HEROES 2018/2019

HEROES AT THE FRONTIER OF ENERGY, MARINE & RENEWABLES

2018/2019 EDITION, ISSUE 5

Oil and gas opportunities are being

explored again in Brazil IJves Wesselman, Manager Survey Department at Boskalis

Competence management at the heart of the Boskalis survey department Juris Capass, Commercial Manager Marine at Atlas Professionals

Future proof crewing solutions Bradley Harradine, Chief Cook

Bringing a fine-dining twist to meals onboard HEROES A

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Welcome to the latest edition of Atlas Energy & Marine Heroes Magazine. After one of the worst downturns in the history of the oil and gas sector, we are cautiously optimistic that the industry may have turned a corner. Our representatives in the US, Brazil, Australia, Asia and Europe are all reporting tentative signs of recovery this year.

Seismic, ROV and survey activities are certainly seeing a substantial increase compared to 2016/7 and several of our professionals outline exciting projects that are underway in this edition. Additionally, demand for accommodation units is also more buoyant as maintenance works that have been postponed now get the go ahead. Our people in the field are hopeful that we are on the brink of an upturn, although they recognise it won’t be near the dizzy heights of the boom times.

Another clear trend, and one where Atlas is a frontrunner, is the demand for competence assurance. We introduced the Atlas Competence Programme earlier this year and this has already been rolled out in ROV and surveying.

This is currently being extended across other business sectors such as drilling and renewables. Clients have certainly appreciated our decision to invest in competence management, as they recognise that a CV alone is no longer enough to make sure they have truly competent professionals.

We hope you all enjoy reading about the challenging projects we are involved in across the globe. And thank you to everyone who has kindly participated in Heroes Magazine. We very much look forward to working alongside you all in the future!

Atlas Professionals

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KNUT JACOB MEDHAUG Swimming in the fast lane with Reach Subsea

LAURA SMITH Atlas Houston aims to become a strategic regional hub for clients in the Americas and Europe

Table of Contents

40 VERONIQUE BIENVENU Being a Client Representative allows Véronique Bienvenu to combine her two passions

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IJVES WESSELMAN // BOSKALIS Competence management at the heart of the Boskalis survey department

10

JULIAN NELSON // FUGRO Competence assurance is taking on an increasingly important role at Fugro

14

JURIS CAPASS // ATLAS PROFESSIONALS Future proof crewing solutions

16

SEVERINE DE RIJCK & BERT GEERAERTS // DEME DEME’s ambitious fleet expansion programme provides exciting career opportunities

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JEAN PAUL DE JONG // ATLAS PROFESSIONALS New Commercial Director Jean Paul de Jong outlines the importance of partnering clients and professionals during the industry’s good and bad times

22

KNUT JACOB MEDHAUG // REACH SUBSEA Swimming in the fast lane with Reach Subsea

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LAURA SMITH // ATLAS PROFESSIONALS Atlas Houston aims to become a strategic regional hub for clients in the Americas and Europe

28

BRAD HARRADINE // CHIEF COOK Bringing a fine-dining twist to meals onboard

30

CHRIS SEIDEL // ATLAS PROFESSIONALS Great food and a ‘home away from home’ Chris Seidel outlines his international ambitions for the Catering Department

34

JORIS STEINBERG // ATLAS PROFESSIONALS Oil and gas opportunities are being explored again in Brazil

38

ELART ZONDAG // LOGISTICS COORDINATOR Elart Zondag makes a successful switch from oil & gas to the renewables sector

40

VERONIQUE BIENVENU // CLIENT REPRESENTATIVE Being a Client Representative allows Véronique Bienvenu to combine her two passions

44

CAROLINE HEANEY // GEOPHYSICIST From Polar Bears to giant, unidentified creatures of the deep Geophysicist Caroline Heaney is certainly no landlubber

46

JOSEPH DAY // MASTER MARINER Dreams can come true!

BOSKALIS

N A M L E S S E W S E IJV

Competence management at the heart of the Boskalis survey department

A strong focus on competence management is at the foundation of Royal Boskalis Westminster and is seen as a vital way of differentiating itself from competitors 8 HEROES

IJves Wesselman, Manager for the Boskalis survey department, which comprises some 140 surveyors, explains: “Competence management has always played a key role, even before the term competence management was coined! When I joined the company in the nineties Boskalis was already the market leader in the dredging industry and there was and is, a firm emphasis on getting the knowhow and right people on board as a way of distinguishing the company from others. We want to make sure we have competent people in our survey pool whether they are our own people or from Atlas Professionals. We want to have the right tools, hardware and the right people to carry out the job efficiently.”

Boskalis’ survey department has an extensive training programme in place to make sure its people have the company’s values instilled in their daily work practice. This starts with junior surveyors who embark on a graduate programme outlining the company’s core values. “Competence management is vital to make sure our junior surveyors have the correct tools and knowledge to carry out the project in line with our core values, which in turn leads to the satisfaction of our clients. They are then evaluated and undergo further training courses. Our senior surveyors attend a more in-depth programme and training concerning leadership skills.

More than a CV Working with Atlas and its new Competence Assurance programme means that Boskalis knows that the professionals have the right technical skills but it also tells the company more about that person’s soft skills.

“These are even more important the more senior a person gets.”

Additionally, he says, when hiring people based on CVs alone, it can often be a case of hiring the ‘usual suspects’. Competence assurance can help highlight other people who potentially have the required qualities. IJves thinks that the CV will always play a role, especially when making initial assessments about technical skills, but when Boskalis wants to know who is the best surveyor for a particular project, Atlas’ Competence Assurance programme is vital.

“It is important to get reliable information and Atlas’ programme helps this. We want to mitigate the risks as much as possible. Competence assurance enables Boskalis to really see what an individual has really done. Everyone can be an expert with the software programme but give a person an empty database and then you see what they are made of.”

Competence assurance is also an important way a contractor can show their capabilities to us, he adds.

Maintain quality standards “These courses, which focus on competences, are very important to us. Boskalis is a global company active in 90 countries with projects running from Christchurch, New Zealand to northwest Canada. However, our surveyors are similar to other employees in dredging or offshore, they rarely see each other. Meanwhile, it is important to maintain the quality standards throughout our operations – hence the competence management programme.”

Boskalis looks beyond a CV, he stresses. “A CV often focuses only on technical skills. Yes, we know someone is an expert in hardware or a certain software programme but soft skills are also important. For example, communication skills are important when dealing with clients, management and your multinational and multicultural team.

“Although a contractor may have a full CV, this would not necessarily show the true level of responsibility that person has had or what someone is capable of. At Boskalis we may have certain expectations from a CV and when employing that person these expectations are not always met, both in a positive or negative way. Essentially, we aim to avoid surprises! Good surveyors are scarce, we want to maximise their potential and get the best people on the project with the most suitable capabilities.”

Boskalis is happy to see that Atlas’ surveying professionals are competence assured. “And we can see that this is taking on a more important focus in the industry.”

Right first time Given the challenging market conditions in the oil and gas sector, we have to work as efficiently as possible and mitigate the risks, IJves says. “There is no room for failure, it has to be right first time. A decade ago when the sky was the limit, this was not always the case.” Our clients are asking for competence assurance more and more, he adds.

Boskalis and Atlas have worked together for over 15 years and IJves is very positive about the competence assurance initiative. “We have 140 of our own surveyors but we will always need to supplement them with agency staff and we want to maintain the same quality level. Ideally, we don’t want to see any difference between the Atlas and Boskalis surveyors and we strive to have the Boskalis standard wherever we are in the world.

I see the Atlas Competence Assurance programme as a big leap forward in maintaining our quality standards.”

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FUGRO

JULIAN NELSON

Competence assurance

is taking on an increasingly important role at Fugro

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As a leader in offshore survey, offshore geotechnical and seabed geophysical services Fugro expect to see competence management playing an increasingly important role in the offshore industry.

