ASCO Peterhead 40 Years' Service

Sunday, November 30, 2014 www.buchanobserver.co.uk

Buchan OBserver

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS’ SERVICE IN PETERHEAD tuesday, december 2, 2014

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www.buchanobserver.co.uk Sunday, November 30, 2014

40th AnniversAry

Evolution of South Base is cross-section of history of offshore industry

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by joshua king

y cutting through a tree trunk, scientists are able to read the pattern of rings inside and understand the history of the tree and the environment around it.

As ASCO’s Peterhead South Base celebrates its 40th anniversary, the history of the facility proves to be just that - a cross section the the entire offshore industry.

In 1967, ASCO started life at the commencement of exploration for oil in the North Sea as Aberdeen Service Company (North Sea) Limited.

Seven years later and ASCO’s flagship supply base in Peterhead was formally opened by William Ross, the then Secretary of State for Scotland.

It represented a massive step forward for the company, the town of Peterhead and the North Sea oil and gas industry.

At first, as energy firms began to colonise the North Sea, ASCO and its predecessor companies were focused on platform construction.

T h e n th e c o m pa ny evolved to meet the growing operational needs of North Sea operators and grew into the offshore supply provider ASCO is today.

Christine Penney, ASCO’s head of wells and marine ops, believes the firm has expanded ‘in every direction.’

“The base was built on reclaimed ground - There was nothing here before but a bit of the bay and the ASCO base came from there.

“In the early days of the offshore industry, locations were just getting started and platfoms were being built so that was our business.”

She stressed the operation differences between the North Base, which handles larger construction vessels, and the South Base which handles ASCO’s dayto-day supply business.

“Through the years the oil industry has evolved and we are now supporting that industry. “ We ’ v e p e a k e d a t 600,000 deck tonnes here in the South Base.

“From what this company was in the Sidlaw days, we’ve grown in every direction.”

Company growing in every direction

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Sunday, November 30, 2014 www.buchanobserver.co.uk

40th AnniversAry *

The base has grown to be one of the finest multi-purpose bases in the world

ASCO: The beating heart of Peterhead

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BY JOSHUA KING

n July 12, 1974 then Secretary of State for Scotland William Ross officially launched ASCO’s flagship supply base in Peterhead.

Now, 40 years on, the base has grown to be one of the finest multi-purpose bases in the world and its evolution reflects the ever-changing offshore industry.

ASCO is the global leader in offshore supply base management. It runs more bases in more locations for more customers than anyone else.

And still Peterhead’s base remains as the beating heart of ASCO’s international operations.

As the base celebrates its 40th anniversary, ASCO CEO

“Our base in Peterhead is our home and we hold it in high regard”

ASCO CEO Derek Smith has praised the people of Peterhead.

Derek Smith has praised the people of Peterhead who have made the base what it is.

Mr Smith said: “Our base in Peterhead is our home and we hold it in high regard.

“It has been said to me by more than one of our operators that Peterhead is one of the largest and finest multi-purpose offshore supply facilities in the world and that’s because we’ve invested a lot in the Peterhead operation.”

Not only does the south base cater for ASCO’s clients on a daily basis, the facility also acts as a model for supply bases around the world and as a training ground for ASCO staff and the young people of Peterhead.

Mr Smith, who was the group chief operating officer before he was appointed CEO last year, is acutely aware of Peterhead’s wider significance to the company.

He continued: “We’ve con-

stantly got operators coming to Peterhead port to see how we operate - recently we had Petrobras and Pemex over.

“The industry holds Peterhead in high regard. It is one of the true multi-purpose bases in the world. We can take one vessel and offer it every available service.

“We invited a delegation from the Northern Territory Government over when we were bidding to develop and operate a Marine Supply Base within the existing Darwin East Arm Port.

“We fought hard to get that business and it was because of what they saw here in Peterhead that we won it.”

Mr Smith explained that ASCO is constantly working to stay ahead of technological and industry developments.

Last year the firm invested more than £2.6m on two Sennebogen 6130 HMC cranes for the Peterhead

base, maneuverable machines tailor-made to cope with the high winds unique to the base.

L o o k i n g fo r wa rd M r Smith and his team are investing in a whole raft of upgrades for the site including reorganising the layout of the existing sheds and installing bespoke, state-ofthe-art traffic and cargo management systems.

