Nautronix has secured another order for the supply of their NASDrill RS925 deepwater acoustic positioning system for Noble Corporation’s fourth new ultra-deepwater drillship. In 2011, Nautronix was awarded the contracts for supplying their NASDrill RS925 system for Noble’s first three new drill ships.

 

All new vessels will be constructed at Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, Korea and will be based on a Hyundai Gusto P10000 design. The rigs will have DP-3 station keeping abilities and the capacity to handle two complete BOP systems allowing for operation in water depths of up to 12,000 feet.

 

Mark Patterson, Nautronix CEO, commented: "This order further strengthens our relationship with Noble Corporation and I believe that it demonstrates their confidence in our NASDrill RS925 system". NASDrill RS925 has been designed specifically to meet the requirements for a reliable, stable DP and position reference system for demanding offshore operations, in particular deepwater drilling vessels.

 

The system combines the two most accurate deepwater acoustic positioning technologies - Short Baseline (SBL) and Long Baseline (LBL) - to calculate multiple independent position solutions providing reliable, repeatable input to the vessel DP system; with SBL mode providing accuracies of 0.15% slant range and LBL mode providing accuracies up to 1m RMS independent of water depth.

 

The NASDrill RS925 system is supplied with all external interfacing to the Dynamic Positioning System for automatic station keeping and can be used as part of an integrated acoustically-aided INS positioning solution. The system is also fully upgradable to use NASeBOP and NASNet® (Nautronix unique underwater GPS).

 

As with all Nautronix leading commercial acoustic systems, NASDrill RS925 utilises Nautronix proprietary ADS2 (Acoustic Digital Spread Spectrum) broadband signalling technology which has been proven, with over ten years of successful subsea operations, to provide superior accuracy, repeatability and reliability for dynamic positioning of vessels during deepwater drilling operations.

 

For more information please contact Rebecca Christie: rebecca.christie@nautronix.co.uk

Siemens press picture.

 

Effective 1 April 2012, Siemens Industry Inc has transferred the Water Solutions Oil & Gas business to Siemens’ Energy Sector, Oil & Gas Division, Integrated System Solutions (ISS). Under the Energy Sector’s leadership, the former Water Technologies Oil & Gas group will have significantly added capacity to address customer needs in the oil and gas market, including enhanced access to customers, increased execution capabilities and an expanded international footprint.

 

The Water Solutions group will be joining more than 3000 professionals in over 35 countries. As water treatment becomes increasingly important with respect to sustainability and environmental awareness, the addition of the Water Solutions group to the Energy portfolio will allow Siemens to provide an expanded solutions approach and enhanced value proposition to the market.

 

"The Oil & Gas business is growing within Siemens’ Energy Sector and is expected to keep pace with global energy demand," said Are Dahl, Head of the Integrated System Solutions business segment in the Oil & Gas Division of Siemens Energy. "The transfer of the Water Solutions Oil & Gas business to the Energy Sector will help us strengthen, and expand our offering in this important part of the market".

 

The Water Solutions Oil & Gas portfolio is made up of water treatment technologies, total water treatment solutions and water treatment services, including produced water treatment and water/steam injection for oil and gas production, as well as boiler feed water treatment, wastewater treatment and water reuse for the downstream petroleum industry.

 

Core Siemens Water Technologies activities in the municipal and other industrial vertical markets outside of oil and gas will remain within the industry sector and will continue to provide products, systems, solutions and services to all Siemens sectors and markets as needed.

 

WEG UK’s growth continues apace, with the appointment of Philip Hall, a highly skilled, senior professional in business development, to its sales team. Phil has over 30 years experience in the electric motor and drives markets, working with major companies such as Siemens, Rockwell, Reliance, Teco-Westinghouse and Parker Hannifin. He was most recently employed as Business Development Manager for Brook Crompton.

 

"Our expansion and growth in the UK mirrors that of WEG worldwide, with global earnings from the WEG Group now exceeding $3.3 billion," said Russell Maccabe, WEG’s UK Sales Manager. "The appointment of such a seasoned market professional as Phil Hall is another step in our UK growth plan. His job, as Industry Manager, is to look in to key industry sectors, such as water and waste treatment, oil and gas and power generation, contacting end users, consultants, EPCs and OEMs and using his experience and knowledge to get WEG recognised and approved".

 

Phil Hall is uniquely qualified to undertake this task, having been involved in marketing and selling motors, including large HV and MV units, drive units and automation to key industries since 1981. "My experience of business development in strategic market sectors means that I am able to be effective immediately in my new position," said Hall. "WEG is a real global success story, coming from nowhere 50 years ago to a $3 billion-plus worldwide corporation today. I am looking forward to playing an active role in this continuing success story.

 

"Apart from the entrepreneurial ethos that is very evident in WEG, what also attracted me to the company was the integrated portfolio of power supply, power distribution, power transmission and turnkey automation system products that WEG now offers across the widest range of industries. These address the key segments that we wish to penetrate further: over 400 different product lines, all offering the highest levels of technology, efficiency and protection".

 

Philip Hall started in his new position with WEG UK on 5 March. He is based at WEG’s UK headquarters in Redditch, and can be contacted on:

Tel +44 (0)7799 881 253

Email phall@wegelectricmotors.co.uk

Sandvik’s new dedicated mill for the production of stainless steel and high nickel alloy tubes in Sandviken, Sweden

 

The culmination of a significant investment programme in future tube production, Sandvik has officially opened the world’s largest, dedicated mill for the advanced manufacture of stainless steel and high nickel alloy tubes for use in nuclear power plant steam generators at its facility in Sandviken, Sweden. The new mill utilises the latest state-of-the-art technology, including innovative advances in equipment design from tube manufacture, annealing, final finishing, inspection and despatch. All contained within one dedicated production facility.

 

Officially inaugurating the new mill, Jonas Gustavsson, President of Sandvik Materials Technology said: "The energy sector is a key segment for Sandvik and we see a lot of interesting opportunities for nuclear and steam generator tubing". The investment not only strengthens Sandvik’s position as leading global supplier of seamless nuclear steam generator tubing, it also provides the company with the flexibility and manufacturing capability to satisfy the requirements of the rapidly growing nuclear power industry. Work on the site commenced in 2010 and has involved over 150 people and 330 specialist suppliers up to its completion.

 

At over 340 meters long and covering an area of approximately 12,000 square meters, the new mill is the equivalent size of two soccer pitches. It incorporates a fully automated flowline, in which the layout facilitates greater flexibility with short set-up and lead times. A fully integrated computer control system ensures optimum utilisation of the automated production process from start to finish.

 

"Sandvik has for many years been a world-leading manufacturer of steam generator tubes for the nuclear industry," explained Jonas Gustavsson. "Today, approximately 2½ years after the investment decision we now have a new, world class mill. Through this investment we are significantly increasing the capacity and thereby further strengthening our position in this market".

 

Prior to its opening Sandvik has invested in excess of 120,000 hours of dedicated operator training to ensure that the advanced manufacturing is handled precisely and the plant is operated at optimum efficiency. As you would expect with the installation of leading edge technology, design of the mill incorporates the latest in energy efficiency programmes and recycling capabilities. This includes the capture and recycling of heat from the manufacturing processes to provide energy for heating the mill and energy efficient lighting throughout.

BG Group has announced the completion of drilling at an appraisal well in the BM-S-11 concession, offshore Brazil, with good quality oil samples encountered. The results confirm the westerly extension of the Iara accumulation in the pre-salt Santos Basin and demonstrate the high potential of the pre-salt reservoirs within that area.

 

The BRSA-1032-RJS well, informally known as Iara West, is located 223 kilometres offshore Rio de Janeiro and approximately nine kilometres from the Iara discovery well in a water depth of 2150 metres. It encountered good quality oil (21 degrees to 26 degrees API, and within the anticipated range) in the pre-salt carbonate reservoirs at a depth of 5430 metres. Iara West, which reached a final depth of 6050 metres, is the third well drilled in the Iara area and is part of the fast-track programme to develop the world-class pre-salt Santos Basin discoveries.

 

BG Group and its partners will continue to appraise the area, including formation tests to evaluate reservoir production, in line with the plan approved by Brazil’s National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP). BG Group has a 25% interest in the BM-S-11 block (Petrobras, operator, 65%, Petrogal Brasil/Galp Energia 10%).

Global Project Partners acts as a trusted advisor to leaders within the global energy and infrastructure sectors through creating and delivering innovative, strategic and effective human capital solutions and professional services.

 

Its Future Executive Search division has established an enviable reputation as a niche, flexible and collaborative provider of pioneering search methodology dealing with middle management through to executive level. The Global Project Solutions division attracts engineers through to middle managers on behalf of clients.

 

Greg is responsible for strategic searches within Future Executive Search and the management of Global Project Solutions’ Oil & Gas activity. He specialises in board-level executive, director-level and senior management recruitment in general, commercial, operational, technical and project management across the Oil & Gas practice, with a particular focus on the upstream sector within large operators, EPCs, consultancies and OEMs. His focus on global upstream projects and corporate hires has resulted in engagement with FTSE 30, 100 and 250 companies alongside several from the Fortune 500.

 

Greg joined Global Project Partners Ltd in 2010, having begun his career with a leading global recruitment firm, helping establish them within the European oil and gas market. He drove that business forward, focusing particularly on London, Aberdeen and Stavanger, having spent a great amount of time in all regions. While continuing to deliver excellent service to his established markets, Greg will also be focusing on leading development in Latin America and South Africa.

 

For more information, please call Greg on +44 (0)121 321 4134 or see:

 

ABB has invested close to £1 million and signed a 10 year agreement with Imperial College London to support a new carbon capture pilot plant teaching facility located at the university’s central London campus. Further supplemented by a series of sponsorships for Imperial’s chemical engineering undergraduates, ABB’s investment and involvement in the project signals the company’s commitment to shaping the next generation of industrial engineers.

 

Using a combination of ABB’s instrumentation, drives, motors and process automation equipment, the control room provides students with hands-on experience of pilot-scale industrial plant operations and is the only facility of its kind in an academic institution in the world. The pilot plant will be used in undergraduate teaching with the aim of equipping students with the practical skills needed for a career in industry.

 

The agreement between ABB and Imperial gives the university access to the most advanced control and instrumentation technology available from any supplier, as well as life cycle services and support for the installation. In return, ABB has access to the carbon capture pilot plant for its own use and will use the facility for customer demonstrations and training, staff learning such as inter-divisional training, hands on experience for its apprentices and product testing and software evaluation.

 

To further support its involvement with Imperial, ABB is providing four summer placements of eight to ten weeks per annum in its UK operations. In addition a summer placement in Brisbane, Australia will be awarded to a student on the university’s exchange programme, after spending their third undergraduate year in Australia. One final year student will be selected from previous summer students to have their final year tuition fees paid by ABB.

 

ABB’s involvement in the project is aimed at raising the awareness among chemical engineering graduates of the benefits of a career in control and instrumentation engineering. The investment is seen as a shop window for presenting the opportunities available throughout the ABB organisation, particularly at one of its main execution centres for oil, gas and petrochemical automation in St Neots, Cambridgeshire and its measurement products activities in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire and Workington, Cumbria.

 

In recognition of ABB’s support for the new carbon capture pilot plant, Imperial has named the hi-tech centre-piece of the installation the ABB Control Room. The ABB Control Room houses the extended operator workplace (EOW) and the distributed control system, System 800xA, from where operators can control and supervise the plant.

 

With many international students also studying at the College, the facility will help to position the UK as the global centre of excellence and expertise for engineering education. For ABB, there is the added attraction of building awareness of its technologies and capabilities across a global audience.

AVEVA has announced that Centroprojekt do Brasil S/A has selected AVEVA as its sole provider of 3D design software for complex engineering projects. Centroprojekt operates across many industries, providing designs for major capital plant projects in the pulp and paper, petrochemical and chemical industries. AVEVA PDMS met Centroprojekt’s requirements for 3D design and for the integration of all key engineering disciplines, including piping, electrical and instrumentation across a dispersed team of designers.

 

"We have two sites working at the same time on six different projects. Concurrent multi-location engineering combined with high productivity was a major consideration when we evaluated 3D design software alternatives," said Jean Carlos Pontel, Detailed Engineering Manager at Centroprojekt. "We need to effectively manage our suppliers, as well as integrate many different disciplines, both of which are offered with AVEVA PDMS. We can increase project productivity through accurate material information, right first time design and reduced rework, all of which avoid significant project delays. Ultimately, AVEVA is helping us to minimise project risks through better quality design and this has a direct and positive impact on the ROI for our business".

 

"Previously, Centroprojekt would hire other engineering companies to complete projects using AVEVA PDMS," added Santiago Pena, Senior Vice President, Latin America, AVEVA. "Following this contract win, we are supporting Centroprojekt to expand their in-house design team through an on-going internal trainee programme. Centroprojekt provides an excellent example for the use of our ‘Integrated Engineering & Design’ capability. Our Change Highlighting and Compare & Update functionality allows project teams to closely integrate design and engineering disciplines throughout the lifecycle of a project and across multiple sites. Centroprojekt and our other customers quickly realise the benefits of our solutions and this is one reason that AVEVA is Latin America’s most popular supplier of engineering design and information management software".

 

AVEVA PDMS 3D design software is part of the AVEVA Plant portfolio, delivering maximum design productivity and capability on all types of plant projects, from small upgrades to major new builds. Centroprojekt provides comprehensive services from site surveys, studies, multi-staged design documents, through planner’s supervision during the construction period and consulting engineering to turn-key project deliveries for industrial and energy sectors, water and effluent treatment plants. For further information visit:

The new CVL-5000 actuator extends the scope of Rotork Process Controls’ innovative CVA electric control valve actuator range to enable the automation of larger valves and valves with higher pressure ratings.

 

Providing a maximum rated thrust of 5000lbsf (22241Nm) and a linear stroke length of up to 4.5 inches (115mm), the CVL-5000 retains all the features and benefits of the established Rotork CVA range, providing highly accurate control valve automation combined with advanced, non-intrusive calibration, valve diagnostics and the simplicity and economy of electric operation.

 

CVA actuators deliver continuous, repeatable modulating control with a programmable fail to position option. Operating on an industry standard 4-20mA control signal or digital bus, the resolution, repeatability and hysteresis performance is quoted at <0.1% of full scale, offering suitability for the most demanding applications.

 

Mechanical features include Rotork’s well-proven ‘double-sealed’ enclosure, whereby internal electrical components are permanently protected from the effects of the operating atmosphere. The IP68 dust tight, watertight and temporarily submersible (7 metres, 72 hours) enclosure is universal to all models in the CVA range, including those with hazardous area approvals. On loss of mains power, built-in super-capacitors allow the actuator to move the valve to a desired position, programmable as open, close, any intermediate position or stay-put. Manual operation is available as standard on the CVL-5000 and as an option on other CVA models.

 

CVA actuators utilise Rotork’s innovative and well established ‘non-intrusive’ communication technology for actuator programming and adjustment. Actuator set-up and configuration is performed using a Bluetooth enabled PDA or PC running Rotork Enlight software which is freely downloadable from the Rotork website. Every CVA incorporates an onboard data logger, enabling operational data such as valve torque profiles, dwell times, actuator events and statistics to be downloaded for detailed investigation and diagnosis. After analysis, any required configuration changes can be uploaded into the actuator.

 

Digital control bus connectivity options include Hart and Foundation Fieldbus protocols, facilitating enhanced installed economy as well as giving the CVA the increased ability to dovetail into existing asset management systems. The all-electric design, which can be specified for single-phase AC or DC supplies, also simplifies the process of retrofitting actuators onto existing valves.

 

The introduction of the CVL-5000 coincides with the launch of the new Rotork CMA (Compact Modulating Actuator) range, which brings many of the benefits of CVA electrical actuation to small linear and rotary control valves. The combined performance of the two ranges enables Rotork’s innovative electrical control valve actuation technologies to be applied to process control applications of virtually any size and description.

On 13-14 June 2012, SGS will be attending the 11th RenewableUK Global Offshore Wind 2012 Conference and Exhibition in London. At stand 545, SGS’s team of experts will demonstrate a wide portfolio of renewable energy services for the entire project life cycle, including but not limited to commissioning, in-service and end of warranty inspections, quality, health, safety and environmental (QHSE) management, technical due diligence, risk management, non-destructive testing (NDT) and wind turbine blade testing.

 

RenewableUK Global Offshore Wind 2012, which takes place at the international exhibition and convention centre ExCeL London, is a leading annual renewable energy conference and exhibition. With over 300 exhibitors and 5000 participants, the event is the perfect meeting place for anyone interested in the latest developments and trends in the offshore wind sector in the UK and worldwide.

 

The two-day event presents a perfect occasion for SGS to showcase its wide portfolio of renewable energy services, including commissioning, in-service and end of warranty inspections, quality, health, safety and environmental (QHSE) management, technical due diligence, risk management, non-destructive testing (NDT) and wind turbine blade testing. It is also a good opportunity to meet potential business partners.

 

Attendees of RenewableUK Global Offshore Wind 2012 will have a unique chance to learn more about SGS’s wide range of services for the renewable energy sector. Based on its extensive experience and expertise, SGS offers third-party consultancy, inspection, verification, testing and certification services for renewable energy projects, including wind and tidal energy projects. In particular, for each phase of a project lifecycle, SGS offers a wide range of renewable energy services.

 

SGS services are designed to minimise failure rates in operational renewable energy projects in order to improve the financial viability of the assets. Therefore, SGS services bring benefits not only to the project owners, but also to the financiers and the underwriters, all of whom have a stake in renewable energy projects.

 

SGS is eagerly looking forward to the 11th RenewableUK Global Offshore Wind 2012 Conference and Exhibition in London and anticipates convincing participants that its range of services and breadth of expertise are practically unrivaled.

Foster Wheeler AG has announced that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCm) services contract by TOTAL Raffinage-Chimie for the revamp of a hydrodesulfurization unit at TOTAL’s refinery in Antwerp, Belgium.

 

Foster Wheeler has received a full notice to proceed on this contract, for which the contract value was not disclosed. The value of engineering and procurement services will be included in the company’s first-quarter 2012 bookings. Construction management services are expected to be included in the company’s third-quarter 2012 bookings upon agreement of the full scope of the services to be provided by Foster Wheeler.

 

The revamp of the hydrodesulfurization unit should enable the refinery to produce jet fuel with a sulfur content below 30 parts per million (ppm), and diesel with a sulfur content below 10ppm, in accordance with European Union requirements. Foster Wheeler has already completed the front-end engineering design for this revamp. The revamp is expected to be mechanically complete by the end of July 2013.

West Midlands engineering firm and bolt tensioning specialist, Tentec Ltd, has announced the appointment of Richard Outram as its new Business Manager for the UK. Richard will be responsible for the further development of sales of Tentec’s bolt tightening equipment and custom-designed engineering products in growing market areas such as oil and gas, offshore, power generation and renewables.

 

Richard has an extensive background in the steel industry spanning the sale, procurement and distribution of stainless steel flat rolled and long products. Having worked in Europe, America and Asia for the last 5 years he has won additional business supplying bespoke castings, forgings and machined components to international OEM’s through a number of approved low cost manufacturing partners.

 

Richard identified Tentec’s niche products and prestigious global client base as a fantastic opportunity to move into a more specialised sector of engineering and to further his career with an established UK manufacturer. The experience he has acquired dealing in quality critical markets is he feels the perfect platform to ably assist Tentec with their continued plans for growth.

Rotork Gears has developed the innovative DSIR Dual Speed Input Reducer for speeding up the manual operation of valves and valve gearboxes by reducing the total number of input turns required.

 

To achieve this, the DSIR has two gearing ratios. Switching between the ratios is simply a matter of pushing or pulling on the input shaft. The high 4.25:1 ratio gearing is used for the portion of the valve stroke where the torque requirement is high, which is usually at the beginning and the end of the stroke. In mid-travel the valve torque generally drops considerably and therefore the low 1:1 ratio gearing can be used to reduce the number of input turns required. This can provide a 70% reduction in the number of turns required and the operating time.

 

Manufactured from cast iron with carbon and alloy steel shafts and gearing, the rugged DSIR is designed for arduous operation in an ambient temperature range of -40ºC to +120ºC. The standard enclosure specification is watertight to IP67, with IP68 optionally available. Other options include output machining for mounting directly to a valve, flexible drive extensions and a padlockable facility. It is also possible to lock the gearbox drive in either of the two gearing ratios.

Saint-Gobain Solar announces that photovoltaic (PV) modules produced by Martifer Solar using SolarBond® InFrame on Saint-Gobain’s single-piece frames meet the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) standard for the safety performance of crystallline silicone (c-Si) terrestrial PV modules.

 

This achievement assures the industry that SolarBond® InFrame provides the necessary adhesive durability for solar modules manufactured with single-piece frames and serves as an effective alternative to silicone sealants. Before reaching the market, all newly launched modules must meet the IEC 61215 standard, which sets test sequences, conditions and requirements for the design qualifications of crystalline silicone photovoltaic (PV) modules.

 

Developed by TUV Rheinland, an independent assessment service, the IEC 61215 standard evaluation tests include visual and hot spot diagnostics, insulation inspection, electrical component wet-leakage resistance and performance measurements under extreme temperature coefficients and environmental conditions. These conditions include exposure to UV rays, humidity, extreme cold and damp heat.

 

Modules also undergo a bypass diode test for hot spots and testing of mechanical performance under different weight loads and in environmental conditions such as hail. Regardless of challenging temperature and environmental conditions, the bonding strength of SolarBond® InFrame proved durable and lasting, ensuring PV module manufacturers that using the material in their framing process will yield a high-quality final product.

 

"With our SolarBond® InFrame module framing solution, we have achieved the industry standards in a commercial application, providing PV manufacturers with an intelligent and innovative alternative to silicone sealants that will help them transition into the next generation of solar module making," said Geoffrey King, Market Manager, Renewable Energy, Saint-Gobain Solar.

 

Launched in the summer of 2011, SolarBond® InFrame is a foamable, single component reactive compound that builds on the strengths of traditional liquid silicone and frame tape methods for framing solar modules to offer a new category of material. SolarBond® InFrame is applied warm in a continuous motion. This process eliminates the setting time needed for silicone products to cure by offering the instant adhesion of frame tapes coupled with a highly automated application process to shorten production cycles and reduce product waste.

 

When applied to Saint-Gobain’s single-piece frame, the foamed material fills the aluminum channel completely, even in the corners, eliminating the risk of water collecting in the frame. What results is the minimisation of associated production costs and a strong, long-term, weather-resistant bond for a durable final product. Additionally, the single-piece frame requires only one corner key as opposed to four, allowing module manufacturers to further reduce material costs.

Safe Regalia

 

Prosafe has been awarded two separate contracts by Statoil Petroleum AS using the Safe Scandinavia and Regalia.

 

The Safe Scandinavia will be used for accommodation support at Snorre A in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea for a nine month firm period. On site operations are planned to commence within March 2014. In addition, Prosafe has granted Statoil an additional three-month option. Statoil has the ability to extend the firm period to 16 months on or before the end of June 2012.

 

Total value of the nine-month firm period for the Safe Scandinavia is around US$76.6 million. If the firm period is extended to 16 months, the total value will be around US$132.8 million.

 

The Regalia will be used for accommodation support at Svalin/Grane in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea for a five-month firm period. On site operations are planned to commence within February 2014. In addition, Prosafe has granted Statoil four additional one month options and if exercised, the Regalia will relocate to the Brage platform in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Statoil has the ability to extend the firm period to nine months on or before the end of June 2012.

 

Total value of the five-month firm period for the Regalia is around US$47.3 million. If the firm period is extended to nine months, the total value will be around US$74.7 million.

 

These awards from Statoil demonstrate the Safe Scandinavia’s and Regalia’s long-term value in the Norwegian sector. With the potential of continuous operations into Q3 2015 and the introduction of the new build Safe Boreas into the fleet within 2014, Prosafe is well placed to serve clients’ accommodation requirements.

Subsea buoyancy, insulation and elastomer product specialist, Balmoral Offshore Engineering, has said its new Brazilian manufacturing facility will be operational by summer 2013. Already exporting more than 95% of manufactured goods from its Aberdeen HQ, the company has completed the incorporation of its Brazilian division, Balmoral Offshore Brasil Ltda, and building work is due to begin soon at the new facility in Vitoria, Espirito Santo.

 

It’s thought that the multi-million pound investment could create up to 100 local jobs with expertise from the Aberdeen operation being drafted in to assist with plant commissioning. The new facility will manufacture the company’s complete range of products from the largest deepwater riser buoyancy and insulation systems to the smaller, more intricate, elastomer mouldings such as bend stiffeners, restrictors and cable protection.

 

International Business Development Director Jim Hamilton said: "Having successfully provided deepwater buoyancy and elastomer products for a number of projects offshore Brazil, we believe the time is right to commit to local production. We are bidding on numerous projects offshore Brazil and plan to build on our core value of enhanced customer service in this important market.

 

"The plant, which will be strategically located to service the South American sector, will replicate our multi-purpose facility in Aberdeen which has proved to be such an operational success in terms of flexibility and capacity. We anticipate the new facility being in full production by summer 2013. As a company we are dedicated to cost effective technology-led solutions for the deepwater oil and gas sector and are pleased to bring this expertise to the Brazilian market".

Natural gas is one of the most important energy carriers in many factory processes with constantly increasing sales. In many companies and plants it is an easy to handle fuel, without which operation is virtually unimaginable. Although the current price tag of around 40 cents per cubic metre seems very low in and of itself, there are considerable costs that come to bear in practice: for example, at this gas price in a DN 100 natural gas pipe at 25 bars of pressure, 35 million euros flow through the pipe per year. In this case, it is worth investing in precise measuring equipment, especially if internal balancing of energy consumption is a goal.

 

In this application, a vortex flowmeter such as the OPTISWIRL 4070 C provides high accuracy at minimal investment cost. In order to check the characteristics of the OPTISWIRL when measuring natural gas, KROHNE had a production model tested under practical conditions at the pigsar testing facility in Dorsten.

 

The high pressure gas meter testing facility operated by EON Ruhrgas is the national standard for the Federal Republic of Germany and as such is responsible for maintaining the reference value for unit of volume for high pressure natural gas and passing on this reference value to other laboratories. In association with and under the control of the Federal Institute of Physics and Metrology (PTB), pigsar conducts calibrations and verifications as an independent laboratory.

 

An OPTISWIRL 4070 C DN150 PN40 featuring integrated pressure and temperature compensation was used as a test device. The purpose of the test was the volumetric measurement (standard cubic metres) of natural gas routed directly to the calibration rig from the EON Ruhrgas operating network. Results were then compared to those of the turbine-type meters used as reference devices. Two series of tests at 16 and 41 bars of pressure were run as these are representative of the prevailing pressure range of 16-40 bar in practice.

 

The result did not only confirm the specific measuring accuracy - it exceeded it considerably: at 16 bar of pressure, the measuring accuracy of the OPTISWIRL only deviates an average of ±0.24% from the turbine, while measuring uncertainty is at ±0.15%. At the higher pressure, the values were even somewhat better with the same measuring uncertainty, measuring inaccuracy was only ±0.135%. This puts the device clearly above the standard specified accuracy of 1% for gases in both tests.

 

For the user, improved measuring accuracy means more precise monitoring and, in the case of internal balancing that means more accurate billing: in the first example cited, 0.1% measuring accuracy corresponds to a sum of 35000 EUR. The price of an OPTISWIRL (size DN150) does not even amount to a fifth of this.

Fluor Corporation has announced that following a formal signing ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, it has been awarded a contract by PETRONAS Gas Berhad, a subsidiary of PETRONAS, to provide front-end engineering and design (FEED) services for a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal in Malaysia. The new terminal will supply gas to an adjacent 300 megawatt combined cycle power plant in the town of Lahad Datu, Sabah.

 

"We are pleased to add another significant LNG project to the growing relationship between the PETRONAS Group and Fluor in Malaysia," said Ken Choudhary, Senior Vice President of Fluor’s Energy & Chemicals business. "This LNG terminal will help address additional power generation needs, which in turn, will contribute to further industrial and economic development in the region".

 

Fluor will be utilising local subcontractors and suppliers for various facets of the project. This contract further consolidates Fluor’s position in Malaysia where the company is performing other projects in the oil refining sector and in the LNG regasification business and where significant project growth opportunities are expected in the near term. Fluor was previously part of a joint venture that provided PETRONAS with preliminary engineering services for a new LNG liquefaction plant at the existing facility in Bintulu, Malaysia.

SGS is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a non-destructive testing services contract by West African Ventures (WAV) for the Escravos Gas Project (EGP-3) in Nigeria. Signed on February 11, 2012, SGS will provide non-destructive testing of welds using x-ray pipeline crawlers, ultrasonic testing (UT) and magnetic particle testing services.

 

Located within the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, 100km south east of the capital city Lagos, EGP-3 is one of the largest projects ever to be undertaken in Nigeria, with a goal of harnessing the gas-rich resources of the Escravos field. Onstream start is predicted for the end of the year, with the completed gas project anticipated to harvest an additional 395 million cubic feet of gas per day.

 

The Escravos Gas-to-Liquid Project (EGTL) will utilise part of the EGP-3 gas output as a feedstock, with both projects forming a joint venture project between the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Chevron Nigeria Ltd (CNL). Signed in 2001, the Escravos Gas-To-Liquid Project aims to upgrade approximately 325mmcf/d of gas into approaching 33,200 barrels of high quality diesel, naphtha and liquefied petroleum gas.

 

SGS will work on the project for one month from April 2012 and for another month towards the end of 2012 or early in 2013. Chosen for its experience and extensive expertise in non-destructive testing (NDT) services, SGS will contribute to the safe and efficient operation of project equipment and assets by detecting defects before damage can occur, while also ensuring compliance with international standards.