Julian Nelson, Manager Operations – Personnel Resources, Fugro GB (North) Marine Limited, and a member of the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) Competence & Training Committee, explains why he believes competence management is a valuable tool, alongside the traditional CV. Based in Aberdeen, Julian joined Fugro in 1989 and worked offshore as a Surveyor before progressing to the role of Party Chief and Offshore Vessel Manager, specialising in geophysical and construction support projects.

Julian moved onshore in 2006 and took on his current role as Manager Operations, responsible for the field staff involved in Survey and ROV operations.

Robust system Through his experience and work with IMCA it was clear that the market was changing and that it required a more ‘robust system to assess the competence of freelance individuals’, rather than relying purely on CVs. “While a CV outlines a person’s experience, it does not demonstrate competence.” He gives the example that a CV can sometimes simply list equipment or software on a project. “Having worked offshore, I know that if a Sub-Bottom Profiler is mentioned on a Surveyor’s CV, it is unlikely that the individual has the appropriate competence or experience with this equipment.”

This gap in the adequate assessment of freelancers led to the development of the IMCA freelance e-portfolio, which was made available for offshore survey roles in April.

More than a list Julian explains: “By introducing this competence assurance and assessment tool it is possible for individuals to demonstrate that they are competent in carrying out the tasks that they are required to perform pertinent to their role”.

to ensure that companies have the most relevant and latest information with regard to their competence and abilities.”

Julian emphasises that a competence assurance programme is not only important for the contracting companies and personnel agencies but is also vital for the freelance individual themselves. For example, this puts freelancers on more of a level playing field with an employee of a company.

He adds “This system allows the freelance individual to provide evidence to validate competence, and also seek assessment to close out any potential competence gaps, just as an employee would get the chance to do. As a result, the contracting company, agency and individual them self is assured that ‘they can do what it says on the tin!’”.

Similar IMCA material for ROV is being prepared for release and from Fugro’s point of view the company will be looking to roll this out to ROV freelance personnel when it becomes available.

“I don’t think we will be alone in this. When looking to engage freelance individuals across these disciplines we will expect to see a competence portfolio, together with a CV.”

Competence portfolio Julian expects to see competence management more wildly embraced in the freelance sector and acknowledges that Atlas has made real strides in this area with its own Competence Programme and with internal verifiers in place.

“In a few years’ time I am optimistic that we will see freelance individuals, personnel agencies and contracting companies engaged to the extent that this will be the norm. I am conscious that this is relatively new and I have no doubt that some companies that work within the offshore survey sector remain unaware of what has been developed. I believe however, that indirectly there will be a certain amount of pressure and expectation to use these tools to ‘capture’ individuals and companies that are yet to come aboard.”

For further information on the Atlas Competence Programme contact Dingena Peddie-Theunisse at competence@atlasprofessionals.com

Additionally, competence has a validity period. Julian adds “Just because a person was competent five years ago doesn’t necessarily mean they are now. For example, within an individual’s portfolio I would expect to see evidence in support of their continual development. They need to engage

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SIONALS S E F O R P S A L T A

JURIS CAPASS

Future proof crewing solutions

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Whilst there is still quite some uncertainty in the maritime and offshore market in certain sectors, Atlas is working alongside its clients to make sure its crewing solutions are future proof, says Juris Capass, Atlas Commercial Manager Marine.

administration.” A decade ago he adds, special DP officers were required but nowadays combined DP officers are deployed. “Given the reduction in crewing numbers it is vital we make seafarers ‘more competent’.”

More competences Juris started his maritime career in 1999 at the Maritime Academy in Riga and eventually became a deck officer working onboard several gas tankers. After five years at sea, he decided to move ashore. Initially he was a Commercial Manager for a ships’ supplier and in 2008 he joined Atlas as the Account Manager. He has held various roles including Operations Manager and Business Development Manager, and currently his responsibilities are divided between operations and heading up a team of account managers, as well as looking after several large, marine clients himself.

Atlas established a branch in Riga in 2004 and since that time the company has seen quite some expansion in terms of both the number of clients it serves and the number of crew it employs. Juris explains: “In 2004 we started with one client and now we have agreements with more than 30 clients, whereby the largest ones are served from three or more Atlas offices at one time. The network of Atlas offices has brought added value to our clients. Clients once only served from Europe are now getting services from our Ukraine and Singapore offices for example.”

And during this time there has also been some significant developments in the clients crewing requirements, he stresses. Since the oil and gas crisis and drop in the oil price, the market has changed with clients becoming much more diverse, rather than focusing on a core activity, Juris explains.

“When the crisis hit some owners had to divest or scrap parts of their fleet, while others knuckled down and just tried to survive. And even now the oil price has risen slightly, there are still many uncertainties in the market.”

Companies have either been forced to consolidate or they steer away from being reliant on one particular activity, he says.

Automation onboard This is turn, means that they want more flexible crews which can turn their hand to several tasks. This is also being driven by increasing automation, he stresses.

“One certainty in these uncertain times is the trend for more automation on vessels. There are fewer crew onboard and this will only continue in the future.”

Atlas is seeing demand for new positions onboard, which combine several jobs. “There is a need for seafarers with mixed competences. For example, a bosun could also be the gangway operator, a medic could also take on

Atlas is working with clients to address this key trend and making sure that the investments are in place to help traditional seafarers gain the competences they need for the new generation of vessels. The company has of course had training programmes in place for many years. But while in the past they would have had standard IMO and watchkeeping courses, often Atlas crew members are attending a secondary education, third or fourth, he points out. “Several competences are combined in one person.

“Automation is a big part of our lives. We want to keep our professionals employed by investing here. We could be a ‘traditional recruiter, payroll provider’ but this is not enough. We need to invest in our people and have the long-term planning in place for the future requirements of the industry.”

Total Crewing Concept Another area where Atlas is differentiating itself from other recruitment companies concerns its total crewing concept. “Atlas has evolved into a full service provider. For many years we have been managing all the marine crew members onboard several vessels. Managing is not limited to just recruitment, employment, logistics and the tax burden of the crews. We became partners to our clients, working alongside them on their upcoming projects and the further developments of their fleets. We work on the crew composition for new types of vessels, crew career development plans, localisation plans for operations in certain areas with local content requirements, and other challenges that shipowners and managers face in the modern maritime market.”

This Total Crewing Concept has a major advantage in that when a vessel is sailing from area to area, from country to country, the tax burden is substantial. “But at Atlas we know each market and have experience in many countries. We have a crewing pool of thousands of experienced people. We know what costs are involved and how to avoid extra costs.

This concept makes it easier for the shipowner to operate and is also a cost-effective solution.”

Juris is ‘cautiously optimistic’ about growth in the market this year, believing that the industry is through the worst. But he is certain Atlas has some great career opportunities for new crew candidates. “We have guys who have come to us as an AB and six years later they are a captain. They can achieve the highest maritime position here. I think this is partly because Atlas focuses on finding the combination of the right personality and matching this with the right ship!”

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S T R E A R E E G T R & BE K C IJ R E D E IN SEVER

DEME

DEME’s ambitious fleet expansion programme

provides exciting career opportunities

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Flexibility, versatility and the desire to keep on learning, are some of the key qualities DEME (Dredging, Environmental and Marine Engineering) looks for from its crew, whether they are employees or from Atlas Professionals.

With its roots dating back more than 140 years and embedded in the dredging industry, DEME has expanded over the decades into complex marine engineering projects which include civil engineering works, the development and construction of renewable energy projects, providing services for the oil, gas and energy sector, the decontaminating/recycling of polluted soils and the harvesting of marine resources amongst others.

While the company used to be dredging around the River Scheldt in Belgium it is now carrying out projects across the globe and it has grown into a true multicultural company, employing people from 100 different nationalities. The fleet also reflects this development. DEME has a major dredging fleet but its offshore fleet is also growing rapidly. The company now has nine jack-up vessels working for the offshore wind sector and for decommissioning platforms, as well as a brand-new cable layer and different stone dumping vessels. And there are more to come.

