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Regulating global pressures UNIVERSAL AFRICA LINES The specialist, niche provider of shipping services to West Africa

er S ONE-DYAS Dutch E&P company utilising wind energy to power offshore platforms

GLOBAL ENERGY STORAGE Building the next generation of energy storage

John White Managing Director

Exploring new energy solutions during some challenging times Managing Director John White congratulates you on your ability to adapt to change. as a result of listening carefully to what you are doing, where you are going and what it is that we should be reporting on for you.

We pride ourselves in being a truly global operation with a global readership demographic of key decisions makers covering a wide variety of oil and gas sectors. As you might appreciate, I cannot expect my team to sit here 24/7, however, to their credit, during a typical working day here, they have always managed to capture most time zones and look after almost all of you. With pandemicresulting technologies making it easier than ever to reply to the odd email or take a quick call away from the office (whilst always being mindful of the all-important work-life balance, I might add), I am now even more confident in being able to describe us as having a truly global reach.

Those of you that know my ramblings well will doubtless now be expecting some clumsy link between my team exploring new markets and your oil and gas exploration. Well just for that I am going to resist this temptation and show you that I have some will power. I am sure you will struggle to hide you disappointment and will miss it, but hey, it is all about overcoming challenges and dealing with difficult situations of late.

So, what is going on in your world? Well, a great deal it would seem, judging by the topics this edition touches upon. You have certainly been productive and have much to say. I only hope that the pages of articles, news, stories, comments and advertisements that follow will do all your efforts some justice.

Please be sure to have a good read, if for no other reason than to simply escape my page of random observations. You will surely find some items that make you smile, give you ideas, lead you toward new customers and new suppliers and at the very least, allow you the chance to see, as we have, that it is not all doom and gloom out there.

As always, we are only as good as the information you give us, therefore, be sure to tell my team what is happening, what ideas you have and what other areas of this innovative and adaptable industry you would like us to focus on. I will leave you now to flick through the pages that follow and find a section that appeals to you. If you have read up to this point, I thank you kindly, you clearly have far too much time to spare but I appreciate you spending some of it with me. n

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elcome dear readers to your latest edition of Inside Oil and Gas. It is hard to believe that, at the time of writing, we are about to enter April 2022!

A full two years on from the beginning, in Europe at least, of the rise of Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdowns and general chaos that it created in both our personal and professional lives.

It is no exaggeration to say that much has changed, mostly out of necessity, over the last 24 months – exacerbated by the current conflict in Ukraine. We have all had to adapt, improvise, and overcome many challenges and explore new opportunities, diversifying in order to stay afloat.

I am pleased to report however, that professionally, many of you handled yourselves and your companies superbly. We have enjoyed some heart-warming conversations with you and have been fascinated by the vast number of success stories during such dark and difficult times.

As a result of what is happening in the world right now, it will be fascinating to see what steps countries will take in the coming months and years – with help from all of you working in this industry of course – to move towards more reliable and sustainable methods of energy that are less dependant on global geopolitics, shall we say, and increasingly expensive fossil fuels. The level of technological advancement in this industry, and a collective willingness (by most!) to adapt to change never ceases to amaze me.

My company and team are no exception to this. Not only have they stood fast and strong in the face of many challenges, but they have also explored new opportunities

GET INVOLVED If you enjoy the content of our magazine, why not get involved?

Our team would love to help tell your company’s story, sharing your latest news or products to a wide range of readers and contacts around the world. Contact us today!

Message us today:

rb@insideoilandgas.com

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Managing Director John White Editorial Manager Daniel Barnes Editorial Assistant Jordan Yallop Profile Writers Filomena Nardi Colin Chinery Andy Probert James Wills Laura Watling Romana Moares Richard Hagan Business Development Manager Darren Foiret Editorial Development Managers Natalie Martin Judi Wheaton-Mars Adam White Jeff Johnson Ginelle Lorenzo Sales & Marketing Director Richard Brightmore Sales Manager Helen Leisi Project Managers Alexander Paterson Kym Hamilton Tony Ingrouille Chris Renicar Becky Scrivens Ben Lloyd Connor Doddington David Earl Tony Wright Callum Robb Jeremy Hughes

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Art Director Ian Spencer

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Art Editor Philip White Webmaster Michael Stamp

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Designers Daniel O’Malley Sarah Jones

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© Inside Oil and Gas 2022 No part of this publication in any form for any purpose, other than short sections for the purpose of review, must be reproduced without prior consent of the publisher.

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United Kingdom New North Sea gas field goes into production, boosting UK energy security Malaysia Mubadala Petroleum achieves Pegaga gas flow in Malaysia Norway Aker Solutions delivers Njord A platform USA ExxonMobil planning hydrogen production, carbon capture and storage at Baytown complex

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Oil and gas news in brief Latest news from the oil and gas industry

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Interesting and unusual oil and gas facts from around the world

Director’s comment Exploring new energy solutions during some challenging times

Matter of fact Events 6

Oil & gas events Upcoming events in the industry

Contents

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What’s new in the oil & gas industry?

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From simple ideas to engineering feats The latest innovations, ideas and product launches

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Featured in this issue 26

iComplete™ - addressing completions environmental and cost challenges through digitizing operations TechnipFMC

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One gem of a gas project ONE-Dyas Building the next generation of energy storage Global Energy Storage Delivering high-performance polymer solutions Vipo Sustainable solutions to submarine cable conundrums Subsea Environmental Services The UAE’s trusted gas partner Al Fanar Gas Group

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Sailing bravely where others fear to tread Universal Africa Lines Protecting life at sea BC Service Providing protection in the toughest spots CORROSION Diversification showing no signs of drying up NGS Oil and Gas Raising the bar offshore AXTech

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Oil & Gas Events Upcoming events in the industry

upcoming events

Offshore Technology Conference 2022 – 2-5 May The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) is where energy professionals meet to exchange ideas and opinions to advance scientific and technical knowledge for offshore resources and environmental matters. OTC’s flagship conference is held annually at NRG Park (formerly Reliant Park) in Houston. OTC has expanded technically and globally with the Arctic Technology Conference, OTC Brasil, and OTC Asia. OTC is sponsored by 13 industry organisations and societies, who work cooperatively to develop the technical program.

https://2022.otcnet.org/

World Gas Conference 2022 – 23-27 May WGC2022 will build on the IGU’s 90-year history of engaging the foremost policy-makers, business leaders and technical experts to shape the global energy agenda while new commercial innovations and trends are demonstrated in a major trade exhibition open to all. Hosted by the Korea Gas Union in May 2022, the event aims to promote the role of natural gas in a sustainable future. WGC2022 has strong support from the Korean Government, Daegu Metropolitan City, KOGAS and global gas industry leaders.

www.wgc2022.org

Global Energy Show – 7-9 June 2022 Over its proud 55-year history, the Global Energy Show (previously known as the Global Petroleum Show) has served to unite the industry by bringing buyers, sellers, stakeholders, partners, CEOs, young professionals and the public together to share knowledge and fuel innovation in the ever-changing energy landscape. Hosted in the energy epicentre of Canada, Calgary, Alberta, the Global Energy Show is the largest platform that allows for collaboration from all energy sources to showcase innovation and technology that combats the dilemma of matching the increasing energy demand with the need for a transition to a lower-carbon economy. www.globalenergyshow.com

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ONS 2022 – 29 August – 1 September ONS offers a unique opportunity to reach a global audience and engage with the energy community. The event is designed for growing companies at all stages and from all areas within the energy sector. For more than 40 years, ONS has been an international energy event, and a unique meeting place for everyone involved in the entire energy sector. Since its launch in 1974, the event has been staged in Stavanger, Norway. With more than 70,000 attendees and 600 speakers, including some of the world’s most innovative technology minds, ONS has grown into the largest networking events in the energy sector.

https://www.ons.no/

Adipec 2022 – 7-10 November Hosted by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), ADIPEC 2022 is expected to build upon the success of the 2021 edition, which returned as the year’s only event to facilitate face-to-face meetings for the energy industry following the challenges of Covid-19.

The ADIPEC Exhibition provided a world-class environment for buyers and sellers to meet, learn, network, do business and discover new products, solutions and technologies from over 2,000 exhibiting companies displaying their innovative approaches to investing in and collaborating with the energy sector.

www.adipec.com

OMC – 23-25 May 2023 After rethinking energy leveraging alliances as major driver to achieve a sustainable energy future, it is now time to translate ideas into practical and viable solutions. Sustainable and equitable economic growth for the energy transition calls for new business models to be adopted by the industry globally taking advantage of cross-sector partnerships. These topics, and more will be discussed at OMC, the premier marketplace in the Mediterranean region for the energy industrial supply chain. OMC is the biggest gathering connecting the Southern and Northern shores of the Mediterranean Sea as well as East and West. The organisers are hoping to attract exceed the 12,000 people who visited the event’s previous edition. https://www.omc.it

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Country Focus Reporting on the latest developments from the UK’s oil and gas sector

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Kingdom New North Sea gas field goes into production, boosting UK energy security A new gas field found under the North Sea off East Anglia produced its ‘first gas’ in March – and more such developments are on the way, according to IOG, an independent offshore exploration and production company.

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Vital role of the UK Continental Shelf The announcement was welcomed by Offshore Energies UK (OEUK, which represents the UK offshore industry). It said the new field demonstrated the vital role of the UK Continental Shelf in supporting the nation’s energy security during the current global energy crisis – and during the planned transition to net zero by 2050 and beyond.

IOG’s announcement coincided with a Downing Street meeting between Boris Johnson and leaders of the UK’s offshore oil and gas industry, called to discuss how the UK might reduce its reliance on Russian energy following the invasion of Ukraine.

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The UK is reducing its overall energy use and moving to lower carbon sources of energy but that is a long-term project. In the meantime, 24 million households heat their homes with gas which also produces about 40% of our electricity

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, the Net Zero UK gas and infrastructure operator focused on high return projects, has confirmed first gas from the Blythe and Elgood fields, part of Phase 1 of its Saturn Banks Project.

The gas will flow into Bacton, on the Norfolk coast, and meet demand in the southeast and then the rest of the UK. “I am very pleased to confirm that Blythe and Elgood fields have now both been started up, adding further new gas flow straight into the UK market. We look forward to building up through this early phase of start-up to establish stable production rates so that we can assess production guidance in due course.” commented Andrew Hockey, CEO of IOG. “Developing further UK gas resources is the right thing to do both from an environmental and energy security perspective.

We are encouraged by the recent government discussions with industry and ministerial comments on supporting further investment in domestic gas supply, which is exactly what IOG stands for.”

Mr Hockey added: “Phase 1 First Gas is just the first step on a bigger journey, giving us the operational platform and financial capacity to deliver multiple further phases of growth. By delivering domestic gas supplies through our co-owned infrastructure on a Scope 1 and 2 Net Zero basis we can generate strong and sustainable returns for shareholders.”

Saturn Banks also creates a new production hub in the Southern North Sea, allowing any further discoveries to be linked back to it by pipelines. Development of another field, Nailsworth, is expected to begin this year, and would produce gas towards the end of 2023.

This milestone came less than 30 months after the final investment decision, despite technical challenges during the drilling phase.

IOG chair Fiona MacAulay said in a statement: “With heightened energy security risks across Europe and the continued urgency of the energy transition, there has never been a more important time to bring new UK gas resources onstream. This is especially true of IOG’s gas which has far lower carbon intensity than imports.”

Boosting energy security The news was welcomed by Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), whose 400 members embrace established industries like oil, gas and offshore wind, plus emerging technologies like hydrogen production and CO2 capture, all operating in UK waters.

Jenny Stanning, External Relations Manager at OEUK, said: “This new source of gas, from the UK’s own waters, boosts our energy security at time when the Ukraine crisis has reminded us of the urgency and importance of maintaining our own energy supplies.

“The UK is reducing its overall energy use and moving to lower carbon sources of energy but that is a long-term project. In the meantime, 24 million households heat their homes with gas which also produces about 40% of our electricity.

“That means the UK needs secure supplies of energy – and the most secure place to get it is from our own surrounding seas.” n

Country Focus Reporting on the latest developments from the Malaysian oil and gas sector

Malaysia Mubadala Petroleum achieves Pegaga gas flow in Malaysia Landmark announcement for Mubadala Petroleum represents the commencement of Mubadala flagship gas project in Malaysia.

From discovery to development and now into production Mansoor Mohamed Al Hamed, CEO of Mubadala Petroleum, commented: “The Pegaga achievement is a landmark for Mubadala Petroleum. Having taken this project from discovery to development and now into production with the support of Malaysia Petroleum Management (MPM), PETRONAS, our partners and contractors, this demonstrates our deep capabilities, resilience and commitment as an energy provider.

“With our strategic focus on gas as a key bridge fuel in the energy transition, this achievement reflects our ambition for the future as a long-term investor and strategic energy partner.”

PETRONAS Senior Vice President of Malaysia Petroleum Management, Mohamed Firouz Asnan said: “On behalf of PETRONAS, I would like to congratulate Mubadala

About the Pegaga gas field

Petroleum and their partners on achieving this key milestone, as the Pegaga field is well positioned to significantly contribute towards sustaining Malaysia’s gas supply for many decades to come.

The Pegaga gas field is located in the Central Luconia province, offshore Sarawak, Malaysia at about 108m water depth. The development concept comprises of an Integrated Central Processing Platform (ICPP) consisting of an 8-legged jacket. The facility is designed for gas throughput of 550 million standard cubic feet of gas per day plus condensate.

The produced gas will be evacuated through a new km, 38-inch subsea pipeline tying into an existing offshore gas network and subsequently to the onshore PETRONAS LNG Complex in Bintulu.

At the height of the pandemic in Malaysia, the jacket and wellhead deck which were constructed in Lumut and Kuching fabrication yards, were installed in April 2020 followed by the Pegaga Development Drilling campaign. The ICPP float-over and installation was then safely completed in August 2021. n

Confidence in Malaysia’s upstream industry “The project, which undertook its Final Investment Decision at the time when the oil market was still recovering in 2018, demonstrates the confidence of investors in Malaysia’s upstream industry. The country’s ecosystem also proved its resiliency with the successful design and fabrication of facilities completed during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.” he added.

Mubadala Petroleum has been present in Malaysia since 2010 and is the Operator of Block SK 320 with a 55% interest. PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of PETRONAS holds 25%, with Sarawak Shell Berhad holding the remaining 20% interest.

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ubadala Petroleum, the Abu Dhabi headquartered international energy company, has successfully commenced first gas production from the Pegaga gas field in Block SK 320, offshore Malaysia.

This milestone marks the safe and successful culmination of what the company described as a challenging gas project, during a period in which Mubadala Petroleum navigated the challenges of the global pandemic. As a key strategic development for the local energy sector, Pegaga will be a key producing field supplying gas to PETRONAS LNG Complex, in Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia.

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Country Focus Reporting on the latest developments from the Norwegian oil and gas sector

Norway Aker Solutions delivers Njord A platform Following several years of extensive upgrades, the drilling and production platform Njord A is ready for handover to Equinor. Towing it back to the field started on March 22nd. The project has provided more than 6,000 man-years in Norway and according to Aker Solutions, the Norwegian share of value creation from the project has been around 95%.