 

SGS will employ two methods: ultrasonic testing, which uses sound waves of short wavelength at high frequencies in order to detect flaws and corrosion as well as measure the thickness of material, and magnetic particle testing to detect cracks on or just below the surface of ferrous materials, furnishing users with a quick and reliable technique for finding the location of surface cracks.

 

Awarded the contract by West African Ventures, an enterprise that delivers offshore, inshore and onshore services to the oil industry, SGS experts will perform non-destructive testing of welds with the help of x-ray pipeline crawlers as well as ultrasonic testing (UT) and magnetic particle testing of 15km of pipe where required. West African Ventures, experts in pipe-laying, construction, platform maintenance, installation and fabrication services to Nigeria’s oil and gas industries, selected SGS due to its long experience in providing third party testing and inspection services for both onshore and offshore pipeline projects.

 

In employing SGS, West African Ventures can be certain that the Escravos Gas Project will benefit from the monitoring of pipe integrity, the detection of defects and irregularities before the occurrence of severe damage or regulatory non-compliance, as well as safe and reliable facility operation. SGS will ensure the top quality of the pipe being laid for this historically important gas project, with eleven SGS staff onboard the pipe lay vessel JASCON 34, covering a 24 hour shift seven days of the week. For further information, please contact:

 

SGS Nigeria

George Mclean

Project Manager Industrial

No1 Wogu Street

D/Line Portharcourt

Nigeria

 

Tel +234 (0)7034 173 793

Email industrial.pr@sgs.com

Rotork Process Controls has launched a new range of compact, robust and reliable electric actuators for control valves, regulators and other continuous modulating applications. The CMA (Compact Modulating Actuator) extends the scope of Rotork’s proven technologies and the benefits inherent in the innovative Rotork CVA electric control valve actuator range. The CMA range increases the areas of flow control that can take advantage of these advanced features.

 

The Rotork CMA is available in linear, quarter-turn and multi-turn versions and a range of five compact sizes, facilitating the economical operation of numerous types of control valve, damper and pump stroke adjuster applications. Single-phase or DC electrical power supply is all that is required for control valve actuation, saving the on-going costs associated with the operation and maintenance of instrument air supplies.

 

The maintenance-free CMA drive train, permanently lubricated and protected in an IP67 watertight and, where required, explosionproof enclosure, can be mounted in any orientation. Accepting an industry-standard 4-20mA command signal, the CMA delivers accurate and repeatable positional control. Resolution is 0.25% on linear and quarter-turn applications and 2 degrees on the multi-turn configuration.

 

Continuous and unrestricted modulating performance is provided by a brushless DC motor, magnetic contactless sensors and a lubricated for life drive train. Actuator configuration is performed in a logical, menu driven process using push buttons and an LCD display window. User selectable adjustments are provided for speed, dead band, zero and span, command signal type, standard or reverse action and loss of signal position. Manual operation is available as standard whilst optional extras include local push buttons and selector switch, digital position indicator and digital communication connectivity with HART, Foundation Fieldbus and Profibus.

 

Building on the success of Rotork’s CVA actuation technologies, applications for the CMA are expected to include choke valve, metering pump and associated duties in oil and gas processing and storage, mining and mineral industries, as well as process skids and plant for equipment such as boilers, separators, injectors and heat exchangers.

DNV has, as part of a strategic partnership with StormGeo, acquired the right to purchase 22.6% of StormGeo’s shares through a mutually convertible capital issue, putting their weight behind a world-leading meteorology and risk assessment company. Bjørn K Haugland, Chief Technology and Sustainability Officer of DNV Group will join the Board of Directors of StormGeo.

 

The core focus of StormGeo will remain within the fields of oil exploration, renewable energy as well as shipping, media and aviation. Following strong growth since inception in 1998, StormGeo currently operates out of 12 offices in 9 countries. The agreement with DNV will effectively expand the potential footprint of StormGeo. DNV has operations and customers through 300 offices in more than 100 countries.

 

DNV and StormGeo will co-operate to continue developing world-leading risk assessment and efficiency programmes for all types of entities operating in rough climates. By co-ordinating best practice meteorology solutions and products with unique understanding of the performance of each individual entity, StormGeo will allow customers to optimise their operational economics without sacrificing the ultimate focus on safety.

 

"We are very honored to have been chosen as a partner by DNV," said Kent Zehetner, the CEO of StormGeo. StormGeo has 104 employees, of which more than 30 are fully employed in R&D developing systems that support the drive for safety and economic efficiency.

Hill International and The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) have announced a completely new series of Masterclass events for 2012 encompassing locations around the UK and the globe.

 

The Masterclass series of intensive seminars has been running since 2000. This year sees UK events in Leeds (14 June) and London (28 June), and international events in Turkey, Singapore and Dubai through October and November. The 2012 series includes the first ever Masterclass to be held in Turkey, and a completely new half-day seminar in London, on the NEC3 form of Construction and Engineering contract. NEC3 was notably used on projects such as the Olympic Park, Heathrow T5, and the controversial Cambridge Guided Busway, on which contractual problems were linked to disputes.

 

Stuart Wilks, course organiser, and Senior Manager at Hill said: "Unlike many other courses and seminars, each Masterclass is unique, and tailored for the needs of the area in which it is held. In London, we’ll be looking at the increasingly important NEC3 contract, but in Turkey the event will examine issues affecting contractors and others in that region, such as force majeure and other contractual risks.

 

"The Masterclass provides us with an opportunity to share with attendees the problems we see on a daily basis occurring on projects throughout the world, and delegates will learn from some of the finest lawyers and technical experts in the world".

 

Chris Blythe, CEO of the CIOB commented: "The CIOB is once again delighted to be working with Hill International and their colleagues throughout the world in presenting this excellent educational programme. The CIOB is dedicated to raising educational standards throughout construction management, and this long-running series provides a core part of that educational remit".

 

Speakers at the Masterclass come from a range of both legal and technical expertise, including solicitors from international firms such as Pinsent Masons, CMS Cameron McKenna, barristers from Keating and Atkin chambers, and technical experts from chambers of commerce, Hill International and Cadogans Consultants.

 

Further information is available from Stuart Wilks of Hill International:

Tel +44 (0)20 7618 1200

Email stuartwilks@hillintl.com

This year’s first edition of energize oil & gas, the customer magazine for GL Noble Denton, the oil and gas business segment of the GL Group, is now available in an electronic version.

 

Published to coincide with OTC 2012 in Houston, this latest edition of energize oil & gas covers such topics as: shale gas in the United States, best practice solutions to mitigate operational risks, effective mains replacement strategies, and corrosion protection.

 

If you would like to receive a printed copy of the magazine, please send an email to:

 

Find out more about the world of the GL Group. All GL Group publications are available on their website:

SGS is pleased to announce that the company has been awarded a twelve-month contract by Jaraguá Equipamentos in Brazil to perform comprehensive third party testing services for the construction of a new refinery in the north east of the country. Awarded the contract in January 2012, SGS’s team of experts will conduct valve and instrumentation calibration and maintenance for the length of the contract.

 

Jaraguá Equipamentos is heavily involved in the rapid growth of industry in Brazil, with its presence felt at all stages of industrial project implementation, including engineering, logistics, manufacturing, assembly and construction through to maintenance, assurance, technical assistance, training and after-sales service. The company also builds power plants, producing components, systems and equipment, with construction of its new refinery now underway.

 

When building a new refinery, it is essential to ensure the quality and safety of the parts involved in its construction. With 12,000 manual valves requiring testing before installation, Jaraguá Equipamentos, also known for its design and manufacture of equipment for oil, gas, petrochemical, biomass, chemicals, pulp, paper, agriculture, aerospace, nuclear energy and industrial construction, needed first-rate expertise and experience in valve and instrumentation calibration and maintenance.

 

SGS seeks to provide quality valve and instrumentation calibration and maintenance to assure the accuracy of industrial instrumentation and valves in accordance with relevant standards, knowing that the accuracy and reliability of the instruments and devices designed to monitor, control and supervise industrial processes is vital.

 

SGS will be verifying the calibration of all 12,000 manual valves, including ball, gate and check valves. The leaking test methodology used will be in accordance with the American Petroleum Institute (API) and Petrobras Standards, with on-site calibration taking place in mobile laboratories. SGS’ testing services will ensure the safety and top quality of all manual valves before installation in the new refinery, thus reducing the risk of failure and discontinuity of service when the plant begins operation.

Aberdeen-headquartered company Viking Moorings is to be renamed as Viking SeaTech, marking a new chapter for the innovative business. A global leader in mooring design and engineering, Viking SeaTech will now supply industry personnel, in addition to rig positioning, inspection, maintenance and associated rig support services to clients across the globe.

 

Based in Singapore, Australia and Norway as well as the UK, Viking SeaTech has over 20 years of experience in some of the world’s most challenging environments, pioneering original products and services as the marine market changes and evolves.

 

Lord Jones, former Director General of the CBI, attended the re-launch of the company and the opening of its new Aberdeen office and outlined why Viking SeaTech is exactly the kind of company to lead the UK’s recovery from recession. Lord Jones warned that only sheer hard work - ‘putting in the grunt’ - will rescue the country from its economic decline and that business is not part of the solution to prevent the UK from falling apart, it is the solution.

 

"Our country has declined to such a state that it is in serious need of fixing," he will say. "We don’t celebrate what we’re good at. We merely look inward and criticise all the time". He will say Viking SeaTech and other businesses in the north east of Scotland are shining examples of entrepreneurship and hard work as evidenced by recent research by UHY Hacker Young which revealed Aberdeen has overtaken London to become the only major city in the UK which managed to grow its economy during the recession.

 

"If it wasn’t for wealth creation by UK plc - large and small businesses alike - then there would be nothing to spend on schools and hospitals, on police officers, on soldiers, on nurses and on teachers. Only business generates taxation. Because of that wealth creation business is at the centre of Britain, more so than any other section of society".

 

Group Chief Executive Bill Bayliss said: "I am proud to welcome Lord Jones to our new headquarters. This heralds an exciting new chapter for our business. We will maximise the opportunities created in the restructured business to strengthen our global position in the oil and gas market.

 

"We have the benefit of one of the world’s largest financial institutions, HSBC as a shareholder. This provides considerable financial security and it also places a significant responsibility for us to deliver growth and deliver shareholder value. This will take hard work, commitment and talent - attributes that Viking is already known for. However, I am confident that the foundations we have in place will allow us to build a much stronger business so that Viking SeaTech will extend its position as the global market leader in 2012". Please contact Louise Nicolson on: +44 (0)7515 881 474 for more information.

Fluor Corporation has announced that it has been selected by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) to perform project management services for its projects to be executed at its world-scale Jamnagar refining and petrochemical complex on the west coast of India in Gujarat. In addition to assisting RIL in project management, Fluor will also perform engineering and procurement services for the pet coke gasification project.

 

RIL’s investment in the expansion of energy and petrochemicals projects represents one of the largest such investments globally. The proposed coke gasification facility is also among the largest such projects ever built.

 

"These two contract awards that will support Reliance Industries’ next phase of growth in India are also important milestones for Fluor, but most of all, I am truly excited about our relationship with this very important client," said Peter Oosterveer, President of Fluor’s Energy & Chemicals Group. "Fluor’s global project execution capability coupled with close to 20 years of growing our engineering and technical talent in New Delhi have positioned us for this key project in India. Reliance is a global player in the energy and petrochemical industries and we are poised to successfully deliver value-added projects to meet their capital expansion and operational objectives".

 

The scope of the project management services to be provided by Fluor includes several world-scale units including petroleum coke gasification units, refinery off-gas cracker and downstream petrochemical plants, a captive power plant, and associated utilities and offsites. The completed gasification project will gasify petroleum coke to produce fuel and hydrogen for the expanded refinery and petrochemical complexes and captive power plant as well as feedstock for future chemicals production.

Nautronix have been awarded a three year contract by the Norwegian SURF contractor, Ocean Installer AS, for the supply of survey services to support their offshore construction activities.

 

The contract includes the provision of onshore and offshore survey services in support of tendering and project activities. Nautronix will initially mobilise survey personnel and equipment onto the Normand Clipper, Ocean Installer’s long term chartered construction vessel due to commence offshore operations in May 2012.

 

Mark Patterson, Nautronix CEO commented: "We are delighted to be awarded our first major contract in Norway by Ocean Installer, and are excited to be working closely with the ambitious Ocean Installer team. This will be a very important and rewarding relationship for Nautronix. It emphasises the expansion of Nautronix to provide a new level of service and supply and reflects our strategy to grow our business in the Norwegian market".

 

Mr Patterson added: "We have seen some very encouraging prospects for our NASNet® and NASCoM product lines, this agreement will allow us to build on an already very strong team and help drive and grow our business into this very important market sector".

 

Sam Hanton, Nautronix Chief Surveyor said: "The award of this contract by Ocean Installer is significant to Nautronix, and reflects our commitment to provide a high quality survey service. Both companies have ambitious growth aspirations and we are currently recruiting a number of people to join our team in support of this activity".

 

Ocean Installer AS was founded in early 2011 and is headquartered in Stavanger, Norway. Nautronix recently announced their opening of a new office in Stavanger and the hiring of Jørn Berg as VP Sales for the region.

Specialist Services, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of living quarters, office and technical modular buildings for the oil and gas industry, is to re-establish a hire fleet at recently acquired Labtech Services to meet growing North Sea and international demand.

 

Offshore modular enclosure firm Labtech, which employs 90 staff across two sites in Aberdeen, was acquired by Specialist Services at the end of last year. Until three years ago, Labtech had operated a highly successful rental fleet in the UK Continental Shelf. Now the company’s new owners are committed to reviving and growing the rental activity once more.

 

Specialist Services’ Chief Executive Officer Ian Rogers (pictured) said: "When we acquired Labtech, we inherited an already well established name in the North Sea, with a strong reputation but a need for some stability. Our commitment to the company is long term, and the revitalisation of the hire fleet is an indication of our intent".

 

The rental operation will start with 15 units, predominantly 20ft drilling and engineering cabins and laboratories, but anticipated demand is expected to see the fleet increase to up to 50 units in the next 12 months with additional jobs at the Aberdeen facilities. The new fleet of cabins, all Zone 1 certified and NORSOK compliant, will serve the growing North Sea market and international requirements.

 

"There is certainly a growing international rental market and we aim to exploit that by fulfilling the needs of our clients around the world," said Mr Rogers. "We are recognised for the provision of hire fleets in the Middle East and Singapore, and through our acquisition of Labtech we will extend our services into the North Sea. We recognise that there is a definite requirement for high quality accommodation in the UKCS and we intend to serve that market and others from our Aberdeen operations".

AVEVA has announced that it has opened a new office in Wroclaw, Poland. Serving the Polish market, the office will offer sales and support for all of AVEVA’s solutions and consulting services.

 

"Poland is a growing market with many chemical, petrochemical and power plants," commented Helmut Schuller, Senior Vice President - Central and North EMEA, AVEVA. "Poland has an excellent pool of highly skilled engineers and is very competitive so it’s no surprise that more engineering projects are coming into the market. EPCs are growing and asking for reliable 3D design and engineering solutions and owner operators are seeking strategies for plant lifecycle management. There isn’t a better time for AVEVA to establish a Polish base for sales and support across this region".

 

Hans van der Drift, Executive Vice President - Sales, AVEVA added: "We work with some of the biggest names in Poland. Our software is used by many EPCs and owner operators. As these companies grow and optimise plant performance, it’s vital that we have a local presence in order to fully engage with our customers and understand their needs. We look forward to welcoming many new customers from Poland to the AVEVA World Community".

 

AVEVA Poland supports over 30 customers in the oil and gas, power and chemical industries. The new office address is:

 

AVEVA GmbH

Minska 54-56

54-610 Wroclaw

Poland

 

Sales Tel +48 71 3593 361

Sales email stefan.dzielendziak@aveva.com

Global-leading energy production technology services company Proserv is bolstering its rapidly-expanding subsea capabilities and specialist integrated services and increasing its workforce by more than 300 people.

 

Proserv, which has operations globally, has agreed terms to assume Weatherford International’s subsea controls’ business, which specialises in subsea and topside communication and control systems and subsea termination equipment for offshore production optimisation, control and monitoring to customers around the globe.

 

The venture will include the 300-plus personnel who form Weatherford’s subsea controls business and all subsea control systems operations in the UK, Norway, North America, Middle East and Far East. In the deal, Proserv will acquire the business assets, and Weatherford’s existing subsea controls management will continue to run the day-to-day operations as part of the Proserv organisation. In return, Weatherford will acquire common and preferred equity in Proserv and will have representatives on Proserv’s Board.

 

David Lamont, Proserv’s Chief Executive Officer (pictured, above right) said: "Our plan for growth is to invest in complementary world-class technologies and build on our existing range of value-added products and services. The prospective business venture with this Weatherford group of businesses is a perfect strategic fit for Proserv. This Weatherford group has an excellent track record in delivering industry-leading technology on time and within budget consistently. We share our core values and ambition to be the provider of choice to our customers and together, as a partnership, we will be even stronger.

 

"It will be an exciting new partnership that enhances our integrated capabilities and creates significantly more capacity to develop our international business. It will also bring further positive benefits for employees and give them the opportunity to become involved in a broader, more diverse range of projects as well as considerable benefits to our fast-growing portfolio of clients through the delivery of an enhanced service capability".

 

Kevin Snowling, head of Weatherford’s subsea controls’ business said: "This exciting and complementary merging of these two like-minded businesses provides a solid platform from which the obvious growth potential of the individual businesses can be realised and further increased as a combined team.

 

"We have started a journey here that, once complete, will result in a stronger company - one which is built around a team of experienced and committed people who are focused on providing high quality and technically advanced solutions that are tailored to suit the requirements of our clients and their business". The deal is expected to be completed within the next two weeks, subject to regulatory clearances.

BG Group has announced the start-up of production from the Gaupe field located in the Norwegian North Sea. Gaupe marks BG Group’s first production from the Norwegian Continental Shelf. With estimated gross recoverable reserves of around 30 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe), production from Gaupe is expected to reach a plateau production rate of around 15,000boe per day gross during the third quarter.

 

BG Group Chief Executive Sir Frank Chapman said: "We are delighted to bring onstream our first production from Norway, adding a new country to our global production portfolio. We have delivered this project safely, on budget and in under four years from the declaration of commerciality. By utilising our existing infrastructure in the UK North Sea, the start-up of production from Gaupe also adds a new source of supply for the UK energy market".

 

The field, located approximately 225 kilometres off the Norwegian coast, was discovered in 1984 and was appraised and declared commercial by BG Group in 2008. The field development plan was approved by the Norwegian government in 2010. The Gaupe field is a cross-border subsea tie-back to the BG Group-operated Armada infrastructure located in the UK central North Sea. From Armada, the processed gas and liquids are exported via pipelines to the UK. The partners in the field are BG Norge, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BG Group, 60% and operator, and Lundin Norway 40%.

Oil and gas professionals have displayed uncertainty over the state of US deep water R&D activity since the Macondo incident in the Gulf of Mexico two years ago. According to a poll conducted at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, 52% of participants thought that US deep water R&D activity has stalled since 2010, while 48% said that innovation has continued in this field.

 

The Industry Snapshot Poll was conducted by global independent technical advisor GL Noble Denton on the third day of OTC. It was also completed online by senior players from across the industry.

 

Pekka Paasivaara, Member of the GL Group Executive Board said: "Confidence in the future of deep water exploration and production has increased significantly over the past six months, as drilling returns to the Gulf of Mexico after the Macondo incident. The result of this poll shows that the United States needs to display a similar level of confidence in its development of new deep water technologies if the sector is to grow at the pace it deserves.

 

"The US is widely recognised as a pioneer of deep water innovation, and an industry thought leader in this field. There’s no doubt that, with the right level of investment, the country can continue to hold this reputation".

 

GL Noble Denton has conducted three Industry Snapshot Polls this week, one for each full day of OTC. Delegates were also asked to vote at GL Noble Denton’s booth (2241-K) on whether gas will replace oil as America’s primary energy source by 2030, and if oil and gas operators should always be liable for exploration and production risks. All participants have been entered into a prize draw to win a new iPad after the show. The results of the polls are available from:

Proserv, the global leader in energy production technology services, has unveiled a next generation subsea cutting tool that provides complete well severance and significantly reduces in-well operational time by up to 50%.

 

Proserv’s enhanced Multi-String Cutting (MSC) tool, which was launched at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, is a customisable internal multi-string conductor cutter that provides complete well severance from tool deployment to cutting operation and tool recovery within 12 hours.

 

First developed over two years ago in response to client demand for a specialist subsea cutting solution that severs fully grouted or non-grouted casing strings, the tool has undergone significant enhancements including an innovative new design of cutting head. It also now includes highly-reliable wireless data transmission technology which removes the need for data cables and eliminates the threat of cable damage, whilst improving control.

 

When used in conjunction with Proserv’s market-leading water abrasive cutting technology, it offers clients a superior cutting solution for their most challenging decommissioning and abandonment requirements. To date, the MSC tool has successfully severed 42 wells with expectations for the next generation tool to surpass this in 2012.

 

David Dent, Vice President Offshore and Subsea Services said: "The MSC tool provides a solution that is more efficient than conventional mechanical cutting methods, saving time and money in well abandonment operations and it is considerably more environmentally friendly than explosives.

 

"We are committed to investing and building upon our world-class technologies and our existing range of value-added products and services. The MSC tool further strengthens our suite of subsea and marine tools for specialist cold cutting, coating and marine growth removal, friction stud welding and subsea dredging services".

 

The new tool, approximately three meters (nine feet 10 inches) in length and 20 centimeters (eight inches) in diameter, reinforces the company’s rapidly-expanding subsea capabilities and specialist integrated services to the market including its world-beating technologies.

As the government focus on expanding apprenticeships opportunities to encourage economic growth, damper solution specialist, Damper Technology Ltd (DTL), has announced that they are on the lookout for two apprentices. They will get the opportunity to learn how to design machinery that will operate at temperatures of up to 1000C for mechanical equipment that regulates the flow of air or gas for heavy industry worldwide.

 

Currently, DTL turns over about £5 million in the UK and has just opened an office in the Indian city of Coimbatore and it is hoped that this operation will contribute about £1 million of revenues in the coming 12 months by winning a number of new contracts.

 

In anticipation of increasing workload from the Indian market, DTL is investing in the future by employing an apprentice design engineer and an apprentice project engineer. Both three-year technical apprenticeships require the applicants to be working towards an engineering qualification such as a BTEC National or Higher National Certificate.

 

Managing Director Mark Hancock said: "We are looking for two highly motivated individuals who has been doing an engineering course for a year or two and who wants to get into employment. I know there are engineering companies around that have had to let apprentices go recently and we want to employ people for the long term that will stay with us and develop great careers in engineering".

 

For the design engineering apprenticeship, some experience of technical drawing would be an advantage. The apprentice project engineer will learn all about mechanical design and manufacturing, including planning, procurement, cost control and contract management. Both successful candidates will get in-house training and continue part-time academic study.

 

For more information on the Apprenticeships available at DTL email: jobs@dampertechnology.com or visit the Careers section of their website:

Foster Wheeler AG has announced that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group has been awarded a contract by Abu Dhabi National Chemicals Company (ChemaWEyaat) for the provision of project management consultancy (PMC) services for an aromatics complex (Stage I of the Tacaamol project) and the supporting infrastructure. The aromatics complex will be located at the Madeenat ChemaWEyaat Al Gharbia site, east of the Ruwais industrial complex in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

 

The aromatics complex is planned to convert almost three million tons per year of heavy and medium naphtha, supplied via pipeline from the Takreer Ruwais refinery, into paraxylene, mixed xylenes and benzene. The infrastructure required to support the new complex includes a dedicated export tank farm, jetty and loading berth(s).

 

Foster Wheeler will, for the aromatics complex and infrastructure, provide PMC services for the front-end design (FEED) phase. The contract also includes an option for Foster Wheeler to provide PMC services for the engineering, procurement and construction phase. If ChemaWEyaat elects to award this additional work to Foster Wheeler, a separate and subsequent booking will be made.

 The four companies have agreed on a work plan aimed at commercialising North Slope natural gas resources within an Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA) framework. Because of a rapidly evolving global market, large-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from south-central Alaska will be assessed as an alternative to a natural gas pipeline through Alberta.

 

"Commercialising Alaska natural gas resources will not be easy. There are many challenges and issues that must be resolved, and we cannot do it alone. Unprecedented commitments of capital for gas development will require competitive and stable fiscal terms with the State of Alaska first to be established," the CEOs of ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips and BP wrote in a joint letter to Governor Sean Parnell.

 

The producing companies support meaningful Alaska tax reform, such as the legislation introduced by Governor Parnell, which will encourage increased investment and establish an economic foundation for further commercialisation of North Slope resources.

 

With Point Thomson legal issues now settled, the producers are moving forward with the initial development phase of the Point Thomson project. Alaska’s North Slope holds more than 35 trillion cubic feet of discovered natural gas, and Point Thomson is a strategic investment to position Alaska gas commercialisation.

A poll of delegates attending the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston has revealed that oil and gas professionals think operators should be liable for the risks associated with their exploration and production activity. 66% of participants thought that operators should accept complete liability, while 33% thought that E&P risk should be passed on to contractors.

 

The Industry Snapshot Poll was conducted by global independent technical advisor GL Noble Denton on the second day of OTC, which is expected to attract nearly 80,000 oil and gas professionals from more than 100 countries. The poll was also completed online by senior players across the industry. The poll result comes two years after the Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico; a tragic event that has triggered a major re-evaluation of the industry’s risk profile.

 

Pekka Paasivaara, Member of the GL Group Executive Board said: "Attitude towards risk has changed dramatically in recent years, causing discussion over who should accept liability if things go wrong. Operators have traditionally accepted liability - except in cases of gross negligence - because they benefit from the upside of production.

 

"That model has begun to change since the Macondo incident, with some operators passing liability for catastrophic risk to contractors. Our poll shows that the industry at large disagrees with this move, and suggests that operators should be accountable for the consequences of major accidents".

 

GL Noble Denton is conducting three Industry Snapshot Polls this week, one for each full day of OTC. Delegates are also being asked to vote on whether gas will replace oil as America’s primary energy source by 2030, and if US investment in deepwater research and development has stalled since the Macondo incident two years ago. To participate in the poll, visit GL Noble Denton at booth number 2241-K. Participants will be entered into a prize draw to win a new iPad after the show. The results of the polls will be available from:

In a poll to measure overall job satisfaction, carried out by OilCareers.com at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, 42% of those who took part claimed to be satisfied with their current positions. As the global skills shortage continues to challenge many organisations, 33% of respondents felt that they could be persuaded to change jobs, while the remaining 25% claimed to be actively looking for work.

 

Managing Director of OilCareers.com, Mark Guest (pictured) said: "We expected to find a lot of job seekers at OTC this year, but we are surprised at the number of respondents who claimed that they would consider a move if another role provided better prospects. Employers need to be aware of this if they are going to attract and retain the best industry talent. It is not just about the financial rewards, but the training and development prospects, as well as the potential to grow within an organisation".

 

IPP Group has locations strategically located around the world and it has always been their intention to be a global supplier with a local presence. They have offices in Australia (2), Singapore, Thailand, Houston, South Africa and now the UAE. Their main stocks and manufacturing are located in the UK where the Group has two locations.

 

The Group is made up of a number of companies, IPP (Europe) Ltd is the stock holding division - its prime range being pipe, flanges, butt weld and forged fittings in Duplex, Super Duplex and the nickel alloy grades. The stock is from NORSOK approved European suppliers with whom they have long and close working relationships.

 

IPP Group’s own manufacturing divisions provide support and stock to IPP (Europe) IPP Scomark and Integral Pressure Components Ltd, again both based at the same UK head office site as IPP Europe. IPP Mardale Ltd is the specialist subsea solutions business, based at the second UK site.

 

IPP Scomark is a manufacturer of seamless butt weld fittings manufactured from the pipe stock from IPP Europe. IPP Scomark holds the coveted NORSOK approval from Duplex, Super Duplex and 6Mo. As well as this approval, and of course ISO 9001, they are also approved by many oil, gas, petrochemical, nuclear and OEM clients, it reads like the who’s who list in the energy industry. The list includes such blue chip clients as BP Exploration, Statoil, Total, Exxon Mobil, SABIC, Occidental, Conoco Philips, GASCO, Rolls Royce Nuclear and FMC Technologies.

 

Integral Pressure Components Ltd is the newest addition to the Group and was established last year to manufacture forged fittings, socket weld, threaded 3000lb, 6000lb and 9000lb, as well as the complete range of ‘o’ let products. They supply contract packages and solutions directly to major contractors for large EPC work, at the moment IPP is coming to the end of a multi million pound project for Conoco Philips, as well as supplying smaller orders to cover MRO requirements.

 

For further information about IPP Group please contact Debby Giglio, Group Marketing Manager: debby.giglio@ippgrp.com

Emperor cable cleats from Yorkshire-based manufacturer Ellis are being installed on a wind farm project that when complete will power over 470,000 homes.

 

The cleats, which were specified by JDR Cable Systems, are being used on the London Array offshore wind farm, which is currently being built 20km off the Kent and Essex coast in the outer Thames Estuary. Phase one of the project features 175 turbines, two offshore substations and four underwater export cables, and is due for completion by the end of 2012.

