SUBSEA UK

NEWS
THE MAGAZINE FROM SUBSEA UK
WWW.SUBSEAUK.COM
NOVEMBER 2014

IN THIS ISSUE
In-Depth: Interview
with Apache
Subsea News and
Events Worldwide
National Subsea
Research Initiative
Relaunched
Prospect Celebrate
15th Year
New Technologies
and Innovation

THE BLUEPRINT
FOR INNOVATION

The Worlds Leading ROV Manufacturer

SEAEYE LEOPARD

Depth 1000 m / 2000 m / 3000 m

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Payload up to 275 kg

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See us at:
Stand BM3-01

FOREWORD

Welcome to the November

Issue of Subsea UK News
We have entered a period of reflection for our industry
with a slight slowing down of the market and while
order books for the remainder of this year and 2015 are
strong, there are signs of a slight reduction in the rate
of growth due to a degree of uncertainty around fiscal
and political issues.
The Chancellors Autumn Statement should energise the
market as we expect to see greater fiscal incentives to
stimulate exploration and production. Maximising economic recovery is a
focus for all industry stakeholders and subsea skills and technology have a
pivotal role to play in achieving it.
We see the importance of how strong investment in technology can benefit the
industry, particularly at a time when operators and the supply chain are facing
escalating costs. It is therefore vital that industry, government and academia
work together to invest in subsea technology and the recently launched
National Subsea Research Initiative will bring all relevant organisations
together so that we can retain our position as the world-leader.

Subsea UK
Subsea UK News, produced by Subsea UK,
reaches over 15,000 subsea-affiliated people
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.
With some 53,000 employees, worth almost
8.9 billion in services and products and with
over 750 companies, the UK subsea industry
sector 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
Aero Stanrew

Moffat

Subsea UK recently welcomed its 300th member, Apache North Sea.

Reaching this figure is a significant milestone and demonstrates the reach
and depth of our representation across the sectors entire supply chain from
oil and gas operators to small, niche technology companies.

Environmental
Technologies

OGIC

Eztek

Reef Subsea

In this issue we sit down with Apache North Seas Mark Richardson to get
the companys view of the industry and its future plans. The fourth largest
producer in the UKCS, it has the highest operational efficiency of any operator
in the region, much of which is harvested from its subsea portfolio of over 40
subsea wells and 120 pipelines.

INTOCO

With financial constraints ever present, the article outlines how Apache North
Sea has managed to take existing infrastructure and successfully bring smaller
fields into production in a highly cost-effective manner.
I hope you enjoy this edition of our magazine.

Neil Gordon
Chief Executive, Subsea UK

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.

Eureqa Engineering
Solutions
Highlands and
Islands Enterprise

PetrolValves
SCOTFAB
Subsea Vision
Tool Tec
X-Subsea

To view the full Subsea UK members list,

visit the Subsea UK Directory at
www.subseauk.com

Forthcoming Events
November 2014
Subsea Systems
Integrity Conference
Woking, UK
18 November 2014
Fundamentals of
Subsea Systems
Aberdeen, UK
19 November 2014
Fundamentals of
Subsea Systems
Aberdeen, UK
20 November 2014
Manufacturing for
Subsea in the North
West - Conference
Manchester, UK
27 November 2014
February 2015
Subsea Expo
Aberdeen, AECC , UK
11-13 February 2015

Subsea UK Awards
Dinner 2015
Aberdeen, AECC, UK
11 February 2015
March 2015
Subsea Tieback Forum
& Exhibition
New Orleans, LA, USA
3-5 March 2015
Australasian Oil
& Gas 2015
Australia
11-13 March 2015
April 2015
Subsea UK Golf Day
Peterculter Golf Club,
Aberdeenshire
24 April 2015
November 2015
Subsea Asia 2015
Jakarta, Indonesia
4-7 November 2015

These are some of Subsea UKs events but please

visit our website for full details of all forthcoming
events www.subseauk.com

TECHNOLOGY

Environmental Technologies
PANOLIN in the North Sea
Offshore renewable energy is fast developing
into a global industry which combines
traditional working practices with new ground
breaking ideas such as the multi-faceted
subsea Trenching System.

Visit us at
SUBSEA
EXPO
Stand 24

The machine, considered to be an industry first, will lay 43 seabed

power cables for phase 1 of the Borkum Riffgrund Wind Farm
development in the North Sea. Once constructed the wind farm will
produce 320MW of electricity, enough to power over 300,000 homes.
UK coastal waters and the North Sea have long been regarded as
the most heavily regulated seas in the world in respect to pollution.
Selection of hydraulic fluids therefore had to be considered at the
design stage.

A major benefit of Environmental Technologies

PANOLIN oil is its universal multi-purpose use
for launch & recovery systems, electrical junction
boxes and motors in addition to the ROV hydraulic
systems; this universal approach is appreciated by
operators and simplifies storage on board support
vessels.
In addition the oils have a proven long service life which will help
to lower the Carbon Footprint from the construction phase of the
development.

Renewables trencher is believed to be an industry first

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Subsea UK News | November 2014

UP

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AD

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AR

TECHNOLOGY

Patent Approval for Maritime

Developments 4-track Tensioner

Visit us at
SUBSEA
EXPO
Stand 23

Maritime Developments, a leading provider of back-deck equipment to the oil and gas industry,
has secured a patent for its 4-track tensioner.
The company has already delivered two of the new tensioners to clients
and is on the brink of completing a third one for its rental division.
The TTS-4/140 series tensioner is a 50-tonne 4-track caterpillar
system for the handling of subsea products such as umbilicals, risers
and flowlines.
The caterpillar tracks are fitted with V-shaped pads and operate
by gripping the product between the opposing track carriages with
failsafe hydraulic cylinders.
Thanks to its innovative design, the 4-track tensioner can be used
vertically, horizontally or on a ramp. It adds to Maritime Developments
existing offering of 2-track tensioners used for side or top loading,
allowing the company to deliver tensioners with either electric or
hydraulic drives.

The company has also launched its innovative portable vertical

lay system (VLS). The flexible design allows for road transport and
assembly at the quayside; it can also be used with a vessel of
opportunity and requires only two lifts on to the vessel one for the
VLS and one for the tensioner.
The business recently completed a series of projects, including
delivery of reel drive systems, tensioners, winches and control units
for international contractors.
In addition to securing key projects in the North Sea for international
contractors, Maritime Developments has expanded in the past into
markets such as the Gulf of Mexico, Asia/Australia and West Africa.

Mike Gaskin, commercial director at Maritime

Developments, said:

Were delighted to have secured the patent. The

development of our 4-track tensioner highlights
once again the flair, vision and expertise within
our business.

Right: Mike Gaskin, Commercial

Director at Maritime Developments
Below: Maritime Developments
new tensioner

Subsea UK News | November 2014

TECHNOLOGY

Successful Inspection of Coflexip Flexible

Pipe on Seabed with MEC-FITTM
At the request of an operator in Norway,
Innospection has recently performed a
successful inspection of an 8 Coflexip Flexible
Pipeline using the MEC-FITTM (Magnetic Eddy
Current) technique.
The challenge of the inspection was the detection of wire
disorganisations and defects such as metal loss or wire cracking
in the tighter wire setup of the flexible pipe with a 15 wire angle
arrangement. The operational task was the inspection of the major
accessible area of the flexible pipe on the seabed, including a larger
bend of the exposed section.
The patented MEC-FITTM technique was developed by Innospection to
provide a reliable and technically advanced solution for the inspection
of flexible risers operated from offshore installation. This field proven
technique combines magnetic field lines with Eddy Current field lines
which not only allows the deeper penetration into the various armour
layers for defect detection in the inner layers but also enables the
optimisation of inspection for a specific layer from which a defect
signal is received.

