energy-oil-gas.com
issue 139 DECEMBER
coming? Is Judgement Day
The increasing use of autonomous marine vehicles requires some important commercial questions to be addressed
The changing landscape Looking beyond 2016 and 2017, it is likely that merger activity will increase in the oil and gas sector Energy from nature Why the UK’s offshore wind sector needs to be recognised as a national success story
Also in this issue - Oilfield services industry, fire safety equipment maintenance
Editor Editors Chairman Andrew Schofield Editor Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Staff Writers Jo Cooper Joshua Younespour Andrew Dann Editorial Administrator Emma Crane
The UK to date has installed more offshore wind capacity than any other country in the world – so we are already embracing green energy
Art Editor Gérard Roadley-Battin Production Manager Fleur Daniels Sales Director Joe Woolsgrove Operations Director Philip Monument Business Development Manager Mark Cawston Sales Tim Eakins William Ramanauskas Darren Jolliffe Jonas Junca Dave King Theresa McDonald Mauro Berini Research Managers Ben Richell Natalie Griffiths Kieran Shukri Editorial Researchers Jeff Johnson Wendy Russell Richard Saunders Office Manager/Advertisement Administrator Tracy Chynoweth Digital Subscriptions Iain Kidd digital @schofieldpublishing.co.uk
The UK
Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Statement came out around a week before this issue, and while I received a flurry of reaction comments, most of them were in response to the areas of Infrastructure and Productivity. For the energy sector Greenpeace commented that there were ‘some glimmers of hope in the money for electric vehicles and a stable carbon floor price that will help phase out coal.’ Taxation changes were welcomed by Ronan Lowney, Managing Associate at national law firm Bond Dickinson LLP, who said the ‘Autumn Statement reaffirms the government’s commitment to facilitating the oil and gas sector in what is still a challenging time.’ On the topic of energy, the CBI stated: “Having maintained the freeze to the Carbon Price Support, government must continue a close dialogue with industry to forge a clear long-term carbon price trajectory. Additionally, firms will be looking for clarity on the future of the Levy Control Framework in Budget 2017.” More work needed there by the sounds of it. So there was some positive news for UK oil and gas, but as Greenpeace also noted: the Autumn Statement did little to boost the UK’s credibility as a global leader on climate action. And as our feature from DONG Energy in this issue states, the UK to date has installed more offshore wind capacity than any other country in the world – so we are already embracing green energy. It looks to me like the UK has a massive opportunity here – what do you think?
© 2016 Schofield Publishing Limited all rights reserved 10 Cringleford Business Centre Intwood Road Cringleford Norwich NR4 6AU
editor LIBBIE HAMMOND
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@EOG_magazine please note: The opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers within this publication do not necessarily coincide with those of the editor and publisher. Every reasonable effort is made to ensure that the information published is accurate, and correct at time of writing, but no legal responsibility for loss occasioned by the use of such information can be accepted by the publisher. All rights reserved. The contents of the magazine are strictly copyright, the property of Schofield Publishing, and may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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DESIGN BUILD CONNECT Jan De Nul Group is a leading expert in dredging and marine construction activities, and provides services related to the installation of offshore wind farms and related subsea export cables and umbilicals. The combination of design and detailed engineering and all aspects of civil works, dredging and rock and marine installation enable Jan De Nul Group to offer a total package on an EPC basis.
www.jandenul.com
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Contents
Regulars
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A slick operation
How the oilfield services industry can improve efficiencies, paving the way for increased profitability
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Is Judgement Day coming?
The Internet of Things means that it is only a matter of time before autonomous marine vehicles become commonplace
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Energy from nature
The UK has installed more offshore wind capacity than another country in the world and the capacity is still growing
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News
Some of the recent developments within the oil and gas industry
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The changing landscape
In 2015 analysts predicted an upsurge in merger activity but in reality the number of deals done was lower than 2014. Richard Dyson reports
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Better safe than sorry
Profiles
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Why the oil and gas sector must continue to embrace innovation in the area of fire safety
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21 Offshore Heavy Lift 23 Bahrain National Gas Company 26 Saint-Gobain 28 Actavo 31 SOCAR Gas Georgia 33 Harpers Environmental 37 Claxton Engineering Services 41 Benteler Distribution 44 V-Seal 46 Verwater 41 49 RS Clare 51 Schneider Electric
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A slick
operation Sapphire’s Oliver King takes a look at how the oilfield services industry can improve efficiencies, paving the way for increased profitability
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Below Oliver King
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ith oil prices having tumbled by 70 per cent over the last 18 months, the oil industry really is up against it, with businesses having to make significant reductions to costs as well as cutting back on any capital expenditure. Faced with the volatility of the market, alongside the usual industry pressures at play, oilfield services organisations are having to wake up to the fact that they need to drill efficiency savings out of all processes wherever possible. In short, to ensure survival, businesses need to increase efficiency, with a view to guaranteeing profitability. For providers of drilling equipment, testing instrumentation and alike, even the smallest amount of downtime can mean big financial losses, not to mention missed business opportunities. Businesses require total visibility of asset utilisation, facilitating a complete understanding of what’s earning money and when. By enabling a view of the entire equipment inventory across the whole customer base at any one time, equipment suppliers can monitor asset uptime and downtime, factoring in servicing and transportation, to ensure equipment is not only up-and-running, but also to make sure it’s booked out backto-back. Idle equipment equates to lost revenue, something that technology can insure against, underpinning that allimportant visibility-analysis-selling cycle. Maximising the useful life of costly equipment is extremely important, with regular maintenance and fault
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fixing an unavoidable chore for suppliers. By ensuring any servicing and maintenance work is carried out en-route to a project, for example during a journey of several days on board a ship, this minimises the time the equipment spends lying dormant, maximising uptime and the resulting financial returns. But faced with a myriad of processes, people, equipment and projects, getting a tight grasp on all aspects of an oilfield service business is often easier said than done. Thankfully, the technology is out there to deliver this insight, enabling the monitoring and management of all projects as they happen, in real time. It’s only with this level of timely and accurate insight that organisations can leverage that all-
Efficiency important complete command of cost, time and profit, to make the necessary operational adjustments to optimise efficiencies and identify opportunities across the board. Modern technology solutions are tailored to meet the very specific needs of the oilfield services industry, amalgamating service and repair, billing, payroll, rentals, dispatch, costings and compliance. This means up-to-the minute control of all areas of a project, enabling the ongoing analysis of timings and profitability without having to wait for the various departmental paperwork or reports to be submitted, or worst case, having to watch while projects overrun and project costs spiral out of control. For example, when it comes to field tickets, manually keying-in field ticket data to disparate systems is a recipe for disaster, often leading to errors. With an all-in-one business solution, all data is entered into one system, which then seamlessly integrates billing with costings and payroll. The same can be said of work orders, where the fact that service and repair, billing and payroll are all integrated, alongside historical records of work performed, means more accurate data in less time, decreasing considerably the chance of error. Getting a handle on overall project costs is always a difficult task, particularly when you consider the various origins of all costs, but the right solution can enable real time visibility into the profitability of any job, project or work order, as well as tracking costs for materials, labour and any third party activity. Again, this information is seamlessly integrated with third party billing, ensuring the accurate and timely allocation of costs to customer invoices. Also, the technology exists to best manage the range of equipment required for certain projects. With regards to equipment rentals, the right solution affords the ability to manage the entire rentals process from one screen, and is again integrated with billing systems, increasing invoicing efficiency. Plus it will show the exact location and availability of any piece of equipment at any one time, in real time, with proactive maintenance alerts sent out as well to ensure optimum equipment availability and minimum downtime. As with any project, people management is crucial. The best software will generate automated alerts informing the HR function when staff certifications are due for renewal or
when compliance or accreditation deadlines are looming, and a labour time sheet accurately captures the man hours spent on particular projects, enabling the business to carryout in-depth labour analysis. With the right software in place, oilfield service businesses can spend less time searching for and amalgamating information and more time analysing it, monitoring and managing everything from the initial job or contract setup, right through to billing and payroll. It’s only through this in-depth, comprehensive overview and analysis that businesses can make the necessary changes to processes and procedures to optimise productivity and reduce costs, standing the organisation in good stead to seize new business opportunities wherever possible.
What to look for in a software solution for the oilfield industry: 1. F ind an industry-specific solution, which is tailored to meet the needs of the oilfield services industry 2. It’s important that it’s intuitive and easy-to-use. You want to streamline processes, not add another level of complexity 3. Cheapest doesn’t necessarily represent the best value. Look at the ongoing product support on offer before making a decision on the right system 4. Finally, biggest isn’t necessarily best. Make sure you pick the solution which fits the needs of the types of project you carry out – not one that you have to change too many processes to fit
SAPPHIRE SYSTEMS Oliver King is Business Development Manager (Energy) at Sapphire Systems. Sapphire Systems is a global provider of some of the world’s leading software solutions, with first class customer service and support at its core. Its dedicated team of professionals apply their industry expertise and deep domain knowledge to understand customers’ needs and deliver solutions which help them to overcome challenges and drive performance in their respective markets. For further information please visit: sapphiresystems.com
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coming? Is Judgement Day
Tom Walters and Jonathan Goulding take a look at the use of Autonomous Marine Vehicles
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rtificial Intelligence (AI), autonomous robots and autonomous vehicles have long been the realm of science fiction. If you mention AI, many people will think of 2001: A Space Odyssey directed by Stanley Kubrick or the Terminator directed by James Cameron. In the latter, mankind battles with Skynet, a synthetic intelligent machine network, which becomes self-aware and decides to exterminate the human race by launching a nuclear attack on Russia which, in retaliation, launches a nuclear attack on the United States. While not at Skynet's level of awareness, the development
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of the Internet of Things means that it is only a matter of time before Autonomous Marine Vehicles (AMVs) become commonplace. AMV technology in the marine and oil and gas sector has advanced rapidly in the last 20 years or so. Indeed a recent report prepared by the energy consultants, Douglas-Westwood1, suggests the demand for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is expected to grow by 49 per cent in the next four years. The military sector will remain the greatest user of AUVs (73 per cent of total demand), however, the commercial sector, including oil and gas, is expected to see the greatest growth in usage. In addition to improvements in technology, other key
Marine vehicles
factors such as the need to improve safety standards and reduce risks and costs have driven autonomous technology to the forefront of many operations. Deep-water surveys, previously the domain of ROVs tethered to support vessels, are now routinely undertaken by AMVs. In the future, subsea inspection, maintenance and repair operations are also likely to be carried out by AMVs. However, while technology is overcoming the challenges faced by AMVs with regard to endurance, battery life and data transmission, the legislative framework is currently being left behind. AMVs are intended to act and make decisions with no or
minimal human input. International maritime conventions have so far been drafted with conventional ships in mind and so if they are to apply to the use of AMVs, they will have to be re-evaluated, extended or amended. For example, there is no uniform definition of ‘ship’ or ‘vessel’ that can be used to determine whether the conventions apply to AUVs, although the majority of the conventions would appear to apply to autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs). Until there are statutory definitions of AMVs that can be adapted or existing international conventions have been extended so that the status of AMVs can be regulated, there will be ambiguity as to the status of these vehicles and the application of maritime law.
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Marine vehicles
International maritime conventions have so far been drafted with conventional ships in mind and so if they are to apply to the use of AMVs, they will have to be re-evaluated, extended or amended
Parties engaging AMVs under contract will of course have the ability to use indemnities to allocate risk between the contracting entities. Problems will arise, however, when an incident takes place outside a contractual framework and falls to be dealt with by international law. In order to become effective, each State signatory to a convention will have to incorporate any amendments to the articles into their national law in a different way. For example, the UK generally incorporates relevant marine conventions into English law by way of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 (MSA 1995). As matters currently stand, until there are changes to existing UK legislation, it is unlikely that the use of autonomous technology will significantly impact upon the usual principles that apply to the determination of one party's liability in the event of a marine incident, and whether a party is able to limit its liability. For non-contractual liabilities, the most common basis for bringing a claim under English law is under the tort of negligence. However, even this is not clear cut. While the maritime standards set out in the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972 (COLREGs) might arguably apply to ASVs, it is unlikely that they would apply to the types of AUV described above. Nonetheless, it is likely that the English courts will measure the standard of care required of AMV operators and owners to the same standards as set out in the COLREGs and, in the absence of any other applicable national or international standards, the English courts would likely give weight to the current industry codes of practice, such as the Society for Underwater Technology's AUV Recommended Code of Practice2. Judgement Day is probably a long way off but nevertheless, there are some important commercial questions to address such as: if there is an incident, is the AMV operator able to reduce its liability for damage based
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on the tonnage of the vessel under the Convention on the Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC) 1976 and 1996 Protocol? If an AMV is unable to limit under the LLMC, because it is not considered a ‘ship’ for the purposes of the LLMC under the MSA 1995, will the operators of AUVs be forced to pay higher insurance premiums? Will it be necessary to distinguish between ‘hull’ and ‘liability’ risks as currently takes place with conventional shipping? HFW has previously provided pro bono legal advice to the Autonomous Marine Vehicle Working Group, a cross-industry initiative organised and sponsored by the Society of Underwater Technology and has been advising a number of clients already on the implications and the use of autonomous technology in the marine and oil and gas sectors. 1 World AUV Market Forecast 2016-2020 (http://www.douglaswestwood.com/report/oil-and-gas/world-auv-market-forecast2016-2020/) 2 SUT "The Operation of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles Volume One: Recommended Code of Practice for the Operation of Autonomous Marine Vehicles" Second Edition
HFW Tom Walters is a Partner and Jonathan Goulding is an Associate & Mariner at HFW. HFW is an international law firm with global capability and experience working at every stage of the oil and gas lifecycle. For further information please visit: hfw.com/Oil-and-Gas
Renewables
nature Energy from
According to Brent Cheshire, offshore wind is meeting the UK energy challenge
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hile our political relationship with Europe may be changing, the UK remains in pole position to take advantage of the vast benefits that offshore wind can provide. Surrounded by relatively shallow seas and benefiting from consistent and strong winds, the country is blessed with near perfect conditions to harness this renewable generation technology. It will still come as a surprise to many that the UK has to-date installed more offshore wind capacity than any other country in the world. Moreover, there is no evidence to suggest that this capacity growth is going to stop anytime soon. There is both the scope and willingness to further exploit this green technology as its plays a major part in the transformation of the country’s energy infrastructure.
