Revista GSP

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ISSUE: DECEMBER 2012

2y0A1cti2vities

Ke ure and Fut Plans

BRIEF:

NORTH SEA

OPERATIONS ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS Launching of the GSP Operational Excellence Program

The 2012 GREEN INDEX GALA

GSP’s Future Deep Water FLEET

foreword We`re back! This issue marks the re-launching of the GSP Corporate Magazine! The new magazine continues the lasting tradition of “Curierul GSP”. The editorial team welcomes you to read it! Our aim is to provide up-todate information on what’s going on with our company.

The magazine continues delivering in-depth information about offshore and onshore operations by selecting for you the most relevant content!

It is our hope to regain our regular readers’ interest and to achieve a record number of hard copy and online readers.

The magazine is also available online and can be accessed on the company`s website, at

http://www.gspoffshore.com/media-centre/ gsp-magazine, as well as on ISSU and Scribd.

GSP Magazine offers you the opportunity to be informed as well as the place to express your opinion about the oil & gas industry. The invitation to collaborate with the editorial team remains permanent, as our objective is to increase the quality of the delivered content.

Please feel free to suggest new subjects of interest by contacting our editorial team at public.relations@gspoffshore.com.

The magazine reaches the internal and external stakeholders.

Enjoy the new issue of the magazine and send us your feedback!

Let us know what you think!

C

ul urier

C urierul www.gspoffshore.com september 2011

m ffshore.co www.gspo ember 2010 dec

GSP Premiere the successful completion of a Coiled Tubing operation for Energean Oil & Gas

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by GSp GSP TrAdeMArk Well InTervenTIon ServIceS cASPIAn SeA, neW chAllenGeS

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with drilling rigs, GSP fortuna and GSP Britannia and a construction vessel, GSP falcon

www.gspoffshore.com April-May 2010

DECEMBER 2012

contents 4 OFFSHORE DRILLING. Operational Report 6 GSP’S OSV SERVICES OVERVIEW With the support of Vasile Raceanu, OSV Fleet Manager 12 THE 2012 Green Business Index Gala 14 GSP HAS LAUNCHED the Operational Excellence Program 18 ACHIEVING OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE - Interview with Henk Van Leenen, Manager HSEQ North Sea & Head of Operational Excellence 20 NEWCOMER INTO THE NORTH SEA OIL & GAS MARKET. Projects for

Wintershall, Perenco and E.ON 24 NORTH SEA: Taking Safety to a new level 28 SHIPBUILDING: GSP’s Future Deep Water Fleet 30 THE ‘QUALITY FIRST’ REVOLUTION 31 THE ROLE of the Competence Management System

32 TALENTS ACQUISITION & COMPETENCES RETAINING 36 GSP TRAINING CENTER - Activity Report 41 GSP WELCOMES Newly Appointed Drilling Managing Director

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Offshore Drilling.

Operational Report GSP’s operational map includes at the moment drilling campaigns carried out in the North Sea, Gulf of Mexico and the Black Sea.

GSP SATURN. North Sea drilling horizons

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DECEMBER 2012

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GSP JUPITER. Star MODU offshore Romania

NORTH SEA OPERATIONS: GSP SATURN

This year GSP has initiated its North Sea offshore drilling campaign with the cantilever type jack up rig GSP Saturn.

GSP Saturn provides offshore drilling services based on a long term contract with Wintershall Noordzee B.V., the subsidiary of the German company Wintershall Holding GmbH, member of the BASF group.

The actual offshore drilling

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operations started on the 6th of June, after the successful rig positioning concluded the day before and represent a success for both our company and the client, as an oil discovery has already been made.

Before being transported to the North Sea, GSP Saturn has rendered a drilling campaign in Tunisia. GSP carried out intense rig upgrade works in order to qualify the rig to the regulations and standards in force in the North Sea.

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GOM OPERATIONS: GSP ORIZONT AND GSP ATLAS

GSP entered a long term contract in the Gulf of Mexico, qualifying a tender organized by Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX). The MODUs GSP Orizont and GSP Atlas provide offshore drilling services under contracts of approximately 600 days each. The rigs were transportded from the Persian Gulf, their previous operations location. GSP Orizont has reached the

operational base in Dos Bocas on July 16th, 2011, being closely followed by GSP Atlas which reached the new port base on the 27th of the same month.

The offshore drilling operations the company carries out in the GOM are part of GSP’s operational area extension strategy and consolidation of the company position in regions with most demanding and dynamic offshore markets.

Over the last years, Pemex applied a set of strict conditions to all

DECEMBER 2012

its contractors and GSP qualified the international tender with two of its drilling rigs.

The two rigs’ preparative campaign for the GOM market included upgrades amounting USD 8.2 mil for GSP Orizont, respectively USD 12.5 mil for GSP Atlas.

BLACK SEA OPERATIONS: GSP JUPITER AND GSP PROMETEU

Starting April 2012, GSP Jupiter carried out drilling operations under a contract with the Turkish National Oil Company, Türkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortaklığı (TPAO). The MODU was deployed into the 3920 block where it carried out drilling on Istranca well, on the Turkish continental shelf.

Two of the GSP`s offshore support vessels, GSP Vega – AHTS, and GSP Orion – PSV, OSR have provided offsore support services to the rig. The vessels have also transported the offshore rig into the Turkish national waters and positioned it on the work location.

Immediately after completing the drilling operations for TPAO, GSP Jupiter has entered a new project on the Romanian continental shelf of the Black Sea, providing services for Sterling Resources. Based on the new contract, GSP Jupiter has concluded the

drilling operations for the Ioana prospect in Block 15 Midia. The Ioana well was drilled to a total depth of 1,950 meters measured depth (“MD”), 1,513 meters true vertical depth subsea (“TVDSS”) according to the client released information. “We are encouraged by the gas saturations in the primary objective, thereby proving up potential trap and gas sourcing to the structure,” stated Patrick Whitley, Sterling’s Vice President, International Exploration.

Sterling’s officials further explained: “The Ioana-1 well is situated on the western edge of a very large areal structure of some 150 square kilometers. The well location was selected at the deepest water depth

location possible in which the only available jack-up drilling unit could safely operate was the Grup Servicii Petroliere SA rig “GSP Jupiter”. The Ioana-1 location was defined by 2D seismic data, which has proved successful for the Ana and Doina discovery and appraisal wells, but the complexity of the formations encountered in the Ioana-1 well now suggest that 3D seismic might be needed for reservoir thickness predictions and further drilling on this structure.”

“We will now be assessing the potential follow on program for the Ioana prospect for next year, which might commence with the acquisition of a 3D seismic survey over

Safety. The first command of GSP offshore operations

Ioana and other Midia Block prospects. […] In addition, we plan to drill exploration wells on one or more other prospects in the Midia Block.” stated Mike Azancot, Sterling’s President and CEO. GSP Jupiter continues operations, being recently moved and positioned on the second work location, in Block 13 Pelican where drilling has started on the Eugenia prospect.

GSP Prometeu has concluded offshore operations under a contract with OMV Petrom. The rig was engaged in tender support and light workover operations on the Romanian continental shelf of the Black Sea. The drilling operations are supported by two AHTS vessels, GSP King and GSP Alcor.

The two provide supply, rig move and stand by services.

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GSP Queen, AHTS.

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DECEMBER 2012

GSP’s OSV Services Overview With the support of Vasile Raceanu, OSV Fleet Manager The traditional market advantages started to be acknowledged immediately after our company understood it was imperative to focus on improving fleet characteristics and raise the quality and safety. The technical and operational standards of the OSVs GSP operates must be permanently improved.

The transformation of the fleet is even more obvious if we just compare the current vessels with the ones GSP was operating in 2004, at the early beginning of the business.

