Subsea UK News - Sept 2017 Issue

SUBSEA UK NEWS THE MAGAZINE FROM SUBSEA UK WWW.SUBSEAUK.COM SEPTEMBER 2017

IN THIS ISSUE Exporting: A Way to Guarantee your Company’s Future Global Energy Group: Moving in the Right Direction An Introduction to Subsea Engineering: Online Course Revised by Experts SubseaIntel: Q3 Market Activity Report The Latest Subsea News and Events

DIRECTION IN THE GLOBAL MARKET

Europe’s largest annual Subsea Exhibition and Conference Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC) 07-09 February 2018

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FOREWORD

Welcome to Subsea UK News The industry must foster relationships built on trust and common objectives in order to become stronger, leaner and more agile.

Over the past 18 months we have seen great efforts across the sector to make this happen, however to make it work, the will has to be there from operators, service companies and the supply chain.

Events like Offshore Europe provide a strong platform for the industry to come together, build relationships and identify smarter ways of working.

The theme of this year’s event, ‘Embracing New Realities’, clearly spells out what we must do if we want to come out of this downturn in a Neil Gordon, Chief Executive, Subsea UK stronger position. If the current environment has taught us one thing, it’s the need to have a more balanced spread of business, not just in terms of geography but also in relation to the industry sectors in which we operate.

However, we must be confident in the market if we want to thrive in a $50 world. Efficiency is not just about cuts; smart efficiency comes from innovation in process and technology application, looking where value can be added.

As we stressed at Subsea Expo earlier this year, we must adapt to survive. The UK is in a strong position to embrace the new norm and, indeed, can capitalise upon it, but to improve efficiencies and maximise opportunities for all, we must be more open to doing things in a different way.

Subsea UK Subsea UK News, produced by Subsea UK, reaches over 28,000 subsea-affiliated subscribers each issue.

Subsea UK is the champion for the UK subsea industry. We act for the entire supply chain bringing together operators, contractors, suppliers and people in the industry.

The UK subsea industry leads the world in experience, innovation and technology. The UK will maintain a leading technological edge by sustaining and expanding this important business sector.

Whether you are a company looking to join and reap the benefits or an individual looking to develop your career in the subsea industry, explore our website or contact us to find out how Subsea UK can help you, your business and your industry.

Find out more at www.subseauk.com

New Members Avanteq Ltd

BPS

Cadherent Ltd

Exnics

Pipetech Operations Ltd

Deep C Intervention Ltd

Increasingly our members are diversifying their offerings to break into the growing marine renewables industry, particularly in offshore wind, and extending their global reach to boost exports. Whether it’s driven by necessity because of the collapse in one market or by the opportunity being created in another, diversification and internationalisation leads to long-term success and sustainability.

Pipex px®

Msquared Innovation Ltd

1CSI Ltd

The Smart Actuator Company

In this issue, we hear from Ian Cobban, chief operating officer of Global Energy Group on how the company has evolved and diversified in order to overcome current market challenges, increase efficiencies and drive growth.

Forthcoming Events

Many companies have realised that with such pre-eminent capabilities, diversification really is an obvious strategic development for our sector and for the emerging industries which are seeking underwater expertise, knowledge, skills and technology.

Now really is the time for operators, service companies and the supply chain to find new ways of working together. The partnerships that are established, the efficiencies that are implemented and the knowledge and innovations that are shared today, will go a long way in shaping our future.

With over 50,000 delegates expected to attend Offshore Europe 2017, there is no better place to address these issues at such a pivotal time and ‘embrace’ the change.

Neil Gordon Chief Executive, Subsea UK

AgileTek Engineering

To view the full Subsea UK members list, visit the Subsea UK Directory at www.subseauk.com

September 2017 Offshore Europe 2017 Dinner 6 September Aberdeen, UK Offshore Wind Developments 20 September Aberdeen, UK Subsea Springboard 28 September Aberdeen, UK October 2017 Networking Event in Milton Keynes 4 October Newport Pagnell, UK

Underwater Vehicles Conference 24 October Aberdeen, UK Support for Startups & New Product Development - Tools, Resources and Funding 26 October Aberdeen, UK November 2017 Lunch and Learn with Ineos 24 November Aberdeen, UK February 2017 Subsea Expo 2018 7 - 9 February Aberdeen, UK

These are some of Subsea UK’s events but please visit our website for full details of all forthcoming events www.subseauk.com

Subsea UK News is a magazine which invites contributions from the subsea industry, and is published by Subsea UK. The views and opinions expressed herein are not those of Subsea UK News or its owner, Subsea UK. The opinions and views expressed herein are those solely of individual contributors, and do not reflect in any way those of Subsea UK News, Subsea UK or its staff. All materials published in this magazine are published with the consent and authority of the authors.

Subsea UK News makes no representations about the suitability of any information and/or services published for any purpose. Subsea UK News is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims, all liability for, any indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages (including damages for loss of business, loss of profits, litigation, or the like) of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information published within this magazine. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information in Subsea UK News, no guarantee is given that the information published is correct, complete, reliable or current, and its publication in this magazine does not constitute an endorsement by Subsea UK News.

To contact Subsea UK News, please email editor Dan Fearon at magazine@subseauk.com

BUSINESS

BluHaptics and J2 Subsea Forge New Sales and Distribution Partnership BluHaptics, the software company pioneering new technology for augmented robotics, and J2 Subsea, an Acteon company and global supplier of subsea tooling and services, have formed a sales and distribution partnership for BluHaptics’ first commercially available product – a software solution to make the operation of underwater manipulator arms safer and more effective.

As part of the agreement, J2 Subsea will leverage its global presence and subsea industry expertise for the sale, distribution, customer support and joint marketing of BluHaptics’ software solution for underwater manipulator arms. Traditionally focused on subsea tooling (hardware), J2 Subsea is incorporating BluHaptics’ software into its suite of offerings to provide customers with a higher level of control and precision in the operation of costly hardware.

“Our partnership with J2 Subsea is a strategic move that allows us to continue focusing on the development of future products with applications on land and in space, while at the same time positioning our subsea product for rapid growth,” said Luke Wissman, vice president of business development and special programs for BluHaptics. “J2 has the subsea expertise and established relationships to efficiently connect our product with the companies who will benefit the most from it.”

BluHaptics’ engineers have integrated advanced technologies – including real-time modeling, operator assistance, and force feedback – into a unified platform for semi-automatic robotic control. Featuring a virtual interface and more user-friendly controls, this new system makes it significantly easier for operators to interact with and more precisely control remote robots in fluid, unpredictable and dangerous environments. Several offshore trials are currently underway.

BluHaptics software integrates seamlessly with simulators and ROV control rooms

“Augmented robotics marries the strengths of humans and robots to achieve more together than what each could do individually,” said BluHaptics CEO Don Pickering. “As companies begin to enjoy better control, improved safety, lower costs, and more capabilities, this technology will quickly become an industry standard.”

With headquarters in Aberdeen, Scotland, and locations in Singapore and Houston, J2 Subsea has a global reach. Its work in the rental, service and repair of ROV manipulator arms, as well as the rental of ROV tooling equipment, ROV engineering and underwater survey engineering support, has earned it a reputation built on trust with key companies in the oil and gas subsea sector.

“We are looking forward to offering BluHaptics’ software. This is a leap forward in robotic control for an ROV industry standard tool and we view it as an opportunity to deliver more value to our customers,” said John Walker, director, J2 Subsea. “The software will enable increased precision, reducing the instances and intensity of damage to ROV manipulator arms during subsea operations.”

The full release of BluHaptics’ new application for underwater manipulator arms is scheduled for later this year.

SEA Launches Recycling Initiative for Legacy Equipment Cohort plc company SEA is addressing the demands of sustainability and cost effectiveness with a brokerage service that will enable the offshore industry to re-use higher value legacy equipment.

Branded Legacy Locker, the service comprises a repository of refurbished equipment that can be purchased, rented or merely used to ensure operators maintain production.

The circular economy business model promotes recycling over disposal, supporting the Scottish Government’s Zero Waste Scotland initiative and other low carbon and resource efficiency policies.

Equipment is either owned by Aberdeen-based SEA or its clients, with much of it procured from decommissioned facilities, and subsequently tested, refurbished, re-certified or reverse-engineered

by SEA’s subsea engineering experts.

In refurbishing equipment, SEA can also overcome obstacles such as those arising from obsolescence, legacy interfaces, proprietary protocols and old specifications.

SEA Subsea Engineering Director Matt Blair explained: “As the decommissioning of infrastructure on existing fields in the North Sea continues and the industry re-evaluates its stockpiles, large quantities of functioning equipment are being scrapped, rather than being refurbished and reused.”

“Our Legacy Locker service helps operators to overcome the obsolescence, interface, supply and support problems that have challenged the industry over many years.”

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Subsea UK News | September 2017

“Creating alternative and innovative solutions, tailored to the challenges that the North Sea Industry is facing, is an integral part of what we do at SEA. The release of Legacy Locker gives a name to a service we have been providing for a number of years and is the portal for our partners to create greater economic growth through reuse, re-manufacturing and recycling of subsea equipment,” Matt said.

SEA also plans to expand the reach of the equipment store beyond the North Sea as part of a move to mitigate the continued downturn in the offshore market.

BUSINESS

OSBIT Delivers Unique New Monopile Cleaning Technology to Van Oord Osbit Ltd, the offshore engineering and technology company, has successfully delivered an innovative hybrid monopile cleaning tool to Van Oord, designed to support the efficient installation of offshore wind turbine foundations.

The Hybrid Marine Growth Cleaning Tool is currently supporting a project at the Walney 3 & 4 offshore wind farm in the Irish Sea, where Van Oord is charged with installing 87 monopiles for DONG Energy. The system has been delivered to a strict 12 week schedule, to ensure the installation programme can begin on time.

The tool is unique in its nature, offering combined monopile cleaning, anode cage lifting and installation down to 30m water depth, along with monopile survey and measurement capabilities, supporting Van Oord’s commitment to improving the efficiency of pile installation operations.

To ensure the monopiles are sufficiently prepared for grouting and the installation of the transition pieces, Osbit’s tool utilises a suite of 10 rotating cleaning heads to prepare the monopile surface to fit the transition piece. The system’s cleaning heads are adaptable, to enable effective cleaning of the tapered monopiles, which have an increasing diameter of six to eight metres.

Previously, each of these tasks would require the use of individual systems, which would increase the duration and complexity of the installation programme.

Osbit’s system was designed in collaboration with Van Oord, at its offices in Riding Mill, Northumberland and manufactured in the North East of England with the support of its experienced local supply chain.

Brendon Hayward, Managing Director of Osbit Ltd, said: “Working

closely with Van Oord, we have developed an innovation to deliver new levels of operational efficiency for offshore wind foundation installations. Its hybrid capabilities combine three systems, to significantly cut installation timescales and deliver costsavings, key targets for the industry, particularly in the current climate.”

He added: “Our engineers applied their expertise in the subsea and renewables sectors to devise a solution that not only meets operational requirements, but was delivered to an accelerated design and build schedule to enable it to be deployed on the Walney project.”

Adriaan van Oord, Operations Manager from Van Oord Offshore Wind B.V, said: “We are committed to creating ingenious solutions to improve operational efficiencies in the offshore wind sector; in this project, Osbit has succeeded in developing an innovative system moulded to suit our operational requirements, which has been delivered within a challenging time-scale.”

Subsea UK News | September 2017

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BUSINESS

Prevco Optimistic After Exhibition Trail Prevco Subsea reported an uptick in positivity after attending several of the major trade shows this year, and have welcomed an influx of potential new clients.

Prevco began their exhibition circuit this year at Subsea Expo in Aberdeen, following with Oceanology International in San Diego, Ocean Business in Southampton, OTC Houston and most recently, UDT in Bremen.

Stephen Ashley, UK Manager, Prevco Subsea said: “There

is a more positive message coming out of OTC this year in spite of the oil and gas recession.