 

Paul Nolan, UK Sales Manager for Ellis said: "When complete, phase one of London Array will generate power for close to half a million homes, it is therefore essential that every possible precaution is taken during construction to ensure minimum disruption once the wind farm is operational". Like all of its cleats, Ellis’ Emperors are sold with full and proper third party short circuit certification that demonstrates the specified products meet the requirements of the project.

 

"For a cleat to do the job it is specified for it has to be able to withstand the peak short circuit force generated by the cables in that specific installation," continued Nolan. "Third party certification, when presented and interpreted correctly, provides proof of this". London Array is being developed by a consortium with the following shareholdings: DONG Energy (50%), E.ON (30%) and Masdar (20%). For additional information on Ellis and its cable cleats call +44 (0)1944 758 395 or visit:

Oil and gas engineering specialist STATS Group has completed a pipeline isolation project at Theddlethorpe gas terminal in Lincolnshire (UK) on behalf of Wood Group PSN and Conoco Phillips. STATS technicians deployed its patented BISEP™ isolation technology to allow the replacement of a blow-down valve in an environment of extreme temperature ranges.

 

The workscope included installing and strength testing a 6" x 6" hot tap clamp, grouting the void between the clamp and pipeline to reduce corrosion issues and installing a full bore 6" 300# ball isolation valve, which was left in-situ post completion. A hot tap machine was installed and tested to confirm pressure integrity before the hot tap was performed and the BISEP™ deployed to isolate the pipe and allow recovery and replacement of the blow-down valve.

 

STATS Project Manager Steve Gardiner said: "Our technicians had to overcome grouting and hydro testing problems associated with the low temperatures on site but the project was completed on schedule and within a four week time frame. The pipeline temperature made the selection of suitable materials challenging but working alongside our seal suppliers, a material was identified that would perform well in the extreme temperature ranges identified by the client (-29ºC to 32ºC).

 

"Our BISEP™ tools allow dual seal isolation of a pipeline through a single entry point and an increasing number of clients are discovering the benefits of this unique isolation technology".

 

STATS Group supplies a range of products and services for piping and pipeline isolation, intervention, inspection, repair, connection and testing workscopes. All products in the STATS portfolio are designed, manufactured, assembled and tested in-house at the company’s purpose built headquarters and workshop at Kintore, near Aberdeen, Scotland.

A drive to increase unconventional gas production in the United States could cause gas to replace oil as America’s primary energy source, according to a poll conducted yesterday at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston. 56% of participants thought that gas will replace oil to become the country’s principal source of energy over the next 18 years, while 44% thought that oil would remain dominant.

 

The Industry Snapshot Poll was conducted by global independent technical advisor GL Noble Denton on the first day of OTC, which is expected to attract nearly 80,000 oil and gas professionals from more than 100 countries. The poll was also completed online by senior players across the industry.

 

Pekka Paasivaara, Member of the GL Group Executive Board said: "The American unconventional gas market is rapidly changing the local energy landscape. Shale gas accounted for barely 2% of US natural gas production a decade ago. Today it is approaching 30% and rising. The result of this poll highlights the extent to which the American gas ‘revolution’ could grip the local energy market. The US currently stands as the world’s third largest oil producer, and our poll demonstrates significant industry confidence in the ability for the local unconventional gas market to compete".

 

GL Noble Denton is conducting three Industry Snapshot Polls this week, one for each full day of OTC. Delegates are also being asked to vote on whether oil and gas operators should always be liable for exploration and production risks, and if US investment in deepwater research and development has stalled since the Macondo incident two years ago.

 

To participate in the poll, visit GL Noble Denton at booth number 2241-K. Participants will be entered into a prize draw to win a new iPad after the show. The results of the polls will be available from:

Lloyd’s Register has acquired Houston-based WEST Engineering Services in a move that secures the Group’s position as the premier independent risk-management organisation supporting the global offshore drilling industry.

 

WEST Engineering Services, predominantly experts in subsea systems, will join the Lloyd’s Register Group effective 1 May and will combine with the ModuSpec Group and other members to offer the world’s most comprehensive suite of technical services to owners and operators of offshore drilling rigs.

 

"The acquisition of WEST further expands the global portfolio of technical services we can offer to the drilling sector, building on the world-class support we already provide through our energy team which includes the ModuSpec Group, ODS and the Scandpower Group," said John Wishart, Lloyd’s Register’s Energy Director. "We are now, without question, the industry’s leading independent provider of technical support for safe and environmentally responsible drilling operations as the world continues its search for new energy resources".

 

Under the terms of the acquisition, WEST Engineering Services will become a member of the Lloyd’s Register Group, a global organisation that provides independent assurance and expert advice to companies operating high-risk, capital-intensive assets in the energy and transportation sectors.

 

Michael Montgomery, owner and founder of WEST, will retire as President and will be retained by Lloyd’s Register as an advisor. Paul Huber, President, Lloyd’s Register Americas Inc, will become the President of WEST, while Duco de Haan will remain as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the ModuSpec Group.

 

"I am extremely pleased to continue the growth of WEST and to secure the future of our valuable employees and customers by becoming a part of a company that shares many of the same values as us," Montgomery said. "The Lloyd’s Register Group shares our commitment to people and also has a reputation for excellence in independent verification services. I am very grateful to Len Paton with PPHB for helping us find such a great fit".

 

WEST’s employees will be co-located with ModuSpec USA in Lloyd’s Register America’s headquarters in Houston from where they will work to provide a unique and comprehensive portfolio of services to the upstream areas of exploration, production and transport prior to refining. Over time, it is expected that the two companies will fully integrate to form a single entity.

 

Together, the ModuSpec Group, which became a member of Lloyd’s Register in 2008, and WEST will employ more than 550 people, 230 of whom will be based in Houston. The remainder will work from strategic locations around the world. They are highly complementary businesses, said Huber.

 

"This is a highly strategic acquisition as it combines companies that are known for innovation and leadership in the systems and well-control areas of offshore drilling," Huber said. "All the members of the Lloyd’s Register Group - new and old - have a shared ambition: to make the drilling industry safer and more reliable. The acquisition of WEST is another step in the execution of our strategy to add value to society and achieve sustainable growth by providing independent assurance and expert advice to those who operate the critical infrastructure on which we all rely".

 

The acquisition of WEST will be a further boost to a Lloyd’s Register’s energy division whose income grew at an annual rate of 24% between the 2005/06 and 2010/11 fiscal years, during which time Group income increased from £420 million to £855 million. For more information about the acquisition, please go to:

Hill International, the global leader in managing construction risk, has announced the return of Vice President and Managing Director Steve Briggs to their London office and the hire of leading international expert, Wendy MacLaughlin, as Vice President - Claims and Expert Services, Australia based in Brisbane.

 

Steve Briggs is back in the UK, operating from Hill’s London office, having spent the previous 2 years in the Middle East. With over 30 years of experience and over 200 appointments as expert witness, Steve is widely regarded as a global leader in the field of expert planning and delay related matters.

 

Briggs is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and has extensive experience of working throughout the world as an expert planner and programmer on major construction and infrastructure projects. Prior to joining Hill, Steve was Head of International Operations at FTI Brewer Consulting.

 

"Steve’s eminent international reputation and vast breadth of experience makes him one of the world’s leading experts on delay and programming," said Renny Borhan, Hill’s Senior Vice President and Managing Director. "He is a terrific addition to our London centre of excellence for International Expert work," he added.

 

Wendy MacLaughlin is a Chartered Civil Engineer with more than 20 years of experience in consulting, design, construction and project planning. She holds a Masters in Construction Law and Arbitration from King’s College London and joins Hill’s Australian consulting arm McLachlan Lister as Vice President - Claims and Expert Services based out of their Brisbane offices.

 

Prior to joining McLachlan Lister, MacLaughlin worked with Accuracy, Navigant and Pickavance Consulting. Her expertise lies in the analysis of delay to complex engineering and construction projects. She has extensive experience as a party appointed expert and has given evidence in London, Dubai and Stockholm.

 

"Wendy is a recognised international programming and delay expert and we look to her to expand our services and capabilities in Australia and Asia. Her combination of skills and experience make her an unmatched resource for delay and programming expertise in Australia," said Renny Borhan, Hill’s Senior Vice President and Managing Director. "I am confident that Steve and Wendy will further solidify Hill’s position as the world’s foremost construction dispute consultancy," he added.

Invensys plc has announced that it has signed two new 5 year multi-currency bank facilities totalling £600 million, comprising a £350 million bonding and guarantee facility and a £250 million revolving credit facility. These replace the £400 million facility due to expire in July 2013. The interest margin and covenants are in line with the previous facility.

 

The Joint Bookrunners and Joint Mandated Lead Arrangers were Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays, HSBC, JP Morgan Cazenove, Lloyds and RBS. Lloyds and RBS also acted as Joint Co-ordinators.

 

David Thomas, Chief Financial Officer of Invensys plc commented: "We are delighted by the support that we have received from our banks. These new facilities provide the funding and guarantee capacity to both underpin the Group’s financial position and support our project businesses".

With stakeholder expectations of operational performance in hazardous industries ever increasing, operational risk management is a board level challenge. Petrotechnics today announced the launch of Proscient, its Operational Performance & Predictive Risk software platform. It provides senior management in hazardous industries the ability to reduce risk, optimise performance and drive continuous improvement across their global operations.

 

The biggest operational risk occurs when people interact with the plant. This interaction is the leading cause of HiPo’s, second leading cause of fatalities and a significant contributing factor in process safety incidents. Organisations typically have rigorous corporate processes for process safety, occupational safety and people management, with systems and data that provide indicators and close the assurance loop. However, when thousands of people interact with the plant every day to do repair or maintenance work, there are limited or no systems and often only paper based processes. This leaves a large gap in the assurance loop with no feedback on performance. In this critical area organisations can only judge performance after the event, ie with lagging indicators and audit.

 

Recognising this critical gap in operational assurance, Petrotechnics’ Proscient closes the loop in the riskiest part of operations. The system intelligently embeds corporate, regional and local policies and processes ensuring they are consistently delivered in frontline practice. This provides senior management with insight and oversight over their global frontline operations.

 

The system captures data as part of routine work processes such as type of work, volume of work, interaction of work and associated human factors. Common metrics can be established across operations to provide a common indicator of the operational risk associated with the work being performed. For the first time the organisation has a common means of understanding the relationship between delivering performance and operational risk. This data captured is then turned into meaningful insight providing clarity and confidence to improve decision making.

 

Phil Murray, Chief Executive Officer at Petrotechnics (pictured) said: "Our new product is designed to provide senior management with the tools to not only address the way operations are set up across the enterprise, but to ensure and vastly improve upon how the work is executed on a day-to-day basis while providing the means to measure performance. It is the ideal platform for organisations to further embed a culture of continuous improvement within their operations".

Prosafe has published the Annual Report for 2011. This year’s printed report includes the annual accounts and directors’ report for 2011. In order to present an up-to-date overview of the company, Prosafe has created a download centre on Prosafe’s website.

 

The download centre provides financial and analytical information and information about HSEQA, corporate governance, social responsibility and operations. This information will be updated whenever required throughout the year, and will thereby at all times be as updated and correct as possible.

 

The printed copy of the annual report together with the notice of the annual general meeting will be distributed to registered shareholders on Monday 30 April. The web version of the annual report can be found at:

GL Noble Denton, the global independent technical advisor to the oil and gas industry, will poll hundreds of industry professionals on issues affecting the Americas market during the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), 30 April - 3 May 2012.

 

The company will be conducting three Industry Snapshot Polls during the conference, one for each full day of the event. Conference attendees are invited to GL Noble Denton’s stand (2241-K) to take part in the poll, which will ask them to vote on three key issues:

 

• Will gas replace oil as America’s primary energy source by 2030?

• Should operators always be liable for exploration and production risks?

• Has US investment in deepwater R&D stalled since Macondo?

 

Participants will be invited to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to these questions each day, using their business cards as ballot slips. The results of each day’s question will be announced the following morning, before voting on a new issue begins. The poll will also be completed online by senior professionals from across the industry.

 

Pekka Paasivaara, member of the GL Executive Board said: "After a period of volatility, this year’s Offshore Technology Conference will demonstrate how quickly the American oil and gas industry is returning to growth and stability. But there are still a number of issues that are being debated by professionals across the industry that are key to the future success of the sector; particularly when it comes to innovation, risk and the growth of the unconventional gas market.

 

"In conducting these polls, GL Noble Denton is able to capture our clients’ expectations for the future progress of the sector. We’re looking forward to welcoming conference attendees to our stand to have their say".

 

Capula has been awarded a key contract to update the control system at Thames Water’s Ashford Water Treatment Works. The site supplies clean water resource to several hundred thousand customers across Thames Water’s network and is of a similar scale to their Walton site where Capula has delivered a number of PLC and SCADA upgrade projects.

 

Having identified a need to upgrade their site’s Power Management System in line with an increase in site capacity, Thames Water engaged Capula to replace the PLC and SCADA hardware and control functions. Capula’s scope of work will provide additional site monitoring, control and resilience, while a nine metre mosaic mimic panel will be installed for manual control of the generators and circuit breakers.

 

The PLC hardware will be upgraded from PLC5 to Rockwell ControlLogix and MicroLogix for the generator interfaces. The existing SCADA system will be upgraded to provide status information as well as the integration of a new dedicated SCADA system for the PMS based on the Wonderware System Platform. Work is set for commissioning in June 2012.

SGS has been entrusted by LANCO Group to provide independent inspection of equipment and material at vendor locations in Europe, the USA, Asia and the Middle East as well as to manage onsite quality control for the construction of its new gas power plant in Al-Anbar Province, Iraq. The AKAZ power plant boasts a capacity of 2x125MW and is estimated to require three years to complete.

 

One of India’s most outstanding companies, LANCO has been driving growth in the fields of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) as well as power, solar and natural resources and infrastructure for over twenty five years and is today uniquely positioned to take the lead in these areas. Starting on 27 March 2012 SGS will provide quality assurance and quality control services throughout the three-year agreement.

 

SGS is the world’s leader in testing, inspection, certification and verification guaranteeing clients superior specialist examination to ensure compulsory compliance with current regional, national and international standards and regulations. Comprehensive testing and inspection provided by SGS reduces risk and increases quality control during all phases of construction. Unparalleled certification services and verification methods practiced by SGS assist in securing required credentials recognised the world over. SGS expertise in quality assurance and quality control ensures that materials, products, machinery, equipment and industrial facilities have been manufactured compliant to required and contractual specifications as well as mandatory prerequisites and quality criteria.

 

SGS expert testing, inspection, certification and verification guarantees that these stringent directives are met. Modern technologies permit natural gas, the cleanest of the fossil fuels, to be increasingly implemented in generating clean electricity. The use of natural gas has many environmental benefits including the emission of less greenhouse and smog related gasses, positively affecting overall air quality. Due to its abundance, natural gas also offers a cost-efficient alternative to dirty, more expensive resources. Power plants fuelled by natural gas are therefore becoming the popular choice of today’s environmentally responsible and business savvy operators.

 

SGS meticulously inspects equipment and materials for mechanical defects or regulatory deficits at the manufacturer level as well as on site in order to prevent costly corrective actions during the construction phase or catastrophic shutdowns once the plant is in operation. Expertise in testing, inspection, certification and verification as only SGS can deliver is of paramount priority to maximise asset excellence and value. SGS is proud to have been chosen to assist LANCO in this prestigious endeavour.

Nessco technicians assemble telecoms systems in the Westhill workshop

 

Oil and gas telecommunications specialist Nessco Group has reported that turnover has almost doubled in the last year to over £33 million following a drive to grow international business.

 

The Aberdeenshire headquartered company which employs 140 people has reported the increase from £16.8 million to £33.1 million in its year end accounts for the period up to April 2012. Growth has been achieved in the UK Continental Shelf and much of the increase is down to a strong focus on developing business overseas.

 

Two significant contracts worth £7 million have been secured recently with major oil and gas operators for projects in Iraq which will involve project management, engineering, procurement, build, training and testing of telecoms systems. A team of engineers within the company’s Westhill headquarters and workshop are currently designing and assembling the integrated systems.

 

Ian McPherson, Managing Director of Nessco Group said: "We have experienced tremendous growth this year and our strategy for developing the business in target international regions has paid off with a significant rise in export contracts. We have invested in business development resources and increased staff numbers and expect to take on a further 20 people this year including engineers and technicians. The latest project wins in Iraq confirm our capability for delivering integrated telecoms solutions anywhere in the world".

 

The first project in Iraq will support a new offshore manifold and metering platform in Al-Basrah. Nessco is providing a full range of telecoms systems to keep the platform fully connected from satellite and meterological systems to CCTV, telephone and radio technology. The second project is for a large development in the Majnoon field in southern Iraq with the first stage including voice and data systems, internet, security and meterological technology.

 

Nessco designs, engineers and deploys integrated telecommunications networks, providing total solutions for platforms, process plants and pipeline installations. The company has also invested in upgrading its VSAT services (very-small-aperture terminal) and specialist support for UK operations.

Hydratight responds to the increasing world pressure for higher jointing standards with an enhanced version of its market-leading load calculation software, Informate, and a powerful, highly-flexible new joint managementsystem, iDMS.

 

New Informate ICE (Integrity Calculation Engine) - launched at OTC 2012 in Houston - builds on the success of the existing Informate software, while HydratightiDMS dramatically improves on the company’s world-leading JDMS management platform, offering far greater flexibility and new user-demanded features. This major upgrade of both systems comes in the light of increased recognition of the need for leak free bolted-joint performance, driven by tougher world safety standards.

 

Informate ICE has been re-engineered from the ground up. Available as a desktop application or cloud-based, Informate ICE can perform calculations on hundreds of joint combinations based on existing, new and emerging industry standards. Its advanced engine offers joint analysis based on application-specific parameters and worst-case conditions.

 

New iDMS greatly expands on the previous system by being configurable not just for the oil and gas industries but also for chemical, engineering, nuclear, construction and many other types of operations. Hydratight’s world-leading system is highly scalable, perfect for anything from 1000 to well over 100,000 joints. New, enhanced Informate ICE is also built into the iDMS system, to handle any necessary bolt load calculations in the same way as the stand-alone version.

 

"The forerunner of today’s system was built for a single asset in the North Sea," said Hydratight Joint Integrity Leader, Joe Gill. "But from there the software has been continuously developed, based on user feedback from assets and construction projects by major operators all over the world. Informate is the perfect tool for bolt load calculations in any industry where reliable joint performance is essential. Any company that needs to work on bolted joints will find Informate invaluable. And any company that needs to manage a plant with anything from 100 to 100,000 - or more - bolted joints needs iDMS to help ensure continued integrity and maintenance".

Photo RWE npower

 

Harnessing the wind is an efficient, reliable and sustainable way to supply clean energy for people living in the UK. Having played a pivotal role at Whitelee, Europe’s largest operational onshore wind farm, the UK’s leading mechanical and electrical contractor Balfour Beatty Engineering Services (BBES) has commenced work on the electrical infrastructure contract for the RWE npower renewables onshore wind farm located near the Northumberland-Durham border.

 

The 50 hectare site at Kiln Pit Hill near Unthank will feature six Enercon 2.3MW turbines which will be connected to NEDL’s 20kV distribution network. This new network will have an installed capacity to generate 13.8MW, enough to power around 6,200 homes. Working alongside principal contractor I & H Brown, BBES is providing the electrical infrastructure works including the substation and control building services, the supply and installation of switchgear and the installation of around 8000m of 20kV cabling and approximately 3000 metres of fibre optic cabling.

 

The Kiln Pit Hill wind farm site boundary encloses an area of approximately 0.5km² (50 hectares) which consists primarily of arable and grazing agricultural land. However the wind farm itself occupies a much smaller part of the area as the turbine bases and access roads occupy a small part of the overall area.

 

As part of the project, BBES is also responsible for the cable trenching to facilitate the cabling installation. "This is one of the biggest environmental challenges on the project as the arable land contains land drainage which crosses the areas where we install cable trenches," commented BBES Project Manager Barry Platts. "This drainage water has to be managed so as not to have an environmental impact on local streams and ditches with measures taken to prevent the escape of silts into these waterways".

 

To further minimise environmental impact of the scheme, and to meet requirments set by the RWE npower renewables appointed ecological clerk of works, BBES is also taking steps to prevent animal entrapment within the trenches by providing escape routes should any wildlife find their way in. The development of wind farms as a component of a sustainable energy supply strategy must go hand in hand with sensitive environmental design and planning. As part of its commitment to a more sustainable environment, BBES is striving to deliver projects that have minimal impacts on local residents and the surrounding countryside, as well as the wider environment.

 

BBES’ work at RWE npower renewables Kiln Pit Hill wind farm contract reinforces the company’s ability to deliver sustainable projects and reflects the company’s position as market leader in the delivery of renewable energy schemes in the UK. The project is due to be completed in 2012.

 

Balfour Beatty Engineering Services delivers unparalleled expert knowledge in mechanical and electrical engineering. As part of the Balfour Beatty Group and with revenues of £550 million and a workforce of 3,200 highly skilled and motivated people, they embrace the very latest technology to offer a unique blend of services from three specialist divisions: Building Services, Engineering Construction and Power, all supported by the resources of an international construction and engineering group.

Midland-ACS has announced that a wide range of its actuator control valve products have undergone third-party assessment to the IEC 61508 functional safety standard, and are now certified to support SIL (safety integrity level) 3 capability.

 

Control valves with this high level of safety integrity are increasingly being specified by process industries to protect personnel and plant, by ensuring fail-safe operation of critical functions such as emergency shutdown. By using SIL3 capable stainless steel valves and actuation controls, designers of safety instrumented systems are able to more easily comply with the risk reduction requirements of the IEC 61508 and 61511 technical safety standards.

 

As part of the process of attaining IEC 61508 certification, Midland-ACS worked closely with the conformity assessment solutions specialist SIRA. "The certification process is all-embracing," said James Kingham of Midland-ACS. "The first part involved analysing each valve to component level, evaluating the risk, mode and consequences of failure. The second part comprised a comprehensive audit of company processes, including our engineering, production, quality assurance and sales operations. Obtaining SIL3 capability certification for such a broad range of products is a considerable accolade for Midland-ACS, and we are already submitting low service temperature poppet and spool valves, along with further hydraulic products, for assessment".

 

The first tranche of products to receive SIL3 capability status include direct-acting solenoid and pilot operated poppet valves, pilot operated spool valves, and a number of pilot operated and direct-acting solenoid hydraulic valves for use in ballast control systems. The introduction of such a diverse range of SIL3 capable products provides designers of pneumatic and hydraulic actuation systems with significant configuration flexibility.

 

All variants of Midland-ACS’ 70 Series direct-acting solenoid 3/2 poppet valves are now certified in accordance with IEC 61508 to have SIL3 support capability. Offering a choice of 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 inch ports, these valves are designed primarily for actuator control using pneumatic or low-pressure hydraulic media. Two types of solenoid are available, certified to protection classes EExd IIC T6 and T4.

 

A number of 3/2 body ported poppet valves from Midland-ACS’ 1750 Series now support SIL3 capability. These compact pilot air operated valves feature large flow paths to minimise pressure drop. Certified models include standard temperature service (-20 to 180 degrees Celsius) valves with Viton seals, spanning port sizes from 1/4 to 1-1/2 inches, as well as 2 and 3 inch port size valves with Nitrile seals. The standard temperature service versions of pilot operated 3/2 spool valves from Midland-ACS’ 1500 and 1600 Series also now support SIL3 capability. These Viton-sealed valves offer a choice of 1/4 and 1/2 inch port sizes.

 

Many Midland-ACS hydraulic valve products for ballast control systems are also now certified for SIL3 capability. These include the DN5, DN10 and DN15 Series pilot-operated valves, as well as the DN3 Series direct-acting solenoid valves. All these designs feature an integral balanced piloting system that enables the low-powered solenoid to switch the valve at high pressures. The DN5, 10 and 15 Series products have metal-to-metal seats, while the DN3 Series employs a ceramic ball and a stainless steel seat. The SIL3 capable version of the DN3 offers a stay-put manual override facility, and is available certified for protection classes ExD IIC T6 and T5.

 

All Midland-ACS products certified to SIL3 capability are supplied complete with copies of the Sira certification, which contains all the information that engineers and designers need to calculate the safety integrity level of the complete system, based on its component parts.

Foster Wheeler AG has announced that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group has been awarded a contract by PT Pertamina (Persero), the national oil company of the Republic of Indonesia, to provide project management consultancy services for the Residue Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC) project at the Cilacap refinery, on the island of Java, Indonesia. Foster Wheeler will manage the engineering, procurement and construction contractor on behalf of Pertamina.

 

The RFCC project is intended to build a 62,000 barrels per day RCC complex, which includes a RFCC, a new LPG Merox^TM unit (Merox is a trademark of UOP LLC), and propylene recovery and gasoline hydrotreating units. The addition of an RFCC unit should enable the refinery to increase fuel production, especially fuel-air high-octane fuels intended to meet European Union EURO IV quality specifications. Production of liquid petroleum gases is also expected to be increased by 350,000 tons per annum (TPA), and the refinery also plans to produce in excess of 140,000TPA of propylene. The upgrade is expected to be completed in 2014.

 

"Key to winning this contract was our ability to manage the project from our newly-established operations in Jakarta, Indonesia, as well as our proven project management capability and our leading technical expertise in all areas of refining," said Umberto della Sala, Chief Operating Officer, Foster Wheeler AG.

Prosafe Regalia

 

Rig utilisation in the first quarter of 2012 was 83.3%. Regalia, Safe Scandinavia, Safe Caledonia, Safe Concordia, Safe Lancia, Jasminia, Safe Hibernia, Safe Britannia, Safe Regency and Safe Bristolia have been fully utilised in the first quarter.

 

The dayrate for Safe Concordia is subject to monthly adjustments based on currency exchange movements. In the first quarter, the average effective dayrate was US$144,500.

 

Safe Astoria remained at the yard throughout the first quarter, preparing for operations in Australia scheduled to commence in late May. Operating expenses for the rig amounted to US$5.5 million in the quarter. This is considerably higher than in normal operations due to expenses relating to the contract preparations and a more intensive maintenance scheme while the rig is at the yard. Safe Esbjerg was idle in the first quarter.

 

For more details on dayrates and operating cost, please refer to the table on Prosafe’s website:

SGS has announced the success of its ‘Asset Integrity Management (AIM) Awareness’ seminar, held at the Carlton Hotel in Karachi, Pakistan on 7 March 2012. Conducted by Muhammed Aqeel, Operations Manager at SGS Pakistan, the seminar ran from 9am to 1:30pm and was well received by delegates.

 

The seminar highlighted asset integrity management (AIM) services offered by SGS to increase awareness of risk based inspections, inspection data management systems and mechanical integrity management systems in the oil, gas, petrochemical, fertilizer, power plant and refinery industrial sectors. The seminar also provided an excellent platform for owners, operators and users to pool ideas and experience of asset management.

 

Focusing on asset integrity management solutions, the seminar detailed the key concept of AIM - to maximise productivity and industrial facilities and equipment must be subject to regular maintenance. SGS asset integrity management services can provide maintenance for industrial assets in order to ensure reliability, productivity and safety in an asset integrity management programme tailor-made to suit client needs, helping to reduce risk and fulfil regulatory compliance. With SGS’ global reach, experienced staff and resources are available around the globe to aid clients to meet their inspection, engineering, data management and safety goals. AIM is specially designed by SGS to maintain the integrity of the asset in a fit-for-service condition, with an effective asset management programme in place in order to ensure reliability, technical integrity, safety and regulatory compliance.

 

The seminar provided a presentation on asset integrity management followed by a demonstration of the asset management software used by the SGS team for AIM services. By the end of the seminar, the audience were thoroughly briefed on the optimisation of inspection intervals and the significance of turn-around time. Participants were also able to appreciate the use of the asset management programme in the maintenance of asset reliability, technical integrity, safety and regulatory compliance. They were also able to understand that an asset integrity management service not only maintains the asset and ensure its fitness for service; in addition it assures safety and compliance with all relevant regulations.

 

AIM can help business managers and owners maintain assets through the use of an asset performance management system (APM), which will increase efficiency in maintaining, tracking, scheduling and monitoring actions relevant to asset integrity. Asset performance management systems can only enhance business productivity through increased efficiency in asset integrity and operations and the seminar held by SGS in Karachi was able to successfully demonstrate this.

BG Group has announced its fourth Tanzanian gas discovery from the Jodari-1 exploration well located in Block 1 offshore southern Tanzania. Preliminary evaluation of the well results indicates gross recoverable resources are in the range of 2.5 to 4.4 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas.

 

The partnership of BG Group (60% and operator) and Ophir Energy plc (40%) have had exploration successes in all four wells so far drilled in Tanzania, with mean total gross recoverable resources currently estimated to be approaching some 7tcf of gas.

 

Jodari-1 is located approximately 39 kilometres offshore southern Tanzania and in a water depth of 1150 metres. It is part of the current three-to-four well exploration programme, which also includes the acquisition of 2,500 square kilometres of 3D seismic data in Block 1.

 

The next target for drilling is the Mzia-1 location in Block 1, some 23 kilometres to the north of Jodari-1. The discoveries announced previously are Chaza-1 in Block 1, and the Chewa-1 and Pweza-1 discoveries in Block 4.

Today Fluor Corporation marked the 100th anniversary of the company’s founding in 1912. In the 1880s, John Simon Fluor Sr emigrated from Switzerland and came to the United States as a young man to pursue a dream. 100 years later, Fluor encompasses some 45,000 employees executing tough, complex and challenging projects on six continents.

 

"I doubt when Si Fluor came to this country all those years ago that he had any inkling of what his dream would become," said David Seaton, Fluor’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "When he came to the US, he was equipped only with the skilled hands of a guild trained craftsman, his know how and a passion to build. He used all of those traits to forge his new venture.