Improving fleet capability is a company`s only way to keep up with the market trend and make its way to the leading players in the industry. Of course money shouldn`t be thrown away, just for the sake of investing. Plans have to be made, markets have to be prospected. Taking the Black Sea`s particular case, this market shifts towards the deep water exploration and production, so the acquisitions have to include vessels with more complex features, able to rise to the market demands.

Also, safety and health regulations appear to become stricter every day.

So this is another matter that should be improved, not only in regards to

the individual protective equipment; safety and health means dynamic positioning systems, adequate design and engine power for the new challenges deep water oil and gas will bring, automated propulsion systems. We’re speaking about higher complexity as the complexity of the services while the market

into which we operate signals its growing demands.

GSP has gradually developed its commercial offer, as new equipments have been assessed: SAT diving system and ROVs. So the company is able to provide a wider span of services, including support for subsea installation, trenching, saturation

Mr. Vasile Raceanu, Manager OSV

divers’ light construction works, ROV and AUV surveys, deep water crane operations, and here we are now, qualified to provide these new services.

The future of the shipping operations highly depends on what we intend to do and where we want to be.

I come back to the need to keep the pace with the market needs, or even be one step ahead. For our company, the future means deep water operations.

We’ll speak about the fleet development as deep water operations require semisubmersibles and drilling vessels, as well as more complex offshore construction vessels.

The company invests already in developing the engineering design for the deep water fleet and, for some projects, the negotiations are quite advanced in regards of the shipbuilding projects with various shipbuilders and top class equipment providers worldwide. The AHTS fleet is going to further be developed, to more powerful AHTSs, with increased bollard pull capabilities.

Fleet and equipment development is directly linked to the training of the personnel. There are a series of fundamental operational differences between our

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current operations and the future ones and the new skills must be acquired.

The high market value of the human capital must not be in any case devalued.

GSP has provided career opportunities and grew a great number of marine specialists and has to continue the efforts in this

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direction. Time and capital are invested in acquiring further competency and professional experience, in developing skills and certified training.

We’re not saying that the shallow water operations will go in the background.

There’s still room for development here as well.

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Adjustments are made to increase the quality of our services here as well. It happens along the increasingly strict regulatory frame, and it is accompanied by higher competence standards.

We take into consideration the regional market opportunities presented

by shallow water OSV support in regions such as Ukrainian continental shelf, the Azov Sea, the Romanian continental shelf and its potential to further development in a series of blocks where operations are going to be initiated in the near future, the Marmara Sea

DECEMBER 2012

Full speed! GSP ALcor, AHTS and stand-by vessel in the Black Sea

with its Silivri area, where there are 16 wells expected to be drilled. Shallow water is going to be of high interest as well in the near future.

In order to conclude, at the moment, GSP considers the main drivers of its OSV fleet are: diversification, age profile, technologies. These

directions are sustained by increasing offshore activities in our region as well as the shift towards deep water operations in the global energy market defined by high energy demand and high oil prices. The general trend results in slower to extract and increasingly

technologically challenging offshore oil and gas production.

According to Clarkson Capital Markets 70% of the existing fleet is under 20 years of age and the offshore oil contribution to the global production is expected to grow up to approximately 37%

by 2018, from the 35% registered in 2010, being driven by the contribution of the deep water (water depths over 600 feet) and here’s just a slight support for reasoning why the continuous change is needed and will find the proper support and resources in GSP.

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The 2012 Green Business Index Gala Following GSP`s participation in the survey conducted by Green Revolution, an in depth assessment of the environmental policy and practices in Romania, at this year`s edition of the GBI Gala, GSP was awarded firstplace in three categories and second-place in another three categories, becoming the most present company on the GBI awards podium and ranking second in the overall standings.

1ST PRIZE FOR THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: “Environmental Impact”, “Sustainable Transport”, “Green Procurement”; 2ND PRIZE IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: “Sustainable Development”, “Use of Resources”, “Waste Management”;

GSP on the podium. Marian Carnat, GSP’s Environmental Counselor being handed over one of the Green Business Index awards

GSP was one of the five nominees in the “Buildings’ Status” category.

“ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT”

It is for the second consecutive year that GSP is awarded the first place

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in the ‘Environmental Impact’ competition.

The jury considered GSP’s partnership with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the operations GSP Orion carries out under EMSA coordination at the Black Sea border

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of the European Union an active contribution to the environmental protection. In numbers, the ‘environmental impact’ policy resulted in 24 successfully concluded external audits, carried out by various authorities and client companies within

GSP during 2011, summing up to 200 hours. All the environmental compliance measures have been integrated in the periodical Key Performance Indicators report, with a 100% achievement rate and have resulted in training and familiarization sessions of

DECEMBER 2012

the entire staff, monitoring of environmental factors, segregation and recycling, exercises and simulations, certification of all installations in regards of atmosphere emissions within the internationally accepted limits, in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 6 of The International Convention for the Pollution Prevention from Ships (MARPOL).

“SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT” GSP has repeated the last year’s performance and won the category ‘Sustainable Transport’.

Among the facts leading to this award are the following: 100% of the car fleet of the company employs technologies reducing emissions, the process of renewing the fleet takes into consideration the Euro

5 standard, the monthly average fuel consumption is monthly monitored and improvement in efficiency registered, the company employs the road transportation for supply at a 50% level (decreasing), completing

with 20% air transportation (decreasing) and 30% water transportation (growing).

Over 75% of the personnel driving the company’s vehicles have been trained in effective management of the car transportation within GSP Training Center. A rate of 92% of company employees used in 2011 the public transportation means provided by GSP, and 5% used the car sharing system while 1% opted for alternative transport (cycling). The company also uses an automatic monitoring system and routes planning which entered service in 2010.

15% of the total distribution is covered through the logistic department and the suppliers’ selection takes into account the environmental performance and efficiency of the transportation fleet.

The streamline plan of travel went down 15%, resulting in 1400 liters of fuel, corresponding to 1.5 million kilometers.

The business trips were also reduced by a 25 to 50%, being replaced by video and teleconferences.

These results confirm the efficiency of the internal environmental policy, GSP managing to actively involve all personnel in achieving the objectives of the sustainable transport.

“GREEN PROCUREMENT” Grup Servicii Petroliere (GSP Offshore) was the

winner in the “Green Procurement” category, leading through its green procurement policy instruments. The selection process incorporates the environmental component for all the materials and services, resulting in the selection of those with the most reduced environmental impact. The green procurement policy is part of the integrated management system. The percentage of the green procurement represents, however, less than 5% of the total purchase, due to the specific of drilling and offshore operations the company carries out.

To ensure the minimal environmental impact, GSP has increases the green acquisitions up to 10%, the aggregate value resulting in approximately 2,000,000 euro. Because the most of the green procurement took place before 2011, the data for 2011 declined by approximately 15%, acquisitions being made to support administrative and maintenance efforts. The training matrix includes specific environmental aspects and the company involved over 75% of its employees in defining

and observing the green procurement policy.

The green procurement policy pays up through investments in fields such as: water treatment plants, optimized power consumption, waste optimization, segregation and recycling, purchases of electrical and electronic appliances observing the energy efficiency requirements. The green procurement policy is a constitutive component of the integrated management system.

GBI awards every year the most environmentally responsible companies at the Green Business Index (GBI) Gala. The event is attended by representatives of the business environment and of public authorities in Romania. GBI offers public recognition of the progresses the participant companies register towards environmental responsibility and green economy. The multiannual project Green Business Index (GBI) is the only free tool for assessing the environmental responsibility of companies in Romania according to ISO 14001 and ISO 14031 standards, providing the mechanism for monitoring green initiatives, as well as an effective support and training tool for improving environmental performance.

Green Business Index 2012 Report findings are available online on www.gbindex.ro.

