Subsea UK News - June 2015 Issue

SUBSEA UK NEWS THE MAGAZINE FROM SUBSEA UK WWW.SUBSEAUK.COM JUNE 2015

GLOBAL BUSINESS New Subsea Market Intelligence Database Launched Monty Halls Talks Leadership NSRI Hones in on Small Pools Subsea News and Events Worldwide

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PROBLEM:

How can we continue subsea operations if a fibre-optic cable fails during an ROV workscope?

SOLUTION:

Fugro Subsea’s FCV ROV control and communications systems include a proprietary SMFO multiplexer, which provides automatic switching in the event of a single failure in a fibre.

www.fugro.com/problem-solved

FOREWORD

Welcome to this Edition of Subsea UK News It’s hard to believe we are already half way through 2015. This welcome to our June edition of Subsea UK News provides a platform for us to reflect on the first half of what has already been an incredibly challenging year.

Much has been written and said about the impact of the oil price collapse and, in the North Sea, we know that the underlying problems in the province have been well and truly exposed by the lower oil price. Tackling the cost and efficiency challenge is now of paramount importance if we are to secure its long-term future. It’s no longer enough to talk about collaboration and co-operation, the whole industry must act to get operating costs down and fast.

The subsea industry is rising to the challenge and at Subsea UK we are aware of some highly ingenious solutions being developed by subsea companies in response to their customers’ needs. For many subsea companies, the current climate presents opportunities. This is a time to refocus, restructure and realign, to transform operating models and push forward technology and innovation to a more receptive audience. It’s also a time to explore new geographical markets.

Subsea infrastructure is now the backbone of our offshore industry and, in these challenging times, subsea companies can demonstrate leadership in pushing for change and bringing forward innovative ways of working.

However, we are also acutely aware of those who have seen their pipeline of business dry up. There have been the inevitable but hugely regrettable casualties and we may see more.

Subsea UK is stepping up to the plate and doing its bit to help the industry as whole and demonstrate how we as an industry body can add value. An example of this is the launch of our new market intelligence service SubseaIntel (see page 31).

We are also supporting companies in fast-tracking their international growth, shifting their reliance on the North Sea. Subsea Asia is coming up later this year, and the event will provide a valuable platform to meet with key decision makers within the Asian markets, exchange ideas and explore new business prospects out with the UK. Exploiting the current climate to push forward the development of new technology that will deliver cost-savings and increase efficiency is vital and in this issue you will hear from Gordon Drummond, project director of NSRI on how they are bringing industry, developers and academia together to explore and speed up the development of near to market technologies. NSRI has recently been set its first major challenge by the industry – to find new technology that will improve the recovery of small discoveries.

It’s a game of two halves. We have experienced some turmoil and there may be more trouble ahead. But there are positives and if our industry demonstrates the resilience and ingenuity it is renowned for in the next half of the year, the future looks much brighter.

Subsea UK Subsea UK News, produced by Subsea UK, reaches over 15,000 subsea-affiliated people each issue.

Subsea UK is the champion for the UK subsea industry. We act for the entire supply chain bringing together operators, contractors, suppliers and people in the industry.

With some 53,000 employees, worth almost £8.9 billion in services and products and with over 750 companies, the UK subsea industry sector leads the world in experience, innovation and technology. The UK will maintain a leading technological edge by sustaining and expanding this important business sector.

Whether you are a company looking to join and reap the benefits or an individual looking to develop your career in the subsea industry, explore our website or contact us to find out how Subsea UK can help you, your business and your industry.

Find out more at www.subseauk.com

New Members Underwater Integrity Solutions io Oil and Gas Consulting Impact Subsea Habia Cable Cambla Ltd Avison Consulting Ltd Subroutine Ltd

MP Filtri UK Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce Santander Corporate & Commercial Ocean Marine Systems Ltd Matrix Risk Control MAATS Tech

To view the full Subsea UK members list, visit the Subsea UK Directory at www.subseauk.com

Forthcoming Events June 2015 Subsea North East Conference and Exhibition Newcastle, UK 10-11 June 2015 Fundamentals of Subsea Systems Aberdeeen, UK 16 June 2015 NSRI: An Overview of the Subsea Industry Needs Aberdeen, UK 24 June 2015 August 2015 Subsea South East Networking Evening London, UK 6 August 2015 Subsea UK’s Challenge Cup (Golf Day) Aberdeen, UK 21 August 2015

September 2015 Subsea UK’s Offshore Europe Dinner Aberdeen, UK 9 September 2015 Subsea UK’s ROV Conference 2015 Aberdeen, UK 11 September 2015 NSRI: Support for the Developer Community Aberdeen, UK 23 September 2015 November 2015 Subsea Asia 2015 Jakarta, Indonesia 24 November 2015 February 2016 Subsea Expo Aberdeen, UK 3-5 February 2016

These are some of Subsea UK’s events but please visit our website for full details of all forthcoming events www.subseauk.com

Neil Gordon Chief Executive, Subsea UK Subsea UK News is a magazine which invites contributions from the subsea industry, and is published by Subsea UK. The views and opinions expressed herein are not those of Subsea UK News or its owner, Subsea UK. The opinions and views expressed herein are those solely of individual contributors, and do not reflect in any way those of Subsea UK News, Subsea UK or its staff. All materials published in this magazine are published with the consent and authority of the authors.

Subsea UK News makes no representations about the suitability of any information and/or services published for any purpose. Subsea UK News is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims, all liability for, any indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages (including damages for loss of business, loss of profits, litigation, or the like) of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information published within this magazine. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information in Subsea UK News, no guarantee is given that the information published is correct, complete, reliable or current, and its publication in this magazine does not constitute an endorsement by Subsea UK News.

To contact Subsea UK News, please email editor Dan Fearon at magazine@subseauk.com

BUSINESS

Subsea UK Arranges Packed Programme for SPE Offshore Europe Leading two sessions on deepwater, organising a specialised conference on ROVs and hosting a networking dinner – SPE Offshore Europe 2015 already looks like it is going to be a busy time for Subsea UK. The event takes place from Tuesday to Friday (8 - 11 September) at the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre and will see the industry body working to improve collaboration between all those involved in the sector.

Subsea UK will be leading two conference sessions in the event’s dedicated Deepwater Zone covering deepwater developments and the future of inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM). In the largest Deepwater Zone to date, more than 30 companies from this rapidly evolving sector will exhibit their latest products and services.

On the conference’s final day, Subsea UK will host its annual ROV conference, featuring guest speakers and will be held at the Village Urban Resort, Kingswells.

Subsea UK’s Offshore Europe dinner is set to take place on the conference’s Wednesday evening.

Neil Gordon, Subsea UK’s chief executive, said: “To improve efficiencies and maximise opportunities for all, it is important that we collaborate across our industry. To support this, Subsea UK has arranged several events during Offshore Europe that should give

companies the chance to build relationships and embrace a new culture of togetherness.

“The industry needs fresh ideas and new technologies to push it forward and we are seeing a will across the sector to develop different practices and different approaches. We hope to build on this and put our industry in a position where it can come out of this downturn in a stronger position than ever before.”

The deepwater development session will consider some of the subsea engineering and economic challenges facing the industry and will highlight examples of innovative technology solutions. The IRM session focuses on how smarter technologies and processes can help improve overall efficiency and add value to IRM strategies.

This year’s SPE Offshore Europe will focus overall on addressing its chosen theme of ‘how to inspire the next generation’, both in terms of people and technology.

Exhibitors from around the world will represent the complete supply chain of companies, showcasing their technologies, services and expertise. Around 1500 organisations are expected this year, including at least 280 companies, large and small, exhibiting for the first time at the show.

FlexGel

Smart Cost Saving In today’s tight oil price market it is understandable that operators are looking for cost rationalisation and efficiencies wherever possible. Bearing this in mind Flexlife wishes to draw attention to an established product that has been used to offset intervention required to mitigate corrosion with caissons, I-tubes and J-tubes.

Flexlife’s patented solution works by eliminating the corrosion critical splash zone by injecting an engineered nonaqueous gel into the caisson, tuning specific gravity to ensure full encapsulation of the area of corrosion concern.

A recent project for a well-known UK North Sea operator suffered coating disbondment on the carbon steel risers within a J-tube on a rigid platform. Unfortunately, the wall loss due to general corrosion was not discovered before failure of the water Injection riser. Inline inspection confirmed that the adjacent Gas Lift riser was also subject to degradation of the pipe wall and remedial action was urgently required.

Options for remedial action included replacement of the J-tube and the risers contained therein. It may also have been possible to carry out an intervention to replace the corroded section of pipe, but not without extensive vessel based intervention. Both options were costly.

The Flexlife solution was altogether simpler; our skilled team injected FlexGel from the platform topsides using simple pumping equipment. Our patented product was tuned to a Specific Gravity of 0.9 meaning that 10% of the product covered the area above Mean Sea Level, whilst 90% covered the area below. The FlexGel is held in situ by Specific Gravity and the enclosing walls of the J-tube, providing a double benefit of protecting the riser from further degradation, but also preserving the internal walls of the J-tube.

Perhaps you’d agree that a 90% cost saving when compared to the more complex mitigation strategies reflects sound business practise and logical engineering sense. Why not plan ahead and incorporate Flexgel at design/installation stage, providing insurance as a small premium?

For more information, please contact info@flexlife.co.uk, or call +44 (0)1224 617900 where our team are ready to assist.

BUSINESS

Olympic Bibby Officially Christened at Ceremony in Norway The official naming ceremony has taken place for IRM (Inspection Repair and Maintenance) light construction vessel the Olympic Bibby, at the Kleven Shipyard, Norway.

The ceremony saw the vessel’s official Godmother Mrs Connie Brown, wife of recently appointed Chairman of Bibby Offshore Mike Brown, christening the NORSOK compliant, 4,500 tonne vessel in front of a crowd of 250.