While people were cautious about saying ‘we’ve turned the corner’, there was a generally an air of optimism and we’re already consulting with several new companies.”

and price-point pressure relief valves as an evolution of our existing highly successful designs. Another pressure relief technology is being developed for the subsea battery area which has a primary role of providing safety in the event of a failure and would be a one-time venting unit that would prevent expanding internal pressure from becoming a dangerous explosion.”

The company has recently installed a CNC Mill to give them more inhouse control over small parts and endcap modifications which in turn will reduce costs to the customer.

Prevco have been able to show off their latest product innovations such as the new diver operated electrical switch, and at OTC Houston they gathered together their largest collection of products yet, showcasing to an international audience from their 30’ x 30’ booth.”

Prevco have also recruited a new R&D manager, Don Christensen, who said: “We’re currently working on some new mid-range depth

Prevco booth at OTC

Ocean Installer Increases Market Share One of the keys to secure growth in a falling oil and gas market has been to take advantage of global opportunities. Ocean Installer, with offices in Aberdeen since 2012, has done just that.

According to PwC, global oil and gas companies slashed capital expenditures by about 40 percent between 2014 and 2016, and Deloitte reports that $620 billion of projects through 2020 are estimated to have been deferred or canceled as a result of the industry downturn.

Whilst this has meant tough times for the subsea industry, it has also offered a competitive advantage to companies prepared to work more efficiently and with greater flexibility.

Ocean Installer’s CFO Martin Shaw said: “When the oil price started dropping in 2014, Ocean Installer was still a fairly young company, not bound by rigid structures and large overheads. We could adopt business and organisational models that allowed us to become more flexible and work more efficiently, in line with the market needs.”

That, along with an international growth strategy, has led to Ocean Installer to strengthen its market position in recent years. Ocean Installer has maintained revenue around NOK 1.5Bn to NOK 2.0Bn in the past three years; gaining market share as the total market size has declined.

“With the downturn, Ocean Installer pushed fastforward on its global growth strategy. In 2013, almost all our business came from projects in the North Sea Basin. In 2016, we had expanded significantly, and close to half of our business came from other regions around the world. In recent years, in particular Africa has become important,” said the UK’s Business Acquisition Director, Gregor Scott.

Still, the Aberdeen office remains key to Ocean Installer’s operations, both in the North Sea Basin and around the world. For example, Ocean Installer recently won a SURF contract with Mabruk Oil Operations, a Joint Venture between Total E&P and the National Oil Cooperation (NOC) of Libya, at the Al Jurf field off Libya. The project is managed from the Aberdeen and Stavanger offices, more than 2500 kilometres away.

“We have access to high quality assets all over the world, the inhouse competency to handle a wide range of projects, and a global network of local partners that can complement our core organisation,” said Scott.

That, he predicts, will enable Ocean Installer to come out of the downturn in a strong position, capitalising on its global position in a recovering market.

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Subsea UK News | September 2017

Subsea Excavation

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BUSINESS

Subsea Innovation Complete Testing on 10th Pipeline Repair Clamp in Nine Months Subsea Innovation, one of the world’s leading subsea equipment suppliers, has announced that it has completed testing on their 10th major Pipeline Repair Clamp in the last nine months.

The clamps form part of an Emergency Pipeline Repair System (EPRS), that are supplied complete with a unique releasable hydraulically activated tensioning system. The spreads also included adaptable installation tools, suitable for the full range of pipeline diameters.

The Emergency Pipeline Repair Systems are being prepared for delivery to some of the largest Oil & Gas projects currently in operation across the globe, as part of six-figure contracts with major international corporations. The systems will be stored to act as contingency in the event that the pipelines transporting the line contents need to be repaired.

The 10 systems cover pipelines across a range of diameters between: 16” and 44”. The successful completion of these projects is significant for the company in establishing itself as a major player in the EPRS arena.

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Subsea UK News | September 2017

The equipment was designed and manufactured at the company’s headquarters, Innovation House, ideally situated on the Faverdale Industrial Estate near Darlington, with excellent transport links by road, rail and air. The office building and 40,000 ft2 manufacturing facility, originally opened in November 2014 by HRH The Duke of Gloucester, boasts world class facilities for a business of this type which includes manufacturing bays serviced by overhead cranes of up to 60 tonnes, on site machining, a PU manufacturing facility and a floodable test pit to provide indoor wet testing of subsea systems.

The designs have been tested to DNV pipeline tolerances at up to 435bar.g and are suitable for operating temperatures ranging from 0 - 160˚C. The design and build process has been monitored and certified to the exacting standards of the internationally recognised body DNV, These clamps have attained product certification from DNV and Subsea Innovation is in the process of attaining type approval for Emergency Pipeline Repair Clamps from them also. When this scope of work is complete Subsea Innovation will be the only company in the world to hold such type approval for its repair clamps.

BUSINESS

Aquatec Launch Aquatec Rentals Aquatec Group is pleased to announce the launch of Aquatec Rentals, a comprehensive rental service featuring the most popular oceanographic, environmental and offshore instruments.

The oceanographic and environmental rental pool includes Aquatec’s powerful AQUAmark 848 marine mammal deterrent, which is designed to deter porpoises, dolphins and similar toothed whales over distances of up to 1500m and is ideally suited for construction work. Also available are AQUAscat 1000 acoustic suspended sediment profilers and AQUAlogger 310TY advanced turbidity loggers. Aquatec Expert can be added to AQUAscat rentals – a service that includes personal consultation, predeployment advice and optional post-deployment reporting.

An expanding pool of instruments and accessories is also available for hydrotest monitoring, including the new HYDROlog 3000 next generation hydrotest logger, the established HYDROlog 2000 logger, AQUAdisp subsea display, AQUAmodem Op2 optical modem for subsea communication and HYDROgauge high accuracy digital gauge. For subsea leak detection, Aquatec’s field-proven LEAKlog system is available, including long range fluorometers (up to 10m range), highly sensitive acoustic sensors

and temperature probes for detecting a temperature differential.

Aquatec Rental Rewards gives customers the opportunity to benefit from preferential rental rates, a discount on service and calibration for Aquatec instruments, and the opportunity to try out new technology first.

Elizabeth Paull, Sales & Marketing Manager, said:

“Aquatec Rentals allows our customers to rent fully serviced and factory calibrated instruments directly from us. We offer first class service and competitive rates, as well as providing training and support when needed.”

Bibby Offshore Completes Significant Decommissioning Contract with Maersk Oil UK Bibby Offshore, a leading subsea services provider to the oil and gas industry, has completed a multimillion pound contract with a global energy player, Maersk Oil UK, providing both late life production enhancement and decommissioning support in the North Sea. The contract saw Bibby Offshore’s diving support vessel Bibby Polaris operate at two separate locations, undertaking production system isolations and critical component replacements to facilitate late life production enhancement, together with comprehensive decommissioning support, which includes subsea deconstruction and infrastructure recovery.

Completed in July, the projects represented the latest in a number of contracts the client has awarded Bibby Offshore within the past 12 months.

Barry Macleod, UKCS managing director at Bibby Offshore, said: “We have successfully completed multiple projects with this customer, with the latest contract demonstrating their confidence in our late life management and decommissioning expertise.

“This is a significant contract for Bibby Offshore. Whilst our relationship with this respected client continues to strengthen, the award is also clear recognition of our commitment to – and capabilities within - the next stage of safe, efficient and cost-effective North Sea management.”

Barry Macleod, UKCS managing director at Bibby Offshore

Subsea UK News | September 2017

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FEATURE ARTICLE

GLOBAL ENERGY GROUP:

Moving in the Right Direction Ian Cobban Chief Operating Officer Global Energy Group Aberdeen

Global Energy Group has more than 40 years’ experience in executing large scale integrity, maintenance and fabrication projects for the oil and gas, renewables, water and nuclear industries.

Predominately an oil and gas service company, since the decline in oil price, Global Energy Group has explored ways in which it could further adapt its offerings and apply its skills and knowledge to benefit the fast growing offshore renewables sector.

Last year, Global Energy Group secured a multi-million-pound contract with Siemens for the

use of Nigg Energy Park during the construction of the 588MW Beatrice offshore wind farm, with work due to start early next year.

Ian Cobban, chief operating officer of Global Energy Group, said: “We have worked hard and invested a significant amount of money into developing Nigg Energy Park as Scotland’s first major renewables hub.

The Beatrice project is a great example of how the extensive tailor made facility can support the development and construction of major offshore wind farms.

“Winning the Beatrice project was a major step forward for us, as we look to further support the emerging renewables industry, demonstrating that Nigg Energy Park and the Port of Nigg are well equipped to deliver ground breaking offshore wind developments.

> Beatrice project at Nigg

“The oil and gas industry is one of Scotland’s biggest success stories and will always be a vital component of its continued economic growth. However, the landscape is changing and to meet the demands of the evolving energy mix, we know we must adapt our services and offerings to stay ahead of the curve.

“In the current climate, exporting and diversification is important for the sustainability of any company – you must take a step back and look at how your skills and knowledge can be adapted to benefit other growing industries.

“As we continue to invest in developing solutions to meet the requirements of the offshore energy sector, placing our customers at the fore ensures that everything we do is aligned to helping them drive down costs and achieve operational efficiencies.

“There are a lot of synergies between the oil and gas and renewable industries and I think we’ll see technologies coming out of oil and gas and renewables converging and benefitting the entire offshore energy industry.”

FEATURE ARTICLE

Global Energy Group will be exhibiting at Offshore Europe 2017 to showcase its integrated service offering.

Visit us at stand: 5C101

“With capex work still very slow and opex holding steady, we have to just adjust accordingly – this has seen us establish strategic partnerships and collaborative consortiums for certain projects in order to optimise efficiency.

> Global’s rope access technician inspecting an FPSO

government revenue and local business opportunities.”

With operational bases in the UK, the Middle East, Asia Pac and the Middle East, Global Energy Group has a strong presence in some of the world’s leading energy hubs.

“Our offering is diverse and our reach is wide. On a typical day we are ensuring Integrity on Platforms in the North Sea, repairing drilling rigs in the Middle East, Inspecting FPSOs in Australia and fabricating Renewables Devices for the North Sea. “Leading the way in these sort of projects has seen Global Energy Group become the manufacturer of choice across a number of sectors.

“Although we are and always plan to be a very UK centric company, we are beginning to see an increasing number of opportunities opening up in Australia, the US, Asia Pac and the Middle East.

“We see a lot of LNG new build activity in the US at the moment, along with rig repair projects in the Middle East and inspection programmes in Asia Pac.

Like many companies, Global Energy Group has been hit by the downturn and has had to make a number of adjustments across the business to adapt to the changing environment.

“Projects being awarded and sanctioned can take much longer now, so we can’t afford to sit back and wait, we have to go where the opportunities are.

“Australia is also home to a lot of newbuild work. We have recently been involved in the Wheatstone development - one of Australia’s largest resource projects – providing greater security of supply and significant economic benefits such as employment, > Nigg Energy Park

“In May, we also teamed up with Veolia and Petersons to offer an enhanced engineering, preparation, removal and disposal, decommissioning offering to the industry.

“Exporting our expertise and services, and working in partnership with industry has allowed us to overcome a number of challenges and prepared us for what lies ahead.”

BUSINESS

Super Subsea Opportunities in the Wake of Coral South FLNG project

By Neil Saunders, President & CEO, Oilfield Equipment, Baker Hughes, a GE Company Since 2014 Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE), has been working with Eni East Africa (EEA) to develop the most efficient technical subsea solution for the Coral South FLNG project.

Not only is it a tremendously important development for that demonstrates BHGE’s leadership in large bore technology, it’s a huge deal for EEA, for Mozambique and for the Sub-Saharan Africa region in general. It’s also a very strong example of what can be achieved when industry players work together.

The partnership approach maximises productivity, reduces costs and makes best use of the expertise that both parties bring to the table.

It’s become a standard approach for us where we work alongside industry players to co-create technology and solutions that meet the specific performance requirements of their project, learning together, achieving stronger results and providing the operator with a fit-forpurpose solution.

production systems supplier, in-country. We intend to significantly grow our operations in the region as a result, and we’re already laying the framework to do so.