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DECEMBER 2012

GSP has launched the Operational Excellence Program Operational Excellence Program at the start.

Henk Van Leenen in the opening session of the conference in Vega Auditorium

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WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

One of the simplest and best definitions of excellence, I have come across, tells us Constantin Gheorghe, the HSEQ Director, `is that it comes when people or organizations strive to be the best they can be`. In just a few words, this program we’ve launched on the 31st of October is about planning the organic growth and doing more than expected; going the extra mile of quality and reliability in providing integrated services for the offshore industry.

The Operational Excellence program involves at the start two key elements: one is defining the current state of the organization, and benchmarking, employing both internal (i.e. the highest standard bearer assets and crews), and external benchmarks to which a set of demanding auditors will contribute to complete the whole picture.

We are now trying to achieve the complete portrayal of the business truth by assessing the point in which the company finds itself because the right diagnosis will facilitate the intended progress. Starting from the corroborate findings, we will be able to draw the path to where we want to be. We count on a series of internal and third party inputs. Among the external ones, there are our auditors, classification societies, domain

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regulators, associations and other bodies. The most recently concluded audit was the follow up audit regarding the HSE, quality and competence in training aspects of GSP’s business. The auditor was the renowned FPAL. All these aspects are closely related and the expert opinion on how we progress is more than welcome.

The audit resulted with encouraging conclusions: the sole observation of the auditors was that we do not speak much about the results we achieve, about the positive changes we have initiated. The FPAL auditors have also appreciated the Operational Excellence Program for

both its high potential and the strategic thinking it involves. There are not many businesses daring to challenge excellence in the comprehensive manner we intend to do it.

We have registered a progress since the first audit and this was remarked by the FPAL auditors. It will definitely reflect in the score. From 9 up the progress is challenging. A leap of two points by the FPAL assessment scale will be also registered for the competence and training component. It is the proof of the fact that we’ve crystallized the basic elements which will concur to our pursuit to business excellence.

Interractive session during the conference

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WHAT IS THE WAY TO ACHIEVING THE OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE?

There will be two main directions; I call them the software and the hardware ones. The first one involves the people: it will be about improving their competence level, changing the work culture and encouraging the orientation to quality. The second one means the improvement of the equipments and technologies we employ.

Both will be internally benchmarked with GSP Saturn and GSP Falcon.

Being already accepted into the North Sea is a positive signal and the feedback we receive from our clients there is encouraging. There

DECEMBER 2012

consider all functional areas that are involved in developing and delivering value to the marketplace and accessing the proper paths to achieving the desired end outcomes.

ARE YOU ALONE IN THE OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE PURSUIT?

are things to be improved as well and here the external benchmarks enter their roles: local authorities, professional associations, classification societies.

WE’VE LAUNCHED THE PROGRAM, WHAT NEXT?

We’re not inventing the wheel here. It will come out naturally, with action plans and deadlines and quantifiable indicators to be set according to the expected results. The operational excellence program will result in major investments and coordinated efforts within and between departments.

We have initiated the change having the full involvement and unconditioned support of the company’s CEO and President of the Board and gradually we attracted

Conference workshop. Interaction generates great ideas

along the entire top and middle management of the company. They will lead the change, and the final benefits for both the company and its personnel will be huge.

Based on the diagnosis at the start of the program, including the corporate culture, a comprehensive action plan will be elaborated.

All personnel will be assessed after defining the core competence framework. Having the competency profiles for each position and assessing everybody based on the framework, will allow ourselves to understand and design the best way to approach operational excellence and to clearly set the training matrix.

In terms of investments,

we have to maintain a realistic perspective; we are talking about an organic change, therefore a long term process, consisting of modernization and upgrades of the fleet in order to comply with the North Sea market requirements.

Along the process we will ask for qualified third party assessment, to maintain ourselves and the business on the right path if necessary, to indicate where and when to intervene in order to achieve the expected results: the goal attainment percentage, the alignment of all the departments, assets and subsidiaries, companies core competencies, leadership and culture, assess operations and decision making within the company’s ‘ecosystem’,

The idea of the project was advocated at its start by Henk Van Leenen and by myself and immediately found unconditioned support at the very top.

We’re also counting on the HR department`s specialist.

The pursuit to excellence will be a tough leadership test! This is not a program designed just for the sake of our pride. It will require a greater amount of attention, commitment and involvement of the top and middle management to activate change where necessary. It will also need long term sustenance and proper methodology and well understood means, the alignment of the metrics of our KPI (Key Performance Indicators Report) to the upper market requirement levels, activating the entire improvement potential, with main focus on training, certification and overall business impact. We also count equally on the successes we registered and the lessons we must learn from our own mistakes!

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Achieving Operational Excellence Interview with Henk Van Leenen, Manager HSEQ North Sea & Head of Operational Excellence

31st October marked the kick-off conference for one of the most ambitious programs GSP has ever launched. Mr. Gabriel Comanescu invited about 60 members of GSP’s top management worldwide to discuss strategies for achieving Operational Excellence.

What is meant with ‘Operational Excellence’?

I was nominated leader of this essential project and took this task with great honor and responsibility.

Our vision is to reach the strategic objective of entering among the top 25% of our market competitors, among the leading companies of the industry.

And for those that know our world of Drilling, Offshore

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Henk Van Leenen

Good is simply not good enough.

Clients, authorities, employees, the public, everyone is expecting nothing but the very best from large organizations like ours.

Construction, and Naval Operations that is indeed a steep ambition.

GSP is a good company.

But, if exigency plays its cards objectively, we’re young and not GREAT yet.

Good is simply not good enough. Clients, authorities, employees, the public, everyone is expecting nothing but the very best from large organizations like ours.

In order to survive in our

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tough and competitive world we MUST improve.

There’s no other way!

We must deliver the Best Available Technology, operated by a highly skilled workforce. So, can we meet these expectations? With the people we currently employ? With the rigs and vessels we operate? Can we find the funds for the necessary investments?

Can we appeal to the right people to make GSP into

a great company? Can we train and develop our current staff to meet the highest standards? How can we put all this change and improvement into practice?

And these are only a few questions when you start thinking of operational excellence.

The goal for the conference was to present this plan to all senior management. To make a change program like this successful, it cannot be directed by the President and CEO alone. We had to ensure all management would buy into the proposed steps and direction to follow and understand its consequences.

Although we should not be afraid for the changes

DECEMBER 2012

to come, the organization will experience some difficult times; we will have to change-out assets; reposition functions and departments; recruit personnel and ensure the generation chance and knowledge transfer; and ultimately, ensuring the necessary conditions to keep-up with the required pace are created.

Organizational change must be understood beyond individual uncertainties and personal fears.

The first step of accepting the strategic plan was achieved, as we experienced a high level of involvement and good quality discussions.

The plan is mainly based on three pillars: 1. Hardware improvements 2. Competence development 3. Personal Behaviors The gradual implementation of these three pillars will eventually see a cultural change within GSP that can be described as the so-called ‘High Reliable Organization’.

1. For the Asset improvements we take our operations in the North Sea as the benchmark. In order to operate successfully in that harsh environment with highly demanding clients and authorities, we had to invest a lot for the GSP Saturn and Falcon, as well as in training our crews. Eventually we

achieved client satisfaction and completed a number of wells and pipelines successfully. The next step will be to carry out surveys at all the other rigs and vessels as well as onshore, at all the locations where GSP carries out its operations. What do we need to change to these installations so they can measure up to the North Sea standards? These surveys need to be initiated by the responsible asset management. Another important change discussed during the conference is the establishment of a new Engineering Department.

In the near future we will witness the establishment of a new department which will be responsible that all of the assets comply with current industry standards and that all the projects and

operations do the same.

They will look into new investments and provide value added inputs to coordinate the management of change.