 

"Today, Fluor’s global workforce is proud to partner with many of the world’s best known and largest industrial enterprises helping them realise their capital projects that increase the quality of life and living standards," continued Seaton. "While the tools we use and the projects we execute have changed considerably over the last ten decades, the passion to build of our employees has only increased".

 

As part of the 100th anniversary celebration, Fluor held a global employee event over the weekend at 14 locations around the globe. This event was satellite broadcast on Saturday 21 April, from the Morton H Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, Texas, to locations on six continents. The one night event brought together approximately 20,000 employees, the most ever in the company’s history.

 

This weekend’s kickoff event was celebrated simultaneously with North America office personnel from Dallas; Southern California; Greenville, SC; Houston; Vancouver and Calgary. Europe-based offices from Farnborough, England and Haarlem, Netherlands participated as well as employees in Johannesburg, South Africa; Perth, Australia; Santiago, Chile; New Delhi, India; Manila, Philippines and Shanghai, China.

In its continuous efforts to improve service, joint integrity specialist Hydratight has announced the appointment of a global operations and supply chain leader. Vincent Parmentier joined the company in January and will assume direct responsibility for all three global regions, and work closely with the regional business leaders. His role will be to oversee and create global standards, key performance indicators, and evaluate system to deliver one global standard.

 

"Hydratight has a formidable reputation, but we are never complacent," said Vincent. "We continue to strive for excellence. My job will be to ensure our customers receive the quality and reliability they have come to expect of our products - and where possible even implement improvements". Vincent has extensive experience in the marine industry, quality assurance, manufacturing and health and safety. He joins Hydratight from Solar Turbines, where he was overhaul operations manager and later as Six Sigma certified master black belt in its EMEA region. Vincent, who is Belgian, has three Master of Science degrees, an MBA and speaks French, Dutch and English.

 

Other recent appointments include a new global bolting product manager and new area manager for Qatar. Chad Brooks became global product manager for Hydratight’s bolting products - both tensioners and torque wrenches. In his new role Chad will be developing and implementing a growth plan to improve market share. "My initial priority is to develop new products to take Hydratight forward and set us apart from our competition," Chad explained. "My aim is to increase product sales and rentals across all regions by offering support services such as internal training. It’s an exciting prospect and I relish the challenge ahead". He has been with Hydratight since 2007 in a key account manager role. Before joining Hydratight, Chad worked at Puffer Sweiven and at Cameron in technical sales roles.

 

Alain Bittinger joins Hydratight as Qatar area manager. Alain has a background in international sales and market as well as a degree in mechanics. Prior to joining Hydratight he was managing director of Middle East operations for Hamilton Sundstrand Industrial.

AVEVA has announced the release of the completely new AVEVA Electrical software application, a feature rich design solution for electrical engineers and designers in the plant environment. Pre-release customer testing has demonstrated man-hour savings of up to 30% when compared to traditional design applications. It is quick and easy to deploy and has a very open interface, allowing it to be used with design applications from other vendors or as part of AVEVA’s Integrated Engineering & Design approach.

 

"Electrical & Instrumentation represents 60% of the maintainable items on a plant facility and the data is accessed by operations and maintenance more often than other disciplines," said Bruce Douglas, Senior VP Marketing & Product Strategy, AVEVA. "AVEVA Electrical can be used both on new projects and also on brownfield activities where the integration of legacy data is critical. We have worked with numerous customers to ensure that AVEVA Electrical does exactly what they need from design to plant operations. Because of its advanced graphical user interface and sophisticated design rules, we believe that AVEVA Electrical will quickly become the preferred choice for all sizes of plant projects".

 

"The open nature of AVEVA Electrical means it can interface with both AVEVA and third-party design, document management and material control systems," added Dave Wheeldon, Chief Technology Officer, AVEVA. "As part of our integrated engineering and design approach, this product enables electrical engineers to collaborate fully across inter-discipline design anywhere in the world. The automated deliverables generated by AVEVA Electrical are completely consistent and accurate which can dramatically improve productivity and shorten ROI". To learn more visit:

Photo Ole Jørgen Bratland/Statoil

Statoil intends to establish a new operational area on the Norwegian continental shelf, which will be based in Harstad with start-up in the first half of 2013. Statoil is setting up a separate operational area in Northern Norway due to the considerable increase in activities taking place off the three northernmost counties in Norway.

 

"This will boost our presence in Northern Norway and help ensure added value from the Northern fields in the future. Ever since the merger in 2007, and the setting up of Operations North in Stjørdal, we have expressed our intention of establishing a new operational area in the North when activities and materiality justified such an industrial decision - and we are now seeing that level of activity," said Statoil CEO Helge Lund.

 

Lund adds that there are also expectations of further activities in Northern Norway, owing to the increase in exploration in newly opened acreage, and in areas expected to be made available to the petroleum industry; initially the Barents Sea, and subsequently areas in the north-eastern Norwegian Sea.

Alderley, the market leader in liquid and gas metering and produced water treatment packages, will be exhibiting at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas at the Reliant Center at the end of April 2012.

 

Having recently announced their ongoing growth and success by securing orders in excess of US$$35 million in the first quarter of 2012, Alderley will be demonstrating its capability in the oil and gas industry through a range of projects secured around the globe. These include fiscal metering systems, proving systems, sampling, metering control, deoiling hydroclyclones, bespoke hydraulic solutions and specialist engineering support services.

 

Eric Maddock, Group Business Development Director said: "We are looking forward to attending OTC not only to demonstrate our range of capabilities in the oil and gas industry but in particular to highlight how Alderley has set the standard for custody transfer metering of LNG and other low temperature liquids around the world".

 

 

Hughes Safety Showers of Bredbury, Stockport has been awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2012 - Continuous Achievement, one of the most prestigious awards made to British companies. It specifically recognises continuous achievement over six years from 2005 to 2010. During this period, the company’s overseas sales grew by more than 200%.

 

The announcement is traditionally made on the Queen’s birthday April 21 and only a handful of companies are honoured in this way each year. Later in the year the Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester will visit the company’s Stockport manufacturing headquarters and formally confer the award with a Grant of Appointment. This is the second time Hughes has won a Queen’s Award. Previously, in 2006, the award was for Outstanding Achievement, again in exporting.

 

Hughes Safety Showers is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of industrial emergency safety showers and eyebaths and its products are used throughout industry for essential first aid in the event of an accident. Using equipment supplied by Hughes, casualties can quickly wash off chemical spills or other potentially harmful contaminants avoiding the risk of serious injury.

 

"Sustained growth in such challenging times is quite an achievement," said Tony Hughes. "Exports account for a large part of our business and will continue to grow as we extend our reach to previously untapped markets. The appointment of a distributor in Australasia in 2010 has significantly strengthened our position in the Asia Pacific region and we are actively developing business opportunities in South America. To meet the growth in business and ensure adequate capacity in the future we have opened a second factory in Stockport adding an extra 35,000 square feet of production space, office accommodation and training facilities".

 

Hughes North America is now well established and making an important and growing contribution to the company’s global sales. The opening of an additional sales office in Houston, Texas is providing support to the growing customer base across the country. It also provides an operational base for the business development manager who has recruited a network of specialist distributors across the US. Hughes Middle East has increased the size of its operation in the United Arab Emirates with additional warehousing, workshops and assembly facilities. These are backed up by additional staff who are providing after sales service to customers throughout the region. The company’s Germany subsidiary, Hughes Notduschen GmbH, continues to play a pivotal role in expanding the European business.

 

"Our global distributor network has played a vital role in growing the international business. Their local knowledge is immensely important and helps to forge closer links with customers," said Tony Hughes. "The success we’ve achieved across quite different markets around the world is down to understanding local needs and developing the sort of products that meet their specific requirements. For cold climates, that includes developing heated cubicle showers for use in sub-zero conditions. At the other extreme, we’ve built showers with integral chillers to maintain a safe water temperature when used in desert regions". Hughes also supplies a wide range of decontamination systems to the military, fire service, ambulance and civil defence organisations.

 

The company has pioneered the development of compact, lightweight portable showers for decontaminating emergency services personnel and large transportable systems for the mass decontamination of the general public. The introduction of a versatile, rigid framed shelter with a choice of inner modules has attracted interest from a wide range of organisations including emergency services, police, forensic units and disaster relief agencies. Recent developments include products for decontamination and disinfection. They utilise self-sanitising technology applied with an ultrasonic atomizer and have particular applications within the NHS.

 

"We will continue to strive for commercial success by listening to our customers and offering tailor made designs," concluded Tony Hughes. "Our new control valve is a perfect example, providing a stronger and more cost effective solution for what is the most critical part of a modern emergency safety shower. As an Investors in People Gold Award holder, we understand the importance of having the right people. We aim to inspire our employees through training and career development which in turn will ensure we are well equipped to meet the challenges of the future and continue to grow the business. The Queen’s Award is not only recognition of their efforts but undoubtedly provides the inspiration and motivation to keep up the good work".

AVEVA has announced the release of a new business paper entitled ‘Sustainable Energy Management - Putting Information Assets to work in the process industries’. The principal author, Sloane Whiteley, a consultant with AVEVA’s Global Business Consulting team will present the paper at two major international conferences - Power Gen India 19 - 21 April, New Delhi, India and the Congress on Water, Climate and Energy, 13 - 18 May, Dublin.

 

"This new business paper outlines the challenges facing process plant operators in implementing effective Energy Management strategies," said Paul Halpin, Vice President - Global Business Consulting, AVEVA. "It describes how these challenges may be overcome through the use of currently available Information Management technologies supported by a comprehensive, Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)".

 

The AVEVA paper demonstrates that this should not be a short-term initiative with limited objectives, but part of a larger effective Energy Management strategy. This in turn, plays a key role in implementing a comprehensive Operations Integrity Management (OIM) initiative to deliver enterprise-wide business benefits. This type of strategy naturally leads to more extensive and sustained optimisation of all aspects of asset operation.

 

AVEVA Global Business Consulting applies AVEVA’s considerable technology expertise in advising clients on a wide range of issues where business performance relates to the use of digital information. To download AVEVA’s paper on Sustainable Energy Management visit:

Kier has won five new contracts valued at almost £4m to design and install solar panels for local authorities and housing associations across the UK. Ranging from Devon to Greater Manchester, the projects will help clients to cut their carbon footprint and save on energy bills. Kier’s energy solutions specialists, who are carrying out the work, will also be offering advice and guidance to help local authorities and social housing tenants become more energy efficient.

 

The company works with a wide range of clients, dealing with all aspects of sustainability to devise and deliver creative ways to address the carbon and energy efficiency agenda. Its team of specialists handle everything from conducting energy assessments to the design, installation and ongoing maintenance of the technological interventions to produce more sustainable energy in the UK. The biggest of Kier’s recent wins is a three-month contract with Cottsway Housing Association, worth £2.5m, to install PV panels onto 500 properties.

 

Managing Director of Kier’s energy solutions business, Nigel Sheppard, said more and more businesses and public sector companies were switching to renewable energy technology and energy efficiency measures: "The Government’s energy efficiency initiatives have presented organisations with an opportunity to improve their environmental credentials in a financially viable way. The installation of PV panels is just one way businesses can reduce their energy bills, which when multiplied by the number of properties they have on their books, adds up to significant savings. The concentration of new contract wins reflects this situation and we’re delighted to be working with our new partners.

 

"The sector to implement energy efficiency measures on existing building stock is expanding rapidly with some really exciting new developments coming to the market. As energy prices continue to rise, businesses are looking for ways to save money on their operating costs and increasingly renewable energy is one area to provide the solution".

Jim Milne is "enormously satisfied but not complacent"

 

Balmoral Offshore Engineering, a division of Balmoral Comtec Ltd, has been presented with the UK Queen’s Award for Enterprise. It is the second time the company has won the International Trade award, the first success coming in 2010. Established only in 2006, Balmoral Offshore Engineering provides technology-led buoyancy, insulation and elastomer products for the global subsea and deepwater oil and gas industry.

 

The company’s overseas earnings growth over the last three years has been an outstanding 202%. Export sales account for 95% of turnover which is three times that of the industry average. Balmoral has seen considerable success as a result of its strategic development of the deepwater markets offshore West Africa, the Gulf of Mexico, Asia Pacific and Brazil.

 

Along with record profits, the company has doubled its workforce over the last three years and is committed to supporting its local community by contributing extensively through its CSR activities. Led by Balmoral’s Chairman and Managing Director Jim Milne CBE, Balmoral Group overall currently employs approximately 360 people.

 

Mr Milne said: "To receive a second Queen’s Award in such a short period of time is enormously satisfying. This honour recognises the huge effort everyone involved at Balmoral Offshore Engineering has made over the past six years. To come from a standing start and achieve what we have is nothing short of remarkable.

 

"We are not complacent, however, and recognise that we still have a lot of work to do. We are excited at the prospect of our new manufacturing facility in Brazil coming on stream in the first quarter of 2013 which will help us develop our presence in the South American market considerably.

 

"We also continue to invest in our R+D programme, our manufacturing plant and, most importantly, our people. Without such a dedicated team we would not be able to sustain our industry-leading performance".

 

Balmoral Group was also recently named as one of Britain’s top 100 private companies achieving 20th place in the Sunday Times PwC Profit Track 100 listing. (Published 15 April 2012).

Intergraph® has released SmartPlant® FreeView™, a free .VUE viewer that allows users to display and navigate Intergraph 3D models and view associated plant properties.

 

SmartPlant FreeView will open any Intergraph SmartPlant 3D and SmartMarine® 3D projects published as a .VUE file. A user then may walk through the plant, ship or offshore model and select any object in the view to see its associated plant properties via the MDB2 package. Intergraph’s SmartPlant Review Publisher can convert and combine SmartPlant 3D and SmartMarine 3D, as well as other project types, into .VUE and MDB2 formats for viewing with SmartPlant FreeView or Intergraph’s full-capability visualisation solution, SmartPlant Review.

 

The free .VUE viewer has a complete set of on-screen navigation controls for easy use, allowing even the most casual user to walk through complex 3D models with no training. Keyboard navigation is equally simple. An orientation axis is displayed in the view to help the user maintain direction. SmartPlant FreeView also has a surface measure command to display accurate distances between objects.

 

Vlad Savulian, Engineering Systems Lead for AMEC Natural Resources and one of the many industry experts who worked with Intergraph on the requirements for a free .VUE viewer, said access to SmartPlant FreeView will benefit companies of all sizes, especially those collaborating on mega-projects.

 

"On the oil sands projects in Canada, AMEC works with a large number of clients, partners and subcontractors who could benefit from viewing the 3D model. With SmartPlant FreeView, they will be able to easily navigate the plant model, view properties, make comments on what they see or ask questions about what they don’t understand. With the introduction of SmartPlant FreeView, we will be able to extend model review capabilities to a much broader audience".

 

Gerhard Sallinger, Intergraph Process, Power & Marine President, agreed: "SmartPlant FreeView enables our customers and their suppliers to increase productivity and competiveness without increasing costs. The use of SmartPlant 3D and SmartMarine 3D has doubled in the last two years. With that tremendous growth comes the need for a variety of users, including design, engineering, construction, operations and maintenance, to view these complex 3D models.

 

"Now, for example, an engineering company can provide a 3D model to a potential subcontractor who can use SmartPlant FreeView for a preliminary review and bid based on the actual model rather than a collection of drawings - without having to purchase viewing software. Then once the work is awarded, the subcontractor can upgrade to SmartPlant Review for more in-depth review and analysis capabilities". To learn more about SmartPlant FreeView or to install it for free, visit:

Pipeline isolation specialist, STATS Group, has appointed two new directors as it gears up for major international expansion following a £7.8 million equity investment. Former Expro executive chairman, Graeme Coutts, takes on a non-executive role in what is his first appointment since retiring from the global oilfield services company last year.

 

In a 21 year career with Expro, Mr Coutts held senior roles, including president western hemisphere and chief executive officer, during which time the company was established as a world leader in well flow technologies, employing 5000 people in 50 countries.

 

Leigh Howarth, former managing director of Petrofac Training Services, has joined the STATS Group board as chief financial officer. In a 20 year career in the oil and gas industry, Mr Howarth’s roles have also included group finance director for Atlantic Power & Gas and he recently worked for exploration company EnQuest, guiding the company through its IPO on the London Stock Exchange.

 

Both directors were introduced to STATS by the Business Growth Fund (BGF), which recently acquired an £7.8 million equity stake in the Aberdeenshire-based company. BGF was established to help the UK’s fast-growing smaller and medium sized businesses and the STATS investment marked the fund’s entry to the oil and gas industry.

 

STATS Group Chief Executive Officer Pete Duguid said: "The calibre of both Graeme and Leigh is outstanding and their appointment is a statement of clear intent that our business is embarking on an exciting new stage of development. Our patented tools and engineering skills are in widespread demand and both Graeme and Leigh’s extensive international experience will be instrumental in ensuring STATS achieves its full potential and captures a significant slice of the global pipeline isolation and integrity market".

 

Graeme Coutts revealed he had refused a number of offers to take up executive appointments since his retirement. He said: "I have had numerous approaches asking me to get involved in a variety of businesses but my criteria was very clear. I want to support local entrepreneurs who stand out from the crowd and will benefit from my experience. STATS Group fits that criteria perfectly and I am looking forward to working with Pete Duguid and his team as we take the company to new heights".

 

Leigh Howarth added: "Having worked with large international businesses I believe I bring a range of skills and a depth of experience which will benefit STATS as it seeks to consolidate its excellent reputation and to convert that in to international success. With the ongoing support of BGF, we have the financial resources to fast-track development of our product portfolio and to establish a global infrastructure which will deliver ambitious but achievable results in the years ahead".

 

STATS Group designs, manufactures, installs and deploys a range of pipeline isolation tools which can make significant savings for oil and gas producers by limiting downtime in event of the need to isolate or shutdown a pipeline. Based in Kintore, near Aberdeen, the company employs 130 people in the UK, Canada, Middle East and Asia Pacific regions. Revenues of £14 million in 2011 are expected to grow by more than 75% in 2012 to around £25 million.

AVEVA has announced that Conmore Ingenjörsbyrå AB has selected AVEVA PDMS as its primary 3D engineering design application. Having traditionally focused on the automobile industry, Conmore is branching into engineering design for the energy and process industries and it has standardised on PDMS for this strategic business expansion.

 

"AVEVA PDMS is the most widely used and comprehensive 3D engineering design solution in Sweden," said Anders Svensson, Conmore. "This was very important in our selection, not least because we have immediate access to a highly skilled pool of design engineers with experience in PDMS. This availability to experienced talent will assist our recruitment as we push into more markets. We are developing new projects in the process and energy industries and with AVEVA’s technology expertise it is the obvious choice as our software partner".

 

"Conmore is entering a new industry and we are delighted that they have selected PDMS," commented Helmut Schüller, Senior Vice President - Central and North EMEA, AVEVA. "They will quickly achieve the benefits that PDMS can bring to their business such as high productivity, right first time design and minimum site rework which will lead to reduced schedule times. With this new investment in PDMS, Conmore is now well positioned to take advantage of the entire AVEVA Plant portfolio of integrated engineering and design applications".

 

AVEVA PDMS 3D design software is part of the AVEVA Plant portfolio, delivering maximum design productivity and capability on all types of plant projects, from small upgrades to major new builds. Conmore Ingenjörsbyrå AB is an experienced supplier of engineering services and is growing within the automotive, process and energy industries. Conmore has 85 employees and over 20 years experience in large projects in the automotive industry. For further information visit:

Hydrasun, the leading specialist provider of integrated fluid transfer, power and control solutions to the global energy market, has concluded three framework agreements worth a total of £3.5 million per year to the company. The recent agreements, for work in the North Sea and internationally, are with several companies including GE Oil & Gas, Vetco Gray and Expro.

 

GE Oil & Gas has selected Hydrasun as a technical partner to supply a range of low, medium and high pressure small bore tubing and hydraulic fitting products to support their xmas tree build programme, initially for one year with options to extend. Another framework agreement, which is for one year with options to extend, involves supplying Expro with a wide range of hose assemblies, fluid connector products and low, medium and high pressure instrumentation products to support the manufacture of its subsea landing strings and its ground-breaking AX-S project.

 

The third agreement, which is with a major oilfield services company, is for three years. It involves the provision of a comprehensive portfolio of hose assemblies, fluid connector components and instrumentation product lines, as well as rapid response support services including field technicians and mobile van services.

 

Aberdeen-based Hydrasun has built a reputation for excellence through the provision of bespoke fluid transfer, power and control solutions to the energy, petrochemical, marine and utilities industries worldwide since it was established in 1976. The company has continuously developed its capabilities to offer clients a range of topside and subsea products, services and integrated solutions.

 

Bob Drummond, Chief Executive of Hydrasun said: "All three frame agreements are with existing customers which is a fantastic endorsement of the quality of product and level of service we provide". Hydrasun currently exports to over 50 countries and has international operational bases established in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Brazil and The Netherlands as well as a further presence in West Africa, the US Gulf of Mexico and the Middle East. Hydrasun has grown to have nearly 600 employees, the majority of which are based in the UK.

Imtech Marine, the leading company in the global maritime market, operating as full-service provider and system integrator of technology solutions, has announced the opening of a new office in Aberdeen. This new location in the Imtech Marine network will open officially on 25 April and will provide services to international and locally based vessels and platform operators, such as electrical engineering support and emergency call out services. In the UK, Imtech Marine has offices in Newcastle, Glasgow and Aberdeen. The opening of the Aberdeen office brings Imtech Marine’s total number of service and outfitting centres to 89 worldwide.

 

Tom Simpson, Managing Director of Imtech Marine UK Ltd said: "Imtech Marine is expanding its involvement in the offshore industry by launching a new Aberdeen office to provide vessel and platform operators with a wider choice of services both in port as well as on the spot. We are in a unique position to provide services that are independent and multicard. Vessel owners and operators can rely on rapid, efficient response and the security of on-going, cost-effective support".

 

The newly opened office will be a base for a team of engineers offering in-house and on-site engineering support for dry docking, new builds and conversions. In addition to providing services on a project only basis, Imtech Marine will offer Managed Services Agreements which cover both preventive and breakdown maintenance. This is in line with the strategy of Imtech Marine to offer life cycle management partnership, aiming to help ship owners reduce the total cost of ownership.

 

Imtech Marine UK offers a broad range of solutions, ranging from electrical and HVAC systems, power management (from generation to distribution), alarm and monitoring, electrical propulsion, dynamic positioning and navigation and communications systems. Being a full service provider, Imtech Marine takes care of custom design, engineering, system integration, installing and commissioning for all types of vessels and offshore platforms.

Siemens has received an order for the supply of two complete power packages for Statoil’s two new semi-submersible drilling units - Cat D. Purchaser is Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co Ltd (DSME), one of the world’s largest shipbuilders headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. The end customer is Songa Rig AS, the Norwegian branch of the drilling contractor Songa Offshore SE. The rigs will start their assignments for the operator Statoil in mid-water operations on the Norwegian Continental Shelf in 2014.

 

These new drilling units for Songa Rig are specially designed for Statoil for production and development drilling in fields with water depths between 100 and 500 metres, and are capable of drilling to depths of 8500 metres below the sea floor. The Siemens scope of supply for these semi-submersible units consists of electric generators, medium and low-voltage switchgear and MCC (motor control centre), distribution transformers as well as complete drilling drive line-up with cooling and braking resistor skids, thruster drives and motors and uninterruptible power systems. The system will be designed according to the latest rules and regulations for operating on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

 

"Siemens was involved in the early stage design of the Cat D drilling units. As a result of this involvement, we’ve been able to meet the stringent requirements and supply a complete integrated solution for these mobile offshore drilling units," said Adil Toubia, CEO of the Oil & Gas Division of Siemens Energy. "We’re providing a uniform, seamless solution for our customer. This will enable the units to operate smoothly and achieve high operational efficiency and reliability while maximising the operational uptime". Siemens also received orders for power solutions with a similar scope for a total of six drilling ships from DSME in the spring of 2011.

• £75 million of shares purchased under £400 million share buyback programme.

 

AMEC Chief Executive Samir Brikho said: "AMEC has performed in line with expectations in the first three months of the year. We continue to see healthy demand for our services and investment in our end markets - underpinned by the positive industry trends, particularly in the oil and gas and mining sectors. We are confident that this will support double-digit underlying revenue growth in 2012. The acquisitions made in 2011 are integrating well and the pipeline of further acquisition opportunities remains strong".

 

The priority for 2012 remains to grow the business by continuing to deliver for customers whilst investing in AMEC’s people. AMEC is on track to deliver double-digit underlying revenue growth in 2012, despite the continued macro economic uncertainty. The strength of order intake, the continued demand for AMEC’s services and the ongoing customer investment in AMEC’s core markets are driving growth expectations.

Statoil’s operations in North America got another boost when operator Anadarko Petroleum and co-owners Shell and Chevron announced the beginning of first production from the Caesar Tonga deep-water project in the Gulf of Mexico. Caesar Tonga, in which Statoil Gulf of Mexico LLC has a 23.55% working interest, began flowing high-quality oil on 7 March.

 

Production from the project’s first three wells is expected to ramp up to approximately 45,000 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) per day. A fourth development well is expected to be drilled and completed later this year as part of the planned phase one development. Caesar Tonga has an estimated resource base of 200 to 400 million BOE.

 

"Caesar Tonga fits well with our strategy to significantly grow Gulf of Mexico production over the next several years," said Statoil’s Jason Nye, Senior Vice President, US Offshore, Development and Production North America. "And it’s a great example of using existing infrastructure in the deep-water Gulf to achieve cost savings. The project teams worked well together on this".

 

Caesar Tonga is developed as a subsea tieback to Anadarko Petroleum’s Constitution spar floating production facility in about 5000 feet of water in Green Canyon Block 680 as a host. In 2009, Anadarko began making modifications to the Constitution’s topsides to accommodate production from Caesar Tonga, about 10 miles to the east. Caesar Tonga also included the first application of steel lazy wave riser technology in the Gulf of Mexico.

 

Co-owners in the project are: Anadarko, with 33.75% working interest; Shell Offshore Inc, 22.45%; and Chevron USA Inc, 20.25%.

A group of European oil and gas industry leaders have expressed heightened confidence in the development of the sector this year, following an impressive start to 2012. However, executives said that success will rely on more than the high price of oil, growth in energy demand or even a recovery in economic conditions.

 

The comments were made at an exclusive roundtable event held recently in London by GL Noble Denton, an independent technical advisor to the industry. The discussions follow the publication of ‘Big Spenders: The outlook for the oil and gas industry in 2012’, the second Economist Intelligence Unit report commissioned by GL Noble Denton, which sets the scene for a year of increased investment, according to a survey of more than 180 senior energy executives across the world at the end of 2011.

 

According to the discussions at the GL Noble Denton roundtable event, oil and gas sector leaders’ confidence in increased investment has continued to grow during the first quarter of this year, thanks to the improved prospects for global economic growth. However, Economist Intelligence Unit Senior Editor Chris Webber warned that a potential further rise in the sector’s confidence might be overshadowed by the risk of ‘black swan’ events such as political conflicts, and major oil and gas accidents.

 

Peter Russell-Smith, Executive Vice President Business Development and General Manager of GL Noble Denton, said: "The first few months of this year have revealed that the executives surveyed for Big Spenders were right to forecast improved performance for the oil and gas industry in 2012. But the industry leaders who attended our event in London have clearly articulated that the sector has not overcome all of its hurdles yet. The discussions that took place have given us a real insight into the opportunities and pitfalls that our clients expect to face during the remainder of the year and beyond.

 

"It is clear that, alongside the oil and gas industry’s confidence for the future, there is an element of uncertainty over a wide range of issues. Whether the challenge is the success of production, the unpredictable nature of energy prices, or an impending shortage of the skilled professionals needed to meet the world’s growing demands for oil and gas, GL Noble Denton stands ready to provide our clients with the essential technical advice that will help them to grow in testing conditions".

 

The GL Noble Denton roundtable event was the first in a series of executive briefings organised in key energy centres across the world. They are designed as a means to gain a deeper understanding of the issues that affect the industry from those who lead it. Download the full GL Noble Denton sponsored report ‘Big Spenders’ at:

Fluor Corporation has announced that it was recently recognised by FORTUNE Magazine as part of its 2012 World’s Most Admired Companies list. Fluor ranked first in the engineering and construction category of FORTUNE’s Most Admired Companies.

 

"While we have consistently ranked in the top five over the last several years, to now be ranked as the number one Most Admired firm in the engineering and construction industry is truly an honor," said Glenn Gilkey, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Administration. "One of the keys to achieving Fluor’s high level of success over our last 100 years has been our unwavering commitment to recruiting, developing, and retaining highly talented individuals and fostering a dynamic culture in our industry".

 

FORTUNE’s World’s Most Admired Companies list is the definitive report card on corporate reputations. Hay Group has collaborated with FORTUNE annually since 1997 to identify, select, and rank the World’s Most Admired Companies and uncover the business practices that make these companies highly regarded among their peers. To compile the rankings, corporate reputation and performance are measured against nine key attributes: innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment, quality of products and services, and global competitiveness.

 

The 2012 Most Admired Companies list is featured in FORTUNE Magazine’s March issue. More details can be found at:

Flow control engineering group Rotork has introduced an innovative range of manually energised spring-return actuators to provide an economical solution for failsafe valves that are infrequently operated.