But the extraordinary success of the base is the result of more than just targeted investment and stateof-the-art machinery. It is a product of the passion and pride of the people of Peterhead.

Mr Smith said: “I’m always so impressed by the passion of people in Peterhead.

“If you think back to the terrible storm which battered the town and the base in 2012, our staff were back to work 24 hours later and

had the base up and running within 36 hours.

“The pride they show in their work and in their base is absolutely fantastic.”

These thoughts were echoed by ASCO’s Group Head of Communications, David Wallace.

He said: “I was on the base and I went to see a crane driver. This guy was polishing his new crane.

“I was in the cab and it was like something out of star wars with all the kit in there.

And he spoke about that crane like it was his new car.”

The pride the people of Peterhead have in what they fondly call ‘their base’ has never been in doubt.

But as the base celebrates its 40th anniversary, the message that has come loud and clear from Derek Smith and ASCO’s senior management team is that the company is equally proud of Peterhead.

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40th AnniversAry

ASCO in Peterhead enjoy an extremely vibrant social life

Looking back at social events over the years

BY JOSHUA KING

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More Christmas party fun, but can you remember where it was taken?

All dressed up. Do you remember this special occasion?

s well as having a healthy work ethic, staff at ASCO in Peterhead enjoy an extremely vibrant social life via a host of get-togethers.

Here are just a few photographs from events held throughout the base’s 40-year history.

Do you recognise any familiar faces, or remember these fantastic nights out?

Enjoying Enjoyingsome somefestive festivefun funatatthe theAsco Ascokids kidsChristmas Christmasparty. party.

Moreparty partyfun funfor forAsco Ascostaff. staff.But Butcan canyou youremember rememberthe theyear? year?

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Who were the Asco staff who took part in the Scottish Week parade?

Another presentation of a lovely ornament. But were you the lucky recipient?

Girls night out at Asco. Were you one of these lovely ladies?

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40th AnniversAry

Logistical support provided by ASCO to their clients demands innovation

A 365-days-a-year operation

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ith the offshore industry continuing to boom, suppliers like ASCO must continue to operate at peak performance every single day.

Peterhead director Les Clark explains that the logistical support provided by ASCO to their clients demands invonvation, investment and dedication.

Speaking on the company’s 40th anniversary in the north-east port, Mr Clark

said: “We’re committed to our customer base here in Peterhead and this year we’re looking at half a million tonnes of cargo and equipment going through this facility.

“We’re providing logistical support to offshore production and drilling operations.

“We plan the amount of cargo required, the time to ship and prioritise its use and we do all of this 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.”

Two days before a sailing Mr Clark and his team received a load list of the equipment and cargo required.

A second load list with 80 percent of what is needed arrives 24 hours before a sailing and it is at that point equipment and cargo can be laid out on the quayside.

Current ASCO clients include Subsea 7, Apache, ADTI, Nexen, EnQuest, Marathon, Talisman, Synergy and Dana.

Although currently the majority of their customers’ inventory is held on the South Base, ASCO is considering moving storage of equipment to a separate facility to free up more lay down space on the water side.

Mr Clark continued: “The vessels are discharged then

organised for areas and then transported.”

Combined with planned developments in computerised load management and co-ordination software, Mr Clark believes ASCO’s loyal customers can expect their vessels to be turned around quicker than ever before.

He said: “The ASCO South Base has a number of tenants who provide drilling products. All industry drilling equipment, fuel and water can be provided on the base.

“With future developments, our existing clients would see vessels turned around quicker.”

ASCO’s loyal customers can expect their vessels to be turned around quicker than ever before.

A fruitful and positive relationship

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he Peterhead Port Authority and ASCO have enjoyed a long fruitful and positive relationship throughout their 40-year history at the port.

From their early ‘pioneering’ beginnings to the major worldwide presence they now enjoy, service and safety has been their mantra.

They share several responsibilities in terms of anti-pollution control, port security and compliance with the port marine safety code to ensure the integrity of the marine and physical environment is not compromised for the benefit

of their mutual stakeholders.

Close cooperation is also evident in the sharing of assets, participation on port user groups, subsea and renewable projects and in the initial setting up of Peterhead Decommissioning Ltd. The PPA ASCO relationship has been one of steady growth, built on sound business principles and brought many benefits to both the respective organisations but equally as important, the town in terms of jobs and economic benefit.