From a subsea perspective, for Coral South alone, we’re providing seven xmas trees, three 2-slot manifolds with integrated distribution units, MB rigid jumpers, seven subsea wellheads with spare components, a complete topside control system to be installed on the FLNG facility, and associated Services equipment and support including IWOCS and Landing Strings, tools, spares and technical assistance for installation, commissioning and start-up.

The subsea market has been hit hard by the downturn, but the launch in June of the Coral South FLNG project was a major milestone. A big project but also just the first part of an ambitious development plan for the Rovuma basin’s Area 4, offshore Mozambique.

We’ve also signed a long-term agreement to continuing collaborating with EEA on its Mozambique projects to supply subsea production systems, ancillary equipment and services for the future development of the Rovuma basin Area 4 gas resources. And we have a separate five-year aftermarket services contract for subsea production systems and ancillary equipment, plus one five-year option and five three-year extensions.

For BHGE, it really opens the door to some exciting subsea developments in Mozambique and beyond, where we’re incredibly well-positioned to expand our existing footprint as the only subsea

BHGE is committed to building capacity in Africa and showcasing how we bring value to operators through cutting-edge subsea technology and solutions.

OceanWise and Seatronics Successfully Deliver Tide Gauge and Water Temperature Monitoring Network to the UAE OceanWise working with its Licensed Partner, Seatronics, an Acteon company, are pleased to announce the completion of a three-year project to design, install and deliver a fully operational network of 34 water level and temperature monitoring stations for Bayanat LLC in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The stations are positioned at strategic locations within UAE from the Western Region to the border with Oman, a distance of over 400 km.

Water level is being measured using Valeport VRS-20 Radars with water temperature being measured using PT100 sensors from General Acoustics. All equipment is solar powered and housed in Valeport’s TideStation enclosures. Communication with the stations is being handled using the Smart Telemetry Unit, the ip.buffer, from OceanWise over UAE’s cellular network.

Oceanwise and Seatronics UAE Project

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All scientific and system data is being sent to servers located at Bayanat’s offices in UAE. The servers are running Microsoft SQL Server and OceanWise’s Ocean Database and Port-Log System software. The servers were supplied by Seatronics and installed by OceanWise who also provided system testing and training. The sensors were supplied and installed for the client by Seatronics who are providing ongoing support locally with OceanWise providing remote support from the UK, where required.

Subsea UK News | September 2017

This example of collaborative working demonstrates the value of having local knowledge and expertise in the area available to assist the customer in developing its capability and understanding in realtime environmental monitoring and onward sharing of the data across Government departments. The network provides Bayanat with the foundation to include additional monitoring sensors and functionality as the system gains wider use.

Alasdair Murray, Seatronics Regional Manager (UAE) said: “Our partnership with OceanWise has

opened up increased opportunities for Seatronics, and introduced us to new customers in ports, harbours and coastal authorities. The ability to provide long-term data management services and software support has given us an extra dimension to our traditional business of providing sensors that measure water and weather-related parameters.”

FEATURE ARTICLE

JDR Cables:

The Secret to Export Success With two Queens’ Awards for Enterprise and two EEF Future Manufacturing awards to its name – as well as the Subsea UK Award for Exports – JDR Cables’ reputation as a worldclass manufacturer of subsea power cables and production umbilicals is well established. contractor; with this requirement, a company with multiple export contracts on the go can find itself tying up significant amounts of cash in order to provide the bonds. For a large multinational company, this might be possible, but for a smaller player like JDR, tying up working capital significantly restricts its ability to take on business.

Ivan Coyard, Chief Financial Officer at JDR, is not shy about the company’s success: “We are leaders in the global renewables market, and are maintaining our great position the oil and gas market too.”

With current growth at 20% year-on-year, Ivan predicts that revenues will double in the next three years from its current level of £115 million for 2016. And for JDR, the ability to access government-backed finance has made all the difference to its growth.

It often finds itself bidding for major contracts that last for several years against large international industrials. A standard feature of these sorts of contracts is the contract bond; a warranty required by the buyer that the contractor will fulfil its side of the contract, and if not that it will refund any payments.

These bonds are issued by the contractor’s bank, usually in return for a deposit from the

That is why JDR works with UK Export Finance (UKEF). As the UK’s export credit agency, UKEF exists to help make exports happen, providing finance and insurance to support successful and ambitious companies like JDR. With a UKEF government-backed guarantee of up to 80% of the value of the bond, banks can issue contract bonds without the need to tie up significant amounts of working capital, meaning that JDR can invest this cash in fulfilling its contracts and growing its business.

Another important factor in the company’s continued success is its ability to innovate, responding to changes in its market.

Historically, JDR’s strength was in the offshore oil and gas sector. In 2008, the company took the decision to diversify by developing its capability in the offshore renewables sector.

With the plummeting oil prices in recent years, this decision seems almost prophetic.

Renewable energy business now makes up 70% of its revenue. It has since also diversified its oil and gas product line in order to grow its addressable market in a tightening

sector; when the expected recovery in oil prices begins, this will put JDR in a strong position to capitalise on a revived market for equipment.

Exporting is a critical part of JDR’s business.

“Exports account for 50% of our predicted growth,” says Ivan. “In recent years, we’ve seen major growth in the European renewables sector, in particular with activity in the Netherlands, Germany and France. With a revival in the oil and gas sector, we would expect our sales in Africa, the Americas and Asia Pacific to grow and we are also looking to emerging international growth markets for offshore renewables too, such as the USA and China.”

As JDR’s business pipeline grows, its ability to access finance will become even more important. “We work with UKEF on the majority of our export activities; without its support we would not be able to take on the volume of business we do. Our partnership with UKEF will continue to play a significant part in our future success,” concludes Ivan.

20% Growth Exports 50% 70% Revenue Year-on-year of predicted growth Renewable sector

Subsea UK News | September 2017

13

BUSINESS

Proserv: Driving Efficiency in Overseas Markets

By David Anderson, Product Manager, Proserv

Delivering a decommissioning project on time and on budget is the single largest driver of the remaining value accrued from a late-life asset. Operators are faced with many challenges including the lower oil price creating financial pressure to cease production earlier along with the complexity of global assets which are often in remote locations with limited historical information. Decommissioning in the current economic climate requires a mindset that is open to change. What worked before isn’t always the optimum solution for today and it is important the industry is always challenging the conventional to develop alternative solutions that are more efficient, reliable and cost effective.

Innovation and technology play an integral role in this.

Proserv has more than 30 years’ experience in providing bespoke technology solutions and services for the removal and recovery of topsides, subsea infrastructure and wells for the global oil and gas sector. Engaging with operators early, we help eliminate risk and ensure cost efficiencies from the start. This approach to decommissioning has saved operators millions of dollars with a core aim of providing the most reliable and efficient solution at the lowest cost, without comprising on safety.

Proserv recently conducted a well severance campaign for a client’s asset based in the Gulf of Thailand. The global operator required three subsea tieback wells and eight dual bore wells severed across three platforms. The primary objective was to sever these wells below mudline, and recover for disposal as the final phase of the well abandonment process.

Traditionally, the client would deploy mechanical knives to cut the well after plugging which would take around two hours per well, plus equipment run in hole charges. This method was not capable of cutting below the mudline and the client was really challenging the way it approached plugging and abandonment campaigns to be as efficient as possible. Based on the speed and reliability of the system, abrasive water cutting technology was proposed to carry out severance of the multi-string cuts.

Proserv’s Multi-String Cutting (MSC2.0) Tool provides complete well severance from deployment to cutting operations and tool recovery within 12 hours – a huge time saving for the operator when compared to more conventional methods. The tool is a customisable internal multi-string conductor cutting that is utilised in conjunction with our water abrasive cutting technology to provide an unrivalled cutting solution. This powerful combination is more efficient than conventional mechanical cutting methods and more environmentally friendly than explosives.

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Subsea UK News | September 2017

The advanced tool is configured to deploy into topside or subsea wells with inner casing sizes of 7” to 20” maximum and will cut through any number of internal grouted (or ungrouted) casing strings out to 42” conductor.

The MSC2.0 can operate at depths up to 500m and typically reduces overall project time by 5–10%, creating further cost efficiencies. The tool also offers the ability to test and prove the cut without recovering and de-rigging the tool and deployment system. This single trip deployment into the well bore means the risks associated with multiple runs in one hole are minimised.

Using this method meant once the well-services provider had started plugging the well, Proserv could operate ‘offline’ and begin cutting operations simultaneously, hence off the critical path of the jackup rig. To do this, we deployed the cutting tool utilising a modular deployment system opposed to a rig crane or derrick facilities.

As the company was able to operate ‘offline’ it ensured rig time was not extended resulting in a significant time saving across the campaign.

In total, eight dual bore and three tie-back wells were successfully severed 15ft below the mudline saving the operator crucial time in the process.

In these difficult times, it is fundamental to change the way we act and respond to a challenge. Just as there’s never been a greater need for industry collaboration, we must think smarter about technology and how we can use what already exists in different ways together. Efficiency is key in today’s market and it is innovative technology along with a mindset open to doing things differently which will allow us to ensure operations are as quick, safe and effective as possible.

BUSINESS

The Importance of Collaboration: James Fisher Offshore and Aquatic International collaboration between offshore support companies is vital for providing seamless and expertise-driven operations around the globe. By establishing international partnerships, companies with complementary service offerings are able to share their expertise, take on larger scopes of work and carry out projects seamlessly.

One example of international collaboration is the alliance created between James Fisher Offshore (JFO) and Aquatic Engineering and Construction Ltd (Aquatic). The alliance, which has quickly established itself as a powerhouse of expertise on marine support projects around the world, was created in direct response to client feedback.

Customers in the marine, renewables, decommissioning and oil and gas industries have regularly come up against issues that come from aligning themselves with an unsupportive supply chain, increased risk of reputational damage and cost inefficiencies. In response to these problems, the alliance saw an opportunity to support large-scale, highprofile and commercially important projects with double the expertise and half the problems.

Steven Kilpatrick, Regional Manager - EMEA at Aquatic said of the alliance: “By collaborating with JFO on global projects we are able to deliver our clients the best possible marine services available.

We have succeeded in carrying out several projects to the highest specifications and delivering them on time, with minimal downtime and to our clients’ satisfaction.”

By focusing on providing an enhanced customer-driven and integrated service, the two companies have been able to drive down project

costs, increase efficiencies and streamline operations. This has been achieved by coordinating projects at a local level and by bringing together two highly skilled teams, easily accessible equipment and more locations to operate from. This approach enables the alliance to provide a single source solution around the world, removing the need for a large and unmanageable supply chain.

Graeme Brand, sales manager at JFO added: “By working together we can also deliver a more localised approach, as our alliance means we now have more locations available to us around the world.

“We are very proud of the partnership we have developed with Aquatic and the extended service offering we can now offer to our customers.

Long may it continue!”

JFO is well known throughout the marine industry for being a trusted service and engineering provider. Aquatic, an Acteon company, is the market leader in the provision of carousels, modular drive systems and tensioner solutions.

FEATURE ARTICLE

Exporting is a way to guarantee your c o m p a n y ’s f u t u r e Subsea UK talks to the Department for International Trade about how it can support members Campbell Keir, DIT’s Director of Energy

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Subsea UK News | September 2017

FEATURE ARTICLE

The Department for International Trade (DIT) celebrated its first anniversary recently. The UK’s International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, used the milestone to encourage British businesses to export, highlighting India as a key partner in driving business growth.

Earlier this year, UK subsea companies showcased technology and expertise to senior officials from India’s largest oil and gas exploration and production company, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on a trade mission to India. Organised by Subsea UK and DIT, the five-day mission saw representatives from Expro Group, Flexlife, GE Oil and Gas, SMD, Sonardyne and Tata Steel participate in a series of workshops to demonstrate their deep-water exploration and production capabilities.