And critics who suggest that offshore wind costs are too high are rapidly being silenced. Offshore wind costs are falling rapidly as a highly motivated industry embraces economies of scale, technical innovation and engages with an increasingly switched on supply chain to ensure the technology is competitive with other energy sources. The potential of offshore wind is immense. An Offshore Wind Vision document, produced by many of the UK offshore wind industry’s leading players last November, suggested that the energy source could if required meet 35 per cent of the UK’s electricity demand as soon as 2030. A target that would have been unimaginable 15 years ago. The UK’s offshore wind sector can today produce over five gigawatts of electricity – enough to power well over four million UK homes. The last five years have been
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instrumental in achieving this significant milestone, with 3.7 gigawatts of capacity built in this short time span. By 2020 the total UK installed capacity is set to climb to around ten gigawatts and a further ten gigawatts should be added by 2030. The Government has demonstrated that it is alert to the significant progress the offshore wind industry is making. Its high-profile energy policy re-set last year contained welcome news for the sector. It showed that the Government recognises the potential benefits offshore wind brings to the table as the UK seeks to accelerate its transition away from fossil fuels and towards a low carbon economy.
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The industry is now well placed to become a key pillar in the government’s industrial strategy, providing jobs, local content opportunities and technology advances that will provide the UK with a unique advantage in the sector. Having been given much needed certainty around volume, the major developers in offshore wind are working hard with the leading manufacturers to introduce larger, more efficient turbines and ensure that offshore wind can compete on cost with other generation sources as soon as possible. Increased adoption of the renewable technology has a big role to play in addressing climate change while simultaneously bolstering energy security – ‘keeping the
Renewables
construction phase, and several more in our development pipeline, we are on course to double our offshore wind capacity by 2020. Hornsea Project One - being be built 75 miles off the Yorkshire coast - will alone produce 1200MW, enough to meet the electricity needs of over one million UK homes. Wind turbine manufacturers are continually working to reduce turbine mass, as it enables them to build taller and lighter wind turbines, which can harness more powerful winds at greater heights. This September DONG Energy installed the first 8MW wind turbine at the 258MW Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm, in Liverpool Bay. At 195 metres, the MHI Vestas turbines are taller than the Gherkin in London (180m). Bigger turbines mean providing clean, renewable energy to homes around the UK, at a lower cost. As well as using the biggest turbines in the world, the 80m blades for the new 8MW turbines will also be using the first locally built blades to be installed at a UK offshore wind farm. The blades have been designed, tested, and manufactured on the Isle of Wight and assembled at MHI Vestas’ pre-assembly facility in Belfast. It may have gone relatively unnoticed, but offshore wind has already become an integral part of the UK’s renewable energy mix. The industry has nurtured a growing UK supply chain and created thousands of highly skilled, well-paid jobs across the country, including high quality apprenticeships for our next generation of engineers. From increased turbine sizes to cutting edge technology, the industry continues to develop and adapt. As one of the UK’s fastest-growing energy sectors, with immense potential for further growth in future, it deserves to be recognised as a national success story. 1 http://www.dongenergy.com/en/media/newsroom/news/articles/ g%C3%B8r-det-dyrere-at-forurene & http://europa.eu/rapid/pressrelease_IP-15-4497_en.htm
DONG ENERGY lights on’. The UK faces the challenge of ensuring the nation’s energy demands are met as traditional generation sources are retired and new green technologies adopted to support the transition to a low-carbon economy. At present, the EU imports around 90 per cent of its oil and about 65 per cent of its gas at a cost of some EUR 400 billion per year 1. It is logical to try and divert some of that money towards indigenous energy resources and domestic job creation in order to reap the many benefits of self-sufficiency. At DONG Energy we are working to build green, reliable and efficient energy systems in the markets where we operate. With four offshore wind projects currently in the
Brent Cheshire is UK Country Chairman, DONG Energy. DONG Energy is one of the leading energy groups in Northern Europe, headquartered in Denmark. With over 20 years’ experience in the development, construction and operation of offshore wind farms, DONG Energy is proud to be showing leadership in this sector. Around 6700 ambitious employees, including over 700 in the UK, are engaged in developing, constructing and operating offshore wind farms; as well as generating power and heat from DONG’s power stations; providing energy to residential and business customers on a daily basis; and producing oil and gas. For further information please visit: dongenergy.co.uk
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In Brief North Sea development A total of 32 crude and natural gas projects are expected to commence operations in the North Sea region by 2025, with the UK claiming the highest number at 22, followed by Norway and Denmark with nine and one respectively, according to research and consulting firm GlobalData. This estimate is down slightly from GlobalData’s previous estimate of 36 new projects. The change in planned project count is mainly a result of the start of production at several projects. The company’s report states that Statoil ASA will lead the North Sea in terms of operatorship of planned projects, with the highest number of planned assets in the region with four crude projects. Maersk OIie og Gas AS and EnQuest PLC jointly occupy second place, with three planned projects each.
Material innovation Material innovation is ramping up in solar as the industry aims to address the widespread decrease in performance over time that affects photovoltaic (PV) modules, according to Lux Research. Lux Research analysts examined new initiatives to arrest degradation of PV modules and their potential benefits. Among their findings: Growth markets lie in harsh climes. Better ways to prevent degradation are key because many promising emerging solar markets lie in extreme climate zones: Mexico, Chile, Turkey, South Africa, India, and Malaysia. No single technology will do the trick. A next generation metal wrap through (MWT) module with polyolefin encapsulation offers performance benefits in moderate, and hot and humid climates, while Solaria and Yingli modules are optimal in hot and dry zones. Standard glass/ glass technology with polyolefin encapsulation leads in cold and snowy places.
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Frame agreement award IKM Cleandrill has been awarded a three-year frame agreement with AkerBP for riserless closed loop mud recovery services. The initial operations under this contract will be production well drilling on the Alvheim development from the Transocean Arctic semi-submersible rig, with potential for additional exploration and development drilling. IKM Cleandrill will provide MRR mud recovery systems to undertake these services. The MRR represents the latest generation of mud recovery equipment and sets new standards for safety and operational efficiency. Both shallow and deepwater versions of the MRR will be available through the contract to suit AkerBP’s specific requirements. The MRR system will be installed onto the rig in early 2017. Says Tom Hasler, IKM Cleandrill Managing Director: “This win reflects the success of the MRR system, which was developed to increase safety and efficiency for mud recovery operations, while reducing cost and thereby expanding the potential market for such services. It also rewards our extremely professional offshore crews, who ensure client satisfaction and create our enviable track record.”
Expanding operation Alphastrut has further expanded its operations by opening an office in the key territory of Norway. It is a third overseas office for the Scotland-headquartered company, following its expansion into South Korea and Singapore, as it looks to build on the success that has seen its unique products specified for use on major North Sea platform developments for BP, Nexen and Aker BP ASA. The Norwegian operation will be run by Tommy Nilsen, who has extensive experience of the aluminium products market within the oil & gas and marine sectors in Europe and the Americas. David Lawson, Managing Director of Alphastrut, said: “We’re pleased that Tommy has joined Alphastrut at what is an exciting time for the company, with a growing number of engineers and buyers becoming aware of the weight and cost savings offered by our products.” Alphastrut’s standing in Europe has also been enhanced by its recent approval for Achilles JQS, the supplier register and pre-qualification system for the Norwegian and Danish oil & gas industry. Pat McNiff, Project Manager for Alphastrut, said: “Approval for Achilles JQS gives us greater visibility to buyers from oil companies and main contractors working on major offshore projects. This will create additional opportunities to tender for new business and demonstrate the advantages of using Alphastrut products to engineers not yet familiar with them.”
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Modules complete
Local expertise Trelleborg’s engineered products operation has successfully completed its supply of floatover equipment for the PETRONAS NC3 gas field, located in Block SK316, 200 kilometres North of Bintulu, Sarawak in Malaysia. Trelleborg provided PAPE Engineering, an engineering company responsible for the transportation and installation of the platform jacket and topside, with four Leg Mating Units (LMUs), as well as four sway fenders, four loadout pads and four deck support units (DSU). Mr Olivier Beauclair, Director for Platform Transportation and Installation at PAPE, commented: “Having worked closely with Trelleborg to great success on previous projects, we know that they’re able to supply proven quality solutions with considerable ease of use and offer quick turnaround times - both imperative for a high stakes project like PETRONAS’ NC3. This meant that we had no hesitation it was entirely suited for the project. “In addition, Trelleborg site service engineers were able to provide supervised on-site support, ensuring a seamless LMU installation within the topside of the Central Processing Platform.” Performed at the fabrication yard prior to the floatover process, the LMU installation provided PAPE with assured and risk-free performance before the floatover operation commenced.
Dynamism driving growth Buoyed by rapid technology cost reductions and the consolidation of renewable energy policies, Latin America hosts some of the world’s most dynamic renewable energy markets, according to a new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Renewable Energy Market Analysis: Latin America finds that the region – endowed with some of the world’s best renewable resources – has an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate the uptake of renewables across all sectors. “The proven business case of renewables, combined with the imperative to decarbonise the energy sector, provides a compelling rationale for Latin American countries to continue deploying more renewables, including solar and wind,” said IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin. “Policymakers also increasingly recognise renewables as a catalyst for job creation, GDP growth, development of local industries, and energy access. Add the environmental benefits – and the fact that nearly two million people are employed by renewables in the region – and the case for renewables is even more compelling.” In 2015, Brazil, Chile and Mexico ranked among the top ten markets in terms of renewable energy investment. Latin America holds some of the most cost-competitive hydropower, solar and wind resources globally and today, more than a quarter of the region’s total primary energy comes from renewables, twice the global average. “The good news is that the success achieved in Latin America, and the benefits realised, can be even further enhanced with the right policies being established,” added Mr. Amin. “Latin America’s advanced renewable energy policies and financing schemes also offer valuable insights for other energy markets around the world, especially as countries seek to scale up renewables to achieve emission reduction targets under the Paris climate agreement.”
Fluor Corporation has announced that all 358 modules have been fabricated and shipped to the site for its portion of the Fort Hills Energy L.P. oil sands mining project in the Athabasca region of Alberta, Canada. Fluor is performing engineering, procurement, fabrication and construction for the utilities scope of the project. The project applied Fluor’s innovative 3rd Gen Modular ExecutionSM approach, which optimises process block layouts and provides the capability to fully modularise large-scale industrial facilities. Benefits include improved safety, lower costs, increased productivity and schedule predictability through the transfer of a significant amount of traditional site work to fabrication yards. Fluor’s Supreme Modular Fabrication Inc. (SMFI) joint venture fabrication yard in Canada and three other Canadian yards built the modules. Once at site, the modules are set by Fluor’s craft workforce. The site has achieved more than 2.8 million hours without a lost-time incident. “Achieving this milestone is a testament to the collaboration and commitment of our craft professionals at the SMFI fabrication yard, other module yards and at the project site,” said Jim Brittain, president of Fluor’s Energy & Chemicals business. “Leveraging our full range of integrated solutions, including our craft workforce, fabrication yards, global sourcing capabilities and 3rd Gen Modular Execution approach, we have reduced the project’s capital cost from initial estimates while maintaining schedule.”
