with rectangular slots. Depending on size and material, they can withstand pressure differentials up to 7,500 psid, without rupture.

The screens are manufactured in 17-4PH S/S and are available in UNF and metric threaded boss mount versions and flange mount styles with hole sizes ranging from 75 to 500 microns.

Flange mount screens are also available in brass and therefore an ideal solution in applications where resistance to corrosion and combustion is important and also in PEEK (PolyEtherEtherKetone) for use in medical, scientific and aerospace applications.

Custom designs are also available for more specific application requirements and the availability of rectangular slots significantly extends the capability of HI-BAR Safety Screens.

Tel: +44 (0)1753 886664 Email: sales@leeproducts.co.uk

www.leeproducts.co.uk

Intertek enhances sample cylinder service to deliver client cost savings Intertek, a leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide, has enhanced its sample cylinders services to provide significant cost savings for clients.

Exploration and Production, said: “All platforms must undertake sampling and analysis for many different reasons. For example, installations individually monitor their own contaminants, discharges and emissions.

Sample cylinders are used by offshore chemists to transport live crude, gas and water samples from offshore to onshore laboratories for testing. Intertek has invested £180,000 in 200 high pressure cylinders to meet an increased demand from clients for analysis services.

Due to a heightened awareness of the impact these have on the environment and platform infrastructure, legislation and specifications have become stricter, with allowable levels being reduced over time. This has led to an increase in analysis services and a higher demand from clients for these kinds of cylinders.

Fifty cylinders will be specially coated to allow the safe and effective transportation of samples containing mercury and hydrogen sulphide. Both elements can adhere to the internal surfaces of standard stainless steel cylinders, rendering analysis unreliable.

Doug Finnie, Operations Manager for Intertek

“We previously rented cylinders from third parties on the clients’ behalf, but handling these in-house means now we can add value to the service and create cost savings for clients. For some of our customers, we believe that this could be tens of thousands of pounds per year.”

Intertek’s independent testing and consultancy services provides a wide range of Production Support laboratory services, including crude oil, gas and water analysis, oil condition monitoring, oilfield microbiology, equipment procurement, offshore manpower provision and laboratory design.

The company also offers a range of related Exploration and Production services, including chemical selection, reservoir souring and modelling and failure assessments.

Above: Intertek sample cylinders.

March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p45

product spotlight

ROVs Work for Diving Companies and Entrepreneurs Almost every commercial diving company is now employing an ROV in some part of their operation. Most recognize the ROV is not a replacement for the diver, but rather a tool to help make his job safer, faster and easier. Inspecting a site with a remote controlled vehicle before sending someone below, allows both diver and topside personnel to better understand the working environment, nature and extent of the job.

One company successfully using the ROV is Works of Diving Hong Kong Ltd, a member of the International Association of Diving Contractors. With more than 30 years’ experience in the commercial diving industry, co-owners Albert Lam and Tatsushi Kagaya have gained considerable expertise in marine engineering, and extensive knowledge of project management and design. Together they have the capability to execute all aspects of underwater construction, maintenance, repair, and demolition. The company has participated in many of Hong Kong’s big infrastructure projects such as the intake installations at the Lamma Island Power Station and KCRC West Rail, and the Submarine Outfall Installation.

They do plant and facilities maintenance work for the Drainage Services Department, and have collaborated with China Guangzhou Salvage on bigger projects. Their extensive line of equipment includes a derrick lighter, tug boats, a full line of commercial diving equipment.

Commercial diving companies aren’t the only ones putting ROVs to work.

Entrepreneurs, like Australian Steve Robinson, are also discovering how ROVs can provide unique opportunities and make their businesses more profitable. Steve is in the process of setting up a business to collect rare seashells in water depths of 50 to 300 meters; far beyond the range of sport diving. These are no ordinary shells, but rather unique specimens in high demand by collectors. The buying

and selling of these mollusks is a multimillion dollar worldwide industry.

To ensure the harvesting of these rare specimens is sustainable, the industry is regulated by the Australian Fisheries Department, EPA, Conservation Council, and a number of other agencies. In addition to attempting to build a profitable enterprise, Robinson also plans on conducting scientific research in the deep waters off South Australia, an area very little is known about. He will be video mapping the ocean floor, examining the health of fish stocks, and looking for signs of subsea resources that could possibly be developed.

Above: Works of Diving Hong Kong’s team lowering ROV into tank.

Above right: INSUB personnel with JW Fishers SeaLion-2 ROV.

Valeport fastCTD Profiler Ticks the Boxes Valeport’s new fastCTD Profiler is designed to deliver high quality CTD casts at rapid drop rates.

Created for coastal and oceanographic profiling, this new profiler is an evolution of Valeport’s popular miniCTD instrument. The system incorporates Valeport’s world class technology to allow the fastCTD Profiler to deliver the highest quality profiles in a lightweight and robust package.