With subsea exports valued at almost £5 billion, Subsea UK wants to see an increase of British firms targeting international expansion to sustain long term growth. The mission delivered thought provoking discussions with senior officials and these connections are expected to lead to future business. UK companies have a long history of successfully developing deep-water energy projects worldwide and by exporting knowledge, experience and proven deep-water technologies, businesses can unlock new resources and increase the sector’s international capabilities and reputation.

Identifying opportunities

Offshore Europe 2017

The UK’s capabilities to facilitate, finance and promote trade and investment were brought together last year through DIT to secure foreign direct investment projects, strengthen UK trade and investment links with key trading partners around the world and help UK exporters maximise global opportunities. The UK remains the number one destination in Europe for foreign direct investment and over the last year, DIT has seen a record number of UK projects made possible through overseas investment.

DIT is exhibiting at Offshore Europe, and is providing companies with an opportunity to meet with DIT’s overseas commercial officers and the UK-based oil and gas team.

“One of our main priorities is to help UK companies to export, especially those that haven’t exported before, and introduce companies to markets that we think are relevant to them,” said Campbell Keir, DIT’s Director of Energy. “It is important that we recognise the supply chain and a large part of that involves talking to trade associations, such as Subsea UK, and understanding what these bodies can offer and if there are any particular strengths we can offer in return, overseas.

“What we must do is truly understand the unique skill set that UK contractors have and promote those around the world. We don’t generally travel on large trade missions, we like to identify opportunities and then bring specific trade delegations to markets. The UK supply chain has specific skills that can benefit the sector globally, even with a ‘lower for longer’ oil price.”

DIT has helped a range of UK companies win oil and gas related contracts worth over £3.4 billion and the department is currently exploring a range of niche, accessible opportunities in markets including Mexico, South America, Africa, the Middle East and South East Asia.

“The recent trade mission to India with Subsea UK is one example of how we are looking to cooperate in very ambitious programmes for the industry,” Mr Keir said. “We have built a strong relationship with the Indian ministry and there are significant opportunities for UK firms that are experienced in working in challenging environments such as the North Sea, as India looks to develop deep-water projects in tougher conditions offshore. It was a very successful trip and generated several opportunities for our companies.”

Subsea UK is hosting two of DIT briefing sessions ahead of SPE Offshore Europe 2017. The first, which took place on August 28, focused on the post-energy reform oil and gas sector opportunities in Mexico while the second, on September 4, looks at opportunities to do business in India, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.

Throughout Offshore Europe, the DIT team is offering briefings on oil and gas campaigns in key high value markets and individual meetings providing advice on export opportunities and market entry strategies as well as networking opportunities.

“

Many of the large companies already have a strong exporting record so we tend to work more closely with SMEs to overcome the barriers they experience to exporting, from access to finance to understanding local laws and regulations. I believe one of the reasons that many companies don’t currently export is because they are unaware of the help we can provide to so I would encourage delegates at Offshore Europe to visit our stand (Stand 5C60) or set up a meeting, added Mr Keir.

”

“We’ve supported a range of smaller businesses in missions around the world and they have gained considerable success. It’s probably never been as important as it is now in this ‘lower for longer’ world to export. It is a way of guaranteeing your company’s future.”

Subsea UK News | September 2017

17

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18

Subsea UK News | September 2017

TECHNOLOGY

Real-time, Cloud-based Project Management in Action A global subsea company has successfully trialled Orca Subsea’s innovative logistics application for the interim mobilisation on their newest DSV. The Global Subsea project, technology and systems leader launched their latest, state of the art, 24-man DSV, late last year. They trialled Orca’s Mobilisation Manager recently for an interim 48hr mobilisation at Green Head Lerwick, recording the information from the project port call.

Utilising RFID tagging technology Orca Subsea’s Mobilisation Manager was deployed to oversee the arrival, offloading, sea fastening and commissioning of every item during the project, both remotely and onsite. The application detailed the status and location of every piece of equipment involved in the project, providing visual and interactive overlays. In addition to providing a detailed as-built picture of the mobilisation which is being studied to identify efficiency savings.

The application allowed the mobilisation team to scan an area of 200m and give instantaneous identification of all RFID tagged items on the quayside and vessel.

The project equipment, including reels delivered from Le Trait via the coast vessel Eemslift Nelli, were RFID tagged on arrival the day prior to the DSV arriving onsite. As the vessel arrived, key events such as the

vessel being alongside, and offloading of equipment, in line with the project task plan, were recorded by Orca personnel. Building up the as-built data for later review by Orca and clients personnel to optimise future tasks.

The application also captured shift changes and weather updates; all information was fed back via the mobilisation portal, where the client monitored real-time events occurring quayside and on-board the vessel directly and from Oslo, Norway and Aberdeen, United Kingdom.

The application also reduced the need for repeated visual inspection and manifest checking, allowing click and swipe access to previously uploaded, detailed equipment manuals, procedures, certification, deck layouts and project plans. Remote project managers and stakeholders had the ability to make informed responses when issues arouse during the project, armed with comprehensive, real-time, project information.

Orca Subsea heralded the trial as a huge success and proof of concept and field trial for the innovative product and hope to take the family of apps further with current and additional projects moving forward.

DiveSource Open Only Dive Control Simulator in UK International diving consultancy DiveSource has recently opened the first and only Dive Control Simulator (DCS) in the UK. Already recognised for providing highly competent diving personnel, industry leading training courses and dive audit services, DiveSource have further committed to strengthening their diving teams available by being the first to invest in the simulator technology.

Following the successful introduction of the simulator to industry professionals earlier this year, Dive Control Simulator (DCS) was awarded Class B Dive Control Simulator as described in Appendix 2 of IMCA C 014 Rev. 4 Guidance on the Use of Simulators. Following this, DiveSource will be travelling with IMCA and presenting at the IMCA Diving seminars globally throughout the remainder of 2017.

The simulator benefits from the best-in-class touch panel simulation engine by PaleBlue, Icon™. Running on touch screens with multitouch interaction, the simulator can be switched from traditional valve-based to modern computer monitorbased within seconds. Dive

DiveSource Dive Control Simulator

Control Simulator supports a range of scenarios from normal daily operations, to ‘what ifs’, to emergency situations.

Sarah Hutcheon, Managing Director of DiveSource said:

“DiveSource has evolved as a business over the last year with our emphasis on competency and developing diving careers. Even in times of difficulty we must continue to improve and evolve in order to succeed.

“DCS will provide Dive Supervisors with real life operating conditions to verify their competency and reduce skills fade prior to mobilisation offshore. We will also use the system to monitor the behavioural attitudes of Dive Supervisors and Dive Client Reps through the use of simulated emergency scenarios. Many will never have been involved in such a scenario but we have to prepare for a real time emergency occurring and ensure the personnel can follow the correct processes and procedures but above all, handle them in the correct manner.

The DCS system will streamline processes which will save time and money for our clients.”

The launch of the VR Diver will follow later this year providing a full virtual reality training solution to be used both for planning phase of subsea operations, and for familiarisation of controls in chambers and diving bells.

Subsea UK News | September 2017

19

MARKET INTELLIGENCE

Market Activity Report Q3 2017

Using the market intelligence tool, SubseaIntel, we have compiled this report covering the latest oil & gas developments worldwide.

Gulf of Mexico Premier Oil Confirms World Class Discovery at Zama-1 Anadarko Spins the Bit at Phobos

West Africa Three Drillship Contracts for Ensco Offshore West Africa Erin Energy Announces the Arrival of Rig to Oyo Field

Overview

North Sea

The oil price dropped below $50 a barrel in May 2017 and got as low as $45 a barrel towards the end of June, with $55+ a barrel for the first quarter of 2017. However, in Q3 during July and August, the oil price has risen back up to around the $52 a barrel mark. The rise in oil price can allow plenty optimism for the subsea industry with more contracts being awarded as operators continue to drill globally. In the last quarter, the renewables industry continued to grow from strength to strength and many companies are now reaping the benefits of diversifying into these developing markets.

Expro Awarded Subsea Contract from Maersk Oil Maersk Oil awarded a contract to Expro for the provision of subsea and well test services on two of Maersk’s offshore units in the North Sea. The contract which will run to 2020 will extend the long-standing partnership between the two companies for well abandonment services. The contract will see Expro working on two rigs in the Central North Sea for a 26 well campaign across the Janice, James, Affleck and Leadon North Developments.

Expro’s contract, which they have held since January 2012, has an option for two further one-year extensions, as the supplier of well test and subsea landing systems for the UK.

Statoil Gains Korpfjell Permit The Norwegian Petroleum Authorities have awarded a drilling permit to Statoil to drill the high-profile wildcat well at the Korpfjell prospect in the Barents Sea off Norway later in Q3.

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Subsea UK News | September 2017

MARKET INTELLIGENCE

North Sea Expro Awarded Subsea Contract from Maersk Oil Statoil Gains Korpfjell Permit

Middle East Total Celebrates the Start of Operations on the Giant Al-Shaheen Oil Field Alongside Qatar Petroleum Saudi Aramco Hires WorleyParsons for Marjan FEED

Asia Husky-CNOOC Fires up BD Field Proserv Secures Series of Decommissioning Contracts in Asia Pacific

The semi-submersible Songa Enabler will be used in the operated production licence 859 to drill the 7435/12-1 well.

The well, originally scheduled to be drilled on the 31st July, will be spudded after the rig has completed drilling at the Gemini Nord prospect that kicked off earlier the same month. The Gemini Nord is the third of a five well campaign in the Arctic Region.

The Korpfjell prospect will be the northernmost well to ever be drilled off Norway and is estimated to have a billion-barrel oil resource.

West Africa Three Drillship Contracts for Ensco Offshore West Africa At the end of July, Ensco announced that they had been awarded three drillship contracts offshore West Africa for the ENSCO DS-4, ENSCO DS-10 and ENSCO-DS7. These contracts represent an aggregate three-year term with more than six additional years of options.

Chevron have hired the ENSCO DS-4 for a two-year period with the option for a further year for a drilling program offshore Nigeria in August 2017.

The ENSCO DS-10 has been taken on a one-year hire by Shell for work offshore Nigeria in the first quarter of 2018. The contract includes five one-year priced customer options. The rigs delivery is expected to be accelerated into the third quarter of 2017 to undergo a series of acceptance testing before mobilising to Nigeria to begin its contract hire.

Total has a contract for the ENSCO DS-7 until November 2017.

The rig has been idle in Tenerife since November 2016 on a standby rate. The ENSCO DS-7 is now currently in a 60-day drilling programme in the Ivory Coast. Additionally, Total has an option for one further well.

Erin Energy Announces the Arrival of Rig to Oyo Field The Pacific Bora arrived at the Erin Energy operated deep-water Oyo field offshore Nigeria. The Pacific Bora rig will be used by Erin Energy to drill the Oyo-9 well which is likely to add an additional 6,000 – 7,000 barrels of oil per day.

The contract for the Pacific Bora has the option for a further two offshore Nigeria exploration prospects if Erin Energy wishes to exercise the option of the contract.

Subsea UK News | September 2017

21

MARKET INTELLIGENCE Gulf of Mexico

Proserv Secures Series of Decommissioning Contracts in Asia Pacific

Premier Oil Confirms World Class Discovery at Zama-1

Proserv have secured a series of decommissioning contracts in the Asia Pacific region for its well severance, platform and FPSO decommissioning services worth around $4m. These new awards build on recent decommissioning success for Proserv with around $12 million worth of contracts been secured in Asia Pacific, Scandinavia, Gulf of Mexico and the UK. The multiple contracts have been awarded

by Chevron, though Baker Hughes in the Gulf of Thailand; Premier Oil in Indonesia; BHP, through Fugro in Western Australia and by PCPP Operating Company, through Sapura Technology Solutions Sdn Bhp in Malaysia. The contracts awards will see Proserv providing abrasive and cold cutting along with dredging services. Proserv will also develop a custom tooling solution to support the clients engineering and decommissioning challenges.