Mrs Brown said: “It’s been a great honour and privilege to christen the Olympic Bibby.

During my tour of the ship, it was wonderful to see the developments in technology and how beautifully turned out the vessel is; she’s magnificent.”

Bibby Offshore, leading provider of subsea installation services to the offshore oil and gas industry, signed a charter agreement with Olympic Shipping in March 2014 for the newly built Olympic Bibby. The agreement for the subsea support vessel is for a three year period, with options to extend for an additional two years.

Howard Woodcock, Chief Executive of Bibby Offshore, said: “Norway is a very important marketplace for us, and we are dedicated to expanding our presence and existing services in line with regional industry demand. The Olympic Bibby is a cost efficient vessel with capabilities that will help us achieve these objectives by further aligning the business going forward during the current environment.”

Arne Lier, Managing Director of Bibby Offshore AS, said: “We aim to further grow our capacity and presence in Norway by providing a superior service for our clients.

“By making our NORSOK compliant vessels available to the Norwegian market, we are working to ensure we have a range of assets capable of operating in this important new area, and becoming a partner of choice in the region.”

Bjorn Kvalsund, Executive Vice President for Olympic Shipping said: “We have developed a strong relationship with Bibby Offshore over several years. The name of our latest vessel is a true reflection of this relationship and we look forward to further strengthening our ties now and in the future.”

IRM (Inspection Repair and Maintenance) light construction vessel the Olympic Bibby

Precision Engineering Company enters Marine Industry A new innovative precision engineering company for the marine industry has launched as Ocean Marine Systems Ltd. Ocean Marine Systems manufacture instrument deployment hoists (throughhull) servicing the offshore oil and gas, subsea, survey and security sectors.

All the products are designed and manufactured at their UK based factory and exported worldwide. Ocean Marine Systems’ designs perform alongside and complement leading edge technology from subsea instrument manufacturers.

Mark Barwell, Sales Director, said:

“Ocean Marine Systems is unique in offering customised deployment lengths with minimal deflection, whilst offering the ability to rotate and tilt the instrument head platform with absolute precision. In 2015 we have already delivered multiple units, ranging from 2m – 7m in height, to vessels being used in both the survey and security markets worldwide.”

Ocean Marine Systems is a member of Subsea UK and the company currently has a patent pending on their most innovative and unique design features.

Subsea UK News | June 2015

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BUSINESS

Maritime Developments’ Innovation to Benefit Major North Sea Development Maritime Developments’ first complete back-deck spread will be used by a major international subsea contractor to carry out the full installation of flexibles and risers.

The centerpiece of the package will be Maritime Developments’ portable vertical lay system (PVLS), which is currently under construction at the company’s Peterhead facility.

The system will stand more than 23m in height when fully built, and will be installed over the side of the vessel. The vertical tower is a selfsufficient system which contains a 10-tonne initiation winch and also houses a tensioner, a control van and an HPU, reducing the deck space taken up by the system.

The PVLS can be installed over the side or over the stern of a vessel. Thanks to its movable chute, which can fleet by up to 30º, products can be fed into it from both carousels and reels from different locations on board or under the deck.

The 75Te system can accept a 75-tonne tensioner to utilise its full design load, but will initially run with a Maritime Developments’ 50-tonne 4-track tensioner, which forms part of the company’s rental fleet. The patented solution features a unique design allowing two track doors to open when in vertical orientation, minimising the potential damage to the product during handling.

To complement the vertical spread Maritime Developments will deliver a 350-tonne reel drive system (RDS), also on rental basis, which will operate multiple reels on board the vessel.

Derek Smith, CEO, Maritime Developments

The spread will be further supported by an ondeck deflector and roller chute facilitating the transition of the product onto the PVLS. Maritime Developments CEO Derek Smith said: “Delivery of this spread will mark a significant milestone for the company. This will be the first time a regular vessel has been turned into a pipe laying vessel using Maritime Developments’ spread.

“One of the key benefits of using a complete MDL spread is the ease of use, thanks to the integrated systems that allow the individual elements of the package to ‘speak’ to one another.

“There is also a significant cost saving aspect for the client, as vessel days can be dramatically reduced thanks to the portable design of our equipment.

Special attention to this feature has been put at the design stage to allow for the PVLS to be assembled at the quayside prior to the vessel’s arrival and installed onboard in one piece within a couple of days.”

Subsea Asia 2015 to Focus on Business Growth Opportunities for business growth in the subsea hub areas of Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia will be the focus of the fifth annual Subsea Asia conference.

“Subsea Asia provides a vital platform for our members to meet with key decision makers within the Asian markets to exchange ideas and explore new business opportunities. We have received a lot of interest in the conference from all corners of the globe and look forward to providing a stimulating, thought-provoking and rewarding conference.”

Organised by industry body Subsea UK, sponsored by Wood Group Kenny (WGK) and Forum Energy Technologies (FET) the event takes place at the Dharmawangsa Jakarta Hotel, Indonesia on Tuesday 24th November.

Themes to be explored include market outlook, Indonesian field projects, deepwater developments and technologies. In addition, pipeline integrity and techniques for inspection, repair and maintenance are also on the agenda.

Subsea Asia provides a perfect platform for suppliers in the offshore industry to meet potential clients and showcase products that can benefit firms in a region that is still enjoying a growing economy.

James Tsang Asia, WGK regional director, Asia, said:

Neil Gordon, chief executive of Subsea UK, said: “Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia are collectively known as the Asian hub of subsea activity. Singapore has traditionally been the first port of call for UK companies who want to establish a presence in Asia, however this is changing. In recent years, a number of British companies have crossed the Atlantic to set-up local offices in Malaysia and following increased inward investment, Indonesia is developing its port facilities to cope with expected growth.

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Subsea UK News | June 2015

“We are proud to sponsor this event, which is taking place in Jakarta for the first time and will bring together key regional players. There are significant opportunities for the subsea industry in Indonesia and indeed for the Asia region, and events such as this bolster the development of the sector in this area.

Our partnership with Subsea Asia 2015 continues Wood Group’s relationship with Subsea UK.”

Jee Secures Sixfigure Subsea Integrity Management Contract with E.ON E&P Jee Ltd, a leading independent multi-discipline subsea engineering and training firm, has secured a six figure contract with E.ON Exploration and Production (E.ON E&P), to deliver subsea integrity management and engineering services for its North Sea assets.

The three year contract, which was awarded in March 2015, involves Jee supporting E.ON E&P’s Subsea Technical Authority, by providing annual integrity management services for its subsea assets. The scope of work includes flowlines, risers, umbilicals and structures on EON E&P’s Huntington, Babbage, Hunter/Rita and Johnston assets.

Vivek Chhabra, Senior Engineer at Jee Ltd, said: “This is a significant contract win for Jee, with the scope of work involved reinforcing our integrity management and engineering reputation and capabilities.

“Effective integrity management can lead to significant cost saving potential for companies by minimising operational interruptions and reducing downtime. At a time when cost saving is so imperative to the industry, and as subsea assets are maturing and reaching the end of their design lives, good integrity management has never been more important.

“We are delighted to be working with the E.ON E&P team, and believe our experience positions us perfectly to support this project.

We look forward to strengthening our relations with E.ON E&P now and into the future, by successfully delivering optimum engineering services for the company,” concluded Mr Chhabra.

Jee is an independent subsea engineering and training company with offices in Aberdeen, London and Tonbridge. Jee’s multidisciplined capabilities and integrated services cover the spectrum of subsea engineering for the whole life-of-field for the global oil, gas and renewables industries.

Vivek Chhabra, Senior Engineer at Jee Ltd

BUSINESS

Sonardyne Fusion 6G Chosen for $10 billion Moho Nord Field Development UTEC, an Acteon company, has awarded Sonardyne a multi-million pound contract to supply Fusion 6G Long BaseLine acoustic positioning technology for the Moho Nord subsea project, situated 75 kilometres off the coast of Congo.

The equipment will be used to support the installation of 230 kilometres of rigid pipeline, 23 kilometres of flexible pipes, 50 kilometres of umbilicals and numerous manifolds, plus over 50 subsea structures and rigid jumpers.

The project’s construction phase will run for two years with Technip’s rigid pipe S-lay and heavy-lift construction vessel, G1200, and multipurpose deepwater vessel, Deep Pioneer, utilised as the primary installation vessels. First oil is expected during 2015, rising to an estimated 140,000 barrels of oil per day by 2017.

Fusion 6G is the industry standard tool for subsea construction and survey operations, specified for its versatility, ease of use and low risk. The LBL equipment being supplied to UTEC includes high specification Compatt 6 seabed transponders, ROV-mounted transceivers, associated topside hardware and software.

Oilfield construction requires accurate and repeatable positioning, a requirement that is met by the digital Wideband 2 signal architecture found exclusively within 6G products. The technology is proven to offer robust acoustic performance in challenging conditions, fast baseline measurements, improved multipath rejection around structures and real-time range diagnostics for quality control.

Sonardyne’s Vice President of Europe and Africa, Barry Cairns said: “Moho Nord joins a premier list of deep

water field developments benefiting from the technical and commercial advantages offered by 6G. UTEC and their project partners have chosen to invest in the best available subsea positioning technology that will add significant value during the entire life of the Moho Nord project and beyond.”

Technip’s rigid pipe S-lay and heavy-lift construction vessel, G1200, and multipurpose deepwater vessel, Deep Pioneer, will be used to support the Moho Nord subsea development project.

INTOCO to Enhance Product Range Special steels and alloys stockholder INTOCO, based in Cheltenham, have announced new additions to their UK based product range for use in oil & gas / subsea applications, amongst others.

From July, INTOCO will introduce highlycertified nickel alloy 718 round bar in both API and AMS specifications.