Ambitious fleet expansion DEME has embarked on an ambitious fleet expansion programme and pioneering duel-fuel vessels are at the heart of this. This expansion has placed more demands on the Crewing Department. Atlas has worked with DEME for many years and is helping the company in its search for the right people to crew the new generation of vessels.

keen interest in their environment and who are willing to work hard. Our world is not for the faint-hearted. It’s hard work which guarantees a lot of job satisfaction. But who can tell their grandchildren that they built part of the Suez Canal or a 190-m high, wind turbine miles offshore? Our crews – male and female - can be proud of what they do. They really make a difference.”

DEME takes good care of its employees, which also means that the retention rate is high. This makes the current recruitment drive somewhat easier, but DEME is still looking for around 400 people in the coming months. “We treat people well, with respect,” Séverine says. “We want everyone to get home safely. But they have to follow our high quality and safety standards, there are no concessions on safety!” And regardless as to whether they are permanently or temporarily employed, everybody is part of the team, adds Bert.

The DEME/Atlas cooperation goes back many years. Séverine explains: “Experienced Atlas employees with their extensive knowledge of the dredging and offshore industry are the added value of the company. Atlas is our companion which can immediately understand our problems. They are also willing to help us out after office hours or during weekends, which makes a big difference! Given the nature of the business, we can’t always predict the crew we need. There are ad hoc requests to cope with illness or temporary increases in the workload.”

Preferred partner Séverine De Ryck, Crew Planner & Crew Recruiter, explains: “It’s a difficult balancing act. On the one hand we have a vast, permanent crew complement of almost 2,000 people worldwide, but on the other hand we are regularly confronted with peaks in work which forces us to go onto the market and look for temporary extra labour.”

Bert Geeraerts, Crewing Manager, adds that this ramping up of capacity is a challenge, but one they are confident that they can meet. Séverine emphasises: “We need versatile people. Working for DEME means working in a dynamic environment, on board a state-of-the-art and environmentally friendly fleet. As we use the newest technologies (Dynamic positioning, One man operated bridge, ships powered by gas), our highly sophisticated fleet is an extremely interesting environment for motivated officers and engineers. There is always something new to learn!”

Investments in people are equally important as investments in vessels, she stresses. “DEME’s training department has a big portfolio of interesting courses because lifelong learning is embedded into the entire organisation.

Within DEME, you are really supported and pushed to the next level! The more you know the more flexibly we can employ you. We need a motivated, versatile crew and people who want to learn new things.”

The world of crew supply is extremely competitive, she stresses. “There are plenty of fish in the sea so you really have to make the difference to stand out and become one of our preferred partners. Atlas delivers good work, is reachable, gives answers quickly, and crucially, it is trustworthy.”

Given the company’s multi-year, fleet investment programme the Crewing Department will have to continue to outperform itself. Almost every year we are delivering new vessels which need to be properly manned, says Bert.

A number of pioneering vessels recently entered the DEME fleet, including two dual-fuel dredgers in 2017 and the cable installation vessel ‘Living Stone’ and DP2 jack-up platform ‘Apollo’ in 2018.

Currently, DEME has no less than three other innovative vessels under construction: the powerful 44,180 kW cutter suction dredger ‘Spartacus’, the 15,000 m³ trailing suction hopper dredger ‘Bonny River’ and the giant offshore installation vessel ‘Orion’. The ambitious fleet investment programme will also be further extended by adding two trailing suction hopper dredgers and two self-propelled split barges.

“I think we can easily say that the upcoming months will be challenging, but with a lot of opportunities for Atlas’ professionals who can have a fantastic career within DEME!”

Preferred employer In Belgium DEME is a preferred employer, which means people regularly ‘knock on the door’, Bert says. “People find us. We need crew who have a

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SIONALS S E F O R P S A L T A

ONG J E D L U A P N A JE

New Commercial Director Jean Paul de Jong outlines

the importance of partnering clients during the industry’s good and bad times 20 HEROES

Jean Paul de Jong – better known as ‘JP’ – is the recently-appointed Commercial Director of Atlas. He is looking forward to creating more business opportunities for the Group, as the first signs of recovery in the energy sector begin to emerge.

Safety always No.1

JP comments: “Of course, we are not talking about ‘rainbows and unicorns’ yet but there are green shoots. The price for a barrel of oil is far from ideal but if you see where the industry has come from, operators do seem to be starting to invest again.

We do not only say “Safety is a top priority”, but have a continuous zero-harm programme, through HSE courses, workshops, videos, interor intranet, and we recently added a successful series of cartoons…

Crucially, this is about the safety of our professionals above all but also about mitigating the risks of accidents for clients.”

“We saw quite a shift this year. Seismic activities are always right at the beginning of projects as developers seek out the gas pockets and hydrocarbons. Since 2016 we have seen an upwards trend with a doubledigit leap in ROV, seismic and survey activities, which provides a clear indication about potential projects coming up. It is looking like we are on the verge of seeing a serious increase in activity levels.”

Compliant, transparent solutions But there is no doubt, the industry has suffered immensely, he adds.

JP feels that Atlas has managed to come through these tough times by maintaining its focus on adding value for clients. The company differentiates itself from competitors in a number of ways. A key strength is that Atlas has a specialist tax, legal and insurance team. “We are often dealing with very complex situations, with certain flag states and different nationalities so there are a lot of obligations our professionals and clients have to meet.

For example, where does tax and national insurance have to be paid?

We make sure there is a fully compliant, transparent solution offered with a clear price. It has to be first-time right for the professional and client. If you have a UK-flagged vessel operating in Norway and these issues have not been handled properly, companies could face regulatory trouble and even fines years later.” We can advise clients and inform them about their obligations so there are no unpleasant surprises.

Atlas also provides clients with a logistics and crew planning service. “We carry out the full coordination for professionals, and provide a door-todoor (de)mobilisation service. This includes the relevant visas, medicals, accreditations, flight tickets – in short, we make this a flawless process from A-Z for both professionals and clients. We are well aware of the costs involved if a vessel cannot depart on schedule, should someone not have the correct documents.”

A robust planning system means Atlas knows exactly who is working where and their rotations, which is even more important if there are any last-minute issues. JP stresses: “We can come up with an eleventhhour solution and provide an alternative for clients, wherever they are in the world.” And typically when dealing with crew changes, Atlas has a representative present to make sure all is well onboard and that H&S was being carried out properly.

Atlas has a focus on safety and competence management, and JP believes this is a major reason why clients choose the company, even in the tougher times of recent years.

Competence portfolios Competence management has been on the agenda for many years and Atlas has already rolled out an assurance programme for its ROV and survey professionals. This is now being extended across other business sectors such as drilling and renewables. “We are getting a great response from clients. They really appreciate the competence profiles. This gives them an extra ‘level of security’ if you will, compared to relying on just a CV. From this information they have a much better idea about true competency levels and this can give them peace of mind that they have competent people on job.”

Attracting new talent And as tentative signs of improvement peak through, Atlas is continuing its efforts to attract enough talent for the future. The company is actively going to universities and maritime educational institutes to promote working in the Energy & Marine industry. JP explains: “By attracting youngsters we hope to ‘lock them into the sector’ and show how their career path can progress.” Atlas has a buddy system, whereby the younger generation are coached on the job by an expert with many years’ experience.

Atlas continually looks for ways to make it easier for clients and has invested in tools and processes to optimise international cooperation between the various Atlas teams around the world. This is now paying off, as more and more the company is providing energy crew and marine crew at the same time, coordinated by one single port of contact.

“We listen carefully to the market and what our clients are saying. We can help them better by integrating with their processes. This can result in us putting resources within the office of the client for instance.”

Atlas aims to partner both with its clients and professionals and this has helped the company during the challenging times, stresses Jean Paul. “We have survived in a very difficult market, which says something. Our clients and professionals know we are a real partner in good and bad times. We are confident we can also be that long term partner for the future ”.

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REACH SUBSEA

G U A H D E M B O C A KNUT J

Swimming in the fast lane with Reach Subsea

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Established in 2008 by four subsea specialists, Reach Subsea has grown steadily over the last decade and now has a fleet of seven survey and construction vessels and 12 Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles.