REAL COPY
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landscape The changing
The return of M&A in 2016 and beyond. By Richard Dyson
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n the late 1990s the oil price dropped from $21 to $8 a barrel1. Operators reacted to this drop by cutting back on operations, reducing staff numbers and lowering overall project spend2. This may sound like a familiar story to anyone who’s been following the oil & gas industry over the last few years where a similar phenomenon has been occurring. The low oil price climate of the late 1990s led to a flurry of merger and acquisition activity in the industry. This started in 1998, when BP acquired Amoco for $48.2 billion. The threat of an enlarged BP seemingly nudged Exxon into buying
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Mobil for $82 billion a year later. Other companies picked up on this trend, as seen when Chevron bought Texaco for $100 billion in the year 20003. When a surplus in supply of oil caused the price to drop in 2015, many looked back to the 1990s and began enthusiastically predicting an increase in M&A activity, particularly in mature basins like the North Sea. Augustin Eden, Research Analyst at Accendo Markets, stated the price drop could be the “beginning of an M&A rave”4. Yet merger activity did not increase. In fact, the number of deals done in 2015 were significantly lower than 20145. There are many reasons for the lack of initial uptick in
M&A
M&A activity after the price drop, but the key remains a pervasive lack of certainty in the industry regarding oil price6. And when different parties have opposed views on where they think the oil price will settle, it makes it very hard for them to agree on a price that suits all parties. Volatility is the enemy of M&A in all industries, and it’s hard to find an industry more volatile than oil & gas. Operators also scrutinise what they are set to gain from a merger, and most major companies are now underrepresented in low cost production areas, meaning mergers with other major companies would bring them little benefit where they have similar strengths and weaknesses7.
It’s hard to see where big merger opportunities may present themselves in the future. A clear exception to the hiatus in M&A activity after the price drop in 2015 was the merger between Shell and BG Group in early 2016, a deal partly driven by Shell’s aspiration to own attractive assets in South America and Australia with low production costs. However, many industry insiders believe Shell had been eyeing BG Group closely for a number of years, and that this is probably the main reason that Shell CEO Ben van Beurden pushed the deal through so quickly despite pressure on him to renegotiate in light of the oil price downturn. And whilst the deal did occur in 2016 post-drop, in reality it had been in the pipeline for much longer and can’t exactly be designated as a merger deal caused directly by the change in operational circumstances. And while the Shell BG Group deal may have made headlines around the world, the average monthly M&A deal count fell by a third in 2015. Excluding the Shell BG deal, M&A activity declined by two thirds in 2015 compared to the previous year8. More recently, Deloitte reported that the upstream sector in the first half of 2016 had seen a slight uptick in numbers of deals vs. the same period last year, but the period saw a decline in total value compared to the first half of the previous year9. Realistically this means the slowdown in the M&A market is continuing. The oil price will need to begin to rise steadily, to make conditions more favourable to change this situation. More confidence and less uncertainty in the future oil price will help companies in their longer term planning, a luxury the sector hasn’t had in recent times. Potentially the OPEC announcement at the end of September which resulted in a small uptick in oil prices may help. Looking more positively, assets are currently worth considerably more than they were at the start of the year, which should increase options as potential buyers are encouraged to re-enter the marketplace. This may also start encouraging companies to make divestments and banks to start foreclosing on loans. Certain analysts are now beginning to mark companies they believe could be taken out as a result of the renewed interest in the sector. Though it is worth noting assets are still a considerable way off previous peaks. Looking beyond 2016 and into 2017 it is likely merger activity will increase, particularly if, as some in the industry are confident, the oil price increases and levels at $60 or above by the end of the year. Yet most of this activity will be large operators acquiring assets from smaller ones - to make small and strategic gains into new areas of exploration and technology. Vice President of Edinburgh-based Wood Mackenzie Andrew Latham believes future M&A will focus on assets rather than companies, and this smaller, more strategic type of acquisition activity distinguishes it from the
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M&A
Looking beyond 2016 and into 2017 it is likely merger activity will increase, particularly if, as some in the industry are confident, the oil price increases and levels at $60 or above by the end of the year megamergers of the 1990s. Moreover, after a challenging few years that saw significant job losses, most small firms don’t have many more costs to cut: they may be likely to accept approaches for their assets from larger operators as they struggle to make ends meet in a competitive market. Wood Mackenzie predict major oil producers will rely on M&A for half of their reserve replacement in the future as they cut exploration budgets to weather the price downturn. Between 2015 and 2020, they expect the global industry to lower spending on exploration and development by as much as $1 trillion10. M&A is still very appealing; it can give companies a combination of advantages including access to the latest technologies and increased market exposure. So while the level of merger activity is unlikely to return to what it was in the 1990s, it will rise. This changing M&A landscape may still prove challenging, but such a realignment should also be viewed as an opportunity for the industry. At io we value holistic thinking:
all aspects of an M&A deal, both present and future, must be considered from the offset in order to assure its long-term benefit for a company. Our approach may lend itself very well to the smaller, more strategic acquisition deals of the future.
1 https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=f000000__3&f=m
6 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4ccacab2-de06-11e4-ba43-00144feab7de.
2 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-oil-employment-graduates-kemp-
html#axzz4L5aUIHQG
idUSKBN0LK0TR20150216
7 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4ccacab2-de06-11e4-ba43-00144feab7de.
3 http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/04/08/shell-bg-oil-lng-gas-merger-
html#axzz4Ktde4I00
energy/25452779/
8 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/24b20512-b480-11e5-b147-e5e5bba42e51.
4 http://www.marketwatch.com/story/whos-the-next-target-for-oil-ma-after-the-
html#axzz4Ktde4I00
shell-bg-deal-2015-04-08
9 http://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/energy-and-resources/articles/oil-and-gas-
5 https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ru/Documents/energy-resources/
mergers-and-acquisitions-update.html
er-og-ma-year-end-2015-repor.pdf
10 http://www.worldoil.com/news/2016/9/20/majors-must-count-on-ma-to-
io OIL & GAS CONSULTING Richard Dyson is CEO of io oil & gas consulting. io oil & gas consulting is a new model of upstream consultancy that combines industry expertise and powerful thinking to deliver greater certainty into the design and planning of offshore oil and gas developments. io provides the right balance of management consultancy and deep technical and commercial expertise to effectively manage and deliver full field development plans. For further information please visit: iooilandgas.com
replenish-reserves-woodmac-says
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ENERGY,oil&gas
energy-oil-gas.com
Safety
sorry
Better safe than
While the oil and gas industry has come a long way in fire safety, Simon Rooks illustrates why the sector must continue to embrace innovation
W
Below Simon Rooks is Operations Director, Oil and Gas at Tyco
ith low oil prices increasingly draining revenue from oil and gas organisations, the industry has been forced into a period of intense cost cutting. Recent research carried out by the Bank of Scotland indicated that 43 per cent of the industry was planning further cuts in the coming year after an already grim 2015. However, reducing costs can be a particularly dangerous process for the oil and gas sector, as even the tiniest short cut on essential procedures like safety can result in disaster. Such a chain of events unfortunately played out almost three decades ago, when the world’s deadliest oilrig accident claimed 167 lives at the Piper Alpha platform operated by Occidental Petroleum, off the coast of Aberdeen. Many believe a key cause of some of the failures leading to the disaster was reduced expenditure on equipment and infrastructure – and the challenges that confronted Occidental Petroleum 28 years ago are once again gripping the oil and gas industry today.
Keeping up with the times The upkeep and safety management of oil and gas assets should certainly be a priority given that the majority of
active oil and gas assets being older platforms, with some at least 40 years old and many older than 30. In fact, the latest table released from the Oil and Gas Authority in November 2015 shows that the average age of the current manned, operational installation in the UK Continental Shelf is well over 28 years of age. Unfortunately, effective protection against the threat of fire and explosions for older oil and gas assets can be expensive, and as a result, companies across the market are having to look closely at their processes in an attempt to maintain essential fire and safety standards while simultaneously achieving a reduction in costs. For many, there is the risk that this will take the form either of an unhealthy reduction in resources - delaying service callouts, for example - or an attempt to strong-arm fire and safety suppliers into a cheaper deal, which will likely lead to a reduced service level. As such, many organisations are increasingly relying on technology innovations to help protect their assets and extend the life of installations. Research into the oil and gas industry’s priorities up to 2025 shows that the number one driver for investment into technical innovation is safety improvements (45 per cent) – which surprisingly tops both reducing costs (43 per cent) and accessing new reserves
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(29 per cent). However, there is still resistance in the market to embracing innovations, and adoption rates across the industry could be improved in order to ensure safety is truly paramount across operations. For instance, structures including fire protection systems on all offshore oil and gas platforms face particularly harsh challenges given the salt water environments and marine weather conditions, as well as the prevalence of hydrocarbons and toxic gases on board. A key example of this are firewater deluge systems, which are the primary source of offshore active fire protection on-board an installation. As a Safety and Environmental Critical Element (SECE), they should be fit for purpose and function on-demand, to as-built design criteria, in every instance in which they are called upon. However, blockages within deluge systems are a common occurrence, due to corrosion, marine growth, salt crystallisation and other bi-products of seawater. These blockages have a serious impact on the functionality of the system and greatly increase the risk of a fire running out of control. Many have looked to solve this problem by changing out the material of the pipework within their deluge system to various elastomers,
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cupronickel and even titanium. However, a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report on the impact of blockages concluded that blockages will still occur within the pipework regardless of the material from which they are constructed.
Embracing innovation Despite technology developments, maintenance regimes themselves also contribute to the problem. The majority of operators in the UK Continental Shelf currently employ wet testing to prove the compliance of their deluge system. This essentially means spraying tons of seawater through the pipework, causing the deposits and blockages described above. These blockages add a dangerous element of luck to the system’s ability to function fully on demand. There may be a second or third chance to pass a deluge test, but there is only one chance to suppress a fire. As such, a crucial innovation has been developed to enable the dry-testing of deluge systems, which can enable cost optimisation whilst maintaining compliance, without causing the run-of-the-mill damage which contributes to platform life-end. For example, dry deluge testing can ensure compliance whilst increasing asset integrity, on-board safety
Safety
A step change
and at the same time saving on costs. A dry-test regime enables the operator to reduce the frequency of corrosive seawater tests, reducing the likelihood of blockages and extending the operational life of deluge systems. At a time when every little helps, adopting this kind of innovative approach to routine protocols can make an enormous difference on the bottom line. Resilience can also be significantly improved by installing innovative solutions to protect deluge discharge nozzles, to ensure all nozzles remain operational even if there is debris within pipework. Coupled with environment-specific technology, this type of innovative service delivery method can save operators over 21 per cent per year over the remaining life of the asset, whilst at the same time ensuring essential system resilience. Furthermore, many organisations fear they are faced with the expensive and laborious task of pipe change out – historically, these can cost upwards of £4 million per asset for exotic material pipework. Today however, technology exists that can ensure system reliability and resilience can be met without costly infrastructure overhaul, for a tenth of the cost.
A significant change in attitudes and behaviours is also required to open new ideas related to safety. The phrase ‘but we’ve always done it that way’ has no place in the next generation of offshore oil & gas culture. For example, dry deluge testing can ensure compliance whilst increasing asset integrity, on-board safety and at the same time saving on costs. A dry-test regime enables the duty holder to reduce the frequency of corrosive seawater tests, reducing the likelihood of blockages and extending the operational life of deluge systems. At a time when every little helps, adopting this kind of innovative approach to routine protocols can make an enormous difference on the bottom line. This programme and approach does and must still satisfy the requirements of the Offshore Installations (Offshore Safety Directive) (Safety Case etc.) Regulations 2015. Fortunately, the oil and gas industry has come a long way in fire and safety management since the Piper Alpha disaster. The increased focus on legislation has had a huge impact – with regulations such as Safety Integrity Level (SIL) compliance, which focuses on risk reduction and system reliability across platforms, as well as Offshore Installations regulations around Asset Through Life Extension, which ensure oil and gas platforms past their design life is safe to remain operational, forcing oil and gas organisations to closely examine and update many of their fire and safety processes. If past disasters teach the industry anything, it’s that airtight safety protocols are non-negotiable, and that those companies which attempt to reap short-term savings by cutting corners are setting themselves and the wider community up for catastrophe. While we’ve certainly moved forwards as an industry, we must continue to work together to ensure these safety improvement innovations are implemented. Only by taking the initiative and embracing new technology can the oil and gas industry lay down a new framework for working practices in the coming years while also saving costs.