 

The Rotork ManPower range greatly reduces installation time and expense since no external electrical, hydraulic or pneumatic power supply is required. Suitable for a wide range of ball, butterfly and plug valves, the scotch-yoke actuators are equipped with a compact, self-contained manually operated hydraulic power pack. A hydraulic hand pump on the power pack is used to operate the actuator and compress the failsafe spring, holding the valve in the desired open or closed position until a failsafe signal is received, at which point the spring will immediately drive the valve to the safe position.

 

Failsafe operation of ManPower units can be triggered by electrical signals, high or low pressure pilots or fire sensors, enabling the successful fulfilment of many ESD (Emergency Shutdown) and pressure related protection duties in the oil, gas, petrochemical and pipeline industries.

 

Rotork ManPower actuators are available with output torques up to 45,000Nm, with explosion-proof and watertight certification to international standards. A wide range of options includes local position indication, integral limit switches, speed control, high speed operation, local electrical controls, manual reset and corrosion resistant trims. Where space is restricted the ManPower hydraulic module can be located separately from the valve. Standard units are suitable for a temperature range from -23ºC to +60ºC and equipped with built-in temperature compensation.

Alderley FZE, a subsidiary of Alderley Plc, has just completed the client witnessed Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) for 5 gas metering skids for the LSFO, FG and Gas Oil Pipelines Project, Kuwait. The contract was issued to Alderley FZE by Petrofac International Ltd and is for the Kuwait, MAA refinery and Azzour power station operated by KOC and KNPC.

 

Alderley FZE is part of the Alderley Group and is the firm’s largest operating company overseas. Alderley FZE provides the full range of services for engineering, supply and operation of bespoke metering and produced water treatment solutions to the oil and gas industry.

 

Alderley FZE scope of supply is for 5x5 stream Ultrasonic Metering packages with header sizes varying from 34" to 52" and stream sizes varying from 12" to 20" respectively. Each package has a master meter stream for checking the line meters. Part of the scope also includes special blast resistant analyser shelters for each metering package with redundant gas chromatographs and sampling systems, and associated computer control systems for all of the metering systems.

 

Mike Shepherd, General Manager of Alderley FZE commented: "Alderley successfully completed this complex project with close co-operation of all parties. Our thorough understanding of technologies, applications and standards has enabled us to meet stringent KOC and KNPC specifications, while still delivering to the client in line with their project schedule requirements".

 

Alderley is a multi-disciplined engineering company operating in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries producing effective and efficient solutions for the metering, processing, treatment and control of hydrocarbon products. Alderley has been manufacturing oilfield metering equipment since 1959 and has supplied more than 500 systems to more than 50 countries. Alderley has regional headquarters in the UK, Middle East and Russia as well as a regional subsidiary in Saudi Arabia. More about Alderley can be found at:

CompactGTL is proud to be exhibiting at this years’ Offshore Technology Conference 2012. The event is taking place from Monday 30 April to Thursday 3 May at the Reliant Center in Houston, Texas.

 

CompactGTL looks forward to seeing you at Stand 2341–H, which is part of the UK EIC Pavilion in the Reliant Center Halls C/D/E and where we will have a showcase demonstration of our unique technology; not to be missed. The following members of the team will be pleased to meet you:

 

Mr Iain Baxter, Director of Business Development

Mr Rudie Minnie, Head of Operations

Mrs Subby Bains, Proposals Manager

Mr Andrew Mitchell, Contracts Manager

 

For further event information and an interactive exhibitor’s floor plan please visit:

Fluor Corporation has announced that The Dow Chemical Company and Fluor have signed a Strategic Global Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) and Construction Management Agreement in support of Dow’s global capital projects programme ranging across all Dow products.

 

This three-year agreement has a two-year extension option for up to five years and includes potential new project work spanning across the globe. Dow currently serves customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture.

 

"Fluor’s culture of safety, sustainability and project execution excellence complements Dow’s beliefs and culture. In addition, our global footprint matches well with Dow’s potential new project needs around the globe," said Peter Oosterveer, President of Fluor’s Energy & Chemicals Group. "Our expertise in performing projects in challenging geographies across the world is unmatched, and we’re poised to assist Dow in meeting their new project needs aligned with their business agenda".

 

This contract includes potential new projects for specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses in high growth sectors such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. Fluor is currently providing front-end loading services for a coatings and water treatment project in Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

Advanced Insulation (AI), of Gloucestershire, is greatly honoured to announce that it has been privileged to receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade 2012. The Award, which is due to be announced on 21 April 2012, the occasion of Her Majesty’s Birthday, is the first in the company’s history. It reflects the substantial growth in the company’s activity in recent years, particularly in the past twelve months since its move to the new purpose-built premises at Quedgeley West Business Park in Gloucestershire.

 

The company, which was previously based in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, specialises in silicone and phenolic fire protection and insulation products for use in oil and gas developments around the world. These products, marketed under the ContraTherm®, ContraFlame® and ContraFlex® brand names, are used to insulate subsea structures, known in the industry as Christmas Trees, and provide high intensity fire protection to the pipes and surface processing equipment used to stabilise the hydrocarbon fluids produced in the field. All the products are manufactured at AI’s new Gloucestershire factory and applied by AI personnel in the field, at shipyards and various oil and gas facilities, all over the world. The company’s activities are supported by satellite factories in Leeds and Arbroath in the UK, and a network of AI offices overseas. The company now employs in excess of 100 people globally.

 

Managing Director Andrew Bennion said on hearing the news of The Award: "We at Advanced Insulation are exceptionally pleased and honoured by this Award in Her Majesty’s Jubilee Year. The Award reflects the immense amount of work and effort our staff have put in over the last four years since our management buy-out. Considering the challenging and exacting nature of the industry we operate in, to post export growth of over 200% in that period is truly remarkable. Our staff are presently working in locations such as Angola, Kazakhstan, Nigeria and South Korea and I am sure they will all take heart from this Award. Our success is built on the premise of creating repeat business with satisfied clients and partners, and investing extensively in research and development. It is therefore heavily dependent on the efforts of our staff in the field, who are often working in unfamiliar and challenging environments. We like to think this growth ‘bucks the trend’ of gloom in the British economy, achieved as it has been in a period of recession and financial restriction.

 

"The Award provides a substantial boost to our confidence for the future of our business. I take this opportunity to congratulate all my colleagues on this stupendous and credit-worthy achievement by the AI team". For further information please contact Howard Walkeron:

 

Advanced Insulation

Quedgeley West Business Park

Bristol Road

Gloucester GL2 4PA

 

Tel +44 (0)1452 880 835 or +44 (0)7740 579 774

KBC Advanced Technologies plc (KBC), the global provider of consulting and software solutions, has announced the release of the latest in its series of Global Energy Perspectives titled: ‘Unconventional crude: Who wants it and who will get it?’

 

Unconventional crude is the fastest growing supply of non-OPEC crude, but a variety of hurdles impact refiners’ ability to convert unconventional crude into products. Much of that supply lies in the Americas where Canada and Venezuela hold some of the world’s largest proven reserves of unconventional oil. Both countries have energy demand far below their proven supply and are thus well positioned to remain long term exporters of unconventional crude.

 

However, there are a significant number of barriers keeping these energy reserves from being fully exploited today. Environmental, political, economic, technical, and logistical difficulties must all be overcome. Those with well-crafted strategies will be economically rewarded for recognising a changing market landscape and making the needed adjustments to capitalise on this increasingly important energy resource.

 

This Perspective covers sources of supply, crude qualities, and logistics concerns and identifies refiners who can take advantage of unconventional oil today and in the future. For those not yet able to process this crude, KBC discusses key constraints and suggests some resolutions. Refiners, energy consumers, investors and regulators will benefit from a better understanding of the issues surrounding an increasingly important source of oil. Visit:

Foster Wheeler AG has announced that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group has been awarded a contract by CJSC Antipinsky Refinery for the engineering and material supply of a new fired heater and air preheating system for the Antipinsky Refinery, Tyumen, Tyumen Region, Russia.

 

The fired heater will be part of a new crude distillation unit being built as part of the modernisation of the Antipinsky refinery. Foster Wheeler’s scope of work is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2012. This award follows a previous award by CJSC Antipinsky Refinery in 2011 for the technology license and basic design package for Foster Wheeler’s Selective Yield Delayed Coking (SYDECSM) technology, and the basic design package for a vacuum distillation unit. This scope of work is scheduled to be completed during the third quarter of 2012.

 

Foster Wheeler’s SYDECSM process is a flexible thermal conversion process used by refiners worldwide to upgrade heavy residue feed and process it into high value transport fuels and coke products for fuel and metallurgical markets. The SYDECSM process can be designed to maximise clean liquid yields while minimising fuel coke yields or to achieve other objectives, for example, to minimise heavy gas oil yields or to produce specific grades of coke for industrial use. Foster Wheeler is a market leader in delayed coking and has supplied its process technology worldwide for over 80 new cokers and has implemented more than 70 delayed coker revamps.

An essential requirement for wind farm operators is the ability to anticipate the weather conditions at wind farm sites. Having highly accurate data about the real-time and forecast weather conditions at individual sites enables operators to plan visits or equipment deliveries, schedule maintenance or repairs while ensuring the safety of staff and contractors, and ensure any downtime is kept to a minimum.

 

The Met Office’s VisualEyes™ system is a web-based monitoring and alert solution that gives customers a clearer picture of the real-time and forecast weather conditions at locations across Europe. Already used by many of the major utility companies and major wind farm operators, VisualEyes™ has just been enhanced to extend the planning service for lightning, hub height wind and visibility from 36 hours ahead to five days ahead.

 

VisualEyes™ uses the Met Office’s world leading science to combine three distinct but integrated components in a single, easy-to-use platform. The site specific data is viewed using a map viewer based on Google maps which features customisable site pins and is colour coded to alert users to any relevant weather element threshold breach. An alert panel provides a detailed breakdown of which weather elements are triggering which alerts, enabling viewers to anticipate the movement of weather conditions hour by hour.

 

In addition to the five day planning charts customisable weather analysis reports can be generated up to 14 days ahead. These give detailed charts showing a selectable choice of weather elements. This includes surface wind speed, temperature, rainfall and snow. This detailed information ensures wind farm operators can safeguard staff and contractors, reduce maintenance costs, and by knowing the weather conditions forecast, mitigate against the stranding of staff or equipment.

 

Amongst the enhancements now available from VisualEyes™, the map viewer function uses improved high resolution downscaling modelling to give customers a higher level of detail and accuracy to the weather layers. Users benefit from greater levels of granularity to the temperature and rain analysis, as well as improvements to the visibility, enabling customers to see areas affected by poor visibility due to rain and snow, as well as fog and mist. A further enhancement has been made to the snow layer, which can now distinguish between a variety of precipitation types, ranging from snow to drizzle and even hail.

 

Tom McIlwaine, Senior Account Manager said: "We are continuing to develop and improve the capabilities and technology offered by VisualEyes™, in consultation with our customers. We want to ensure that it’s driven by the market and that it meets the changing needs of wind farm operators".

Experts from joint integrity and engineering services company Hydratight found an innovative solution to a tricky repair for Statoil, by using a MORGRIP connector to repair a 6in super duplex pipe located within the constrained space of a subsea manifold, 340m under the surface of the North Sea.

 

Hydratight was called in to repair a damaged pipe on a subsea wellhead ‘Christmas tree’ on the Troll C oil and gas platform, 100km north west of Bergen, Norway. A mandrel and its 6in supporting pipe were pulled out of position during an operation, overloading the pipe and forcing the shut-down of an associated 10in line, halting production.

 

"At that depth solutions were limited," said Hydratight application engineer Mark Fisher. A 6in super duplex MORGRIP end-connector had to be a specially engineered solution to fit within the significant physical constraints of the damaged manifold. "The cracked pipe was partially inside the manifold, so we had to ensure that the MORGRIP’S overall dimensions were an absolute minimum to get it to fit," explained Mark.

 

The pipe - which carries a mixture of water, oil and gas - was pressure-tested to 267bar after the procedure, and will be tested again from time to time to make sure the pipe hasn’t deteriorated further. The MORGRIP successfully sealed the line in accordance with Statoil’s requirements. The pipe integrity was retained with no de-rating of the pipeline or deviation from original design.

Shell today published its Sustainability Report for 2011, which details how sustainable development helps it to deliver energy to meet the world’s growing energy demand in a responsible way.

 

The report covers Shell’s environmental and social performance for the year and outlines its contribution towards building a sustainable energy future. Shell’s responsible approach includes investing steadily in natural gas resources and continued investment in technology and innovation to help it to deliver this energy.

 

Shell is producing more cleaner-burning natural gas, producing low CO2 biofuel, helping to develop carbon capture and storage technologies, and working to improve its own energy efficiency. Shell is also offering its customers more advanced fuels and lubricants that help save energy.

 

"At Shell we believe that responsibly delivering cleaner, more reliable and affordable energy is the best contribution we can make today to a more stable world where economies can thrive," said Shell Chief Executive Officer Peter Voser in his introduction to the report.

 

The 2011 Shell Sustainability Report also focuses on the rigorous safety standards and practices that they have developed over many years that allows Shell to operate responsibly in a range of challenging environments. To read the full report go to:

Following a successful show in 2011 Nylacast has the great pleasure of exhibiting at the world renowned oil and gas industry event OTC, which will be held in Houston Texas from 30 April to 3 May.

 

Nylacast is once again delighted to be showcasing their world renowned engineering polymer solutions and bespoke components for the offshore, oil and gas industry on stand 2541-D. With manufacturing and machining cast nylons as their core business, Nylacast has specialised in developing and supplying this unique polymer for nearly five decades.

 

Continuous investments in Research & Development allows Nylacast to develop new applications and achieve the most successful alternatives to components made from traditional materials such as metals. Utilising their state of the art manufacturing facilities and worldwide locations, Nylacast is able to provide customers and clients with bespoke components as well as delivering stable, strong and cost effective technical polymers which are ideal for a large range of applications used within the arduous environments faced within the oil and gas industry, such as thruster nozzles, bushes, bearings, hose pulleys, pipe spacers and many more.

 

Nylacast engineering polymer components and materials are often recognised by design engineers and specifiers within the oil and gas industry as being the perfect solution to the harsh environments and conditions encountered. Nylacast components are self lubricating with a low coefficient of friction, often saving time and money on routine and costly maintenance and servicing. Furthermore they are also wear, abrasion, chemical and corrosion resistant in addition to being lightweight, Nylacast components are typically 1/7th the weight of steel and have 25 times the wear life of phosphor bronze. Nylacasts ISO 29001:2010 oil and gas accredited state of the art production and manufacturing facilities and dedicated industry engineers are coupled with an in house R&D testing facility which provides the knowledge and resources to be able to custom formulate materials and chemistry to specific end user needs and requirements.

 

A number of Nylacast’s dedicated industry engineers will be on hand at the show to provide technical information and advice directly to the industry. In addition to their bespoke components Nylacast will also be showcasing their pioneering polymer sheaves. Nylacast sheaves allow for a number of significant advantages over steel sheaves, adding great value to businesses and projects. Nylacast sheaves have proven to be extremely effective and beneficial in a number of applications such as launch and recovery systems. Nylacast sheaves are approximately 1/7th the weight of steel sheaves, thus making them easier to handle during installation or replacement, while maintaining load capacity.

 

Wire rope is often a fundamental element of an application and can often wear rather quickly due to the constant pressure between the rope and the sheave. Nylacast sheaves are the perfect solution to this problem, as they allow for a significant longer rope life. As Nylacast materials require no lubrication and have a low co-efficient of friction, the need for routine and costly maintenance is considerably reduced, making Nylacast sheaves cost effective in comparison to cast iron or steel.

 

The UK government has taken responsibility for managing the implementation of a national smart metering programme. To question and advise on the ways in which the smart meter revolution can become a reality, the Institution of Engineering and Technology is organising its Annual Smart Metering Conference in London on 17 - 18 April. DNV KEMA is sponsoring this event and will be present with a booth to talk to visitors about any smart meter related challenges.

 

In 2010 the UK Government announced a national smart meter roll out whereby 53 million electricity and gas meters are to be replaced by 2019. Smart meters will provide consumers with real-time information about their energy consumption and ultimately form a key component of the smart grid. The UK Government is working with the industry to develop the technical and commercial requirements to ensure smart meters are delivered efficiently. According to UK Energy Minister Charles Hendry: "Ensuring a secure energy supply, moving to a low-carbon economy and keeping prices affordable are the key challenges that drive our energy and environmental policies. That is why the full rollout of smart meters to homes and businesses is a fundamental part of our programme for government".

 

Given the number of metering and supply companies competing in the UK energy sector, one of the main challenges is the interoperability of smart metering equipment. Suppliers will also be required to roll out meters that meet the requirements of the Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specification (SMETS).

 

DNV KEMA has participated in smart metering rollouts in Europe, the United States and Asia. Monitoring smart metering policy developments in the UK, DNV KEMA advises on smart metering architectures and technology solutions to many industry participants. Having extensive testing and certification facilities, DNV KEMA also has tools and training programmes available for the communication standard DLMS/COSEM. Therefore, DNV KEMA have decided to sponsor the leading Annual IET Smart Metering Conference 2012.

AVEVA has announced that GENPRO Engenharia SA has made a significant new investment in AVEVA PDMS software after achieving substantial engineering and business benefits from its existing implementation. A key reason for GENPRO’s selection of PDMS is the software’s ability to easily interface with other engineering disciplines, while delivering the highest possible production output.

 

The result has been improved design quality and shorter project schedules, which has led directly to GENPRO’s new investment in additional PDMS licenses. GENPRO will be using AVEVA PDMS on a number of large projects in the rapidly growing Brazilian chemical, petrochemical and nuclear sectors.

 

"AVEVA PDMS interfaced very successfully with our mechanical, piping, electrical and instrumentation applications, as well as other engineering disciplines. It has proven to be uncomplicated to install, straightforward to manage, and the training time for our engineers has been surprisingly short," said Waldir Pimentel Junior, Corporate Systems Manager, GENPRO. "Much of our work involves large engineering contracts that have very tight schedules and we are unwilling to compromise on design quality as pressure on delivery and budgets increase. We were impressed with the new features within PDMS since they allow us to work faster while meeting our quality standards. A major selling point was the capacity for customisation that allows us to create features for our own modelling requirements and methodology. To date, all of our projects using AVEVA solutions have been delivered on time, within the original budget, and most importantly, they meet or exceed our customer’s quality standards. Further investment with AVEVA is an essential strategy for the overall growth of our business".

 

"AVEVA PDMS was the first 3D engineering design system that GENPRO implemented. They have a great deal of project experience with our software, so this additional investment is a real vote of confidence in the benefits that PDMS brings to their business and in our close working relationship," added Santiago Pena, Senior Vice President, Latin America, AVEVA. "GENPRO has integrated PDMS with their own Bill of Materials solution, in addition to applications from other vendors. We are always excited to see the different ways in which our technology is being implemented and customised by our customers. The GENPRO deployment provides another great example of how AVEVA’s open solution approach can meet the individual business needs of our customers".

 

AVEVA PDMS 3D design software is part of the AVEVA Plant portfolio, delivering maximum design productivity and capability on all types of plant projects, from small upgrades to major new builds. For further information visit:

Wilton Engineering Services (WESL) Limited - the international design, engineering and fabrication business - has secured a multi-million pound contract with Subsea 7.

 

Wilton Engineering, a Wilton Group company, will construct support clamps for work on DONG Energy’s SIRI Caisson Support Project in the Danish sector of the North Sea. Subsea 7 announced last year that it had won an offshore engineering and construction frame agreement with DONG Energy in support of the project.

 

The Wilton Group, which employs 700 people at businesses in Aberdeen, Dundee, Teesside, Great Yarmouth and Brazil, has secured oil and gas contracts worth more than £55 million in the past four months. Wilton Business Development Director Des Hatfield said: "This latest project serves to underline our capabilities to work with global companies to deliver design, engineering and fabrication solutions. We’re delighted to be working on this project".

 

Wilton Engineering Managing Director Steven Pearson said: "Our enhanced capabilities mean we can provide an integrated solution for clients and its turnkey projects". Wilton Engineering is carrying out the major task of fabricating large caisson clamps. This permanent solution consists of installing three piles next to the SIRI subsea storage tank and connecting them to the caissons with the fabricated clamps including cable stays. This is part of an on-going programme.

 

SIRI is located in the North West part of the Danish sector of the North Sea. The SIRI platform is moored in 197 feet (60 metres) of water and is a combined wellhead, processing and accommodation facility. Wilton Engineering provides bespoke, high-quality engineering and fabrication solutions to the offshore and petrochemical industries from its 50 acre Port Clarence offshore base on the River Tees.

 

Wilton Engineering is one of four businesses which make up the Wilton Group. Together with other group companies - PD&MS Energy, Wilton Dundee and Universal Coatings, it can offer fully integrated turnkey packages across a range of onshore and offshore engineering sectors.

Award winning supplier of quality oil and gas personnel, Oil Consultants Ltd, has seen a huge increase in the number of personnel in their ever expanding office based in Washington. With an increased demand for their consultants from major service companies worldwide, the company felt the time was right to bring in specialist staff, dedicated to some of the industries core disciplines.

 

Chief Operating Officer Helen Smith said: "We believe that one of the most important elements of our business is the service that we offer to both our clients and also the consultants that are working for us, to ensure that we meet their needs effectively. The investment we have made to significantly increase our dedicated client and consultant service teams over the last year is now having a huge impact and we are delighted at the feedback we are getting from both clients and consultants alike".

 

With the new staff comes an increased focus on customer service for both the client and consultant, with Sales Director Jonty Bolsover racking up air miles to meet clients face to face to ensure their needs are being met, secure new contracts, and develop the Oil Consultants brand. Jonty stated: "I have taken the time to meet face to face with our current and new clients in the UK and abroad and this has proved extremely successful. Our exceptional levels of customer service and listening to our client’s requirements breeds confidence into the people I meet to ensure a long and successful working partnership".

 

For more information email Jonty Bolsover: jonty.bolsover@oc99.com

The FPSO will operate in the area for approximately six months, gathering technical information on reservoir behaviour and oil flow in the subsea lines, amongst other data. During this initial test phase the well is expected to produce at around 10,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd), constrained by facilities - as authorised by Brazil’s National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels.

 

The well test is part of BG Group’s fast-track development of its interests in the world class pre-salt Santos Basin discoveries and prospects. The information gathered will support the development of the final production system in the area, expected to be in operation by the end of 2014 with the installation of the 150,000bopd capacity FPSO Cidade de Mangaratiba. BG Group has a 25% interest in block BM-S-11, with operator Petrobras holding 65% and Petrogal Brasil SA 10%.

Systech has announced that Andrew Davidson has re-joined Systech International where he has been appointed as Director with responsibility for energy services in the Middle East and Africa regions.

 

Andrew commenced his new role on 11 March 2012 and, whilst he will operate throughout the MEA region, his base will be in Abu Dhabi. Andrew will work closely with the senior management team in the MEA, as well as with our other regional directors for energy in the Americas, Europe and Asia, to further our involvement with major contractors on international oil and gas, nuclear, power and mining projects.

 

Andrew is an experienced commercial and contracts manager who has been involved in large offshore platform, petro-chemical, infrastructure, construction and marine schemes in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. He also has a wealth of experience in claims and dispute resolution with contractor led arbitration, adjudication and mediation appointments and he has excellent forensic planning skills and a familiarity with delay analysis techniques. Andrew, who has in excess of 30 years experience, is qualified as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and as an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

 

Systech’s CEO Stephen Rayment said: "Andrew’s appointment is a significant step forward for us in terms of developing our global energy services strategy. I am delighted that he has re-joined us and his experience and expertise in this sector will be of great benefit to the business. He has a strong background in claims and disputes and I am particularly pleased to add his forensic planning and delay analysis skills to our team".

Paul McAlister, Area Manager at CETCO Oilfield Services

 

CETCO Oilfield Services, produced water and production services specialists for the oil and gas industry, has announced £1.5 million investment in new equipment to help achieve growth.

 

A new management team is already in place to help drive growth plans, with the aim of increasing turnover from £3 million to £10 million in the next 3 years and staff numbers are predicted to more than double in Aberdeen from 23 to 50 in the same time period.

 

Paul McAlister, Area Manager at CETCO Oilfield Services said: "The new management team of myself, Mark Graham, Ian Robertson and Julia Hughesdon will continue to build on the company’s solid reputation within the oil and gas industry for its reliable service and continuing technological innovation, whilst leading us on to the next level of growth.

 

"New investment for our offshore rental fleet includes 2 new CrudeSep® produced water polishing units each capable of processing up to 40,000 barrels per day and 2 new Smart-tank Oil Water Separators. These technologies are needed to help us address the growing problem of bottlenecked process systems offshore, where improved handling of produced water is needed to free up these systems, meet environmental discharge legislation and help maximise hydrocarbon production".

 

A wholly owned subsidiary of AMCOL International Corporation, CETCO Oilfield Services offers an array of patented technologies, products and services for all phases of oilfield production, exploration, development, pipeline transportation, storage and refining.

 

"Increasing staff numbers in Aberdeen will mean a larger pool of trained operators to run and supervise our jobs offshore, along with increased support onshore in our operations, sales support and maintenance workshop functions. Latest appointments during March include Kris Frampton, Technical Sales Engineer and Project Chemist Kiko Sanchez.

 

CETCO Oilfield Services provides comprehensive solutions for a host of oilfield needs. The company’s European headquarters can be found in Portlethen, Aberdeen.

A diverse range of flanged products aimed at eliminating potential leak paths in process instrumentation connections will be highlighted at the Global Petroleum Show by the Instrumentation Products Division of Parker Hannifin - the global leader in motion and control technologies. In particular, the company will be showing the latest additions to its extensive monoflange and Pro-Bloc ranges of block and bleed valves, including versions that comply with the Class A ultra-low-emission requirements of the international ISO 15848 standard. Also on display will be a new series of flushing rings that eliminate the need for port adapters.

 

Parker’s monoflange and Pro-Bloc valves are designed to couple instrumentation to the process lines as closely as possible, and to eliminate any use of threaded components - the valve vents can incorporate single or two-ferrule compression type tube fittings. By combining all necessary primary and secondary valves on a single one-piece body, which mounts directly onto a process flange without use of additional fittings, both series of products reduce the number of potential leak paths substantially. They also help cut installation time and cost. A wide choice of valve configurations - including single block and bleed, and double block and bleed - provides a very flexible interconnection scheme, enabling plant engineers to match requirements very easily.

 

Parker goes to considerable lengths to ensure the material used for its flanged products is of the highest quality. Raw material is sourced from mills and foundries outside the Asia Pacific region, with fully traceable records for quality audit purposes. Furthermore, each flange is forged from a single piece of grain flow controlled steel. As standard, they can be fabricated from A105 carbon steel, AF350 LF2 low temperature carbon steel, A182-F316 stainless steel and A182-F51 duplex stainless steel. Optional exotic alloy materials include super duplex, alloy 400, 6Mo and alloy 625. Parker has developed considerable production expertise in 6Mo - which is fast becoming one of the most popular materials for high integrity process applications - and is able to deliver custom valve configurations with very short lead times.

 

At the Global Petroleum Show, Parker will also be showing a new series of flushing rings which employ a novel ‘oversize’ design to maximise flexibility. Flushing rings are normally used between a process isolation valve and the diaphragm seal of a pressure transmitter; side ports on the ring allow flushing media to be injected and ejected so that the diaphragm can be ‘washed’ free of deposits which affect measurement accuracy. A conventional flushing ring has a smaller diameter than the process and diaphragm seal flanges, and is simply held in place by the pressure exerted by the flange bolts. The flushing ports consequently require extension adapters to bring their valves clear of the flanges, potentially introducing additional leak paths.

 

Parker’s flushing rings are the same diameter as the flanges, eliminating the need for flushing port adapters, and the valves can be supplied screwed or welded directly onto the ring’s external face, reducing installation time and costs. Parker produces two types of flushing rings. One has through-holes for the flange bolts and is designed for use with same-size flanges on both sides. The other has a tapered internal bore and two different flange faces with captive studs, designed for fitting between flanges with different diameters. Typically, this could be used when a 2 inch process-side flange is coupled to a 3 inch transmitter-side flange, to maximise diaphragm size for improved measurement accuracy.

© 2012 Drax Group plc

 

Capula has been contracted by Drax Power Limited (Drax) to upgrade the control system of a key area of plant at the power station to support their ongoing business strategy.

 

Upgrading the Materials Handling plant control room SCADA will provide improved system performance. Expansion of the system capacity will also allow Drax to take advantage of additional client numbers, accommodating increased demand on the SCADA.

 

Delivery is scheduled for completion by the end of Q2 this year.

Fluor Corporation has announced that it was awarded an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract by Joule to design and build a renewable fuel production facility in New Mexico.

 

The facility is intended to test and scale up a process for the commercial production of liquid fuels via Joule’s novel technology, which uses sunlight to convert industrial waste carbon dioxide into liquid hydrocarbons, ethanol or chemical products. Joule recently won the 2011 Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award in the energy category in recognition of its ability to surpass the scale, productivity and cost efficiencies of biofuel production processes.

 

"As a leader in the engineering and construction sector, we believe that the Joule renewable fuel production facility affords Fluor an opportunity to showcase our integrated solutions and assist in the commercialisation of this critical technology," said Lou Del Tufo, Fluor’s Senior Vice President of Energy & Chemicals and Fluor’s Biofuels business team. "We look forward to serving Joule on this project and hope to work with them as they solidify their position as one of the most innovative and forward-thinking technology companies in a rapidly growing global renewable fuels industry".

 

William J Sims, President and CEO of Joule said: "We are pleased to be working with Fluor, one of the world’s largest and most experienced EPC contractors, and we look forward to the completion and start-up of this facility as the first phase of our commercialisation efforts. We fully expect to demonstrate the high efficiencies and commercial viability of our process, which, due to its modularity, can readily scale without the cost of feedstock constraints of biofuels, and ultimately lead to sustainable, localised fuel production around the world".