2. Competence Development will focus on both training and sharing of information, starting with senior management. As HSEQ is primary a line management responsibility, training will be developed to enhance the knowledge about the HSEQ Management System.

We will develop as well training for management and supervisory levels to improve on project planning: from coordinating minor asset changes to large projects. With regard to sharing of information we will explore the latest technologies to ensure that critical information

Education is key! Henk Van Leenen introducing the Competence Development, one of the three pillars of the Operational Excellence program

is quickly and adequately distributed within the company.

3. The 3rd Pillar of the plan will focus on the ‘psychology’ of our personal behaviors. Where asset improvement and competence development require a more rational and ‘intellectual’ approach, behaviors are based more on what we really believe and thus closer to our heart.

Initially we will introduce two issues: I. Leadership Plans, asking senior managers to evaluate their own safety performance and to commit to tailor-made improvements that will be shared with and have an positive effect on their teams; II. Team plans; engaging the ‘real experts’, the ones actually doing the work and who are the most knowledgeable to come up with ideas on how to improve the HSEQ performance in their direct work environment.

We can expect many changes in the near future.

But they will be introduced in small, manageable steps. Cultural change is more evolutionary than revolutionary. And whilst we are trying out our ideas for improvement, we also need to be convinced that these ideas are effective and beneficial. Only then we can take the next step and make sure that Achieving Operational Excellence will be most successful.

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Operations under the Magnifier Glass:

Newcomer into the North Sea Oil & Gas Market. Projects for Wintershall, Perenco and E.ON WINTERSHALL Q4C RE-ROUTING PIPELAY WORK PROJECT On November 8 GSP was announcing the successful completion of the project.

GSP Falcon has completed its first North Sea project for Wintershall Noordzee B.V. The DNV class pipelay vessel GSP Falcon installed

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30 kilometers of 10 inch diameter pipeline in the Dutch sector of the North Sea. The newly installed pipeline reroutes production from the existing Q4-C platform and connects it subsea to the existing 10 inch pipeline in the Q8 field, which runs to the gas treatment facilities at the Q8-Terminal.

The Client, Wintershall Noordzee B.V. is based in

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Rijswijk and is a subsidiary of the German company Wintershall Holding GmbH, a member of the BASF group. Currently GSP provides for the same Client offshore drilling services in the Dutch sector of the North Sea with the cantilever type jack-up rig GSP Saturn.

GSP took a strategic step forward by accessing the North Sea market with this first pipelay contract.

Catalin Mamaischi, Deputy Operations Manager within the Offshore Construction Department provided a few insights about the offshore operations GSP planned and carried out during the project.

“Wintershall Q4C Rerouting Pipelay Work Project 2012 campaign (10” pipelay) was a high-profile project. It is a cornerstone project for GSP’s North Sea market pipelay operations,

DECEMBER 2012

as the first pipelay contract awarded to Grup Servicii Petroliere, a newcomer in an exclusive and demanding market. Oh well, we got here and we hope that soon our professionalism will prove that the trust our client companies showed to GSP has a solid foundation.

In GSP there was perceived with the most acute awareness the strategic importance of the pipelay contracts GSP was for the first time awarded at this fresh start the company made in the North Sea. GSP’s offshore operations team and the subcontractors altogether have been aware

of the high stake of the Wintershall pipelay project in relation to the future of GSP as an offshore constructions contractor, especially in the North Sea. Wintershall Q4C Re-routing Pipelay Project was the chance GSP needed in order verify its ability to operate pipelay vessels in the North Sea and fulfil the highest standards the region is well known for, having equally in mind safety of operations and quality of the product delivered to the client.

While seeing at a global offshore operations scale, or while reading industry reports or perceiving with

the facts from the outside, one might say that laying a 10” pipeline 30.6 km in length is not that big of a deal. And yet, whoever is involved in offshore operations, who at least one time took part in an EPIC (engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning) project carried out offshore knows that there’s no such thing as ‘easy project’. No matter the dimensions the projects have, they have to be taken seriously in terms of engineering and environmental aspects: there is a lot of hard work, knowledge and skill,

planning, abnegation, individual and team involvement.

The project team carried out a comprehensive preparative campaign for the project, keeping quality and cost effectiveness in mind at all times, to the smallest details. However, operating in a new environment of the North Sea brought up challenges to which solutions had to be found in due time.

Being the first pipelay project GSP has ever had in the North Sea, both the contracting company and the vessel were in the market spotlight. Safety is

Up to the highest standards: GSP Saturn & GSP Falcon, company’s spearheads into a new market

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GSP Falcon. A highly versatile DNV classed pipelay vessel

taken to another level in this particular market, so our safety culture was put to the test and awareness had to reach the highest point.Both of the preventive tools, Event Reports and Safety Observation Cards, were used correctly highlighting potential hazards and correcting actions or faults in the system.

Completing the first project in North Sea without any accidents and any lost time

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injuries must be considered a success. GSP as an offshore contractor, the crew onboard GSP Falcon, and the entire project team has set the standards for future projects.

Here`s a fact that should be highlighted: no accident of any kind (First Aid Case, Medical Treatment Case, Work Restricted Case, Lost Time Injury, Fatalities) has happened. This result reflects the quality of all

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personnel working on and supporting GSP Falcon, as well as the quality of the training program.

Most of the personnel onboard were Romanians, around 45%, working in a multicultural environment of the crew and of the project team. This is a huge percentage, considering that before 2009 Romania had no background in offshore operations. The professional body of offshore specialists

started to take shape in 2009, once GSP extended its services offer entering the offshore constructions market. The offshore operations practitioners are a continuously growing team of diversified specializations formed along with the first projects completed by GSP (Akcakoca, DLS, Galata).

So it was a complex process, that included a comprehensive training &

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mentorship program. The training was developed both theoretically and practically (on the job), being developed by GSP personnel experienced on all the fields of expertise related to the operations to take place during offshore pipelay and offshore constructions projects.

PERENCO 53/02A-14A PIPELINE PROJECT

In October 2012, Grup Servicii Petroliere (GSP) has been awarded a new pipelay contract in the North Sea, to be performed

by GSP Falcon, the DNV class pipelay vessel. The operations under the new contract with Perenco were scheduled to start in mid October 2012 and involve all engineering, procurement installation and pre-commissioning required to lay a 9.5 km 8” diameter offshore gas pipeline and umbilical, between the LEMAN 53/02a-14A well and the existing 49/27A platform facilities. Perenco is an independent oil & gas company with operations in 16 countries across the globe, ranging from Northern Europe to Africa and from South America to the Middle East and has approximately 4,000 employees worldwide.

The company operates both onshore and offshore and currently produces approximately 300,000 boepd.

The beneficiary of another project, in amount of approximately USD 50 million, was the British company Melrose Resources.

GSP was the general contractor for the engineering, procurement, manufacturing, trans­portation, installation and testing of two pipelines.

NEW PRO­JECTNEW LESSONS TO BE LEARNED.

“After the completion of the Wintershall Project, GSP took another challenge, Perenco 53/02A-14A Pipeline Project. This was another EPIC (Engineering, Procurement, Installation, Commissioning) offshore project, that brought new challenges through its higher complexity when compared with the Wintershall Q4C Rerouting Pipelay Project: the new project includes installation of a piggy-back line (8” pipeline with a 4” umbilical) and in GSP’s scope of work there’s included the trenching as well.

A lot of work had to be put in. GSP was not only operating in North Sea, but in the UK Sector of North Sea- higher standards and higher expectations. As I mentioned above, this second pipelay project in the North Sea brought a higher complexity degree, and therefore all the resources were concentrated onto completion of the project safely and correctly

from the technical point of view.

During the different phases of the operations GSP has used Romanian offshore professionals in percentage varying between 50% and 68%, which is quite a remarkable achievement.