TYCO Simon Rooks is Operations Director, Oil and Gas at Tyco. Tyco is one of the world’s largest fire safety and security companies, which works to improve business operations in the oil and gas industries with innovative fire detection and suppression solutions. Tyco ensures the health and safety of employees and safeguards property from risks such as terrorist threats, while also addressing issues of compliance with government fire prevention standards and regulations, and industry codes in a cost-effective manner. For further information please visit: tycoifs.co.uk
ENERGY,oil&gas
energy-oil-gas.com
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PROFILE
Offshore Heavy Transport
New Embodying more than
30 years of heavy transport experience, OHT today represents one of the leading heavy transport vessel operators in the world. During its history the company has transitioned through various conversions and acquisitions, including the acquisition of OHT’s newbuilt vessels by Dockwise in 2001 in an event that placed its vessels under the ownership of Dockwise and effectively ceased the operations of OHT. Dockwise has since become part of Boskalis, while the OHT brand was revitalised and re-established in 2006 through the delivery of its first converted heavy lift vessel, Eagle, in November that year. Its second converted heavy lift vessel named Falcon, was delivered in early April 2007 and by 2009 the company had converted a total of four vessels in various sizes. Since last appearing in Energy, Oil & Gas during 2013, OHT has also added a newly converted vessel named Albatross in 2015. The Albatross is a converted shuttle tanker, previously known as Tordis Knutsen and built in 1993, which was deployed in the oil and gas sector to transport oil from offshore production platforms to oil terminals on the coast. The addition of the vessel to the company’s fleet and its specialist conversion represents the
long history of expertise and heavy-lifting knowhow that has come to typify OHT and its commitment to efficient operations. “The conversion of the Albatross was undertaken according to our own specification at Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry in conjunction with the specialist ship designer NED Project in Poland to ensure that the vessel’s critical areas, such as its ballast tank arrangement and pumping systems, became superior in relation to time for submerging as well as ability to compensate for tidal differences during roll-on/roll-off operations. The ship is
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PROFILE
Offshore Heavy Transport
204m long and 42.5m wide, with a completely new cargo section that was constructed as part of the conversion,” reveals OHT CEO, Torgeir E. Ramstad. “This new section has a length of 130m, which accounts for the usable cargo space however; often the cargos that we carry are not space intensive assets and tend to be very heavy but smaller in terms of footprint. The Albatross is the most efficient vessel in the fleet at this time, because it is able to carry very heavy cargos at a speed of 14 knots, consuming 35 tons of bunker a day, which is probably around a third less than the competition.” Further to owning and operating its own specialist fleet of vessels, OHT also encompasses several decades of industry experience. This allows the company to undertake all of the key roles of vessel management in-house and to work in close collaboration with its clients in the development of projects. “We work slightly differently from other companies operating within the heavy-lifting and transport industry, in that we manage the set up of our vessels completely in-house. We have a professional specialist engineering department; a procurement team to source the required materials for these services; ship management capabilities; technical management through sister company Songa Shipmanagement; the vessels themselves; and other support functions,” Torgeir explains. “We try to cover the entire value chain in-house and also try to use that to enable us to work with clients at a much more early stage in the project to engineer a solution long before the lifting contract has been awarded. This means that when it comes to bidding for projects we already know the clients and we know what is required, which means that we should be in a better position to be awarded the final lifting and transport operation. In some cases these projects have lead times of several years before they reach the execution phase, which means that there is a lot of engineering work and other activities that are undertaken over the years before the lift happens.” By working in close collaboration with clients in the design and execution of heavy lifting operations, OHT has established a reputation that has allowed the company to work with major clients across several industry sectors. The company separates its business between the oil and gas industry and markets outside of the energy market. “We have recently employed our vessel Hawk to lift and transport a semi-
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submersible rig called the Transocean Winner, which had previously been towed around Scotland but came loose from its tug during a storm and grounded. The rig was salvaged and kept afloat until we were able to submerge under the damaged rig and secure it on our deck and lift it out of the water. The Transocean Winner has now arrived in Turkey to be scrapped,” Torgeir details. “Within the non-oil and gas sector we have recently carried the world’s largest offshore wind jacket installation vessel, the Seajacks Scylla from Korea to Europe during 2015/16. The vessel is actually wider than the transportation ship that was used to carry it and is now successfully undertaking wind farm installation work in Northern Europe.” Although the impact of the drop in the price of oil is very much being felt across the oil and gas market, OHT continues to offer a competitive lifting solution to clients across several markets and has successfully weathered the downturn of the energy market. This has been in part due to the growth of the offshore wind industry and the company’s ability to efficiently transport equipment to where it is required. This will enable OHT to remain buoyant both now and into the future. “We signed a contract for the offshore wind market during September 2016 to transport foundations for the world’s first floating offshore wind farm, Hywind off the coast of Scotland,” Torgeir concludes. “This represents a highly engineered project, which began a year ago with us working with the client to develop a solution. The wind segment is certainly one area that will produce new opportunities for transportation over the coming years, because wind farms consist of several units and often heavy components need to travel some distance prior to installation.” With the company’s prominent market position and healthy balance sheet, it should be well placed to take advantage of opportunities that may arise through the current downturn and come out as an even stronger market player.
By working in close collaboration with clients in the design and execution of heavy lifting operations, OHT has established a reputation that has allowed the company to work with major clients across several industry sectors
LETH AGENCIES Since their inception in the Suez Canal zone back in 1924, Leth Agencies have expanded into a global service provider to the world’s shipping industry. Seizing an early prominent market position based on quality deliverances in the Suez Canal zone, they have expanded to the Turkish Straits, Panama Canal and Danish Straits. Going online before most competitors, with userfriendly communication tools, was a milestone in the transit agent industry. Leth Agencies have built up a solid client-base of satisfied shipowners and operators worldwide, and are considered as a leading global transit specialist.
Offshore Heavy Transport (OHT) oht.no
Services Semi-submersible heavy transport vessels
PROFILE
Bahrain National Gas Company
An expanding
process Inaugurated
during December 1979 by His Highness Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa, the late Amir of Bahrain, Bahrain National Gas Company B.S.C. (BANAGAS) was established as part of the Kingdom’s Associated Gas Project - marking a major step in the Government of Bahrain’s determination to use energy effectively. The first shipment of 5000 metric tons of butane was made in March 1980 and since that date the company has continued to produce products conforming to the highest international specifications that are subsequently are exported worldwide. “The Bahrain National Gas Company was initially founded to process 110 million standard cubic feet per day (MMSCFD) to
produce propane, butane and naphtha, which are exclusively manufactured for the export market,” elaborates BANAGAS General Manager of Production, Khalid Ahmed Abdulkarim. “During our history we have grown in response to additional associated gas that had become available within Bahrain and started expansions and debottlenecking works until 1990 when we built an additional processing plant. This also included further compression facilities and storage areas, which enabled us to significantly increase our processing capacity so that today we are processing around 300 million standard cubic feet of gas.” Today BANAGAS operates two LPG plant facilities to recover propane, butane and naphtha from associated gas originating from oil wells as well as from refinery off gas. Liquefied propane and butane are transferred to refrigerated storage tanks located at the Sitra Wharf area for ship loading, while naphtha is sent to the Bahrain Petroleum Refinery (Bapco) for storage and subsequent export. Residue gas resulting from the extraction process is used as fuel for BANAGAS furnaces and gas turbines, while the rest is supplied to Aluminum Bahrain (Alba), Riffa Power Station and the Bapco Refinery. Around 250 million MMSCFD of ENERGY,oil&gas
energy-oil-gas.com
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PROFILE
Bahrain National Gas Company
Siemens
residue gas is created per day and represents 20 per cent of Bahrain’s daily fuel gas consumption. In addition to increasing the capacity of its gas processing plants, BANAGAS has also further expanded its gas compression capacity by adding new compressing facilities in 2004 and again during 2014. The company currently maintains a total of seven compression stations that carry low-pressure associated gas to the central gas plants for processing. While BANAGAS works to ensure that it continues to grow its processing capacity in line with growing industry demand, the company assigns the highest priority to the safety and professionalism of its operations, as well as to social responsibilities. “I think that the company’s main strength is that we have an experienced team of top management, as well as a culture of teamwork throughout the business. We have operated within the processing industry for a long time and developed a solid base of knowledge and experience, which is supported by highly qualified employees. This has enabled us to achieve an excellent operations and safety record. “In terms of the work that we do, we also have a robust tendering process and this guarantees successful projects as well as complete customer satisfaction. Our level of production is relatively small when compared to our neighbour in the region, which is good for many of our customers. Our port facilities for example, are able to receive both smaller and medium to large vessels and this gives us a certain strength as smaller vessels may not be able to find a port within the region
as they tend to deal with very large carriers,” Khalid elaborates. “With regard to our social responsibilities, we operate many projects and initiatives and this is a growing culture within the business,” he continues. “Over the years there have been many projects to which we have contributed, of course these can be through the financing or sponsorship of projects and activities. However we concentrate more on working with the Ministry of Education, public schools, universities, special need groups and charities where we can make a real contribution. We also work alongside organisations focusing on the environment and social programmes.” During the coming years BANAGAS will be focused on the execution and development of its latest round of expansion projects, while continuing to develop an on-going series of maintenance projects. Although the decreased oil price has had a significant impact on the market, Bahrain National Gas Company continues to demonstrate that the company is a vital part of the world’s energy solution. “Over the next 12 months we will be very busy with our two main projects, while in 2018 we will be focused on commissioning activities and operating the new plants,” Khalid concludes. “The challenge for us will be to implement the operation of the new plants both on time and on-target without any delay. We will also observe the market and hopefully see some improvement in the price of oil over the coming years, while continuing to execute our on-going modernisation projects.”
Dynamic markets and changing environments call for advanced technologies and integrated solutions. As a member of the Siemens family, the Dresser-Rand business combines the industry’s most extensive portfolio of mission-critical rotating equipment with a universe of smart solutions and the world’s largest technical support and service center network. Together with Siemens Power and Gas, the combined businesses offer the industry’s most comprehensive range of industrial and aero-derivative gas turbines, steam turbines and compressor portfolio to clients in the oil and gas, process and power industries. Dedicated to high efficiency and dependable performance for the energy infrastructure industry, the combined solutions offer more choices and enable clients to focus on achieving the performance they strive for. With advanced technologies, equipment and service from a single provider, the Dresser-Rand business is uniquely positioned to help clients lower the life cycle costs of their rotating equipment. With an installed base of more than 130,000 units, from turbo to reciprocating compressors to steam turbines, industrial and aero-derivative gas turbines to high speed engines - and a presence in more than 150 countries worldwide, the DresserRand business is able to deliver local solutions on a global scale.
Bahrain National Gas Company banagas.com.bh
Services Operates LPG plant facilities to recover propane, butane and naphtha
ENERGY,oil&gas
energy-oil-gas.com
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future Investing in its
Saint-Gobain PPL Kontich is an industrial leader in designing and manufacturing custom seals and polymer components. With over six decades experience in materials and product innovation Saint-Gobain Seals is recognised as a comprehensive solutions provider for the most extreme applications. One of the key strengths of Saint-Gobain comes from the reputation it has built within the industry as being a market leader in the design and manufacture of seals and polymer components, which satisfy various requirements within the energy, oil and gas sectors. As a global leader in the energy sector, Saint-Gobain aims to provide its clients with a tailored and customdesigned solution to any and all polymer and sealing needs. This means that Saint-Gobain is able to work with its customers on a projectby-project basis, and using its expertise and experience will get the best outcome for every project that it supports. Due to the customer focused approach that Saint-Gobain has taken it has meant that it has built strong relationships
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with its customers based on the standard of engineering skills, materials understanding, and by prioritising its clients needs. There are numerous products that SaintGobain offers its customers in order to achieve these results, and it is centred upon providing highly innovative-engineered solutions that will meet the growth in global energy demand. With a rich, pioneering tradition, Saint-Gobain is dedicated to delivering the most technological advanced products and solutions in photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, low fugitive emission valves, subsea and topside valves, loading and transfer equipment, subsea equipment, floating production, and E&P equipment. To meet these areas’ needs Saint-Gobain has a range of unique product lines, which include OmniSeal, OmniLip, Dynalip, OmniFlex, Meldin, Rulon, Marathon, and Transband, all of which offer a specalist benefit to those working in all areas within the energy, oil and gas industries. Another key feature of Saint-Gobain is its willingness to invest in its future, and this is often through supporting improvements of its facilities, and one of the most recent examples of this has been the expansion of its headquarters. Saint-Gobain recently hosted two open houses to celebrate the opening of the business’ new headquarters in Solon, Ohio. The new facilities are located on a park-like setting and its size is 54,000-square-foot, and will contain everything that a modern headquarters could want, which includes a training room and fitness centre. The new Solon office will provide both function and design, which creates a working environment that will benefit its employees and the business as a whole. There are countless other examples of Saint-Gobain making investments across its international locations, and some highlights within recent years have been its new production plants in China and Brazil and these continue to be successful additions to the company’s portfolio of facilities, and both of which significantly aided the expansion of its presence within the regions. In addition to this, it has also opened a new large diameter OmniSeal seal production facility in Kontich, Belgium. This once again displays the presence that Saint-Gobain has across the world, which has strengthened its position within all major markets. The new site will offer further improvement to quality and help reduce lead-times significantly for large diameter, polymer OmniSeal seals. With this
PROFILE
new production facility, Saint-Gobain aims to strengthen the service to the energy sector for applications such as FPSO turret swivels, large engineered valves, wind turbines, compressors and turbines. The dedicated area includes a new compression-molding press, sintering ovens, a large diameter CNC lathe, bespoke flexible forming and welding technology for Meldin 5301 PEEK based components, special transportation racks and a large table for assembly and inspection. The state-of-the-art equipment operates in a climatised environment to guarantee optimal dimension consistency throughout the manufacturing process until final shipping. The addition of the Kontich production facility follows Saint-Gobain’s strategic plan to offer global support to meet emerging oil and gas market requirements and technology demands. The company once again demonstrated its commitment to the oil and gas industry in September 2015, when the world’s first subsea gas compression station became operational
in the Asgard field offshore Norway using Saint-Gobain OmniSeal seals, which were certified for the axial control valves portion of the gas compression systems that will go on stream at a water depth of 3000 metres. The compression station is a major move forward in powering processing technologies on the seafloor and creating new possibilities to extract hydrocarbons in deeper, harsher waters, and further from shore. Saint-Gobain has continued its tradition of improvement and investment, and has ensured that it will go on providing market leading products and services to its clients across the energy, oil and gas industries. It will continue expanding its capabilities and production not just across Europe, but also within its bases around the world, demonstrating its determination to retain and expand its global reputation within the industry. Saint-Gobain has got the products, the facilities, and the customer relationships in place to indicate it will have many more years of increasing success.
Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain plastics.saint-gobain.com
Services Designs and manufactures high performance seals and polymer components
ENERGY,oil&gas
energy-oil-gas.com
27
Award- winning
safety
Actavo has many years of experience in providing a diverse range of services to customers across the UK and abroad. It does so with a customer and safety focus, while always looking to future opportunities Having undergone a comprehensive rebranding of the company in 2015, Actavo is, today, a leading international engineering solutions company. The company’s extensive range of services span three divisions – Actavo | Industrial; Actavo | Structural; and Actavo | Network & In-Home. Actavo | Industrial Solutions is a leading supplier of multi-discipline industrial solutions that include access solutions, insulation, asbestos removal, power transmission and distribution services, protective coatings, passive fire protection and rope access. These services are provided to a range of industries including the petro-chemical, power generation, nuclear power, offshore, civil engineering and building sectors. The Actavo | Industrial team is based in the UK, Ireland and Kazakhstan,
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and has the vast knowledge and technical expertise required to support clients such as Ineos, Magnox Limited, Centrica, Babcock International, Pfizer, National Grid and SSE, among many others. Actavo | Structural Division comprises Hire & Sales, Building and Events solutions, and, like Actavo | Industrial Solutions, has an established and continually growing presence across the UK, Ireland and internationally. Actavo | Hire & Sales provides a wide range of specialised building equipment such as scaffolding, light access, temporary roofing and fencing, for hire and sale online and through a 35-branch network across the UK and Ireland. Actavo | Buildings designs and manufactures quality buildings using innovative construction techniques to reduce overall construction programmes and time onsite without compromising on design or quality. This team manages projects from initial planning, design and manufacture through to completion, with particular expertise in the healthcare, education, corporate, rail and defence sectors. Actavo | Events provides premier event services such as staging, crowdcontrol solutions, bespoke structures, grandstand seating, drape systems and temporary structures. The Events team provide a turnkey service – from design and project management through to full installation – on a wide range of events, including Glastonbury and British Summer Time (England); T In The Park (Scotland); Primavera (Spain); Dublin’s St Patrick’s Day Festival (Ireland) and Web Summit 2016 (Portugal). Actavo’s wide range of services is continually improved to better serve its customers, an example of this being Actavo Direct (www.actavodirect.com), an online ordering facility. This service offers its customers convenience, increased efficiency, and a saving in terms of time and money. Most recently, Actavo Direct has introduced 48-hour delivery, recognising the importance of prompt service in the high-pressure sectors in which customers are working. Actavo’s technological prowess is further evidenced by its recently signed five-year partnership with ScottishPower to install 780,000 smart meters to homes across Glasgow, Edinburgh and Fife. This contract, which represents the majority of the Government’s smart metering programme for Scotland, has seen Actavo | Network & In-Home Division create 230 jobs in Glasgow. Actavo’s growth is largely attributable to its
PROFILE
customer-focused, performance-driven approach to all parts of its business. According to Chris Foulkes, CEO of Actavo | Industrial Division: “Our growth has been delivered from both new project wins, new maintenance contracts and through the growth of our existing contracts, where we have seen a continuing trend for our clients and understanding their targets, needs and issues. Only when we have really listened and understood these do we make a proposal – not simply offering a standard ‘one size fits all’ response, but with a view to taking on board a client’s perspective and issues, and delivering answers that truly meet their needs.” Commenting on Actavo’s customer-centric ethos, CEO of Actavo | Structural Division, Roger Hastie, added: “Firstly, we strive to stay close to our customers and continually look to learn from them as to how we can provide the best service. Secondly, we are always looking at ways of diversifying as a business – new products, new services, new branches, and new methods of trading, and new targets. Last, but by no means least, our entire approach across Actavo is characterised by a culture of safety – safety has been, and will always be, our number one priority.” The company’s focus on safety has been exemplified by a record of 12 consecutive Royal Society of Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Gold awards, culminating in the RoSPA President’s award. Highlighting the significance of this award, Chris Foulkes said: “The receipt of RoSPA’s President’s award demonstrates Actavo’s continued commitment to sustaining the highest possible levels of safety at all times.” Roger Hastie elaborated further: “Keeping our team and the public safe will always be our top priority. As part of our commitment to deliver world-class services, all our team members receive meticulous health and safety training – both theoretical and practical. Our entire company is focused on zero harm.” Actavo’s industry awards, projects and continued growth (including an increase in its international workforce of over 2000 in the last 16 months) all demonstrate the winning spirit that the company strives to instill in everything it does. Looking to future plans and expectations, Chris Foulkes believes that: “Nuclear new builds, marine works, power transmission and maintenance and outage work in the oil and gas sector will be the staples of our business over the next three to five years, with overseas growth a certainty. We plan to continue
to grow at a rate that significantly out-performs the market. Continuous improvement – through the use of technology that supports our business – will be a key feature in delivering this growth, as well as investment in our people and a strong focus on diversity.” Concluding, Roger Hastie says: “In November 2016, the Actavo brand turned one year old. So, in terms of our new corporate identity, the journey has really only begun, in many ways. Over the next 12 months, we will continue to generate domestic and international recognition of Actavo, and its strength and depth of services and expertise we can provide. The company has traded strongly in 2016, and we are confident that 2017 will represent another year of successful development across all our businesses. We are focused on building excellence and capability in our senior management team, while helping our clients by bringing innovative technology solutions that drive operational efficiency and quality.”
Actavo
Actavo’s wide range of services is continually improved to better serve its customers, an example of this being Actavo Direct (www. actavodirect.com), an online ordering facility Actavo actavo.com
Services Main services range from network, in-home and industrial solutions to hire and sales, building and event services
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PROFILE
SOCAR Gas Georgia
innovation Vision of
In 1994, SOCAR Energy Georgia Ltd was founded with the goal of gaining profit through a range of activities. These included but were not limited to the purchase and development of Kulevi (Georgia) Port and Terminal, the production, process and sale of oil products, the import and export of oil products and attracting local as well as foreign funds for the investment of important projects. In 2007 the firm established a subsidiary company, SOCAR Georgia Gas, with a vision of implementing a gasification programme in the territory of Georgia. In support of this vision, the Government of Georgia signed the investment agreement with SOCAR in 2008 and transferred 29 state-owned regional gas distribution companies to SOCAR Georgia Gas in exchange to invest in gasification of a minimum of 150,000 new customers. Following this development, in 2014 the agreement was amended, with gasification commitments increasing from 150,000 to 250,000 new customers; the amount of total investment commitments for gasification projects increased to $250 million; these investment and gasification commitments are due to be fulfilled by the final quarter of 2017. Discussing the company’s background and operations further is Azer Mammadov, Director of SOCAR Georgia Gas: “Until 2007 there was only one gas supply source for Georgia – Russian Federation; gas was supplied through short-term (one-year) contracts, where gas prices would
increase drastically every year. Before 2007 Azerbaijan itself was an importer of natural gas, but after implementation of Shah-Deniz and South Caucasus Pipeline projects, Azerbaijan started exporting natural gas to the European market. Georgia, due to its geographical location, participated in SCP projects and benefited from the establishment of a new source of gas imports that limited dependence of Georgia on Russian gas imports. “Currently, we think SOCAR Georgia Gas offers the best competitive stance in the country, with top quality services and product. We believe our solutions are cost-effective for the population of Georgia as well as the commercial subscriber, and we are ready to compete with other suppliers and strengthen our market in the future. Gas pipeline networks operated by SOCAR Georgia Gas are used to supply natural gas to both types of customers, social (households), and commercial (B2B). We presently supply natural gas to 515,500 customers, out of which 500,700 are households and 14,800 are commercial. Although there is a significant difference between numbers of social and commercial customers, it should be underlined that the commercial segment is very important for the overall supply of natural gas provided by our company.” As a gas distribution company, SOCAR Georgia Gas is a license holder for the operation of a low and medium pressure pipeline network; the Georgian natural gas grid also includes ENERGY,oil&gas
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PROFILE
SOCAR Gas Georgia
high-pressure transmission pipeline, which is operated by the state-owned Georgian Gas Transportation Company. The current scope of work for the company includes the import, supply and distribution of natural gas, as well as the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of the gas network. For its 515,500 customers, the company offers these services through 40 service centres in the regions of Georgia and its headquarters in Tbilisi. With distribution companies in the regions merged into one unified structure by 2014, SOCAR Georgia Gas further strengthened business processes in 2015 through the introduction of a number of solutions in the field of information systems. These include GIS, CRM, Electronic Docflow, a 1C ERP system and a new billing system; in addition to this investment, a number of technical standards in construction and maintenance of the network have been developed. Having made these investments, the company faced a fresh challenge caused by the increased consumption of natural gas in the country. With the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Micheil Janelidze affirming that the Government of Georgia’s goal is to ensure the stable and uninterrupted supply of natural gas in early 2016, the Government went onto conduct long and open negotiations, which have led to successful results. “On average, more than 50,000 new customers are connected to the distribution network of SOCAR Georgia Gas every year; the trend will remain until the end of 2018, when the total number of active customers is expected to reach more than 600,000,” says Azer.
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He continues: “In March 2016 the Government of Georgia and State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic reinstated their commitments to co-operate with the aim of ensuring uninterrupted and secure gas supply of the Georgian social sector (households and thermal power plants) for the next 15 years. Before 2016, SOCAR annually supplied around 1300 million cubic metres of gas to Georgia, based on the signed agreements previously mentioned and, considering the long-term forecast made by the Government of Georgia, SOCAR has increased its annual supply volume of gas by 400 million cubic metres for the upcoming years. We are in a strong position to meet this increased gas demand and import gas sufficient to cover gas consumption volumes in both social and commercial sectors.” Moving forward, the company has issued a five-year strategic plan for 2016 to 2020, which outlines the company’s goals to be achieved in technical, commercial, financial, innovations and institutional development directions. Looking at the work that lays ahead for SOCAR Gas Georgia, Azer concludes: “Generally, the company has the following strategic objectives: to increase profitability and efficiency, improve operational efficiency, implement the investment plan and prepare for the implementation of the requirements of the Third Energy Package. Our vision is to be a nationwide leading, highly innovative natural gas company with social responsibility towards community, employees and environment.”