Stocks of raw materials at INTOCO Cheltenham works

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Subsea UK News | June 2015

Director Les Preece said: “This new offering represents a significant addition to INTOCO’s product range. With end-users’ raw material specifications becoming more demanding and testing requirements going beyond normal specification expectations, our highly tested and certified material will meet and exceed these demands and be less onerous on the users when purchasing. Deliveries from stock will be faster, as there should be no waiting for additional testing in most cases.”

The API material will be fully stocked from diameter 12.70 to 355.60 mm (1/2” to 14”), AMS 5663 from diameter 101.60 to 254.00 mm (4” to 10”) and AMS 5662 from dia 15.88 to 95.25mm (5/8” to 3.3/4”).

The company has also taken stocks of 904L / 1.4539 austenitic stainless steel in round bar from dia 6 to 210mm (0.236” to 8.268”).

INTOCO are one of Europe’s leading independent suppliers of high quality raw materials and distribute their products worldwide.

BUSINESS

Infield Predicts Asia Pacific will Weather the Storm With the decline in world oil prices, the subsea industry is facing a challenging period. However, Infield Systems’ latest Subsea Market Report to 2019 expects Asia Pacific to weather this turbulent period to 2016 better than most other regions, driven by a number of capital intensive projects and the unwavering energy demand from China, India and South East Asia, and growing LNG demand from South Korea and Japan.

Australia is forecast to account for a 39% share of Asia Pacific subsea expenditure demand over the 2015-2019 timeframe, with the most capital intensive project expected to be Inpex’s Ichthys development, which once on-stream is anticipated to produce 8.4 million tonnes of LNG and 1.6 million tonnes of LPG per year. Other key developments

Asia Pacific Subsea Capex (%) by Country 2010-2019 100% 90% 80%

Capex (%)

Malaysia is forecast to hold a 23% share of Asia Pacific’s subsea market over the forthcoming five years, with growth driven by key projects including Gumusut-Kakap and Senangin. Altogether, Infield Systems expects 30 fields offshore Malaysia to require subsea Capex over the timeframe, with 89% of expenditure expected to be directed towards developments within water depths of 1,000 metres and greater.

India could see considerable growth within the subsea sector over the next five years compared to the 2010-2014 period, with Infield Systems forecasting a potential CAGR for the country of 127%. Key developments driving subsea spend are expected to include the Dhirubhai R-Series field offshore India, with peak spend expected in 2017. Indeed, India is likely to be propelled from being a marginal contributor within the subsea market to become the third highest investor in the region, predominantly as a result of development within the Dhirubhai and Krishna Godavari areas.

70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

driving subsea investment over the forthcoming five years offshore Australia centre around the Greater Gorgon Area, with fields here expected to command 40% of Australia’s subsea expenditure over the 2015-2019 period.

2010 Others

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Vietnam

Philippines

Myanmar

Brunei

China (PRC)

India

Malaysia

Australia

2018

2019 Indonesia

Source: Infield Systems

With forecast capital growth across the subsea market of 22.3% over the next five years, compared to a CAGR of 13.3% globally over the same time period, the Asia Pacific region looks likely to maintain a favourable position. Driven on by increasing energy demands and facilitated by the introduction of new technologies, this region will almost certainly see its importance within the global subsea market increase.

Viper Subsea V-LIFE Orders Double Since Christmas Viper Subsea’s innovative and award-winning V-LIFE Insulation Resistance Improvement System has enjoyed spectacular success during 2015, with the number of orders since Christmas 2014 set to double the installed base by the middle of 2015. The first North Sea installation is now reaching uninterrupted deployment of three years, delivering savings for the client of an estimated £10m.

V-LIFE is a standalone device that acts as both a preventative measure and an active ‘healer’ to low electrical insulation resistance. By deploying an electro-kinetic and electrochemical process developed

by Viper Subsea, the V-LIFE can minimise and mitigate the effect of water ingress into the electrical insulation and thereby extend the life of umbilicals, cables and connectors, while eliminating the need for subsea intervention for repair work and equipment replacement. V-LIFE has been adopted around the world, including in Australia and Vietnam.

“V-LIFE is a proven technology which although relatively new is already delivering substantial savings for clients,” said Neil Douglas, Managing Director of Viper Subsea. “This technology has come at the right time as oil prices fall around the world and operators look to make their operations more efficient while extending the life of their fields”.

“A couple of our North Sea clients have avoided replacing an umbilical since they deployed V-LIFE. Such is the success of the product that

a number of our clients are installing V-LIFE across multiple assets.

11 different operators now have V-LIFE units either deployed, or deployment is imminent. A number of other operators are showing strong interest in taking advantage of the considerable money-saving opportunity offered by the product.

“It is fair to say that the current push for operational economy dictated by the drop in oil prices has benefitted the Viper Subsea business. This can be seen not only in the success of V-LIFE, but also in the growth in the business that has required recruitment of new staff, especially electronic and electrical engineers to support the V-LIFE deployments.”

In February 2014 Viper Subsea received the prestigious Innovation & Technology Award for V-LIFE at the Subsea UK Awards, and in September the company was also top in the Innovation category at the National Private Business Awards.

Subsea UK News | June 2015

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BUSINESS

Subsea Innovation Successfully Completes Major Refurbishment of Launch and Recovery System Subsea Innovation, one of the world’s leading subsea equipment suppliers, is continuing to grow its service capability following the successful refurbishment of a Launch and Recovery System (LARS) for a major offshore oil & gas contractor.

Already a key player in the manufacture of LARS and Tether Management Systems (TMS), as well as subsea sealing systems, pipeline repair systems and waterstop seals, Subsea Innovation is helping its clients to extend the life of their existing assets. By using all of its industry and product experience, the company is offering refurbishment services to a variety of LARS and TMSes manufactured by themselves or others.

In its most recent project, the Darlington based company undertook the complete strip down of the Launch and Recovery System at its new, purpose-built manufacturing facility. The LARS was originally manufactured by Subsea Innovation in 1999 and has been in active service since then, highlighting the longevity of the engineering and product design utilised. The workscope included detailed inspection, manufacture of new components, NDT and structural repair, shot blasting and painting as well as extensive load testing. The system, which will be used to deploy remotely operated vehicles for subsea work around the world, was turned around in under six weeks and delivered to the client on time.

In addition to this, another significant milestone has recently been met by Subsea Innovation as the company confirms it has now delivered over 100 Launch and Recovery Systems to major offshore operators across the globe. This success stems from over 25 years of industry experience, formerly as Tekmar Subsea Ltd, rebranding to Subsea Innovation in 2012 on the sale of a sister company. The opening of the company’s newly built 40,000sq ft. headquarters in September 2014 means Subsea Innovation can now design, build, overhaul and test larger systems with greater efficiency.

The refurbished system is pictured alongside a further two new Launch and Recovery Systems for a major offshore oil and gas contractor

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Subsea UK News | June 2015

BUSINESS

Dynamic New Pipeline Grouping is Formed IK-Group AS (IK) is pleased to announce that it has acquired Online Electronics Limited (OEL), a leading global pipeline communications specialist.

OEL, headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, is the parent company of Online Pipeline Solutions Inc (OPS), Houston and additional Business Units in Dubai, Singapore and Perth WA, the acquisition further strengthens and widens IK’s position within the pipeline sector of the International Oil & Gas industry.

This now takes the number of employees in the IK Group closer to 200. The investment in OEL is expected to create additional jobs in the next 12 months through increased market share driven by Research, Development and Special Engineering Projects.

The combination of OEL’s cutting edge products for pipeline pig monitoring, pipeline data communication and logging systems with IK’s top of the line PIG manufacturing and niche pipeline engineering services will provide clients with a strong, innovative service partner to help them with the challenges now seen in the Oil and Gas Market. This combination is expected to enhance IK’s Special Project capability and overall significantly increase IK’s market share.

IK-Group will keep the well-established OEL brand and global

From left: Brian Gribble, Christian Bull Eriksson, Bryan Inkster

structure as this has proven highly successful. The companies are an excellent fit and fully complement each other in terms of sector, technology and geography.

IK has a well-established model where each company within the Group operates as a separate entity yet leverages the strengths and knowledge to provide top services to each other and the industry.

The main shareholder and current CEO of OEL, Brian Gribble, will remain in the company as an Advisor and Director on the Board.

Customers will continue to receive the same high quality and services they have come to expect.

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Grace Under Pressure: A New Leadership Approach in the Subsea Sector During my career in the Royal Marines, I was generally led very well, and occasionally led very badly. I sometimes experienced that wondrous alchemy of working for a genuinely inspiring individual, one who could alter the culture of an organisation through the sheer force of their own will, and in the process generate belief and momentum in those around them.

I also worked for individuals who were so divisive that there were rumours of dark plans to quietly dispatch them should war break out - plans that were never corroborated I hasten to add, but there was unquestionably mischief afoot among the Marines under their ruinous command.

Although the structured environment of the military demands an adherence to certain routines and protocols, there is still plenty of leeway for individual leadership styles to manifest themselves.

Two of the best leaders I ever worked for were poles apart as characters. One was a truly brilliant academic; a dry, austere, clipped man with a neat moustache and a glare of halogen intensity should you step over the line. I never saw him make a mistake. Ever. His preparation was impeccable, his planning intense, and his execution meticulous. I asked him once what his mindset was when he set out on a project.

“I replace luck” he said simply, before turning on his heel to go and be brilliant and analytical about something that we mere mortals could not be privy to. We followed him because we knew that no-one could possibly plan a mission more effectively.

The only caveat was to make sure that you didn’t get caught

alone over a beer with him, as the conversation was so dull there was every chance you might take your own life before you’d got through the froth of the first ale.

The second character was just that, a character. A hilarious, slap-dash, energetic, eccentric, charge-and-be-dammed loon.