The aim of GSP as a North Sea contractor is not to have Romanian personnel on board only because they are the “right” nationality, but to develop an offshore operations professional body able to perform worldwide as expected by the most demanding operators and clients. That’s why many of the positions covered by Romanians (key positions) are doubled by experienced expat personnel providing valuable mentorship.

HEADING STRAIGHT FORWARD. NEW PRO­JECTS E.ON HUNTER PIPELINE REPLACEMENT Grup Servicii Petroliere S.A. has been awarded the contract for pipelay and trenching services

for the Hunter Pipeline Replacement Project by E.ON E&P UK LIMITED. The scope of work comprises installation of 8 km 8’’ pipeline between Hunter well head and Murdock K well, trenching and backfilling, survey, project management and engineering. Offshore operations are due to commence in March 2013, in the Hunter field, located in UK Southern North Sea. The pipelay operations will be performed by GSP Falcon.

E.ON E&P UK LIMITED is an upstream oil and gas company owned by E.ON Ruhrgas E&P GmbH, a subsidiary of E.ON Ruhrgas AG, headquartered in Essen, Germany. E.ON Ruhrgas AG is part of the E.ON group.

Catalin Mamaischi, Deputy Operations Manager within the Offshore Constructions Department, assures us: “We look forward to the next projects. We are striving to continuously improve our performance.

The more experience we accumulate, the better, as we hope it will bring along more clients trusting our capabilities. E.ON Hunter Pipeline Replacement Project will be one in a long list of projects and now we’re focusing on planning and preparing everything to ensure the safety and quality completion.”

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North Sea: Taking Safety to a new level ‘We head towards genuine improvement by taking more notice of why and how we do things. We also know well that the development and maintenance of a sound safety culture lie within the management’s responsibility. It is determinant to our success to count on the management mindset and commitment to ensure the safety of the workplace along with high quality level of the services we provide!’, Constantin Gheorghe says at the start of our discussion.

From the beginning of our offshore drilling and pipe-laying operations in the North Sea, GSP’s personnel from both GSP Saturn and GSP Falcon has been appreciated for their involvement in safety. This was the reason why we addressed the Safety Officer onboard the rig, Mr. Ionel Cristea, to find out which are the main drivers of the change we witness.

IONEL CRISTEA, Safety Officer, GSP Saturn, North Sea Operations ‘We are not out and far from our familiar work environment; we just bring our work results to a new level”

“The rig crew includes members of different backgrounds and skills. I am among those witnessing the progress our safety culture onboard registers. I must say that being here in the North Sea, accepted by both client and authorities says a lot about it, but of course not everything.

For an oilman, for us all onboard GSP Saturn, the North Sea experience is not all about amazing harbors and picturesque sites, about holidays, about meeting great culture and civilization. We have discovered the reality in new meanings of law, discipline, training, respect for the people, and respect for the environment. The reality of the North Sea the way we, the group of oilmen I belong to, have discovered together stays in the high standards set here for our industry. We have developed our careers in geographical areas different than the one we are operating in now, we worked in the Black and Mediterranean Seas, in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Mexico, where the standards were not always this high. The reality of the North Sea I know is in the new meaning of Safety –

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Safety First! We have met the North Sea civilization through the respect for the norm. As our first approach was mediated by standards and regulations, our performance here is constantly under their sign. Our presence here represents the result of hard teamwork.

Safety culture cannot be bought! Nor can good legislation be bought!

Experience and great efforts stay behind the work environment we are accustoming with nowadays. We are here, in the North Sea to stay; it was not a joy ride but a team effort where each one of us had to rationally assume entirely his or her part.

This is a chance to develop our career at a new level.

Here’s the first league of the offshore oil and gas world.

One of the programs carried out onboard the rig shows its results now: the different backgrounds and skills each member brings onboard are to be considered and the results we register show our efforts in harmonizing and building a strong work and safety culture pays back. To be chosen ‘man of the week’ onboard GSP Saturn represents a great honor. Only by proving highly responsible and by winning the respect of the people around, always being concerned, being able to listen and see, lending the hand in help when necessary one may achieve this level. Members of the

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crew know now that having a positive safety culture is the key in achieving good operational results: safety comes first because safety culture allows crew members come safe and sound to their families each time.

Many things had to be adjusted along the way.

Do not forget the global context we fought in the same time, crisis does not come easy on someone only because the focus is on a new project! It was a battle: with ourselves to leave our comfort zone.

Among the nominees of the ‘Man of the Week’ program there have been

Cristian Ionascu, crane operator Marian Solomon, chief electrician Tiberiu Pricop, roustabout, and Timothy Jode, crane operator/deck supervisor.

Their excellent suggestions and good professional team spirit transformed them in Safety First promoters.”

Improving the Safety Culture Our target is to improve the Safety Culture of all our employees. We continuously monitor the registered progress and ask for the OIM and the client’s representatives opinion on

Constantin Gheorghe leading a HSE training session at GSP Training Center

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this aspect.

Our Safety Culture and Individual Responsibility reflects in: • Personnel experience: most of the rig crew is working onboard the rig for more than 3 years now with very good results in Safety.

• Demanding standards: we need is to increase our effort and higher our targets.

• Knowing the market expectations: we work in the North Sea area so the safety expectations of our Client and local authorities are very high.

• Individual empowerment and accountability: we need to be our own Safety officer and take care of our fellow mates.

• The safety provisions are never subject to concession: nobody will urge you to do something and override safety.

• Knowing well the individual’s rights and duties: we expect from each crew member to act safely and stop any operation if it is not done safely. Everyone has the right and duty to do so!”

TIBERIU PRICOP, one of the program’s awarded winners declared: “I am with GSP since December 2007. I am a roustabout and working on

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deck makes one of my first duties to make sure that all activities are carried out in the safest manner.

The opportunity of working in the North Sea presented as a new challenge for everyone onboard. The GSP’s event report system helps us to continuously improve safety of processes onboard the rig, so we got used to comply with the highest level of safety the region we operate in requires.

Because of the special weather conditions, working always safe is challenging, but due to our training, due to the responsibility each of us understood to uphold, our crew became more aware of possible harmful situations and potential dangers.”

Meet the crew! Behind the best results there’re always high performers

CONSTANTIN GHEORGHE, GSP’s Chief HSEQ Officer and Company DPA has declared for the readers of the magazine: “It is a new challenge: the North Sea environment brings rules and regulations in addition to the worldwide accepted standards. We’ve been working in the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Mexico to mention only a few of our markets, but none of these areas is so demanding as the North Sea area is and none of us dealt with such demanding standards before. Knowing the expectations North Sea has, we have taken some

steps forward. The first one was to ensure the quality of the crew. The second step in approaching the North Sea strategic market consisted in training all the personnel according to the specific market demands, by the applicable NOGEPA standards. The third step consisted of upgrading the rig in 2012 in addition to the approx. 70 mil USD project carried out in 2009. This additional upgrade included the accommodation extension and the installation of the third lifeboat.

One of the main requirements coming from the authorities and the client was to have a HSE Case

for GSP Saturn and the rig has been allowed to start working in the North Sea only after the acceptance of the rig HSE Case.

The primary aim of the HSE Case was to demonstrate that the GSP Saturn is designed and operated in such a way to provide a safe and healthy place of work by taking all practicable steps to minimize risks to the work force and reduce these to a level as low as is reasonably practicable (ALARP). GSP Saturn HSE Case leads to mitigation of human errors and mistakes through training and safety focus of all involved. The lessons learned while working on GSP Saturn HSE Case were of great help for the operations of GSP Falcon.