On average, more than 50,000 new customers are connected to the distribution network of SOCAR Georgia Gas every year; the trend will remain until the end of 2018, when the total number of active customers is expected to reach more than 600,000
SOCAR Georgia Gas socargas.ge
Services Gas distribution company
PROFILE
Harpers Environmental
service First-class
An award-winning
and UKAS ISO accredited business, Harpers Environmental has developed a solid reputation as a leader in the field of industrial services and waste management over the last 65 years. Offering a first-class service, the company focuses on delivering safe, innovative and value adding solutions to its diverse customer base. With patent pending equipment and known for the level of quality it provides throughout each project, Harpers’ team regularly works with many blue chip and high profile organisations in industries such as construction, food, utilities, water, oil and gas and demolition. Delivering often high risk and complex projects involving industrial services, waste removal and waste disposal, Harpers delivers world-class environmental services while also creating efficiencies that reduces cost in a safe environment. Harpers also strives to provide solutions in a manner that respects people and safety in a hard working and enterprising environment, which thus ensures excellence in reputation for both Harpers and its customers. Thanks to long-term expertise and an evergrowing comprehensive vehicle fleet and high performance equipment, the company is able to provide a tailored approach to business. Able to source the most appropriate cleaning and decontamination methods for each job, the company also produces comprehensive method statements and risk assessments, complete tests for contaminants and obtains work permits. Moreover, the environmentally friendly Harpers
ensures waste is reduced, re-used and recycled whenever possible. Within the company’s broad vehicle fleet are high pressure jetting units, rigid vacuum tankers, articulated tankers, jetting tankers, DISAB vacuum units, jet-vac tankers, recycling tankers, KSA dewatering tankers; CCTV units, skip vehicles and rapid response vehicles. These are used for specific services including dewatering and sludge treatment, DISAB vacuum services, UHP water jetting, NORM (naturally occurring radioactive material), tank cleaning and waste management to name but a few. “We have got the largest fleet of working DISABS in the UK; a DISAB is a specialist piece of equipment that we use to suck out everything from contaminated diesel and contaminated NORM liquids and sludges from ships and oil rigs when they are floated to shore. These DISABs use fast moving air flow via very powerful fans that bring up the liquid; in fact they can suck heavy material such as thick sludge well over 100 metres and over significant depth up a six inch pipe, so it has a huge amount of power. There aren’t hundreds of them in the country, however they are an exceptional piece of kit and Harpers have the expertise and largest fleet in the UK to offer this service. It is about having the reach and ability to scale up and take on the requests from these major companies; we have high performance tankers with liquid rings, vacuum pumps, DISABs and expert crews that are confined space and breathing apparatus trained and able to go all ENERGY,oil&gas
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Operating nationally for clients in the, Construction, Demolition, Utility, Oil & Gas, Chemical & Heavy Industry Sectors OUR SERVICES Industrial Tank Cleaning ---------------------------------------------------------------------2 Dewatering & Sludge Treatment ---------------------------------------------------------------------3 DISAB Vacuum Services for heavy sludge removal over extended vertical and horizontal distances ---------------------------------------------------------------------4 Decommission Cleaning & Waste Removal 1
UHP Water Jetting ---------------------------------------------------------------------6 Bulk Tankering ---------------------------------------------------------------------7 Interceptors ---------------------------------------------------------------------8 Confined Space Cleaning ---------------------------------------------------------------------9 Hazardous Waste Management ---------------------------------------------------------------------10 Plant Decontamination 5
www.harpersenvironmental.co.uk York 01347 810677 - Teeside 01642 563129
PROFILE
over the country to take on complex projects,” explains Chris Perry, Managing Director at Harpers Environmental. “Complementing our range of equipment further is the addition of seven new tankers that we have added to our portfolio over recent months. These include specialist ADR, lightweight stainless steel and aluminum tankers.” Headquartered in York, the company also has a large presence in Teesside where it provides services to customers throughout the UK and further afield. “When working with customers in the petrochem industry we are able to offer confidence to customers thanks to our high standards and level of accreditation; we are not only UKAS ISO 9001, 14001, 18001 accredited, but also have CHAS, Safe Contractor, SSIP, Achilles, Builders Profile, UK Spill Members, Safety Council and the Water Jetting Association under our belts. We also have the O license for more than 60 vehicles with an international license, so we are able to go abroad with our specialist vehicles if required,” says Chris. “Key to our success are the standards, processes and procedures we have in place; the waste industry is hugely legislature driven and there are a lot of standards and laws in place to comply with. Harpers can do this and has a very good record for health and safety as well as with the EA (Environmental Agency); it is clear that customers appreciate this as when we put forward tenders we can easily demonstrate how we have previously met standards and how we can look after their reputation and meet their requirements. Having been in the business for more than 65 years we have proven experience on the projects we have worked on before and when it comes to high risk contracts, this is important,” he adds. Recent projects for the company include supporting the decommissioning process of the
Harpers Environmental
Maersk North Sea Producer, which was moored in Middlesbrough. Other oil and gas related projects that Harpers has recently been involved in include NORM, tank cleaning and ultra-high 40,000 psi jetting. “Harpers is one of the first businesses in the UK to develop a full NORM capability and supervisory team; it can be potentially dangerous, but from a regulatory perspective it is complex, which means training and processes are more involved. NORM is a new area for us for which we have got approximately 100 employees. For the range of projects we are involved in, we have the UHP jetting, which we can do in confined spaces; we are also involved in high risk processes and procedures in complex places for well-known companies that have reputations they want to protect. When you work with Harpers you are working with a company that can not only protect a PLC’s reputation through the high standards we have obtained, but also wants to maintain its own high standards,” comments Chris. Having grown by 25 per cent over the last three years, Harpers Environmental has become stronger and leaner since the challenging recession and anticipates stronger growth over the coming years. Although it is possible that there may be less waste to take away as companies continue to design facilities to not create waste it is clearly noted that the legislation for waste disposal has significantly increased. Harpers Environmental can rely on its impeccable reputation as customers seek out partners with proven skills, a focus on H&S and extensive knowledge of legislation to move materials safely and dispose of it in a compliant, efficient and cost-effective fashion. “With the HSE issuing record fines, the implications of adhering to legislation is huge and reputations need to be maintained. Because of this, I anticipate continued growth as the market consolidates and we continue to become a bigger player in the market,” Chris concludes.
Harpers Environmental harpersenvironmental.co.uk
Services Industrial services and waste management
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PROFILE
Claxton Engineering Services
Services in
demand Claxton Engineering
brings together the best elements of a traditional familyrun business with the energy and progressive thinking of an industry innovator. Providing offshore engineering services for clients around the world, the company prides itself on offering tailored services that rival those of much larger competitors. The company’s values were set out by founder
Below Laura Claxton, managing director Claxton Enginnering
Bob Claxton 30 years ago and while the business may have grown and evolved, these beliefs are still crucial to the business today, as managing director Laura Claxton explained: “Today we have offices in Norway, and the UAE as well as the UK – but we’ve retained Bob’s original ethic: Bob had a steadfast belief that service and delivery is everything to our customers. We always remember that the pace and quality of our delivery can make a massive difference to their projects. So, because great service and delivery are important to our clients, they are essential to us too.” Thanks to Claxton’s continued business philosophy, the company has established a
reputation in the market for reliability, flexibility and superior technology. It takes great pride in its ability to meet the needs of its clients no matter how challenging the requirements are, and one of the major contributing factors of this success is the skill of its team. Claxton can rely on a wealth of experienced and talented engineers, all of whom are able to bring their knowledge of the industry to support clients’ needs. The fast-track in-house design-analysebuild engineering service capability, means also that Claxton can adjust specifications to suit bespoke requirements. This combination of factors is what makes Claxton the smart choice for customers. Claxton describes its capabilities as ‘engineering and services across the life of field’ and in reality this translates to a wide spectrum of services, across three broad categories – Risers, Decommissioning and Structures. When we spoke to Laura she was extremely proud of how the portfolio had grown over three decades of operation and she pointed out that the extensive span of items available is now unrivalled in the market: “We have riser and adaptor rental inventory that extends to over a 1000m of riser, 4000 ancillary tooling items and a variety of different connection types, including full-bore API/NACE compliant subsea systems up to 12,200 psi swp,” she stated. “No other company can offer this breadth of riser inventory.” She continued by highlighting the benefits of one of the company’s state-of-the-art systems: “The Claxton HP Drilling Riser System is an assembly of pressure containing drilling spools with flanged end connections, which are used to connect a jack up rig’s surface BOP to the ENERGY,oil&gas
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wellhead,” she explained. “It allows full-bore, unrestricted access to the well for the deployment of tools and as conduit for fluids, whilst being able to contain maximum reservoir pressure and acting as an environmental barrier, for the purposes of drilling, completing or working over a well in addition to well abandonment.” Claxton also has a long-standing record working on decommissioning projects around the world. An integral part of the offshore industry over the past few years, Decommissioning is an area where the company demonstrates many of its market leading strengths. Laura expanded on this: “Claxton are very experienced in platform, subsea, rigless and vessel based campaigns, and support well decommissioning projects by providing risers, wellhead removal, conductor severance, and solutions to overcome integrity issues with platforms or ageing well infrastructure. We have continually invested in our team and proprietary tooling with the result that today the company has completed over 280 cutting and recovery projects, over 85 wells cut and over 130 suspended wells abandoned.” Finally, the business has also worked together with its clients to install over 5000 conductor guide centralizers and over 55 major pre-drilling developments have benefited from Claxton’s designed – and installed – drilling templates. Laura stated: “Our experience with structures means we can ‘take the pain away’ when it comes to your structural and well conductor asset life extension issues. All of our products have been built using significant analysis of the platform structure and well conductor interface. This innate understanding of the well conductor environment, complemented by proprietary tooling and fieldproven procedures, enables Claxton to add significant value at all stages of the process.” As Laura mentioned, Claxton has a dedicated in-house design and research development team, which is continually looking to make improvements to existing products as well as launch new ones. The team also responds to what the market and customers are demanding, as well as looking at what they might need in the future. A prime example of Claxton’s approach to product development is the latest evolution of its conductor recovery tower and SABRE™ cutting system. SABRE™ was first developed in 1999, and has proven to be an invaluable tool for the company when working on some of the world’s most significant abandonment
Claxton Engineering Services
campaigns. Its abrasive jet exits the tool at transonic speeds - making light work of even composite materials such as cemented casings. However, the upgraded option of this will offer even more benefits. Laura gave more details: “The latest version is fully NORSOK Z-015 compliant, has a reduced system footprint and is modular in design, making it adaptable to a wider range of applications and deck layouts and thus minimising complexity. Its cutting manipulators suit all standard casing sizes down to 6-5/8 inches; it can operate at pressures of up to 20,000 psi and includes a packer system to improve cutting performance.” She continued: “The modular approach and philosophy for SABRE™ also influenced new developments for the Claxton conductor recovery tower. The tower can handle and recover tubulars from production tubing to 30” casing during well abandonment. Designed for operational speed and reduced rig-up complexity, the system increases efficiency offshore. By having a small, lightweight yet powerful system, Claxton can also extend the operational window of the unit and move from well to well more quickly and effectively.” The SABRE™ development reinforces the commitment that Claxton has towards providing new innovation to drive efficiency to its customers. The same philosophy that went into creating SABRE™ is the same approach that goes into all of Claxton’s products and services, finding the right solution to meet the needs of its clients within the industry. Having had a successful 30 years’ in business, and an increasingly positive period under the current managing director, resulted in Laura Claxton being shortlisted for the Business Woman of the Year Award 2015. The future of the company looks set to continue on its encouraging trajectory and as more and more operators within the industry look to reduce operating costs, Claxton’s world leading services will no doubt be in heavy demand.
SSCS LIFTING SSCS Lifting operates as a Division of Seabed Scour Control Systems Limited and combines expertise with many years experience as manufacturers and suppliers of lifting products in addition to providing a proven problem solving capability for all lifting and lashing requirements. Testing and Certification work is supported by a fully computerised certification management system, which maintains a comprehensive client database with records of each individual item of equipment provided or tested, all of which is available to the client direct from the SSCS website. SSCS is proud to have supported Claxton Engineering in the provision of their substantial lifting equipment requirements and in ensuring that the service provided meets all of their specific demands regarding delivery and promotion of the service required for an effective and reliable operation. SSCS Lifting looks forward to continuing the support of Claxton Engineering in the future and to ensure all equipment is delivered on time, every time and in helping Claxton to ‘MAKE IT HAPPEN’.
Claxton Engineering Services Ltd claxtonengineering.com
Services Bespoke offshore engineering and products
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growth Structured
Benteler Distribution
organisation; this has provided benefits such as the integrated expertise of each firm as well as the long-term tradition of having a progressive approach to the market sectors it serves. Since joining the global division of Benteler Distribution International in 1994, Benteler Distribution Ltd has become truly international. The BENTELER group is over 140 years old and in its fourth generation of family ownership. It includes three business divisions: Benteler Automotive and Benteler Steel/Tube as well as Benteler Distribution. Within these three divisions, the group is able to combine comprehensive competences in the areas of the production of steel and steel tubes, the engineering and manufacture of components for the automotive industry and the processing and worldwide distribution of its products. During the past two years the company has taken part in a group wide European Network Study (ENS) to ensure its offering was aligned with the expected requirements of customers today, through 2020 and beyond. “From these findings we closed two of our warehouses in Falkirk and West Bromwich but are retaining the experienced staff in local sales offices. Scottish customers have since benefitted from improved
Having more than
BEWO Intelligent solutions for tube processing. The biggest challenge for cutting tubes with smaller diameters is not the cutting itself, but separating the tubes from the bundle. Until now, this often had to be done manually. However, Bewo Cutting Systems have managed to solve this issue with the help of special separation devices, which enable the separation of all tubes out of the complete bundle without operator assistance. This new development makes it possible to automatically run six mm diameter tubes with a starting length of six metres throughout the complete line. The new system has been developed in such a way that all existing bundle loaders in the SCF-series can be modified to accept this new separation device.