Significant ripple effects “Njord A is now ready for several decades of energy production and value creation for the greater society. The project has had significant ripple effects, contributing to a lot of activity both for Aker Solutions and 10

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a large number of supplier companies which in various ways have contributed to the project,” said Mr Magnus.

The Njord A contract was a groundbreaking undertaking in the Norwegian oil and gas industry when it was originally signed in 2017, being the first time a production platform on the Norwegian continental shelf was transported to shore for complete overhaul and upgrades. This has been reflected in terms of the increased scope and duration of the project during the project period.

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jord A has been described as Norway’s largest renovation project.

After the contract was signed on March 17th, 2017, significant upgrades have been carried out on the hull and the platform deck to extend its lifetime for another 20 years of production.

“A refurbishment project is never easy, especially at this size and complexity, and with the addition of having to be carried out in the middle of a pandemic with a shortage of labour and a strict infection control regime. This makes me even more proud that we have now reached this important milestone. However, I am most proud that we have carried out this large scope of work at our Stord yard without a single serious injury to either people or material,” said Sturla Magnus, Executive Vice President and head of Aker Solutions’ topside and facilities business.

The upgrade of Njord A has been a project with very high local content in Norway. The engineering was performed mainly by Aker Solutions’ offices in Bergen, Stavanger, Fornebu and Trondheim. The construction has been carried out at the company’s yards at Stord and Verdal. Close to 400 different supplier companies have been involved in the project, most of them Norwegian.

In 2018, an additional contract was awarded to Aker Solutions to prepare the platform for receiving oil and gas from the Fenja field, which entailed additional manufacturing and installation work on the platform. The company has also been tasked to assist Equinor in the offshore hook-up work preparing it for the start of production in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Njord A was originally delivered by Aker Solutions in September 1997. The platform deck was manufactured and assembled at the Stord yard, while the hull was constructed at the Verdal yard.

Njord A was the first EPC contract on the Norwegian continental shelf following the implementation of the NORSOK standard in the mid-90s.

In recent weeks, the platform has been in Klosterfjorden on the west coast of Norway, conducting various sea trials.

“The sea trials are now complete, and we are on schedule for delivery and tow out to the field,” said Carl van der Hagen, Project Director at Aker Solutions, who was also involved in the construction of the original platform in the 90’s. “Compared to the original version of the platform delivered in 1997, it is a quite different platform that is now ready to be transported back to the Njord field.

“Hardly any part of the platform has remained untouched, and the total dead weight has increased by 23%. The upgrades on the hull have increased the platform’s buoyancy by 24%, and the payload capacity on the platform deck has increased by 31%.”

About Aker Solutions Aker Solutions delivers integrated solutions, products and services to the global energy industry. Employing approximately 15,000 people in more than 20 countries, the company enables low-carbon oil and gas production and develops renewable solutions to meet future energy needs.

By combining innovative digital solutions and predictable project execution, the company says it is accelerating the transition to sustainable energy production. n

Country Focus Reporting on the latest developments from the USA’s oil and gas sector

USA ExxonMobil planning hydrogen production, carbon capture and storage at Baytown complex ExxonMobil has outlined its plans for a hydrogen production plant and one of the world’s largest carbon capture and storage projects at its integrated refining and petrochemical site at Baytown, Texas, supporting efforts to reduce emissions from company operations and local industry.

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xxonMobil is planning hydrogen production, carbon capture and storage operations at its Baytown complex.

The company said hydrogen would fuel its olefins plant, reducing integrated site emissions by up to 30%. This carbon capture project would be one of world’s largest and double the company’s current industryleading capacity.

“Hydrogen has the potential to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in vital sectors of the economy and create valuable, lower-emissions products that support modern life,” said Joe Blommaert, President of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions.

“By helping to activate new markets for hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, this project can play an important part in achieving America’s lower-emissions aspirations.”

The proposed hydrogen facility would produce up to 1 billion cubic feet per day of “blue” hydrogen, which is an industry term for hydrogen produced from natural gas and supported by carbon capture and storage. The carbon capture infrastructure for this project would have the capacity to transport and store up to 10 million metric tonnes of CO2 per year, more than doubling ExxonMobil’s current capacity.

Working towards 2050 net zero targets Using hydrogen as a fuel at the Baytown olefins plant could reduce the integrated complex’s Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions by

up to 30%, supporting ExxonMobil’s ambition to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions from its operated assets by 2050.

It also would enable the site to manufacture lower-emissions products for its customers.

Access to surplus hydrogen and CO2 storage capacity would be made available to nearby industry.

The project would form ExxonMobil’s initial contribution to a broad, cross-industry effort to establish a Houston carbon capture and storage hub with an initial target of about 50 million metric tonnes of CO2 per year by 2030, and 100 million metric tonnes by 2040. ExxonMobil said evaluation and planning for the Baytown project are ongoing and, subject to stakeholder support, regulatory permitting and market conditions, a final investment decision is expected in two to three years.

ExxonMobil has extensive experience with hydrogen and already produces about 1.5 billion cubic feet per day. The company said it is uniquely positioned to participate in the growing hydrogen market and is evaluating strategic investments to increase the use of this important lower-emissions energy technology.

Equally important is the company’s more than 30 years of experience capturing and permanently storing CO2. ExxonMobil has cumulatively captured more human-made CO2 than any other company and has an equity share of about one-fifth of the world’s carbon capture and storage capacity, which amounts to about 9 million metric tons per year.

Commercialising low-emission technologies ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions business was established to commercialise low-emission technologies and is focusing on carbon capture and storage, hydrogen and biofuels – technologies where the company can leverage its core competencies and competitive advantages. Over the next six years, the company plans to invest more than $15 billion on loweremission initiatives and could increase investments with advancements in policy and technology.

According to the company, sound government policies will accelerate the deployment of key technologies at the pace and scale required to support a societal net-zero future. Predictable, stable, cost-effective policies are necessary to incentivise the development and scalability of a wide range of low-emission technologies, including hydrogen and carbon capture and storage. ExxonMobil continues to support an explicit price on carbon to establish consistent incentives and encourage investments.

ExxonMobil said it is committed to helping society reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing the company’s emissions intensity and developing and deploying emissionreducing technologies and products.

Increasing the supply of products with lower life cycle greenhouse gas emissions enables the transition from higheremissions alternatives. n Inside Oil & Gas

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Latest news in the oil and gas industry Keeping you up to date with market leaders

latest news African Energy Chamber to takes part in study and dialogue tour in Germany on “The Potential of Hydrogen for Economic Growth and Industrialization in Africa”

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xperts from sub-Saharan Africa took part in a study and dialogue tour across Germany and Belgium to discuss the potential of hydrogen in Africa from March 20-31, 2022.

Chairman of the African Energy Chamber (AEC), NJ Ayuk, met with the European Commission in Brussels, representatives of the Federal Government of Germany in Berlin, and experts from the Forschungszentrum Jülich research centre, which has carried out extensive research on hydrogen in West Africa.

The study tour was rounded out with a two-day high-level conference, the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Green hydrogen has emerged as an increasingly viable and strategic fuel source on the African continent, owing to its prolific

renewable energy resource base and advancements in and decreasing costs of fuel cell technologies. The AEC, as the voice of the African energy sector, has been vocal about the potential of green hydrogen to enhance energy access, security and supply continent-wide, while supporting the global transition to a low-carbon future.

“The AEC is honored to meet with high-level experts on hydrogen and key decision makers in the EU and Germany, with a view to fostering international-African cooperation in the field of hydrogen development,” stated NJ Ayuk. “The African continent has a leading role to play in the production and export of hydrogen to global markets and enabling the EU to meet its targets under the Paris Agreement and European Green Deal. Now more than ever is the time for engagement, partnership and dialogue.”

Tellurian’s Driftwood LNG begins construction T ellurian Inc has issued a limited notice to proceed to Bechtel Energy Inc under its executed Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract to begin construction of phase one of the Driftwood LNG terminal, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility near Lake Charles, Louisiana.

President and CEO of Tellurian, Octávio Simões, said: “Energy security is a leading concern in many countries today and the United States must do our part to supply LNG to the global market as quickly as possible. Beginning construction now allows Tellurian to deliver upon our robust schedule for first LNG in 2026 while we complete the project financing. We are well advanced in Driftwood LNG’s detailed engineering and major equipment orders, and we have completed all the owners’ projects required for us to turn the site over to Bechtel.”

Craig Albert, Chief Operating Officer of Bechtel, said: “We are very proud and honoured to continue our long partnership with Tellurian on the Driftwood LNG project. It is as apparent as ever that the world needs this reliable source of energy from the USA. And we are excited to now shift our focus to the field to begin construction.”

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Paul Marsden, President of Bechtel Energy, added: “We are pleased to continue our longstanding partnership with Tellurian as we deliver cleaner and more affordable energy for communities around the world. We are honoured to help bring their vision to a reality by commencing the major field work on a project of this magnitude.”

Bechtel’s first activities include demolition, civil site preparation and construction of critical foundations, and Baker Hughes will progress manufacturing two of the natural gas turbines required for phase one of the project.

Driftwood LNG is an approximately 27.6 mtpa liquefaction export facility. Phase one will include two LNG plants with an export capacity of up to 11 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). Driftwood has received all the major permits required for construction and operation, has progressed detailed engineering to approximately 30% complete, and has finalised the purchase and lease of approximately 1,200 acres of real estate ensuring an ideal construction site with ample laydown and deepwater access for shipping.

www.insideoilandgas.com

Eni announces a major upgrade of the resource base of Ndungu field in block 15/06, Offshore Angola

Eni

has confirmed a major upgrade of the resource base in the Ndungu field, located approximately 130km off the coast and about 10km from the Ngoma FPSO in the West Hub of block 15/06.

The Ndungu 2 appraisal well was drilled 5km away from Ndungu 1 and stroke 40m of net oil pay (35°API) in the Lower Oligocene reservoirs with good petrophysical properties confirming the hydraulic communication with the discovery well. An intensive data acquisition was performed to assess the full potential of the discovery.

The preliminary data collected on Ndungu 2 allows to boost to 800 – 1,000 million barrels of oil equivalent in place the field resources from the initial estimates of 250-300 (post Ndungu 1), making Ndungu, together with Agogo, the largest accumulation discovered in Block 15/06 since the block award.

The systematic and continuous Infrastructure-Led Exploration (ILX) effort conducted by Eni and its partners during the last three years, with the full support of ANPG and Angolan Authorities, leveraged leading edge technology and allowed to unlock significant additional potential in the complex structural and stratigraphic traps inside Block 15/06.

The early production phase of Ndungu started already last February through one producer well, and a second producer well is

expected in 4Q 2022, maximising the utilisation of existing facilities in the West Hub. In parallel, appraisal whilst producing will continue, to optimise returns and minimise risks.

Ndungu field development will now be upgraded thanks this significant increase of resource base, following a phased approach to untap the overall potential in an optimal way from a financial perspective, initially contributing to extend and increase the plateau of the Ngoma, a 100 kbopd zero-discharge and zero-process flaring FPSO. Block 15/06 is operated by Eni Angola with a 36.84% share.

Sonangol Pesquisa e Produção (36.84%) and SSI Fifteen Limited (26.32%) compose the rest of the joint venture. Further to Block 15/06, Eni is the operator of exploration blocks Cabinda North, Cabinda Centro, 1/14 and 28, as well as of the New Gas Consortium (NGC). In addition, Eni has stakes in the non-operated blocks 0 (Cabinda), 3/05, 3/05A, 14, 14 K/A-IMI, 15 and in Angola LNG. Eni said in a statement: “This result also shows how Azule Energy, the recently announced independent joint venture that combines Eni and bp portfolios in the country, can count on a solid pipeline of new projects starting up over the next few years, including Agogo, Ndungu and PAJ oil projects in Blocks 15/06 and 31 respectively, as well as the NGC gas projects.”

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Latest news in the oil and gas industry Keeping you up to date with market leaders

latest news Apache Corporation and LongPath Technologies expand methane monitoring partnership in the Permian Basin

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pache Corporation (a subsidiary of APA Corporation) and LongPath Technologies have announced an expansion of their partnership for continuous methane emissions monitoring in the Permian Basin of southeast New Mexico and west Texas.

Methane emissions from oil and gas operations are a focal point for global greenhouse gas mitigation initiatives. LongPath is a leader in providing 24/7 real-time monitoring for methane leaks. Apache adopted the LongPath system in 2021 with the commissioning of several dozen sites, leading to reductions in emissions.

“At Apache, we are committed to reducing emissions and were looking for a technology that provided real-time monitoring and volume quantifications,” said Jessica Jackson, Vice President, Environment, Health and Safety. “LongPath’s technology provides our teams with the data needed to achieve meaningful emissions reductions while meeting global energy needs in more innovative and sustainable ways.”

LongPath Technologies’ networked monitoring solution provides wide-area coverage of many individual facilities with a single laser

system. The laser system is placed in a central location, and eye-safe light is sent out over multi-mile pathways through the air. Small mirrors on monitored sites allow for quantified emission volumes for each site to be reported in real-time.

With the planned expansion, LongPath will provide real-time monitoring for approximately 60 Apache facilities across multiple areas of the Permian.

“We are thrilled to be able to continue what has been a rewarding partnership on both sides,” said LongPath CEO Ian Dickinson.

“In Apache, we have partner who has focused on how to make continuous monitoring actionable and efficient. The Apache team’s emissions mitigation workflow represents a viable long-term solution for ingesting real-time emissions data and getting root cause analysis and solutions down to a science. We are looking forward to entering into this next phase with Apache.”

Apache Corporation is an oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the United States, Egypt and the United Kingdom. Apache is a wholly-owned subsidiary of APA Corporation.

KP Engineering appoints Chris Eley as Executive Vice President, Global Business Development

KP

Engineering appoints Chris Eley as Executive Vice President, Global Business Development KP Engineering, LP (KPE), a leader in the design and execution of customised EPC solutions for the refining, syngas, hydrogen and renewable fuels industries, has named Chris Eley as its new Executive Vice President, Global Business Development.

With extensive leadership experience in sales, marketing and business development of international projects for the refining, petrochemicals, syngas and LNG markets, Mr Eley will be responsible for leading KPE’s sales and marketing efforts in refining, petrochemicals, syngas and renewables as the company grows. He joins KPE from Petro-Chem Development Co, acquired by Axens of France in 2018, where he has served as President and CEO since 2012. Prior to that, he served as its Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, from 16

Inside Oil & Gas

2006 until 2012. In 1990, he was one of five people that founded KTI Corp’s Houston fired heater business, where he remained in various roles until his departure for Petro-Chem Development in 2006.

William E Preston, KPE’s President and CEO, said, “Chris makes a great addition to our team at KPE. His vast experience in refining, petrochemical, syngas and LNG projects around the world will bring value to the strategic focus of our clients, while his relationshipdriven approach will uphold our core value of business integrity.”

Mr Eley, who holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Texas Tech University, commented: “I am excited to put my extensive experience in growing a business to work at KPE. I look forward to working with the entire KPE team, as well as our clients, technology licensors and partners as we continue to grow our footprint and add value to new clients’ operations around the globe.”