Indeed, according to a recent report by BIGGAR

Economics, the combined activity of PPA and ASCO support 9,400 jobs and £0.8 Billion Gross Value Add to the Scottish economy per annum.

These figures can only be achieved through hard work, diligence and ingenuity.

ASCO was one of the pioneers in the early development of logistical support for the U.K’s North Sea Oil and Gas Industry.

It deserves the plaudits, congratulations and the port’s best wishes for the next 40 years, which by all accounts will be equally as challenging and hopefully as rewarding.

Peterhead Port Authority chief executive John Wallace (above), says the PPA ASCO relationship has been one of steady growth.

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Sunday, November 30, 2014 www.buchanobserver.co.uk

40th AnniversAry

Exploring Apache’s working relationship with ASCO

ASCO is an ‘integral part’ of Apache’s work by graham smith

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s ASCO celebrates its 40th anniversary, the Buchan Observer visited Apache to explore the working relationship between the two organisations.

The Buchanie recently met with Roger Brimmer, who is Supply Chain Manager with Apache North Sea Ltd, at the firm’s headquarters at Kingswells.

US Oil Company, Apache bought the Forties Oil Field from BP in 2003 and rather than abandoning it, decided to invest in it - spending more than $5 billion on drilling, completions, and to upgrade the top side facilities.

A little over ten years later, Apache now envisages another 20 years of production in the oil field.

As Roger Brimmer explained to the Buchanie, ASCO has played a key role in Apache’s supply chain for a number of years.

Apache has seven offshore platforms, which need to be resupplied, and it is ASCO which manages its Shorebase logistics i.e. loads and unloads ships with deck cargo, fuel, water, mud and cement.

Apache ships c.180,000 tonnes p.a. of deck cargo from Peterhead and is responsible for managing the collections and deliveries on six ships.

ASCO and Apache have been working together since 2003.

Speaking to the Buchan Observer about the reasons behind the success of their 11-year working relationship, Roger said Apache likes the people and services it gets from ASCO. Roger describes ASCO as “effectively an extension of our supply chain team” and the relationship between the two companies as one of openness, honesty, trust and mutual respect.

In short, Apache has to trust ASCO to “deliver the right things on the right boats

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“ASCO brings many talented and knowledgeable people who are hardworking and diligent and who do their very best for Apache on a daily basis. “

Roger Brimmer at Apache’s headquarters at Kingswells.

to the right locations in a safe, efficient and cost effective manner.”

ASCO also provides freight forwarding and waste management services for Apache through ASCO Freight Management and Enviroco respectively.

Apache moved its logistics operation from Aberdeen to Peterhead in 2007 and in terms of their future strategy; Roger says he “sees Apache staying in Peterhead.”

The Supply Chain Manager has been with Apache since 2006 and previously worked for ASCO as Base Manager at Peterhead between 1995 and 1998 before moving to the USA as ASCO’s Vice President of Logistics.

He has also worked with PSL Energy Services (now Halliburton) and Amoco and has been involved with ASCO one way or another for 30 years.

Roger now lives in Bancho-

ry but has lived and worked in the US, Far East, Middle East and London as well as Aberdeen and Peterhead.

He studied at Cults Academy before progressing to Robert Gordon University, and has worked in the Oil and Gas industry since 1983.

Commenting, Roger said: “We see ASCO in Peterhead as an integral part of our future supply chain.

“ASCO brings many talented and knowledgeable people who are hardworking and diligent and who do their very best for Apache on a daily basis. They also have a strong management team headed by Derek Smith.”

He added: “We look forward to continuing our relationship in 2015, when we’re going to be opening a new warehouse in Dyce, and ASCO are going to own and operate it as part of a 10-year deal for managed warehouse services.”

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www.buchanobserver.co.uk Sunday, November 30, 2014

40th AnniversAry

Peterhead site is in strong position to attract new business, says General Manager by joshua king

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hether favouring ‘flagship operation’ or ‘centre of excellence’, the choice of description may be optional, but the sentiment is unquestionable – Peterhead is ASCO’s finest offshore supply base.

Delivering core services including supply base management, marine co-ordination, waste disposal, collections and transportation, warehouse and external storage, crane and quayside services, Peterhead is crucial to the offshore support of North Sea assets.

Overseeing operations for the last year has been Mike Ramsay, ASCO’s General Manager at Peterhead.