Originally used for the detection of metal loss and cracking in flexible
pipes with a 30-45 wire angle of the armour layers, the MECFITTM technique was successfully verified to be sensitive also in the
detection of defects in flexible pipes having a tighter armour wire setup
at 15 wire angle. With a signal to background ratio of >6dB, a 90%
Probability of Detection was achieved for defect types like single and
multiple wire gap in the outer layers, multiple wire gap in the inner
layers as well as extra wire on top outer layer at 15 and 35.
To overcome the subsea deployment challenge, a customised
inspection tool known as the MEC-Crawler was built. This tool enables
the scanning of the flexible pipe in the axial direction and can also be
repositioned to perform the inspection in the circumferential orientation
using its hydraulically driven wheels.
The scanner head with a multiple sensor array covers 180mm
circumferentially and several axial runs with overlaps were taken to
cover the major accessible areas of the flexible pipe. The distances
driven are measured with an encoder wheel. An umbilical connected to
the inspection tool not only supplied the electrical and hydraulic power
but was used also for the routing of the signals via fibre optics to the
Eddy Current Data Acquisition system located at the topside.

Visit us at
SUBSEA
EXPO
Stand 41

Feature: MEC-Crawler scanning the bend of the flexible pipe on seabed

Left: Inspection of flexible pipe on seabed with MEC-Crawler

Subsea UK News | November 2014

TECHNOLOGY

High Integrity
Sealing Solutions for
HP/HT Applications
Visit us at
SUBSEA
EXPO
Stand 48

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has unveiled its

next generation sealing product the MultiContact Turcon Variseal.
The ground-breaking product is immune to stick-slip issues and
eliminates breakout concerns after long periods of inactivity.
The Multi-Contact Turcon Variseal from Trelleborg Sealing Solutions
has been developed to replace multiple chevron seals or V-stack
type products in subsea valve stems requiring a high-integrity sealing
capability. It includes a series of single-acting spring-energised seals
housed within a U-shaped Turcon PTFE based material seal profile.
The seal is designed to provide integrated redundancy, helping
to extend the flex life of seals in high-pressure applications while
providing better performance and lower operator costs. With the
addition of anti-extrusion devices, the Multi-Contact Turcon Variseal
can withstand pressures of up to 207 MPa/ 30,000 psi.
Andrew Longdon, UK technical manager for Trelleborg Sealing
Solutions, said: We believe this innovative product represents the
next generation in sealing. The unique single-piece design significantly
improves sealing integrity and leak tightness in high-pressure
applications by providing higher contact force across multiple seal
hardware interfaces.

Andrew Longdon with the next generation seal

He added: Subsea valves can remain in one position for months or

potentially years - however during intervention activities or workovers,
when operators need to change the state of the valve, they need the
seal to perform perfectly first and every time. Due to stick-slip issues,
elastomer contact seals can potentially be destroyed at startup. We
would therefore always recommend an energised PTFE based seal.

The Multi-Contact Turcon Variseal is immune

to stick-slip after long periods of inactivity. This
avoids seal damage that can lead to valve leakage,
which can cause environmental contamination and
expensive asset recovery along with the associated
overhaul costs and production disruption.

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TECHNOLOGY
Visit us at
SUBSEA
EXPO
Stand 119

Compact XMTs Drive Small Bore Valve

Extra-long Stem Innovation
Engineers at LB Bentley, a Severn Glocon
Group company, have developed fully
tested stem extensions up to 6.3m in length
to overcome space restrictions on XMTs.
The innovation was prompted by a challenge the small bore
subsea valve specialist faced for a North Sea subsea project.
Through conduit gate valves and dual manual rotary gate valves
needed to be positioned some distance from where they would be
controlled by a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) outside the structure.
Stem extensions ranging from 1m to 6.3m in length were required,
bringing significant design challenges. Material selection demanded
particular attention. It involved a detailed assessment of tensile
strength since the extensions needed to be robust and non-flexing,
but not brittle. Ultimately mild steel was the material of choice.
The research and development team also looked in detail at existing
valves design to identify changes required to accommodate the
longer stems. Consideration was given to the interface between valve
and extension, the required angle for turning and the relative indicator
rod position.
Indicator rods usually move rotationally, but due to the stem length
required in this project the design was modified to accommodate a
linear movement. Another important feature of these valves is the
indicator rods shear point, enabling the valve to remain operational
even if the indicator rod should become inoperable.
The stem extensions themselves have a modular design, which
potentially offers shorter lead times as they can be back stocked
when offering stem extension on future projects.

Robert Walker, Head of Sales and Marketing for

LB Bentley, says:

This breakthrough solution greatly

enhances the flexibility and versatility
of our small bore valves. As XMT design
becomes increasingly compact, it unlocks
a wider spectrum of potential locations.
The modified valves and stem extensions have been fully
approved. In-factory tests were conducted on the entire
assembly, providing assurance that the set-up was functional
before the valves were added to the XMT.

Extra-long stem extensions for small bore

valves can overcome XMT space

Subsea UK News | November 2014

Design & Analysis

Engineering & Innovation
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FEATURE

15 years ago Prospect Flow Solutions delivered its first Advanced

Engineering Service to the energy industry. To mark this historic
milestone, Alistair Gill, one of the founding directors and current Vice
President of Prospect, takes us back to the beginning and looks to the
future of this unique company.
The Prospect Way is how we work, how we think, how we act
and interact with clients and each other. Its a philosophy; the
cornerstone of which is respect, said Alistair.
Founded in 1999 by Ivar Iversen, Prospect set out to provide
the industry with something new. Ivar, now retired, had the
vision of providing clients with advanced engineering solutions
to real life engineering challenges. A fresh approach was
needed to find useful, practical and timely answers to often
extremely complex engineering problems, explained in a way
the client could easily identify with.
Having been there from the early days, Alistair has seen firsthand how Prospect has changed over the last two decades.
Weve come a long way since that first job; a Computational
Fluid Dynamics Analyses of a Bi-Phase Turbine. To date we
have provided services to over 700 clients both nationally
and internationally and successfully delivered in excess of
5,000 projects. These projects span a number of engineering
disciplines; CFD, Engineering Design, Structural Analysis,
Marine Dynamics and Subsea Engineering. Weve designed
and analysed everything from the reservoir to the flare tip using
our experience and expertise always guided by The Prospect
Way. That has never changed and never will. The Prospect
Way is also the same in any language having now been field
tested in offices in Aberdeen, Stavanger, Houston, Dubai and
Singapore and indeed is enhanced by the diversity of the
staff employed in the company with 10 different nationalities
represented. Its an integrated global team.
Looking forward to 2015 and beyond, Alistair says it will
be business as usual: The Prospect Way is a progressive
philosophy and is the reason we are so adaptable and resilient
in an ever changing market place. We are expanding our
service to provide a complete solution; our talented engineers
are going offshore to survey equipment and diagnose
the problem first hand. Weve invested in 3D scanning
technologies to improve this process. The problem is then
solved using our advanced engineering skill set and the loop
is finally closed by designing and managing the fabrication/
installation of the solution. It is a complete solution.