Around 18 months ago, the Norwegian company needed Australian ROV pilots for the McDermott Ichthys LNG Project and it turned to Atlas Professionals, which has a branch in Perth.

Knut Jacob Medhaug, ROV Manager Reach Subsea, outlines the company’s strategy and also why it has decided to work with Atlas. Initially, he explains, the company was a consultancy for the offshore oil and gas business but in 2012 it adopted a new growth strategy. It was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange to raise the necessary finances and then it set about purchasing assets and hiring personnel.

Preferred supplier “In 2012 it was a good market. We eventually managed to get a vessel off the west coast of Africa and then this headed to our first job in the Orkney Islands. We had one survey vessel, two ROVs and a handful of employees.

In June the new, second fast-swimming ROV was being prepared for operations and the first is deployed in the Baltic Sea on the Nord Stream offshore natural gas pipeline.

Increase in personnel As well as the growth in its fleet, Reach Subsea has seen a large increase in its offshore personnel. Numbers have grown from 16 ROV pilots in 2013 to 110 in 2018, including the Atlas consultants.

Initially the company started working with Atlas because of the McDermott Ichthys LNG Project, he explains. “Australia has strict local content requirements. It is quite challenging to find experienced ROV pilots generally, but Australia has its own ROV systems so the pilots were also not used to working with our Kystdesign systems.

“We flew to Atlas in Perth to discuss the Australian rules and regulations and additionally, we never hire people as consultants without interviewing them first.

Impressed with Atlas ROV pilots “Our mission was to be the preferred vendor of subsea services in the world and that is still the case.” This doesn’t necessarily mean the biggest, he stresses, but the best.

Knut Jacob believes that Reach Subsea has the competitive edge because it is still a ‘very lean organisation’. “Our offshore team is a group of specialised people. We give a lot of responsibility to our offshore workers, they can make decisions and we are there to support them.” Additionally, we have a strong engineering department in order to meticulously plan operations offshore, he adds.

Based in Haugesund, Reach Subsea has a diverse fleet of seven survey and construction vessels, the largest of which is the 150- m long Viking Neptun, which is equipped with a 400-tonne crane. The company has 12 ‘Work Class’ ROVs and two are dedicated, fast-swimming survey vehicles.

Game-changing fast swimmers “These two are a game-changer in the surveying industry,” he stresses.

The two fast swimmers are capable of 7 knots compared to a typical ROV that travels at 2/3 knots.

“They are capable of collecting more data and more details from the seabed at higher speeds. This makes a substantial difference when collecting seabed data, or when checking the condition of pipelines or surveying the route of cables.”

Fast swimmers are particularly interesting for the offshore wind industry, which accounts for 50% of the company’s work, alongside the traditional oil and gas activities. “We had a lot of input in the design of these two ROVs. They can map very large areas due to the high speed and sensors onboard. And they are also ideal for identifying UXO for clearance.”

“Atlas provided around 30 ROV guys and we were impressed with their CVs and track record. In the end I think the crew for the LNG project was a 60/40 split between Atlas consultants and our own people. And we now have some committed personnel from Atlas on an exclusive basis going forward.”

Reach Subsea makes sure that all the Atlas professionals are familiarised with its stringent QHSE standards, he says. “Our expectations are that the Atlas people have the same level of performance as our own personnel and the same commitment to our company. They are not treated different from our own and are given responsibility. And we hope they have the same pride working for Reach that we do.”

More activity Overall, Knut Jacob says that the company is seeing activity levels increase in 2018 over 2017. “The market is brighter but this is not really reflected in the rates unfortunately.

“There are a lot of ROV players but they don’t all have quality ROVs. I think we definitely have our name on the map and are established as a preferred vendor. I am proud that we have managed to come through the crisis - a lot of companies didn’t, and that we have seen a growth.”

There is a lot of potential in wind power projects in the US and Northern Europe and there are some prospects coming up in the oil and gas sector too, he says.

“Although we are in the leading group of subsea companies I would say, we still want to operate as a smaller company, with short decision lines and personal contact with our clients. We want to keep lean and mean!”

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SIONALS S E F O R P S A L T A

LAURA SMITH

Atlas Houston aims to become a strategic regional hub for clients in the Americas and Europe

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Atlas Professionals in Houston is certainly seeing some ‘green shoots of recovery’ in the Gulf of Mexico, with increasing activity in the Americas in general. And as business picks up, the branch aims to expand its portfolio of services in the near future to become a strategic regional hub.

Laura Smith, Business Manager Houston joined Atlas’ Bristol UK office in 2013, before becoming the Business Manager Renewables between 2014-17. She then moved to the US in July 2017 to support the integration of the international activities of Programmed Marine, which Atlas had recently acquired.

The four Programmed Marine offices in Houston, Aberdeen, Dubai and Singapore, had historically been more focused on drilling activities, Laura explains. “This acquisition was a great opportunity for Atlas to expand its global footprint and during my first year we have worked hard on the rebranding, improving service levels, aligning the CRM systems and integrating the two companies.”

Preferred agency Atlas Professionals Houston aims to be the preferred agency for both professionals and clients and serve as a regional hub for the 15 different business lines of Atlas, she says. “The office is supporting 13 different offshore business lines, which range from ROV and surveying to QHSE and marine crew. We are looking way beyond the drilling market.”

Coupled with that, the Houston branch works very closely with Atlas Professionals Brazil, enabling both offices to provide services in the whole of the Americas. “In the oil and gas sector exploration work is starting to happen again and there are tenders going on in markets such as Guyana, Argentina, Colombia, Suriname and Aruba. Houston is a good location for us to be strategically located in the Americas and of course we are on the same time zone as the Rio team, which makes it much easier to work together on tenders etc.”

It can be difficult to bring people in from outside the US given the strict visa requirements, Laura stresses, which is particularly relevant in the growing US renewables market. But she is confident that the new offshore wind projects will be served with a mixture of homegrown US talent, GoM oil and gas professionals and expats. Atlas is also working closely with interested professionals in transferring their skillset from oil and gas to renewables.

Assisting renewables clients “We are providing geotechnical experts, geophysicists and surveyors on the east coast at the moment. Many of these projects involve our existing European-based clients and we are confident we can continue to support them here in the US with US nationals.”

There are several challenges in the US market where Atlas can assist, Laura says. HR regulations are much stricter on the whole, with more background and pre-employment checks required, which in turn means it can make it longer to mobilise contractors. Additionally, she laughs, she thought mobilisation in the UK was sometimes challenging when bringing someone 300 miles from Newcastle to Lowestoft but now 1,500 miles is not unusual from the east coast to the Gulf of Mexico or from the Great Lakes to Corpus Christi.

Certification support And given the downturn in the market many contractors have either let their certificates expire or they have found jobs ashore. “We clearly can’t put a candidate forward unless we have the correct project required certificates.”

But Atlas is willing to assist its professionals if they have a certain level of loyalty to the company and it will help provide upfront financial support to the candidates who want to renew or train for their certification.

Atlas Houston is also looking to expand its current recruitment pool with both newcomers and experienced personnel who may have taken time out of the industry given the slump in activity.

Partnership approach

Great reputation

One of Laura’s major tasks is to extend the added value service offering Atlas Professionals currently offers to its clients. “We want to support our clients both on- and offshore, and really add value, whether this be by way of our shared crew planning tool, assisting with certificate compliancy checks or through the Atlas Competence Programme. Given the decline in the oil price and crisis of recent years many clients had been to forced to downscale their operations, and consequently they have a leaner HR and crewing department.”

“All credit to the team here and overseas. The Atlas brand is fantastic. We have worked hard to engage our professionals by way of social media, with relevant, real vacancies to attract this new audience and to encourage them to come and work with Atlas. One of my colleagues is getting hundreds of hits on social media from people looking for opportunities.

Atlas has a great reputation and word of mouth is the best USP you can have!”