Drilling operations have completed at Premier Oil’s operated Zama-1 exploration well. Drilling operations in the final hole section reached a total depth of 4,108 metres (13,478 feet) and the logging results confirmed that the previous hole section had reached the base of the reservoir section with an oil-down-to in the well of 3,390 metres (11,089 feet) with no further penetration of an oil-water-contact.

Premier confirmed that as previously estimated, the well has in excess of 1 billion barrels of oil. The well was completed by Premier on time and in budget and has now been suspended as a potential producer.

Premier Oil, along with their partner Talos Energy and Sierra Oil & Gas are now analysing all the data gathered from the Zama-1 well and evaluating the best way to appraise and then develop the world class discovery.

Middle East Total Celebrates the Start of Operations on the Giant Al-Shaheen Oil Field Alongside Qatar Petroleum

Anadarko Spins the Bit at Phobos Anadarko Petroleum are drilling ahead on their latest appraisal of the Phobos discovery which is in the southern depths of the ultra-deep Gulf of Mexico. The Diamond Offshore owned drillship, the Ocean Black Hornet, will be used to drill the permitted appraisal well of about 28,000 feet in 8,455 feet water depth. The Phobos field is located in the Sigdbee Escarpment Block 39, which lies about 12 miles south of another Anadarko owned field, the Lucius Spar. Anadarko has stated they intend to develop Phobos as a subsea tie-back to Lucius, assuming the appraisal is successful.

Asia Husky-CNOOC Fires up BD Field Husky Energy along with their partner CNOOC Madura confirmed that production has started at the BD gas field off the coast of Indonesia. China National Oil Corporation (CNOOC) stated the field in Madura Strait was producing at a rate of 7,200 barrels of oil equivalent per day from two wells. Once two more production wells are brought on stream next year, the output is expected to rise to around 25,000 boepd. Husky Energy and CNOOC both own 40% each of the BD field with Samudra Energy holding the remaining 20% equity in the field.

Total and Qatar Petroleum took over the ownership of the giant Al-Shaheen offshore oil field for a 25-year period on the 14th July 2017. The concession will be operated by the North Oil Company (NOC) which was established in 2016 as a partnership between Total (30%) and Qatar Petroleum (70%). The field produces approximately 300,000 barrels of oil per day.

Saudi Aramco Hires WorleyParsons for Marjan FEED Saudi Aramco have awarded WorleyParsons the project management and front-end engineering and design (FEED) services for the Marjan oil field development program. The contract award is for both the oil and gas facilities portion as well as the onshore upstream and downstream pipelines portion of the Marjan oil field development program. The services will be executed at the WorleyParsons office in in Saudi Arabia with extended support from other WorleyParsons offices across the globe.

Further Information This market intelligence tool is free to Subsea UK members The information contained in this report was gathered using SubseaIntel For more details visit www.subseaintel.com

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Subsea UK News | September 2017

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TECHNOLOGY

Emerson Launches New Drilling Jar Clamp for Increased Safety and Well Integrity Emerson Automation Solutions has launched the latest product within its polymer completions solutions range – the PolyOil® JAR Handling Clamp – for increased safety and well integrity.

One key threat to well integrity and safety in drilling and completions operations today is the danger of jars firing prematurely at the surface prior to being deployed into the well. Jars are mechanical devices used downhole to deliver an impact load to another downhole component (especially when that component is stuck) and include a firing mechanism that activates when the necessary compression or tension has been applied to the running string. The inadvertent firing of such jams prematurely, however, can pose a hazard and lead to possible injuries and the dropping of the bottom hole assembly if pins are sheared.

The new PolyOil JAR Handling Clamp acts a safety device to prevent the jar from cocking and firing, with the jar unable to fire unless the fishing neck – designed to enable running and retrieval tools to reliably engage and release – is closed. Therefore, when the clamp is fitted to the jar, the rod is kept in the open position, thereby preventing premature firing during the handling of the jar at the surface. The clamp also prevents the jar rod from being damaged during transportation and keeps it debris-free during storage.

Applications for the new JAR Handling Clamp include drilling, drill stem testing (DST) jars, coil tubing and wireline applications.

Matthew Armstrong, director downhole operations for Emerson’s PolyOil/Roxar business, said: “Our PolyOil

solutions are all about bringing predictability, safety and innovation to downhole drilling and completions. This is what we have achieved with the PolyOil JAR Handling Clamp, improving the effective operation of jars, the well’s integrity and – most importantly of all – personnel safety.”

The PolyOil JAR Handling Clamp and many other PolyOil products use a range of high impact wear resistant materials with the natural properties of the polymers making them low weight, safe, easier to handle than metal, and more resilient. Other key features of the clamp include a hinged design with the clamp simple and fast-to-fit and a toggle/swing bolt for fast latching operations.

The PolyOil portfolio of subsea and downhole completion products is based on bringing modern materials technology to drilling and completions.

Portable Webtool Softline Deck Emergency Cutter Announced Hydraulic cutting tools specialist, Webtool, announces a portable softline emergency deck cutter for tugs, barges and offshore vessels. Easily deployed, and operated remotely, the cutter provides an instant cut of fibre ropes up to 80mm diameter in the event the vessel gets into difficulties.

Fibre ropes are widely used in offshore applications where ease of handling and deployment compared with steel wire, and the rope’s ability to float are important. The fibre rope deck emergency cutter is intended as a last resort when other measures to prevent damage to the vessel have failed.

The Webtool portable softline emergency cutter is transported in a self-contained “sack truck” containing a hydraulic accumulator and manifold with lockable control panel and a removable cutter. It is connected to the cutter’s control panel via a hose.

When deployed, the cutter and its frame are lifted off the sack truck and placed over the fibre rope. The lightweight frame allows the cutter to slide on the deck without getting damaged.

In the event of an emergency, the cutter connected to the control panel is activated severing the rope instantly.

“The fibre rope emergency cutter gives vessel operators a last resort should other measures fail to alleviate the situation,” says Keith Elliot, engineering director, Allspeeds Ltd. “It provides an instant cut allowing the vessel to quickly recover.”

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Subsea UK News | September 2017

In addition to the fibre rope cutter, Webtool also supplies a portable, emergency tow rope cutter for oil tankers to eliminate the risk of the pull-back tug capsizing.

Attached to the steel wire tow line on the tanker’s deck, the cutter, once activated, cuts a 60-70mm steel wire tow line within 3 seconds to prevent tug capsize.

The Webtool range of high performance cutting tools is designed and manufactured exclusively by Allspeeds Ltd.

Webtool Deck Emergency Cutter

ADVERTORIAL

Rotech Subsea Quadruples Revenue in Stellar Year IT HAS BEEN A HECTIC 24 MONTHS FOR ROTECH SUBSEA SINCE THE SUBSEA EXCAVATION PIONEER - WITH A THREE-DECADE TRACK RECORD IN OIL, GAS & RENEWABLES - ANNOUNCED THEIR RETURN FOLLOWING THE SALE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT TOOK THE SECTOR BY STORM IN THE 1990S. Rotech emerged from the ensuing non-compete period in 2015 with a bang with their new and more precise Controlled Flow Excavation (CFE) range and within weeks its cuttingedge RS1, TRS1 and Backfilling systems were deployed on commercial projects. 2016 saw Rotech Subsea launch the next generation TRS2 systems for major sandwave clearance and pipeline trenching scopes.

The groundbreaking CFE technology that has caused such a stir provides a more targeted jet, leaving a deeper, narrower and more uniform V-shaped trench than was previously possible. It reduces the risk of damage to cables compared to tracked vehicles as well as being cheaper and safer to deploy. It is also twice as fast and up to four times more powerful than existing technology.

These capabilities have seen Rotech’s TRS1 adopted as a true cable-trenching tool, suitable for commissioning works, not just IRM. Projects so far have seen trenches created to 6m deep in a single pass, and progress rates up to 6m per minute.

The past year has seen Rotech deploy their game-changing CFE technology throughout European waters. Working flat out to meet demand, their in-house fabrication division were required to deliver an additional set of TRS2 systems for immediate deployment.

“We’ve been on an incredible journey since re-entering the sector,” said, Director of Subsea, Stephen Cochrane. “We knew our new CFE technology could bring greater efficiencies to a rapidly-changing marketplace but we’ve been taken aback by the demand which has seen us post a 400 per cent increase in revenue.”

“Our R&D team has listened to the market and delivered,” added Director, Dr. Donald Stewart.

“Indeed, such is demand that we have two major clients bidding to keep equipment on standby rather than run the risk of not being able to redeploy it on future projects.”

May and June 2017 has seen Rotech deploy their TRS2 on an IRM campaign in Belgium for Global Marine Systems. They have also mobilised their TRS1 for Jan De Nul Group / DONG Energy to carry out deburial of array cable and post-trenching at Burbo Bank offshore wind farm before working with the client again at Race Bank wind farm.

Concurrently, Rotech was engaged by Prysmian Group on the £1bn Western Link renewable energy project, carrying out Phase 1 cable trenching at converter stations, with Phase 2 having just commenced.

As a result, Rotech have won three further work scopes with Prysmian and, with increasing demand for Rotech technology,

Prysmian are negotiating to retain equipment on one-year standby.

With interest from as far afield as Australia, it’s set to be another hectic 12 months. The company are bidding on major decommissioning scopes in Europe and pipeline trenching scopes in the Middle East while enquiries come in daily for their soon-to-be-launched TRS1 Low Draft (LD) which has been developed for a six month campaign with a major European client.

From day one Rotech Subsea earned a reputation as an innovator and that shows no signs of abating. Their TRS1 LD system for specific shallow water projects - which will be the most powerful tool on the market and the next big thing in subsea excavation cements Rotech’s position at the cutting-edge of the sector and promises more busy times ahead.

T +44 (0) 1224 698 698 E: info@rotech.co.uk www.rotech.co.uk Find us on

FEATURE ARTICLE

Subsea UK Recruits Panel of Experts to Review Online Course, “An Introduction to Subsea Engineering”

S

ubsea UK, in conjunction with Robert Gordon University Aberdeen (RGU), has committed to the ongoing development of its online course, An Introduction to Subsea Engineering, designed to support the induction of engineers from other industries and new graduates into the subsea sector.

The course is targeted at those who are starting their career, transferring into or returning to subsea engineering roles in the oil & gas industry. It provides background information about how oil and gas is formed and then progresses on to more detailed technology and operational topics.

There are no formal entry requirements or qualifications needed for the course, and students can register as individuals or through their company.

The course is made up of four modules and is delivered online via the RGU’s Virtual Learning Environment, CampusMoodle.

Students are given online access to the programme for eight weeks, with the recommendation that they allow between 40 and 60 hours learning time in total. The course consists of a series of interactive presentations with downloadable Adobe Acrobat PDF documents. At the end of each module there is a formal assessment and students are required to score 80% or more to gain access to the next module. Once students have successfully passed all the modules they can download a certificate of completion.

Neil Gordon, CEO of Subsea UK said:

“The course material was written by industry experts and since its inception it has been well-received, with uptake and feedback indicating that it has become recognised as the de facto standard introduction, used by many subsea companies as part of their company induction and training programmes for new-start engineers.”

Subsea UK Online Course

WEEKS ONLINE ACCESS

40-60 HRS LEARNING

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

The course’s four modules, which are delivered entirely online, serve as overviews to both the oil & gas and subsea industries, and introductions to engineering within those areas.

FEATURE ARTICLE etpm’s Subsea Team Lead, Natasha Ross, studying for Subsea UK’s Introduction to Subsea Engineering course

Syllabus MODULE 1 Introduction to the Oil and Gas Industry • Formation of Oil and Gas • Exploration and Worldwide Production • History of the North Sea • Offshore Extraction and Processing • Transportation and Downstream Processing • Current Legislation Applicable in the UKCS

MODULE 2 Introduction to Oil and Gas Engineering • Subsurface Engineering • Drilling and Well Engineering • Operating Facilities • Operational Aspects

MODULE 3 Introduction to the Subsea Industry • Subsea Industry • An Example of Subsea Development

Reviewed and Developed by Industry Experts Subsea UK and RGU are keen that the course retains its credibility and value for the industry and recognise that to achieve this its content must stay current, accurate and reflective of industry developments and practices.