In this article, he looks back at the busiest year in Peterhead’s recent history, as well as outlining what lies ahead.

“I have to acknowledge the skills and expertise that have been to the fore at Peterhead for the last 40 years, and can only admire the efficiency and effectiveness inherent at the base,” he says.

“Peterhead has been a shining light for ASCO over

Long-term future is healthy for base

the last four decades. Its service delivery and overall performance make it the model we look to mirror globally when developing new locations.

“That, in itself, speaks volumes for the abilities of our personnel here.

“As for the present, business is booming. Activity throughout 2014 has been huge, and it has allowed us to increase staff numbers by more than 50 in the last six months.

“Over the summer months, loading operations have peaked at 2,000 tonnes per day and vessel turn round is up 44% with the base turning round more than 70 vessels each week, compared to just over 50 vessels in the same period last year.

“Forecasts show this upward trend is set to continue and we are looking to continue increasing capacity through investment in infrastructure early next year.

“In addition to recent investment in quayside maintenance works, including £2.6m on two new Sennebogen 6130 HMC cranes, and £1.5m in warehousing, increasing our offering to 500,000sq ft, we have budgeted an additional £600,000 spend on water delivery and surface repairs and maintenance.

“The boom in warehouse capacity has given us renewed flexibility for existing clients including Apache, Nexen, EnQuest, BP, ADTI, Dana and Subsea7, as well as for potential new clients.

“We’ll also be increasing berth capacity and the operational footprint of the base, which will see the decanting and removal of redundant services and building, again allowing us to improve service for core supply vessel support.

“One other crucial development will come early next year, when we introduce our new bespoke electronic logis-

tics management system.

“This will streamline the processes around the planning of voyages, maximise efficiencies around capturing weight data used in billing and provide our customers with a more transparent mechanism for directly monitoring their quayside operations.

“Clients will be able to log onto the system and see their cargo in transit and know when their vessels are being loaded and ready for departure.

“Following the introduction of the new technology here in Peterhead, our intention is to see the system rolled out to our European operations and then globally.

“Workload forecasts and levels of investment are combining, not only to ensure a very healthy long-term future for the Peterhead base, but also to consolidate current client relationships and put us in a strong position to attract new business,” he adds.

ASCO’s general manager Mike Ramsay reviews the base’s busiest year.

Neil bows out after 40 years’ service

Neil Massie, who recently retired after 40 years’ service.

The introduction of mobile phones and the sheer size of vessels using the base are among the notable changes to the day to day working environment at Peterhead over its 40 year history.

So says Neil Massie, ASCO’s longest serving employee up until his recent retirement after 40 years’ service.

Neil, who was Operations Manager with Fuel & Lubricants at Peterhead, recalled: “I was one of the first staff members here.

“There were only half a dozen of us at the time and I was involved in the finance operations, mostly doing invoicing, but the place was always a hive

of activity with crew members constantly coming in and out of the office to use the phone.

“Mobile phones changed that and the crews disappeared from the offices virtually overnight once mobiles came on the go.

As for the vessels themselves, Neil recalls: “In earlier days, it wasn’t uncommon to see 14 or 15 vessels doubleberthed alongside the quay, whereas now the boats are double the size and there will only be five or a maximum of six vessels in at any one time.”

Having served his time as a boat builder with Richard Irvin in Peterhead, Neil worked for eight years with the company,

before deciding on a change of direction and, after completing a one-year business course at the Commercial College in Aberdeen, he came to work at ASCO South Base in Peterhead.

His career subsequently took him via credit control and operation administration to Fuel & Lubes in 1990, where he remained for 24 years.

As he reminisced, two aspects which he delighted in saying hadn’t changed were the camaraderie and also ASCO’s longevity.

“Fuel & Lubes at Peterhead is very close-knit and many of the same faces are still there after many years. It’s a team that works well together,” he says.

“And I have no doubt ASCO will be around for at least another 40 years.

“It’s not just the experience and expertise within the company, but those factors combined with its advantageous location, mean that Peterhead is ideally situated to serve the oil and gas industry for many years to come.”

Before departing for the final time, the day after his 65th birthday, Neil summed up his time at Peterhead, saying: “I’ve enjoyed working at ASCO over the years.

“The company has been very good to me – and hopefully I’ve paid them back in some way.”