The fastCTD Profiler uses a conductivity cell designed for optimum flow through, a high accuracy, fast response thermistor temperature sensor and a 0.01% pressure sensor synchronously sampling at up to 32Hz to attain the most accurate measurement data.

Completely programmable, no data is logged until the programmed trigger depth is reached by the device. p46 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

The Valeport fastCTD Profiler is also available with an optional integral Fluorometer, from Valeport’s new Hyperion range, and an optional Bluetooth communications module for easy data analysis or export. Designed to operate autonomously and powered by a single D-cell battery, this instrument can also be supplied with a traditional SubConn connector for standard RS232/RS485 communication.

Kevin Edwards, Valeport Sales and Marketing Manager commented: “Our new fastCTD Profiler offers a unique and versatile solution for the collection of casts at rapid drop rates.

It is highly accurate, simple to deploy and has already received a very positive reaction.

Like all our deep water subsea products, the fastCTD Profiler is manufactured to the highest standards using titanium, for maximum durability, although shallow water units are also available.”

The fastCTD Profiler is supplied as standard with a deployment frame and Datalog X2 operating software.

Valeport designs and manufactures instrumentation for the oceanographic, hydrographic and hydrometric communities with a worldwide customer base that includes: environmental, defence, oil and gas, renewable energy, construction, dredging and civil engineering sectors.

product spotlight

North-east firm invests in advanced inspection technology A leading North-East storage and inspection firm has invested £500,000 in state of the art inspection equipment at its tubular supply base in Peterhead.

Independent Oilfield Services (IOS), which was established in 2014, has purchased an electromagnetic inspection (EMI) unit to augment its tubular and drillpipe inspection processes.

Drawing upon 20 years of experience in Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) and drill pipe inspection, IOS has invested in a unit that utilises the latest developments in electronic inspection techniques, such as electromagnetic longitudinal and transverse flaw detection and hall effect wall loss, as well as electromagnetic grade comparator.

Inspecting the pipe with only one pass through the unit, the techniques used produce electromagnetic responses from the pipe onto a monitor for the operator to analyse. A measurable response will highlight a defect in the pipe allowing the operator to evaluate the severity of the flaw, such as corrosion, cracks, pits, cuts or gouges.

To support this investment, the firm has appointed a Senior Tubing & Casing Inspector, Andrew Reid, to help support the inspection and reporting on all tubing and casing that passes through the

facility. Mr Reid has substantial experience in non-destructive testing (NDT) and inspection techniques, and as and when required, will also head up the remote location inspection work, ensuring all contractual requirements are met on behalf of the IOS customer.

Mr Reid said: “I have been working in the oil and gas industry for 16 years now, primarily working in various forms of NDT inspection and have spent a lot of that time educating myself on the EMI process.

It is fantastic to see IOS investing in a new EMI unit during this difficult time in the oil and gas industry.

“Most EMI units globally were built in the 70’s and 80’s and have been refurbished over the years. Our new unit however has been built from scratch this year and works to an unbelievably high standard, having no issues whatsoever of detecting low wall areas, internal flaws and external flaws on drill pipe, tubing and casing.”

The firm’s tubular supply base, with 80 acres of available space, is located only four miles from Peterhead Port and provides all-round services for casing, tubing and drillpipe.

“The investment in the new EMI unit will help increase productivity on the yard by reducing inspection time and implementing a higher quality inspection process. It’s important that our clients receive a reliable service from us, particularly when safety is at the forefront of our industry. This particular investment is only the start of IOS introducing modern inspection techniques to the yard, as we expect to update our equipment further in the near future.”

Glynn Geddie, Business Development Manager at IOS (pictured above).

MAGNETROL INTRODUCES PULSARTM MODEL R96 NON-CONTACT RADAR TRANSMITTER Magnetrol’s newest level control solution delivers best in class accuracy and reliability.

Magnetrol International, a leading level and flow instrumentation manufacturer, has launched the PulsarTM Model R96 Non-Contact Radar transmitter for accurate, reliable level control in process applications. Virtually unaffected by the presence of vapors or air movement within a vessel’s free space, the two wire, loop powered, 6 GHz Radar transmitter measures a wide variety of liquid media in process conditions ranging from calm product surfaces and water based media to turbulent surfaces and aggressive hydrocarbon media.

The PULSAR Model R96 offers state of the

technology performance, including: • Best in class signal processing for exceptional accuracy and reliability • An extensive measurement range of 130 feet (40 meters) • Advanced diagnostics with automatic waveform capture and data logging • A powerful device type manager (DTM) with industry leading field configuration and troubleshooting capabilities • SIL 2 suitability with a Safe Failure Fraction (SFF) = 92.7%. (FMEDA available upon request) • HART® and FOUNDATIONTM Fieldbus digital outputs This new radar transmitter joins the company’s ground-breaking Eclipse® Model 706 Guided

Wave Radar (GWR) transmitter to offer process industries a complete portfolio of advanced radar technologies for level control solutions.