To ensure this alignment with the industry, a cohort of industry subject matter experts have been recruited from Subsea UK member companies to review the material.

Reviewers will feedback any specific omissions or inaccuracies e.g. change in legislation, industry standards etc. as well as make improvements and suggestions. These recommendations will inform and allow future enhancements to be made to the course.

• Future Development for the Industry

Planning for the Future Subsea UK will continue to work with RGU to ensure that the module topics are updated regularly, based on the feedback received from reviewers to reflect current industry practice, data and examples. The course is designed with interactive multimedia and models which will be continually refreshed, so that learners have the most intuitive and productive learning experience possible.

The first complete “industry led” review of the course materials by the panel of subject matter experts will be completed in Autumn.

An evaluation of the process will then follow with any lessons learned incorporated into the next review cycle – with the intention to review the course annually going forward.

“Our review panel has been hand-picked to only look at the elements of the course which correspond to their area of expertise, rather than the entire course material, so that feedback is kept focused, and of the highest quality.”

MODULE 4 Introduction to Subsea Engineering • Subsea Completions • Subsea Control Systems • Flow Assurance • Pipeline Fundamentals • Installation of Equipment • Subsea Production Umbilicals and Power Cables • Risers and Topsides • Current and Developing Systems

Neil Gordon said:

Find out more at www.subseauk.com/6761/online-learning

TECHNOLOGY

The Smart Actuator brings Innovation to Industrial Valves Revolutionising the usually hidden world of industrial valves and actuation may not spring to mind when discussing innovation, but The Smart Actuator Company Ltd (SmartAct®) of Malvern Worcestershire has done just that.

SmartAct®: Investing in the next generation of skills and talent

This family business, the sixth fastest growing company in the Midlands, has applied new innovative thinking, energy efficiency and smart technology to manufacturing of this mature industry sector, and was recently awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

O’Donnell. “The award appropriately reflects the time, commitment and effort that our people have invested. It is a standard of commercial excellence and innovation recognised worldwide.

The award is a wonderful recognition for the team at SmartAct® whose enterprising spirit and high quality of engineering is also shaking up the perceived concepts that volume manufacturing of industrial components no longer has a place in the UK’s mixed economy.

“Our job now is to continue to build on the success and to maximise the benefits our innovation can bring both to customers across the globe and our UK economy.”

SmartAct® are proud to house all aspects of the company, from conceptual design and prototyping through to manufacture, quality control and dispatch all under one roof.

The SmartAct® range of actuators has been complemented with Bluetooth smart technology, 75% energy saving in comparison tests with existing now outdated actuators & embedded electronic controls giving capability for additional future innovation.

“For our young company to have won one of Britain’s most coveted business awards is simply amazing,” said SmartAct®’s Tony

One area of investment that is in keeping with the values of the company founders, is investment in the next generation of skills and talent. With this in mind. SmartAct® are proud to welcome five new young apprentices into the team.

SmartAct® has no plans to rest on its laurels as they have plenty more projects based on their innovative new energy saving and smart technology in the pipeline.

Namaka Subsea Launch IMCA DESIGN Population Tool DiveDESIGN is the latest product release for DiveCert by Namaka Subsea which populates a “live” IMCA DESIGN document within seconds.

Diving contractors are required to provide a “live” IMCA DESIGN document containing evidence that specific testing and maintenance has been completed following IMCA guidance. DiveDESIGN, in conjunction with DiveCert, can produce the required IMCA DESIGN document at the click of a button.

Namaka Subsea is an established subsea consulting company offering innovative solutions to ensure the client requirements and expectations are met. This includes diving technical authority support and the auditing of diving and ROV contractors both operationally and technically.

DiveDESIGN connects to any DiveCert diving system database and collect the required information on testing and maintenance.

The required information is then inserted to the system specific IMCA DESIGN document which is supported by the associated documentation, linked directly from the “live” DESIGN document.

Projects are carried out both safely and efficiently in accordance with best industry practices anywhere in the world. This will ensure the contractor and subsequent client has sufficient confidence to carry out global operations, ensuring compliance with current best industry practices as well as geographical legislation.

Sales & Marketing Manager, Lee Duncan, said: “DiveDESIGN is our latest innovation regarding improving the safety of diving operations.

Not only will it save the contractor many man hours populating their “live” DESIGN document but it also assists identifying whether testing and maintenance has been completed correctly during client audits.

“This means that the client can audit the status of the diving system maintenance and testing without even visiting the vessel. The development of such an application is a very exciting time for the company as it allows the industry to progress with safety and efficiency within the offshore sector.”

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Subsea UK News | September 2017

ADVERTORIAL

PECT Inspection of Subsea Pipeline

Next Generation PECT for Corrosion Under Insulation Inspection of Coated Splash Zone & Subsea Assets A provider of advanced and innovative inspection services and solutions, Innospection is offering the next generation PECT technique for the detection of corrosion under insulation (CUI) in coated splash zone and subsea assets.

Corrosion under insulation is one of the most well-known phenomena in the process industry. It is also a big challenge for inspection and asset integrity management. Subsea assets such as subsea pipelines are typically reinforced with concrete coating which are often further reinforced with bars or wire mesh placed in the middle of the concrete coating.

Semi-Automatic Scanning Ring

Next Generation PECT

Concrete-coated Subsea Pipeline Inspection

Pulsed Eddy Current Testing (PECT) is an inspection technique used for the inspection of corrosion under insulation in carbon steel structures. The ability of the PECT technique to inspect through thick coatings without the need for coating removal makes the technique uniquely suitable for offshore, splash zone and subsea inspection applications.

For the inspection of concrete-coated subsea pipelines with OD from 12� to 20� and coating thickness up to 250mm, the M-PECT DSA 12-20 Scanner has been developed and offers detection from 10-20% wall loss and defect size from OD 40-50mm for each footprint area.

A static technique, PECT is able to measure spot percentage variations in the steel thickness through any non-conductive and non-magnetic material such as air, insulation material, concrete, coatings, paint, sea water and marine growth between the sensor and steel surface.

Benefits of PECT The next generation PECT technique from Innospection offers enhanced wall loss detection capability with the ability to inspect through 250mm of coating to detect corrosion and defects beneath.

The highly repeatable results make PECT well suited for the wall thickness monitoring of coated assets.

The diver or ROV deployable PECT Scanner consists of a ruggedised, splash water tight tablet computer connected to a data acquisition unit and subsea probe. A semi-automatic scanning ring has also been developed to improve the inspection performance, particularly the timing and reproducibility. The electric motor enables the circumferential step movements to be fully and remotely controlled by the operator. Colourcoded wall thickness readings are displayed on the tablet computer during data recording.

PECT Inspection & Reporting Data

Whatever your inspection challenges and integrity targets are, Innospection is your solution provider.

For more information, please contact info@innospection.com or call Aberdeen: +44-1224-724744

TECHNOLOGY

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Helps Develop Revolutionary Subsea Product Trelleborg Sealing Solutions goes ‘above and beyond’ in helping to solve a complex subsea challenge when an effective sealing solution was required for a revolutionary connector.

As a leading global supplier of polymer-based critical sealing solutions, Trelleborg was asked to create a seal that would work inside a pioneering new product which was developed by Subsea Technologies Ltd (STL).

STL’s two inch Hydraulically Retractable Subsea Coupler assists in creating its XR Connector’s unequalled high-angle release capability, which has no maximum riser angle limit. It was designed to deliver radically improved vessel safety, reduce environmental risk and decrease costs by greatly boosting a vessel’s operating window.

STL had previously developed small bore retractable couplers, used as sub-components in its unique XR Connector, however, scaling up to a large two inch bore to allow for choke and kill lines passing through, posed a number of major challenges.

In order for the full potential and functionality of the two-inch coupler to work, it needed a seal to be developed that would work in harmony with the coupler, the world’s first of that size, with a hydraulically retractable element.

Trelleborg set about meeting requirements and developed custom versions of its Turcon® Captive Glyd Ring® with XploR™ V9T82 elastomer material and Turcon® Stepseal® 2A CR with PEEK corner reinforcement rings.

The Turcon® Stepseal® 2A CR is a new standard corner reinforced rod/piston seal for single-acting use and has many advantages, such as its anti-tilt design and that the dimensions of the seal body and corner reinforcement ring can be modified to facilitate installation.

Andrew Longdon, Technical Manager for Trelleborg Sealing Solutions in the UK, said: “Throughout the process we constantly had to think about the safety issues and challenges that are frequently faced when working with heavy duty engagement of subsea equipment.

“We worked with STL as the team conducted a very lengthy test programme including a full PR-2 temperature and pressure cycling programme along with endurance cycle testing on the products in accordance with the ISO 10423 standard.

“STL also conducted two disconnects with 10,000 psi bore pressure.

This was all completed with one set of seals, which I think is some achievement.”

Not only does the coupler provide new opportunities for remote emergency release system designs for subsea applications, it also enables people to be removed from stab plate engagement functions on the surface. By being hydraulically retractable, it allows the heavy duty engagement of equipment both on surface and subsea to be separated from the comparatively delicate engagement of control system interfaces.

STL’s Managing Director Drummond Lawson said: “We knew Trelleborg would be able to solve the challenge of finding a durable and robust seal to work in harmony with our product.

“This was no easy challenge and without Trelleborg, we would not have been able to produce what we believe to be the first coupler of this size ever to be made with a hydraulically retractable element, which we are certain will create opportunities for our clients beyond just its use in our XR Connector.”

The coupler is fully Lloyds design verified and qualified to 3,000m (10,000ft) water depth, rated to 10,000psi hydraulic bore pressure and up to 5,000psi hydraulic function pressure.

STL Hydraulically Retractable Couplers

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Subsea UK News | September 2017

TECHNOLOGY

Rotech Proves the Pressure Point with Prysmian Rotech Subsea continued to spread its reach in Q3 of 2017 as it completed phase one cable and omega trenching on Prysmian Group’s £1bn Western Link renewable energy project using its cutting-edge RS Controlled Flow Excavation (CFE) technology.

Having commenced work on phase two of the project, it has been announced that Rotech has been engaged for three further work scopes with Prysmian, who have entered talks to retain Rotech’s RS1 tool on one-year standby in the face of high demand for the technology.

Speaking about securing three further work scopes with Prysmian, Rotech Director and named inventor on many Rotech patents, Dr. Donald Stewart, said: “Since Rotech Subsea’s return to the sector following a non-compete period, our in-house R&D team has listened carefully to the market, which is demanding more power, but also more precision and efficiencies in time and cost.

“There’s a common misconception in subsea excavation that more volume equals more progress, but we know from our research that simply throwing more volume of water at the seabed is not the answer when it comes to trenching. Our RS1 technology - used on Prysmian’s Western Link project - while it boasts greater power, uses less flow in a more focused jet, with up to four times the outlet pressure of

competing technology. This makes it - in our opinion - the best solution on the market for cutting a narrow trench with a deep profile.

“We’re seeing the fruit of recent successes now in the adoption of the RS1 and TRS1 as a primary trenching solution. They vastly reduce the risk of cable damage because it is a totally non-contact trenching method. It can follow a cable route precisely even through tight radius bends, and can trench right in to subsea structures. These are big advantages compared to other trenching methods.”

“It was fantastic to bolster our relationship with Prysmian recently by securing three more work scopes with them, as well as entering talks to secure the current spread on long-term standby. They are a vastly experienced company and when they required the highest-powered tool on the market they chose the RS1 because its more focused higher-pressure jet makes it an extremely effective trenching method that high volume Mass Flow Excavation tools cannot compete with.”

At the time of going to press Rotech had just unveiled its new TRS1 LD, which can be deployed in shallower water than existing technology, and is already booked for a six-month campaign with a major European client.

Wood Group: Leveraging Analytics for Efficiency The industry's low commodity prices, combined with cost inflation over the preceding decade, accelerated the drive among operators for step change solutions in production and cost efficiency. Technology advances in monitoring, connectivity, communications and data analytics are key enablers to making this step change possible.