Alistair also commented on the challenges ahead for Prospect:

Remaining at the forefront of Advanced Engineering
excellence, delivering on time and providing practical solutions
is always a challenge, but our ISO accreditation and Quality
Management System is an important foundation to meet that
challenge. One of the more challenging questions we get from
clients is How do we know your analysis is correct? Its a
fair point, but over the years we have validated our analysis
processes against test and field experience, and we continue
to improve or understanding. It is our main differentiator; our
analyses methods are fully validated.
An example of this is Prospects participation in the Joint
Industry Project SURE Advanced modelling tool for
Subsea Gas Release. The objective of which is to develop
computational models for gas transport in water and to
conduct experiments to improve insight and to enhance the
validation basis of the computational models. Prospect are on
the steering committee for this three year research project on
Subsea Gas Plume Modelling; that includes STATOIL, SHELL,
BP, TOTAL and Wild Well Control. This is leading edge and
important work for the industry and the wider community. It is
also the type of work which keeps Prospect at the forefront.
Through 2015 and into the future, Alistair sees further growth:
Weve been making expansion plans this year and are on
track to open offices in Stavanger, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur.
Weve been testing the market in these regions this year
and have engineers from our existing offices poised to take
the next step. Were creating a globally integrated team.
The existing offices and engineers interact in a very positive
and open Prospect Way. Were migrating to cloud based
business tools including MS Dynamcs and Sharepoint, which
allows this global expansion to be relatively smooth. The same
software and systems can be used and accessed anywhere in
the world. In principal well be in a position
to execute engineering projects over a 24hr
Visit us at
period by passing the project from KL to Dubai
SUBSEA
EXPO
to Aberdeen to Houston and so on, following
Stand 5
the sun.

FEATURE

2001

2006

Prospect develop and validate

against test a method for
offshore processing equipment
simulation.
Ivar Iversen founded Prospect
Flow Solutions with the vision
to provide a world class
independent consultancy
to the Oil and Gas
Industry.

1999
2010
Prospect take part in a major
Fire & Blast Failure Investigation.

Prospect opens
an office in Houston.

Prospect develop and validate

against full scale test the thermal
analysis of subsea production
equipment.

2003
2012

2013
Prospect creates a capping
stack containment simulation
for wild well control.

Prospect perform a
failure investigation,
and deliver via
Design by Analysis
and project
management a
fabricated solution.

2014

Prospect Engineers use 3D laser scanning

equipment to assist with offshore surveys
and structural design work.

Joint Industry Project

Prospect develop and validate
using a full scale experiment
of their Subsea Gas Plume
Prediction.
Prospect sponsor two students
from Aberdeen University
Formula Student Team.

TECHNOLOGY

Making the Complex Simple. Latest Addition

to GE Oil & Gas Subsea Trees Portfolio
Addresses the Challenges of Deepwater
When iconic innovator and GE founder, Thomas Edison, said I find out what the world needs.
Then I go ahead and try to invent it, little did he realise that, many decades later, the business would
continue to heed this philosophy.
Today, GE Oil & Gas engineers and technologists remain firmly in
agreement that, through technology, expertise, innovation and working
closely with their customers, they can develop solutions to meet the
ever more challenging operational environments that are characteristic
of todays exploration and production (E&P) activity.
This was the overarching message at the launch of GEs Deepwater
Vertical Xmas Tree (DVXT), unveiled today at the companys new,
interactive Technology Solutions Center in Stavanger, in conjunction with
the Offshore Northern Seas (ONS) 2014 conference and exhibition.
The latest addition to GE Oil & Gas comprehensive range of subsea
products is rated for depths of up to 3,000m and expands the
companys portfolio of pre-engineered, pre-qualified modular systems,
designed to enable products to be brought to market faster.

There is a rising sense in the oil and gas industry that many of the
challenges faced today can be addressed by leveraging standardised
products and solutions in order to simplify processes and reduce lead
times, said Chris Phebus, Engineering Executive for Subsea Systems
at GE Oil & Gas. By offering our DVXT as a standard product, we can
not only improve cycle times, but also ensure the highest levels of
quality, safety and reliability for our products.
Deployed with the companys next-generation remote electronics
canisterthe SemStar5-Rthe DVXT incorporates the latest in
communication technology and is designed with the objectives of higher
subsea reliability, extended service life and improved environmental
monitoring. Already a market leader with communications out to 220km,
at depths of up to 3,000m, the ModPod subsea control module is
designed to complement the DVXTs modular layout and enables an
even more flexible communications networka key ingredient for future
field expansion and enhanced access to remote wells.

Mike Wenham, Subsea Trees Senior Application Engineer,

GE Oil & Gas, said:

Just a few decades ago, the idea of producing oil at

depths of more than just a few hundred feet would
have been unthinkable. Now, the oceans depths
are the key to meeting the rising global demand for
energy in this age of complex fuel. As an industry,
we need to make sure we stay focused on both
the future and the now, working to address the
challenges of deepwater development.
The launch of our new DVXT is a great example of this, providing
customers with a leading-edge production system that enhances our
subsea trees portfolio to meet current and future needs, and enabling
us to offer the industry a tree to meet any of its challenges, regardless
of depth.

Visit us at
SUBSEA
EXPO
Stand 117

12

Subsea UK News | November 2014

SKILLS / TRAINING

Subsea UKs MSc scholarship recipients: Jonathan Capanda, Mark Brain and Darren Brown

Scholarships Securing the Subsea

Talent of Tomorrow
The subsea sector has been one of the biggest success stories in recent years, generating close to
9billion and while the UK is at the forefront of the industry, that position can only be maintained by
building on the existing talent pool and developing the right skills for the future. Alongside developing
member services for those already working in the industry, Subsea UK has pioneered a number of
initiatives to address the skills issue and encourage more people to consider a career in subsea.
A key element of this investment in the talent of tomorrow is the annual
scholarship programme which enables successful candidates to study
towards a post-graduate MSc in Subsea Engineering. Since its launch
in 2011 the scheme has funded seven engineering students who, it
is hoped, will become the subsea leaders of the future and will drive
forward the next generation of subsea services and technology.
Applicants which met criteria set by Subsea UK were put forward by
universities, and received up to 80% of the total cost of their studies.
The 12 month full-time or two year part-time course involves individual
research and lectures, with students also encouraged to attend a
number of key industry events.
Darren Brown was one of the first recipients of the scholarship in
2011. He was drawn to the subject after learning about the challenges
facing exploration and production in ever deeper waters and harsher
metocean conditions. He says: The thought of being able to safely
drill thousands of metres below the sea and into the seafloor, all from
a floating platform, challenged what I believed was possible and I
knew I wanted to play a role in developing these technologies further.

Neil Gordon, chief executive of Subsea UK, said: Strong

collaboration between academia and industry is

important for the health of the industry. Not only
does it keep us at the forefront of research, it also
enables us to share knowledge and expertise.
Furthermore, it ensures our industry is provided with
highly skilled and experienced workers in the future
and has a sustainable pipeline of talent. The Subsea
UK scholars bring to the table a host of fresh ideas
and different perspectives and it is encouraging that
four years on, the standard is as high as ever.