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McDermott delivers gas field for largest subsea project in Asia Pacific eploying more than 2,000 crew members, McDermott said it successfully navigated both the challenges of Covid-19 and an active monsoon season to deliver a gas field, known as the U-Field, for ONGC’s KG-DWN 98/2 Block project.

“Completing this season of the Bay of Bengal campaign to deliver the gas field for ONGC, combined with our previous achievement of early first gas in 14 months, demonstrates McDermott’s ability to deliver complex subsea projects in challenging circumstances,” said Samik Mukherjee, McDermott’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

ONGC’s KG-DWN 98/2 Block project, located in the Bay of Bengal off the east coast of India, is the largest and one of the most complex subsea projects in Asia Pacific, involving major subsea infrastructure installation in ultra-deepwater. McDermott is delivering two gas systems for ONGC’s gas fields – U-Field and R-Field. The project is being executed in a consortium, with Larsen & Toubro Hydrocarbon Engineering (L&T HE) manufacturing the structures in India.

Upon completion, the gas field is expected to significantly increase domestic production, helping meet India’s increasing energy demands while lowering reliance on imports. The project was delivered by a large, India-based project team, embracing the Indian government’s Make in India initiative.

“The opening of the U1-B (GX-06) well in the DWN-98/2 block is a major milestone that we can all be immensely proud of,” said Subramanian Sarma, Whole-time Director and Senior Executive Vice President (Energy), L&T, CEO and MD, L&T HE. “That we managed to achieve this despite extremely difficult project terrain and weather conditions even as a global pandemic raged on, speaks volumes of the resolve of the project teams. A testament to the combined synergies of all the consortium partners, this achievement will go a long way in ensuring project success and realising ONGC’s vision of harnessing India’s rich energy reserves.”

The U-Field is now connected to ONGC’s Vashishtha subsea infrastructure, a project McDermott was recognised for in 2019 as EPC Contractor of the Year by the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry.

McDermott’s vessels, including Derrick Barge 30, Derrick Lay Vessel 2000, the North Ocean 102 and Lay Vessel 105 (LV105) installed hundreds of miles of pipeline, 37 miles (60km) of umbilicals and nearly miles (16km) of flexible pipes.

“This is the fourth gas production milestone McDermott has delivered on the east coast of India in the last 18 months,” said Mahesh Swaminathan, McDermott’s Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific. “The company’s diverse fleet brought significant efficiencies and achieved

notable firsts during the offshore campaign. This campaign marked the first use of pipe-in-pipe insulation technology in an offshore India project. The LV105 also installed the first pipe-in-pipe production flowline in India as part of this campaign.”

McDermott has achieved five million work hours without a losttime injury on the project to date. The next phase of the project is scheduled to be executed in 2022.

All the structures for the KG-DWN 98/2 Cluster II development are being manufactured at L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering’s Modular Fabrication Facility at Kattupalli (LTHE-MFFK) in Tamil Nadu. The UField gas manifold, installed in water depth of 4,593 ft (1,400m) and the associated subsea distribution unit are the first subsea production system structures manufactured in India and reflect the consortium’s commitment to the nation’s “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative for self-reliance.

In addition to these two key components of the U-Field completion, LTHE-MFFK also delivered SURF structures and served as a spoolbase facility for stalk fabrication and reeling of rigid pipelines, which have been installed to facilitate gas flow from the U-Field wells to the onshore terminal at Odalarevu.

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Latest news in the oil and gas industry Keeping you up to date with market leaders

latest

news

New sensor-to-satellite technology from Wyld delivers global connectivity for oil and gas industry

W

yld Networks has announced the availability of its new range of low-power, sensor-to-satellite terminals and modules that make it possible to provide uninterrupted connectivity across oil and gas operations in remote locations where there is no alternative network coverage.

The Wyld Connect devices transfer data directly to terrestrial networks or through Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites as a result of partnership with Eutelsat. With 100% global coverage, Wyld Connect will help to deliver a more productive digitisation of energy infrastructure, which is essential to meet operational targets and corporate sustainability goals. The full sensor-to-satellite service will be available in the second half of 2022.

With the mining, oil and gas sectors under pressure to increase decarbonisation, global IoT connectivity means that sensors can be deployed in upstream, midstream and downstream operations, regardless of location, for the purpose of collecting vital data.

The Wyld Connect terminal can connect directly to existing sensors, while the small modules can be fully integrated into new IoT sensors as an embedded solution. By using the LoRaWAN®, low power wide area network technology, smart IoT applications can be deployed globally using terrestrial or satellite connectivity at very low cost. Sensors can be powered by batteries with a lifetime of up to ten years and data is delivered through Wyld’s cloud-based Fusion platform, which also allows IoT sensors to be registered, configured, authenticated and managed remotely.

“Nearly all oil and gas operations are conducted in remote locations on land and sea, which makes continuous monitoring and measuring a massive challenge without ubiquitous global connectivity,” said Alastair Williamson, CEO at Cambridge-based Wyld Networks. “With an estimated 15% of the earth’s surface covered by existing mobile networks, low earth orbiting satellites combined with sensor-to-satellite technology provides the low-cost, efficient solution needed to transform these processes around the world.”

Wyld is already working in partnership with Chevron on a pilot solution to enable remote sensor connectivity within Chevron’s IoT infrastructure. The solution aims to improve efficiency by collecting data from IoT sensors in remote locations to help reduce equipment downtime and enable preventative maintenance.

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In addition to partnering with Eutelsat to provide LoRaWAN coverage via its low earth orbiting satellites, Wyld is also partnering with leading terrestrial LoRaWAN network providers including American Tower and Senet.

“Existing low power wide area networks such as LoRaWAN are ideal to connect oil and gas assets and sensors that don’t need to send much data, but they currently rely on a limited terrestrial infrastructure,” said Luc Perard, Senior Vice President, IoT Business at Eutelsat. “Wyld’s new sensor-to-satellite LoRaWAN terminals and modules now make it possible to harness our network of LEO satellites to deliver low-cost, hybrid terrestrial and satellite connectivity over 100% of the earth’s surface, which is a game changer for monitoring remote energy infrastructure.”

Wyld Networks develops and sells innovative wireless technology solutions that enable affordable connectivity anywhere in the world, addressing problems for businesses and people regarding the lack of global mobile network coverage. The solutions target wireless connectivity for the Internet of Things (IoT). Wyld Networks was formed in Cambridge, UK and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wyld Networks AB.

Matter of fact Interesting and unusual oil and gas facts from around the world

matterof fact Its estimated the current combined length of oil pipelines totals more than 1.18 million km. That’s enough to circle the Earth 30 times over.

The year 1949 provides us with the earliest record of average oil well depths, 3,500ft (1,067m), which is considered shallow by today’s standards.

The largest oil field in the world is the Ghawar field in Saudi Arabia. It measures 280 x 30km and is able to produce 3.8 million barrels a day.

The longest borehole when drilling for oil is Sakhalin O-14 in the Chayvo field. Its length of 49,000ft (14,935m) is a combination of vertically and directionally drill drilling.

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Inside Oil & Gas

The Perdido, a spar type platform, is the deepest floating oil platform in the world.

It has a water depth of 8,040ft (2,451m) and even the above water portion is almost as tall as the Eiffel tower.

“

Every problem is a gift

“

without problems we would not grow – Anthony Robbins –

The tallest oil platform in existence is the Petronius, a compliant piled tower design, standing at 609.9m above the seabed.

The deepest oil well ever drilled is in the BP Deepwater Horizon (Tiber field, Gulf of Mexico).

It has a vertical depth of 35,050ft (10,683m).

By the end of 2020 there were 173 offshore oil platforms in use, compared to the much larger amount of onshore rigs that numbered 843.

The crane ship Pioneering Spirit, one of the largest in the world, has decommissioned an oil platform by sailing under it before sailing away with the rig in a single lift.

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What’s new in the oil and gas industry?

The latest innovations, ideas and product launches

what’s

new

in the oil and gas industry ?

Industry leader expands graphene-enhanced anti-corrosion product range Following outstanding results through extensive inhouse research and testing, Applied Graphene Materials has launched a range of industrial anti-corrosion paint incorporating its own Genable graphene additives. The Genable Epoxy primer is a C3-rated hybrid product combining graphene with a zinc phosphate additive to enable the end-user to benefit from the synergies offered by both systems in standard applications, such as urban and industrial environments. The Genable CX primer is a high-performance hybrid system, but this formulation is based on graphene and aluminium chemistries to offer anti-corrosion protection for harsh environments, such as offshore and marine applications.

Handrail safety breakthrough is first shake-up in 90 years Until now the handrail parts had to be fitted together with multiple clamps or welding. However, the new laser precision-cut process developed by Kite Group, allows them to be assembled and fitted more quickly and efficiently, without clamps or welding. By doing away with clamps, the new system reduces the amount of steel required, lowering costs by up to 20%. It has been rigorously tested to meet load rating regulations to current British Standards. The technology that allows precision cutting at scale – so that tubing can pass through holes in posts without the need for clamps or welding – has only recently become available with advances in computer-controlled laser cutting equipment.

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Recovery system for safer and quicker retrieval of cleaning devices from pipelines Engineering specialists have manufactured a pioneering mechanical recovery system which can withstand explosive environments to make the process of removing cleaning devices from industrial pipelines less dangerous and significantly quicker.

The Forth team developed a flexible tool, which can be adjusted up to 15m, fitted with an ATEX Zone 1 pneumatic winch which can pull weights up to one tonne. Using an auto-locking grab, the device connects to the Pig on contact with the latching point and is used in tandem with a mounted ATEX.

Coating system awarded independent verification of enhanced durability PPG PITT-CHAR NX coating is a flexible epoxy PFP system offering reduced coating thickness, lower weight and faster application while also providing outstanding fire resistance and durability. In an industry first, PPG PITT-CHAR NX passive fire protection coating was subjected to double the exposure conditions for the most onerous category in the UL standards for durability. The latest UL testing results add to several third-party accreditations already awarded to PPG PITT-CHAR NX coating system. These include ASTM, ISO and NORSOK accreditation for the coating’s suitability for industrial, marine and offshore environments without degradation in fire resistance.

Amarinth designs and builds 18m long API 610 VS4 pumps Amarinth has built Six API 610 VS4 pumps; two are 18m long pour point depressant pumps, and the other four are 10m long methanol lift pumps.

All pumps have PT100 temperature sensors that have been designed and built along the length of the pumps to monitor the temperature of each bearing individually. For each pump, the temperature sensors are terminated in a top surface junction box.

The wiring is then fed to a control box through a unique armoured umbilical arrangement to on an independent instrument skid for each pump.

The 18m long pumps incorporate a supporting system of brackets that Amarinth has designed which attaches each pump to its tank during installation, ensuring that as the pump is lowered into the tank it remains perfectly aligned, reducing vibration and wear during operation.

Camseal® in-line renewable ball valves provide best in class life cycle costs Camseal’s latest ball valves feature zero body, seat, and stem leakage on manual and actuated valves, offering exceptionally reliable and long service life far beyond industry standards. Supplied in pressure classes from ASME 900 through 4500, Camseal ball valves provide significant savings in maintenance costs including labour, materials, and downtime.

The cartridge is conveniently removed for in-situ parts replacement and reassembly. No valve removal, welding and PWHT are required, which is especially important with F91 valves. According to Camseal, the Stem Position Indicator Disc improves the accuracy of the stem and ball alignment into the valve seat.

This is important in severe applications such as steam, where positive, sustainable shut-off is critical and even slight misalignments will compromise the ball/seat sealing integrity.

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iOG &

upstream downstream one voice

FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE technipfmc

one-dyas

global energy storage

subsea environmental services universal africa lines

bc service

corrosion

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al fanar gas group

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axtech

TECHNIPFMC

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PROFILE

Addressing the recent and on-going challenges faced by the oil and gas industry, along with the voice of customer, TechnipFMC developed a completions technology ecosystem called iComplete™. From pump to wellhead, iComplete™ is a new fully integrated onshore completion system that focuses on digitizing operations and addresses the environmental and cost challenges faced by the industry.

S

ome may argue that unconventional completion technology has demonstrated some of the most notable advances in our industry during the last few years. From an operational standpoint, frac intensities continue to test the limit of equipment capabilities and overall reliability. From a product standpoint, there has been much progress in tackling technical challenges such as increased treating pressure ratings, valve design that addresses sand ingress of various mesh sizes, large bore single line high pressure delivery systems, efficient wireline connectors, just to name a few.

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Individually, these products have helped drive today’s unconventional oil and gas renaissance. Through innovation, each pain point or portfolio gap in the operation has been addressed. However, in order to ensure efficiency and prevent downtime, world class project management and logistics are required for execution.

On site, handoffs between operations, especially between operating entities, carry the risk of inefficiencies and human error.

Individual standard operating procedures can be misinterpreted or contradicting and require system level understanding and direction. An integrated system approach, capable of digital opera-

Jose Garza Engineering Supervisor

tion and selective automation, is the preferred solution for safer operations, and down/idle time reduction. When designed and operated efficiently, this system integration may also carry a substantial reduction in emissions.

iComplete™ integrated system – hardware Developing a standardized system that can address the majority of unconventional well sites requires a modular approach.

Identifying key sub systems and scoping down customer operational requirements to simplify the offering, well service pumpto-wellhead, was the first step in developing what is now called TechnipFMC’s iComplete™ ecosystem.

Through internal benchmarks, this system has 50% less components and removes 80% of connections when compared to a typ-

ical site-built completions pad. Less components and connections improve product reliability and reduce manpower needs on location with the benefit of up to 50% faster rig up. Major, standardized components are assembled and tested off-site, in a controlled shop environment. This results in improved equipment reliability and reduces the material movement, ultimately reducing logistics cost and greenhouse emissions in the process.

Today, this system is comprised of six major key sub systems: SAFlex™, SuperFrac™, Large Bore Check Valve, Frac Trees/Manifolds, Speedloc-XT™, and CyberFrac™.

At a glance TechnipFMC’s integrated system enables you to frac differently by leveraging flexible pipe, automation and digital efficiency to minimize complexity and eliminate intervention in the red zone.

The fully integrated iComplete™ system gets to first oil faster by doing things differently. From pump to casing, TechnipFMC offers the simplicity of one pad, one supplier and one invoice, leveraging flexible pipe, automation and advanced digital capabilities to deliver operational efficiency, compatibility and ease of use. With 80% fewer connections and 50% fewer parts on the frac pad, the fully integrated iComplete™ system gets to first oil faster and lowers your costs by 30%.

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TECHNIPFMC

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PROFILE

iComplete™ System View

The iComplete™ system eliminates red zone intervention, delivering a more secure work environment that significantly reduces the chance of human error, making a frac pad safer, faster and smarter by enabling visual validation from a distance. Its simplified integrated system also promotes a healthier environment, reducing emissions through a 43% reduction in logistics.

Increased uptime, lower NPT, remote operations, access to automation and real-time data logging are just a few of the other benefits of iComplete™. Cutting-edge technology delivers greater product performance with less maintenance. TechnipFMC’s advanced digital capabilities promote positive predictability and minimize complexities so you get to first oil up to 15 minutes faster per frac stage.