We followed him because we loved him, although to trail in his wake was to pick up the gear that he’d dropped, and correct the errors that he’d made. He was larger than life, and didn’t care for the minutiae of administration. There’s every chance that if he’d led us to war, we would have taken 98% casualties in the first assault, then come back for more. He had Victoria Cross (posthumous) written all over him.

Both of these men led highly effective, motivated Commando Units. Both were poles apart as individuals. And both taught me two powerful lessons.

The first is that - regardless of your organisation - you neglect leadership at your peril. It should be endlessly assessed, nurtured, and developed. It does not matter about the environment, the size of the team, or the variety of specialisations, you always need a focal point.

GROWTH FEATURE / PROJECTS ARTICLE

Monty Halls speaking at the Subsea UK Awards dinner.

Is it time for the industry to cooperate more to train our future leaders?

Monty Halls thinks it is.

If it is absent you create a vacuum that is invariably filled with uncertainty, and ultimately chaos. This may not be apparent in the day to day running of operations, but will certainly manifest itself in a moment of crisis. At these times direction is required, a strong hand on the tiller, a still point in a turning world.

The second lesson was that there is no set formula to be an effective leader. What’s the best summary of understanding what a good leader is? You’ll know it when you see it. It really is as simple as that.

The demands of leadership at every level of the subsea industry are intense. They require a combination of technological excellence and effective man management (and traditionally these have been unhappy bedfellows). They also require that such skills are applied in extremely demanding environments, on the far horizon of mankind’s understanding of the planet we inhabit.

Trevor Garlick, Regional President for BP’s North Sea business comented:

“Our subsea leaders are pioneers of the marine frontier. The oil and gas infrastructure they design and construct has to withstand one of the most hostile environments on earth – where wave heights can be greater than 20m, sea temperatures are close to freezing and high currents run through the water column.

All of this is before you then consider water depths which exceed 1,500m.”

Continued over

FEATURE

But are there some unpalatable home truths about the culture of the subsea industry, relating to sharing expertise on leadership?

In the words of American businessman and writer Max DePree, author of the best-selling book Leadership is an Art, “the first responsibility of a leader is to define reality”. So let’s look at the reality of the sector in the form of a series of questions.

Does the industry honestly nurture potential leaders? Does it truly engender cooperation between disciplines and companies? Is competition so intense - particularly in these straightened times - that cross pollination between sectors, the exchange of leadership training and skills, is actually seen as espionage not encouragement? There are certainly those that take this view.

An anonymous (for understandable reasons) source at Subsea Expo 2015 told me:

“ We have genuine leadership problems within our industry. I’m not talking at the higher levels, I’m talking about deep rooted issues that run through many of our companies. We have a culture that traditionally has had a project based, short term view, we struggle to collaborate, and we are exceptionally wary of our competitors. With the challenges facing the subsea industry today, this simply has to change. We must learn to work together across all sectors, to share our knowledge and programmes developing the leaders of tomorrow. And we need to do it now.”

In the face of new challenges, there is unprecedented demand for cooperative leadership.

Trevor Garlick said:

“ Today, the subsea industry faces new challenges – balancing the need to go deeper and into reservoirs which are higher pressure and higher temperature, whilst ensuring the most competitive and reliable solution. It’s a whole new discipline since we started working in the North Sea - even over the past 20 years it has changed considerably.”

Subsea UK has already launched a number of initiatives that use industry wide expertise and resources, including the Safety Leadership Forum, and the Subsea Target project. Is now a good time to launch a similar initiative to develop leadership across the industry at every level? The UK subsea industry has been in operation for decades, and Subsea UK alone has over 320 member companies. Think of the expertise, the experience, the collective knowledge of those companies over that many years - it would rival any military college or any centre of leadership excellence, anywhere on earth.

In the book “The Leadership Challenge” the authors Kouzes and Posner highlight five practices of exemplary leadership. Model the way; inspire shared vision; challenge the process; enable others to act; and encourage the heart.

To forge ahead it seems that such principles would serve the subsea industry particularly well. Is this the moment for an initiative to create a series of courses, an online curriculum, a distillation of expertise for all levels of management and leadership, with all of them geared specifically for the demands of the industry? I suggest that such a cooperative venture would reap immediate benefits, and also sow the seeds for future success. Such an approach would allow the experienced leaders of today, and the new leaders of tomorrow, to show that most crucial of all qualities: grace under pressure.

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GROWTH

ROVOP Announces Expansion with Houston Office Due to an increased demand for its services globally, independent subsea Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) services provider, ROVOP, has established a Western Hemisphere headquarters and support base in Houston and appointed three highly regarded ROV industry professionals to lead the business.

Scott Wagner, Brett Eychner and Wayne Betts bring a combined total of more than 100 years’ global experience in the ROV services sector to ROVOP. They join an established management team and staff of 130 based in Aberdeen, Scotland, who have developed ROVOP into a leading player in the ROV field. Its impressive client portfolio includes oil & gas, offshore wind and telecommunications companies and an enviable track record of successfully delivering high-profile projects in more than a dozen countries.

Mark Vorenkamp, Chairman of ROVOP, said: “ROVOP

is changing the market for ROV services. Over the last two decades, ROV technology, capability and service has fallen behind the pace of change seen in other industries. ROVOP’s approach is to employ the most advanced, capable, reliable and maintanable ROV technology, world-class business systems and the best offshore personnel trained in our own ROV Academy.

“Our commitment to these principles has allowed our customers to benefit from improved safety, efficiency and project cost. Current market conditions are redefining customer priorities and further driving growth in demand for our services across the world.

“The management team in Houston recognise ROVOP’s ability to set a new benchmark in the Gulf of Mexico. We are delighted to have them on board.”

ROVOP’s facility is located in North West Houston on a 1.5 acre site which includes a 4,500 ft2 office and 17,300 ft2 workshop where the company will manage their fleet of FMC Schilling Robotics and SAAB Seaeye ROVs. Scott Wagner, ROVOP Houston Managing Director, said: “ROVOP has an impressive track record and has proven itself to be a dynamic and agile business, capable of setting new standards in safety, cost and reliability.

“The recent mobilisation of two Schilling Ultra-Heavy Duty (UHD) Generation III ROVs, capable of closing a blow out preventer (BOP) within 45 seconds to meet American Petroleum Institute (API) requirements, illustrates ROVOP’s commitment to supporting clients with industry leading technology in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Myself and the rest of the team are excited to extend this offering in the US and wider Americas market.”

As well as five vessel based ROV systems already contracted in the region, ROVOP has invested in a further two complete ROV spreads that benefit from features making them especially attractive for deep water vessel and rig support applications.

L-R Gonzo Eychner, Mark Vorenkamp, Scott Wagner

16

Subsea UK News | June 2015

GROWTH

PDL Add Third Region to Growing Business Northumberland-based engineering consultancy PDL Solutions has targeted Asia Pacific as its next frontier as the company aims to treble the size of its business within three years.

The planned expansion will see PDL’s global reach spread across three continents, serving Europe, North America and Asia Pacific with advanced engineering and design capabilities.

Another salient aspect of PDL’s business model lies in sourcing local engineers within each region.

The Asian market is fast becoming one of the most exciting global sectors for energy companies, with usage in the region set to soar from 38% (2010) to 45% (2040) of the world’s energy consumption. This rapid increase in demand, coupled with the difficulty of production, gives rise to some of the most technically demanding projects faced by contractors. As such, it is imperative that these companies are fully supported to tackle the unique challenges faced in the area.

Mr. Charlton said: “While embedding our European engineers in our overseas offices helps us to gain a foothold in the market, we also want to expand each region by employing local engineers. This gives us the opportunity to attract the brightest minds coming out of leading local universities, whilst continuous support from Europe ensures we have the necessary capabilities to tackle the most difficult of challenges.”

Whilst Asia is currently a relatively new market for PDL, early signs are that the region could quickly become prosperous.

“Our plans for the Asia Pacific region are in place and they’re progressing well,” says PDL CEO, Paul Charlton. “Having talked at length to the Asian entities of our European customers over the last few months, we have worked with our clients in Singapore to develop a robust in-country delivery model to fully address their engineering needs.”

The idea of utilising existing customers to create new opportunities in the region is key to the company’s expansion model. At present, more than 80% of PDL’s business comes from existing customers - a tangible testimony to the company’s technical expertise. Developing these links to improve access to new markets is critical if the company’s ambitious targets are to be met.

While recent fluctuations have affected companies on a global scale, PDL are confident that their bold expansion strategy can be achieved by staying true to their core company values. With a strong focus on technical leadership and reducing project costs, it is hoped that their recent move into Asia will be a lucrative one for both the company and their clients.

FEATURE ARTICLE

By Gordon Drummond, project director of NSRI (National Subsea Research Initiative)

With the aim of fast-tracking the development of new subsea technology, NSRI has recently been set its first major challenge by the industry – to find new technology that will improve the recovery of small discoveries.

Small Pools

The Oil and Gas Technology Leadership Board (which was set up to develop the technologies that will help maximise economic recovery of hydrocarbons from the UK continental shelf) has three priorities to tackle rising operating costs, production at a plateau and a business environment adversely affected by the fall in oil price. These are to improve recovery from small discoveries (small pools); innovations in well construction and advances in inspection methods to manage the integrity of ageing facilities.

Improving the economics of recovery of hydrocarbons from small pools at lower cost through better use of technology is no mean feat, but NSRI is confident that the subsea industry, developers and academia will rise to the challenge.

Our focus will be on bringing industry, developers and academia together to explore and speed up the development of near to market technologies which will achieve efficiencies, making marginal fields more economically viable.

Equally we will explore the technologies, methodologies and innovation which is at the more fundamental research level, which may enable the exploitation of a second tranche of even smaller, as yet, uneconomic reserves. These are likely to be disruptive technologies and they require a radical re-think of how we do things.