Atlas wants to assist them by a partnership approach, Laura says. “For example, we not only work closely with Brazil but within our network of offices in Europe. Some of our European clients have projects in the US requiring US personnel. We aim to be their first port of call and clients are regularly asking for advice and support regarding the infamous Jones Act, visas and immigration and complaint payroll services.”

Atlas is also differentiating itself from competitors by its stance regarding compliance. Again, this is something that has not been given a priority by some competitors during the tough times. “We don’t want our clients, the professionals or us to have unpleasant surprises. We have the correct insurance, payroll and our people are compliant. Along with safety and QHSE, this still underpins our daily operations. We will continue to do our best to serve our clients with an epic service!”

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CHIEF COOK

E IN D A R R A H D A BR

Bringing a fine-dining twist to meals onboard

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Bradley Harradine, Chief Cook onboard the giant accommodation vessel POSH Arcadia, often uses his years of fine-dining experience to make sure the menus onboard have a little bit of a special twist so the crew has something to look forward to at mealtimes.

Living in Adelaide, Bradley started his career with a four-year chef’s apprenticeship in the Barossa Valley wine region of Australia, before moving to Cairns and working for a range of top hotels. After several years he took a different turn and moved into catering in the mining industry in the Cooper Basin, South West Queensland.

“After an early career involved in high-end cookery, the mining industry was quite a culture change and a different mentality.” But at the time a head chef stressed the importance of being imaginative, even though we were catering for large numbers, he says. Bradley says this advice has stayed with him. “He told me to imagine the plate is your masterpiece. So I always try to present the food with a little bit of flare - some colour - something special.”

At the age of 27 Bradley went to his first job offshore on an oil rig and he later joined Atlas in 2008. “When people are offshore for months on end, food is really important, it is what they look forward to, so I think it is nice to give them something different.”

In the last 10 years Bradley has worked on the pipelaying vessel Audacia, the construction vessel the North Sea Atlantic in 2015, and he has been on the POSH Arcadia since the beginning of the Shell Prelude FLNG project in Western Australia.

Because of the reputation of Atlas Professionals, he adds, he could choose really good people to have in his team on the POSH Arcadia. “Everyone takes pride in their work and this takes a load off my mind. I know that they are doing things correctly and with finesse. This in turn, makes sure our reputation remains strong in the industry. The POSH Arcadia is really a flagship for the quality of our service.”

Bradley says before joining the POSH Arcadia he had cooked for around 280 people but nothing like the scale of this vessel. “Joining the ship was pretty daunting. I think at one stage we had some 650 people onboard - a lot of mouths to feed!

To highlight the scale, he explains that there are two chefs on main courses, a salad chef, breakfast chef, one for cold platters and two chefs on vegetables and sauces, plus a night baker and a pastry chef. Additionally, there are also food runners who take the food from the galley to the serving area. “It is essentially like running a big hotel.” Bradley adds that working on such a large vessel also means the logistics are more complicated. “But we have a very well organised system in place.”

Special monthly events Bradley and his catering team also host special menu nights once a month. These have included Seafood Night, Mexican Night, Fathers’ Day, Australia Day and just recently the team presented a Native Australian food theme. “This was really a popular event with kangaroo and crocodile on the menu, everyone really enjoyed it.”

For Bradley personally, curries from all over the world are his favourite meals to prepare. “Curries are more involved, you have to use the correct balance of spices. I also like manipulating ‘traditional dishes’, perhaps taking a piece of fish and rather than frying it, I mince it with fresh herbs and spices, then turn it into steamed dumplings with some fragrant couscous and spiced yoghurt.

“That is the beauty of being offshore, you don’t have to prepare the same meals every night like you do in a restaurant. You can invent things and modern Australian cooking is really a licence to create what you want. On the vessel I also work with so many diverse cultures and I pick everyone’s brains about their national dishes and ask them to show me how to make them.” Bradley has written every single recipe down in a special book going back for the last 10 years.

Bradley says he definitely enjoys being offshore and working for Atlas but laughs that getting to work can be quite a logistics challenge. His journey to work can take a couple of days in fact. First it is two hours on a helicopter from the POSH Arcadia to Broome, on the tip of western Australia. This is followed by a flight to Perth, where he usually has to be overnight and then he takes another three-hour flight from Perth to Adelaide the following morning.

7 menus every 12 hours

Bradley is undeterred by the journey. “I am very grateful I have such a great job. There is always the challenge when you get onboard a new vessel and have to settle in. It is hard work but you do the best that you can, and lead by example.

“And this is not once a day, we have 12-hour shifts, which means seven different menus every 12 hours. We had to make sure we had extra staff in the servery for example.”

“I hope to stay in this role. I have good people around me, a good boss and a good company. I appreciate I am pretty lucky!”

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SIONALS S E F O R P S A L T A

CHRIS SEIDEL

Great food and a ‘home away from home’ Chris Seidel outlines his international ambitions for the Catering Department

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As Operations Manager – Catering Chris Seidel has made it his mission to bring great food to Atlas’s clients across the globe.

Based in Perth, Chris joined Atlas Professionals when the company acquired the international activities of Programmed Marine and formed a joint venture for offshore and marine manning services in Australia and New Zealand in June 2017.

Chris has been working in the offshore industry since he was 18, and most of that time he has been involved in catering management. He was originally studying Fine Art at University, however his uncle suggested he take a summer holiday job on the rigs in the Bass Strait.“I became a steward and saw my first pay cheque and thought gee!” Needless to say, Chris’s career focus changed and he concentrated on the offshore industry.

As a Catering Manager on and offshore, Chris has largely specialised in overseas sites and those in remote locations. His career has included jobs in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and East Timor, where recently he was responsible for provisions for 14 tugs.

Remote locations But probably the most challenging was providing catering and janitorial services for a large open cut mine in Papua New Guinea.“This was my first management job and I wanted to prove myself. It required a lot of lateral thinking and I even became accustomed to road closures, tribal disputes, moments of civil unrest and occasionally tear gas.”

Chris has been in his current role for around three years and he is keen to expand the business overseas.

Atlas’s capabilities have been proven over the years in Australasia and the company has built up a very good reputation, he says. Chris points to a key project for marine services provider POSH, which supplies the accommodation support vessel for Australia’s biggest FLNG project. The POSH Arcadia ‘flotel’ is one of the largest in the world with around 650 bunks. We had never had to feed that many people, she is the largest accommodation unit to ever come to Australia. There were a lot of doubters who were not sure the challenge could be met. But we did, and the Catering Department even won a significant Safety Award!”

This was awarded in recognition of the company’s quality of service and great food but also because of its strict hygiene standards to combat spread of illness on board.

“We have brilliant people working for us and they understand our expectations and our standards.” An important foundation for the Atlas standards is the company’s ‘Catering Capability Statement’. This states that all catering, housekeeping and janitorial services professionals have to have an understanding of international food safety management and hygiene standards, of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) and a comprehensive understanding of worldwide quarantine and inspection requirements.

Wholesome food & healthy lifestyle As well as these stringent standards, Chris stresses that another major reason customers choose Atlas’s Catering services is its focus on good food but also because of its promotion of healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. “Our dietician regularly reviews all the menus. But it is not just about eating fruit and vegetables, we also have promotions that everyone should try and reduce salt and sugar and remember to rehydrate, sanitise their hands, get enough rest and exercise.”

SIMS Introduction Atlas Professionals is also one of the first service providers to use modern Stock Inventory Management Systems (SIMS) technology on ASVs to manage stock control. “This is a 21st century solution. As soon as the team on board issue provisions to the galley, this is taken off the stock inventory and automatically reordered. We already have SIMS on an ASV and are seeing substantial savings. Both for Atlas in terms of ordering fewer provisions and our clients which reduce their logistical requirements.

This cuts the number of containers that have to be taken out to a facility for instance, so imagine the savings over a year!”

International expansion Because Atlas Professionals is international, Chris says he is looking forward to the new opportunities this brings. “We see this positive, healthy eating culture making a difference, and want to see this model from Australia brought all over the world. The company is now looking to expand its catering services into Brazil, South East Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Gulf of Mexico.”