SAFlex™ The SAFlex™ product portfolio contains a de-marinized Coflexip high pressure flexible used in the same manner as traditional flow iron. Coflexip products have a rich and successful history in industry in harsh, fatigue cycle prone, high pressure offshore environments. Being designed and field proven to withstand these conditions (with metocean data driven requirements in some of the harshest offshore locations in the world), they provide a natural solution to the high pressure high cycle modern frac pad requirements.

Compared to traditional flow iron, SAFlex™ allows a reduction of connections by 80%, substituting the articulation of rigid piping (and their independent connections) with a single connection on each end. This drastically reduces make up time and improves reliability by removing multiple potential leak paths. Reduction of leaks paths inherently reduces fugitive emission situations.

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Finally, SAFlex™ dampens system vibrations which help in dissipation of pump cavitation and reduction of erosion through piping compared to traditional rigid flow iron. SAFlex™ is used to connect both in pump to frac manifold missile and frac valve manifold to frac tree applications.

SuperFrac™ One of the first single line “missile” manifold systems to market, SuperFrac™ pods also follow a modular design to accomplish compatibility with various pad designs. Due to its standardized design, this system is configurable to various spacing constrains and number of frac pumps. It has a unique low pressure flow design that also reduces pump cavitation and lowers pump maintenance.

The high pressure line utilizes robust API large bore flanged connections with an industry standard metal to metal ring type joint capable of high flow rates and improved erosion resistance.

Large bore check valve One of the premier large bore check valves in the market, compared to traditional goat heads with flow iron, the large bore check valve system reduces the number of connections from single bore manifold to frac zipper, resulting in faster rig up times and improved reliability with a reduction of leak paths.

Also factory acceptance tested, with internal components inspected in a shop environment between jobs, it arrives to location configured to customer preferences. Although expected to go through 500 stages without rebuild, if a rebuild is required, it has a top entry design that allows fast on site repair and replacement of internal components. Its reliability and quick service design ensures on pad operational efficiency and down time reduction.

Speedloc-XT™ connector in service in the Delaware Basin

Frac trees and manifolds

Speedloc-XT™

At the heart of any frac operation, serving as pressure containment and control, frac trees and manifolds come in a variety of sizes, pressures and configurations. Individually, valve design has evolved incrementally as frac intensities continue to increase.

Compared to traditional production valves, frac valves have developed key design attributes that address valve reliability and lower on-site maintenance time and cost. For example, as sand mesh sizes continue to evolve, preventing sand ingress impacts sealability, and is addressed through valve seat design to ensure reliably clean sealing surfaces.

Compared to typical production valves, cavity volumes have been reduced to prevent sand accumulation and reduce grease quantity, the latter of which has a direct impact to carbon footprint as it pertains to hydrocarbon based greases, and an indirect impact to emissions by reducing the amount of time required to grease a valve on location.

Finally, logistics and installation are simplified with standardized tree and manifold configurations that are inspected, redressed and factory tested in a shop environment. These tree and manifold sections arrive on location with minimal field testing and connection makeup requirements.

Hydraulic connectors have long been used in subsea applications worldwide. They provide an efficient and reliable connection that can be performed remotely without human interface. Removing personnel from the red zone during connection makeup improves safety, especially through remote connection testing, keeping operators away from the pressure containing envelope.

The Speedloc-XT™ provides both a digital (through position indicators) and visual confirmation to ensure proper engagement prior to connection test and subsequent wireline and coil tubing operations. Sensors in the connector prevent inadvertent valve operation drastically reducing the instance of accidental wireline cuts.

Large Bore Check Valve mated to SuperFrac™ frac manifold. (Check Valve shown with yellow arrow)

Integration of sub systems- CyberFrac™ The aforementioned systems, individually, have direct operational impact by improving operator safety, increasing equipment reliability through standardization and shop built sub-systems, simplifying project logistics, and reducing of operational costs through elimination of multiple connections that were once on-site built.

Bringing these systems together under one operating system that can relay real time actionable wellsite data further improves efficiencies in operations, can prevent downtime, and will improve HSE.

SAFlex™ PumpFlex lines connecting well service pumps to SuperFrac™ pods. Also shown, SAFlex™ WellFlex™ lines connecting frac vertical “zipper” manifold to frac trees

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TECHNIPFMC

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PROFILE

CyberHub™ (left) and Master Control Station (right)

TechnipFMC’s CyberFrac™ suite achieves this by connecting these subsystems and providing the user interface to collect and action equipment status and performance in real time, allowing remote operation of its hardware with programmed operator standard procedures, through a “Digital Handshake”.

Key personnel on site will have simultaneous awareness of upcoming operational steps and can abort mistaken commands reducing manual errors. These procedures are pre-programmed to avoid on-the-fly decision making. For example, during wireline operations, sensors embedded in the Speedloc-XT™ acknowledge wireline presence and prevent operations that could lead to a catastrophic wireline cut. Valve closing operations must instead be manually overridden, thus preventing accidental wireline cutting compared to a traditional HPU. The complete CyberFrac™ package comprises of a master control station (MCS), a CyberHub™, SAFSense™ and an automated greasing system (AGS).

MCS uses TechnipFMC’s proprietary UCOS Operating system that allows data analysis and remote operations of system hardware through hydraulic functions. This control station enforces standard operational procedures and provides safeguards that reduce accidental operations. Additional tablet controllers are paired to MCS and distributed to key operational personnel A CyberHub™ is a system of hydraulic control valves, plumbed to a hydraulic power unit (HPU) that receives digital signals from the MCS to remotely actuate hydraulic functions, such as gate valve opening and closing, wireline connector lock/unlock and automated valve greasing. CyberHub™ reduces HPU’s on location by providing distribution of multiple hydraulic functions through a single valve control package.

SAFSense™ wireless transmitters provide digital signals such as valve positions (open/close), pressure sensing, and equipment status. Finally, the AGS allows remote valve greasing for reduced

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Inside Oil & Gas

NPT and cost reduction by avoiding over-greasing. Improvement to HSE also takes place by removing personnel from red zone to accomplish greasing operations.

Early returns, case studies Although relatively new to market as an integrated system, iComplete’s early returns are very encouraging. From an individual product standpoint, TechnipFMC highlighted a couple of recent success stories.

In the first, a pressure pumper in the Eagleford Shale using SAFlex™ PumpFlex™ products achieved an 81% reduction in connections, with 100% elimination of hammer unions on treating iron. This customer also achieved a 50% reduction in rig up time.

Approximately 25-45 hours of NPT per month were saved by reducing leak paths. Pump swap times were also cut in half utilizing PumpFlex™ lines compared to traditional flow iron.

In the second case study, TechnipFMC’s large bore check valve achieved 2,500+ frac stages without a rebuild. At 100 bpm average, over 1 B lbs (30/70 and 100 mesh) of sand were pumped during 1,500 hours pump time at 12,500 psi treating pressure. This single 7 1/16-15K large bore valve replaced six 3” check valves, which also allowed the elimination of 346 hammer union connections improving overall system reliability.

While these individual examples provide component level improvement in performance, the integrated system package proposition has identified higher performance and efficiency ceilings are achievable.

Notable examples include a large independent operator, achieved significant reduction of non-productive pump idle time by using CyberFrac™. Overall, 34 hours of operational efficiency gains were achieved through digital handshake communication of key personnel outfitted with paired UCOS controls, that maintained procedural compliance. This resulted in

$245,000 in savings from these previously unknown transition delays. Over 3100 pad operations were also achieved without red zone intervention.

Another operator saves over $560,000 by completing a pad 2.5 days ahead of schedule. This was achieved by increasing average pump time efficiency on site from 17 hours a day to 22.5 hours per day. The largest improvement came from a reduction in transition time that was on average 49 minutes per stage prior to using CyberFrac™’s Digital Handshake to only five minutes per stage afterward. Also on site, over 3000 valve operations were performed outside of the red zone.

Automation and beyond Our industry’s rich history of product innovation to tackle changes in requirements will continue to grow. Whether changes to industry standards, regulations, or wellbore demands, oil and gas products will continue to evolve to meet and exceed customer requirements. Individual product efficiency gains to lower cost,

and improve performance are key in meeting operational metrics that ensure the delivery of the world’s energy.

However, an integrated package approach has shown an improvement in efficiency for on-site operations holistically, rather than the sum of individual products operated by individuals, with individual performance metrics. By focusing on the integrated system performance, improvements in safety, quality and costs are achieved.

Perhaps more importantly, a dramatic reduction of emissions is demonstrated by simplifying and standardizing product architecture, reducing on site rig-up and idle time, streamlining operational steps and communication, and limiting material movement from shop to site.

As we grow more comfortable with the integration of systems in a digital operational environment, more sequence of operations will become automated. It will be interesting to reflect back on today’s relatively new best practices as tomorrow’s standard operating procedure. n

Paired Tablet Controller, Master control Station close up and CyberHub™ mated to HPU Inside Oil & Gas

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ONE-DYAS

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PROFILE

As the largest privately-owned oil and gas exploration and production operating company in the Netherlands, ONE-Dyas is planning to embark on its most ambitious project yet. Platform N05-A of the GEMS project (Gateway to the Ems) will be the first Dutch offshore gas treatment platform in the North Sea to be electrified and run entirely on offshore wind energy. In an interview with Inside Oil and Gas, COO Peter Nieuwenhuijze laid out his vision for GEMS. Andy Probert reports.

IN

terms of carbon neutrality, the GEMS Project, headed

by ONE-Dyas in the Netherlands, offers a snapshot of what potentially could become the norm for future gas extraction.

GEMS – or ‘Gateway to the EMS’ – refers to an area north of the mouth of the River Ems, where there are hundreds of so-called small gas fields that fall within the Dutch and German parts of the North Sea. In 2017, ONE-Dyas discovered natural gas for extraction in a new field: N05-A, in the GEMS area, located about 20km off the coast of the uninhabited island of Rottumerplaat, the Dutch island Schiermonnikoog and the German island of Borkum. While the North Sea is about 25m deep at this location, the gas field itself is 4km deep in the subsurface.

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Inside Oil & Gas

ONE-Dyas, together with its partners Hansa Hydrocarbons and EBN, intend to make N05-A the first Dutch offshore gas treatment platform in the North Sea to run entirely on offshore wind energy.

The field’s capacity is around five billion cm of gas, but the company is counting on a production of up to 60 billion cubic metres of natural gas in the GEMS area, including the prospects.

Electricity will be supplied to the platform from the nearby German offshore wind farm Riffgat and will additionally power the drilling rig during the operation. Hopes are high that the project will be operational by 2024.

New approach to production ONE-Dyas COO Peter Nieuwenhuijze asserted: “N05-A will be a state-of-the-art development, an autonomous remote-controlled asset that offers a new and different approach to the future of sustainable gas production.”

Marine survey organisation. GEOxyz performed the Geophysical & Environmental Pipeline Route and Platform Area survey for the N05-A project.

GEOxyz’s experience helped ONE-Dyas to collect marine and soil data, to enable Environmental Impact Assessments and carry out studies around the sensitive area around the N05-A project development.

Another company, construction and maintenance contractor Multi Metaal, enjoys long-term business relations with ONE-Dyas.

Multi Metaal assists ONE-Dyas with fabrication, construction, maintenance, supervision and workforce in mechanical, piping and structural shutdown works, projects and modifications onshore as well as offshore.

“Together with these kinds of long term relations, we can, in close cooperation, arrange work efficiently and effective,” acknowledged Mr Nieuwenhuijze.

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DHSS As a full-service provider for the offshore energy industry, DHSS plays a vital role in the logistics for the oil and gas industry as well as the offshore wind sector.

Climate change is real, hence why the energy transition is a topic we all must play a meaningful part in to bring down emissions.

Fossil energy is still required during the transition period to a near zero climate. Working together as part of an integrated, cross-border network generating renewable-powered industry, will make the transformation a successful journey. The first step in creating a green environment is connecting oil and gas to renewable energy – Explore Green.

DHSS delivers high quality supply chain solutions to operators in the offshore energy sector. Whether you are engaged in offshore construction, drilling or production of (renewable) energy, you can rely on us to support your operations safely and efficiently – 24/7.

With DHSS as the gateway to your offshore assets, you can trust on having a reliable partner for your port and helicopter logistics.

editorial mention

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ONE-DYAS

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PROFILE

N05-A also reflects the Netherlands government’s commitment to a CO2-neutral energy supply by 2050.

“ONE-Dyas fully endorses this energy transition,” he commented. “Natural gas will continue to play a relevant role in the coming decades, and Dutch natural gas has many advantages over importing from abroad. Gas production in the Netherlands provides safe and affordable energy, is less polluting than importing gas and will ensure a more independent energy supply.”

It means a 30% lower CO2 footprint, greater security of supply and economic benefits in employment, income for the Dutch state and preservation of knowledge and infrastructure for the energy transition.

Mr Nieuwenhuijze said ONE-Dyas sees climate change as one of the greatest challenges of the present generation and is “working hard on making our energy system more sustainable”.

With the closure of the Groningen field, it is the policy of the Dutch government to prefer producing gas from the small fields for all reasons mentioned above, including the lower CO2 footprint compared to imported gas – something that ONE-Dyas and its GEMS project is fully aligned with.

ronment, nature and the surroundings, the implementation variants and the choices made.

Since 2018, the company has been engaged with German and Dutch stakeholders, such as nature organisations and local, provincial and national authorities, to obtain the best possible understanding of the environment of the GEMS area and the views of the stakeholders.

“We need gas; it is a good transition fuel, but if you are going to develop that, you need to be talking to all stakeholders,” said Mr Nieuwenhuijze. “We have invested a lot of energy in this project, and it’s been a truly joint effort from ONE-Dyas in proactively communicating with other stakeholders.”

The GEMS Project is the latest innovative approach from ONEDyas axis, which was created from the merger of Oranje-Nassau Energie (ONE) and Dyas in 2019.

In making it the largest privately-owned exploration and production operating company in the Netherlands, ONE-Dyas has extensive experience managing a successful and balanced upstream portfolio of operated and non-operated exploration and production assets in the North Sea and Gabon.

Engaging stakeholder involvement

Anchored in experience

As part of the permit application process for developing N05-A, ONE-Dyas has fully engaged in an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The EIR describes the research into the effects on the envi-

The company’s approach is a carefully planned strategy underpinned by technical expertise, geographical diversification, and cost-effective development and operations.

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ONE-DYAS

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“We take our responsibilities to climate change seriously and it is ONE-Dyas’ intention that by 2030 its operating assets will have net-zero emissions”

ONE-Dyas has 250 million boe of reserves and resources and in total some 1.2 billion boe of unrisked prospective resources. Its production profile shows an average production base of some 30,000 boe per day during 2021, with growth after that.

Before the merger, Oranje-Nassau Energie became an operator in buying up Canada’s Cirrus Energy. It then discovered a field in the North Sea, close to the Rotterdam area, and developed that with a zero-emission electrified plant, and began operating it in 2014. That proved the basis for the subsequent development at GEMS. Mr Nieuwenhuijze said the GEMS Project has been moving at full speed and “we have designed a platform powered by offshore wind energy: A futureproof platform that will help reduce emissions from 55% to 65% during production, rising to 85% when it’s escalated and over the whole of its lifetime.