Subsea UK News | November 2014

13

SKILLS / TRAINING

Huge Potential for the Subsea Industry

as MTCS Launches Fast & Efficient
Online Competence Programme
MTCS (UK) Ltd, has devised a fast and efficient,
virtual learning environment to help companies
gain competence accreditation for their
employees. The system has been built to aid
companies whose individuals spend a lot of
time offshore on vessels or rigs.

convenient to them. Once they sit the exam and score above the
threshold, a certificate is issued instantly. So if someone is taking our
exam in Australia, they dont need to wait for our UK office to issue
a certificate.

Gail Bartolf from MTCS explains: While we are known for sending
trainers worldwide both onshore and on vessel to company
employees; changing shift patterns means extra issues with the
training and getting trainees together. A major issue is cost to the
company, which can include flights, accommodation and perhaps
day rates.

Doug said:

Now we are taking what we do in the classroom out to the worksites.

It makes our products available anywhere, anytime, allowing
companies to use one system to track and monitor learners progress
throughout their offshore career. This gives them direct, real-time
and instant access to how their employees are getting on with
the competence programme, without having to make reference to
MTCS. It is a very secure and reliable system, using the same
sort of security as the online banking system, giving both
companies and their employees peace of mind.
Doug continues: If the employee is going to a place
where theres no internet access, they can download
our products onto a tablet, or whichever device they
choose, and can then complete the course at a time

14

Subsea UK News | November 2014

All competence certificates are IMCA graded and the programme is

compatible with Apple Mac, Windows 7/8, Android and iOS tablets
and mobiles.

This is a faster and more efficient

way for MTCS to deliver solutions to our global
client base and obviously has huge potential for
companies.

Courses available via MTCS Online include the popular high voltage
course, ROV hydraulics, and skills assessor. Additionally, the system
is host to the competence programmes for all IMCA grades, including
marine back-deck, diving, survey, and in fact all offshore IMCA
competence grades.

SKILLS / TRAINING
Steve Cullen, Training Manager

International Subsea Technology

Training Academy Launched
A first-of-its-kind subsea training academy is
being launched in Aberdeen today in the worldrenowned subsea centre of excellence
at Westhill.
The subsea technology training academy will meet global demand
for improved competency in the configuration, operation and
maintenance of increasingly sophisticated equipment required in more
complex subsea oil and gas projects, in deeper waters and hostile
locations around the world.
Aberdeen head quartered company, Ashtead Technology, has
invested almost 500,000 in its subsea technology training academy
which will attract delegates from around the world.
In a pilot scheme prior to launch, the Ashtead Technology Academy
has already delivered several courses to a number of leading subsea
companies, including a three day acoustics course and a one day
introduction to offshore survey equipment course. The courses, for
support engineers and new recruits from the subsea construction sector,
have achieved tangible results and excellent customer feedback.
Tim Sheehan, commercial director of Ashtead Technology, said: As
the subsea industry continues to grow and leading-edge technology
evolves to deliver systems to meet more complex challenges in
deeper waters, subsea survey, construction and maintenance
companies must have the skills and competency to ensure these
systems are properly configured, operated and maintained. Ashtead
is well positioned and resourced to fill the gap in the market for high
quality training that will meet the skills and competences required.

Visit us at
SUBSEA
EXPO
Stand 44

Todays launch is the result of considerable

investment in the best facilities, trainers and
training materials by Ashtead Technology. Through
our 30 years of experience and expertise in
working with specialist subsea technology, we
have developed a range of courses which will
give delegates the confidence and competence
required in working with the latest systems
available in the market.
The Ashtead Technology Academy will be led by Steve Cullen who
has joined the company in the newly created position of training
manager. Formerly with Subsea 7, Mr Cullen is an electrical and
electronic engineer with over 20 years offshore experience in subsea
construction, hydrographic survey, fibre optics, remote intervention
and drilling operations support. He spent several years in vocational
and public sector education and training roles focusing on science
technology subjects with particular experience in innovative
instructional design methodologies.
The courses available at Ashtead Technologys purpose-built training
facilities will cover the basics and the more complex functioning of
offshore survey equipment, acoustic positioning and motion sensing
systems, hydrographic and geophysical survey equipment, cable and
pipe detection and tracking systems and ROV sensors and multiplexors.

Subsea UK News | November 2014

15

FEATURE

Apache
The Elements of Success
SAFETY, COMPLIANCE, PRODUCTION
Established in 1954 as a U.S. exploration and production company with seed capital
of 250,000 USD, Apache has grown to be one of the strongest independent players in
the global oil and gas market. Worth more than 30 billion USD on the New York Stock
Exchange, it has expanded into Egypt, Australia, Canada and the UK North Sea with a
complete range of on and offshore capabilities.
Apache arrived in the UK North Sea in 2003 following its 680
million USD acquisition of the BP Forties field; it then undertook
its second major acquisition in January 2012, the Beryl complex
from ExxonMobil which included the Ness, Nevis, Skene and
Buckland fields along with the SAGE gas plant and pipeline.
In only 11 years, the company has established itself as one of
the most successful oil and gas exploration firms in the region
thanks to strong investment in drilling activity, facility upgrades,
major projects and field re-evaluation.
Apache is well known in the North Sea for its track record of
delivery. Our performance record has been achieved while
maintaining the highest standards of safety and environmental
responsibility, explains Mark Richardson, Projects Group
Manager at Apache. Apache is absolutely invested in safety,
compliance and production in that order and that is reflected in
our safety statistics. We are a top quartile performer in terms of
dangerous occurrences and reportable injury frequencies with
continuous improvement year on year and over the last five
years. We have had no prohibition notices and one of the lowest
levels of improvement notices of any operator.
A clear example of this commitment to safety came with the
recent conclusion of a four-year process to install a Subsea

Isolation Valve in the Forties pipeline at a cost of 96million

USD. This highly complex project with significant commercial,
technical and safety risk was delivered with no accidents
or incidents ahead of the shutdown schedule. While the
spend was considerable, through this project we were able to
mitigate a significant risk to our personnel, the environment,
our asset and reputation.
This strong safety record is mirrored in Apaches production
and costs record: as of 2013, Apache was the third largest oil
producer and fifth largest by barrels of oil equivalent (boe) in the
UKCS with 71,000 net boe per day and lifting costs 45% lower
than the average for the UK North Sea.

Much of their success in production

comes from Apaches significant subsea
infrastructure, with 40 subsea wells and
over 120 pipelines including three bundle
tie-backs.

COMPANY WORTH OVER

$30bn
120

PIPELINES INCLUDING
THREE BUNDLE TIE-BACKS

NET (BOE) PER DAY

71,000
40
SUBSEA
WELLS

FEATURE

One of the bundle tie-backs installed by Apache is the

Bacchus field, a tie-back to Apaches Forties Alpha platform.
This was brought into production in 2012 and has been
incredibly successful, paying back within eight months,
explains Richardson. At its peak, it was producing up to
18,000 barrels a day and two years on it continues to produce
7,000 barrels a day. This was a development brought on
stream at a significantly lower price than the North Sea norms
and has had almost 100% uptime.

Richardson is quick to point out that Apache North Seas

2.7billion USD turnover is one of the companys best performing
regions (rate of return), and this has been achieved by the
companys approach to doing business. We dont have any
systems, contractors or assets that arent widely available to
other companies operating in the UK North Sea, he says. What
we do have is a flat management structure that encourages
open accountability and responsibility, where employees are
given the authority to make decisions at the lowest level.