In production loss reporting, information needs to flow between multiple stakeholders: production personnel, production engineers, maintenance managers, the OIM, asset manager and field partners.

Historically, this was achieved through multiple spreadsheets, loss reports, action registers and disconnected documents that failed to give a timely, consistent or integrated picture of deferred production.

Lack of visibility and absence of a ‘single source of truth’ meant inefficient and un-scalable processes for managing leading indicators and the actions required to minimise or prevent production deferrals.

Data analytics has a significant role to play in production efficiency and loss reporting to transform awareness of the causes and consequences of production deferrals and facilitated efficiency tracking, action tracking and regulatory reporting. An analytics platform provides a single source of truth, accessible to all stakeholders, allowing engineers to focus on avoiding downtime while bringing insight and data analytics to maintenance planning.

degradation will also have potential to reduce inspection cost by enabling condition based monitoring of critical subsea assets. The correlation of maintenance and production data will allow key past indicators to form the basis of predictive monitoring moving forward.

Utilising data efficiently can bring step-change benefits to production operations, loss reporting and operational excellence for producing assets. A key factor in the success of our platform has been the integrated team of production engineers working with our software developers and analytics engineers to develop a fit-for-purpose solution, designed and constantly modified in an agile development framework to suit the needs of the production engineers who use it daily.

Our Proevx analytics platform has recently been deployed to two producing assets in the North Sea, transforming the practice of production loss reporting and management and bringing value and insight to production operations.

This is a step change from the spreadsheet and manual manipulation, with the potential to free up engineers’ time to focus on resolving, rather than identifying, the issues. Having greater visibility and control over data provides insight to where risks lie and target resources to the correct areas.

Moving forward, data analytics experts are looking at tools to combine maintenance histories with production data to determine the onset of production loss events. The detection of subsea equipment

Subsea UK News | September 2017

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NSRI UPDATE

Subsea Simulation and Modelling In a bid to create a more efficient and standardised approach to subsea modelling and simulation, the National Subsea Research Initiative (NSRI) recently held an event to form a cooperative workgroup of key industry players.

Bringing together representatives from over 15 companies, including Subsea 7, Wood Group, Halliburton, EC-OG, Forum and DNV GL, it was identified that there was a compelling demand to work together in a bid to overcome common modelling and simulation challenges.

The group agreed to focus their efforts across three key themes - credibility, competence and cost effectiveness, in the hope to promote smarter, more collaborative working practices, reduce costs, and complexity.

It was identified that the oil and gas industry has been slow in the uptake of simulation and modelling methods in comparison to other sectors, such as aerospace and automotive. It was believed that this was down to a lack of understanding of what was currently available on the market.

Chaired by Dr. Gordon Drummond, project director of NSRI, the workshop also welcomed Tim Morris, chief executive of NAFEMS, the international association for the engineering, modelling, analysis and simulation community. Mr Morris discussed why having numerous methods and workflows across the industry can create barriers for engineers and technology developers. To this end the group agreed to improve its own credibility by agreeing a common approach to modelling tasks and thereby ensuring valuable outputs.

With respect to personnel, the group agreed to investigate the competency of existing schemes, such as the NAFEMS Professional Simulation Engineering Certification, to identify if they meet the industry’s requirements, ensuring people are adequately trained and experienced to carry out their roles.

To increase cost efficiencies, participants agreed that simulation based design could support the development of subsea technology, by ensuring it is optimised prior to being deployed for field trials.

Gordon commented: “Inconsistency is bad for the industry – it reduces confidence in advanced simulation and modelling approaches.

“By creating a collaborative community of subsea simulation and modelling users, NSRI aims to help address the associated challenges and progress methods and solutions that will enhance the UK’s design, verification, simulation, and modelling capabilities.”

The focal point for subsea research and development in the UK

E: info@nsri.co.uk T: +44 (0)845 505 3535

For more information visit nsri.co.uk

www.nsri.co.uk

30 Abercrombie Court Prospect Road Westhill Aberdeenshire AB32 6FE

TECHNOLOGY

Caisson Inspection with High Density Corrosion Mapping by MEC-Combi PipeCrawler As an inspection solution provider, Innospection works with the clients to fulfil their niche inspection requirements. Innospection has successfully completed an inspection of two caissons located in the North Sea where high density corrosion mapping data was required by the operator for the integrity assessment of the caissons.

To achieve the high density internal and external corrosion mapping data from the 24” and 48” caisson with wall thickness up to 22mm, the MEC-Combi PipeCrawler was customised with an ultrasonic sensor array in parallel to the MEC sensor array.

Based on the fast corrosion mapping Magnetic Eddy Current (MEC) technique that operates on high frequency magnetic field controlled Eddy Current with specially developed Eddy Current sensors, the MEC sensor array could detect internal and external defects such as corrosion, pitting and cracks while scanning on the external surface.

With the addition of an ultrasonic sensor array consisting of 16 UT probes distributed across a width of 100mm that enables a scan grid of 2mm in the axial direction and approx. 6mm in the circumferential direction, the detection of pitting corrosion and small defects was achieved.

Inspection with the MEC and ultrasonic technique provided the required high-density inspection results. The advantage of inspecting with a combination of NDT techniques is that each technique offers its strength and the results from both techniques are also verified. While the remaining marine growth on the caisson allowed limited ultrasound couplant, the corrosion mapping data by MEC was still ensure.

The MEC-Combi PipeCrawler was deployed by a work-class ROV operated from a vessel. A sophisticated self-crawling scanner, it

crawled circumferentially and axially on its own upon being put into position at the caissons. The cleaning of the caissons was performed by the ROV prior to the start of the inspection.

The MEC-Combi PipeCrawler is a versatile scanner that enables supporting inspection technique such as high resolution Ultrasonic for absolute wall thickness mapping, Pulsed Eddy Current for average wall thickness mapping, laser triangulation system for geometry scan, high definition camera system for visual inspection, etc to provide a total and customised inspection solution.

The combination of different inspection techniques yields the advantage of collecting different sets of inspection data within the same deployment which eventually helps to save time, vessel costs as well as increasing the value of the operation.

UT Sensor Array MEC Sensor Array MEC-Combi PipeCrawler with MEC & UT Sensor Array

Pipetech Deploys Novel Cleaning System for Subsea Pipelines Pipetech, the independent pipe and process cleaning solutions specialist, has secured a second deployment of its novel Deep Water Cleaning System (DWCS).

The campaign involves cleaning a blocked 2” pipeline in a West of Shetland asset. It follows a successful test run at Pipetech’s facilities where the pipe’s conditions were replicated and the blockage was safely removed using the DWCS. The tool was previously deployed in a £1.2 million campaign by a major operator to clear a blockage in a subsea manifold in the Norwegian North Sea. Eric Doyle, managing director of Pipetech said: “We have a new solution for tackling complex and costly subsea blockages and also bring an engineering approach to focus on solving an operator’s specific problems with scale, wax or stuck objects.

“Our technology can navigate numerous bends to locate and remove stuck pigs or clean pipelines and manifolds. Our team mobilises rapidly as we understand the cost drain involved in having pipelines and subsea equipment out of operation.”

Eric Doyle, Alan Brunnen, Pipetech

The DWCS comprises a range of topside and subsea equipment. A high-pressure water supply from topside, vessel or rig is routed via a downline to the DWCS and its unique hose and nozzle arrangements.

The DWCS hose is marked and feedback is given from topside to enable control of orientation and insertion length. The DWCS hose then enters the pipe spool via a customised entry flange. The entry flange is designed so that it can be connected for an ROV controlled subsea dredge. The DWCS is powered by an ROV and operated from the control room. This means there is total control of the velocity of the hose and speed of revolution for the hose drum, all depending on the subsea piping infrastructure and composition of the scale. A special designed subsea nozzle provides sufficient power for an effective clean and ensures safe and controlled removal of debris.

Pipetech, which launched in 2001 and has operations in Aberdeen and Stavanger, plans to further expand its subsea offering. Alan Brunnen, former executive vice president at Aker Solutions recently joined the company as non executive director and will be heavily involved in driving the company’s subsea business.

Subsea UK News | September 2017

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TECHNOLOGY

SMD Develop High-speed ROV Capability As price pressures continue in the ROV industry, the need for operators to reduce operational costs through the adoption of new technologies is increasingly apparent.

For areas such as seabed mapping and pipeline inspection, where traditional work class ROV systems remain the preferred choice, SMD has recognised the limitations of the current technology available and developed FLO, a new high-speed Survey and Inspection ROV system, capable of delivering higher quality survey data and significant time savings in offshore operations.

Traditionally, standard work class ROVs have speed limitations due to their size, weight and hydrodynamics. They can also be unsteady operating at higher speeds.

SMD engineered FLO, a high-speed variant based on proven SMD ROV fleet technology, to perform tasks faster and more efficiently.

The new system has a top speed of 6 knots and the ability to hold position in currents up to 4 knots from any direction. FLO also boasts 50% faster survey times compared to conventional work class ROVs and is capable of significantly extending the operational window in areas where high currents are prevalent, especially within the renewables sector.

From concept to manufacture, the new high-speed ROV by SMD, has been designed around the latest sensor payloads it would be tasked to carry in order to perform offshore, whilst also providing the most stable and acoustically quiet platform possible to gather quality survey data.

In order to provide this level of performance, FLO uses SMD’s advanced ROV drivetrain technology in a low profile hydrodynamic package less than half the height and half the weight of a typical Work Class ROV. Coupled with eight open water vectored thrusters and SMD’s advanced ROV control automation, FLO is able to accurately navigate and remain stable at high speeds while close to the seabed.

FLO can also be operated in free swimming mode for shallow water and uses a tether management system (TMS) in deeper water.

Although travelling at high speed creates drag on the ROV umbilical, in water depths of 500m in free swimming mode, FLO has the power to achieve speeds greater than 4 knots.

When using a TMS for deep water operation, the umbilical drag is transferred to the surface vessel allowing the high speed ROV a high degree of manoeuvrability on a short 50m tether. This mode allows a calculated maximum speed of 5.6 knots in depths over 2,000m.

To ensure optimised deployment and retrieval of FLO in difficult conditions. SMD has drawn upon its 45 years of deck equipment design to offer purpose designed LARS system which incorporates innovative functions including the auto cable render and a gimballing docking head.

Entries Invited for KONGSBERG 2017 Bathymetric Image Contest The KONGSBERG 2017 Bathymetric Image Contest is now open for entries. All users of Kongsberg Maritime’s bathymetric systems, including the EM® family of single and multibeam echo sounders, the M3 sonar® and GeoSwath solutions are invited to submit their best images captured on these, and other current KONGSBERG systems.

The provider of the winning image will receive a GoPro camera while the providers of the 2nd and 3rd place images will receive a set of Bose speakers. Additionally, the 12 best contributions will be included in the now much sought after, official KONGSBERG 2018 Underwater Mapping calendar.

The KONGSBERG Bathymetric Image Contest was established to showcase what is possible using its extensive range of hydroacoustic equipment and with a professional global user base in the thousands, KONGSBERG bathymetric systems are behind the capture of a wealth truly stunning underwater pictures.

The contest has proven incredibly popular, with over a hundred high quality images covering diverse subject matter submitted since it started in 2014.

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Subsea UK News | September 2017

“Based on the incredible quality of the entries we have received in the past, we’re expecting another hardfought competition for 2017,” said Katharina H. Nygaard, Marketing Manager, Kongsberg Maritime. “The prizes and chance to be featured on our calendar are of course a major attraction, but we feel that it is also important to highlight the fantastic work that our customers are doing with KONGSBERG instruments and the contest is a great way to achieve that.”