“In powering the platform from an offshore wind farm, that is a real achievement. We intend that GEMS will set a new standard in our environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) goals.”

Once the permit is final for N05-A, potentially by April 2022, ONE-Dyas fully intends to have the platform in operation by 42

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2024. Utilising electrification to power the drilling operation will further dramatically reduce emissions.

He added: “We take our responsibilities to climate change seriously and it is ONE-Dyas’ intention that by 2030 its operating assets will have net-zero emissions. As long as the demand for natural gas remains, the best choice is locally produced natural gas. Not only because of the security of supply, but as mentioned, locally produced gas has a 30% lower CO2 footprint compared to imported gas.

“Natural gas from N05-A adds a further substantial reduction.

These will be the cleanest gas molecules you can find. It is an ambition, but it is a goal that we are fully engaged in and committed to meet. We are an experienced company fully realising the area and the era we are living in.”

Mr Nieuwenhuijze concluded: “With N05-A set to be the first windfarm electrified project in the Dutch North Sea, ONE-Dyas is fully demonstrating its desire to proactively make a significant contribution to the energy transition.” n

GLOBAL ENERGY STORAGE (GES)

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Global Energy Storage (GES) is building a global network of first-class energy storage assets with plans to invest $250 million into brown and greenfield sites, initially across Europe and Asia. Backed by Bluewater, the specialist international private equity firm, GES has unveiled its first significant investment at the Port of Rotterdam, with the aim to make it one of the largest low-carbon storage developments at a world-class industrial hub. Profile by Andy Probert.

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energy transition continues to play an ever-increasing role, not only in changing the face of the oil and gas industry but in the wider world, the need to develop cutting-edge storage units is being fully and quickly grasped by Global Energy Storage (GES).

GES was only established in mid-2021, but it comes with two massive gamechangers – its exceptionally experienced management team and the $250 million backing of Bluewater, the specialist international private equity firm focused on the middle-market energy sector. A statement of intent if ever there was one.

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Its goal is to build out a global network of first-class energy storage assets on brown and greenfield sites, initially across Europe and Asia over the next five years, while also exploring opportunities in the Americas and Africa.

Energy transition focus GES has a focus on energy transition fuels and fuels of the future. Its strategy concentrates on critical global hubs, international cross-linked business, and long-term relationships with top-tier energy suppliers.

“There is an urgent need for storage assets for the next generation of low

carbon fuels,” commented Peter Vucins, GES CEO. “GES has the expertise and financial backing to develop this crucial infrastructure at key locations around the world.”

Focusing on low carbon commodities, energy transition fuels, and potentially renewable energy sources in the future, GES has a robust global pipeline of pending deals.

Its first major investment is at Europoort in the Port of Rotterdam. In November 2021, GES announced that it had agreed to buy part of the assets of the Stargate Terminal from Gunvor Group

and will develop more than 20 hectares at the heart of the port. The site includes a significant 500m waterfront with deep water access, brownfield development opportunities and potential greenfield development sites.

GES’s ambitious plans include the development of a new multi-purpose seagoing jetty and developing infrastructure for consolidation of biofuel storage, storage for renewable fuels, gas storage, gas to chemicals production, green and blue hydrogen and hydrogen carriers such as ammonia.

Mr Vucins said: “This project aims to become one of the largest low-carbon developments at a world-class industrial hub, with the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of future business in the Port of Rotterdam.

“Alongside a new jetty that we aim to develop and low-carbon commodity infrastructure, we are also looking to become part of the logistics chain needed to import blue and green hydrogen.”

Window to invest GES’s commitment to taking a leading role in the energy transition sector is anchored in the fact that the management team is the same one behind the growth of its sister – and leading hydrocarbon storage venture – Global Petro Storage (GPS).

An independent storage and logistics company headquartered in Singapore, GPS was created in 2016 and backed by equity funding managed by Bluewater and White Deer Energy. It now has three key global storage hubs comprising gasoline and ethanol storage and rail in the Port of Amsterdam, an oil products and petrochemicals facility in Sharjah, UAE and Southeast Asia’s largest LPG storage terminal at Malaysia’s Port Klang.

Mr Vucins explained: “As we invested around $300 million in these GPS facilities, we realised there was a substantial shift away from oil, and a large growth market in gas.

“Bluewater wanted to continue to back the management team with more time and

money. So, with the creation of GES, we now have a window of approximately seven or eight years to continue to grow, and with Bluewater on board, an initial $250 million to invest with a greater focus on energy than on petroleum products.

“GES is essentially the extension of GPS reflecting the management team’s journey from oil to gas and then further afield into low carbon products, hydrogen and hydrogen carriers.”

According to Mr Vucins, the term ‘energy transition’ means different things to different people in different parts of the world.

“We see a lot of growth potential in LPG and LNG usage in emerging markets such as Asia, South America and also Africa. LPG is a relatively inexpensive, safe and clean alternative fuel to kerosene or charcoal for domestic applications, and LNG is an important substitute for coal which is being phased out as it is recognised as the worst fuel for power generation in terms of emissions.

“In Europe, energy transition means trying to get net zero fuels as quickly as Inside Oil & Gas

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possible. E-fuels, hydrogen and hydrogen carriers, which carry ammonia, are among that mix. We are one of the few management teams that has expertise and a proven track record in that sector.”

On the Rotterdam project, he reflected: “Our development efforts are focused on establishing expandable platforms located at crucial crossroads of energy flows. Rotterdam is one, and will undoubtedly be among the first where energy transition will take place as the infrastructure is already in place.

“We approached Gunvor to buy part of their asset in Rotterdam to give us cash flow basically on sale and leaseback. We buy some tanks, they rent them from us, and we buy rights for the land, helped by the generated cash flow.”

GES is not doing the operations for the initial deal, with Gunvor “running the show as they currently are,” he said.

“It’s a stepping stone. There will be approximately 200,000 cm of naphtha storage over the long term, and we will get 20 hectares of vacant land and 500m of deep waterfront.

“The premise is a greenfield focused company in the energy transition sector in the best possible location to develop infrastructure for clients. We have the land locked down in an ideal location, and it is the first phase of the project.”

“I have high hopes for ammonia because we can build ammonia, and we have experience of that. We are in the TransHydrogen Alliance. We are looking at bringing ammonia to Rotterdam, ultimately green ammonia to be cracked and sold as green hydrogen to north-west European users.

But in the short term, it could be grey ammonia that GES would store,” he added.

On other proposed GES projects, he disclosed: “We are pretty far along in a greenfield gas project in Europe, not in Rotterdam. In the first half of 2022, we hope to make an announcement.

“We are looking for other opportunities similar to Rotterdam, such as on the UK’s east coast as we believe it will be one of the leaders in green hydrogen. We are also looking in the Mediterranean. In the Far East, GES is trying to develop an ammonia asset in the Greater Singapore region as we believe there is potential demand.”

He said the biggest challenge was the energy transition itself, as well as who and how it would be paid for, such as through carbon taxes on polluters.

“Until then, you have an uneven playing field because you need a green premium.

That’s the real issue because if large utilities or others were willing to pay the price difference, then there’s no question that GES and other companies would immediately build the infrastructures.”

New projects Mr Vucins said the company is looking at potential chemical opportunities, such as storage and processing and refining gas to chemicals.

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Top tier clients GES, confirmed Mr Vucins, is trying to find ways to overcome that ‘chicken and egg situation’ by going from grey prod-

ucts to blue or green that use the same infrastructure, or setting up completely new supply chains with partners by producing green ammonia in cheap places, shipping it to Rotterdam and cracking it to hydrogen.

“Once those strategies start to materialise, we can build the infrastructure.”

He added: “What differentiates us is that we have the expertise to build these complex projects with ammonia, LPG and LNG. Being small and with private equity, we are more agile than most and, importantly, global.”

GPS has two noteworthy client relations: with Equinor in Port Klang and Varo in Amsterdam, with GES having relations with Gunvor.

“Collectively we understand what customers want from us,” asserted Mr Vucins.

“What we want to do is to build bespoke assets for top-tier clients that give us a long-term offtake and a clear view as to who is going to use the asset. We aim to build more relations through GES and attract similar premium clients by understanding their bespoke needs and acting on that in a particular time and place.”

He said GES would look to manage between three to six projects as and when the time was right.

“We are very mindful of our ESG and are working to develop our policies further.

Ultimately, we hope to make a big difference with the infrastructure for green ammonia.

Mr Vucins concluded: “The whole premise of GES is for transitional lowcarbon fuels. With greenfield sites and focusing on new markets, we have a major advantage in not being pinned down by massive legacy assets. It is easier for us to start from scratch and build upwards.” n

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VIPO

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PROFILE

DELIVERING HIGH-PERFORMANCE P O LY M E R S O L U T I O N S Vipo is a world leader in developing, manufacturing, and delivering quality corrosion, fire protection and thermal insulation solutions in demanding environments. “We are experts in developing new and unique solutions designed specifically to solve industry challenges,” said Managing Director Thor Hegg Eriksen. Colin Chinery reports.

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he world of offshore asset and operational fire protection is ever more demanding; a speciality in which Vipo stands foremost, with its long record of success and as an innovative pioneer in polymer solutions.

“Reliable, long-term technical products are what we are known for,” said the Norwegian company’s Managing Director, Thor Hegg Eriksen.

With the offshore industry pushing the limits of life expectancy in increasingly harsh conditions, the need for proven and durable passive fire protection (PFP) performance has never been greater.

With the use of rubber in place of other flammable or corrosion-prone materials increasing, and with its highly skilled engineering and product development team, decades long international standing, and a strong reputation for customer service, Vipo is developing and manufacturing world-leading solutions.

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125 years of high performance “We have been delivering high-performance polymer solutions to global industries for 125 years, and with a foundation of outstanding materials expertise and customer service, we support the business goals of clients in a wide and growing range of sectors.

“Products we delivered 50 years ago are still in operation today. Customers do not buy products that are effective just for the next couple of years, but for a lifetime. And major companies have seen over time that this is very cost-beneficial due to extremely reduced maintenance efforts, giving them peace of mind.”

Headquartered at Krokstadelva, 60km east of Oslo, the €45 million turnover company has been in the wider protection sector since 1896, operating under a series of names, opening as a local rubber factory creating galoshes and other rubber footwear products, and re-branding in 1952 to emphasise its expertise in polymeric materials.

“The next 50 years saw enhancement and developing perfection, followed by expansion into the more general and industrial markets in Norway, and then into the automotive sector, including supplying bumpers for Jaguar in the UK; we have always been focused on safety, protecting people and cars in this case.”

1971, and another name change took place, and with it, globalisation and the production of rubber boots, tyres, hoses, and a range of other rubber-based items.

Going global The international trend accelerated in 1987 with its acquisition by Trelleborg.

Sister companies opened in the UK, USA, South East Asia and South America under the Trelleborg Offshore brand, and rubber material technology and engineering

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solutions were rolled out for fire protection, anti-vibration, and load distribution.

The first product for the oil and gas industry had been launched more than 50 years earlier, focused on risers – a critical installation component which the company went on to perfect over the next decades.

But the pivotal point in offshore fire protection issues – and for the company’s rise to pole position – was in early July 1988, when a series of explosions ripped through the Piper Alpha platform, 20 miles northeast of Aberdeen.

It was the world’s biggest offshore oil disaster. 167 men died, many more were injured and traumatised, and financial losses climbed to £2 billion.

Among the lessons learned following a high-profile public enquiry, personal and operational safety, seen to have been an area of complacency, was foremost.

“Safety and fire prevention immediately shot up the agenda for the oil industry, and at this point we started to do a lot of R&D work on how we could further use rubber as fire protection for specific equipment,” reflected Mr Eriksen.

“Since then, we have developed new and extensive solutions for major names such as 50

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Total, Shell and Equinor, including a product for withstanding jet fires as it was called at the time, the like of which had never been on offer before 1988.

“And with the need for fire proofing increasing, we have responded with more research and development, new materials, and new solutions. It’s a 30-year-old story of evolution and working together with major oil companies and suppliers.”

Vipo – the re-brand The most recent evolution – in this case organisational – was in June 2021 when, under new ownership, the former Trelleborg Offshore Norway business was launched as Vipo, with a refocus that includes expansion into new sectors, as well as increasing collaboration, innovation, and performance.

“It is a hugely positive and significant step forward for the business,” said Mr Eriksen. “While we are chiefly an oil and gas company, under this umbrella there are also opportunities to enter a lot of new industries and markets, notably renewables and defence, deploying the expertise and unique technology we have in great depth.

“Our expertise and knowledge in subsea thermal insulation, passive fire protection, and active fireproofing gives us a truly strong foundation. In addition to the continued manufacture of key product lines such as Vikotherm ®, Vikodeck ® and Elastopipe™, Vipo will be moving forward with innovative product development.”

The Vikotherm ® stable of insulation and coating products is designed to combat a series of subsea challenges, including avoiding the formation of hydrate plugs and wax build-up, resistance to cracking, moisture and heat, enhanced joint strength, and combining flexibility and robustness to protect the entire lifespan of a subsea installation.

Demanding applications Elastopipe™ is a unique, corrosion-free, explosion, impact, and jet fire resistant flexible piping system. Made of synthetic rubber, it has been used in demanding offshore applications for more than 20 years.

Firestop, a key material used in most of Vipo’s PFP products, is a rubber-based passive fire protection solution that can be customised to meet the demands of specific offshore oil and gas projects and

installations. By using a layered construction, Firestop provides corrosion, thermal, fire and mechanical protection, safeguarding floating systems and rigs.

“Providing fire safety for people, structures and equipment is something that we do and will continue to do through new innovations,” confirmed Mr Eriksen “Our Firestop solutions ensure that the integrity of structures is maintained in the event of a fire by providing time to evacuate people, close down critical equipment, and for responders to gain control of the fire and evacuate an area.”

Rigorous testing

Managing Director, Thor Hegg Eriksen

All Vipo products are underpinned by rigorous in-house testing.

“Being in-house allows us to be at the leading edge of what it is possible to do with materials, fire scenarios, and how to react,” Mr Eriksen added.

Vipo is now developing a new PFP material; a thin, lightweight, rubber based PFP technology able to withstand the requirements of HHF (high heat flux) testing.

This new maintenance-free technology is capable of withstanding blast, jet and HHF fires, providing significant delays against temperature escalations in risers and other critical equipment. These crucial delays offer potentially life-saving time for people to evacuate, closedown critical equipment and for responders to gain control of a situation.

“We are experts in developing new and unique solutions designed specifically to solve industry challenges,” said Mr Eriksen, adding that sustainability has long been a core priority.

“It’s an on-going concept on which we have been working over the last 10 to 15 years, and we have succeeded

in reducing energy consumption by something like 70% compared with ten years ago.”

He added: “Sustainability means much more to us than just environmental impact; it means providing solutions to the market that provide the highest level of human safety while reducing waste and costs for the customer: while the industry is leaning towards searching for more environmentally friendly solutions, it is a balancing act.”

With the oil sector rising in a bullish market, Mr Erikson foresees prices remaining at between $50 and $70 for a long period. “For the next three to five years I believe this will continue to be a healthy market segment.”

And for Vipo, taking its leading-edge oil and gas technology into new markets, the future is set fair.