For information about the new PULSAR Model R96 Non-Contact Radar level transmitter, visit radar.magnetrol.com or contact a MAGNETROL representative.

Right: The Pulsar R96 Horn.

www.magnetrol.com March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p47

product spotlight

Van Beest expands the range of Green Pin® ROV shackles with the introduction of:

Green Pin® ROV Release and Retrieve shackles with tapered pin These shackles are available with two types of handles; a Fishtailhandle or D-handle.

Green Pin® ROV shackles have handles that can be manipulated easily by a hydraulically operated ROV arm, without compromising safety. The tapered ending of the pin makes it possible to easily assemble the shackle underwater.

What makes this shackle unique: 1. Shackle body painted white, handles painted orange for excellent visibility under water.

2. Interchangeable handles, select the handle that best suits your needs.

3. Handles are firmly attached to the pin head with bolts and Nord-Lock® rings.

4. Groove for wire rope in pin head to attach pin to shackle body.

5. Thread completely chambered to protect your sling.

6. Suitable for both inline and side loading (for side loads the same reduction factor apply as for standard Green Pin®

shackles).

The complete range from WLL 6.5t up to and including 55t can be supplied

directly from stock.

Release & retrieve shackles with tapered pin and D-handle • Material : bow and pin alloy steel, Grade 8, Polar quality, quenched and tempered • Safety factor : MBL equals 5 x WLL • Finish : body painted white, pin painted green, handle painted orange • Temperature Range : -60˚C up to +200˚C • Certificates : at no extra charges this product can be supplied with a works certificate, material certificate,

manufacturer test certificate, EC Declaration of Conformity.

• Note : supplied without wires; apply the ideal wiring for your specific application Release & retrieve shackles with tapered pin and Fishtail-handle • Material : bow and pin alloy steel, Grade 8, Polar quality, quenched and tempered • Safety factor : MBL equals 5 x WLL • Finish : body painted white, pin painted green, handle painted orange • Temperature Range : -60˚C up to +200˚C • Certificates : at no extra charges this product can be supplied with a works certificate,material certificate, manufacturer test certificate, EC

Declaration of Conformity.

• Note : supplied without wires; apply the ideal wiring for your specific application

NEW RANGE MARECHAL EX COMPACT CONNECTOR – PNCX SERIES Development projects involve technical innovation and the development of new concepts as well as changes to existing ranges. The PNCX is a compact and rugged connector designed for all types of aggressive environments (humidity, corrosion, pollution) found in many industrial hazardous areas.

The 5 contacts connection can meet all needs and applications such as lighting. The PNCX connector is both quickly assembled and put into service.

Its locking ring resists vibration thus preventing accidental disconnection of the plug on load. p48 | www.sosmagazine.biz | March 2016

MARECHAL®’s technically advanced silver nickel butt contact system assures next level performance no matter the conditions.

The PNCX guarantees a long lasting and electrically efficient connection for your industry.

Standard & technical features • Ex e IIC T6 Gb Ex tb IIIC T72°C Db • 5 A – 250 V • Classified IECEX & ATEX - Can be used in zones1 and 2 (Gas), 21 and 22 (Dust) • Polarity 3P+N+E • Glass fibre reinforced thermoplastic UL94 V-0

• Compact and easy to use • IP66/IP67 watertight (IP68 according to specification) • Long life.

product spotlight

Rotork Control Valve Actuation Passes The Glass Making Test Following extensive testing, leading glass container manufacturers are specifying the Rotork CMA electric actuator for a critical valve control function in the glass making process.

The valves are used to control the temperature and pressure in the furnaces by regulating the air and gas mixture with extreme precision. Maintaining a constant temperature and pressure is essential for energy efficient glass making. Traditionally, the industry

uses various pneumatic and electric actuators for the modulating and isolating valves involved, but has recognised the need for a more reliable and energy efficient universal solution for this application.

Tests have demonstrated that the CMA out performs existing equipment, providing improved precision, reliability and energy savings in a compact and easy to set product that is available in a range of sizes that suits all the various valve types encountered.

In addition, the CMA’s versatile ability to interface with industry-standard 4-20mA or RIRO (Remote In Remote Out) control signals enables plants in different countries to standardise on the same product.

Furnace revamps, usually taking place after a period of ten years operation, provide the opportunity to introduce the upgrade, which typically involves up to forty valves on each furnace.

Following the success of the tests, several hundred ATEX certified explosion proof CMQ250 and CMQ500 actuators have been installed during revamps around the world.