Siemens Energy will supply together with its Chinese joint venture SITHCO (Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery Huludao Co Ltd) the first two large size, pre-engineered integrally geared compressors for an air separation plant to China.

 

Purchaser is Hangzhou Hangyang Co Ltd, a company specialised on technology, energy, petrochemical and industrial markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of products, services and solutions, providing large, medium and small size air separation units as well as petrochemical equipment. The new air separation unit will supply gas for a nonferrous metal smelting plant in the city of Fangchenggang in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous region in Southern China. The plant will go online begin of 2013.

 

The Siemens scope of supply encompasses two STC-GC compressors, each with three stages, including gear type coupling, lube oil unit, inlet expansion joint and other auxiliary systems. SITHCO as local Chinese supplier will be responsible for gas coolers, gas/oil/water piping and for the supervision of erection and commissioning on site. The inlet volume flow of the pre-engineered compressors is about 200,000 m³ air per hour. In the air separation process the compressor efficiency is of utmost importance.

 

The extension of the STC-GC compressor series covers the 120,000-400,000m3/h capacities at a pressure ratio of 6.5 with 3 impeller stages and adjustable inlet guide vanes for compressor control. Pre-engineering of compressor components allows reducing lead time and costs. The use of well proven components ensures highest plant reliability and availability.

 

"We are very proud about the first order for our new standardised integrally geared compressor," said Ralf Kannefass, head of the turbo equipment business segment in the Siemens Energy Oil & Gas Division. "Based on our proven integrally geared turbo compressors, these units are specifically designed as main air compressors for air separation plants featuring low capital expenditure combined with outstanding efficiency performance".

On 19 July 2011, SGS, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, was authorised as the Control Agency Industrial Security in Catalonia, Spain by the Generalitat of Catalonia, and has successfully performed industrial safety inspections in the region since then.

 

As the most highly industrialised region in Spain and the main contributor to the Spanish economy, Catalonia presents an attractive market for a wide variety of companies. The authorisation allows SGS to perform regulatory safety inspections in various fields, including lifting and pressure equipment, high voltage, low voltage, storage of chemicals, gaseous fuel, refrigeration, thermal and petroleum facilities.

 

With the authorisation, SGS demonstrated its first-rate technical capacity including human resources, devices and social liability insurance. SGS is very proud to have received authorisation as the Control Agency Industrial Security. Based on extensive experience and expertise in the industrial sector, SGS is very happy to serve its customers with a wide portfolio of industrial safety inspections in the Catalonian region.

The ANTARES^plus remote I/O system from BARTEC can be connected to any current control with various bus systems (PROFIBUS-DP, Profi Net, Ethernet IP, Modbus TCP). There are nine different I/O modules available in the form of digital and analog inputs and outputs. In addition, with PROFIBUS-DP, high system stability can be achieved through the redundant structure of two top modules. A high-output power supply unit allows the supply of up to 32 modules. A large number of sensors and actuators can thus be connected.

 

According to the current guidelines for use in potentially explosive areas, the system is suitable for ATEX zones 1 and 2 (gas) and ATEX zones 21 and 22 (dust). The combination of Ex d, Ex e and Ex i and a specifically developed plug technology was implemented in the smallest space.

 

Due to the particular development concept, the system does not require any expensive explosion-protected enclosure (Ex e) for equipment category 2G. For the user, cost savings and a reduction of the energy outlay are the result. All modules are hot-swappable - it is possible to change modules during ongoing operation of the energized system. The PROFIBUS or Ethernet line is connected directly to the system. Additional explosion-protected components (isolating repeaters) can be dispensed with.

 

The associated ANTARES^plus designer software allows the system to be projected and configured with just a few mouse clicks due to its intuitive operability.

Fast-growing global energy services company, Senergy, has appointed a high-profile industry figure as its chief operating officer (COO) and managing director of the Group’s Energy Services division. Alasdair Buchanan will shortly take on this role and lead Senergy’s day-to-day operations. He will build on the company’s rapidly-evolving track record for delivering diverse energy projects and solutions that harness its industry-leading capabilities and technical expertise.

 

Alasdair was previously senior director of strategy in Houston for Halliburton and returned to the UK to take up the role of vice president UK - where he was responsible for 1500 employees across nine operating divisions - to be closer to his family. Alasdair is a well-known industry figure whose career to date has included holding senior leadership roles in a number of global energy companies.

 

He will take over from Senergy’s current COO, Mike Bowyer, who has held the position for almost two years after joining on an interim basis to support the company as it focused on consolidating its rapidly growing geographic footprint. Senergy’s Chief Executive Officer James McCallum said: "Alasdair will build on the considerable success that Mike has achieved and work to further fast track the next phase of Senergy’s global expansion.

 

"Alasdair has a proven track record in developing corporate strategy and growing organisations globally while overseeing on-going operations. We look forward to him injecting his considerable knowledge and experience into Senergy and being instrumental in driving the business forward.

 

"A key part of this includes Alasdair’s strong personal understanding of multi-cultural styles of working and communication. His strength in building teams and developing people will be an excellent fit for Senergy’s people-focused culture. I would also like to thank Mike whose valuable contribution and commitment has played a key role in helping to position Senergy where it is now".

 

Alasdair, who officially joins Senergy on 23 April, began his career as an engineer in the early 1980s after graduating with a BSc Honours in chemical engineering from the University of Edinburgh. He went on to gain extensive engineering experience with BJ Services Co, on both onshore and offshore projects around the world, before diversifying into senior management and leadership roles with the company.

 

Among the posts he held were region operations manager for Europe and Africa before going on to become regional manager for a number of other regions including Asia Pacific, Europe and Africa. He then became vice president for technology and logistics with BJ Services in Houston, Texas, where he latterly worked for the company as vice president for international pumping services before joining Halliburton as senior director for global strategy.

 

Alasdair, who is also a long-standing member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, said: "Senergy is an innovative, forward-thinking company which has carved out an industry-leading niche for itself by integrating its specialist services. The company has exceptional potential for growth into new regions and markets, and I look forward to working with the team at Senergy to make this vision a reality".

 

Senergy, which was established in 2005, employs more than 550 people worldwide across its Aberdeen headquarters and through a network of global offices in the UK, Norway, the Middle East, Australia, South East Asia and the Americas. The company delivers fully integrated project and asset development services across the energy industry, and has rapidly emerged as a global leader in diversified energy services through organic growth and a series of acquisitions.

 

Senergy’s services encompass alternative energy solutions, geosciences, reservoir engineering, geohazard assessment, marine site surveys, rig positioning, wells engineering and operations and project management. Senergy also develops and supports innovative software technologies including Interactive Petrophysics and Oilfield Data Manager. For more information visit:

Leading recruitment specialist Scantec says the growth of the UK nuclear and power sector could open doors for thousands of skilled workers and graduates.

 

The North West based £60m turnover firm is currently placing scores of employees in the industry for a range of its blue chip clients. Scantec Director Adam Spelman said the business has seen a significant increase in job opportunities - particularly in the nuclear sector - over the past 12 months, due to the government’s 20 year decommissioning programmes and new build power stations.

 

He said: "We can safely say that the growth in this sector will continue for many years to come, with 20 years of planned decommissioning and plenty more yet to be released. New build work has also begun and will not be completed for many years, once a new build becomes operational the station will need to be managed and maintained. Workers with an adaptable skill set need to capitalise on these new opportunities, as should engineering graduates - it would be useful for second and third year students to tailor their modules towards nuclear and power for example.

 

"While we ideally look to place people experienced in the nuclear sector, this will become more difficult as the industry gets busier and more jobs become available. Therefore now is the time for people perhaps struggling to find work in other sectors to analyse their skill-set and match them to an industry with more opportunities".

 

Scantec, which has headquarters in Birkenhead, has placed technical, engineering and skilled technician personnel in Magnox sites including Trawsfynedd, Oldbury, Wylfa, Dungeness, Sizewell, Berkeley, Hinkley A, Chapel Cross and Bradwell and also the EDF new build site Hinkley Point C. Mr Spelman said: "We supply various types of personnel depending on the site, for example new build projects open up planning and costing jobs and decommissioning and maintenance projects call for engineers, site managers and trade and technician personnel.

 

"At Scantec we work closely with clients to develop an in-depth understanding of their business and offer a service tailored to each specific requirement. The next point of call will be to look at other regulated industry experience, such as oil and gas, petrochemical and pharmaceutical. Depending on the scope of work we can also look at personnel with marine, water and aviation experience".

 

Scantec Personnel supplies temporary and permanent staff to the technical, engineering, and scientific sectors throughout the UK and overseas. Initially servicing the petrochemical, shipbuilding and oil and gas industries Scantec has since successfully developed into other sectors including nuclear and power, defence and MOD, energy, process, pharmaceutical, food, general engineering, civil and building and professional services sectors.

DNV and KEMA have obtained the necessary regulatory clearances to create a world-leading consulting and testing & certification company for the global energy sector: DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability (DNV KEMA). The new company is led by CEO Thijs Aarten. With over 2300 experts in more than 30 countries around the world, DNV KEMA is committed to driving the global transition toward a safe, reliable, efficient, and clean energy future.

 

DNV KEMA’s services cover the energy value chain from energy source to end user, including renewable energy, carbon reduction and energy efficiency, power generation, transmission and distribution, and energy-related testing, inspection and certification. The company consists of more than 1800 former KEMA employees, complemented by over 500 employees from DNV’s former renewable energy and sustainability activities. While DNV KEMA’s core markets are in Europe, North America and China, the company will pay special attention to growth regions such as the Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East which have a strong need for energy expertise.

 

Major global trends will have enormous impact on the energy business in the years to come: increase in future electricity demand driven by the growth in global population and wealth; climate change and environmental concerns; finite fossil fuel reserves that cannot meet the future energy demand; and aging energy assets and workforce. Around the globe system-wide changes - including integration of more renewable power into the energy grids - will be necessary to guarantee safe, reliable and sustainable energy supply for future generations. At the same time, the role of gas will become increasingly important as gas creates flexibility in accomodating renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy.

 

Thijs Aarten, Chief Executive Officer DNV KEMA Energy & Sustainability said: "I am very pleased that we can start our operations, now that we have obtained formal approval. The global energy industry is an industry in rapid transition and growth. This transition will cause major changes, from source to end consumer, and will result in more uncertainty in all parts of the energy value chain. With our independent view, in-depth knowledge, and innovative solutions for all elements of the energy value chain, we are well positioned to support our customers in ensuring a reliable, efficient, and sustainable energy supply, now and in the future".

 

Henrik O Madsen, Chief Executive Officer, DNV Group said: "I am confident that companies along the energy value chain will benefit from the combined strengths of two highly respected, knowledge-based companies". Visit:

ACE Winches staff recently celebrated the completion of their largest manufacturing contract, worth £4.2m for Superior Energy Services, based in Houston, which was delivered on the world’s largest plane, the Antonov 225.

 

ACE Winches, a leading deck machinery specialist, has designed and manufactured an electrically driven 8-point mooring spread at its global headquarters based near Turriff, Aberdeenshire. The complete winch package has been designed to be capable of operating in temperatures as low as -45 degrees C. The ABS certified winches are tailored to meet the mooring requirements of the barge, which will be working in extreme water climates in the Arctic.

 

The ACE winch package began its voyage from Auchterless, near Turriff, Aberdeenshire, the first shipment of winches weighing 125 tonnes was delivered on three lorries to Southampton; it was then shipped across the Atlantic Ocean on the vessel Integrity, reaching Baltimore on the East Coast of America. The journey is not complete yet, as it is being driven across America, through hurricane zones, to be safely delivered to its final destination.

 

The second shipment was required by the client to be delivered ahead of planned schedule. The winch package also weighing 125 tonnes was exported by air freight from Glasgow Prestwick Airport on the world’s largest plane, the Antonov 225. This is the heaviest load ever to be exported by air from Scotland. Due to the combined weight of the load and aircraft which was an incredible 550 tonnes in total, various stops had to be made to refuel including; Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada and St Paul, Minneapolis, USA. The Antonov 225 made its final landing in Moses Lake Airport in Washington, USA before being transported by truck to reach its final destination.

 

Chief Executive Officer of ACE Winches, Alfie Cheyne said: "I am delighted with the commitment and dedication shown by the ACE employees from initial stages of design through to manufacture, accomplishing the completion of this project in just six months. Everyone at ACE Winches has been involved in this project in one way or another, the manufacturing team has been working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, giving up some of their festive celebrations to complete this order on time".

 

ACE Winches recently celebrated being awarded with the Export Achievement Award for a second time, at the Offshore Achievement Awards 2012. The award recognises business growth resulting from successful development of export activity in the oil and gas sector.

Flexitallic Ltd, the world leader in the manufacture and supply of static sealing products, has announced that it has invested £400,000 in a new industrial laser cutting machine. The new Bystronic laser expands Flexitallics existing laser capacity to three, enabling increased production, reduced lead times and a wider range of laser cutting services.

 

The machine has both oxygen and nitrogen cutting capabilities and offers high speed precision cutting and minimum heat distortion of the sheet parts. Key features include:

 

• High-speed laser cutting

• Extremely short start-up time providing rapid turnaround of parts

• Accuracy and speed ensuring consistency of parts in high volume batch runs

• Interchangeable oxygen and nitrogen gas providing economical solutions and high quality cuts

 

Stuart Lumley, Operations Director at Flexitallic said: "Flexitallic is very pleased to announce that we have invested in a new Bystronic laser at our Scandinavia Mill facility. This latest investment will help expand our current capabilities and allow us to cut stainless steel and mild steel up to 20mm thick as well as increasing our capabilities to cut other alloys, aluminium, titanium and monel. This is a very exciting addition for Flexitallic as we look to increase manufacturing at the Scandinavia Mill site in both traditional and new markets".

 

For further information on the range of cutting services available please contact Flexitallic:

Tel +44 (0)1274 851 273

Capula has successfully delivered a control system upgrade for EDF Energy Nuclear Generation at their Hinkley Point B power station in Somerset. The nuclear power station, an Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) features a Condensate & Polishing Plant (CPP) that cleans and maintains feed water quality for the boilers by removing contaminates built up over time.

 

Capula’s control solution, based on Rockwell Automation’s CompactLogix PLC and Parker Hanifin/ CTC HPX15T Touch screen HMIs, replaced the now-obsolete Texas 5Ti sequencer, and will provide plant control and monitoring of the transfer and regeneration sequence of resins within the CPP. The system is efficient, robust and modern in order to support Hinkley Point B’s business operations in the future.

 

Tony Birks, Delivery Manager for Capula said: "The success of the project was due in no small part to the close working relationship of the EDF Energy and Capula delivery teams, which enabled us to have a full understanding of the client’s requirements from the actual end user’s point of view. The quality of communication from the early design specification stage and throughout the process was key to the delivery of this solution".

Security and surveillance technology specialist Synectics, a subsidiary of Quadnetics Group, is to provide CCTV solutions for the Golden Eagle Area Development project in the North Sea which is currently being developed by Nexen Petroleum UK Limited.

 

The Golden Eagle twin platform complex, situated approximately 70km offshore from the UK coast, is scheduled to commence oil production in the last quarter of 2014. Working with telecoms system integration specialist Nessco, Synectics’ industrial division will develop a complete IP based CCTV system to closely monitor and protect key platform operational areas, including the flare, compressors, process areas, utility areas and the helideck.

 

Synectics’ ATEX certified, explosion protected COEX C3000-V camera stations are ideally suited to this large scale offshore project, the harsh North Sea conditions posing no problems to the high grade, corrosion resistant technology.

 

Utilising Synectics’ Synergy technology, which facilitates interface with multivendor solutions, the system will enable onshore monitoring and control of offshore cameras. Integrated with process and access alarm systems, operators will be able to view and record simultaneously, and conduct analysis of recordings using motion, time and camera search criteria.

 

Synectics’ expertise and heritage in delivering bespoke CCTV systems able to withstand the rigours of harsh offshore and onshore industrial environments is a message the security specialist is keen to convey as it prepares to exhibit at OTC 2012 (30 April - 3 May, stand 2341-F, UK pavilion).

 

Paul Webb, Managing Director of Synectics’ industrial systems division said: "For over 25 years we’ve been providing specialist CCTV technology to some of the world’s biggest and most challenging industrial projects, making high quality image capture, and efficient, effective CCTV control possible in some of the most hazardous conditions. The Golden Eagle project is a great example of this and we’ll be using this year’s OTC to showcase just how relevant and valuable these kinds of solutions are to the offshore industry".

 

The Golden Eagle win is the latest in a line of North Sea contracts for Synectics, its portfolio including end of life upgrade and new system development for platforms including Jasmine/Judy, Jacky, Erskine and Gannet.

 

Synectics’ North Sea success reflects its growing reputation as a developer and provider of large scale solutions for high profile projects across the globe. As well as protecting the entire Shell Pearl GTL project, the world’s largest GTL plant in Laffan Qatar, including CCTV solutions to secure its unmanned offshore platforms, Synectics has also been responsible for developing CCTV monitoring and control systems for projects such as Gorgon in Australia and the Kashagan offshore oilfield in Kazakhstan.

 

For further information on the products, services and systems offered by Synectics’ industrial solutions division, visit stand 2341-F in the UK pavilion at OTC, or email: amedeo.simonetto@synx.com

Foster Wheeler AG has announced that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group has been awarded a contract by a subsidiary of JSC LUKOIL for the supply of a waste heat boiler for the LUKOIL Nizhegorodnefteorgsyntez Refinery in Nizhny Novgorod region, Russia.

 

The waste heat boiler will be installed downstream of a fluid catalytic cracking unit, enabling the production of gasoline that is intended to meet European Union Euro-5 standards. Foster Wheeler has supplied a similar unit to the refinery, which unit has been in operation since 2010 to Lukoil’s full satisfaction. Foster Wheeler’s scope of work is scheduled to be completed by March 2013.

Kjell Eriksson, DNV and Jörgen Josefsson, Senior Advisor at Vattenfall

 

Today, DNV acquires Vattenfall’s shares in STRI to expand its presence in the power transmission sector. "The purchase of 12.5% shares in STRI (Swedish Transmission Research Institute) is a natural step in our drive to support both the electrification of the oil and gas industry, as well as the integration of renewable energy and the large investments in the power transmission sector," said Kjell Eriksson, Director of the Energy Programme at DNV Research and Innovation.

 

"We have known about STRI for many years and started a co-operation agreement in June 2011. Our joint service offering gives us the opportunity to provide integrated solutions to our customers and meet the growing demand in the market place". According to Mr Eriksson, the electrification of both conventional offshore platforms and subsea oil and gas installations, and the growth in offshore wind energy are the main drivers behind the collaboration with STRI. Both drivers will require new technical and operational solutions to power transmission he says.

 

STRI is a specialist consultancy firm providing advanced studies of high voltage power transmission systems and accredited high voltage testing. "By combining STRI’s knowledge in power systems with DNV’s risk management expertise in offshore installations, we can contribute to setting new, smart demands to what is needed to develop the technology and how to make it robust and reliable enough to transmit large amounts of electricity offshore," added Mr Eriksson.

 

"Vattenfall’s use of STRI’s services has declined over the years and we therefore see less of a need to be a partner," said Karl Bergman, Vice President, Research and Development at Vattenfall. "The co-operation has been very fruitful, but as our needs have changed, it is now a good time to liquidate our holdings in STRI. We will certainly continue working with STRI but as an ordinary customer".

 

"Since STRI was founded we have had a very interesting and close collaboration with Vattenfall covering a large number of investigations and R&D projects. It has been a very exciting journey and we are looking forward to keeping our good relations and continuing our businesses with Vattenfall. With DNV as a shareholder and business partner, the successful development of STRI adds further opportunities for the future. Since our co-operation with DNV started a year ago, it has become very clear to me that our common resources offer very powerful services to the market," said Dan Wikström, STRI President, and added: "DNV is most welcome as a new shareholder in STRI and it will be very exciting to further develop our co-operation".

 

In December last year DNV obtained a controlling stake in Netherlands headquartered KEMA, the global energy consulting, testing and certification company as part of a push to expand its presence in the power generation, transmission and distribution sectors. The acquisition of Vattenfall’s shares in STRI will further strengthen DNV’s position in power systems, particularly in the Nordic countries.

Resistance to new ways of working represents the biggest challenge to realising the full potential of the digital oilfield, according to a poll conducted yesterday at the SPE Intelligent Energy International 2012 exhibition in Utrecht. 60% of participants said resistance to change was the biggest issue, while 40% thought it was not. The poll was conducted by BP on the final day of IE2012, which attracted business leaders and senior engineering professionals from across the world.

 

Under the theme empowered by realtime, BP has posed choices for the next phase in the development of the digital oilfield at IE2012. The company has shared its experience from the ongoing development of its Field of the Future programme to discuss the choices, challenges and changes faced by the industry in progressing the application of ‘Intelligent Energy’. The Field of the Future programme was established at BP 10 years ago and routinely supports more than 80% of its top producing wells - more than 1 million boe per day of BP net production.

 

Steve Roberts, Vice President of the Field of the Future technology flagship, BP, said: "The development of the digital oilfield has come a long way in a relatively short time, but it still has a long way to go. At BP we believe in the need to develop a digitally focused next generation deep capability to make a strategic shift in how to manage reservoirs and operate fields. The complete realisation of the digital oilfield will have a major impact in operations and production.

 

"It has to be a concern that IE2012 delegates believed resistance to changing work practices due to new technology could impede that development. We in BP believe that standing still is not a viable option, and that it’s our responsibility as an industry to encourage a culture shift and acceptance of the new. Failure to do so will result in a significant loss of opportunity which none of us can afford".

 

BP conducted three delegate polls this week, one for each full day of IE2012. Delegates have also been asked to vote on whether digital oilfield concepts would deliver higher levels of automation and integration, leading to greater value, and if digital oilfield technologies would attract the next generation of professionals into the industry.

Global leader in subsea and offshore grouting, FoundOcean has announced that its expanded Offshore Service Base in Livingston, Scotland will see it doubling the number of employees the company has based there, including offshore personnel.

 

A specialist provider of support services for the energy construction sector, FoundOcean has seen growth in demand from the development of European offshore wind farms, along with ongoing work in the global oil and gas sector. The company’s growth is forecast to continue in the foreseeable future.

 

The announcements were made at the official opening ceremony of the upgraded Livingston facility by FoundOcean CEO, Jim Bell, who stated: "We are proud to be part of Scotland’s energy supply chain and our expansion in Livingston represents our continued commitment to investing in people, products, research and development. The newly expanded facilities will help cement our position in Scotland as the world’s leading offshore grouting specialists".

 

Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism, Fergus Ewing, pictured, also spoke at the event: "Scotland is a world leader in developing and investing in energy production. FoundOcean’s contribution to our energy supply chain is welcome and reinforces Scotland’s position as a global hub of innovation, investment and expertise in both the offshore renewables and oil and gas sectors".

 

FoundOcean was born out of the Wimpey Laboratories site at Livingston in 1966, and has kept a base there to this day. The newly expanded Offshore Service Base has significantly improved the company’s ability to manage multiple offshore projects simultaneously and has benefited from being able to recruit staff from the Scottish Central Belt’s wealth of talented engineers, mechanics, welders, offshore personnel and other skilled craftsmen.

The well is being drilled by the Stena DrillMAX drillship (Photo Stena Drilling Ltd - www.stena-drilling.com

 

Statoil together with operator Repsol Sinopec and partner Petrobras has confirmed a high-impact discovery in the Pão de Açúcar prospect located in the BM-C-33 block in the Campos Basin. The well is located some 195 kilometres offshore Rio de Janeiro State in 2800 metres of water.

 

The Pão de Açúcar well encountered two pre-salt accumulations comprising a hydrocarbon column of 480 metres with a total pay of around 350 metres. A test performed in a partial section of the pay zone flowed 5000 barrels per day of light oil and 28.5 million cubic feet per day of gas. This was a choked Drill Stem Test (DST) with very limited drawdown. The Pão de Açúcar discovery is the third find made in the BM-C-33 block after Seat and Gávea and confirms the area’s high potential.

 

"The development potential of the Pão and Gávea discoveries will now be evaluated by the partnership. This discovery increases our understanding of the pre-salt potential in the Campos Basin and improves our confidence in the recently acquired acreage position in the pre-salt Kwanza basin of Angola," said Executive Vice President for Exploration in Statoil, Tim Dodson. "Statoil’s exploration strategy focuses on high impact opportunities and the deepening of core areas. The Pão de Açúcar success shows that we are delivering on our strategy".

 

"Statoil has clear ambitions to grow in Brazil through new exploration opportunities. The Pão discovery will become an important building block in our growth ambitions," said Kjetil Hove, Country President for Statoil in Brazil.

 

Repsol Sinopec is operator of the exploration consortium with a 35% stake. Partners Statoil and Petrobras hold respective 35% and 30% shares. Statoil is also the operator of the Peregrino field in Brazil, which came on stream in April 2011. The Pão discovery is the sixth high impact discovery made by Statoil in the last 12 months. The other discoveries are Skrugard and Havis in the Barents Sea, Johan Sverdrup (former Aldous/Avaldsnes) in the North Sea, Peregrino South in Brazil and Zafarani in Tanzania.

Barrie Horsburgh has joined engineering firm Jee. Barrie brings with him considerable subsea controls and Intervention Workover Control Systems (IWOCS) experience gained across different continents and through a range of high-profile subsea projects. He is a skilled project manager and has understanding of deep water wells in the UK, Brazil and North and West Africa.

 

"Jee has some interesting projects on the go. I’m looking forward to getting involved with them, and to building a new subsea controls team," said Barrie. Jee is a subsea engineering and training company with offices in London and Aberdeen. As well as detailed design, FEED, integrity management and engineering analysis services, it also specialises in complex subsea challenges such as vortex induced vibrations, overtrawling and intelligent pigging.

 

Jee is an independent firm of engineers specialising in pipeline, riser and subsea engineering services and training for the oil and gas and renewables industries. Jee provides whole-life engineering solutions for oil and gas pipelines and risers and offshore wind farm cables including: research and feasibility studies; design, construction and installation analysis; integrity management and decommissioning. Jee’s training courses are delivered worldwide with regular public courses held in Aberdeen, Houston and Perth and on demand in Kuala Lumpur and Abu Dhabi.

 

Jee has offices in Aberdeen and London, is certified by Lloyd’s Register QA to ISO9001 for the ‘provision of engineering, design, integrity management and technical training services for subsea pipelines, risers and structures’ and is proud to be an Investor in People (IIP) Gold standard. To find out more about Jee visit:

Digital oilfield technologies will encourage the next generation of young professionals into the oil and gas industry, according to a poll conducted yesterday at the SPE Intelligent Energy International 2012 exhibition in Utrecht. 63% of participants said young professionals would be encouraged by the new technology, while 37% thought they would not. The poll was conducted by BP on the second day of IE2012, which is expected to attract more than 2000 business leaders and senior engineering professionals from across the world.

 

Under the theme ‘empowered by realtime’, BP is posing choices for the next phase in the development of the digital oilfield at IE2012. The company is drawing on its experience from the ongoing development of its Field of the Future programme to discuss the choices, challenges and changes faced by the industry in progressing the application of ‘Intelligent Energy’. It is 10 years since the Field of the Future programme was established, and in that time effective solutions have been deployed into eight of BP’s operating regions; Alaska, Angola, Azerbaijan, the Gulf of Mexico, Indonesia, the North Sea (UK and Norway), Oman and Trinidad.

 

Steve Roberts, Vice President of the Field of the Future technology flagship, BP, said: "We are all aware of the skills shortage which faces our industry and the need to attract the engineers of tomorrow. We have to ask ourselves what these people want to achieve, what working practices would encourage and inspire them and what we must do to secure their commitment. The fact that delegates at IE2012 believe the next generation of professionals will find digital oilfield technologies to be a significant attraction is a real endorsement of the work being done to sustain the lifeblood of our industry. It gives us encouragement that we are on the right track".

 

BP is conducting three delegate polls this week, one for each full day of IE2012. Delegates are also being asked to vote on whether digital oilfield concepts will deliver higher levels of automation and integration, leading to greater value, and if resistance to new ways of working is the biggest challenge to realising the full potential of the digital oilfield. To participate in the polls, visit BP at stand B50.

SNC-Lavalin has announced that it has signed a project management contract with Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) for the Delta Caribe Oriental project. The value of the contract is approximately $133 million CDN.

 

The Delta Caribe Oriental project is in Sucre State in northeastern Venezuela and consists of four offshore gas fields; Dragon, Patao, Mejillones and Rio Caribe, as well as a substantial onshore development for industry, named Complejo Industrial Gran Mariscal Ayacucho (CIGMA).

 

Working closely with PDVSA, SNC-Lavalin’s project management team will supervise the work of contractors who will be providing engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning services for the offshore and onshore facilities. There are also major social and infrastructure aspects to the project, which will serve to develop the Güiria region, including programmes to train Venezuelan personnel to operate and maintain the facilities.

 

"This type of technological alliance in the offshore sector strengthens and increases knowledge in all our businesses, including civil engineering in ports, airports, docks and subsea gas pipelines. The work that we have awarded to SNC-Lavalin results from years of studies," said Douglas Sosa, General Manager, Offshore Division, PDVSA. "Taking into account the magnitude of our projects, we have decided to create a high-performance team with state-of-the-art technology and the experience we need to develop the gas supply belt and the social infrastructure required in Sucre State".