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GSP MPV tbn and GSP Venus: GSP’s solution to deep water operational challenge

Shipbuilding: GSP’s Future Deep Water Fleet GSP launches two new build projects designed to reshape the profile of the offshore operations the company carries out worldwide. GSP simply follows the market trend: the offshore oil production is expected to grow with approximately 37% by 2018 and the main drive for the estimated growth will be the deepwater contribution. Therefore, two deepwater vessels’ projects are at the shipbuilding

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starting point. GSP Venus and GSP MPV tbn are strategic investments. They will lead the way for an extended newly built GSP deepwater fleet, designed to operate at water depths of 3000 and exceeding 3000 meters. The entire design engineering process has been already completed, the equipment selection process is approaching its completion and GSP is at on the verge of concluding the selection of the

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shipyard. Both projects will be endowed with the latest DP3 Kongsberg system.

The deepwater activity seems to exit the already consecrated ‘golden triangle’ represented by West Africa, Gulf of Mexico and Brazil, and nowadays even GSP’s closest market in the Black Sea accelerates the entire series of preparative processes, in order to access the proved deepwater gas and oil reserves: the

advancement of the seismic and 3D surveys being the long time expected signal for these deepwater projects. GSP’s deepwater fleet was designed to operate worldwide, to face the harshest environmental challenges and the selection of the technological endowment took into consideration all factors in this matter. Due to the technological advancement, the new builds will perform far above the existing

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regulations and industry recommendations.

GSP Venus, the deepwater drillship is designed to operate at 3000 maximum water depths. The total installed power will reach 44.5 MW and the maximum drilling depth from rotary was designed to reach 12,000 m. As GSP pays a great deal of attention to the home market in the Black Sea and not only to its newly conquered markets in the GoM and

North Sea, the drillship will be endowed with a dual derrick retractable system

by NOV: this guarantees safe passing under the Bosporus bridges with a total height of 58 m which closely observes the Strait’s bridges air gap limitations.

The drillship will employ the latest technologies for the drillers’ cabin and the drilling controls, the cyber based systems tending to become the rule both in GSP’s operations and

personnel training. GSP Venus will be built under ABS supervision and will accommodate 200 marine and drilling crewmembers.

GSP Multi Purpose Vessel (tbn) is designed to operate at water depths of and beyond 3000 m.

The multipurpose vessel is designed to carry out various offshore operations, among which we enumerate a few: deep water heavy lift and subsea installation; installation of all types of

flexible and rigid risers, flow lines and umbilical; inspection, maintenance and repair operations; ROV operations; 3 D sea bed mapping. The DnV class MPV will accommodate 240 crewmembers, marine and technological personnel.

Don`t miss the next issue of GSP Magazine for more information on GSP Venus and GSP MPV and other future GSP projects!

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The ‘Quality First’ Revolution Constantin Gheorghe, GSP’s Chief HSEQ Officer, tells us: “There’s no logic in saying that one achieved 60% or 90% quality in performing the job. You either have it or you don`t. Providing high quality services means no loose ends, the percentage has no relevance while referring to quality!”

The quality management team under his command has the role of influencing the quality of the services up to the highest level- the one every clients expects. They ensure the normalization and regularization of the documentation referring to all processes across the company and monitor the compliance with standards.

The Quality Management compartment was created in October 2011, as part of GSP`s HSEQ department.

The team members came with their varied professional experiences and decided to put together a viable project to promote the quality concept within each process and resulting in the overall quality of the services.

RODICA STANESCU Quality Manager with extensive Quality

Management knowledge, very good coordinating skills, team worker, patient, very thorough, efficient and dynamic person.

MOTTO: Quality is everyone’s job and responsibility. Let’s work together in achieving excellence!

ANDRA SERBAN Corporate Integrated Management System auditor specialized in internal audit, management system implementation

and environmental aspects identification and impact assessment.

Highly organized professional with over 10 years’ background experience in Quality and Environmental Management Systems for Onshore/Offshore Oil & Gas, Refining, Shipbuilding and Civil Construction industries.

A keen eye for detail, motivated with a proactive attitude to work.

MOTTO: No compromise for quality.

HERMINA BECTEMIR Responsible for implementing and monitoring processes to improve the quality and HACCP system. Reliable, quality focused, with positive mental attitude, determined to learn new things.

Always looking to expand her network.

MOTTO: Do it right the first time!

Rodica Stanescu, Hermina Bectemir, Andra Serban

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DECEMBER 2012

The Role of the Competence Management System Making sure employees have and maintain appropriate competences is important. This is exactly the purpose of an effective competence management system (CMS). It is the organization`s way to control, in an integrated manner, the activities that will assure the expected performance. In other words, CMS can be defined as the System that comprises the totality of procedures, documents and matrixes that will enable the company to select, evaluate and recruit competent personnel for its operations, because, although it may sound like a dusted cliché, the human resource is the most valuable asset.

One of the greatest achievements of GSP in this past year has been entering the demanding North Sea market. But the challenges never end once you activate among the biggest players in the oil & gas industry. So it became obvious that the time has come for GSP to implement a Competence Management System in order to sustain the Company’s goals.

A successful implementation of CMS within an organization is based on a good cooperation between the departments, in GSP`s case depending on the

way the HR, HSEQ and Operational departments tune their efforts into sustaining the creation process. HR and HSEQ are going to provide the framework and procedural system to sustain the applicability of the CMS. Of course change doesn`t happen overnight, so initially the GSP Competence Management System has been implemented for the rigs` personnel. The embryo was contained within the rigs` safety cases and the HR and HSEQ teams had to cooperate to organize the available information and compile it into standardized formats.

Currently within the CMS there are 71 Competence units, describing the technical and safety related operations performed onboard a drilling unit. They contain performance criteria as well as assessment methods.

The competence profiles are drafted for all the positions onboard a drilling unit. They contain the following information: competence matrix for the position compiled using the competence units applicable; job descriptions; the qualification and training, experience and personnel attributes requirements.

The competence assurance documents include two components, a human resources component and a technical one. The HR component refers to the assessment of the candidate’s profile by performing specific HR activities and to the evaluation of the candidate’s qualifications and training certificates in order to comply with the requirements of the competence profile. The technical component includes assessment of the candidate’s technical knowledge by oral or written questioning, observation of performance in role plays or simulator trials, as well as observation the job assessment.

The role of the HR specialists is to provide the necessary guidance by explaining to the persons in charge with the appliance of the CMS’ procedures how the process works.

HR strategy is based on information received from the all the operational parties involved. Without the accurate and complete information HR will not be able to exercise its function. For the Human Resources Department, the information coming from the Operational Departments is relevant,

as our role is to provide assistance and support. The successful implementation and the future results of the CMS within GSP are directly dependent of the support and commitment of the operational directors and their teams towards achieving the company’s goals. Without proper guidance, coordination and authority form their Top managers, the middle management and supervisors we have designated to be in charge of the CMS’s application, the system will remain just a paper project, destined to a sudden death. HR business is not only HR’s department business but it must become a general concern for the entire management, no matter their field of competence. If the human resource is the key for the company’s success, it becomes obvious we all must focus on covering all the HR related aspects.

The correct application of the procedures composing CMS brings long term benefits, as the system not guarantees of professionalism and the quality of services in front of the clients, but also assures us that our personnel, the environment and our assets are safe during the operations we undertake.

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Talents Acquisition & Competences Retaining How functional structures are fostered within the company. Steps towards the development of the Engineering Department Catalin Mamaischi, Deputy Operations Manager within the Offshore Construction Department has been actively involved in the process of developing the GSP engineering team.

While he speaks about this project one may easily realize he invested time and thought in it. He has been a supporter of the development of the Engineering Department, which was until recently a missing link in GSP’s projects, substituted by engineering contractors.

“I take this project of developing GSP’s own Engineering Department very much as a personal quest. Offshore operations need serious engineering works, we know well this, so it was pretty much a natural step. As the need of this new structure was acknowledged, we started to elaborate on the idea,

analyzing the deciding factors as well as all the internal potentially direct beneficiaries. Our experience in offshore operations is the first to advocate for establishing and developing the Engineering Department.