In the same way as the development of subsea tie-backs and subsea processing have revolutionised oil and gas production in recent years, we need to come up with a step-change in approach that will deliver tomorrow’s technologies today.

Essentially there needs to be a fundamental shift in the way we develop and deploy technology if the full potential of the remaining hydrocarbons in the North Sea is to be realised.

NSRI is pleased to be part of this revolution and, through our unique industry-led and industry-driven approach, we are in pole position to understand the needs of industry and match them with the development teams best placed to discover and then apply the solution.

This is a precise and directed approach and differentiates NSRI from other industry-led methodologies whereby industry proposes an idea and researchers uptake that in the hope there is an ultimate market for it. Through engagement with the end user NSRI ensures that development is focused with the customers’ needs in mind, and thereby there will be an uptake for it. In the small pools initiative we are working with both an oil operator and a gas operator to ensure the outcomes of the program reach the field.

Within the current technology landscape, there is a greater need for more meaningful engagement between industry and academia and NSRI is building direct links between the two in a more co-ordinated way that will increase subsea related research in the UK. Our technology themes cover enhanced oil recovery, well intervention, hardware components (including umbilicals, risers, flowlines and processing systems), operations controls (including sensory technologies and data management), life of field assurance, economic appraisals, challenging

GROWTH FEATURE / PROJECTS ARTICLE

In raising awareness about this initiative we hope the subsea community will start to think about the part we can play around the small pool theme. It seems likely that the most important contributing factor to the success or otherwise of small pools is going to be in subsea architecture.

NSRI Matchmaker Database environments, simulation and modelling, work methods including reliability, redundancy, quality, codes and standards as well as the environmental impact of decommissioning and decommissioning methods and techniques.

These themes, identified by industry, still stand but our short to medium term efforts will be centred on how they relate to maximising economic recovery from small pools.

There are approximately 200 recognised small pools defined as between 3 and 15 million Boe in the UKCS. This represents approximately 3-5% of the UK known reserves and could correspond to between 13-20% of the future UK production. If the subsea industry and academia, led by NSRI, can rise to the challenge of economically tapping into these pools, the North Sea could have a whole new lease of life.

However, technology is only part of the solution. The industry must be much more receptive to innovation - with a deep desire to understand and manage the risk of successfully deploying new technology. There must be a willingness to work more collaboratively on multi-field applications and on access to infrastructure. Even with new technological applications, operators may still have to form clusters to work on small pools to achieve the economies of scale required to shift them from marginal to economical.

The overall solution to tapping into smaller pools will require a collaborative approach from the industry as a whole and the Government to help stimulate investment.

200

RECOGNISED SMALL POOLS (APPROX)

3-15m BOE IN THE UKCS

We are also in the process of compiling a publicly available database which will help companies identify who is operating in which areas with respect to subsea technological developmental activities, both state of the art and future capability. The resource will include commercial organisations, universities, specialist research centres and test houses from across the country.

The aim is to help bring organisations together and encourage collaboration.

We have recently approached Subsea UK members with a questionnaire to identify which areas they are operating in and developing and are evaluating the results.

Companies will be able to publicise their efforts, explore the wares of others and discover opportunities to package, integrate, identify and consult with academic expertise, with a view to adding value to their own development process and offering.

Future Events

Following the success of our first event in March, we have planned a number of workshops to engage with the subsea community and to discover what the future needs of the industry are in terms of technology gaps both at home, here on the UKCS and abroad. In September we will be running a developers’ day which will have some interesting presentations followed by a technology showcase.

We request any company who wishes to be considered for inclusion in this session to approach us and register their interest.

3-5%

UK KNOWN RESERVES (APPROX)

Dr Gordon Drummond Project Director info@nsri.co.uk www.nsri.co.uk

GROWTH

FlexTech Expands Global Business

by Breaking into Southeast Asia Flexible pipe specialist FlexTech has established its first foothold in the Southeast Asian energy market by securing a contract with an oil and gas major in Vietnam.

The project, due for completion in Q1 2016, comes on the back of FlexTech securing £250,000 in Q1 of 2015. It involves FlexTech engineers managing the system design, manufacturing, inspection and delivery of flexibles on a major floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facility in the South China Sea. FlexTech Engineering Director, Craig Keyworth, said: “This is a significant contract for us, highlighting our capabilities and reputation within the global flexible sector. Breaking into the Southeast Asian market marks another milestone in our international growth strategy, and showcases the potential for our products and services in the region.”

FlexTech Engineering Director, Craig Keyworth

The project involves the design of a replacement flexible pipe system to allow change out of major vessel infrastructure. It also covers infrastructure modifications to facilitate the replacement flexibles and, once sourced, FlexTech will manage the manufacturing and delivery of the flexible pipes.

Welsh Government Minister Opens Universal Engineering’s Multi-million Pound Factory The Welsh Government Minister for Economy, Science and Transport, Edwina Hart, has formally opened Universal Engineering’s new factory, which will employ 200 highly skilled engineers and fabricators at the Llantrisant site.

Universal Engineering specialises in designing, developing and manufacturing close tolerance complex assemblies and equipment for the subsea, oil and gas sectors, defence and aerospace industries.

The multi-million pound investment is backed by £2m business finance from the Welsh Government to support the creation of the 200 new jobs. The new quarter million square ft facility will increase the company’s capacity to meet growing global demand for its services.

“Advanced manufacturing is a key sector of the Welsh economy and I welcome this investment by Universal Engineering which is already creating a significant number of high skilled jobs as well as career opportunities for young people.

Edwina Hart said:

“Working across a number of highly specialised sectors, Universal Engineering will extend the manufacturing and engineering capabilities in Wales and I am delighted the company chose Wales for their expansion plans.”

joined us. I would like to thank the minister and her colleagues in the Welsh Government for their encouragement and support without which it would have been very difficult to convert our vision into a reality in such a remarkably short timescale.”

Mark Cooper said: “Our existing customers are asking us to supply more highly specialist products and expert services, while increasing numbers of potential customers are showing close interest in finding out more about what we can deliver from this extraordinary facility.

“The staff at our new factory in Llantrisant will be able to undertake Structural Steel design, fabrication and complex assemblies for the sub sea oil & gas industry, as well as vehicle chassis and materials handling equipment and a machining capability in support of defence equipment customers. Having installed the largest HD plasma profiler in Britain the company can produce ultra close tolerance large plate steel parts and we have the capability to fully finish all products with a dedicated large scale paint facility in house.”

The 16-acre site at Llantrisant was selected from a shortlist across the UK and abroad because of its good transport links, which include the nearby deep-water ports at Newport and Cardiff, and the availability of a capable workforce.

Universal Engineering’s Chairman, James Gaggero said: “Advanced engineering is one of the strengths of the British economy. We are energised at the prospect of engaging with the highly skilled workforce in south Wales in building our capabilities in this sector. We are working closely with Coleg Gwent to help us find the right people to ensure international standards are achieved and are especially delighted that 65 have already

Edwina Hart, Welsh Minister

GROWTH / PEOPLE

North-East Firm Shows Motivation for Further Growth Motive Offshore, which is headquartered at its 30acre site in Boyndie, near Banff, in Aberdeenshire, has been restructured as the Motive Offshore Group, comprising of two key operating companies, Motive Engineering and Motive Rentals, allowing the company to strengthen its offerings for clients in the UK and internationally.

Chief Executive Officer of Motive Offshore Group, James Gregg said: “The company re-structure marks a pivotal time for the business as it continues to expand with an increasing portfolio of clients and workforce. The market is currently facing some challenges but we are continuing to strengthen our position in the industry, continually re-investing profit in our equipment and people to drive the business forward and offer our clients innovative products and an unrivalled service.

“It is great to be heading into year five with ambitious targets for 2015 as we focus on worldwide growth and further employment which is vital for the local economy and the skills shortage in the industry.”

The group, which is entering into its fifth year of business, has experienced considerable growth since its inception, investing £3.5m pounds in its rental equipment in the last two years, which has seen an overall increase in turnover from £5.2m in 2013 to £7.8m last year.

As part of the restructure, the firm, which currently employs more than 100 members of staff, expects to create a number of jobs for the local area and has invested a six-figure sum in its branding and marketing, working with Scottish Enterprise to define and align the objectives of each division across the group.

The firm has ambitious growth expectations for 2015, following successful developments at its first international base in Stavanger, Norway, which has exceeded its expected turnover figures to NOK 5m in 2014 and secured several large contracts since launching in 2013.

The firm, which specialises in high capacity winches, umbilical deployment equipment and specialised subsea equipment, is planning continued investment in product development in 2015, specifically its umbilical equipment including reel drive systems and tensioners.

Peter Sheves Joins Mactech Europe’s Aberdeen Operations Facility To support the development of Mactech Europe’s Aberdeen operations facility and oversee the introduction of the Mactech Offshore range of Diamond Wire Cutting equipment, which has been proven over years of operation in the US Gulf, the services of Peter Sheves have been secured.

Peter Sheves, Mactech Offshore

Steven Simpson, Sales Manager Motive Offshore Group

Motive Strengthens Team with Key Appointment

Having previously managed Hydratight’s Aberdeen operations base and latterly overseen the development and growth of Mach-Ten into its current Stork guise, Peter brings decades of specialist knowledge to Mactech Europe and will enhance the already existing high standards of quality and services being provided, with the additional benefits of having all stocks being located locally at the company’s new Dyce operations facility.

Motive Offshore Group has recently strengthened its management team, appointing Steven Simpson as sales manager who will be primarily based at the firm’s Aberdeen sales office.

New General Manager at Teledyne Bowtech Ltd Simon Beswick has been appointed to the role of General Manager at Teledyne Bowtech Ltd. Simon was previously Managing Director of Tritech International Ltd from 2008 having joined as Finance Director in 2007. Prior to joining Tritech, Simon had spent most of his career in international roles within the specialist chemical industry. Simon is an engineering graduate and holds an MBA from Oxford University.