Chris concludes: “Of course, we know that people would prefer to be with their families than working offshore, but if they can look forward to a great meal, comfortable bed and clean laundry this helps the crew, and ultimately our clients because the crew are happy. We are fortunate to have passionate, talented people, who want to make a difference and help create ‘a home away from home’.”

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SIONALS S E F O R P S A L T A

G R E B IN E T S IS R JO

Oil and gas opportunities are being explored again in Brazil 34 A HEROES

Dutchman Joris Steinberg, Atlas’ Business Manager Brazil, always had a passion for Latin America and the Portuguese and Spanish languages and has now lived in Brazil for more than a decade.

Joris initially started work at a consulting company and was there for four years before being hired by Atlas, which has had an office in Brazil for almost 13 years. He enthuses: “Brazil is really a land of opportunities, when considering that this vast country is the size of the European continent or perhaps even larger. It is free of natural disasters, has extremely fertile ground, full of natural resources, 8,000 km of coastline, rich fishing grounds and a good relationship with all of its 10 neighbours! It doesn’t have some of the major problems faced by other countries.”

But he says, there are also challenges to operating a business in Brazil. Its bureaucracy is legendary and unfortunately, corruption is also a problem.

Joris is very keen to stress that these issues are being tackled and in the last few years there have been some very positive results.

“Perhaps because Brazil is a fairly new democratic country of only 33 years old that is why there is a lot of red tape. There are the state, federal and municipal regulations and sometimes they are conflicting. That is partly why it is so important to be well established in the country. You have to build up the knowledge about the various procedures and the intricacies of the employment law.” And although Brazil does have a corruption problem, this is being tackled in ‘unprecedented ways’, emphasises Joris.

“Whether rich or poor, from the government or large companies, no one has impunity.”

With its long-term presence, Atlas has seen the highs and lows. “Four years ago, the country was booming, it was extremely hard to retain people.

But then the oil crisis hit and oil was responsible for 12% of GDP. This sadly led to the biggest crisis in modern history, with high unemployment, half-finished vessels and platforms being scrapped and projects halted.

The Brazilian currency also devalued dramatically, which added another element to an already difficult situation.”

Positive business climate But Joris points out that there is a much more positive business climate now compared to a few years ago. The current government has made decisions that are having a positive impact on the oil and gas business, he explains. For example, previously there was no regular agenda for oil field auctions but now a definite timetable has been introduced, giving developers certainty, years ahead of time. Additionally, energy giant Petrobras was legally obliged to take a 30% financial stake in any oil and gas field that was resold and it had to be the sole operator. This obligation has been abolished, which opens up opportunities for other energy companies to take the lead, without Petrobras necessarily being a stakeholder, says Joris.

Brazil’s extremely strict local content rules have also been relaxed. “These restrictions sometimes meant that projects were simply not feasible. For

example, a few years ago a certain FPSO had to be developed with 80% local content but this led to a day rate which was untenable. This restriction has been waivered and a new tender has taken place, with less local content, which resulted in a much lower day rate.” As well as this, Brazil’s authorities have shown a willingness to tackle corruption which has led to a new emphasis on compliance in the industry. “Because corruption is not being tolerated at any level, companies are placing a lot more emphasis on compliance. Atlas has always done things in the right way and we have a stringent Code of Conduct. This has strongly contributed to winning more work at the expense of non-compliant competitors.

Compliance vital “I think all of these initiatives have increased competition and improved the market mechanism, which suggests a promising future.” However, Joris admits that the October elections do add a note of uncertainty. “It is hard to call which way this will go.”

Atlas has a long list of prospects compared to 2016-17 and Joris is hopeful that some will turn into new business. Demand for accommodation units and drilling activities have certainly seen an improvement, he adds. Clients from outside of Brazil are in the market tendering and maintenance works that may have been postponed are being carried out, leading to more demand for Flotels. Seismic companies are also coming in as drilling potential is explored, he adds.

Atlas is in a good position given its solid track record in Brazil. For the past five years Atlas has assisted OOS international with the operation of two, 500-bed Semi-Submersible Flotels by providing the marine crew. The crew comprises approximately 35 professionals with positions including the Captain, Chief Mate, Dynamic Positioning Officer, Engineer, Crane Operator, Helideck Landing Officer, Able Seaman, Motorman, Radio Operator and Medic, amongst others.

OOS partnership Due to local content requirements, and the need to have bilingual (English/ Portuguese) professionals on board, Atlas Brazil recruits, selects, and hires Brazilians directly on OOS’ own local payroll and subsequently manages the monthly routine. The other positions are fulfilled by expats and over the course of the last four years, 25 different nationalities have worked onboard, which were recruited by Atlas’ overseas offices. Atlas Brazil make all the necessary arrangements for the expats and local crew, which includes ground transportation, hotel bookings, (refresher) training, visa registration and medical arrangements to make sure everyone is fully compliant with international and local legislation/requirements.

This is a really complex project but Joris is proud that Atlas has managed to achieve a successful and cost-effective solution for OOS. “We have a good relationship with OOS based on trust, which has allowed us to deliver a quality service fitting its requirements. This is only possible through the close collaboration between the various Atlas offices around the world and our partnership with OOS international.”

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RDINATOR O O C S IC T IS G O L

ELART ZONDAG

Elart Zondag makes a successful switch

from oil & gas to the renewables sector

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Elart Zondag, Logistics Coordinator for German wind energy giant Enercon, is one of a growing group of Atlas professionals who have chosen to switch career from the oil and gas industry to the booming renewables business.

After starting his early career as a foreman of a stevedoring crew, specialising in sea fastening services for containerships and ro-ro vessels, Elart became the Maintenance Planner for Total at its offshore base in Den Helder, the Netherlands. “I had to identify everything that had been ordered and check all the equipment which would be deployed for the fixed maintenance jobs. This was for Total’s oil and gas activities offshore and included manned and unmanned platforms.”

Elart became one of Atlas’s professionals in 2014 when his offshore career began. “Total was pleased with my work in Den Helder. I then got the chance to work offshore in a new role as the Material Coordinator for Total’s platforms in the North Sea. Here the ‘home base’ was the L7Q platform, and everything would be fed from there to the satellite stations.

“I always tried to have an answer and a solution if there was an issue. And I think Total appreciated this.” Then in September 2017 Elart, along with many others in the sector, lost his position as the crisis hit.

Fresh challenge He immediately got in contact with Atlas. “Atlas knew how I had done my job as Material Coordinator (Matco) with Total and my capabilities. I think I had two weeks leave and then already had a new job with Enercon. This was a fresh challenge for me and my first job in the renewables sector.”

Enercon offered Elart a position as the Logistics Coordinator for the Krammer wind farm in Bruinisse (Zeeland), which comprises 34 wind turbines. “This is a special project and one of the toughest Enercon has because of the environment. Basically you are dealing with wind and the weather conditions. We are lifting big blades and have to be extremely careful of the wind speeds.”

Elart stresses that he saw the Enercon job as an exciting new opportunity.

“Oil and gas is not going very well, so renewables are really the future.”

It was also a new challenge and a chance to educate myself, he adds.

“I was a bit nervous when I had to do the interviews in English. But then again, I have a lot of experience and know about lifting, transporting by

sea, supply boats, dangerous goods, and handling all the documentation for customs and to the client’s requirements.”

Windpark Krammer The 4MW turbines for Windpark Krammer, he points out, are 120 m high including the blades. In the second half of the year the last 10 turbines were being installed. The project is expected to complete in January/February 2019. At the peak of the project around 2000 people were involved.

Elart’s role includes the transport of all the materials and equipment for the wind farm, as well as organising repairs or replacement parts. “I do all the ‘WEC (wind energy convertor) parts’, the inner & outer blades etc.”

Components have to be transported from Emden in Germany to Krammer overnight by truck or on a specially made barge.