 

"We are very pleased to support PDVSA in this complex, multi-faceted project, which has a range of challenges very well aligned to SNC-Lavalin’s capabilities in engineering, construction and operations and maintenance," said Andy Mackintosh, Executive Vice-President, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. The initial mobilisation is underway at the project’s offices in Caracas, Cumaná, London and Houston.

 

SNC-Lavalin is one of the leading engineering and construction groups in the world and a major player in the ownership of infrastructure, and in the provision of operations and maintenance services. SNC-Lavalin has offices across Canada and in over 40 other countries around the world, and is currently working in some 100 countries. For more information please contact: sncl.uk@snclavalin.com

Bury based cable and pipe seal manufacturer Roxtec says it plans to ramp up its work in the cruise sector after acquiring Kent based Sleev-it Fire Systems Ltd. Roxtec’s Marketing Director Ola Weidenberg said the acquisition of the innovative manufacturer will broaden Roxtec’s offering to the global marine sector.

 

"The marine sector is a key industry for Roxtec where we have extensive experience, expertise and contacts," she said. "Sleev-it manufactures fire penetration seals for plastic pipes for the cruise industry, a sector with real growth potential. Roxtec’s international reach will enable us to market Sleev-it’s marine rated seals to the UK and global marine industry. This is a vital area of safety for the maritime sector and we will be vigorously promoting Sleev-it’s exciting range of products which complement our existing product range so well. We will be targeting the refit, conversion and new build markets".

 

For further details on Roxtec’s seals contact:

Tel +44 (0)161 761 5280

Email Graham.OHare@uk.roxtec.com

"Usan represents an important milestone in progressing Chevron’s queue of major capital projects," said Vice Chairman George Kirkland. "The project demonstrates our growth in West Africa, which is a leading global resource basin".

 

Discovered in 2002, the Usan field is located approximately 62 miles (100 kilometres) off the coast of the Niger Delta in water depths of about 2400 feet (750 metres). The project will utilise a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel with a storage capacity of two million barrels of oil and a maximum total daily production capacity of 180,000 barrels of crude oil. Associated gas will be re-injected in the reservoir. Partners in the Usan project include Chevron Petroleum Nigeria Limited (30%), Total E&P Nigeria Limited (20% and operator), Esso E&P Nigeria (Offshore East) Limited (30%) and Nexen Petroleum Nigeria Limited (20%).

 

Usan is Chevron’s second deepwater project in Nigeria. The Agbami project achieved first oil in 2008 and is currently producing approximately 240,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Chevron holds a 67.3% interest and operates the Agbami project.

Scantec - one of the UK’s leading suppliers of specialist resources - says it is specifically gearing its business towards an anticipated upturn in fortunes for the highways maintenance and management sector.

 

Andrew Wilmitt, Infrastructure Team Manager with the North West-based firm said: "There is a growing realisation that the UK’s highways network needs considerable investment rather than short-term repairs if it is to support the growth of our economy. A sustained programme of maintenance or construction, whether it is government or privately funded, inevitably creates a demand for skilled workers.

 

"Even before David Cameron’s speech to the Institute of Civil Engineering (19 March) during which he talked about leasing parts of the road network to private sector wealth funds and investors, there have been signs of infrastructure projects tempting workers to stay in the UK and even tempting some to come back from overseas jobs.

 

"We have personnel who are part of this homeward drift from places such as Dubai where they and their families have been for several years. In some cases it is because major projects of the last decade are nearing an end but also because of the relative buoyancy in the jobs market for workers with the right skills. It is not a rush of workers but I think the slow shift is a significant indicator for the future, especially if the Government presses ahead with its proposal to seek private investment in the UK highways network".

 

Mr Wilmitt said the UK’s growing number of managed motorways featuring active traffic management (ATM) technology to improve traffic flow and the restricted use of hard shoulders is one of several infrastructure initiatives already attracting skilled workers. The Government is keen to develop the concept of managed motorways across the UK because they are quicker, cheaper and more environmentally friendly to implement than road-widening schemes.

 

Other major current infrastructure projects include transport to support the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. Long-term private finance initiatives (PFIs) such as the new £2.7bn highways deals between Birmingham City Council and Amey, and the ongoing £500m highways contract between Portsmouth City Council and Colas are also illustrative of an upbeat jobs sector.

 

Scantec was launched in 1990 supplying personnel to petrochemical, mechanical, pharmaceutical and civil industries. During two decades of rapid expansion the company’s annual turnover has topped £60m, making Scantec a top 10 UK technical and engineering recruiter.

© 1996-2012 BP p.l.c.

 

A BP poll shows delegates at SPE Intelligent Energy International 2012 believe digital oilfield concepts will deliver higher levels of automation and integration, leading to greater value.

 

Oil and gas industry professionals are confident that the development of the digital oilfield will increase operational value through higher levels of automation and integration according to a poll conducted yesterday at the SPE Intelligent Energy International 2012 exhibition in Utrecht. 100% of participants said digital oilfield concepts would lead to greater value, while none thought they would not.

 

The poll was conducted by BP on the first day of IE2012, which is expected to attract more than 2000 business leaders and senior engineering professionals from across the world. Under the theme ‘empowered by realtime’, BP is posing options to consider for the next phase in the development of the digital oilfield at IE2012. The company is drawing on its experience from the ongoing development of its ‘Field of the Future’ programme to discuss the choices, challenges and changes faced by the industry in progressing the application of ‘Intelligent Energy’.

 

It is now 10 years since the ‘Field of the Future’ programme was established in BP, and the company is significantly ahead of its initial target timing for delivery. At the end of 2011, production increase resulting from the application of proprietary ‘Field of the Future’ solutions was assessed as 73,000 barrels of BP net oil equivalent a day - two years ahead of the plan set internally to reach a target of 100,000 barrels a day by 2017.

 

Steve Roberts, Vice President of the Field of the Future technology flagship, BP, said: "BP has a clear vision of how we see the concept of the digital oilfield developing in years to come, and the significant role it will play in enhancing value. It is encouraging that the IE2012 delegates share our belief in the importance the digital oilfield will play in the future".

 

BP is conducting three delegate polls this week, one for each full day of IE2012. Delegates are also being asked to vote on whether digital oilfield technologies will attract the next generation of professionals into the oil and gas industry, and if resistance to new ways of working is the biggest challenge to realising the full potential of the digital oilfield. To participate in the polls, visit BP at stand B50.

Sandvik is launching a free ‘Bar converter’ app for iPhone and iPad, which quickly calculates the potential savings when changing from solid stainless steel bar to Sanmac^® hollow bar. The app is developed to help design engineers, mechanical workshop operators and customers in general, who currently machine holes in the centre of solid stainless steel bar, to estimate the potential savings that could be achieved by switching over to Sanmac^® hollow bar.

 

The ‘Bar converter’ app is easy to use. By simply entering data, such as component dimensions, bore diameter and the number of machined items, it quickly calculates the estimated cost savings possible when switching from solid bar to hollow bar. It incorporates a number of features including options to handle metric as well as imperial sizes and can operate in English, German or Italian, as well as across three currencies: EUR, USD and GBP.

 

"Our intention in developing the Sandvik ‘Bar converter’ app is to help customers to identify potential savings," explained Birgitta Larsson, Product Specialist for hollow bar at Sandvik. This app clearly demonstrates the potential raw material savings that can be achieved and aids machine shop customers weigh up the advantages of specifying hollow bar for appropriate machining contracts". The Sandvik ‘Bar converter’ app is available to download free from the Apple App store:

SGS has been awarded a contract to provide drilling equipment inspection (DEI) for Maersk Drilling in Australia. For the duration of the contract, scheduled for three weeks, the SGS team of experts inspected 400 sections of drill pipe, drill collars and heavy weight drill pipe. This process detected defects and discontinuities to ensure the safety and reliability of the drilling equipment in time for rig mobilisation in Egypt in February.

 

Pipes, rigs, and oilfield tubulars are vulnerable to internal and external corrosion, cracking, third-party damage and manufacturing flaws. To guarantee smooth operations with such expensive equipment and to detect defects and discontinuities in the material, professional drilling equipment inspection is indispensable for companies in the upstream oil sector.

 

In order to ensure the safety and reliability of the drilling equipment for rig mobilisation in Egypt, Maersk Drilling, part of the AP Moller - Maersk Group, which is involved in a wide range of activities within the energy, shipbuilding, manufacturing and retail industries, sought a reliable inspection, verification, testing and certification company. Thanks to its long-term experience and first-rate competence in the oil and gas sector, SGS was selected from a large number of competitors to perform the drilling equipment inspection for 400 sections of drill pipe, drill collars and Hevi Wate drill pipes in Australia.

 

For the duration of the contract, scheduled from January 12 to early February 2012, SGS’s team of experts monitored the condition of the drill pipes for corrosion, pitting, cuts, gouges, wall loss and fatigue cracks as well as ensuring the operational integrity of the equipment in accordance with the latest regulations and standards. Based on its extensive experience in drilling equipment inspection, SGS inspected drill pipes, drill collars and Hevi Wate drill pipes by applying a wide portfolio of testing methods, including magnetic particle testing, liquid penetrate inspection, ultrasonic testing and visual inspection in compliance with TH Hill DS-1 Cat 3-5 and TH Hill DS-1 Cat 5 standards.

 

With the help of SGS the drilling equipment was inspected rapidly, in good time for rig mobilisation in Egypt and to the full satisfaction of the client. SGS is confident that its range of professional and timely services will build a good foundation for future co-operation with Maersk Drilling.

Enclosure manufacturer Intertec is making it easy to deploy advanced laboratory-grade instrumentation in the field with the launch of an explosion proof protection option. A new inert gas pressurisation system allows its protective cabinets or enclosures to house laboratory-style equipment that is non explosion protected - such as analysers and sensors - in IEC-Ex and ATEX Zone 1, 21, 2 or 22 hazardous areas.

 

Intertec is known for offering an exceptionally broad range of field protection enclosures, which are constructed from high performance grades of GRP (glass reinforced polyester). The new inert gas pressurisation option - InertSyst - extends the types of equipment that plant instrumentation engineers can install in these protective enclosures - providing an unmatched choice of enclosure styles and opening formats, as well as climate protection accessories.

 

A unique aspect of the new Ex p system is that it is certified for use where a hazardous atmosphere might be created inside the enclosure - due perhaps to a hydrocarbon leak from the analyser equipment - as well as more conventional situations where a potential hazard is caused by the atmosphere outside the enclosure. The certification also applies to the system as a whole. This means that Intertec can use the principle for virtually any application, without having to seek re-certification from approvals agencies.

 

According to Martin Hess, CEO of Intertec: "The ability to deploy non Ex approved laboratory equipment in hazardous environments provides considerable flexibility for system installers. They are now able to place the equipment precisely where it is needed. And because Intertec issues the CE certificate of compliance, there is no risk of installation schedules being compromised by lengthy certification procedures".

 

InertSyst - or inert gas purged system - works by maintaining a small overpressure inside the enclosure, in the order of 0.8mbar, of an inert gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide. Many refineries and chemical facilities incorporate air separation plants to produce a source of nitrogen which is piped around the facility. If this is not available, the enclosure can be supplied from a stand alone cylinder.

 

The introduction of InertSyst extends Intertec’s ability to provide explosion-proof enclosure systems, enabling it to help clients achieve site-wide standardisation of field-based equipment and thereby reduce their total cost of ownership through easier procurement, maintenance and spares holding.

 

Intertec designs and manufactures probably the world’s broadest selection of field protection enclosures and cabinets, and the new InertSyst gas purge system is suitable for use with most of these - up to sizes providing some 6000 litres capacity. The technique can accommodate enclosures fitted with intrinsically safe heaters of up to 400W dissipation, provided that they are designated T3 or T4 and are ATEX approved. Typically this would comprise an Intertec explosion-proof electric heater and smart controller combination. The inert gas is introduced via a solenoid valve, controlled by an application-specific electronics module which monitors internal and external pressure; the minimum and maximum internal pressures are programmable. Intertec offers a choice of digital (on-off) or proportional solenoid valves, to best suit the application.

 

The nitrogen purging and pressurisation process depends upon the particular application and its environment. For Zone 1 or 2 applications, where an external explosive gas or vapour atmosphere might be present, the enclosure is initially thoroughly purged with nitrogen to remove all oxygen before any protected devices are energised. Zone 21 or 22 applications, where the potential hazard is created by dust in the atmosphere, do not require this initial purging.

 

Subsequently, provided that the instrumentation is not capable of leaking hazardous gas, the control module simply causes sufficient nitrogen to be injected periodically to compensate for natural leakage, maintaining a slight positive pressure inside the enclosure to prevent ingress of an explosive mixture. However, if the instrumentation is itself capable of compromising the integrity of the enclosure by leaking hydrocarbons, then the system has a continuous flow mode which continuously feeds a higher, but still carefully regulated, quantity of nitrogen through the enclosure to dilute the hazardous gas before dispersing it into the atmosphere.

 

When fitted with InertSyst, Intertec’s enclosures fully comply with the IEC EN 60079-2 standard for equipment protection provided by pressurised enclosures in explosive atmospheres. Intertec’s new InertSyst is also available for cabinets and enclosures produced by other manufacturers. For more information please visit:

Siemens press picture

 

Siemens Energy has received an order for a steam turbine generator to be used in a waste-to-energy plant equipped with combined power and heat generation in Plymouth, England. The customer is Imtech Deutschland GmbH & Co KG, a leading provider of technical building services equipment, based in Planegg near Munich. As the general contractor for the Water-Steam-Cycle, Imtech will construct the plant for the Mannheim-based EfW specialist MVV Umwelt. Once commissioned in 2014, the power plant - with an electrical capacity of up to 25 megawatts - is designed to cover the heat demand of Plymouth’s naval base, cost-effectively and with low CO2 emissions.

 

The waste-to-energy plant in Plymouth is expected to use 245,000 metric tonnes of household, business, and industrial waste to generate electricity and heat by means of combined heat and power generation to ensure a reliable heat supply for Plymouth’s naval base. Construction of the power plant, with an installed electrical capacity of 25MW and a maximum process steam extraction of up to 30 tonnes per hour, is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2012, with commissioning scheduled for 2014. Siemens is responsible for the delivery, installation, and commissioning of the SST-400 steam turbine, including gearboxes and oil system as well as the electrical generator and auxiliary systems. The steam generator installed in the plant produces steam that drives the turbine to ultimately produce electricity.

 

The plant is being built adjacent to the naval base in Plymouth in south west England. It will provide the base with a reliable and economical heat supply. Additionally, most of the electrical energy produced will be used at the naval base. The British Defense Ministry’s Devonport naval base, located on the west side of the city, is the biggest naval port in Western Europe and also Plymouth’s biggest employer. "The SST-400 is one of our most versatile industrial steam turbines," said Markus Tacke, CEO of the Industrial Power Business Unit within Siemens Energy. "With an installed capacity of up to 25MW, the flexible steam turbine has proven itself to be a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution in a wide variety of applications".

On Friday 23 March, Pipex px® was honoured to host Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal at their multi award winning facility in Plymouth to officially open the Pipex px® Skills and Innovation Centre. Following the presentation of Member of Parliament for Plymouth Moorview, Ms Alison Seabeck by Pipex px® Chairman and Founder Alan Smith, Her Royal Highness enjoyed refreshments coupled with a company briefing by Marketing Director Sarah Raynor.

 

A facility tour followed hosted by Pipex px® Co-Chief Executives Tom Smith and William Murphy, incorporating each of the manufacturing divisions, Thermoplastic Pipes and Products and Structural Composites and Composite Pipes during which Her Royal Highness was introduced to and spoke with a number of Pipex px® employees including Technical Director Matt Hewstone and Senior Project Manager Brian Dunn who gave a brief on Pipex px® involvement with the Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier project.

 

The Princess Royal was then escorted to the Skills and Innovation Centre. A briefing was given by Mr Smith and Mr Murphy regarding the work undertaken in the facility together with a number of current innovations. During this period a number of additional introductions were made to Pipex px® directors, managers, staff and customers and to everyone’s delight Her Royal Highness kindly took time to engage each person in conversation.

 

Alan Smith accompanied The Princess Royal to a staged area, pictured above, where he gave a short speech thanking Her Royal Highness for attending the prestigious occasion and also thanking Pipex px® employees and customers, Her Royal Highness was then invited to unveil a plaque, officially marking the Pipex px® skills and Innovation Centre as open. The afternoon was completed with a presentation of posy’s by CEO William Murphy’s two daughters Ellie (aged 10) and Isla (8) and Her Royal Highness’s signing of the company visitor book.

 

Alan Smith, Pipex px® Chairman said: "I started Pipex px® 36 years ago as a one man band working from a small office in Westerham, Kent, providing design and fabrication of chemical resistant thermoplastics pipe work systems, chambers, vessels and technical services to the evolving Middle East market.

 

"The company has progressed from this modest base to employing a workforce of 130 employees who are committed to the development of our own unique range of products, technical services, bespoke systems, including GRP process/industrial pipe work, and a range of composite structural products that encompass engineered design of major structures such as bridges, platforms etc. Success and the continued development is due to the hard work of all my colleagues at Pipex px® whose ethos is ‘The customer is king’. Their achievements are acknowledged by the visit today of HRH The Princess Royal".

 

Tom Smith, Joint Chief Executive Officer said: "Our success is driven by our people and in constantly developing our business ethos, that includes ‘producing excellence’. The owners and directors of Pipex px® are extremely proud of our staff and their outstanding global achievements in leading our unique British construction innovation and manufacturing capabilities from within the heart of both Plymouth and Glasgow, culminating in the kind visit today by HRH The Princess Royal to open our new Pipex Future Skills and Innovation Centre".

 

William Murphy, Joint Chief Executive Officer said: "I joined Pipex px® in 1987 and have seen the advancement of the company over the last 25 years. Hosting a visit from HRH The Princess Royal really highlights the journey we have been on and is a great honour for all of us at Pipex px®. Today we are celebrating the achievements of our organisation and extending our thanks to all our staff, customers, suppliers and business associates so it’s a milestone event in our company history".

 

For further information please contact Claire Burgwin:

Tel +44 (0)1752 581 200

Email claireburgwin@pipexpx.com

SGS, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, is participating in the 12th China International Nuclear Industry Exhibition (NIC) 2012 in Beijing, China on 3 - 6 April 2012 for the first time. During the event, SGS will showcase its wide range of services for the nuclear industry at stand A09.

 

With the increasing capacity of China’s nuclear power industry, the China International Nuclear Industry Exhibition, held at the China National Convention Center Beijing, is one of the largest and most important nuclear events worldwide.

 

The four-day event presents a perfect occasion for SGS to demonstrate its wide portfolio of services for the nuclear sector, including work supervision, non-destructive testing, inspection, radioprotection, training, QHSE audit and certification, environmental analysis and laboratory and equipment testing. The event is also a great opportunity to meet potential business partners.

 

With its comprehensive nuclear services, SGS ensures that possible nuclear power plant risks are mitigated and that installations, materials, equipment, facilities and projects meet all quality and performance requirements.

The JT Day building in Wangara

 

The MacLean Electrical Group is a world class electrical integrator specialising in the supply and management of IEC and IEC Ex electrical equipment, lighting systems and electrical cables for onshore, offshore and renewable energy, petrochemical, process, marine, industrial and infrastructure applications worldwide.

 

Following awards to supply electrical cables for the Chevron Gorgon LNG project and other LNG developments in the region, the MacLean Electrical Group, through its wholly owned Australian business JT Day Pty Ltd, has secured two frame agreement awards from Bechtel for the Chevron operated Wheatstone Project.

 

Wheatstone is one of Australia’s largest resource projects and involves the construction of two liquefied natural gas (LNG) trains and a domestic gas plant 12km west of Onslow on the Pilbara coast. Gas will be transported via a pipeline from an offshore processing platform 225km off the coast to the onshore facilities. First LNG shipments are planned for 2016. The contracts were secured following significant involvement and close co-operation between the MacLean Electrical Group’s Houston, UK and Australian business units, with much of the initial negotiation being undertaken in Houston.

Valerie and Alfie Cheyne

 

At the 8th Institute of Directors (IoD) Scotland - Director of the Year Awards held in Glasgow, Alfie Cheyne, CEO, ACE Winches was announced as the Aberdeen and Grampian Regional Director winner.

 

The winners for each IoD category were revealed at the celebrated annual business awards ceremony. Guests were welcomed by the new Chairman of IoD, Ian McKay and Kaye Adams returned to host the evening’s proceedings. John Swinney, MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, gave the keynote speech and the after-dinner entertainment was provided by jazz sensation The Singing Butcher Iain Hunter.

 

Alfie Cheyne summed up the third award received in less than a week, as another fantastic accolade and stated he was delighted to accept on behalf of everyone at ACE Winches who work alongside him, and his wife and business partner, Valerie Cheyne CFO. Alfie and Valerie were accompanied to the awards in Glasgow, with a number of their management team. Recently, at the 26th Offshore Achievement Awards, hosted by the Society of Petroleum Engineers, ACE Winches was named the Export Achievement Winner and presented with a Highly Commended Award for Great Large Company.

 

David Watt, Executive Director of the IoD said: "The submissions this year have become synonymous with recognising and celebrating the successes of Scotland’s business leaders and their efforts to drive forward innovation and growth for their organisation and the economy. Even in these challenging times, we have leaders in all aspects of our society who are making a real difference. As in previous years, the final judging was immensely difficult, and to simply be nominated is a major achievement in itself".

On 16 - 19 April 2012, SGS will attend EWEA 2012, Europe’s premier wind energy event, in Copenhagen, Denmark. At stand E-C79, SGS’s team of experts will demonstrate the wide portfolio of renewable energy services SGS has on offer. SGS, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing, and certification company, is one of over 400 exhibitors taking part in EWEA 2012 at the Bella Centre.

 

EWEA 2012 is Europe’s premier wind energy event, combining a comprehensive, high-quality conference with a first class exhibition and incomparable networking opportunities. With over 10,000 professionals from around the world expected to attend, the event is a perfect meeting place for anyone interested in discovering the latest industry best practices, creating new business opportunities with global contacts in a flourishing market and networking with international leaders.

 

The four-day event provides an exciting opportunity for SGS to showcase its wide portfolio of renewable energy services and meet potential business partners. Attendees will have a unique chance to learn more about project finance, in-service inspection, quality, health, safety and environment management, project execution and project certification in the renewable energy sector.

 

In connection with the development of the world’s first seabed gas compression facility on the Åsgard field, Technip Norway has been awarded the contract for the marine operations of the project. The contract is valued at NOK1.2 billion.

 

Åsgard seabed gas compression is expected to increase recovery from Mikkel and Midgard by roughly NOK278 million barrels of oil equivalents. The contract for marine operations is one of several major contracts awarded in connection with the decision to adopt new technology in order to increase recovery and maintain production on the Åsgard field in the Norwegian Sea.

 

"Åsgard seabed gas compression will have a major impact on increased recovery and on the total value added by the Norwegian continental shelf. Åsgard gas compression will help boost considerably the recovery rate and lifetime of several gas fields," said Head of Production for the Åsgard area, Astrid Jørgenvåg.

 

Åsgard, which is a central hub on Haltenbanken and a significant oil and gas producer in the Norwegian Sea, is the first field in the world to start using seabed gas compression. "This project represents a quantum leap in seabed technology and is an important step towards the realisation of Statoil’s ambition to develop a complete subsea factory," said Senior Vice President for Technology Excellence, Siri Espedal Kindem.

 

The contract for marine operations includes the installation of control and power umbilicals, structures, diverless tie-ins and connection to existing subsea infrastructure. The marine operations on the Åsgard field will be carried out in the course of 2013 and 2014.

 

The contract will account for approximately 50 jobs for Technip in Oslo and Stavanger over a three-year period. The contract also involves manufacturing requirements that will entail the potential for significant deliveries by sub-contractors. Partners on the Åsgard field are: Petoro AS (35.69%), Statoil (operator, 34.57%), Eni Norge AS (14.82%), Total E&P Norge AS (7.68%) and ExxonMobil Development Norway (7.24%).

Hydratight’s experience and quality has won the company a major MORGRIP connector contract with government-run Israel Natural Gas Lines in Tel Aviv.

 

In 2005, Hydratight was hired to help repair a subsea 30in main gas pipe which supplies the fuel to provide 25% of the country’s electrical power. Pipelines rarely have a more critical role in national power generation. Damage caused by a ship’s anchor was repaired in under 24 hours - thanks to the use of MORGRIP, Hydratight’s unique weldless connectors.

 

To guard against the possibility of future damage in this super-critical supply pipe, INGL later decided to acquire contingency facilities. Though Hydratight’s MORGRIP team didn’t present the lowest-priced tender, INGL realised MORGRIP was the best solution and has acquired two more MORGRIP 30in connectors (pictured above) and associated components.

 

"What swung it for us, apart from our track record and a quick, secure repair the first time, was the solid expertise and engineering advice we were able to offer INGL," said MORGRIP team leader Paul Hughes. "We supported the company with drawings, installation procedures and maintenance and storage procedures even before the order was won and that information filled-in many of the customer’s knowledge gaps".

 

INGL now effectively has a rapid-repair kit, which can be brought into use by its own experts very quickly. The connectors will stand in specially-made storage bags that provide a stable environment and prevent corrosion. "This was a definite case of solid engineering expertise paying off on a very high profile emergency repair project," said Paul. "If repairs are needed, our engineers will assist in deploying the connectors".

 

Hydratight is hopeful that INGL’s significant future onshore plans will now include other Hydratight products and services. For more information about MORGRIP, email: morgrip@hydratight.com

Siemens seal-less compressor completes test programme for future subsea processing. Siemens press picture

 

Siemens is to take over the Connectors and Measurements Division of Expro Holdings UK, a company specialising in the oil and gas industry. The unit engineers and manufactures subsea components such as cable connectors, sensors and measuring devices under the trade names Tronic and Matre. Tronic stands for electrical connectors that enable both power transmission and communication on subsea installations. Under Matre a wide range of temperature and pressure sensors for subsea use is marketed. This equipment forms a crucial part of the power grid that Siemens is currently developing for use on the sea bed at depths of down to 3000 metres. In calendar year 2011, the Expro division booked sales of about 90 million euros and currently has a workforce of about 450 people in the United Kingdom (Ulverston), Norway (Bomlo), the United States (Houston), Brazil (Niteroi) and Malaysia (Johor).

 

"With this acquisition we are strategically expanding our portfolio in the attractive future market for subsea power grids," said Adil Toubia, CEO of the Oil and Gas Division at Siemens Energy. "We can now enhance our know-how in electrification and our research and development activities with the newly acquired skills. Tronic and Matre products are market leaders and will help us expand our portfolio and further develop our business. That will bring us another step closer to our goal of becoming one of the leading providers of subsea power grid and distribution solutions". Deep-sea applications are one of the fastest-growing market segments within the oil and gas industry. The market volume is expected to reach two billion euros by 2020.

 

A subsea power grid will serve various power consumers such as compressors or pumps operating in the deep sea. In March 2011, Siemens had already acquired the two Norwegian companies Bennex and Poseidon. That brought the company both know-how in subsea power distribution systems and skills in marinisation and general subsea engineering. As part of the Power Grid development programme Siemens last year opened a technology and test centre for subsea equipment in Trondheim, Norway. Over the next few years Siemens, building on its strong subsea competence base in Norway, intends to expand its own subsea activities, also offering its full product range in Houston, Rio de Janeiro and Singapore.

 

Extracting and processing oil and gas is becoming more and more complex as the readily accessible reserves on land are dwindling and new deposits have to be tapped in remote regions and far beneath the sea. The smaller the deposit and the higher the pressure under water, the more difficult it gets to extract and process oil and gas from these fields. At present, this means that 30% less of the raw commodity can be extracted from a deep-sea reservoir than from a similar deposit on land. Extracting and processing oil and gas at depths down to 3000 metres would be unthinkable without a reliable power supply directly on the sea bed. Siemens is currently developing a subsea power grid. This will make it possible to process oil and gas exhaustively and economically on the sea bed, where the components are exposed to high pressures of up to 300 bar (300kg/cm²). The subsea power grid can help to boost the production capacity of a reservoir on the sea bed and exploit even small reservoirs that otherwise would be uneconomical. At the same time it would improve the safety and reliability of the installations.

Centrica plc, the parent company of British Gas, has reached an agreement with Total E&P UK Limited (and its affiliates) to acquire their non-operated portfolio of producing oil and gas assets and associated infrastructure in the Central North Sea (CNS) for a total cash consideration of $388 million (£246 million). Around 20% of the consideration is allocated to UK tax allowances.

 

The portfolio includes seven producing fields in three major areas: Greater Armada, the Alba field and the Mungo and Monan cluster. Centrica’s share in these fields has an estimated 22 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe) of 2P reserves (36% gas, 64% oil), increasing its reserves by approximately 5%, and is expected to produce 9,300boe per day in 2012. The oil and gas is mostly un-contracted and linked directly to the UK market.

 

Mark Hanafin, Managing Director of Centrica Energy said: "Today’s announcement marks another step in the growth of our upstream oil and gas business. This acquisition in the North Sea provides a good fit with our existing portfolio and strategy, bringing strong cash flow and adding value for Centrica. It underlines our commitment to invest where we see attractive opportunities, securing future energy supplies for the UK".

Photo 2012 iStockphoto LP

 

After last year’s disappointment with the Chancellor’s unexpected increased taxation on the UK’s oil and gas industry and the consequent potentially adverse effects on investment and jobs, the industry has welcomed the government’s decision to give tax relief to operators in the UK.