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated acquired Bowtech in February 2015.

Simon Beswick, General Manager, Teledyne Bowtech Ltd.

Mr Simpson brings more than 10 years of experience to the role, previously holding a number of business development positions within the oil and gas industry. He will be focused on developing key accounts with existing and potential clients, and implementing strategic sales plans to drive and expand the business in the home market and internationally.

Subsea UK News | June 2015

21

TECHNOLOGY

Magma Global Takes a New Approach to Lightweight Subsea Riser Design Whether in the form of a non-bonded flexible pipe or rigid pipe, steel has traditionally been selected as the structural material of choice for riser systems to resist the high and complex loads a typical riser needs to withstand. However, with the development of new lighter, stronger composite pipe materials, there is now a new approach to lightweight subsea riser design.

Steel has inherent disadvantages, such as its low resistance to corrosion in seawater and susceptibility to embrittlement in a sour environment.

However, with the requirement for deep water developments, the biggest challenge for riser designer is the high density of steel, making steel risers increasingly challenging to design and deploy and thus uneconomic in comparison with the latest composite riser solutions as depth increases.

The most costly, technically challenging and schedule-critical aspect of deep water developments using steel pipe risers is the combination of a nonlinear increase in riser pipe and buoyancy cost with increasing water depth. This also leads to increasing vessel payload and installation vessel costs, all driven by the high density of steel.

Lightweight materials such as carbon fibre composites are an enabling technology for deepwater developments, with a pipe weight in water less than 5% that of steel and also highly resistant to corrosion. These modern materials can be utilised not just for the riser pipe but also for integral composite buoyancy modules. The combined effect of lightweight pipe and highly efficient buoyancy has a dramatic effect on riser configuration and performance.

Magma Global recently commissioned an independent report from Calash, the specialist energy sector strategic advisory firm, to analyse the potential economic benefits of its carbon fibre composite m-pipe® versus a traditional steel pipe and buoyancy system for deep water riser applications at 3,000m.

The report shows m-pipe® is an enabling subsea technology that facilitates simpler subsea architectures, reduces project costs and removes cost overrun risks for deep water multiple riser projects.

22

Subsea UK News | June 2015

The report shows m-pipe® is an enabling subsea technology that facilitates simpler subsea architectures, reduces project costs and removes cost overrun risks for deep water multiple riser projects: AN M-PIPE® M-SLOR RISER SYSTEM.

75% CHEAPER than a traditional steel riser slor system

11% REDUCED RISK

saving by using an M-PIPE® RISER SYSTEM from a typical total project cost of $2.5bn.

An m-pipe® riser system significantly reduces project risk and its associated cost overruns, predominantly due to the LIGHTER WEIGHT AND SUPERIOR STRENGTH OF M-PIPE®.

HIGHLY COMPETITIVE

m-pipe® offers significant EQUIPMENT, CONSTRUCTION, FABRICATION, ENGINEERING and PROJECT MANAGEMENT BENEFITS that are likely to be highly competitive in shallower water depths.

TECHNOLOGY

Online Archive of Historical Subsea Achievements Launched The Capturing the Energy initiative, which is working with companies and organisations from across the UK offshore oil and gas industry to preserve the sector’s historical records, have recently re-launched their website after a redesign.

The new website includes details about the project, information about existing collections and explains how companies, organisations and individuals across the industry can contribute to the Oil & Gas Archive at the University of Aberdeen.

“The new site outlines the type of records we are interested in and the process involved in working with Capturing the Energy,” Katy Johnson, the project’s Development Officer, said. “Details about our records survey service, which enables companies and organisations to identify their records of historical value, are also included.

“We hope to add more content about the history of the industry, including images from a significant photographic collection, over the coming months. In the year marking the 50th anniversary of the first offshore discovery at West Sole and 40 years since first oil, we want to encourage the industry to think about preserving and celebrating its heritage by adding to this research resource.”

Launched in 2006 and based at the University of Aberdeen, Capturing the Energy has already worked with Total to document the UK sector of the Frigg field and is supported by Oil & Gas UK and DECC. Talks are underway to establish partnerships with other operators, but the project is also keen to capture the important role subsea work has in the industry, so any subsea companies who feel that they have records to contribute are urged to contact Katy at info@capturing-the-energy.org.uk

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TECHNOLOGY

Trelleborg’s New Buoyancy goes Deeper without the Extra Weight Trelleborg’s advanced engineering and materials operation has produced an innovative buoyancy system that can deliver exceptional performance anywhere in the world, without the need to increase buoyancy weight.

As part of the company’s continued materials research and development processes, two new high performance, ultra-low density composite buoyancy systems have been produced in response to global project requirements.

Dave Clayton, Sales Director within Trelleborg’s advanced engineering and materials operation, says: “One of our clients wanted to increase the service operating depth of a fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). However, the options available had a number of operational complications - the most restrictive being the density of alternative buoyancy materials.

“To achieve the same payload, higher density dictates that the vehicle (buoyancy) would have to increase in displacement. This has the knock-on effect of requiring increased handling capacity as the vehicle will weigh more in the air and potentially, a larger vessel would be required to deploy the AUV. The overall cost increase brought about by current market offerings was so significant it could have stopped the project from proceeding.

“However, we were approached and asked what could be done. Our in-house chemists and materials technologists were quick to react.

We like a challenge, so with the target density set, it was down to our R&D team to develop an innovative solution.” Drawing on years of experience, Trelleborg’s advanced engineering and materials operation knew that with some processing modifications during the manufacture

of the material, improved performance could be extracted from the glass microspheres used.

Clayton continues: “Initially,

the only option to go deeper was to use a significantly denser material of circa 550kg/m³. Our new TG29/5000 has a density of 468kg/m³ - a 15% density reduction - coupled with an increased depth capability from 4,000MSW to 5,000MSW. This delivered a 25% increase in depth performance.”

All materials within the TG series are tested with a 1.1x amplification factor over maximum service depth. This provides an operational margin for the client and ensures that the materials are working well within their design envelope. The TG series materials offer the client the highest mechanical properties, with buoyancy loss due to water absorption and hydrostatic compression being less than 2% and a safety factor of typically 1.4 over the hydrostatic collapse start pressure; the point where the glass microspheres physically start to burst as a result of the immense sea water pressure at depth.

Trelleborg’s second development, TG39/11500 has been developed to satisfy the demands of research establishments operating to full ocean depth. The material has a core density of 660kg/m³ /39lbs/ft³ and will operate to 11,500MSW. It has a hydrostatic collapse pressure greater than 20,000psi.

Scanning electron microscopy of Hollow Glass Microspheres

Sonomatic Reaches New Depths in Automated Ultrasonic Subsea Inspections Sonomatic, a world leader in the provision of automated ultrasonic inspection subsea for more than 30 years, has successfully deployed its accurate corrosion mapping approach at a depth of 1435m, setting a new benchmark for depth with this technique.

The inspection was carried out using the ROV-iT, an ROV-deployed ultrasonic inspection tool developed by the company. Sonomatic’s ROV-deployed tools carry many key benefits, among them the ability to carry out inspection work without the need for divers or a dive support vessel, and at much greater depths.

The subsea inspection was completed in early 2015. A major objective of the inspection was to validate absence of low level degradation so that a case could be made for operation without the need for an in-line inspection. Since the coverage for the subsea inspection was low, meeting this objective was dependent on providing a highly sensitive inspection with very accurate wall thickness measurements on a fine scan increment.

The inspection performance achieved at a depth of 1435m, through a three layer polypropylene coating, matched that in shallow water, demonstrating Sonomatic’s capability to deliver its world leading corrosion mapping accuracy even at great depth. The results of the detailed analysis of inspection performance, as achieved in the field, were central to the integrity assessment. This was based on statistical methods developed by Sonomatic for planning and evaluation of targeted inspections on unpiggable gas pipelines. The inspection achieved allowed demonstration that the probability of degradation, with potential to threatened integrity for the line as a whole, was within acceptable limits.

24

Subsea UK News | June 2015

Sonomatic’s industry leading measurement performance was central to ensuring this objective was met and that the result was a substantial cost saving to the client, as an in-line inspection was avoided. The inspection work subsea was completed safely and within the planned schedule, with Sonomatic’s equipment operating reliably throughout the campaign.

Sonomatic’s ROV-deployed tools, which can operate both vertically and horizontally, have been designed for inspecting pipelines, risers, caissons and structural assets using a wide range of techniques. Key techniques among these are corrosion mapping, time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) and pulse echo.

ROV-iT

TECHNOLOGY

Tecno Plug and BISEP (3D)

DNV Approves STATS Group Pipeline Isolation Tools Pipeline engineering specialist STATS Group has received the DNV GL seal of approval for its Tecno Plug and BISEP range of pipeline isolation tools.

A world leading accreditation body, DNV GL has issued certificate P-15082 for the 3-48” range for both Tecno Plugs and BISEPs.

The DNV GL Type Approval verifies that the design criteria satisfies the requirements for Pipeline Isolation Plugs to provide dual seal and isolation in accordance with Offshore Standards; DNV-OS-F101 (Submarine Pipeline Systems) and recommended Practices; DNVRP-F113 (Subsea Pipeline Repair) and in compliance with the following code; ASME BPVC Section VIII, Division 2.

Obtaining type approval from DNV GL assures clients that STATS Group products are fully compliant to the highest standards and are ‘ready to go’ without the need for further work or adaptation by the end-user.

The DNV GL certification covers the complete process from design premise, tool designs and design calculation methods, materials of construction, fabrication process, non-destructive examination methods, in-service risk assessment procedures, quality and inspection plans to factory acceptance process.