The closing date for the competition is Saturday 30 September 2017. The entry form, file upload facility, T&Cs and the top 12 images from 2016 can all be found on the competition homepage: www.kmcompetition.com

TECHNOLOGY

Pushing the Boundaries: The Role of Innovative Transferable Technology in Delivering Performance and Accuracy Continued innovations in technology across all sectors go hand in hand with the adoption of new approaches and innovative ways of working, allowing manufacturers to keep pace with the increasing demands of customers in areas such as speed, accuracy and efficiency. Systems and Engineering Manager at Bosch Rexroth, David Scholes, explains how the combination of the latest technologies and innovative thinking is pushing the boundaries to achieve tasks previously thought impossible.

The changing landscape of modern day industry has brought increasing demands, and with it greater challenges for manufacturers to remain competitive. Any action which can be taken to save time and improve efficiency will be welcomed by system designers and engineers.

One sector that relies heavily on traditional methods of hydraulics, drives and controls is the offshore industry. The main challenge to consider is the requirement to minimise the set-up and configuration time for new offshore installations – reducing installation by as little as a day can result in significant cost savings.

Marine foundation solution company Large Diameter Drilling (LDD), was seeking ways to optimise both the performance and efficiency of their template used for deploying piles at a new offshore wind farm, located 65km off the Baltic coast.

The project itself involved the deployment of 70 wind turbines in the sea, which had a maximum sea depth of 100 metres. These would be positioned on four subsea piles which needed to be a specific distance apart with minimal margin for error. With each pile weighting up to 175 tonnes, 62 metres in length and a diameter of 2.7 metres, the template used to accurately align the piles was of significant importance.

This type of project would be challenging on land, let alone when considering the other factors faced at sea.

Traditional piling methods position and align each pile sequentially with each subsequent pile location measured from its predecessor.

However there are many factors that the process must compensate for. Therefore the idea of an ‘intelligent template’ – one that can continuously react to changes in challenging conditions, with a degree of control and automatically correcting the positioning and angle of the pile during installation – was a concept initially thought out by LDD.

With the help of Bosch Rexroth’s innovative thinking, a bespoke hybrid solution was designed and developed through the creation of a reactive template. By doing so, installation could be achieved more rapidly, meaning completion time was reduced.

Such a system was unprecedented and required extensive virtual testing to mitigate both technical and commercial risk, before it could be implemented in a real application. Only when the control system had been optimised, and all likely eventualities accounted for, could the project proceed to the next stage.

The resulting precision heavy-duty electro-hydraulic control system delivered unprecedented accuracies (±25mm across 676m2) beyond the scope of traditional methods. Unlike traditional techniques, the new active template presented the ability to simultaneously hold the four piles together as a ‘set’, as it optimised the positioning of each pile with a ‘group’ reference including the seabed, the template and the adjacent pile. This saved a considerable amount of time, and ultimately money, which could typically reach a six-figure sum each day. The final system included fault level detection, with algorithms allowing the generation of error signals which, combined with predictive technology enabled the control system to deliver sequential correction.

The system proved ideal in this application, but perhaps more importantly its capabilities are now being explored for other challenging applications.

LDD perfectly illustrates how innovation and trusted techniques are being brought together to achieve benefits that were never thought possible. While the technologies themselves may be nothing new, technical vision and an innovative, problem-solving approach are harnessing their capabilities to push the boundaries of industrial performance, whilst maintaining competitive advantage.

Subsea UK News | September 2017

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ACHIEVEMENT

Tracerco receive Lloyds Register Approval for Flooded Member Inspection (FMI) Tracerco, part of Johnson Matthey plc, has been awarded Lloyds Register approval for its conformance and industry quality standard in the application of FMI. In 1989 Tracerco developed the first FMI system, utilising gamma scanning technology to inspect jacket members for the degree of water ingress on a North Sea platform. Since then, Tracerco’s experience and knowledge in FMI has gone from strength to strength as it continues to deploy hundreds of Flooded Member Inspections a day across all geographical regions.

Tracerco currently holds a Lloyds Approval certificate (since 1991) for the technical capability of its FMI system. Now, Tracerco has been recertified not only for the offshore delivery of FMI but also for its project execution system. This includes being considered reliable and competent in aspects such as training, technical and operational competency, project management and reporting specific to FMI. Tracerco’s consistent, safe and high quality service to successfully determine whether flooding exists and accurately measure the extent of any flooding that has occurred is evident by obtaining Lloyds Register Approval, meaning offshore operators can be very confident in the integrity assessment of their jackets. Accurate measurements in real-time ensures that inspections are right first time, reducing the financial risk and impact associated with repeat inspections, or remedial work that may not even be required.

Kim Thye Lee, Strategic Market Manager said: “We are very proud to obtain certification from Lloyds Register for our FMI system and proprietary FMI software. The competency of our highly experienced and fully trained offshore technicians ensures that we have the ability

to provide assurance and a full traceability of member inspections to all customers. Our global network of offices allows Tracerco to deliver the FMI service around the world whilst maintaining full legislative compliance.”

ACHIEVEMENT

MTCS Awarded the New ISO 9001:2015 Standard MTCS (UK) Ltd is delighted to be awarded with International Standardisation for Organisation, ISO 9001 (2015).

ISO 9001 (2015) is the world’s most popular quality management system standard. It’s a framework to help companies manage their businesses effectively, so they can be operationally resilient, build long-term success and ensure customer satisfaction.

Richard Warburton, Managing Director for MTCS (UK) Ltd, said: “This is a great achievement for us, as I believe we are ahead of many other companies. The deadline for migrating to the new standard is the end of 2018, so we are well ahead. The new ISO standard 9001 (2015) will help MTCS (UK) Ltd to stand out from the crowd and help us to grow by giving us the competitive edge. The new ISO standard is very much about managing risk, changes in our business environment and placing quality at the heart of what we do.

“This is particularly poignant in the Oil & Gas industry at present and I’m proud of our team at MTCS, who have adapted considerably to change by downsizing and realigning in order to handle the downturn.”

Competence is also a critical requirement in the industry. Both companies and individuals face a tough and competitive market, but fortunately, MTCS (UK) Ltd have a framework with robust procedures that ensure clients have the most reliable and effective processes. This will ensure their personnel can demonstrate the highest standard of competence.

MTCS (UK) Ltd have over 15 years’ experience Richard Warburton, Managing Director for in working with Offshore Contracting MTCS (UK) Ltd companies to provide robust and fully accredited programs, with the aim of certifying their personnel are competent in safety critical activities.

A certificate of competence is considered mandatory by most oil & gas majors for many safety critical activities. MTCS (UK) Ltd fully accredited competence schemes provide an effective ‘Risk Management’ tool; whilst ensuring employers are fully meeting their obligations of relevant safety legislation.

Expro Continues RoSPA Safety Success with 13th Consecutive Safety Award Leading international oilfield services company, Expro, has been presented with a fourth President’s Award at RoSPA’s (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) Occupational Health and Safety Awards 2017 – building on 12 consecutive years of awards from this key industry organisation.

The company has been recognised by RoSPA every year since 2005, receiving four oil and gas sector awards from 2006 to 2009, the Gold Medal in 2010, and the Scotland Trophy in 2013.

This latest accolade is presented to organisations that sustain the highest standards of health and safety management over consecutive years. It recognises Expro’s continued success in safety, including the introduction of a Champion Safety campaign in 2015, which focuses on improving the company’s safety culture - ensuring it is at the forefront of every project, process and activity.

The award, now in its 61st year, considers entrants’ overarching occupational health and safety performance and management, including practices such as leadership and workforce engagement.

David Ford, Expro’s Group HSEQ Manager, said:

““Winning Winning the RoSPA award again this year highlights our continued commitment to health and safety excellence. Our company values and behaviours include Champion Safety, which drives a programme of activity through our employees and ensures we maintain this at the heart of our business.

“Irrespective of challenging market conditions, we have achieved a number of important safety milestones across the organisation in the past year. This accolade is thanks to everyone’s contribution in

maintaining a focus on this business-critical area.”

Julia Small, RoSPA’s head of awards and events, said: “The RoSPA Awards are the most prestigious in the world of occupational health and safety, and held in high regard around the world, as winning one demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to maintaining an excellent health and safety record. Achieving the standard required is no mean feat.

“This is a special year in the history of RoSPA, and we congratulate all of our in this, our centenary year.”

winners

Subsea UK News | September 2017

37

TRAINING

The Underwater Centre Raises the Safety Bar in Commercial Diving, with World’s First Globally Recognised, Globally Delivered Diver Training The Underwater Centre, the subsea worker training experts with 40 years’ experience, has announced its new International Training Establishment (ITE) Partnership scheme, as well as its first partner, Singapore’s SSE Training Centre.

The scheme will allow training centres around the world to deliver internationally recognised commercial diving courses, accredited by ADAS.

Companies employing the divers can also be assured of greater worker safety and efficiency and they can bid for a broader array of projects internationally.

“There are huge opportunities in commercial diving around the world, but also risks - which is a dangerous combination,” says Steve Ham, Commercial Director, The Underwater Centre. “In many countries, too many divers are dying because of insufficient training. Partly this is down to cost, but largely the barrier is having to travel to get the best standard of instruction, which is often unfeasible. We’re removing that barrier with the ITE scheme, just as the market needs it most.

“It’s a win for everyone,” says Ham. “Divers and employers. We also hope that, by making this level of training accessible globally, there will be less incentive to hire unqualified divers. This way, we can help squeeze out bad practice and gradually raise the safety bar across the whole industry.”

“The oil and gas industry is just picking up from the bottom of its cycle and more projects are coming online; the offshore wind industry is taking off and decommissioning ageing oil and gas assets will need a lot of divers too.

There busier times ahead for the sector in the near future, and the ITE scheme will help divers around the world be part of that while maintaining the highest standards of safety.”

The ITE Partnership scheme works by allowing existing diver training establishments to partner with The Underwater Centre, Tasmania, which has an agreement in place with ADAS allowing it to deliver accredited training outside of Australia. All potential partners are fully audited by The Underwater Centre to ensure high standards, and all ADAS courses are then delivered in conjunction with the company’s training experts to guarantee consistent quality.

By training this way, divers benefit from greatly increased safety, as well as an internationally recognised qualification that boosts their earning potential and opens career paths around the world.

This training collaboration, to deliver ADAS internationallyrecognised certificates, is the first of its kind in Singapore and, until now, meant that SSE divers were restricted to working in the waters within the government-backed certification boundaries. In future, they will be able to work around the world, on a range of jobs and for different companies. With the completion of this ITE Partnership process, SSE Training Centre now has the ability to deliver safe and accredited diver training in Singapore. The training has so far been offered in English but The Underwater Centre is also able to offer training in other languages, such as Malay.

“It has been a great pleasure and privilege to be working in partnerships with The Underwater Centre, Tasmania. Together we have been able to deliver high quality dive training systems coupled with internationally recognised ADAS qualifications in Singapore.

SSE Training Centre Pte Ltd and The Underwater Centre have been working passionately for past 6 months to reach this important milestone for both parties and it’s really a proud moment. Looking forward for continued friendship and success,” says Captain Ram K. Kumar, General Manager, SSE Training Centre.

Allan Brown, Operations Director at The Underwater Centre, Tasmania says: “Working with the team at SSE Training Centre has been a fantastic experience. Their commitment to excellence and their passion for quality has combined naturally with the experience and professionalism of the The Underwater Centre Tasmania team.

The Underwater Centre and SSE Training Centre have formed a very strong partnership in the delivery of ADAS qualifications in Singapore.”

SSE Training Centre and The Underwater Centre Tasmania

38

Subsea UK News | September 2017

From the seashore to the seabed SEA provides proactive, responsive and cost-effective solutions for design, engineering, operational support and maintenance of Subsea equipment, primarily related to the Subsea production control market.

SEA realises the economic value of refurbishing existing, unwanted capital equipment and is proud to bring you Legacy Locker, the open industry portal for the re-manufacturing, recycling and upcycling of Subsea equipment.

Contact SEA

+44 1224 773 435

subsea@sea.co.uk

SEA (Group) Ltd, The Lombard Centre, Kirkhill Place, Dyce, Aberdeen, AB21 0GU

Engineering excellence through life

sea.co.uk

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