Richardson anticipates a considerable number of subsea

opportunities for Apache over the coming months. To that
end, the firm will soon have two semi-subs and a jack up, the
Rowan Gorilla VII, on hire to carry out exploration, appraisal
and development work around its infrastructure. With 25% of
all development wells in the UKCS being drilled by Apache,
there is a great platform to further strengthen of the business.

People are invested financially and personally in the

business, exemplified in our safety and production records. You
have the authority to solve a problem wherever you see it and
that is supported by our management team, who recognise that
Apaches successes come from understanding and managing
risks, making decisions and acting with a sense of urgency.

There are several reasons that Apache are

delivering in the region, but one of the main
ones is due to our operational efficiency:
we have gone from 15th in the league table
of North Sea operators when we acquired
the Forties field in 2003, to number one
sitting at over 90% efficiency. Given that
the average in this region is about 60%, we
are leading the way on efficient delivery.

With a highly motivated workforce, most of whom

transferred from BP or Exxon Mobil, a close relationship
with its contractors, a strong safety record and the best
production efficiency record in the region, Apache has made a
considerable impact in just over a decade of operations in the
UK North Sea. With a focus on continued investment in both
assets and people, the future looks even more promising.

Apache move into new office at Prime Four Business Park, Kinkswells

BUSINESS

NorSea Group Reinforces Long-term UK Commitment

NorSea Group (UK) Limited has made a major,
long-term commitment to the UK with the
announcement that it has taken over the
operatorship of Smith Quay and Embankment
at Peterhead on a 10-year agreement. NorSea
Group also has a 15-year lease at South Quay
in Montrose and a long term agreement with
Scrabster Harbour Trust.
John Wallace, CEO at Peterhead Port Authority is delighted to welcome
NorSea Group to the Port given their profile within
the industry, personnel and resources. We built
Kim Christensen,
up a strong portfolio of clients at the Smith Quay
UK MD, NorSea
base, but it became apparent that we needed a
professionally focused and integrated company
such as NorSea Group to continue the
success and provide the level of service
expected at Peterhead, to grow this
business further. NorSea Group
is synonymous with safety and
service, I warmly welcome them
and look forward to this partnership
blossoming.
The announcement represents the
next phase of NorSea Groups plans
for ongoing increased activity in the
UKCS, and follows its acquisition
of the Danish base and logistics

company, Danbor, earlier this year. Danbor was also established in

UK at the time of the purchase, but the UK company has now been
merged with NorSea Group (UK) Ltd.
The merger secures NorSea Groups long term plans to service oil and
gas operators, service companies and drilling contractors through its
offices and warehouses in both Aberdeen and Montrose.
When we signed an agreement with Scrabster Harbour Trust and
opened our office in Aberdeen last year, we did so with the intention
of building a significant presence in the UK, said UK MD, Kim
Christensen. The past 12 months have seen considerable company
growth within the UK and we now have a major presence in four key
Scottish ports Aberdeen, Montrose, Peterhead, Scrabster with
additional service provision at Lerwick and Invergordon.
Together with their other bases; nine in Norway, one in Denmark and one
in Holland, NorSea Group can now offer a unique coverage of the North
Sea Basin.

NorSea Groups Director of International and Project

Operations, Knut Magne Johannessen continues:

Traditionally known as a service provider for the oil

and gas industry, our purchase of Danbor has given
us the additional resources and facilities we needed
to support our intention to provide a full range of
services to the renewables and decommissioning
markets, both on and offshore.

Specialist for Subsea Inspection

Services & Solutions

Risers & Flexible Risers

Caissons & Conductor Pipes
Subsea Structures & Pipelines
Non-Piggable Pipelines
Ship Hulls
Mooring Lines

Inspection solutions feature:

Advanced inspection tools combined with cleaning

Based on Magnetic Eddy Current (MEC) technique combined
with multiple UT sensor system
ROV & Installation deployment
High corrosion defect detection capabilities
Fast scanning in circumferential & axial orientation
No coating removal

Innospection Ltd, Unit 1, Howemoss Avenue, Kirkhill Industrial Estate, Dyce, AB21 0GP, Aberdeen, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1224 724744
Email: info@innospection.com
www.innospection.com

BUSINESS

New Harkand High-spec DSV

on Schedule for North Sea

Visit us at
SUBSEA
EXPO
Stand 37

Work is well under way on Harkands new DP3 diving support vessel (DSV), which it aims to have
working in Europe during 2016. The international IRM company ordered the US$ 200 million vessel
from VARD at the end of 2013 and it holds an option for a second identical ship from the Norway
based shipbuilder.
The newbuild DSV has been designed specifically with the region in
mind and will be equipped for a role alongside the two other DSVs in
Harkands North Sea fleet the Harkand DaVinci and Harkand Atlantis.
Harkand Europe managing director David Kerr said: Cost effective
IRM is all about making sure that you have the best tools for the job.
Managing expenditure on older assets and subsea infrastructure
represents a key challenge to all industry players, to ensure we safely
extend the life of North Sea oil and gas production.

VARD has a strong reputation for constructing

complex and specialised vessels custom-built
for use in the oil and gas industry through its
use of cutting edge technology at its top of the
range facilities.

With much of the global subsea fleet and resource dedicated to

large scale, new development work on a worldwide basis, there is
a growing but more niche market in terms of inspecting, repairing
and maintaining the ageing infrastructure and complex new subsea
systems being installed.

This is a turnkey project and VARD is on track to deliver the DSV in Q2

2016. With the major engineering work due to be completed by the end
of this year, including the building of the dive system chamber complex
and assembly of the main engines and propulsion system, we are well
on target to start building the vessels project backlog.

We currently have nine vessels and 32 ROVs in our international fleet

as well as six portable air diving systems. With highly skilled and proven
survey, inspection, repair and maintenance teams, we are well placed to
deliver the most effective solutions for our clients.

The hull is currently under construction at VARDs facility in Tulcea,

Romania, and will be towed to Sovik in Norway for outfitting. VARD
will equip the DSV to the exact specifications requested by Harkand,
with systems supplied by reputable European companies. Mr Kerr
continued: The introduction of this new, modern and efficient vessel
will be a welcome addition to what has been historically an ageing
North Sea DSV fleet.

This is the second time Harkand has teamed up with global shipbuilding
company VARD. In May, the company took delivery of the Siem
Spearfish, currently mobilised in the Gulf of Mexico.
Mr Kerr said: We have a very strong, solid and successful working
relationship with VARD most recently experienced with the delivery of
the DP2, multi-purpose service and ROV vessel, the Siem Spearfish.

The DSV has been designed for low fuel consumption and is equipped
with grade 3 dynamic positioning for excellent station-keeping. It will be
outfitted with a Rolls-Royce propulsion system, a Drass diving system,
NOV main crane, Kongsberg DP system and Wartsila main engines.

3D model rendering

Subsea UK News | November 2014

19

BUSINESS

Fugro Completes on Gwynt y Mr

Aberdeen-based Fugro Subsea Services Limited
(FSSL) has successfully completed the trenching
and burial of inter-array cables for CT Offshore at
the Gwynt y Mr wind farm in the Irish Sea off the
North Wales coast. The 160 turbine Gwynt y Mr
is currently the largest offshore wind farm under
construction in Europe.
Central to the success of the cabling operation was Fugros custombuilt Q1400 Trenching System which can perform both jet trenching and
mechanical chain cutting of soils. In total 37 cables were trenched into
very hard seabed with a mixture of soils and hard clays interspersed
with boulders and cobbles, gravels and sand. Despite these demanding
conditions the Q1400 was successful in burying all the cables.