Mr Eriksen concluded: “We are experts in developing new and unique solutions designed specifically to solve industry challenges: a high-tech partner for long term, reliable solutions. We have unique people, and unique material and product solutions. You get them here, and you won’t get them anywhere else.” n Inside Oil & Gas

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SUBSEA ENVIROMENTAL SERVICES

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SUSTAINABLE

SOLUTIONS TO SUBMARINE CABLE CONUNDRUMS

Subsea Environmental Services is an independent environmental marine company that safely removes and recycles thousands of telecommunications cables from the bottom of the world’s oceans. Co-founder John Theodoracopulos revealed how the removal of man-made material from nature is being re-purposed. Profile by Andy Probert.

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emoving out-of-service (OOS) telecommunications cabling from the seabed has become a highly specialised art for Subsea Environmental Services (SES), a privately-owned New York company.

SES purchased its first coaxial cable in 2012 and commenced marine operations in 2014. Since then, the company has completed 26 missions and recovered 30,000km of submarine cable, more than any other party during this period.

That equates to more than 50,000 metric tonnes of man-made material, which has been successfully re-introduced into the world’s supply chain. This material includes ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals and plastics, all of the highest quality.

“But only a small percentage of the out-of-service telegraph, coaxial, and fibre optic cable has ever been recovered to date, and every year more systems are being laid on the seabed,” said SES co-founder and Managing Partner John Theodoracopulos.

Hence, SES has quickly evolved from a promising concept to a viable, sustainable business. As new technology develops, making older systems redundant, these OOS cables present a significant opportunity for recycling, given their constituent high-grade materials.

“The removal of obsolete cable systems from the world’s oceans is also an excellent example of environmental stewardship and demonstrates our corporate responsibility,” he added.

SES was built on the extensive experience of cabling professionals who spotted a potential gap in the market. “In the course of looking at a new project, we looked at route clearance in bringing out old cables, and we looked at what residual value they may have,” he said.

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SUBSEA ENVIROMENTAL SERVICES

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Careful approach The company scaled the business up using a highly modified 55,000 DWT general-purpose vessel with a single hold containing five cable tanks to spool in and store recovered cable.

“There is no playbook here, no guidelines, so we started carefully and have retained captains, crew and winchmen, who understand the capabilities of the vessel.”

Mr Theodoracopulos said: “For every tonne of material we retrieve from the ocean floor and re-use is a tonne less of raw material being sourced and extracted to achieve the same goal. It helps offset the earth’s dwindling natural resources.

“Recycling these cables is both a viable and intelligent proposition while also demonstrating marine environmental leadership. Additional benefits include a significant reduction in CO2 output when compared to the production of similar materials from virgin feedstock.”

Re-introducing valuable, high-quality materials from redundant submarine cables also allows SES’ clients to demonstrate a smarter, responsible approach to managing their carbon footprints and green agendas.

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Mr Theodoracopulos said experts are presently validating its extraction achievements to demonstrate their positive impact on the planet.

“As the company has increased its capacity, we wanted to dig deeper and find out what it all means. But we’re proud with what we have accomplished: 50,000 metric tonnes is just the start and will reap benefits to the global marine eco-system.”

He added: “90% of our work has been in the Atlantic basin and the Mediterranean over the last six years. As we acquire more assets across the planet, we want to be able to deploy more resources, but it requires the right vessel, equipment and crews.”

Depending on the location of its mission, the vessel offloads its cabling cargo across the world, including Egypt, Panama, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the Bahamas, where the cable is shipped overland to a processing facility or transferred to another ship to be taken elsewhere for recycling.

Mr Theodoracopulos, who has 30 years of experience in the marine and telecoms industries, explained that SES essentially

We have built up an excellent reputation in the sector, and our clients trust us to do what we say we are going to do

acquires portfolios of end-of-life cabling direct from the telecommunications companies.

SES does extensive research to identify the cabling routes and marine operations required to ensure an efficient and safe conclusion to individual projects.

“We acquire a depreciated asset and remove any potential liability. We recover it from the seabed and recycle the material ourselves, through a partnership or under contract. And then we sell the cable or the material,” he elaborated.

“As we increase our capacity, we want to get as close to our endusers as possible. We retrieve 10,000 tonnes a year of material, broken down between ferrous, non-ferrous and plastics. Almost 99% we recover is recyclable and recycled, so there is a very high yield on that material.

“We want to increase that capacity by as much as three times in the coming years and get as close to the end-users, and do away with the middle-men.”

Best-in-class risk management Mr Theodoracopulos continued: “SES is one of only a handful of companies within this niche. There are specific cables that have certain materials and have to be disposed of in a certain way, and that’s what we do.

“When you look at popular cabling routes, they are extremely crowded, and cables often lie on top of another. In one region, we acquire cables from different eras and then remove them in reverse order to increase our yield. As we have got better at what we do, we have refined our processes.”

The key to the company’s success is consistently applying best-inclass risk management procedures, from planning and peer review through all phases of the physical cable recovery operations.

Carrying over 95% of the world’s data and voice traffic, the global submarine cable infrastructure is the keystone of our modern world economy. Maintaining its integrity is a core principle of SES. Combining an experienced team, best-in-class technical and operational management, market-leading third party suppliers, and innovative customers allow SES to deliver focused turnkey projects on a global scale.

Recovery of OOS cable systems requires strict adherence to a core set of risk management procedures at all planning and operational levels. SES applies all applicable International Cable Protection Committee recommendations, for the recovery of OOS submarine cables, as the basis for its risk management procedures.

SES is also certified to ISO:9001 and ISO:1400, so maintaining a high degree of transparency and a responsible approach to manage cable recovery operations.

Concluding, Mr Theodoracopulos said: “We have built up an excellent reputation in the sector, and our clients trust us to do what we say we are going to do. We have kept the vessel operating throughout the pandemic, and that consistency has enabled us to demonstrate we are extremely serious in our work.” n Inside Oil & Gas

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AL FANAR GAS GROUP

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THE UAE’S

TRUSTED GAS PARTNER

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AL

Fanar Gas Group, with over 32 years’ experience catering for the energy needs of the UAE, commands the largest market share of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG) and Natural Gas (NG) in the Emirate.

This experience has gained the company an outstanding reputation – a quality of services which can be seen in over 5,000 projects across the UAE. These include some of the region’s most iconic projects.

Al Fanar’s clients include major developers, consultants and contractors for both private and public projects in commercial, industrial, and residential segments. The company is an Abu Dhabi National Oil

Company (ADNOC) authorised distributor of LPG and currently has distributed more than 70 million litres per year, largely thanks to its sizeable fleet of road tankers.

The success of Al Fanar can be partly attributed to its company values, as defined by Vice Chairman and Managing Director Mr Ali Alaa El Gebely: “Our company motto is ‘Your Safety is our Priority; Quality is our Standard’. To achieve our continued client satisfaction, Al Fanar is persistent in enhancing our services by utilising the latest technology in the Inside Oil & Gas

Mr Ali Alaa El Gebely, Vice Chairman

One of the leading oil and gas companies in the UAE, Al Fanar Gas Group has built a reputation as a specialist in LPG, SNG and natural gas distribution systems. Founded on the vision of Mr El Gebely and headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the company also operates in several locations across the Middle East. The company’s sophisticated distribution systems have since been used in several of the region’s most iconic projects, as in well as thousands of homes and businesses. Article by Jordan Yallop.

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gas sector and being the best energy provider we can to our valued clients.

“Al Fanar is transparent to new opportunities and partnerships which aim to strengthen and widen our service quality to an international level.”

Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the company has established fully operational branches in Dubai, Al Ain, Fujairah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Oman. From these locations Al Fanar’s experts drive innovation by providing bespoke design, consultation, and feasibility studies for all types of gas projects imaginable. Meanwhile, the company’s trading arm delivers some of the most advanced equipment from reputable manufacturers around the globe.

A pioneering attitude At its heart Al Fanar is a pioneer, and having brought the latest gas energy technology to the UAE, the company is no stranger to being first.

“We were the first company to design, procure and install a natural gas network in a residential development in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi,” outlined Mr El Gebely. “The installation took place in Al Raha Gardens Phase 1,2,3,4 and 5 and now services over 1,370 villas.

“We were also first to implement a smart metering system to stream-line the process 60

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of gas monitoring and payment in the Etihad Towers Complex.”

Adding to this, Al Fanar was also the first company to install an SNG system in Abu Dhabi, which was designed and built for the gas infrastructure of Al Reem Island.

This bespoke system was designed to adhere to ADNOC and GASCO specifications; an accomplishment positioning Al Fanar as both a market leader and industry front-runner.

The company also introduced Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) to the UAE market. This technology is designed to streamline operational efficiency and labour by using automation to check meter levels. And in a similar vein, the company is also changing the conventional approach the gas industry has towards digitalisation.

Mr El Gebely said: “To enhance our customer service transaction, which is created through our digital platform by an application that is connected to Al Fanar’s ERP System, the focus of our digitalisation is to improve the productivity and real time information updates in addition to our first initial step on going paperless.

“Al Fanar Gas Group has fully implemented digitalisation; we believe that applying the latest technology is a real weapon in any business growth.”

Comprehensive service Al Fanar Gas Group has four main operational segments; engineering, construction, LPG distribution and maintenance.

On the engineering front, the company provides design, supply, consulting, installation and testing of gas systems. The company’s engineering department has taken major steps in gas system design, involving both external and internal gas system installations.

Speaking about the construction segment, Mr El Gebely added: “We ensure that all construction phases are coordinated with value engineering and procurement scope, this is to ensure that the whole project is completed per the required time frame.”

LPG distribution in bulk is another of the company’s main segments, and has approved ADNOC’s resale and distribution partner status. Al Fanar LPG is transported to its valued clients across the UAE in a timely manner.

This final segment that Al Fanar is involved in is maintenance and 24/7 emergency call outs. “Al Fanar is fully equipped to handle any type of gas emergency with our highly skilled team and equipped emergency response vehicle that are ready to accommodate any type of gas emergency,” Mr El Gebely stated.

A testament to quality In addition to ADNOC certification, Al Fanar is also an integral part of the National InCountry Value (ICV) Program. The ICV is a government initiative that aims to boost economic growth by redirecting larger portions of public spending into the national economy.

The program seeks to achieve the optimum value for the UAE oil and gas resources. In the process, Al Fanar has also been recognised as ADNOC’s largest distributor of LPG in Abu Dhabi.

Recently Al Fanar signed a four-year contract with Abu Dhabi Ports Group for operations, maintenance, and meter management of natural gas facilities in ICAD, Musaffah, and KIZAD. Speaking further about ongoing projects, Mr El Gebely added: “Al Fanar is operating in 90% of the UAE’s hospitality sector and has been awarded six ADNOC tender projects for the past six years.

We are proud to operate with some of the most eminent companies in the UAE like

DAMAC, Line Investment, ICT, Tamakon, Scope Properties, Al Saqer and East & West International Group.”

Other developments Al Fanar has been involved in include Yas Island – one of the most prominent leisure developments in Abu Dhabi. The company also had a hand in Al Qana Aquarium, which opened in 2021 as Abu Dhabi’s national aquarium, and was also a part of the 1 million sqm Jewel of the Creek development.

The strength of spirit In the future, Al Fanar plans to continue its innovation and to enhance current services for all its clients. In line with this, the company is actively expanding and is on track to achieve its goals in the UAE – as well as expanding further into the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

All of this has been possible due to the company’s spirit, well-trained staff and certified technical teams. The company recognises that the strengths and responsibilities of an individual may differ, but the overall vision is shared. This common goal has seen Al Fanar enjoy uninterrupted expansion over the last five years, with a growth rate of 300%.

Mr El Gebely closed: “We give importance to every single person in our company, as we believe that each person has contributed to the company’s growth.

We have employees that have been working with Al Fanar for 15 years – from this we are able to accomplish great results and it is what drives Al Fanar to keep moving forward.

“Our team is behind our success; our staff is Al Fanar’s foundation.” n

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S A I L I N G B R AV E LY

WHERE OTHERS FEAR TO TREAD Africa, as it is sometimes said, is not for the weak. It is a place full of unique challenges and hard-working people, but it also offers vast opportunities for those who are sufficiently brave and determined. Universal Africa Lines has established itself as a specialist, niche provider of shipping services to the especially challenging West Africa region. Dennis Malkoc, Business Development Head, spoke to Richard Hagan about what it takes to master the African seas.

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here’s no getting around it: Doing business in Africa is far from easy.

Generally speaking, the continent lacks basic infrastructure and government services that are commonplace in more developed nations. The political landscape is awash with instability and many economies are undeveloped.

But despite it all, Africa’s people are hardworking, tenacious, and they want a better future for themselves and their families, just like anyone else. They are entrepreneurs and visionaries and they are ready to work for a better life. It is truly a vast, often untapped pool of optimism and hope.

When Roger Jungblut came to West Africa in the early 1970s, it was to see the circumstances there for himself and to quantify the challenges faced by the region. He witnessed the lack of infrastructure first hand, but he also saw the opportunity presented by the area’s growing oil and gas industry and the fact that Nigeria did not have a sea link 62

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with Houston, where much of the local industry’s equipment would need to come from.

And so, in 1973 he set up Universal Africa Lines (UAL) to create that missing sea link.

A unique niche Today, UAL is a specialist cargo carrier focused on hauling oil and gas industry cargo, and project freight, from Europe and the US to West Africa. The company has recently also added a shipping lane from the Mediterranean to West Africa.

From its headquarters in Rotterdam, its contingent of 40 specialist staff ensures that its vessels are kept busy, safe, and on schedule at all times.

In addition to its Rotterdam facility, UAL has sister companies in Houston, Aberdeen and Denmark who are each in charge of the specific shipping lanes that depart from those regions. The Denmark-based office is the newest addition to the UAL, family and is responsible for chartering opera-

tions in general, and more specifically for the company’s new Mediterranean route.

UAL’s two most important destinations are Nigeria and Angola. UAL is the only direct Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV) liner service connecting the US and Europe with West-Africa.

“99% of the time when your cargo is shipped with UAL, it will remain on board until we reach the final destination as per the clients wishes,” explained UAL’s Head of Business Development, Dennis Malkoc.

“No transhipments are made unless the final destination has certain restrictions such as low draft. For that we use our very own UAL – owned K5 terminal located on the island of Bioko in Equatorial Guinea, which is a free zone and has been part of the UAL family since 2000. A prime example is our service to Malongo port in Angola with our own UAL Lobito from Malabo.”

Conducting business operations on a continent without the political continuity and infrastructural stability of more

developed nations, calls for extreme levels of flexibility and an ability to make decisions on the fly. According to Mr Malkoc, the company’s philosophy revolves around its flexibility.

“We are the only MPV liner service with direct routes from the US Gulf and Europe to West Africa. Because of that we have quick and reliable transit times.”

Assets on the water The company’s impressive fleet of eight ships has been carefully developed to ensure that it can deliver maximum value for its clients at all times and on all routes.

First up is M/V UAL Lobito. This breakbulk cargo ship is specifically designed for the West-African feeder business.

Built in 2003 with a very shallow draft, she is the perfect vessel to reach those hard to reach ports/places. Her two cranes have an individual capacity of 36 tonnes and a combined lifting capacity of 70, serving her cargo capacity of 6,258 cbm.