To date STATS have completed more than 200 Tecno Plug deployments, including recent isolations in Oman, Malaysia, Canada and the UK Central North Sea – with high profile projects including the isolation of the Forties Pipeline System (FPS) for Apache North Sea Ltd.

STATS Group technical director, Bill Herron, said: “The DNV GL certification of our tools is effectively an international benchmark on the quality of our products and services, from design concept all the way through to final customer delivery.

STATS’ patented BISEP provides high pressure intervention and isolation through a single hot tap penetration. Since its development less than 10 years ago, STATS has deployed over 60 hot tapped isolations, enabling maintenance work to be carried out safely and efficiently while meeting industry-led double block and bleed requirements.

Continued expansion in the US has led to contracts worth more than $15 million for the provision of intervention and isolation services to one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America.

“It gives our technicians and engineers set standards to be achieved on every tool we build, but equally important, it gives our clients the reassurance that every product in those two ranges is designed, built and tested to the exacting standards required by the oil and gas industry.”

Subsea UK News | June 2015

25

SUBSEA Compensated Stainless Steel Pressure Gauges

The STEWARTS range of compensated subsea pressure gauges have a 100% filled case that has a special compensation device, allowing the internals of the case to be pressurized equal to the external ambient pressure as the gauge is submerged to depth.

The benefit of this method is that as the internal and external pressure remain in balance, there is no need for a pressure proof case, allowing our 8000 series compensated gauges to work at your deepest depth applications.

Conventional (zero ref = 1 atm) subsea pressure gauges rely on the strength of the case and window to withstand the external pressure of the water.

A conventional (zero ref = 1 atm) subsea gauge will compare the subsea reading to atmospheric or gauge pressure at the surface (i.e. the zero point equals 1 atmosphere or approximately 1 bar absolute). However, the compensated gauge will compare the subsea reading with the local ambient pressure at depth with the zero point being equal to the ambient pressure. Provided the system being measured is also affected by this increase in ambient pressure then the gauge reading will be correct. However, if the system pressure is not affected by the increase in ambient pressure, the gauge will start to read increasingly low as the depth increases.

UNIQUE FEATURES:

• • • •

We offer two types of compensation. Our unique welded stainless steel diaphragm (for durability) (8022/8024) & the conventional Nitrile rubber diaphragm (8032/8034).

Robust 316 Stainless Steel Case/ Bezel / Socket & Element, removable bezel design allows repair or recalibration.

The socket is welded into the case providing a strong permanent seal.

STEWARTS has also developed a exclusive Aegis-Guard (Acrylic) which will offer protection to the gauge in the event of external contact. This will aid in protection against subsea construction and remediation applications when using subsea tooling or ROV’s. The cover can be replaced manually if damaged, mitigating the need to replace an entire gauge.

Stewart-Buchanan Gauges Ltd Sales Office & Manufacturing Facility: Burnside Industrial Estate, Kilsyth, Glasgow G65 9JX SCOTLAND Tel: +44 (0)1236 821533 | Fax: +44 (0)1236 824090 | E-Mail: sales@stewarts-group.com

For the full range of STEWARTS SUBSEA gauges, please visit: www.stewarts-group.com

TECHNOLOGY

New SmartFit™ Software Optimises Multiple Sections of Pipe Oil and gas pipe measurement specialist Optical Metrology Services (OMS) has released a new version of its award-winning SmartFit™ pipe fit-up optimisation software. In addition to the sequencing of single pipe ends, the new software is now capable of sequencing multiple pre-welded sections of pipe (i.e. doubles, triples and quads), while also providing improved visualisation of pipe fit-up and new, automated reporting features.

Winner of a Queen’s Award for Innovation in 2014, OMS’ SmartFit service is a system for managing pipe preparation and fit-up in readiness for welding prior to pipelaying. For the oil and gas industry, SmartFit ensures accurate fit-up of pipes prior to welding and laying in trenches, thus preventing environmentally damaging leaks.

The latest version of the SmartFit software was developed by OMS in response to the changing needs of the oil and gas industry. Rather than weld single pipe ends, some of the latest pipelaying vessels are now designed and equipped to carry and/or weld multiple sections of pipe – in doubles, triples or quads. Typically, these vessels carry pipe ends that have either been pre-welded onshore into multiple sections, or the vessels have facilities to weld the pipe ends onboard into multiple sections prior to the pipeline reeling and laying processes.

David Briscoe, senior software engineer at OMS said:

“The SmartFit software is now able to simulate, sequence and optimise batches of double, triple or quad pipe ends to suit individual customer requirements.

“For the pipe contractor, this enables pipe ends to be part-welded into multiple sections onshore, which in turn means less time is spent welding individual pipe ends onboard the pipelaying vessel.

This can significantly reduce vessel hiring costs and project risk.”

The OMS software is now more intuitive and easier to use, providing 2D/3D visualisation of pipe ends, which not only reduces operator error, but also aids the end customer or pipe contractor’s own understanding of the benefits of using pipe fit-up optimisation software in order to reduce weld cut-outs and delays to the pipe welding and laying processes.

SmartFit also provides improved reporting features in various formats to suit the operator, analyst or pipe contractor. Results and automated statistical reports can be generated and exported directly into different formats, including MS Word, MS Excel, .CSV file, image/graphical reports, as well as more detailed technical reports that include every pipe joint/HiLo value in a pipeline.

The SmartFit system is accurate, traceable to National Standards, light, fast to operate and highly portable. The system has been applied aboard a wide variety of pipelaying vessels and spool bases around the world.

Prior to OMS introducing SmartFit to the oil and gas industry, pipe fitup problems occurred at a mean rate of 1 in every 15 pipe ends. Using SmartFit, such problems are rare or non-existent. OMS estimates that its customers are saving approximately £9 million per year.

Subsea UK News | June 2015

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TRAINING

Leading Tasmania Subsea Training Centre Addresses Asia Pacific Skills Development A world renowned diver training facility in Tasmania is helping address skills development in the Asia Pacific subsea sector.

The Underwater Centre, Tasmania, recently trained a team of 30 candidates put forward by Malaysian recruitment and training provider Samsian Solution & Services, which provides training and recruitment opportunities for personnel in the oil and gas, mining, water, power and maritime sectors in South East Asia.

The students completed the Centre’s three-month Standard Commercial Diving Training Package, which includes the required Australian Diving Accreditation Scheme (ADAS) Parts 1, 2 and 3 certifications, as well as the Kirby Morgan Helmet and Bandmask Operators course, qualifying them to work onshore and offshore as commercial divers.

Based at Beauty Point, The Underwater Centre, Tasmania, has been delivering diver education since 1996. It was originally created to address the demand for commercial diver training in the South East Asia Pacific region and is the only school in the world to offer all levels of the internationally-accepted ADAS commercial diver certification, from ADAS Part 1, right up to ADAS Part 4 Closed Bell.

The Centre, which has a sister base in Fort William, Scotland, has recently expanded both its capabilities and facilities in order to cope with increased demand. As well as building a new pontoon and employing additional staff, new approaches to training are being

developed and the Centre is now offering a service whereby groups of students can be offered the globally-recognised ADAS training in their own language.

Meanwhile, a new programme - the Recognition of Formal Training (RFT) – is currently being developed in order to give diver training schools that do not currently offer ADAS certification a chance to do so in conjunction with The Underwater Centre, Tasmania.

Samsian Solution & Services spokesperson Jamie Tham said that they chose The Underwater Centre’s ADAS training for their candidates because of its recognition in the region’s oil and gas sector.

Jamie said: “The Underwater Centre has an excellent reputation in the industry and we have found the team of staff and instructors there to be very helpful.

“Commercial diving is a skill that is currently in high demand within our local industry, and most of the candidates will be able to secure a job with oil and gas contractors once they have completed the training.”

A team of 30 Malaysian students recently completed diver training at The Underwater Centre, Tasmania

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Subsea UK News | June 2015

TRAINING

Highly Distributed Oil & Gas Workforces see Benefit of Online Distance Learning MTCS (UK) Ltd, has devised a highly portable, virtual learning environment, MTCS Online system which has been built to aid companies whose individuals spend a lot of time offshore on vessels or rigs. Indeed, many subsea industry executives now realise that knowledge and the application of knowledge is key to business success.

Competence Management frameworks that allow our workers to gain certification in the workplace, no matter where in the world they are.”

Gail Bartolf, Global Sales Coordinator for MTCS (UK) Ltd explains: “Although we send trainers where possible to company employees, the global nature of many of our clients means challenges with changing shift patterns and getting trainees together. A major issue is cost to the company, which can include flights, accommodation and day rates.

MTCS Online is a virtual learning environment designed for instant accessibility and optimum portability. It makes our products available anywhere, anytime, allowing companies to use one system to track and monitor learners’ progress throughout their offshore career.”

The MTCS induction course follows IMCA Guidelines and has been successfully run in the UK for 11 years and Singapore for three years.

Atlas Services Group, who currently utilise MTCS Online, said: “This is a very effective way for us to ensure our workers are capable of making the workplace decisions they need to make. Although we have focused on competence for some time, the practice is growing in online learning and here at Atlas, we tie in distance learning to competence management. Fortunately, MTCS is able to offer fully accredited

The MTCS Competence Management Programme follows the guidelines set by IMCA. MTCS (UK) Ltd Subsea Training Extends to Nigeria MTCS have also delivered their first ROV induction course in Lagos, Nigeria. Eight candidates successfully passed the final exam, their first step towards progressing through the MTCS Competence Management Scheme progressing to Pilot Technician I.

Richard Warburton, Managing Director at MTCS said: “We have detected a requirement for this course to be delivered in West Africa and therefore looked for a local partner. Vision Subsea Nigeria Ltd is an indigenous ROV service company with a wealth of local expertise in assisting in the setting up of the induction courses.”

The course included operational training with a Seaeye Falcon with extensive technical training including fault finding and maintenance training.