Determination of trace-level chlorine in the presence of sulfur in crude oil PANalytical, world market leader for X-ray fluorescence (XRF) equipment, announces a new dedicated solution for the analysis of very low chlorine concentrations in crude oils. Epsilon 3XLE, an XRF benchtop system, has now been equipped to meet the analytical challenges of the petrochemical industry.

Chlorine and sulfur are unwanted elements in crude oil and other petrochemical products.

They can cause corrosion in the oil processing and refinement installations and are harmful for the environment. XRF is widely used for the analysis of sulfur in oil; however, the simultaneous determination of very low chlorine concentrations poses an analytical challenge due to the proximity of both elements in the periodic table of elements.

PANalytical’s Epsilon 3XLE energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer is perfectly able to meet this challenge.

The combination of a proprietary chromium anode tube, excellent resolution and sensitivity of the silicon drift detector and the powerful software enables the system to process high sulfur count rates and at the same time resolve possible line overlaps between chlorine and sulfur.

Crude oil samples are simply poured into disposable cups for liquid samples before being measured by the compact benchtop spectrometer.

The lower limit of quantification for chlorine in the presence of percentage levels of sulfur is below 2 mg/kg (ppm), which makes the Epsilon 3XLE the perfect solution for this challenging task.

Furthermore, the system caters for variable characteristics of crude oil composition thereby enabling a more robust and accurate

determination of chlorine.

The possibility to analyze all other relevant elements from Na to Am with similar outstanding accuracy and repeatability, makes it a valuable asset for a wide range of petrochemical applications.

Taco van der Maten, Petro Segment Marketing Manager.

March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p49

+44 (0) 1522 791 721

MAKING & MAINTAINING THE RIGHT CONNECTION Destec Engineering has specialised in the manufacture of high pressure Flanges, Seals & Connections for the Oil, Gas & Renewable Energy industries for over 45 years.

Services we deliver: Destec compact flanges Destec boiler inspection caps G-Range 4 bolt connectors Compatible seals GSB subsea single bolt clamps

We also specialise in On-site machining to many industries.

DESTEC

WWW.

.CO.UK

sosenquiries@destec.co.uk

Services we offer: On-site machining Bolt tensioning On-line leak sealing Overlay welding NDT services Regenerator & vessel head removal

A-Z ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY Front Cover Baltic

Tel +44 (0)1524 733388

Website. www.balltec.com

Page 11

Belleville Springs Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1527 500500

Website. www.bellevillesprings.com

Page 15

Ceep Connectors

Tel +44 (0)1730 352012

Website. www.ceep.co.uk

Page 37

Dales Marine Services

Tel +44 (0)1224 212778

Website. www.dalesmarine.co.uk

Page 39

Deepdale Engineering

Tel +44 (0)1384 480022

Website. www.deepdale-eng.co.uk

OBC

Destec Engineering

Tel +44 (0)1522 791721

Website. www.destec.co.uk

Page 22

Digital Edge Subsea

Tel. +44 (0)1229 206456

Website. www.digitaledgesubsea.com

Page 13

Diverse Technologies

Tel: +44 (0)1223 844444

Website. www.diverse-technologies.net

Page 9

IChemE

Tel +44 (0)1788 534431

Website. www.icheme.org

IFC

J W Auto Marine

Tel +44 (0)1328 852300

Website. www.jwautomarine.co.uk

Page 35

LEAA

Tel +44 (0)1480 432801

Website. www.leea.com

Page 35

Lebus

Tel +44 (0)1795475324

Website. www.lebusintengineers.com

Page 41

LMK Thermosafe

Tel +44 (0)1440 707141

Website. www.inteliheat.co.uk

Page 33

Nautilus Rigging

Tel +44 (0)1224 772323

Website. www.nautilusrigging.com

Page 31

RUD Chains

Tel +44 (0)1227 276611

Website. www.rud.co.uk

Page 43

STS Safety Trolley Sys

Tel +44 (0)1736 851050

Website. www.sts-trolleys.co.uk

Page 19

TSC Inspection Systems

Tel +44 (0)1908 317444

Website. www.tscinspectionsystems.com

Page 22

Valeport Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1803 869292

Website. www.valeport.co.uk

Page 11

Valley Springs

Tel +44 (0)1426 451981

Website. www.valleyspring.com

Page 5

Zetechtics Ltd

Tel +44 (0)1653 602020

Website. www.zetechtics.com

NEXT MONTH... pumps & valves | hose & couplings supplies | flow measurement subsea equipment & underwater inspection | harzardous area, equipment & services european offshore energy 2016 | plant & asset management 2016 If you have any news, insights or product launches that you would like to share with our readers, please email them to:

editor@sosmagazine.biz for consideration in our future issues.

March 2016 | www.sosmagazine.biz | p51

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