“Once I have the ETA, I have to make sure the cranes are fully prepared and that all the parts are discharged carefully at the logistics location. I also meet the installation teams and carry out a toolbox meeting when preparing for discharging and arrange surveys in case there are damages.”

Big responsibility Elart emphasises: “You always have to be sharp. For example, if lifting a blade and the wind suddenly steps up. There are always challenges. But I like to go outside and speak to the guys and ask if there is anything they need. Communication is very important. I am enthusiastic and motivated and still do the job with a big smile!”

The project is running according to plan, he says. And Enercon has just given Elart another challenge, where he is responsible for the transportation of five turbines for ‘Windpark Spui’, near Piershil.

“I have been given a lot of responsibility by Atlas but I am greedy to learn and open for new challenges.” Elart enjoys working with Atlas and been given the chance to work in both the oil and gas industry, and in renewables. “Atlas is well organised and if you have requests they listen carefully and help you. For me, it was a good idea to switch over to another sector. First of all I was a little bit disappointed, I had imagined that I would retire from the oil and gas business. But that is not the case. I now have a new chance in a new industry!”

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ENTATIVE S E R P E R T N IE L C

U N E V N IE B E U IQ VERON

Being a Client Representative allows Véronique Bienvenu to combine her two passions a love of everything technical and for building relationships with people

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Véronique Bienvenu, an Atlas Survey Client Representative, was told nearly 30 years ago that because she was a woman she would never work offshore. She laughs looking back at those early days, saying that working onshore was actually much more difficult. “I have never had a problem.

Working at sea is like a dream. It is always a very positive environment.”

After studying a geotechnical degree in France, Véronique did a Masters in civil engineering but further afield in New Zealand. On successfully completing her Masters in 1988 she went straight back to France to pursue her ambition to work offshore. “I was told my CV and English ability were very good but I could forget about going offshore! I was really disappointed because at that time they were working on the Channel Tunnel and I would have loved to be involved.”

However, Véronique did not give up. She got a job ashore with a removal company, but always knew she still wanted a career offshore. She returned to the same company and this time was given a job making calculations for oil and gas projects. But again, she was told she could not expect to venture into the ‘man’s world’ offshore.

Fortunately a month later an employee had a problem with a visa and couldn’t work on an offshore project. “So I volunteered to go. I had my passport and could mobilise in two hours.” The management of this company was also very helpful and urged the client to allow a woman to work offshore and represent them, she adds. “I believe in 1990 I was the only woman in France carrying out this type of work and since that time, I have never stopped going offshore!”

But she adds that working on smaller vessels could present some challenges. “I know the crew were worried that I couldn’t have my own cabin but I agreed with a male colleague to share. We were working backto-back shifts so we managed.”

New projects, new vessels Véronique clearly has a passion for her job. “Each project is unique, it is rarely the same people or vessel, it changes all of the time. And I love travelling and moving around.”

After eight years, Véronique and her husband, established their own geotechnical company and even invented specialist, geotechnical ultra-deepwater equipment, able to go to water depths of 6,000 m. This equipment was awarded first prize in an innovation competition, in which more than 2,000 companies competed. But ultimately it became very difficult to compete with the major survey companies so in 2008 she decided to become a Client Representative.

In 2012 Véronique joined South West Surveys, and Atlas later acquired the company in 2015. Initially, Véronique was involved in several deep drilling oil and gas projects worldwide, from Indonesia to Borneo to the Gulf of Guinea. “I was typically on projects surveying 100 – 150 m below the seabed. But now I am busy closer to home with offshore wind farms and the clients often require French-speaking reps, which is great for me!”

Being a Client Representative allows Véronique to combine two of her passions - a love for everything technical, and also relationships with people. She says that she tries to explain to the crew that she is there as an observer, not a judge or a policewoman. “I am checking to see if things are done safely and to the correct standard.” However, she adds that she teases the team sometimes. “I tell them even when I sleep I know what’s happening. They can’t hide anything! But most of them know me well now and we have a great relationship.”

Advising clients And because of her background, she explains, from starting as a lab technician as a young engineer, she knows all the stages of the work. “I think clients appreciate this, they have someone who knows each stage and can advise them.”

Véronique enjoys working for Atlas, adding that the company always supports her. “It is nice when you are onboard in the Atlas protective clothing and hardhats with the Atlas brand, we can all recognise each other and enjoy being part of the team. Normally I work either on my own or just with another person.”

And so far, Véronique’s career highlight was a recent Atlas project on the 62-turbine, Baie de Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm near St Malo. “This year I supervised the final investigation of the site. This was geologically very challenging because the foundations had to be placed in rock and there were 62 different sites with a variety of conditions. However, there were some good core samples and quality results.”

HSE certification Véronique is always keen to carry on learning and to add value for clients.

Recently she attended a course in HSE and was awarded the NEBOSH International General Certificate (IGC) first time. “As well as being a Client Representative, I can add value with this HSE certification, which will probably be mandatory in the future.”

She would also like to get more involved in the offshore construction side.

“I have studied electrical, mechanical, hydraulic and civil engineering and would love to work on some construction projects.” Véronique is hoping to add the GWO certification to her CV in the near future.

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GEOPHYSICIST

EY N A E H E IN L O R CA

From Polar Bears to giant, unidentified creatures of the deep Geophysicist Caroline Heaney is certainly no landlubber

44 A HEROES

Caroline Heaney, a Geophysicist, who has been part of Atlas team since 2011, has seen her career take her all over the world from Greenland to West Africa. Living right by the sea in Galway, Ireland, Caroline is driven by a profound love of the ocean. She knew a maritime career was for her when she was backpacking around Australia and was in the Whitsunday Islands. “I jumped into the ocean with my mask on and saw that the seafloor was covered in coral. I had never seen anything like that in my life. It took my breath away. “I then came back to Galway and it was the year that the Marine Institute of Ireland was under construction literally on my doorstep. I knew I wanted to learn about and explore the seafloor.”

laid out on the seafloor and then an ROV is used for a visual inspection to see if everything is connected correctly. It is thrilling to see the entire lead up to a project before it is up and running.”

Graduating in earth and ocean science, Caroline soon discovered that she wanted to specialise in mapping and oceanography. “The Marine Institute had just started to map the Continental Shelf. Ireland was one of the first countries to do so and I was fascinated by the findings. It was effectively peeling off layers of sediment and you knew no one had ever seen this data before. And each summer I would go out with the Marine Institute on the Celtic Explorer. I am very privileged they helped me make the right choice and get on this career path.”

“This area was also an official UXO dump site for the two World Wars.

However, the munitions were not always dumped in the designated area so it was quite a challenge to make sure the site was secured.” One particularly poignant part of the project was when the team discovered a complete WW2 aircraft which had been shot down. “This was a US aircraft and 10 crew had been onboard. Although it was very sad it was also comforting that we could at least notify the families about the final resting place of their loved ones.”

Identifying UXO

1,600 m ROV surveys

Caroline later did her Masters in structural geology with geophysics in the UK. And whilst there her department entered her into a competition open to all European universities. Five students were chosen by the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain to embark on a research trip of a lifetime to the Arctic. “We went to two islands each day to look at geological formations that would be a good indicator that petroleum was present. We compared these formations to seismic data of the associated formations to aid identification of reservoirs offshore. Plus, I got to see a polar bear!”

There were also other discoveries during the project. Because the team was using side scan sonar and sub bottom profiling, they also discovered several ancient wooden wrecks with hundreds of amphorae aboard.

Caroline also worked as the Senior Geophysicist on the Monita cable laying project. “This involved the seabed survey for 220 km of cable across the Adriatic Sea, from Italy to Montenegro, including the UXO surveys. I have always been fascinated by tectonic plate activity and this region is a hotspot. Because they had to trench I was looking at the type of soil and the impact it has on the cable.

Caroline then stayed in the UK joining a well-known surveying company, carrying out UXO surveys, inspections for several wind farms, and seabed mapping of Shetland and the Hebrides. In 2011, Caroline decided to go freelance and she joined Atlas’ Newquay office.