6000 tonnes of carbon and stainless steel tubes in stock; an extensive range of cutting, washing and end processing machines; and a customer base that includes some of the largest manufacturers in the UK, Benteler Distribution Ltd is one of the country’s leading carbon and stainless steel tube and bar stockholders. With a history dating as far back as 90 years, Bolton headquartered Benteler Distribution’s origins began with the foundation of Lancashire Tube Stockholders, Pipe & Tube Supplies, British & General Tube, Harbour Tubes and more recently Perchcourt Stainless. Today these companies operate within this one single
lead times direct from the large Bolton and Basingstoke sites through our new distribution network. In fact this has been a positive for all regions in the UK. With the relocation of our West Bromwich site, which was fast out growing its size, we have been able to expand the Basingstoke warehouse into over 100,000 square feet, which is now our centre for cold-finished tubes, stainless steel tubes and welded precision, as well as creating an integrated production unit for our precision cutting and processing equipment,” says Colin Knox, Group Sales Manager at Benteler Distribution Ltd. “The Basingstoke expansion was further boosted by a capex investment of £1.2 million for new and additional circular saws, tube washing and measurement systems, which has seen a generation of new business in the ENERGY,oil&gas
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Benteler Distribution
automotive market. This investment means we can follow market trends and existing customers, for example, into the application of fluid technology, and enhance our general capability in serving the automotive and general stainless steel market,” explains Phil DalePearson, Automotive Sales Manager. With a competent and experienced local team in place across each site, Benteler Distribution’s focus on providing the best possible customer service to companies in the automotive, engineering, hydraulic and pneumatic, construction, energy and process plants, healthcare and shipbuilding sectors, has cemented its reputation as a leader in a number of markets. “We are already leading the way in hydraulic feed lines, cold finished,
and welded precision tubes in the UK and are also at the forefront in the mechanical engineering side of the business; this includes hot finished seamless mechanical tubing, hollow bar. We therefore see key areas for expansion and growth in the future being in the sectors of automotive, general stainless steel and energy,” Colin notes. As a recognised second tier supplier to the UK automotive industry, for which it provides carbon, stainless steel and aluminium tubular components for fluid, seating, structural and safety applications, Benteler Distribution is in an enviable position as this booming industry continues to grow. “For our customers in this sector we provide a Just-In-Time (JIT) service where we work alongside clients to perfect bespoke solutions with electronic data transfer (EDI) as well as client specific service requirements,” says Phil. “For the latter, this could be technical solutions for a special steel, cutting, end processing or packing and stocking to a client’s needs.” “This is a great point as to the direction we
see Benteler Distribution going in,” adds Colin. “It isn’t about merely selling steel tubes, but about satisfying customer requirements. Every customer is different, and we have the flexibility to offer these services and meet their needs.” Key to providing this service is the company’s experienced team, commitment to R&D and close proximity to technical resources, strengths which will also play an integral role in its increased progression into the energy sector. “With these capabilities we can develop our product range in line with market developments. For example, over the last ten years we have been expanding more into the pipeline and power generation market, and recently extended our stock range of boiler and pipeline products with a range of Western European manufactured G15/ X52 seamless steel pipes with 3.2 certification. These will be particularly suitable for our expansion into the offshore fabrication market,” highlights John Hutchison, Energy Sales Manager. Alongside its focus on the automotive and energy markets, Colin says the company will also be seeking to develop the stainless steel side of the business further: “Benteler Group holds approximately 6000 tonnes of stainless steel tubes, combine that with our stocks of carbon tubes, aided by the latest processing technologies in our new Basingstoke facility, and our strong transport network, we have a unique product and service offering to achieve this goal.” In these challenging times, Benteler Distribution is in a strong position for further growth as it not only benefits from leaner operations and state-of-the-art equipment, but also a solid reputation for the traditional values of reliability, honesty and superior customer service.
Pudsey Test & Inspection Ltd Pudsey Test & Inspection Ltd. are pleased to have been associated with Benteler Distribution Ltd over the past 18 years, and wish them all the success for the future. We have developed a strong working partnership to provide a high quality product to meet their customer requirements. Pudsey Test & Inspection were established in 1980. We provide non-destructive inspection services both on-site and at our 8000sq ft. workshop in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Our services include: level 3 services, ultrasonic immersion testing of tube and bar, radiography, positive material identification, magnetic and liquid penetrant inspection and visual.
Rattunde & Co GmbH Designed and built in Germany, the Rattunde ACS Production System is the preferred machine for tube cutting, solid bar sawing and machining. Rattunde sets the world standard for reliability, productivity and quality. Whether you are looking to simply recut mill length tube and bar, recut and brush, recut and end finish or recut and machine complex features, including threading, there is a Rattunde ACS Production System suited to your needs.
Benteler Distribution Ltd benteler-distribution.co.uk
Services Carbon and stainless steel tubes
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success Sealed with
V-Seal Ltd’s history
Stainless Band Stainless Band is a leading supplier of stainless coil processed products, with a growing reputation for providing consistent, high-quality products and an outstanding level of client service. It produces a wide range of products including bobbin wound/oscillating stainless steel coil in a range of grades and thicknesses. Services include; edge dressings, coatings, stainless steel polishing, slit blanks and more. The company holds the advantage of having edge rounding, edge dressing, flattening and rolling, polishing and testing facilities all under one roof – allowing it to maintain complete control over the quality of its products. Call its multi-lingual team to find out more.
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dates back to 1996, when Founder and Managing Director Mark Birks moved into the sales market for the gasket industry and became frustrated at the length of lead times he could offer customers for quick breakdown services. In response to this, he opened Vesseal Gaskets and Rubber Products and started operations with a lathe, ring cutter and a spiral wound gasket machine; from there, he began servicing the fast turnaround industry in the market. Having created an instant success, Mark was so in demand he opened two more units to meet the needs of his clients. Following further growth, he opened a clad gasket and die formed ring department in 2000 and relocated to Boothtown, Halifax, in 2002 to have the capacity for serving customers growing further. It was during this period of relocation to the Reflecting Roadstuds building that the company changed its name to V-Seal Ltd. In 2015 V-Seal moved once again to its current premises in Elland, West Yorkshire, where it uses long-term expertise to manufacture a broad variety of gaskets for customers in a manner that not only provides each customer with a high quality product, but also a quick turnaround. Still committed to the delivery of optimum customer service, V-Seal has cemented itself as a leading manufacturer of gaskets that are supplied directly or indirectly to the petrochemical and oil refineries across the globe. Wholly aware of the pressure there is to keep production lines open within the oil & gas industry, the company ensures short lead times and even manufactures and dispatches many of its products the same day.
energy-oil-gas.com
With unrivalled commitment to service and quality, V-Seal’s skilled engineers are able to produce components to the customers’ exact requirements while also providing unequalled turnaround thanks to modern factory processes that focus on efficiency and precision. As such, V-Seal has become a leader of metallic and non-metallic gaskets and seals for industrial requirements for a number of industries that stringently adhere to superior levels or quality and legislative standards. These industries include petrochemical, oil & gas, aerospace, automotive, construction, water supply, electric and general utility services. Included in the company’s product range are spiral wound gaskets, soft cut gaskets, clad gaskets, die formed rings, PTFE materials and valve and stem packings and machined components. Well-known for its spiral wound gaskets, which are often manufactured and dispatched the same day, V-Seal used a V shaped metallic winding strip continually wound and incorporating an inner wound soft filler material such as graphite or PTFE to create this product. By manufacturing in this way, the company maintains an effective seal at high fluctuating temperatures and pressures for the customer; as such, this product is suitable for applications in the petrochemical, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and nuclear energy industries. Also well known for its heat exchanger gaskets, which comprise of a metallic outer shell and metallic or non metallic filler, these hand made clad gaskets are produced to each customer’s exact specifications. Offered in a variety of metals and configurations, these
PROFILE
product can be fabricated in one piece or, should the gasket have bar configurations, securely welded into the ring by one of V-Seal’s expert engineers. Fabricated from a single sheet of metal, clad gaskets are suitable for applications such as heat exchangers, valve bonnet gaskets, narrow flanges and exhaust gases. In addition to gaskets, valve and stem packings and die formed rings, the company also supplies customers with PTFE (polyetrafluoroethylene) materials, which boast superior properties and offer a wide range of usage within the sealing industry. Effective from -200 degrees to 260 degrees Celsius, PTFE is resistant to virtually all corrosive chemicals; other benefits of using PTFE include the fact it is non-stick, nonflammable and offers resistance to moisture and UV as well as fatigue for applications involving flexing or vibrations. Despite developing a leading reputation and accumulating a solid customer base from a diverse range of industries, V-Seal has
proven it is not a company to rest on its laurels following the announcement that is has agreed a combined £250,000 invoice finance facility with Aldermore, the specialist lender and savings bank. Currently employing 21 members of staff, this extended funding, in addition to earlier funds provided by Aldermore, will enable V-Seal to relocate and install a new laser cutting machines; the results of these developments will provide the company with opportunities to expand on a global scale and also aid in meeting the increasing demand for seals and gaskets of all sizes. Viewed as a significant milestone in V-Seal’s history, the investment will enable the company to upscale operations, which thus leads to more customers being served, particularly on the growing export side of the business. With the additional funding in place to assist the company in growing its business over the coming years, the future looks positive for V-Seal as it seeks to expand in new geographical areas while also continuing to serve its established customer base.
V-Seal
With unrivalled commitment to service and quality, V-Seal’s skilled engineers are able to produce components to the customers’ exact requirements while also providing unequalled turnaround thanks to modern factory processes that focus on efficiency and precision V-Seal Ltd vseal.co.uk
Services Manufactures gaskets, rubber and PTFE materials
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Skilled
services With more than 90 years
of experience working with all types of tanks and industrial installations, Verwater has become a specialist in tank maintenance and construction and a trusted global contractor in industrial petrochemical installations. Experienced in project management, Verwater supports its clients in maintenance and construction works and can execute multidisciplinary projects as well as total maintenance trajectories. Known for its focus on quality, long-term experience and self-developed technology, the company today boasts large international organisations as
customers; these oil majors are served by its 600 plus employees across the globe in Verwater’s offices based in The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Turkey, Singapore and the US. Looking back on how Verwater has progressed over the years, Filip de Wilde, Chief Executive Officer at Verwater, begins: “Verwater was founded by the Verwater family in 1922 and began operations performing civil works in the Rotterdam port area for oil and
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gas companies. The work involved digging for the installation of wiring or piping as well as the repair of foundations for the construction of storage tanks, for example. From there we started to develop a technique to help companies find a solution for differential settings that holding tanks were showing; we came up with a checking technique for the holding tank that has resulted in us becoming a worldwide market leader that can check large tanks. We can also go underneath the tanks with diggers and excavators for repair work or to develop a new foundation and so on. “By the 1970s Verwater was operating in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Belgium and Singapore as a provider of maintenance programmes for storage tanks. Today we are one of the leading contractors for all activities related to maintenance for storage tank installations. However, not a company to rest on our laurels, we made the decision to diversify over recent years and developed our civil works outside tank farms; this has led to us not only providing deck and mechanical maintenance, but also maintenance of piping. We decided to switch from operating as a pure contractor to a service provider as we have gained a lot of experience in advising our main clients during a maintenance programme of specific installations. Increasingly we have been more involved in the planning process of a project and become part of our customer’s team, taking into account regulation, maintenance engineering and budgeting limits.” Having made the decision to become a service provider to its customers, Verwater felt it necessary to strengthen its position in the market
PROFILE
by adding more complementary services to its repetoire. Aware that the Intex company was in the throes of business difficulties, Verwater took over the firm’s industrial services, which means it can now perform activities for the ELI instrumentation and electrical engineering and automation as well as valve reconditioning and repair works. “With the strengths of Intex added to our capabilities, we can now work on the piping and take out the valves and repair them during production shut downs or projects involving pipes; we can also dismount and connect everything electrical. With this takeover we can either broaden our scope of activities with existing clients or add activities on the side for former Intex clients; there is also a large, well defined area for potential synergy between the two companies,” highlights Filip. With a solid reputation in the market for tank construction and maintenance and advanced capabilities thanks to the acquisition of Intex, Verwater experienced strong and turbulent growth over recent years; however, following a number of large projects that weren’t focused on its core strengths, the company became financially distressed. In July 2014 a majority stake of Verwater was acquired by Netherlands based independent investment firm Infestos, which has gone onto refinance the company, raise additional capital and thus secure the company’s future. In line with these developments, the board of Directors at Verwater was changed with the appointment of Filip as CEO and Peter de Koster as COO. The acquisition proved fruitful, with the company registering profits in 2015. “With a new board installed, a programme change was introduced with a choice made for us not to strech too far from our strengths and instead stick with familiar competences with a focus on maintenance,” says Filip. “The strategy is to stick with what we are good at but evolve as a service provider; this decision has proven successful, with many customers returning to us for maintenance contracts.” Following this milestone in the company’s history, a majority stake in Verwater was acquired by Bregal Freshstream, a Dutch private equity company that focuses on the turnaround of Netherlands-based firms, in September 2016. With this transaction complete, Bregal Freshstream is now the majority owner, alongside Infestos, Verwater’s management team, the Verwater family and company executives. Bregal Freshstream
is also taking over as controlling shareholder as Verwater progresses with plans to expand its product portfolio and develop a presence in markets that complement its capabilities. Currently working on projects that include the building of six new storage tanks for a refinery in Rotterdam-Botlek as part of an expansion project for a major oil company, the future looks positive for Verwater as it continues to work through a number of three to six year maintenance projects that were secured during the last two years. “In the near future our focus will be on operational excellence so we secure our place in the market and secure our customers with extended contracts. We have demonstrated our safety processes and our operational excellence and seek to continue improving in these areas in the longer term to ensure our organisation is fit to support our strategy for further growth in the future.”