The Q1400 has the manoeuvrability and compact

size to be able to trench right up to the cable
j-tube, or in this case the cable protection system,
which minimised the need for rock dumping or
matressing, potentially saving on cost.
Mike Daniel, Trenching Business Line Manager at FSSL

Gwynt y Mr is the second wind farm project where the Q1400 trenching
system has been used when soils have been beyond the capabilities of
standard jet trenching systems, and this follows on from a busy 2013
with completion of four successful Oil and Gas trenching projects one
off the West Coast of Ireland and three in the North Sea.

We have experienced outstanding cooperation

with the Fugro team throughout the Gwynt y Mr
project, said Jimmy Laursen, Project Manager at CT
Offshore A/S. We met many challenges, especially
with the demanding soil conditions on the GyM
project. With Fugro as our trenching partner, we
were able to overcome these challenges and
accomplished the installation and burial of the interarray cables in the safest and most efficient way.
One of the two Fugro owned Q1400 Trenching Systems is now fully
integrated into the subsea support vessel Fugro Saltire allowing both jet
and mechanical chain cutting trenching to be carried out from a single
vessel, and providing operators with the flexibility to entrench a wide range
of seabed terrain from silty/sandy soils to hard clays and boulder fields.
The Saltire was also used to conduct unexploded ordinance (UXO)
surveys and other subsea work while at Gwynt y Mr.

Clockwise from left: Launching the Fugro Q1400 trenching system; the Q1400 swung out on its launcher alongside a Fugro FCV 3000 ROV;
and the Fugro Saltire showing the Q1400 in its dedicated launcher.

20

Subsea UK News | November 2014

Visit us at
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EXPO
Stand 18

BUSINESS

Xodus Group, Saipem and Chiyoda Join Forces

to Set Up New Subsea Company
International energy consultancy Xodus Group
today announced the launch of a global subsea
engineering company in partnership with
major oil and gas contractor Saipem and mid
and downstream oil and gas giant Chiyoda
Corporation.
The new organisation plans to challenge the largest tier one subsea
engineering companies for a share of the global market. It will be
headquartered in London and have a presence in several cities across
Europe, Africa, the Americas, Middle East and Asia Pacific including
eight dedicated engineering centres in priority energy locations.
Xodus Subsea engineering services will take a unique approach to
technical subsea challenges by bringing together Xodus Groups
front end engineering capability, Saipems turnkey Engineering,
Procurement, Construction and Installation expertise and Chiyodas
experience in managing large scale international projects. The
company will offer a wealth of technical subsea expertise and also
have access to more than 1,000 multidiscipline engineers through the
partner companies.
Colin Manson CEO of Xodus Group said: The launch of Xodus
Subsea marks a new era of subsea engineering support to the global
oil and gas industry. For the first time operators can choose a subsea
engineering company that is backed by world leading contractors
without being exclusively tied to them. We have the global reach,
capability and technical prowess to support the worlds largest and

most complex subsea projects. We offer

integrated subsea services to minimise
project risk and deliver the
best technical results.

Because of the unique way Colin Manson,

CEO of Xodus Group
the company is set up, it
will pass on the benefits of
being able to evaluate and select suitable
technology early in the decision-making process
without being constrained by convention or
ownership. The aim is to create clever engineering
coupled with accurate, dependable cost estimates
that clients can use to make informed decisions.
Xodus Subsea engineering services cover field development, projects
including FEED and detailed design, and lifecycle consultancy with
a focus on working with partners to support the development of
new technologies. The company provides extensive knowledge in
deepwater engineering, pipelines, trunklines and export systems, riser
systems, subsea processing and enhanced oil recovery (EOR).
Matt Kirk, Americas regional director for Xodus Group will take up the
new position of Xodus Subsea managing director with other key positions
in the leadership team being filled by managers from all three companies.

oil and gas, renewables and decommissioning industries in the UK.

FEATURE

The recently launched initiative aiming to coordinate research

and development activities within the UKs subsea oil and
gas sector has appointed a chairman and project director.

Well-known industry figure, Peter Blake, has taken up the role

of chairman of the National Subsea Research Initiative (NSRI)
and Dr Gordon Drummond has joined as project director.
Mr Blake is Subsea Systems Manager at Chevrons Energy
Technology Company and Dr Drummond is Technology
Manager at Subsea 7.
NSRI has been set up to ensure the UKs subsea technology
needs are understood and met within the countrys
increasingly complex and competitive technology strategies
and associated funding landscape.
Under the aegis of industry body, Subsea UK, the NSRI will
benefit from already established and effective links with the
whole industry.
Subsea UK chairman, Bill Edgar, said: The board of Subsea
UK, as the managing member of NSRI, is greatly encouraged
to see so many high calibre, experienced individuals willing to
serve on the NSRI board and be part of the organisation.
Commenting on the appointments, NSRI Steering Group
leader John Mair, who has been working with Subsea UK to
drive the initiative forward, said: There is a genuine need for
meaningful engagement between industry, government and
academia and it is crucial that our team has experience in

developing technology and an understanding of the intricacies

involved in funding such work.

Peter and Gordon have extensive

backgrounds in working to advance
technology and know full well the
difficulties those in this field can face.
We are exceptionally pleased to have two
such experienced people on board to
drive the initiative forward.
Mr Blake will chair the NSRI board whose other members
have also been confirmed today. They are Paul White (GE Oil
& Gas), Paul Charlton (PDL Solutions), Jason Tisdale (Fugro),
Professor Albert Roger (University of Aberdeen), John Mair
(Subsea 7) and Neil Gordon (Subsea UK).
With more than 25 years industry experience, Mr Blake is
subsea systems manager with Chevron Energy Technology
Company where he is responsible for supporting subsea

FEATURE

L to R Gordon Drummond,
John Mair and Peter Blake

projects and operations worldwide, developing and deploying

new technology. Mr Blake was instrumental in the setting up
of Chevrons Global Technology Centre in Aberdeen and also
holds a position on the board of industry body Subsea UK.
As project director, Dr Drummond will advise business,
technology developers, universities and academics as they
look for support in bringing new innovations to market that
can push the UK energy industry forward for years to come.
With a PhD in Condition Monitoring, Dr Drummond has
been seconded to the NSRI role from his current position as
Technology Manager at Subsea 7. He has been involved in the

subsea sector since 1994, initially working on diving vessels

before taking on more engineering based roles. In recent
years, Mr Drummond has participated in several technology
development programmes including the Subsea 7 technology
team engaged in many high value enabling technologies with
worldwide application.
Initial three-year funding for the NSRI, which is a not-for-profit
organisation, has been secured from Scottish Enterprise,
Subsea UK and industry with further industry funding
expected in the coming months.

Mr Blake said: It is critical that the UK industry and government continues to invest in

subsea technology to ensure we remain at the forefront of the industry. Countries like
Norway and Brazil are placing a major focus in areas such as deepwater research and
we will only stay ahead of the game by improving the knowledge transfer between our
industry and academia. This is where NSRI can play a major role by bringing all the
relevant organisations together to keep the UK as the global leader in the subsea sector.