MTCS already have an established client base in the region and this is seen as a positive step towards offering quality subsea training solutions in Nigeria, put together in a cost effective package without the need for visas and expensive travelling costs.

Specialist for Subsea Inspection Services & Solutions • • • • • •

Risers & Flexible Risers Caissons Subsea Structures & Pipelines Non-Piggable Pipelines Ship Hulls Complex Areas like Subsea Welds & Manifolds

Inspection solutions feature: • • •

ROV & Installation deployment High corrosion defect detection capabilities Fast scanning with no coating removal

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

Innospection_Subsea_Halfpage-AD_Nov13-v2.indd 1

SUBSEAINTEL • • • • •

Unique online database, updated daily Around 1,200 subsea projects worldwide Comprehensive overview of global subsea activity Market intelligence at the touch of a button Open to Subsea UK members only

www.subseaintel.com

04/11/2013 13:08

FEATURE ARTICLE

New Market Intelligence for Subsea Companies to Exploit Global Opportunities Subsea UK has launched a new market intelligence service to help subsea companies exploit global opportunities.

SubseaIntel is a unique on-line database which provides regularly updated details on almost 1,200 subsea projects worldwide, and will provide sought-after subsea market intelligence all in one place, at the touch of a button.

It allows users to delve deeper into current projects across the globe and discover upcoming opportunities using intensively researched data.

Users will be given a secure log-in to search for, track and monitor global subsea discoveries and projects. The database will allow them to identify which contracts have been awarded and to whom, when contracts are up for tender or renewal and what the values are, where available. This includes major EPC contracts, front-end engineering and design, well intervention, inspection and repair through to flexible pipelay and acoustic positioning.

Data can be customised to review and compare the current status of subsea projects and developments as well as uncover the marketleading countries and industry trends. Information is categorised by a number of key factors including: region, operating or contracting company and water depth.

Neil Gordon, chief executive of Subsea UK said:

“SubseaIntel represents a considerable investment

by Subsea UK in an added value service for members. For the first time, valuable intelligence on the global market will be readily available to help them with planning, forecasting and business development.

“Members will be able to pinpoint the most relevant regions, projects and contracts for them with all the project characteristics and analysis they need to make informed decisions. In the current climate, companies need all the support they can get and SubseaIntel will give our members valuable business development and analyst support at no cost.”

Each project in SubseaIntel has been individually researched and analysed to provide accurate and up-to-date information, presenting a comprehensive overview of global subsea activity. The site has been designed so members can update or add data themselves, offering a fully interactive service.

Subsea UK will be hosting a number of briefings and one-to-one demos throughout the year to provide a step by step guide to SubseaIntel and help members get the most out of their access to the site.

Subsea UK News | June 2015

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Serious about your subsea business?

We’re serious about helping you develop your business!

Subsea Malaysia 2015 2-4 June 2015 Subsea UK Hospitality Suite, Malaysia

Subsea North East Conference and Exhibition 10-11 June 2015 Newcastle United Football Club, NE England

Fundamentals of Subsea Systems 16 June 2015

NSRI : An Overview of the Subsea Industry Needs

Subsea UK, Aberdeen

24 June 2015

Subsea South East Networking Evening

Subsea UK's Challenge Cup (Golf Day)

6 August 2015

21 August 2015

One Birdcage Walk, London

Peterculter Golf Club, Aberdeenshire

Deepwater Zone at Offshore Europe:

Deepwater Developments Conference 8 September 2015

Village Hotel, Aberdeen

Subsea UK’s Offshore Europe Dinner 9 September 2015 The Marcliffe at Pitfodels, Aberdeen

Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre

Deepwater Zone at Offshore Europe:

the Future of Inspection, Repair and Maintenance Conference 10 September 2015 Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre

Subsea UK’s ROV Conference 2015 11 Sep 2015 The Village Urban Resort at Kingswells, Aberdeen

These are some of Subsea UK’s events but please visit our website for full details of all forthcoming events.

www.subseauk.com

ACHIEVEMENT

Subsea Industry Supports Valuable Schools’ STEM Initiative Aspiring young engineers got the chance to participate in an international competition to design underwater machinery and robotics, thanks to leadership and support from Subsea UK. The industry body has entered into a long-term partnership with RGU to sustain and extend the highly successful Scottish MATE ROV Challenge. The annual event, which is coordinated by the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Centre in California in partnership with Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University (RGU), saw nine school teams compete from around the country as they put their robots through a series of underwater missions, for a place in the international final.

Peterhead Academy came out on top, after a panel of industry experts scored the teams on how well they completed the missions, as well as taking into consideration the technical reports, poster displays, and engineering presentations the pupils were required to produce.

The major STEM initiative aims to inspire future engineers through hands-on experience of designing remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) used underwater in the oil and gas, defence, oceanology and marine renewables industries.

Subsea UK chief executive, Neil Gordon, said:

attract those young people into the sector. We cannot expect to draw young people into the industry, if we don’t highlight the opportunities it presents and increase the uptake of science, technology, engineering and maths subjects.

“Initiatives such as MATE ROV bring these subjects to life within an industry context and are hugely valuable in steering them towards an industry which has been likened to NASA but on the seabed.

Many pupils participating will be unaware of the dynamic technology used in subsea and this initiative really opens their eyes to a world underwater.”

Subsea companies, ROVOP and Fugro have also stepped in to support the initiative, which along with Subsea UK’s financial contribution, bring a much-needed £16,000 to the programme.

Mr Gordon added: “We are delighted that ROVOP and Fugro have come alongside Subsea UK and BP to safe-guard this valuable programme and give budding young engineers a real taste of the subsea industry. The subsea industry must have a pipeline of engineers for the next generation and MATE ROV has proved that it engages pupils with industry in a compelling way.”

ROVOP has provided its backing to the project which gives students the chance to work on ROVs and provide solutions to subsea conundrums. The skills required to tackle the work are designed to promote an interest and understanding in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.

“MATE ROV has captured the imagination of school pupils and subsea business alike since it was first run in Scotland in 2008. Representing the entire subsea supply chain, Subsea UK is ideally placed to communicate and promote the initiative to industry, ensuring more meaningful engagement.

Doug Middleton, operations director at ROVOP, said: “ROVOP is committed to leading the use of technology and training to improve the subsea industry. The MATE ROV Challenge offers the unique experience of designing, building and operating subsea remotely operated vehicles. We are excited to support the involvement of young people whose skills and ingenuity will drive the industry forward in future. We need efficiency and new ideas at a time when many companies are cutting investment.”

“As the industry adjusts to cope with the sharp decline in oil price through addressing inefficiency, cutting costs and making redundancies, in the longer-term we will still need the next generation of subsea engineers and leaders and therefore must continue to

Scottish MATE ROV is one of 24 regional heats held around the world by the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Centre in California. The winning team from Peterhead Academy will travel to compete in this year’s international final, which will be held at The Marine Institute, St John’s, Newfoundland in Canada.

L-R - Graeme Dunbar RGU competition co-ordinator, Ross McDonald (student), Doug Middleton ROVOP Operations Director, Neil Gordon Subsea UK CEO, Elias Mangoro (student).

Subsea UK News | June 2015

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ACHIEVEMENT/AWARDS

Aker Solutions Celebrates 15th International Safety Award Aker Solutions’ subsea business division has won its 15th consecutive British Safety Council International Safety Awards.

The government-regulated body judged the company’s ongoing internal health and safety management processes ranging from the mechanisms used to identify hazards, how high risk operations are effectively supervised, and the practical methods introduced to make sure no one is injured or made ill at work.

The awards are open to businesses, public and third sector bodies of all sizes and sectors.

The British Safety Council also considered how the senior management at the Aberdeen-based subsea office promotes and maintains a positive attitude towards health and safety amongst its staff as well as taking a close look at how Aker Solutions’ performance compares to its previous year and what targets have been set for the next 12 months.

Matt Corbin, Managing Director of Aker Solutions subsea business in the UK said: “Winning our 15th British Safety Council International Safety Award is a fantastic achievement and clearly demonstrates our commitment to maintaining high standards to ensure the workplace is a healthy and safe space for all our personnel.

Matt Corbin, Managing Director Aker Solutions

“Safety is an area on which we place a great deal of importance and our teams work hard to make sure a robust approach is adopted to help prevent any injuries or ill-health. We are incredibly proud of our people in meeting the criteria set out by the council.”

Technip Norge Awards their HSE Excellence Award to EXSTO During the Technip Norway 7th annual Suppliers Day held in Oslo in March, EXSTO was awarded the HSE Excellence Award for the work performed during the past year.

The prize is awarded by votes from the Technip project teams, which gives it greater significance, as the winning company is voted for outstanding performance in a specific area by the people who actually worked on the project.

EXSTO has delivered a number of supplies to Technip Norway over the past eight years.

In 2014 EXSTO delivered equipment for the Asgard A&B project. EXSTO was greatly honoured to receive this award from Technip Norway.

In the last five years, the company invested heavily in improving Quality and HSE in the workplace, and also in the products and services offered.

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Subsea UK News | June 2015

INNOVATIVE TOOLS TO SOLVE

PIPELINE CHALLENGES

Bevel Geometry Pipe Straightness

End Hooking Closed Gap HiLo

3% OFF

Girth Weld

your order when you order 5 or more hand tools, visit omsmeasure.com/handtools for more details!

Open Gap HiLo End Squareness

OMS has developed a suite of quality control tools to enable pipe geometry to be measured and quantified.

The OMS PipeChecker™ range is a comprehensive and innovative suite of pipe inspection tools to assist oil and gas companies, speed up and improve pipe welding, fit-up and laying costs, helping to mitigate project risk and delays.

• improve fit-up • avoid delays • maximise performance

Get in touch to find out how you can improve pipe fit-up - visit omsmeasure.com/handtools for further information