Verwater
Verwater verwater.com
Services Global contractor in industrial and petrochemical installations
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PROFILE
RS Clare
Innovation since1748 Founded at the dawn
RLM PACKAGING LTD RLM Packaging manufactures a wide range of tinplate containers for the oils and lubrication industries both in the United Kingdom and abroad. It has been doing this successfully for over 25 years and has developed a great deal of expertise and experience in this sector. The company is also able to accommodate both large and small production runs to its customers’ specific needs and offers a high level of flexibility in its production process. In addition its tinplate containers tick all the boxes with regard renewables and sustainability, as they are totally recyclable. Contact RLM for advice tailored to your needs.
of the Industrial Revolution, RS Clare is a family owned business that has been based in Liverpool since 1748. The company represents
the longest established business dedicated to the manufacture of lubricants in the United Kingdom and despite its age, RS Clare is both innovative and dynamic in the development of new ways to further improve its products and services. “Our company’s long history instils a sense of identity and purpose within our workforce, which helps to inspire us to overcome challenges and achieve new goals. This heritage also helps enormously in terms of our reputation and credibility with our company’s customers,” elaborates Head of Marketing & Customer Service, David
Meadows. “People are interested in our past and appreciate that a company still thriving after nearly 270 years in business is one which has solid foundations, but must also be innovative and agile enough to have prospered for so long.” Being a family owned business gives the company several advantages in terms of its financial and leadership stability at Board level, allowing it to make critical decisions quickly and to stay ahead of competing firms. The unbroken history of RS Clare also gives the business a sophisticated understanding of the market for lubricating products, which represents a powerful tool in shaping the company and developing new products. “To help drive the business forward RS Clare has recently made a significant investment in a purpose built factory and office suite, which is integrated into our existing head office in Liverpool,” David says. “The new facilities not only enable our continued growth and expansion for years to come, they are also a symbol of our commitment to the environment, encompassing 78 Solar PV panels, ground source heating and a rainwater harvesting system. These new facilities are consistent with our strategic approach to environmentally sustainable lubrication practices.” During the course of its history, RS Clare has developed an extensive customer base across several market sectors, including the oil and gas, rail, marine, industrial and anti-skid surfacing industries in both domestic and international markets. “RS Clare operates in multiple ENERGY,oil&gas
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PROFILE
RS Clare
industries and is a truly global enterprise. Our Lubricants Division has built on the company’s long experience in grease making by serving niche markets for speciality products in the oil and gas, rail, steel, marine and automotive industries throughout the world. We operate a Surface Coatings Division that manufactures and applies anti-skid surfaces and road markings. We also continue to manufacture lubricants under our customer’s own brands as part of our Industrial Division,” David reveals. “Both domestic and international business is critical to our long-term success. Domestically we continue to perform strongly in the markets in which we participate, and we are seeing continued growth in our exports around the globe. We export to over 60 countries and the company now generates more than half of its turnover from overseas sales.” RS Clare was founded on innovation and has been able to thrive for more than 260 years because of its continued focus on radical, disruptive products for new industries and applications. “Innovation is in our DNA and all of our people are consciously looking for new ways to add value to our product portfolio. Many of our customers come to us as the first port of call for product development in lubrication and coatings. An innovation example is the invention of thermoplastic road markings in 1933 by our Chemist ‘Doc Myles’, which are today used around the world. Furthermore, our oil and gas lubricants are exclusively aimed at extending valve life and reducing costs, which is something that is especially important given today’s oil price,” David explains. “Today we maintain a technical team far in excess of what would be typical for our size and comprising not only top academics but also significant field experience to ensure that our developments are fully customer focused. One of our most exciting recent developments is a valve lubricant specifically designed for hydraulic fracking operations. We have incorporated radical technology never before seen in valve lubricants to take a significant step forward in protecting these heavily abused valves and keep out damaging sand. As always we are conducting extensive field trials and early indications are that it delivers significant cost benefits.” As a result of its continued product development and research and development operations, RS Clare has established a strong portfolio of industrial lubricating products.
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These range from its market leading ‘Valve Lubricant 601’ to its new ‘EcoCurve’ Rail lubricant range and beyond. “Our signature product is most definitely Valve Lubricant 601, which is primarily used in gate valves in the oil and gas industry around the world. We have seen huge growth in this product in the last decade, as energy producers see the long-term benefits and value in using a lubricant designed for exceptional performance in the widest range of operating conditions,” David details. “The product’s resistance to hydrocarbons and aggressive chemicals means that it stays in the valve cavity longer, meaning fewer unplanned maintenance intervals and increased component life. Our new range of ‘EcoCurve’ rail greases are biodegradable, reduce noise and wear on the tracks and enable one grease to be used all year round due its wide temperature range.” Over the coming years RS Clare will continually develop new solutions in its chosen market sectors, further adding value to the products that is supplies to its customers. “We focus on markets where we believe we have or can develop a position of technical leadership. In order to do this we invest in close working relationships, which are in effect ‘partnerships’ that ensure that we truly understand our customers’ and their requirements. Innovation is key and not an accident, it has been a long term objective that 25 per cent of our business returns each year should be derived from sales of recent product developments,” David concludes. “We are embarking on a new phase of international growth for several of our divisions with continued increase in exports and another Queen’s Award for Industry is in our sights. We have had considerable success in recent years by building great relationships, understanding customer’s issues and developing intricate specialist lubricants to solve those problems. That has been our strategy for the past few years and it continues to be today.”
Vapor-Tek Ltd Vapor-Tek Ltd specialises in the manufacture of high quality corrosion preventives, for the protection of metal parts, machinery and equipment during storage, transportation and export. It is an approved supplier to the Ministry of Defence DEF STAN 68-10 (PX-24, NATO Code C-634). In addition to solvent and oil-based coatings the company produces a range of vapour-phase (Volatile) corrosion preventives for the protection of internal areas. Vapor-Tek has developed a unique grease (Cablegard) for the protection of overhead power lines (conductors). The company’s philosophy is to provide products, which afford the highest possible level of protection and never to compromise on quality.
RS Clare & Co Ltd rsclare.com
Services Lubricant manufacturer
PROFILE
Uninterruptible
Hadimec AG / BRITZE Elektronik und Gerätebau GmbH As end-to-end E2MS providers, Hadimec and its subsidiary BRITZE offer a comprehensive range of design, engineering, manufacturing and testing services for electronic systems to international customers in high-tech industries. They specialise in low volume/high mix electronic manufacturing and provide responsive and customised solutions along the entire electronic product lifecycle – keeping in mind the total cost of ownership. With locations in Switzerland, Germany and Hungary, the companies combine local expertise with a European footprint to ensure global competitiveness while maintaining direct and personal relationships to customers.
Schneider Electric
The focus of
quality
Schneider Electric’s attention with their Gutor AC & DC UPS Systems is to secure the continuous and conditioned electric power supply for critical industrial and commercial applications. It specialises in designing complete UPS system solutions, which are mainly used in the global oil and gas, petrochemical, chemical and nuclear, as well as conventional power generation industries. There are clear costs to the risks of an interruption of power in many areas of the energy industry, and the increasing pressures on running an efficient cost-effective process makes the need for a reliable UPS system all the more important. With its market leading Gutor UPS Systems, Schneider Electric has built a reputation on helping its global energy customers avoid the impact of any unpredicted power issues. Gutor is a well-known UPS brand in the industry as there are few others that can call upon the same standard of quality or track record of reliability that it can, and that is one of the factors that make Schneider Electric’s Gutor UPS systems unique. Its commitment to achieving the highest standard possible for its products is something that stems from the company’s base in Switzerland, and was perfectly extended to its factory in Malaysia that is following the same processes and standards, and is sharing its Quality Management System with
the plant in Switzerland. The name Switzerland, and the companies and products that come from there are synonymous with ‘quality.’ Therefore, to know that Schneider Electric’s Gutor UPS systems are Swiss is to know that when it matters most they will do their job. Continuing on the topic of the quality of its UPS systems sales directors Ravinderan Bagabaldass and Mohan Madalimuthu added: “Our UPS is designed to last customers for 20 years, providing continuous uninterrupted power supply for all the critical loads that they have at their install base. The clients we work with are looking for very high end industrialised UPS, and it is clearly very positive for them that many of ours will go for four or five years maintenance free.” Indeed, Schneider Electric offers a standard of service that has meant its Gutor UPS systems are in use across the world, which Ravinderan and Mohan offered an insight into: “Our Gutor UPS systems are supplied to backup critical load anywhere clients are located, such as in refineries and other highly important areas of infrastructure. We also provide our UPS services for almost every major oil and gas company around the globe.” As a result of its extensive and diverse customer range Schneider Electric understands that there is rarely a one-fits-all in terms of ENERGY,oil&gas
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UPS, and it provides systems that are designed with the customers’ needs in mind, something that Ravinderan highlighted: “The products are very high-end and tailor-made, and we are very flexible in the design of the systems in order to fulfill all the client’s requirements.” The importance placed upon providing its customers with an always reliable and exceptional standard of product and service was something that both Mohan and Ravinderan expanded upon: “One of the fundamental strengths that we have as a company and we are exceptionally proud of, is that we always have a continuous belief and focus on the importance of quality. For all of us in Schneider Electric our quality is our number one priority. Quality is compulsory, and we pride ourselves on producing UPS of the highest standard, and this is a part of the DNA of every Gutor expert in Schneider Electric.” One of the major developments for the former Gutor Electronic in the past decade that has assisted in its services to customers has been
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it becoming a part of Schneider Electric, and this offers an array of benefits that Ravinderan addressed: “Through being a part of a big organisation, it portrays to the customer that we are a stable and financially sound business. Also, by being part of Schneider Electric it gives us a lot of opportunities to access more global possibilities because it has presence in almost every country across the world.” He then discussed some of the other ways in which it supports their work: “Today we are providing different services to the oil and gas market. This means that we are able to establish a lot of synergy between the two areas, and it helps us offer a package solution that tends to all the needs of a customer - an example of this is the provision of an E-house solution. Through being part of a big organisation it helps us to supply UPS as a part of a prefabrication – something that Schneider Electric specialises in.” The E-house solution is a complete power distribution substation that is designed, engineered and factory integrated, tested,
PROFILE
validated and delivered on site. The E-house helps to reduce the construction lead times, optimise the cost of transportation, installation and commissioning, and enhance uptime due to a qualified and reliable design. Infrastructure customers that need a quick scalable solution to accompany construction of new buildings or industrial facilities can benefit from this new approach of engineering that minimises project times and on-site presence. This option improves safety for both the personnel and the equipment, and it means that there is only one partner that is required through the complete distribution. Schneider Electric’s E-house solution is just one of the services it provides its customers, another newly launched offer is the Gutor PXC, a standardised, fully industrial uninterruptible power supply for harsh environments. It is ideal for rugged and outdoor settings such as oil and gas exploration and production sites, marine and offshore environments and climates with extreme temperatures. The Gutor PXC protects critical equipment and industrial applications from damage due to power outages, surges, and spikes while providing short-term battery power during an outage. Due to the solution’s standardised and flexible design, users including facility managers, engineers and contractors, now have the ability to deploy a reliable and turnkey solution in a dramatically shorter time frame and at a lower cost: “The Gutor PXC provides the best reliability, safety and efficiency to protect critical equipment in remote and rugged conditions, where downtime is not acceptable and where other UPS systems fail to deliver,” director of industrial UPS engineering and offer management Bernhard Kiechl said. Due to the expertise, systems and services that Schneider Electric has to offer, it should no doubt remain the first choice for all of those in the oil and gas, and energy industry. Schneider Electric’s clients who invest in Gutor UPS systems rest assured in the knowledge that they are purchasing Swiss technology that has been specifically designed with their needs in mind. When a company needs a UPS system, it needs to have the best, and that is what Gutor technology stands for.
Schneider Electric schneider-electric.com/gutor
Services Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems ENERGY,oil&gas
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Schneider Electric
Schofield Publishing Ltd 10 Cringleford Business Centre Intwood Road Cringleford Norwich NR4 6AU T: +44 (0) 1603 274130 Editor Libbie Hammond libbie@schofieldpublishing.co.uk Sales Director Joe Woolsgrove jwoolsgrove@schofieldpublishing.co.uk
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