BUSINESS

Fugro Supports BP Drilling

at Schiehallion Field

Visit us at
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EXPO
Stand 18

Fugro has been awarded a contract by BP Exploration Operating

Company Ltd for the provision of wellhead and riser monitoring
services. The contract will support BP drilling activities for the Quad 204
redevelopment of the Schiehallion field, West of Shetland. A total of 25
wells are to be drilled over the next seven years using the new Deepsea
Aberdeen semi-submersible rig.
Under the contract Fugro will provide its wellhead and riser instrumentation service (WARIS), which has
the DeepData subsea motion monitoring pods at its core. The DeepData pods are ROV recoverable, can
be deployed for up to one year and will be positioned on the blow out preventer (BOP), lower marine riser
package (LMRP) and selected riser positions. The pods communicate motion data and statistics to the
surface via subsea hydroacoustic modems and the vessels existing high precision acoustic positioning
(HiPAP) system.
A topside data acquisition system will collate and process the subsea data.The system will also integrate
data feeds from the existing Fugro environmental monitoring system, allowing the subsea structural motion
to be correlated against parameters such as significant wave height and currents. These data will allow a full
understanding of the riser and wellhead behaviour.

Gordon Hamilton, Commercial Manager at Fugro GEOS said: We are delighted

to support BP with their work on the Schiehallion redevelopment. Our
experience of deploying motion monitoring with subsea data processing
and hydroacoustic communication along with integrated metocean data
will provide a platform for accurate real-time monitoring.

DeepData
Motion Pod with
hydroacoustic
modem in ROV
receptacle

50,000ft

Hyperbaric Testing

- Wet or dry testing

- Recordable data & video monitoring
- Outdoor TestTank

to 8000m deep

Environmental Testing
-25C to 50C

UKAS approved
EN 17025 Test Facility

Subsea UK News | November 2014 8000m

24

ACHIEVEMENT

Houlders award winning design

Houlder Picks Up Design Team of the Year

2014 at BEEAs with Gripper Arms Project
Houlders mechanical design team has been
named Design Team of the Year by the 2014
British Engineering Excellence Awards (BEEAs).
Now in their sixth year, the BEEAs celebrate
those UK companies that are demonstrating
the skills, invention and dedication required to
succeed on an international stage.
Houlders team of mechanical and structural engineers won the
award for their ingenious work on large, specialist offshore wind
farm equipment.
The award, sponsored by Tech UK, rewards successful interaction
between professionals, sound decision making and effective
management of project milestones as well as high quality design.

The judges described the Gripper Arms project as

a fantastic example of a huge, multidisciplinary

project that meets a unique and demanding
engineering challenge.
Rupert Hare, Houlders CEO commented: Mechanical Design is
an increasingly important part of our business. Our clients require
larger and more complex pieces of equipment and our people have
consistently responded to the challenge impressively. We are delighted
this has been acknowledged by the British Engineering Excellence
judges and look forward to more successful projects to come.
Winners were announced in October 2014 at a glittering awards lunch
at 8 Northumberland one of the finest Victorian buildings in London.

Subsea UK News | November 2014

25

GROWTH

FlexTech Invests 500,000 in New R&D Hub

As part of its ongoing growth and development
strategy, flexible pipe specialist FlexTech has
invested 500,000 into a new manufacturing and
fabrication base in Lincolnshire.
Since its inception in March 2013, the Aberdeen based company has
achieved turnover of 1milllion, and it is on track to reach 2.5million
by the end of year two.
With existing research and development and manufacturing premises in
Aberdeen, and an R&D facility in Lincolnshire, FlexTechs new Grimsby
base will help to expand its presence across the UK, with plans to
extend its capabilities and offerings into the renewables sector.
FlexTech Engineering Director, Craig Keyworth, said: Since start-up,
the company has been performing successfully within the oil and gas
industry. The new investment in Grimsby is strategic due to the region
emerging as a key player in the renewable energy industry, with potential
to become the UK capital of the offshore wind industry.

With such clear synergies between our services

and equipment offerings within the oil and gas and
renewables sectors, and the renewables developing
at such a significant rate, the placement of our
R&D facility in the region positions us well for an
advance into the sector.

26

Subsea UK News | November 2014

The newly acquired one and a half acre facility, with 3,000 sq. ft. office
and workshop, currently employs seven skilled personnel, with a further
five to be recruited over the next 12 months. It will provide FlexTech
with an excellent base in the region both now, and as it increases staff
numbers and service offerings in the future.
The new facility will support the delivery of projects worldwide, with
the team in Grimsby supporting FlexTechs increased presence in the
region. With direct access to the worlds biggest offshore wind farms,
and Quayside access to one of the UKs largest ports, it will also allow
FlexTech to offer its range of products and services to a wider market
and breadth of companies operating within the area.
FlexTechs core business is the successful delivery of flexible pipe and
riser engineering projects, marine offloading systems and integrity
management and inspection. It also has a range of innovative products
designed to facilitate ease of installation, ensure operational integrity
and prolong the life of the flexible in field.
FlexTech currently has a team of 12 subsea and marine specialists. Its
management team boasts more than 50 years experience in the oil and
gas industry among them.

Visit us at
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EXPO
Stand 177

NEWS IN BRIEF

GE Invests $5Million
in Norway Technology
Solutions Center to
Fuel the Future of the
Oil and Gas Industry
GE Oil & Gas has formally unveiled its new Technology
Solutions Center (TSC) in Stavanger, Norway. The result
of a $5m investment, the centre offers a stunning visual
showcase of GEs technologies across the oil and gas
industry, and has been designed to help operators
achieve optimal efficiency, environmental performance
and safety, both now and in the future.
Located opposite GEs existing Subsea Systems facility in
the port of Dusavik, the centre features a combination of
interactive digital displays, live demonstrations and scale

Visit us at
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EXPO
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models, including GE PIIs Intelligent Pigs, responsible for

the delivery of accurate diagnostics and insightful pipeline
integrity reports, the Safire 2.0 multiphase flow meter and
the newly launched Deepwater Vertical Xmas Tree (DVXT).
Mr Simonelli said: Norway and the wider North Sea region
have been incentivised to become leading-edge thinkers
largely the result of stringent regulation and governing
standards and although a maturing province, significant
greenfield developments in recent years have put the area
firmly back on the map.

MeteoGroup Signs Offshore Weather Forecasting Contract

with Shell
MeteoGroup is to provide a weather forecasting service to Shell offshore operations in the UK,
Ireland, Norway and the Netherlands. The service has been designed specifically for Shell to help
maximise safety and efficiency by supporting the identification of key operational weather windows
whilst minimising costs.
The weather data will be provided via an innovative web portal developed by MeteoGroup to deliver
24/7/365 access to seamless forecasting and other key information. Those using the system will,
amongst others, include logistics co-ordinators, marine controllers, surveyors, rig movers, OIMs,
drillers and crane operators.