After the completion of DLS Project it became obvious that without a strong body of engineering professionals, GSP was going to struggle in Offshore Construction, in order to identify external sources and qualified service providers.

Moreover, the plan was to enter the North Sea market. So it was high time we got to make a plan“Engineering Personnel Training Manual and Succession Plan”, which came out as the result of the collaboration between the Offshore Construction Department and the Quality Management team within the HSEQ Department.

Then we had to implement it; the process consisted of a selection process, defining

Drill SIM 6000 within GSP Training Center

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the training curricula as well as in the coordination of the engineering team.”

For the first part GSP addressed the local workforce and it was able to select young graduates from local universities.

The first steps were the preliminary discussions with the heads of the engineering departments in various faculties, both in Constanta and Bucharest, at the “Ovidius” and the Polytechnic University.

“The collaboration between our company and the academic organizations went smoothly, as the professors provided their support into organizing presentations. Students were very interested in

finding more detailed information on the operations GSP rendered worldwide. Many of them already knew our company, but they still were surprised to find out about our training program.

This was probably because many of them came to the presentation somehow discouraged by the current workforce market climate. where Romanian graduates plan their careers either by searching jobs internationally or by lowering their expectations.

51 candidates have been scheduled for the first session of interviews. The selection team included a set of general questions to help the evaluators assess

the candidates’ general theoretical background. It was completed by a set of technical questions. The results were registered and documented and out of the initial pool of candidates, 16 have been chosen to attend the 2nd session of the interviews.

They were given documentation to study until the second stage of the selection process. In this session of interviews the candidates were evaluated again by a committee, with focus on the candidate’s technical knowledge.

There have also been assessed their attention to details and their individual motivations to succeed in a career approaching such

a challenging domain as engineering support for offshore operations. Out of these reduced echelon of candidates we invited for the 2nd selection interview, 8 have been chosen to attend the Engineering Training Program and be offered positions within GSP. At least 75% of all training given is „handson“: practical training assimilating course theory and developing practical skills.

The initial stage of training also includes sessions is on board the vessel or on site assisting experienced engineering personnel. The plan is as follows: once the candidates have satisfied the

The step forward: from simulator to the control room of the offshore construction vessel

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DECEMBER 2012

requirements as a Trainee Field Engineer then they shall advance to Field Engineer positions.

The entire selection process and the training program they entered are both focused on effective communication support: to give them all the necessary inputs and providing qualified support; to let them know our expectations and to teach them to dare asking the essential questions. Our key tools in the training process have been the experiences engineers, whom we like to call “mentors” and a manual, especially created for this purpose.

The training manual has incorporated a syllabus, training course notes, details of practical exercises and „in-works“ training schedule. Additional material, relevant to all areas of production was incorporated providing extensive coverage of the special activities carried out by the company.

The training curriculum combined practical and theoretical approaches.

Examinations are regularly scheduled, thus ensuring competence growth to the cadets who set their career goal in becoming subsea engineering designers with in depth knowledge of the specifications and standards regulating the domain.

As we speak, two of the young engineers are onboard the DNV class pipelay vessel GSP

Falcon, one is in GSP’s representative office in Aberdeen, one in GSP’s representative office in Rotterdam and three are in GSP headquarters in Constanta. Unfortunately one of them could not stand the ‘heat’ of the training program but all the remaining 7 trainees answer the performance criteria and there they are candidates for a solid career in engineering. “ So far, the engineering training program proved to be a success- for both the candidates and the company. A win-win situation. The in-house engineering capability rises up to 80% of the engineering needs of any EPIC project the company carries out. The entire team in charge of the engineering training program is confident that the final goal, of entirely covering the engineering needs of any project will soon be reached, and by doing this GSP could become completely independent from external engineering subcontractors.

FAST FACTS: THE ENGINEERING TRAINING PROGRAM

GSP`s Main Objective: u to become fully independent from external Engineering subcontractors Areas of interest: u Pipeline Design u Pipeline Installation

Analysis Risers, Umbilicals and Flexibles u Upending, Jacket Installation, Float Over/ Installation of topsides and production facilities This engineering training program was designed to promote continuous employee improvement through progressive development. Throughout the program a series of assessments will be administered and each candidate’s competency will be measured against a predefined set of objective criteria.

The outcome of the assessment throughout the engineering training program will not be a pass or fail, nor will there be a score assigned. Measuring competency is an ongoing process. Therefore, to remain technically correct, the validity of the assessment expires immediately following the exercise. This highlights the importance of maintaining continuing competency through the application of the acquired knowledge, skill and ability.

It will always remain up to the employer to determine what standard/level of competency they wish to prescribe. GSP requires that this program be reviewed at least annually and that the associated competencies are amended to meet the specific requirements (as the workforce evolves, the competencies change).

Candidates attaining the

prescribed competencies are listed as acceptable for promotion. The process shall be undertaken by a team of subject matter experts appointed by the upper management level. The engineering training program will result in providing career opportunities depending on candidates to whom advancement may present the chance of becoming, over a definite time period, project manager or project directors, operations managers or VP marine, and engineering managers or general managers.

The competencies development will cover at the end of the program all the specialties for the following engineering branches: • SUBSEA PIPELINES, • SYSTEMS, RISERS, • UMBILICALS AND FLEXIBLES, • LANDFALLS AND MARINE TERMINALS, • CONSTRUCTION OF SUBSEA PIPELINES, • DESIGN OF SUBSEA PIPELINES, • ADVANCED DESIGN OF HP/HT AND DEEPWATER PIPELINES, • INSTALLATION CALCULATIONS FOR SUBSEA PIPELINES, • INTEGRITY MANAGEMENT OF SUBSEA PIPELINES, • FAILURE OF DEEPWATER PIPELINES AND RISERS - A MASTER CLASS IN RISK MITIGATION

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GSP Training Center Activity Report GSP Training Center. Professional performance incubator

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GSP Training Center provides complex oil and gas training and professional development services. The offer has been designed to include a portfolio of practical and theoretical courses, training programs, and competency assessment services.

They cover operational, technical and software skills, thus meeting the needs of both offshore and onshore personnel. By understanding the training challenges and market demands, GSP Training Center provides the proper solution to match the training needs.

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The above reflects in the training services provided during 2012 and here’s a few defining data: u GSP Training Center is, since 2012, an IWCF (International Well Control Forum) accredited training provider for Introductory Level courses, addressing all personnel starting an offshore career. u This year, the GSP Training Center has been accredited as an IADC (International Association of Drilling Contractors) training provider for HSE Rig Pass course. u The management of the training activities included the challenging project of training and certification of the personnel onboard GSP’s assets operating in the North Sea, GSP Saturn and GSP Falcon. The training matrix was designed to fully answer the North Sea standards as set by NOGEPA (Netherlands Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Association), based on the NOGEPA training manual and strictly connected to the performance objectives as required by operations carried out on the Dutch continental shelf of the North Sea. u GSP’s training facility is at the starting point of the strategic partnerships with the Naval Academy “Mircea cel Batran”, CERONAV (Romanian Maritime Training Center) and international training providers, in order to further develop the training curricula. u GSP Training Center also collaborates with employer’s organization UNIPET for a series of training courses such as Microsoft Project, Computer-Based Management Systems, Logistics Management. The training sessions were attended by large number of participants, the positive feedback providing a reason to continue the collaboration. u GSP Training Center was established in 2009 and the team supporting the activities has now new members and has developed new competencies.