Next we have the 2011 built M/V UAL Africa. This breakbulk vessel, with a 10,774 cbm cargo capacity and two cranes, (each able to hoist 60 metric tonnes or 120 metric tonnes combined), is the sister ship to the company’s MV UAL Bodewes – built in 2012 and boasting the same capabilities. UAL Africa, Bodewes and Houston all feature ultra-modern, wave-piercing X-Bow type hull designs.

Seeing the success of Africa and Bodewes, the company added the aforementioned MV UAL Houston, built in 2012. Her 11,970 cbm in bale grain capacity is facilitated by two cranes on her port side. Individually the cranes can hoist 60 metric tonnes, and 120 when combined. It is the sister ship to the company’s MV UAL Cologne and MV UAL Texas, built in 2014, although Cologne and Texas have two cranes with 80 metric tonnes capacity. And just like UAL Africa and Bodewes, they feature X-Bow hulls.

These vessels are categorised as green vessels, due to them lowering UAL’s Inside Oil & Gas

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carbon footprint and offering fuel savings of 30% compared to industry standards.

UAL was one of the first to implement this revolutionary design within the MPV market.

“Over the last couple of years, UAL has seen a growing need in heavy lifts so we decided to invest in the massive cargo ship M/V UAL Fortitude, built in 2008, designed to take on some of the bigger shipments,” said Mr Malkoc. “With a 15,952 cbm bale/ grain capacity and her two cranes offering a combined hoisting capacity of 360 metric tonnes, she is equipped for every challenge.”

And finally, in January, UAL welcomed an eighth vessel to its fleet: the 138m long M/V UAL Manitoba was built in 2007 at Jiangdong Shipyard in China and boasts a cargo hold capacity of 15,953 cbm. Her two massive cranes offer 120 metric tonnes of lifting capability each, for a combined 240 metric tonnes.

“In addition to our own fleet, we always look at the long-term charter market to add additional tonnage in support of our fleet,” remarked Mr Malkoc. “Currently we have four chartered vessels added to our fleet.

Africa: not for the weak According to Mr Malkoc, UAL’s business model benefits from a widely-held perception that doing business in Africa is difficult and problematic.

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“For a lot of our European and US clients, Africa equals problems and a lot of risk.

They’re afraid of the risks of doing business there,” he said. “We’ve been working in Africa for so long that it now gives us a special edge in terms of what we can offer our clients versus our competitors.

We go to ports that our competitors don’t and won’t go to.”

In its almost 50 year history of working in West Africa, UAL has developed relationships with local agents. It’s critical to the company’s success in the region.

“We have a strong network of local agents who we choose carefully and with whom we’ve worked for a long time,” Mr Malkoc confirmed.

This network is particularly instrumental in the company’s efforts to secure its ships, its seafarers and its cargo against the biggest ongoing regional challenge facing its assets: piracy.

“The Gulf of Guinea has a lot of piracy problems; it’s the main problem we face,” noted Mr Malkoc. “We’ve had our share in the past. It’s a fact of doing business in the area and we have to prepare the best that we can.

“There are three important measures we adopt. First off, we have a strong and reliable agent in each country; next, we follow the local government and security company rules and regulations to the letter; and finally, we don’t take unneces-

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sary risks. If, for example, you know that you’re nearing a piracy hot zone, then avoid it. Absorb the extra miles. Don’t be a ‘cowboy’,” Mr Malkoc stressed.

Local and international navies provide ongoing anti-piracy patrols in the region as well as convoy escorts to protect commercial vessels transiting the area. UAL also retains the services of maritime risk control service provider Praesidium International to review, implement and assess security measures onboard UAL ships as well as to

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train its seafarers. Where necessary, armed guards and security escort vessels are employed to safeguard its vessels as well.

On the back of a buoyant global maritime freight trade, UAL had a highly successful 2021 and is looking forward to an equally positive 2022.

“There is high demand for our services in our shipping lanes, so we urge our clients to plan ahead and contact us well in advance to avoid possible delays on their projects,” Mr Malkoc concluded. n

BC SERVICE

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When disaster strikes at sea and the lives of seafarers hang in the balance, all of a vessel’s emergency equipment must be in perfect working order and ready to go. Lives literally depend on it. BC Service, based in Italy, has a proud decades-long record of ensuring that lifesaving equipment on its clients’ ships is excellently maintained. Andrea Bruzzo, General Manager at BC Service, spoke to Richard Hagan about the business of protecting life at sea.

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Service (bcserviceinc.com) has a rich history dating as far back as 1942. Originally trading under the name Bianchi & Cecchi as a specialist lifeboat manufacturer based in Genoa, Italy, over the years that followed the company gradually evolved its product-based offering into a service-focused offering that was itself constantly adapted according to client demands on global scale.

Today, BC Service has pivoted away from lifeboat manufacturing and now offers specialised servicing of life-saving appliances (LSAs) and FFE services, through the very recent acquisition of Shipping Safety, on seagoing vessels. The equipment within those categories include things like davits the winches responsible for hoisting and lowering lifeboats the lifeboats themselves, and anything else on board relating to the vessel’s lifesaving and firefighting equipment.

BC Service also supplies spare parts for the whole LSA and FFE family of equipment.

Global facilities The company services client vessels worldwide thanks to its global facilities footprint. Apart from its headquarters in Miami, USA, its six main service facilities are strategically located in Algeciras, Genoa, La Spezia, Rotterdam, Shanghai, and Singapore. In addition, it has multiple local resources scattered around the world.

All seven locations boast all of the machinery and other equipment needed to carry out the company’s full shore-based service offering such as services, testing, overhauls and repair work.

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Across all of its locations, the company currently employs approximately 150 staff members, the majority of which – around 100 – are specialised, highly qualified service engineers. According to Andrea Bruzzo, BC Service’s General Manager, these are far from your ordinary engineers.

“Our job is highly regulated. We have straightforward requirements from an international regulatory standpoint that govern the people we can employ as service engineers. They must have a mechanical background with two years’ experience and be trained on certain kinds of equipment before they are able to start carrying out inspections.”

In 2021, BC Service launched its brand new, state-of-the-art staff training facility near Genoa. It took six months to build and is a shining feather in the company’s hat.

“This facility is something that not many companies have,” remarked Mr Bruzzo.

Besides being able to train our personnel without relying on anyone else, it’s also a business opportunity because we can offer training services for personnel from other companies.”

The facility exists not only for training or certifying new hires, but also to ensure that BC Services’ engineers are able to practice and continuously hone their skills. After all, lives might literally depend on their ability to do their job properly and thoroughly.

“When we identify an issue, we need to be able to establish how to fix it,” stated Mr Bruzzo. “For that reason, the staff need to be at the top of their game at all times.”

BC Service is an Approved Service Provider according to Resolution 402(96) for hundreds of makes and categories of equipment, covering the majority of the ships and rigs presently in operation globally. Additionally, in 2009 the company received its ISO 9001-2008 (currently upgraded to ISO 9001:2015) and IMO and IACS Members Certifications.

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The responsibility of protecting life at sea “Our daily responsibility as a business is to ensure that the lifesaving equipment onboard a vessel works properly at all times – especially when an emergency happens that requires the crew to abandon the vessel,” Mr Bruzzo emphasised. “When maintenance is carried out correctly, we see LSA and FFE equipment failures occur then, rather than during an emergency when the equipment is needed most. That’s the reason that ongoing and proper maintenance is so critical.”

Potential failure points on LSA and FFE equipment are numerous and they reinforce the criticality of the work that BC Services’ engineers do on a daily basis.

“We see lifeboat release hooks that don’t open, oil on the brake pads of winches, or completely seized brakes that would prevent a lifeboat from safely getting into the water at all,” revealed Mr Bruzzo. “We’ve also seen sheaves that are bent, cutting any rope that goes into it and causing the lifeboat to fall into the water, and cracks in the fibreglass of lifeboats, allowing water in and potentially resulting in catastrophe.”

He added: “The marine environment is very aggressive.

Seafarers don’t always know how to operate or maintain LSA and FFE equipment properly at sea, so our main concern is having many eyes on every job to ensure that we’re able to foresee tomorrow’s issues.”

Covid chaos and diversification The cruise ship industry was especially hard hit during Covid, with the world’s cruise ships sitting idle for most of 2020 and many remaining so during much of 2021. And at the time of writing, the confidence in 2022’s industry is mixed, to say the least.

This has proved challenging for BC Service, for which the cruise industry was its biggest customer. Almost overnight, its main revenue streams dried up.

“We’ve been heavily hit by Covid,” Mr Bruzzo confirmed.

“Cruise operators stopped their vessels and carried out only the minimum mandatory inspection activities. Inspections were not a priority because they were just trying to survive the pandemic. There were months where we were wondering if and how we’d survive.”

Fortunately, for a company that has survived the end of World War 2, it was going to take more than a pandemic to put an end to it.

“In early 2021 we managed to stabilise the business despite low revenue. Things are improving now and the challenges of Covid have simply pushed us to embrace new ventures and new opportunities. We learnt that anything can change at a moment’s notice and that diversification is extremely important.”

In keeping with that theme, the company has very recently completed the acquisition of an FFE service provider located in Rotterdam and Algeciras, Shipping Safety (shipping-safety.com).

“The company is significantly expanding its service offering beyond simply servicing and maintaining lifeboat-related LSAs. It places us in the market as a broader safety player outside of our current work scope,” Mr Bruzzo hinted, adding that this new venture goes back to the heart of the company’s ethos of responding and adapting to client demands.

“A year and a half ago in 2020 we were worried about whether we’d survive, but now we’re adding a new chapter to our story,” he smiled.

Reaching out to new horizons “We sell quality,” Mr Bruzzo emphasised. “It’s a broad and generic term, but to us, it means that we carry out the job properly. Not only according to each customer’s needs but also in line with clas-

Covid has simply pushed us to embrace new ventures and new opportunities sification society requirements. It refers to the quality of our suppliers and of course our personnel. So when we say quality, it’s an all-round concept.”

The company has an evaluation tool that is given to customers every time its crews board one of the client’s vessels. Based on just shy of 3,000 evaluations in 2020, BC Service’s engineers scored an 89% customer satisfaction rating. Data for 2021 is still being compiled, but the company’s goal was 91% and Mr Bruzzo said he is confident that this figure will be reached or exceeded.

BC Service has historically been well-connected in the cruise ship industry, boasting established relationships with all of the big fleet owners. With the chaos of Covid now mostly behind us, the company is looking to broaden its market and connect with vessel owners in the oil and gas industry.

“We are leaders in the cruise industry and now we want to reach out to the oil and gas industry to start establishing our services there, too,” Mr Bruzzo concluded.

With full ISO certification and detailed ISO audit trails, highly qualified and constantly retrained engineering personnel, and a global footprint able to respond to customers anywhere in the world, BC Services is ready to take on the most demanding projects wherever they may be needed. n

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CORROSION

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Netherlands-based company CORROSION has grown into an internationally recognised leader providing creative anti-fouling and corrosion solutions for vessels, offshore wind farms, and onshore applications. These sophisticated systems are used worldwide, protecting valuable assets in the most adverse conditions.

Profile by Andy Probert.

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stablished in 1993, CORROSION has grown from a small unit in Moerkapelle in the Netherlands to become a global player in anti-fouling and corrosion protection, with subsidiaries in Germany, France, China and Vietnam.

Whether it is wind turbines or tankers, metal surfaces exposed to the elements are vulnerable. This can present significant economic cost in terms of replacement or repair, and significant danger in the event of catastrophic equipment failures.

CORROSION has developed internationally recognised sustainable solutions and cathodic protection. The company’s highly sophisticated ICCP and ICAF systems are utilised to protect offshore and onshore assets for the most demanding conditions.

New technologies Consistent development led the company and its partners to create a non-chemical alternative anti-fouling method utilising UV-C light for the marine sector.

CORROSION’s Sales Manager and UV-C specialist Henk van der Lip explained the company had combined two existing technologies; UV-C light, a superb technology to prevent fouling, and pillow plate technology which provides high-efficient cooling; to create tailor-made UV-C box coolers.

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UV-C technology provides complete environmental box cooler fouling protection, even with stagnant water in the box cooler sea chest. The UV-C uses underlying technology based on Philips IP to eliminate fouling growth.

UV-C coolers can be used for both retrofit and new builds. For retrofits, the UV-C cooler is designed to be backwards compatible with the existing box cooler. On new builds, the cooler is custom-designed.

“It is a proud moment for us to develop a ground-breaking system as a marine growth protection mechanism. The innovation is unlike anything on the market and fits today’s needs for sustainable solutions,” commented Mr van der Lip. “The result is two existing and proven technologies combined in one product which helps increase operational efficiency, reduces costs and limits environmental impact.”

Ultraviolet light in its C spectrum is a green way of protecting the cooler against all types of marine growth and is highly effective in virtually all circumstances. The bulb is mounted in a quartz tube that can endure high pressure, minimising the risk of breakage.

The UV-C light breaks down the cell structure and DNA of all different types of fouling which tend to settle on the pillow plates or in their direct surroundings. As the UV-C coolers are mounted inside the sea chests, they are safe for other sea life and areas within the UV-C light range remain free of fouling.

The coolers are installed in sea chests with inlet and outlets.

When a vessel sails, seawater enters the inlet grid and passes through the pillow plates. Here the cooling takes place, and heated seawater exits the sea chest from the outlet grids.

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increasing in temperature. The heat transfer is completed by a controlled flow of cooling liquid through the pillow-shaped plates.

The pillow plate heat transfer technique has a higher efficiency than current tube technique, and has been used for decades across other industries.

Mr van der Lip added: “Since the innovation three years ago, we have installed units on many vessels. Our first installation is still going strong today. One client, who has taken another unit on board, has 400 vessels in their fleet, so there is plenty of potential.

“Depending on the type and size of the vessel, there can be one to 20 cooler boxes aboard. We are interested in extending it to other vessels, such as dredgers and luxury yachts, and are talking to a navy with a view to installing the solution.”

Leading ICCP system for wind CORROSION is also a world leader in developing solutions for the wind energy sector. Its Impressed Current Cathodic Protection (ICCP) system protects various vital and valuable equipment and structures onshore and offshore.

The company is presently bolstering its presence in key offshore and wind energy sector markets with the appointments of dedicated agents to serve the UK, European, Asian and US markets at a time of rapid growth in the demand for sustainable energy.

“CORROSION is proud of its reputation as a partner with a truly global reach and local expertise,” said Bart Wessels, Chief Commercial Officer. “Through these new appointments and our unique ICCP systems, we will be able to help companies become more eco-friendly and protect vital infrastructures.”

ICCP is a protection system that consists of Mixed Metal Oxide (MMO) coated titanium anodes connected to an external power

source. This power source provides the current that leads to the electrochemical reaction required for cathodic protection.

Mr van der Lip said ICCP, as the most cost-effective, easy-tomaintain and environmentally friendly solution, presently helps protect over 2,500 offshore wind turbine foundations.

ICCP requires only a limited number of ICCP anodes and sensors to work effectively for more than 25 years – well in excess of the life of a wind turbine. As a result, the same system can continue to be used even if the offshore wind farm’s lifetime is extended.