Visit us at
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Bibby Offshore Expansion Continues with Office Opening

in Norway
Bibby Offshore continues to expand its international operations with the opening of an office in
Stavanger, Norway. The Norwegian office for Bibby Offshore will be headed by Arne Lier, who will
become Managing Director of Bibby Offshore AS. Bibby Offshore has a leading subsea services
position in the UK North Sea and the opening of the office in Norway highlights the potential the
company sees in the Norwegian sector.
The Company is currently participating in a number of tenders in the Norwegian Continental Shelf
and is focusing on expanding its existing services to offshore operators in the region, benefiting from
the depth of relationship that Bibby Offshore already has with the UKCS divisions of many operators.
Howard Woodcock, Chief Executive of Bibby Offshore, commented: The opening of an office in
Norway is in recognition of the size and opportunity of the offshore market in the North Sea and
specifically in the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Norway is a very important marketplace for us to
operate in as the Company looks to grow and expand our international presence.

28

Subsea UK News | November 2014

Arne Lier MD Bibby

Offshore AS

Visit us at
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NEWS IN BRIEF
N-Sea Announces Strategic Move to Premises
Aberdeen-based subsea IMR provider, N-Sea Offshore Ltd is to move into new premises as
business continues to grow.
The company has outgrown its current offices in Dyce and is adding additional office space to
accommodate an increase in staff numbers as it expands operations both in the UK and internationally.
The new office facility at Salvesen Tower will not only accommodate N-Seas significant expansion
of Aberdeen-based staff, but has also been chosen to house an enlarged project management and
engineering department. Since early 2014, N-Sea has added 15 UK staff allowing the company to expand
its service offering.
Explaining the strategic relevance of the move, N-Seas chief operating officer, Roddy James said: N-Sea
has evolved considerably in the short time since we established our presence within the UK. We are
currently in the process of articulating our plans for expansion through investment in people, equipment
and vessels to ensure we continue to deliver effective and cost efficient solutions to our clients.
Our new premises will house our ever-increasing personnel and its professional capabilities, which are
fundamental to our drive to become a leading subsea IMR company in the North Sea and beyond.

Roddy James, N-Sea

chief operating officer

Visit us at
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Reef Subsea Awarded First German-waters Contract

Reef Subsea announced today that it has been awarded a contract with AREVA Wind GmbH, to
provide field support in the Global Tech I wind farm. The charter commenced in early October and
is anticipated to continue until at least February 2015, with the option to extend the contract further.
This project will utilise the Reef Despina, a multi-purpose, environmentally friendly DP2 construction
support vessel, and will see the Reef Subsea team providing vital field support to AREVA Wind for the
commissioning of eighty 5MW AREVA offshore turbines spread over 100km of coastline.
Reef Despina Construction
Support Vessel

Newcastle upon Tyne Subsea Manufacturer DUCO

Rebrands to Technip Umbilicals
To align itself more closely with parent company Technip, the award winning umbilical
manufacturer has seen substantial growth lead to this exciting change.
The rebrand follows the 2012 opening of the dedicated research and development centre and 2014s
opening of the worlds most capable steel tube umbilical assembly plant. With many record breaking
projects under their belt and a high production rate of steel tube umbilicals, the company also
remains strongly committed to thermoplastic hose umbilicals. This year has seen the winning of many
thermoplastic projects, including a large thermoplastic umbilical in the North Sea.

Visit us at
SUBSEA
EXPO
Stand 70

Technip Umbilicals MD,

Jean-Louis Rostaing

Subsea Innovation Complete Major Expansion

Subsea Innovation has completed work on its new headquarters and manufacturing facilities. The
development, which is double the size of its previous headquarters, has enabled Subsea Innovation
to test Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS) to lift up to 100 tonnes and it has installed cranes
capable of handling up to 50 tonnes of equipment.
The move has allowed the company to compete for larger contracts and it has already sealed a seven
figure order from Middle-Eastern energy supplier RasGas to supply pipeline clamps and connectors.
This growth has seen the business increase its staff numbers from 30 in 2012 to an expected 50 by the
end of this year.
Martin Moon, Managing Director at Subsea Innovation, said: The facility can test heavier equipment
and with more capable cranes and the additional workspace that it brings it will enables us to develop
our research and development side further, which will prove to be a key factor in securing future work.

Visit us at
SUBSEA
EXPO
Stand 152

Subsea UK News | November 2014

29

PEOPLE

North-east Specialist Project

Management and Subsea
Firm Makes Key Appointment
Aberdeen based CSL has appointed Iain Fullerton
as Business Development Manager Subsea
Engineering and Projects, to assist with the firms
five-year growth and development plan bringing
both new and enhanced services
to clients.
Mr Fullerton brings a wealth of knowledge and more than
30 years experience within the oil and gas and offshore
industry having held various business development and
sales and marketing roles for leading organisations
within the oil and gas and marine manufacturing sector.
He said: I am very pleased to be joining CSL in this
important role. It is great to be part of a company with
a strong vision, clear direction and a comprehensive
service offering to the market.

Iain Fullerton, Business Development

Manager Subsea Engineering and
Projects, CSL

Bibby Offshore Appoints Stuart Jackson

as Strategy Director
Bibby Offshore are pleased to announce the appointment
of Stuart Jackson as Strategy Director. Stuart will also be
appointed to the board of the Company with immediate effect.

Visit us at
SUBSEA
EXPO
Stand 108

Stuarts appointment follows his working as a consultant during the Companys recent high yield bond
issue, where he worked directly with the Companys Chief Executive (Howard Woodcock) and Finance
Director (Neale Stewart).
Stuart Jackson, Strategy Director,
Bibby Offshore

As Strategy Director, Stuart will focus on the delivery of the Companys growth programme and will be
based in London; frequently travelling to Aberdeen and other Bibby Offshore offices.
Stuart has over 30 years experience in the energy sector having worked in exploration & production,
power generation and offshore services.

Aurecon Appoints
New Client Relationship Executive
Aurecon has appointed Colby Hauser as Client Relationship Executive,
Oil and Gas. Based in Aurecons Perth office, Colby will focus on growing
Aurecons Oil and Gas business in Western Australia, the Northern Territory,
and Papua New Guinea.
Industry Director for Oil and Gas, John Wood said, Its exciting to welcome Colby to our rapidly expanding
Oil and Gas team. His appointment is a natural progression as we continue to build our portfolio within the
upstream, downstream and advisory sectors.
Colby Hauser, Client Relationship
Executive, Oil and Gas, Aurecon

30

Colby has many years of experience working in the oil and gas industry, primarily in business development
and project, as well as contracts and procurement roles.

Subsea UK News | November 2014

NASNet subsea positioning system

The NASNE119 sub&ea posltlonrg syS:snl Is a mult~user solution 1hat
can lllrrU!aneoul!ly posttlon unlimited objects at long range, making It
ide81 for meeting deepwater, seismic rod cons1Nction fAl\lfJ'J needs.
" ill highly aoarat8 and 1ield..proven, with 1alt "'1date rates and
no acoustic lnlBrferenoe. That means Ieee -bed aaaetB to Install
rod no need for frequency management. Naulrorix technology also
ina118118S battery life, rectlcing ongo~ maintanance costs.

11w rw.ilt _..... po9ilioning, M1blitm1tilll MlringL

NASNet precillion in position

And out mol9: Tel: +44 (0)1224 n5700
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ttH-.ipllclilblt:
IUfaca vwl lrld veNda pclld1lc:ring
Deep weller llUIW/ t\)tilidb 18

same and H)dcgrapht: &UW)'S

[)I~ opeialk>ns
SI ! aB oonelruction ~
~lilpLlbiand ud&slC8

VQl<-o.w and l'1leMritlon

TniclQng al FOii
Data
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NASDive is the first fully-digital diver communications system. It requires significantly

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