MEET THE TEAM BEHID THE GSP TRAINING CENTER:

• Dragos Teodorescu, the Manager of GSP Training Center; • Cristiana Crivat, training designer responsible for the entire training process; • Andrei Mocanu, training organizer, responsible for the planning of the personnel

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for internal and external training; • Angela Dumitrescu, English language teacher; • Holst Iausly, the center’s IT consultant; • Manuela Ganganu, training consultant • Liviu Tivichi, training consultant • Mihaela Traistaru, office assistant in charge with the logistics for all internal and external training sessions.

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ROV simulator within GSP Training Center

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In terms of certified competences development, GSP Training Center counts starting with September 2012 on four Marlins TOSE certified English language assessors: Angela Dumitrescu, English language teacher; Cristiana Crivat, head of training; Maria Garofil, psychologist; and Andrei Mocanu, training coordinator.

The certification of the trainers and assessors in this internationally employed method offers supplementary guarantee regarding the regularization and objectivity of the evaluation process carried out within the training center, both for the existing personnel and for recruiting purposes. Assessment includes two steps; it starts with an interactive computer based test completed by an evaluation

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report, continued with an interview which is based on the Marlins Test of Spoken English (TOSE).

The English language intensive training uses now the Oxford for Careers support materials for Oil and Gas, levels I and II, as well as for marine personnel.

The guiding lines as set by the new course support is adequately supplemented by the English language trainer Angela Dumitrescu, based on her extensive.

The method employs on the audio support familiar real work-life situations, thus becoming easier to assimilate. Starting with the 24th of September, the evaluation process based on the Marlins TOSE applies

to all the offshore and marine personnel.

The English language skills of the support personnel in GSP’s headquarters continue to be carried out based on the existing procedure of evaluation which is part of the Integrated Management System. Based on the requirements expressed by management, if required, the Marlins TOSE is applied to headquarters’ personnel as well.

“The progress highly differs”, Angela Dumitrescu tells us, “based on personal motivation each trainee has in acquiring higher English language competences.

One must not neglect the important function of individual study.

Maria Garofil, Cristiana Crivat and Dragos Teodorescu

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When they leave the class, at the end of each training session of five, respectively ten days, all the necessary hard copy and audio support is handed to them. Each trainee progresses provided the initial level wherefrom we started the learning process. The foreign language competence acquisition and performance is a process needing focus and a certain amount of self discipline. The trainees are regularly informed that studying a foreign language for career is a personal objective first of all. Of course we are here to assist, to provide qualified support and effective intensive training. We do all these with responsibility. The results however depend on them as much as on our competence as trainers and assessors. It has to be a common effort!”

DECEMBER 2012

GSP welcomes Newly Appointed Drilling Managing Director Mr. Benoit Carayol has recently joined GSP’s Board of Directors, being appointed Drilling Managing Director.

Having considerable experience in the drilling industry, Mr. Caryol has begun his career immediately after graduating from “Ecole nationale supérieure d’Arts et Métiers” in 1993, as rig manager trainee. Two years later he became rig manager. He developed his managerial skills in SPS and turnkey wells Project Management. His experience includes a wide span of managerial positions in Operations & Project Management, Onshore and Offshore experience, Branch Management, from drilling and tender

assisted rigs, semi-submersibles and deepwater drill ships to site management. Mr. Carayol has also held the position of Profit Center Manager within Pride International.

Starting with 2008 Mr. Carayol has held the Vice President Operations at Atlantic Oilfield Services until 2010, when he was nominated Chief Operations Officer at KS Drilling, being responsible for the ongoing company business and implementation of procedures.

Mr. Carayol has worked 15 years within Foramer / Pride International and 4 years within KS Drilling.He holds a MS degree in Mechanical Engineering from the ENSAM Paris.

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Meet the Contributors of this Magazine Issue

Cătălin Mamaischi (left), Maria Garofil (centre), Vasile Răceanu (right)

CATALIN MAMAISCHI, Deputy Offshore Operations Manager

Mr. Mamaischi has joined GSP in January 2011. He has previously worked almost 6 years for Saipem, holding middle management position, Assistant Superintendent, on various construction vessels and in different areas of the world.

Mr. Mamaischi graduated the Politehnica University of Bucharest in 2003, holding a diploma in Mechanical Engineering.

Mr. Mamaischi started his career in 2004, as Engineer at Alum S.A. Tulcea and was promoted to Chief of

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White Section Mechanical Engineering one year later.

MARIA GAROFIL, Psychologist

Maria is a psychologist within GSP’s HR department since 20122.

A skilled and performance driven professional, she graduated in 2007 from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, the Department of Psychology within ‘Ovidius’ University in Constanta. In 2011 she was awarded a Master Degree in Psychology with the dissertation thesis ‘The Psycho Diagnosis of the Complex Personality’. She continues to deepen and develop her professional culture and skills by

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attending courses in human resources and applied psychology, as an autonomous practitioner specializing in work, organizational, and national security fields of psychology. Maria Garofil is a regular participant in the speakers’ panel of the psychology conferences.

VASILE RACEANU, Manager OSV

Mr. Raceanu was appointed Executive Officer of the Naval Department in 2008.

From 2005 to 2008 he was the lead auditor for management systems within GL – ESE. Mr. Raceanu entered the Romanian Commercial Navy in 1975, occupying various positions until

becoming Head of operation department of Navrom, Constanta. Prior to joining GSP, he has held various managerial positions within privately owned companies, both in the naval services and ISM Code and ISO standards consultancy.

Mr. Raceanu graduated the Naval Institute, Constan­ta, becoming Deck Officer on sea going vessels in 1975. In 1981 he was certified Sea Captain by the Romanian Naval Authority. Specializing in management systems, he received the Lead Auditor certification from Germanisher Lloyd for the management systems – ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS, FSR (TAPA) within GL – ESE.

DECEMBER 2012

CONSTANTIN GHEORGHE, Chief HSEQ Officer

Mr. Gheorghe has joined GSP in 2006 as Chief HSEQ Officer & Company DPA. Previously, he has worked for five years as HSE Supervisor onboard D/S Saipem 10000 and then took the position of HSEQ Manager for Saipem Drilling Algeria.

He also capitalized HSE experience in middle management positions such as drilling engineer/ safety supervisor, deputy logistic supervisor, both offshore and onshore. Mr.

Gheorghe has a diploma in oil & gas engineering, from the Oil and Gas Institute, Ploiesti, Romania. He attended extensive HSE and survival training in Ploiesti, Rotterdam, Aberdeen, and Pavia.

ANDREEA DORCU, Chief Human Resources Officer

Mrs. Andreea Dorcu was appointed Chief Human Resources Officer in November 2012, her expertise and leadership skills becoming a great addition to GSP’s corporate

team. Mr. Dorcu has previously held the position of HR Manager. She has been with GSP since June 2006 when she started as an economist and treasurer, assisting GSP’s CFO. Mrs. Dorcu is also a Chartered Certified Accountant, at the moment studying to complete her ACCA qualification. Prior to working at GSP, Mrs. Dorcu has held various positions in the economic departments of oil & gas as well as communications and healthcare service companies. One of her achievements is the SAP HR

module full implementation cycle within GSP Shipyard, the process being initiated in 2011. Mrs. Dorcu graduated from the Ovidius University in 2000, holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. She also holds a Master in Business Administration Degree from DeSales & the Romanian-American Universities.

HENK VAN LEENEN, Manager HSEQ North Sea & Head of Operational Excellence

Constantin Gheorghe (left), Andreea Dorcu (centre), Henk van Leenen (right)

“GSP’s Public Relations and Corporate Communication Department is the sole owner and copyright holder of the magazine content.

Please contact the editorial team in order to request the rights to use any portion of texts, photographs, charts or to request for in-depth details on the contained features The editorial team and the contributors hold the entire responsibility for the magazine`s content.“

Magazine Coordinator – Sanda Gabriela Murtaza sanda.murtaza@gspoffshore.com

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