Another advantage is that they are equipped with a standard feature to take data readings. Adjustments can be made from an offshore wind farm control centre rather than having to do so on location.

Recently, CORROSION was commissioned for 80 transition pieces to be built and assembled at Antwerp’s Smulders yard as part of the Saint-Nazaire wind farm. During this phase, the ICCP system and anodes will be installed and then be transported to France and become part of the wind farm off the coast of Saint-Nazaire.

“A typical offshore windfarm consisting of 80 monopile foundations will dissolve about 1.5 million kilograms of this aluminium alloy into the ocean over 25 years,” revealed Mr Wessels. “In addition, the carbon footprint of manufacturing these sacrificial aluminum anodes should be considered while evaluating a cathodic protection system.

“In the same application, a CORROSION ICCP system will release only 1kg of material into the ocean. Truly the ICCP system is the only green solution for corrosion protection in offshore wind energy.”

More potential opportunities “We keep in close contact with clients through a strong agent network,” said Mr van der Lip. “We listen to them and provide data feedback to clients so they are completely aware of the solutions in action. If there is a problem, we can react quickly.”

Playing an essential part of the business is CORROSION’s unique research laboratory at Moerkapelle.

“While we have a sound reputation and proven products, we strive to pioneer in ways that go beyond theory and ideas,” he said.

“Our lab is an ideal place to test and continue our mission to bring the most sophisticated, high-quality products and services available in cathodic protection and anti-fouling technologies for the long term. The lab really differentiates us within the market.

This is the place where we build on our many years of experience and expertise.”

Mr van der Lip acknowledged that 90% of CORROSION’s products are exported, with the offshore and maritime sectors claiming an equal split in business.

“We are continuing to grow, particularly in the offshore wind business, and we tend to export mainly to Europe and Asia,” he said. “We are a company with a lot of experience and good service, create products in line with the environment as a priority, such as the UV-C Cooler. Because we are highly specialised, we can offer highly detailed knowledge to clients.”

He concluded: “Our laboratory can further unlock that potential as there are still huge opportunities to maximise CORROSION’s influence within its chosen markets.” n Inside Oil & Gas

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NGS OIL AND GAS

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DIVERSIFICATION showing no signs of drying up

It might seem strange that one of Europe’s leading subsea equipment manufacturers operates from a country 64th in the world’s table of major oil producers. But for Poland’s NGS Oil and Gas SA, one of the reasons for its world-beating expertise lies in the past. James Wills reports.

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hen we think of the origins of the oil industry, many naturally picture dusty Texan scrublands or explorers in arid deserts. In fact the first oil well in the world was sunk at Bóbrka Field in Poland in 1854, at the foot of the Carpathian mountains.

For centuries, oil had seeped to the surface in the region and locals had used it in many ways, for example using it to waterproof the wooden roofs of their homes.

As developments in science and technology found new uses for this black gold, the Carpathian reserves were plundered, and for decades Poland was the third largest oil producer in the world.

That goes some way towards explaining why the country – and one company in particular – has an international reputation for the production of technological equipment and high quality machined components for the oil and gas industries.

NGS Oil and Gas, which is based in Krosno, to the south of the country, is a leader in the field.

“Thanks to the country’s oil and gas industry heritage, there is a tradition of numerous companies in this region specialising in various aspects of the industry, from drilling companies to equipment manufacturers,” said Marketing Director, Maciej Scheibinger.

The call of the subsea However, by around 2010, demand for such services in Poland dramatically declined following major reductions in investment in the sector. At that time, NGS concentrated on manufacturing equipment, predominantly for the gas industry, so the company had to diversify and find new opportunities.

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Marketing Director, Maciej Scheibinger

NGS OIL AND GAS

“Our sterling reputation in machining and fabrication resulted in an approach by oil companies operating in the subsea sector, mainly from the UK and Norway, to see if we could work with them,” revealed Mr Scheibinger.

“Although we had no real experience in the subsea market, the fabrication methods we use, the welding specialities we offer and the machining requirements are largely the same as what we were doing for on-shore clients, although the specifications regarding operating in such environments is higher.”

Before long, NGS was manufacturing components for subsea Christmas trees, (which control the pressure of extraction and perform other tasks at wellheads), and subsequently diversified into manufacturing components for other subsea installations and equipment.

With its own purpose built machining shop, production and assembly facilities complete with ten tonne cranes, a shot blasting and paint shop, as well as a specialised measurement laboratory, the services NGS offers are diverse.

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fabrications such as upper frames, funnels, ROV panels, brackets, supports and plates. It also specialises in creating pressure vessels for the petrochemical industry.

So in layman’s terms, what is the company’s business model?

Mr Scheibinger said: “We do not produce off the shelf equipment, but can be approached by clients needing components, either to be made or fitted together, according to their precise specifications.

“It is rather like the motor industry; the leading names do not produce every part for cars, but contract different companies to supply different components. We supply them with such components and, because of our expertise, we also often help companies design the production process of such pieces in the first place, to improve design, simplify it, make it more manufacturing friendly or to reduce the cost.

“At the moment about 60% of our work is based on such fabrication, with the rest on general machining across a wide range of markets. We also act as a service provider for other local companies when they require components, or machine fabricated parts to precise dimensions.”

The majority of the company’s customers are outside Poland but within Europe, although it has also worked for companies right across the globe from Brazil, the USA and Asia.

in hydrogen production which has the technical requirements for the types of work we specialise in. We are also looking at our manufacturing capacity for tooling for factories and product manufacturing lines.”

Such diversification is never possible without a hit being taken on a company’s bottom line. In the case of NGS, any additional investments on production facilities and new machinery will be intrinsically linked to the ongoing success the company expects to enjoy in the subsea sector.

“Subsea technology may be the main bedrock of our company for many years to come,” affirmed Mr Scheibinger.

The company is also looking to the future in other ways, having invested is solar panels which now meet its electricity needs for most of the year, and also having put other policies in place with the aim of being carbon neutral.

Raw material challenges “Obviously a limiting factor for international growth is the fact that big pieces of kit are time consuming and expensive to export, so naturally companies thousands of miles away tend to have more local supply chains,” remarked Mr Scheibinger.

Ongoing diversification Having changed its core business and diversified within the last ten years, NGS has not stopped there. The company plans to further adapt its operation to meet future needs.

Mr Scheibinger said: “The oil and gas business is a turbulent one.

In 2016 prices fell, and the sector was then hit again by the Covid pandemic which affected the amount of investment companies were making in new projects. However, new orders are coming in again.

“Diversifying one’s client base is something all companies strive for, but we also have to bear in mind the global economy will be dependent on oil and gas energy for decades for come. The question of what it will be replaced with has not yet been solved, and we always have to make sure we have the capacity to dynamically respond to our existing customers’ needs.

However, in an ideal world, over the coming decade we would like to move more into new sectors. For example, rail investment is increasing heavily in Europe, both in infrastructure and rolling stock, partly motivated by the environmental benefits of rail travel.”

Mr Scheibinger said NGS would also like to look into expanding its machining capacity to give the company even more flexibility to enter additional market segments, citing automotive and aerospace as two potentials.

“We would also like to become more heavily involved in the renewable energy segment – not in windfarms for example, but

So apart from fluctuations in the oil and gas industry itself, what other challenges is the company facing?

Mr Scheibinger said: “One headache affecting us at the moment is the global increase in the price of raw materials. The cost of steel for example is 75% higher than it was in 2019 and the majority of other materials, from plastics to wood, have also risen sharply, and that’s if you can source them.

“While we have enough stock to meet the needs of current contracts, it is simply a fact of life that while these prices remain so high, there will be impacts on the cost of future projects for our clients.

A second problem, identified by Mr Scheibinger, which is also hitting companies right across the world, is recruiting the specialised people needed with the relevant welding and machine operating experience.

“It seems more and more people just want office jobs,” he remarked. “In Poland we are luckier than most countries in this aspect, but I know of some local companies which have had to cut back their operations simply because they cannot get the right specialised staff.”

Despite such challenges Mr Scheibinger and his colleagues at NGS are looking ahead with optimism.

“At NGS we have a wealth of experience in very specialised fields and can economically compete against anyone in Europe in cost terms. The major change we experienced in the core of our business relatively recently means we have experience in being adaptable and meeting the new needs of our clients, and we are always looking to expand our field of operations further.”

He concluded: “We are a dynamic, customer-focused company and we look forward to continued growth, whatever challenges the market and the world economy throw at us.” n Inside Oil & Gas

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RAISING

THE BAR

OFFSHORE Norway’s AXTech AS is a specialist designer and engineer of offshore heavy lifting and handling equipment. Through strategic alliances with some of the world’s biggest and best fabricators, the company is able to offer its clients unique solutions for the toughest and most challenging scenarios. CEO and Technical Director at AXTech, Richard Myhre, spoke to Richard Hagan about what it takes to win the battle against the elements offshore.

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stablished by current CEO and Technical Director Richard Myhre and a partner in 2004, the decision to create AXTech AS came on the back of the lessons the pair learnt from a previous company they’d owned, which had been through a series of acquisitions. Ultimately, the two felt that they’d been left with too little decision-making power and thus decided to leave and effectively, start again. It has proven to be a shrewd move to say the least.

Today, AXTech AS is majority-owned by Mr Myhre and his business partner, while several minority shareholders (who share the pair’s vision), are also part of the ownership mix. The company is agile and designed to allow its management the flexibility to make the right decisions for its future.

“We’re now in a phase in which we’re quite ambitious about what we can do in the future, and we’re looking at what ownership structures will suit us best for future opportunities,” Mr Myhre noted. “We continue to have a dynamic approach to decisions around what is best for the company.”

That approach has led the company to a decision to focus on its engineering expertise whilst leaving the heavy lifting of fabrication to strategically selected alliance partners.

Production strategy “Currently, we’re just less than 50 people working in our headquarters in Norway and then we have an additional 25 engineers spread across three facilities in Poland. These offices focus on Inside Oil & Gas

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design work and of those, one specialises in numerical calculations. All three are fully integrated into our workflow from head office,” said Mr Myhre.

Equipment fabrication is carefully outsourced and project-managed by AXTech’s teams, as Mr Myhre explained: “Until a few months ago, we had a shareholding in a local fabrication facility, but we sold it off as we couldn’t foresee the need for any equipment within Norway. Instead, we perform fabrications through alliances in the region.”

Due to the size and weight of the equipment in the company’s portfolio, it’s more practical to have the equipment manufactured as near as possible to the quayside at which it is required or to the site at which it must be installed. This adjusted approach also suits AXTech’s green agenda, minimising transport and therefore carbon emissions, and also benefits the client by way of lower transport costs.

Project managing fabrication of the large, heavy and complex machinery designed by AXTech, requires the special management skills and industry knowledge within the company’s fabrication department.

“The first step is to understand the production facility we’ll be using for any given project, in relation to how we are designing the equipment for that project,” Mr Myhre detailed. “We try to look at how a particular design can be made to best suit that particular facility.

“Next, we look at the logistics involved in getting the machine between fabrication facilities and the end site. Then, we look at what personnel are involved and we ensure that we understand what material they’ll be using. This is all to ensure that the equipment is fabricated in the best possible way.”

Remote management AXTech has developed various methods of carrying out site surveys at its alliance fabricators.

Once these on-site checks are completed, AXTech then uses remote evaluation software to remotely test and check equip84

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ment, utilising high-res on-site cameras to check any aspect of the equipment’s manufacture, at any time.

“Body cameras are even worn by production staff so that we can check, for example, exactly what the person’s hands are doing,” revealed Mr Myhre. “Finally, we use instant chat facilities with direct software connections to the production site, so we can press a button and immediately talk to the team onsite in, say, China. All of this also allows the client to be much more involved with the project no matter where they are situated on earth.”

Pivoting into renewables As a designer and producer of specialist heavy-lift and heavyweight handling equipment, AXTech has a broad market of potential customers, but the opportunity that most interests the company right now is the one that exists in the booming offshore wind farm market.

“We’re progressing very well into offshore renewables,” confirmed the CEO. “Our key focus has always been heavy lifting solutions at sea, and we’ve been successful with that, but our key interest now is to look at becoming involved with those big wind turbines that must be installed and maintained.

“When there’s a need for the combination of heavy weight to be handled, and in a demanding environment, that’s where we are the most comfortable with the technology base that we have.”

The renewables market is proving to have some of its own unique challenges for a company that has traditionally been in the market for building one-off custom solutions.

“In our usual markets of oil and gas, we would move from project to project, with each being unique and requiring its own specific solutions,” said Mr Myhre. “In offshore renewables it’s different. For example, one site will need 100 turbines, and there’ll be another 100 at the next, so the logistics become

TWIFLEX LIMITED The unique demands of AXTech’s specialist winch application demanded an entirely bespoke torque limiting solution from the Wichita brand of Twiflex Limited, in the UK. A spring applied clutch, incorporating sintered friction linings, provides high torque density with variable torque setting.

Internal temperature sensors monitor slip events to optimise clutch performance.

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much more demanding and challenging; you’re taking that one design and multiplying it by 100. That means that if there’s an error with that one design, it can become multiplied by 100.”

To combat the challenges, AXTech’s engineering for this market needs to be even more efficient.

“It’s a different task and mentality because obviously the risk becomes higher, and you aren’t able to tolerate errors in the same way,” he said. “You must hit the optimal design as fast and efficiently as possible, and then fabricate it competitively whilst still meeting our ‘green profile’ credentials in terms of minimising carbon emissions and long transits.”

AXTech’s main focus currently, confirmed Mr Myhre, is on the installation of these huge structures. The company is attentively working on answers to numerous questions posed by the demands associated with working in the sector.

The CEO listed a number of these questions: “How do you handle thousands of tonnes in open sea? How do you handle, guide and compensate it? A monopile weighs 3,000 tonnes; how do you safely handle that on deck? How do you lift it? How do you grab it?

“We want to look at how to handle these various big structures. We’ve got some experience with this already. We recently delivered a significant project to Belgium’s DEME in which we delivered reels for handling a vertical offshore foundation drilling machine.”

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Small company, big skills According to Mr Myhre, AXTech is excited about solving the heavy lift and handling problems of the booming offshore renewable energy market because it’s an opportunity for the company to prove its credentials to the market – despite its comparatively small size.

“We are a very small company but we believe in the skills that we have. We’ll be looking at what alliances we need to be a serious player in the market and at what investments are required to develop our tools to the fullest extent. And in general, we’ll be reviewing what infrastructure a company needs to have to be competitive in the future.”

AXTech isn’t one to shy away from a challenge. The renewables market has many, but there is one that has really grabbed the company’s attention: “We see floating wind installations are coming – it will no longer just be bottom-fixed,” Mr Myhre predicted. “Our ambitions and aims for this particular segment of the offshore wind market is to address the technical challenges that have principally not yet been solved by the industry. For example, how do you lift and handle big objects when it’s not just the vessel moving but also the object? And how do you swap wind blades when you arrive at the turbine with a floating vessel?

“There’s a bright future for anyone who manages to ‘crack those nuts’. If we solve some of these technical challenges for floating wind energy installations, then it’ll be important for the future,” concluded Mr Myhre. n