Another project on the other side of the world in West Africa stands out for Caroline “We were surveying an oil field with an ROV in 1,600 m water depths and were very surprised when the umbilical of the ROV got caught in these huge depths.” Then Caroline was surprised or actually slightly horrified, she laughs to discover whilst looking through a 2 m x 2 m camera lens that a ‘sort of jelly fish’ with huge, 15 m tentacles had gripped the umbilical. “To this day I have no idea what it actually was!” The videos of fish and the underwater creatures were shared with local universities. “This all helps expand the overall knowledge of the deep,” Caroline adds.

She enthuses about the many career highlights so far. One favourite was an Atlas project in Greenland, which was examining the seabed looking for possibilities of oil reserves. “We only had eight weeks because this was the only time when the ice retreated enough. There was a lot of pressure to get the data in time and it was very changeable weather but also a stunning environment.”

In contrast to working on projects in the deep, Caroline is now working on wind farms in the North Sea in relatively shallow waters, conducting site surveys with side scan sonar to detect bombs made from aluminium. “This is a challenging seabed and shallow at 80-130 m and it also has massive, 15 m high sand dunes. We are having to look back at the seabed level back in the fifties to see where the bombs could be buried.”

Pipe inspections

Caroline is keen to extend her skills and recently successfully completed the CSWIP3.4U - Underwater Inspection Controller course. “One of the big advantages of working with Atlas is that I always have a great variety of work to do, whether this is explorations, interpretations or inspections and this helps me keep my skills up to date.”

Caroline has worked in Norway carrying out several site surveys/clearance and pipe inspections. “Many platforms from the seventies and eighties are getting near the end of their lifetime so we had to conduct site clearance surveys and make sure all the debris was removed when the rigs are dismantled.”

Another highlight was spending 18 months in West Africa, again for a site clearance project and a pre-lay survey. “All of the equipment and pipes are

Caroline is already booked until the end of the year, and says that she considers herself very lucky. “I haven’t had any downtime since joining Atlas in 2011. Atlas has served me well as I hope I have them!”

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ER MASTER MARIN

JOSEPH DAY

Dreams can come true!

Joseph Day (Master Mariner), who is a Safety Officer on the Bibby Wavemaster 1, shows how you should never give up, even when faced with Chief Officer’s exams!

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Becoming a Master Mariner has seen one of Joe’s dreams come true.

Joe says he can hardly believe he is fortunate enough to do something he loves as a profession, let alone on a pioneering new vessel like the Bibby Wavemaster 1.

found the strength to keep me going whilst juggling a very young family, work and studies of her own. I found it very difficult to pass the stability and navigation exams. But I stuck with it. One day she rang me on ship to say ‘Congratulations Chief Officer Day!’ I was elated!”

His journey to becoming a master has not been an easy one, he admits, and it certainly wouldn’t have been possible without the support and encouragement of his family, Atlas Professionals and Bibby Marine Services.

Master Mariner

Going from ‘playing’ on a white fish trawler out of Shetland, getting very familiar with seasickness, to completing a few months of Royal Marines training, as well as working in fish factories and other ‘character building’ jobs, he then successfully completed a cadetship with Sealion Shipping, earning his OOW Certificate of Competency in 2008. Later, he joined Global Marine Systems, where he was laying subsea cables. This included laying telecoms cables between Trinidad and Suriname and a tidal project in Orkney. “This was a true challenge, we were working in 8-knot tides,” he says.

Cable laying Joes has always liked working on technical ships supported with DP. “I really enjoyed my time there, working with DP – proper hands-on seamanship. I particularly like problem solving, using pragmatism where possible.”

However, these projects took him away from his young family for many months at a time so he looked for more stability. Joe then joined Helix Well Ops UK. By this time Joe had realised that a seafaring life was inescapable. “I just love the sea, it is magnificent. You see the stars, the sunrise, beautiful clouds; it is humbling, awe-inspiring. After a few years it can become just a regular a job. But I still have a spring in my step and think it is phenomenal that I can do this as a vocation.”

Then early this year Joe decided to go for the ultimate challenge, he aimed to sit his final exam, the Master Mariner Unlimited. This time he passed the exam first time, officially becoming a Master Mariner on February 6. “I joined Bibby Wavemaster 1 that evening, it was quite a day!”

Joe says both Bibby and Atlas Professionals have been so supportive of him. “They are absolutely first rate and continue to have faith in me.”

He was very touched when Emma Campbell (Atlas Business Manager Renewables in Bristol) presented him with an engraved pen. There were even a few tears, he laughs.

Wavemaster concept Joe has been actually on Bibby Wavemaster 1, which is a new class of purpose-built, Service Operations Vessels with Walk-to-Work capability, since it left Damen’s shipyard in August 2017. “We sailed out and carried out commissioning trials, then went straight on to the Galloper wind farm and then to Total E&P Netherlands. She has proven herself in both the oil & gas and renewables sectors. Bibby Wavemaster 1 is very versatile, keeping operational time to a maximum, and she draws on all my experience.

Working as a team “I find it fascinating that a naval architect had the idea for such a vessel and it has turned into reality. She has excellent seakeeping ability, and manages perfectly 11 knots astern, which is impressive. The Damen 9020 concept means she is very stable in pretty choppy seas, especially in areas where the wave profiles are similar to those found in the Southern North Sea, and this definitely makes it more comfortable for the crew. She is keeping her crew and clients happy!”

Chief Officer Joe wanted to progress even further in his career and decided to become a Chief Officer. He says although he has faced some tough challenges in his life, this was a mighty hurdle to climb. “It was a struggle, I was working on the ship, trying to save money, and at the same time studying in Glasgow. It also meant I was rarely at home. Without my partner Ali’s support I would never have got there, absolutely no doubt. Somehow, she

Joe says that most of the crew is from Atlas Professionals and he really enjoys working with seafarers from different cultures and helping them come together and work as one unit. “We run together as a team, although we are different characters, have different skills, experiences, strengths and weaknesses. They are top guys and it’s really great how we all gel together.”

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Spill response Arrgh! Do you know how much it

costs to clean this mess up!?

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You’re lucky i spilt coffee instead of oil...

Safety is something we do well, and it’s a contributing factor to our business success. Our Zero Harm goal ensures we are taking the right steps so that our employees and customers return home in the same condition they arrived – injury free.

SPILL RESPONSE

Immediate Action. Isolate the area & restrict access only to authorized personnel. Identify the spilled substance & volume.

Protect watercourses/water drains.

Block access to the water system with drain covers, shut off valves, pipe bungs etc. Protect water bodies (rivers, streams, lakes etc.) with absorbent pads & bunds.

Use PPE as indicated in the spilled material MSDS. Minimize damage. Locate the source of spill & stop any discharge (close taps, use temporary containment).

Clean up. Place absorbent pads or granules to absorb liquids.

Once all liquid is removed conduct surface cleaning as necessary.

Remove contaminated cleaning/ absorption materials. Follow site waste procedure.

Report & investigate causes of spill. Take any steps to prevent reoccurrence, replace spill kits.

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Atlas Professionals is an international leading recruitment company. Since 1982, Atlas has played a major role in the provision of professionals to the energy, marine and renewables industries worldwide.

If quality and reliability are key for your business, Atlas Professionals is the partner you need to deliver highly qualified personnel.

We create custom-made, comprehensive HR packages, which allows you to focus on the project without any concerns about manpower.

Over the years, Atlas Professionals has grown to become a no-nonsense, dependable HR service provider in the energy and marine industries with a mission to turn complex personnel challenges into transparent and secure solutions.

Atlas Professionals Marketing & Communications Wijkermeerstraat 32 - 34 2131 HA Hoofddorp The Netherlands marketing@atlasprofessionals.com

Š 2018 Atlas Professionals – All rights reserved.

This magazine is produced and published by Atlas Professionals. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written prior permission of Atlas Professionals. Requests to reproduce or translate Atlas Professionals publications should be addressed to the Marketing & Communications department of Atlas Professionals.

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