 

The Chancellor announced a series of new field allowances designed to boost investment in deeper, smaller and aging fields. As well as tax relief on the costs of decommissioning redundant platforms and rigs in the North Sea there will be relief of almost $5 billion to encourage investment in developments to the West of Shetlands area, a notoriously challenging location.

 

Malcolm Webb of Oil & Gas UK, with whom the EIC has excellent relations, commented that this was "a very significant step forward," for the UK’s industry and that "Oil & Gas UK is greatly encouraged by the package of tax measures announced by the Chancellor which together will result in tens of billions of pounds of additional investment to develop the UK’s economically important oil and gas reserves." He went on to say: "These measures, when implemented, should result in additional investment of over £10 billion (US$15.8b) and the production of hundreds of millions of barrels of the UK’s oil and gas. It will also help to stimulate exploration for further oil and gas reserves".

 

Last month, a report released by Oil & Gas UK blamed the UK’s unstable tax regime for a record drop in North Sea exploration. Oil & Gas UK is an industry body that represents the interest of operators and contractors working on the UKCS and has expended much effort since the last budget in advising the Treasury of the importance of oil and gas and they are to be congratulated on the success they’ve had with the Government. The EIC has representation on Oil & Gas UK’s Supply Chain Forum.

 

Brian Nixon Chief Executive of Decom North Sea (again an organisation with whom the EIC has excellent relations) was similarly encouraged saying: "We believe the Budget will lead to operators being able to move forward with their decommissioning plans, which will in turn help to reassure the hundreds of supply chain companies and encourage them to consider investment in new equipment or tooling or to attract new staff".

 

Billions of dollars (some say may be as much as $45 billion) over the next 30 years has to be spent on this decommissioning of platforms and the associated infrastructure such as pipelines. On the power side the government will launch a call for evidence on the barriers to investment in new gas generation capacity ahead of a so-called ‘new gas strategy’ in Q3. This follows comments made by energy minister Ed Davey earlier this week that the government would reform electricity market legislation to boost investment in gas, which it sees as playing a major role in the UK energy mix "over the next decade and beyond".

 

In the USA and the UK and indeed globally these are encouraging times for investment in projects creating new opportunities for our members worldwide.

For signatories to the Kyoto Protocol, 2012 is a year of great importance. It’s when parties to the legally binding protocol report on their efforts, in respect of lowering the overall emissions from six greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride, HFCs, and PFCs - calculated as an average over the five-year period of 2008-12.

 

The Kyoto Protocol is flawed of course - the USA is not a signatory, and Canada withdrew in 2011 - but it has proved to be a call to action across many energy-intensive market sectors. What all these sectors have in common is their use of electric motors, which are the single biggest consumer of electricity worldwide. They account for about two thirds of industrial power consumption and about 45% of global power consumption, according to a new analysis by the International Energy Agency.

 

Unsurprisingly, In view of these figures, electric motors have been one of the main target areas for improving energy efficiency. The resulting efforts in this area have generated new energy efficient standards, such as the latest IEC 60034-30:2009, a harmonised IE (International Efficiency) grading standard, which is central to the EU’s new eco-design directive 2005/32/EC.

 

Many manufacturers have anticipated the new standard, and have produced energy efficient products to comply. But is this enough, bearing in mind that every standard is a compromise, in the final analysis? One company, WEG thinks not, and has exceeded the requirements of standards in its latest motor and drive designs - both LV and MV.

 

The first evidence of this approach is WEG’s new WQuattro line of super premium efficiency motors. These employ a hybrid design to achieve the highest efficiency in the market, exceeding the requirements of the impending IE4 Super Premium Efficiency classification across their entire output range.

 

The WQuattro line has been developed for users who consider energy saving a major priority. It is an environmentally- friendly range of motors that, due to its highly efficient performance - with no energy (joule) losses from its rotor - demands less energy from the grid. For the user, this translates into lower total cost of ownership, a reduction in CO2 emissions, and a faster return on investment.

 

The WQuattro is a hybrid motor integrating a conventional three-phase distributed winding, and a rotor with an aluminium cage and internal high energy magnets. This combination makes the WQuattro ideal for direct online starting and acceleration up to synchronous speed. With this type of operation the motor speed does not vary with load, despite overload variations, or cases of voltage drop, as long as the mains frequency is kept constant. Moreover, there is no requirement for positioning/speed sensors, or special protection relays, and the low bearing temperatures that result from synchronous operation also ensure longer life and reduced maintenance for the motors.

 

In addition to developing highly energy efficient motors for general industrial and process applications, WEG has also focussed its design efforts on improving the efficiency of more specialist designs, such as permanent magnet (PM) motors. This technology has tended to be very much on the back burner, due to the design of standard squirrel cage motors, which are relatively inexpensive, robust and reliable, and well proven in operation.

 

WEG’s new WMagnet series of PM motors changes this situation by offering a range of user benefits that bring PM motors into mainstream usage. The WMagnet series delivers higher efficiencies - up to 97.5% - compared to equivalent size induction motors, and reduces size by up to 50% and weight by up to 36%. In addition, the motors are, generally, at least one frame size or core length smaller than the equivalent induction motor, and in some cases can be two frame sizes smaller.

 

The energy efficiency of WEG’s PM design has been demonstrated in one of the prototype applications for the motors, at a textile mill. By replacing standard induction motors used on ring spinning machines with permanent WMagnet motors, the textile plant has reduced its annual power consumption by a massive 33% and increased its machine utilisation by 80%.

 

Both the WQuattro and WMagnet are low voltage motors; however, a substantial section of the motor market is MV, and here, too, the potential for energy efficiency is considerable. WEG is exploiting this potential with its new MV drive, the MVW-01, which achieves 99% efficiency with a unique design that employs multi-level topology to minimise component levels, and high voltage (6.5kV) IBGT’s to reduce motor harmonic currents to extremely low levels.

 

Unlike many MV drives on the market, which have 3 or 5 layer control, the WEG MVW-01 range has just two 2-layers. The benefit of this is a reduction in the number of components in the drive, and commensurate improvements in efficiency and reliability. With energy costs at record levels, the efficiency performance of the MVW-01 drives is all important. It has been calculated that for every 1% of efficiency lost on 1MW drives, the user will pay an extra £5k per year on running costs - and that figure is just for the drive alone.

 

WEG is one of the worlds largest and most successful suppliers of electric motors and related control equipment specialising in both high efficiency motors and units developed for specific industry applications.

HVAC & Refrigeration Engineering is pleased to announce that they have recently signed an agreement with Alpatech Engineering Nigeria Limited, to act as representatives on their behalf in Nigeria.

 

The agreement with Alpatech will provide for HVAC & Refrigeration Engineering’s products and services to be delivered to a wide range of clients in accordance with Nigerian local content legislation. In Addition, HVAC & Refrigeration Engineering is jointly committed to ensuring technology transfer and training of personnel to increase the skills base of Alpatech’s local employees.

 

Raymond Davidson, Managing Director, remarked that: "Following an extensive search for a suitable Nigerian company to partner with we have found a company that for us ‘ticks all the right boxes’. Alpatech Engineering is well established and respected in both Nigeria and Canada and deal with many of our current customers in their own right. As such, the fit and shared experience between the two companies will provide many benefits to our existing clients in Nigeria in particular, and West Africa in general".

In January 2012, SGS was awarded a contract to perform comprehensive third-party services during the building of a compression module for a petroleum platform by one of the biggest national companies offering complete solutions for the infrastructure area in Brazil. For the duration of the contract, scheduled until April 2012, the SGS team of experts will conduct commissioning services in order to ensure the integrity of the process within the planned schedule.

 

Once ready, new industrial plants need a support system to facilitate the transition from construction to operation. For this reason, proper management of plant commissioning is essential for timely and successful plant operation. Since the entire implementation process - from the planning phase right through to operations - presents a substantial challenge for the project owner, it is very important to bring in experts with extensive expertise and experience in commissioning services and management. In order to ensure the integrity of the process within the planned schedule, project owners often look for a reliable inspection, verification, testing and certification company.

 

In January 2012, SGS was awarded a contract to perform complex commissioning services during the building of a compression module for a petroleum platform by one of the biggest national companies offering complete solutions for the infrastructure area in Brazil.

 

For the duration of the contract, scheduled until April 2012, SGS’s team of experts will carry out various tests to verify the functions of the compression module according to its design objectives and specifications. Based on first-rate competence in commissioning, SGS will execute calibrations of instruments, test valves and loops, check all assembly details and support completion of electric assembly.

 

With the help of SGS, the compression module will be successfully guided to operation, within the agreed timescales, and in accordance with technical documentation, standards and requirements.

 

AVEVA has announced that it has opened a new office in Seoul, Korea, that incorporates a dedicated product training centre, following an increased demand for AVEVA solutions. The office will also host sales, marketing, product support, and administration functions for AVEVA customers in Korea.

 

"This new office, in particular the product training centre, enables AVEVA to offer a better service to our customers," said EunJoo Park, Senior Executive Vice President of Korea and Japan division, AVEVA. "We can vastly increase the number of participants at this new training centre, as well as host more meetings. AVEVA has had offices in Korea for over ten years. In this time we have seen an increased demand for trained users in AVEVA products and solutions across the plant and marine industries. We are proud to be able to continue to demonstrate and strengthen our support and commitment to the Korean market".

 

In addition, AVEVA also operates the Marine Technology & Service Centre (MTSC) in Busan, Korea. The role of the MTSC is to provide engineering and research and development support. The new office address is:

 

14th Fl, Haesung 2 Building,

942-10,

Daechi-dong,

Kangnam-gu,

Seoul 135-725,

Korea

 

Sales Tel +82 (0)2 3284 5300

Sales Fax +82 (0)2 3284 5350

Sales email sales.korea@aveva.com

Support email (Marine) support.korea.marine@aveva.com

Support email (Plant) support.korea.plant@aveva.com

Training email training.korea@aveva.com

More engineering-focused education is critical to support UK chancellor George Osborne’s plans for job creation, says Paul Flynn, MD of Earthstaff:

 

"We welcome plans for job creation in today’s budget. The government has a huge opportunity in the form of the energy sector, where the boom in renewable and traditional energy projects across Europe has meant firms are crying out for talented people. However, more effort needs to be made to promote engineering as a viable career to the UK’s younger generations. We need to raise the identity of engineering and ensure that its importance and credibility cascades down to grass roots level so that when a child starts school, instead of wanting to be like Alan Sugar, they are talking about Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Sir James Dyson and James Watt".

North News & Pictures Ltd

 

A&P Tyne ship repair yard has made a good start to 2012 with a multi-million pound order book for the first quarter of the year. The Hebburn yard, which suffered a disappointing end to 2011 with the unexpected loss of an aircraft carrier contract, has bounced back and is now bustling with activity as work progresses on five vessels.

 

Two newly-built subsea construction vessels, chartered by Reef Subsea, are alongside Bede Quay undergoing work which includes changes to the exhaust systems and accommodation areas. The vessels were built in China but arrived at A&P at the end of last month for enhancements which will enable them to better meet the needs of the oil, gas and renewables industries.

 

A&P Tyne Projects Director Darren Brown said: "In addition to the exhaust system changes, we are upgrading the accommodation, increasing the number of cabins and shower facilities and supporting the ROV (remotely operated vehicle) team in rebuilding the ROV control centre. It’s a valuable order, lasting 8 - 9 weeks and the vessels are due to go out on sea trials at the end of this month".

 

The yard also welcomed the recent arrival of the offshore support vessel Normand Oceanic, part of a large fleet operated by Subsea 7, one of the world’s leading subsea engineering and construction companies. A&P Tyne successfully fulfilled four important orders for Subsea 7 last year and is delighted to secure repeat custom. The 156.9 metre long Normand Oceanic is due to undergo electrical work for ROV installation, the installation of new cabling and modifications to bulwarks.

 

Mr Brown added: "It’s scheduled to take 17 days and it’s quite intense, it will be round-the-clock, there’s a lot of equipment to be installed. It’s great to have her in the yard, it’s a big order and this sort of work is our ‘bread and butter’. "It’s wonderful to see the yard busy again, we have over 200 people working here plus 150 sub-contractors, so it’s a hive of activity".

 

Two vessels - the offshore support ship Highland Prestige and the Ugland UR141 barge from Norway - are currently in dry dock undergoing general maintenance work and overhauls, lasting between 7 - 10 days. Mr Brown said: "It’s traditional, dry dock programme work, all of which is very welcome, it keeps business going and people employed".

 

In addition to ship repairs, the yard’s steelwork facilities is working on several fabrication projects, including a big order for Sparrow Baricon, re-building an existing carousel together with a new lay tower for their client Technip Offshore Wind Ltd, scheduled to take four months to complete. The yard has been extremely successful in recent times, completing a major section of the new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth six weeks ahead of schedule last summer, but it suffered a blow last November when BAE Systems decided to reclaim some carrier work it originally intended to sub-contract to A&P.

 

Mr Brown added: "We are dealing with some big companies, such as Subsea 7, and we are now becoming the yard of choice in many instances. It’s not always just down to price, it’s quality and schedule and a major factor is safety - and we have an exceptional safety record".

 

A&P Tyne Managing Director Stewart Boak said: "Following a relatively quiet time at the end of 2011, it’s pleasing to now feel a buzz about the yard. The increase in contracts creates an excellent opportunity for A&P to demonstrate that we can deliver high-quality, on-time, cost effective product to our customers. We are now working extremely hard to secure new contracts for the second half of the year to maintain the momentum we have generated this year to date".

Developed specifically to provide installers with a cost-effective and easy-to-use solution for connecting medium power solar PV installations to the grid, the new PV-DB distribution and protection board from Eaton’s Electrical Sector eliminates the need for cumbersome, costly and inconvenient ad-hoc arrangements and also ensures that the requirements of G59/2 are fully satisfied.

 

A semi-standardised product that is built to order and supplied fully tested and ready for immediate installation and use, the PV-DB board is fast and easy to install, and provides convenient facilities for the paralleling of both single and three-phase inverters, which is a common requirement in commercial PV installations in the size range 20kWp to 250kWp.

 

The PV-DB comprises a standard distribution board section that is sized to suit the number of inverters in the system and their ratings, together with a section that incorporates a G59 protection relay and contactor, a MID-certified kWh meter, a four-pole rotary isolator that is lockable in the off position, and a socket outlet for use with G59 commissioning instruments. Labelling that meets all applicable regulatory requirements is also included as standard.

 

The protection relay fully meets the stipulation that, before they can be connected to the grid, solar PV installations rated at more than 16A per phase must provide the protection specified in the Energy Network Association (ENA) Engineering Requirement (ER) G59/2 and that all systems rated over 50kWp must have a dedicated G59 relay to provide this protection.

 

The kWh meter provides an accurate record of the energy generated by the PV installation, and its readings are suitable for use as the basis for claiming payments under the feed-in tariff scheme.

 

Despite being built to order, PV-DB distribution and protection boards from Eaton’s Electrical Sector are available on short deliveries. Their pricing is also extremely competitive, especially when the savings on installation and commissioning time compared with using ad-hoc solutions are taken into account.

Bifold has announced the introduction of the model VBP series High Flow Volume Booster for pneumatic and gas service. This patent pending unique product, manufactured from 316L stainless steel, performs efficiently with a high flow in both open and close rotation of the actuator.

 

Competitor’s booster valves have a high output flow, but a low exhaust flow. In applications where a fast response time on modulating service, in combination with a fast shutdown time (ESD), is required, the VBP also eliminates the need for an additional poppet or quick exhaust valve to achieve the required closing speeds. This results in reduced material and labour costs and simplifies positioned set up and control.

 

When used with a valve positioner/valve actuator, the VBP is designed to produce fast opening and closing times. This range is also available as a combined filter booster. The range functions with a working pressure range of 2 to 10 bar g, with maximum inlet pressure of 20 bar g and operates at a working temperature of -20ºC to +180ºC. The design offers a choice of two sizes with port threads of 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 3/4", 1" and 2" NPT which allow installation flexibility for easy hookup.

 

The extremely compact modular design eliminates the need for additional quick exhaust valves enabling reduced costs and installation time. Improved system design offers a simple tubed system with one Bifold filter regulator and one volume booster. The advantages = simple to install and faster response times resulting in the lowest cost solution. Conventional systems require multiple filter regulators and multiple volume boosters, the disadvantages = slower response times and requiring balancing of the filter regulators.

 

A soft seat sealing design provides tight shut off to reduce costly air consumption. A bypass needle adjustment fitted as standard across the range eliminates system hunting and provides stability. It is manufactured from 316L stainless steel as standard.

 

Applications include activation of control valves used in chemical, petrochemical, oil and gas, pharmaceutical and food processing markets. This range has been designed and tested at Bifold and supplied for use with the majority of positioner/valve actuator manufacturers. For innovative and reliable valve solutions where more detailed information and a PDF brochure can be down loaded please visit:

BP Norge AS has exercised the two outstanding 14 day options, thereby extending Safe Scandinavia’s operations at Valhall until 1 April 2012. The value of the exercised options is around US$6.8 million.

 

Safe Scandinavia was built in 1984 at the Aker Verdal yard to an Aker H-3.2E design. The rig has a twelve point, all chain mooring system allowing station keeping in the harshest of environments.

 

With a maximum of 583 beds and 59 workstations, together with very high levels of accommodation, good cranage and a high payload capacity, the Safe Scandinavia is the ideal offshore support vessel for construction, commissioning and remedial work.

 

In April 2007, Safe Scandinavia was the first floating accommodation unit to be awarded Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) by the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority.

OAA Winners Alfie Cheyne CEO front row first left and Valerie Cheyne CFO second row first left

 

ACE Winches is delighted to have been presented with two prestigious honours at the 2012 Offshore Achievement Awards (OAA) ceremony in Aberdeen, widely acknowledged as the ‘Industry Oscars’. The 26th Awards were re-launched in October by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Aberdeen Section, recognising excellence, innovation and achievement across the oil and gas sectors and extended to encompass the offshore renewable section.

 

Winning the Export Achievement Award for a second time is a fantastic achievement for Aberdeenshire based ACE Winches. This national honour was first bestowed at the 25th Awards in March 2010. The export award celebrates business growth resulting from successful development of export activity in the offshore energy sector. The judges looked for evidence that businesses had instigated a clear and thorough export strategy and planning process, identified key export markets, achieved a successful market entry strategy and captured market share.

 

In the Great Large Company category, for companies with more than 50 employees operating in the offshore energy industry, judges sought evidence of the company’s development to date and plans for the future success and growth both within the UK and internationally. Due to the quality and standard of entry in this section an award winner was selected and a Highly Commended Award presented, which ACE was delighted to accept.

 

Alfie Cheyne, CEO stated: "It is with great pride and respect to all staff and employees of ACE Winches that I am proud to accept another major award and a separate Commendation which was presented to us at the Offshore Achievement Awards ceremony. ACE won against stiff competition in the category for Export Achievement. We were a close second and Highly Commended as being a Great Large Company against AMEC who employ 27,000 people! It is a fantastic achievement for everyone at ACE and I thank each and every single one of them for their valuable contribution to the success of our organisation".

If you are involved in water purification or waste water treatment, then KROHNE is your perfect partner with its leading edge range of products, which encompass the OPTISENS range of analytical instruments, MAC 100 Converter, as well as the WATERFLUX 3070 flowmeter.

 

Martin Adams, Analytical Sales Manager - KROHNE UK commented: "KROHNE ranks among the world’s leading companies in developing and producing innovative and reliable measuring technology and with over 90 years of experience in manufacturing process instrumentation, KROHNE can not only deliver products but is able to configure entire systems for customer specific requirements. With continued success in other sectors, such as oil and gas, we are now delivering a complete solution for water".

 

The OPTISENS range of pH and ORP analysis instrumentation is available in a wide choice of sensor styles and combinations of different glass and diaphragm materials ensuring the right product for the job. From measuring pure water to the harsher environments of waste water treatment plants these products are perfect for:

 

• Process control and monitoring limit values in water and waste water

• Quality and process control in cooling boiler feed water

• Monitoring pH limit values

• Process control in neutralisation processes

• pH monitoring for CIP systems

 

Designed not only with the application in mind, as with all products in the KROHNE range, user friendliness coupled with ease of installation are key considerations which is easily accomplished thanks to the standardised design and connections. However, further benefits are realised when considering the ‘total cost of acquisition’, as long product life cycles can be achieved due to the high quality and precise glass electrodes and by utilising membranes of highly sensitive special glass (pH) further ensuring low maintenance costs.

 

KROHNE also provide the OPTISENS MAC 100 analytical converter, with its modular design offering great flexibility in designing the system you require enabling you to specify the number and type of signal inputs and outputs and the complexity of the measuring point and the number of parameters.

 

The OPTISENS MAC 100: measure different parameters with one device - this multi-parameter analytical converter is suitable for the measurement of different analytical parameters such as pH/ORP, conductivity and free chlorine. Regardless of which sensor is used or which parameter is being measured - the device offers standardised startup and operation for all, just as its brother, the IFC 100, offers for different electromagnetic flowmeters. The user can also opt to measure two different parameters or to connect two different sensors to one signal converter. This reduces costs as it further eliminates the need to install a second signal converter. If required, the device can also automatically control sensor cleaning.

 

To complete the solution, the KROHNE WATERFLUX 3070 battery powered electromagnetic water meter is fully compliant with the strict European and UK laws, to protect the environment and human health, carrying MCERTS approval. (Environment Agency’s Monitoring Certification Scheme).

 

The WATERFLUX 3070 electromagnetic water meter from KROHNE can be installed virtually anywhere due to its patented measuring tube design. The unique rectangular cross section of the measuring tube ensures a strong, homogeneous magnetic field is formed, making measurement entirely independent of flow profile, and allowing for extremely short inlets and outlets. Even when there is no power supply the WATERFLUX 3070 won’t let you down. It has a battery life of up to 15 years and remote data transmission via a GSM module, making it the ideal solution for remote locations in the water industry where no power connection is available and providing certainty in case of power failure.

 

The WATERFLUX 3070 offers very low installation and maintenance costs as it has no moving parts and an extremely robust metal flow tube with Rilsan® coating:

 

• Battery driven with very low power consumption for use in remote locations

• Easy installation without straight inlet or outlet lengths

• IP68 rated signal converter for submersion in flooded chambers

 

For further details on the entire range of KROHNE products please visit:

Scantec was launched in 1990 supplying personnel to the petrochemical, mechanical, pharmaceutical and civil industries. During two decades of rapid expansion the company’s annual turnover has topped £60 million, making Scantec a top 10 UK technical and engineering recruiter.

 

Fuel suppliers are constantly looking for new and innovative ways of creating low-carbon energy solutions, but it is the nuclear sector which could offer most for specialist employees over the next few years.

 

Scantec Director Adam Spelman said: "The Government’s multi-billion pound 20 year decommissioning programme - alongside the construction of a new generation of reactors - has created employment opportunities among technical, engineering, skilled trades people and management. The key message we continually push with workers is identify and develop your transferable skills so that you have the versatility to switch your career from one sector to another when opportunities arise.

 

"Employers in the nuclear industry, for instance, recognise that hands-on experience in the construction of nuclear plants in the UK is unrealistic because Sizewell B in Suffolk in the mid-90s was the last plant to be commissioned. However, workers with core skills and experience from other sectors can be trained up with the right nuclear knowledge. If they have the appropriate transferable skills they will be in demand".

 

Sites across the UK have been identified for new nuclear power stations - each creating around 10,000 jobs and almost doubling the industry’s contribution to the UK’s energy needs. As well as supplying staff for the nuclear industry, Scantec also specialises in recruiting for the complete range of job roles in the renewable energy sector and the oil and gas industry.

 

Scantec is able to provide all levels of technical, engineering and scientific professionals from skilled trades’ people, multi-disciplined designers through to senior project managers and management with experience across many sectors. The business, based in purpose-built offices in the North West provides recruitment services to organisations located throughout the UK and overseas.

 

For more information on the services offered by Scantec please contact Ivan Sonko, Business Development Manager:

Tel +44 (0)151 666 8934 / +44 (0)7771 855 840

Email IvanS@scantec.co.uk

Siemens is forging ahead with promising marine current turbine technology. The SeaGen installation in the strait of Strangford Lough is located in Northern Ireland.

 

This prototype of a tidal turbine is already demonstrating the successful implementation of power generation using rotors mounted in water. Not least with this project, Bristol-based Marine Current Turbines has developed from a pioneer into a technology leader in tidal turbines with horizontal axes. SeaGen has in the meantime fed more than three gigawatt-hours of electrical energy into the grid. In terms of power generated it is the biggest marine current turbine project in commercial operation to date.

 

The SeaGen facility has been in operation since November 2008. Not far from the small coastal town of Strangford the facility is equipped with two 600kW turbines supplying ecofriendly power to over 1500 households.

© 1996-2012 BP p.l.c.

 

BP will share a review of its innovative Field of the Future programme and pose choices for the next phase in the establishment of the digital oilfield at SPE Intelligent Energy 2012 in Utrecht, Holland from March 27 - 29. Under the theme empowered by realtime, BP will draw on its experiences from its Field of the Future programme to discuss the choices, changes and challenges faced by the industry.

 

It is now 10 years since the Field of the Future concept was established in BP. By seeking to improve decision-making through realtime data-to-decision capabilities in production, operations and reservoir management, BP has faced and overcome many challenges since the Field of the Future initiative was launched.

 

At the end of 2011, production increase resulting from the application of proprietary Field of the Future solutions was assessed as 73,000 barrels of BP net oil equivalent a day - two years ahead of the plan set internally to reach a target of 100,000 barrels a day by 2017.

 

Steve Roberts, Vice President of the Field of the Future Technology Flagship at BP said: "The Field of the Future programme is now an integral element of the company’s approach to delivering major projects and operating fields and this is also becoming recognised by the industry as a whole. There have been a number of benefits as a result and IE12 will enable us to share these experiences and recent developments.

 

"We believe digital oilfields have started to become a key component of how the industry operates, but there are still more opportunities ahead. We are dedicated to the ongoing development of systems and interfaces that the engineers of the future will want to use. Through focusing on a systems approach enabled by the latest technology developments, and empowered by realtime information, BP aims to create a programme that addresses business and operational challenges yet to be faced".

 

To find out more about the BP Field of the Future programme, please visit stand B50 at Intelligent Energy or visit:

Richard Molloy, Sustainability Segment Manager for Eaton’s Electrical Sector, believes that uncertainties over the feed in tariff (FIT) are damaging to the renewable energy sector and, ultimately, to the environment. Here, he explains why.

 

When the FIT scheme was launched on 1 April 2010, it seemed to be an excellent way of encouraging interest in renewable energy and of propelling the nation toward its frighteningly ambitious target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80%, compared with the 1990 baseline, before 2050. The FIT scheme was indeed received with enthusiasm, but the date chosen for its launch proved to be an unfortunate omen of a troubled future.

 

The problem, from the government point of view, was that the FIT scheme was too generous and therefore too popular. Although the money to finance the scheme comes not from taxes but from a levy on energy bills, there was much concern that the scheme was costing too much, and that it was being exploited by institutional investors as a very comfortable source of income.

 

Without doubt, these concerns had some basis in fact, but what happened next can only be described as a massive over reaction. First, from 1 August 2011, the FIT for large schemes was slashed from 30.7p per kWh to 8.5p. This change was announced in advance, and created a huge gold rush of organisations trying to get their PV schemes up and running in time to beat the deadline.

 

Then a loophole was discovered. Schemes over 100kW could be extended after the date of first commissioning with the additional installed capacity also qualifying for the higher initial FIT rate. As a result, many such smaller systems, which could be installed quickly, were built and subsequently expanded. Exploiting this loophole, which was closed on 16 October 2011, created a second gold rush.

 

With the commercial sector hammered by dramatic FIT cuts, attention turned to the domestic sector and, in October 2011, the government started consultations on what actions should be taken. There was, in fact, agreement on all sides that the FIT should be reduced - after all, the price of PV hardware has fallen substantially since 2010 - and the general feeling was that a cut of around 30% would be reasonable.

 

As is well known, that’s not what happened. Not only did the government cut the FIT for domestic installations from 43.3p per kWh to 21p - a reduction of more than 50% - it also attempted to impose the cut retrospectively from 12 December, even though the consultation didn’t close until 24 December. Friends of the Earth and leading suppliers of PV systems, including Eaton’s partner in the sector, Solarcentury, challenged the government’s decision in the courts and won their case. They won again when the government appealed the decision.

 

The current situation is that the government has appealed again, this time to the Supreme Court, and it is expected to be up to a year before the outcome of this appeal is known. In the meantime, no one knows whether the FIT applied to new domestic PV systems installed between 12 December 2011 and 3 March 2012 will be 43.3p or 21p! What they do know, however, is that after 3 March the lower rate will definitely apply, and that the government is proposing significant further cuts in the FIT from July 2012, ranging from 21 to 35% for residential systems and up to 55% for some larger systems, with the level of cut dependent upon the amount of total capacity installed in the UK in March and April.

 

Clearly, the FIT scheme has, in recent months, turned into something of a disaster, but what are the implications of the government’s machination for the renewable energy industry and for the environment?

 

Some might argue that the industry has benefitted from the gold rushes created by each cut in tariff, but this is far from true. Repeated boom-and-bust cycles, especially over a comparatively short time scale, benefit no one. Customers end up paying inflated prices to beat the deadlines, while suppliers struggle to source the materials and labour they need to meet a surge in demand that they know will not be sustained.

 

The situation with regard to domestic installations is particularly interesting. At the peak when customers were trying to beat the December FIT deadline, well over 20,000 systems a week were being installed, but just one week later, this figure dropped to a mere 800. Unsurprisingly, many suppliers of PV equipment were caught out by such a huge change, and have been left greatly overstocked.

 

This has had the unfortunate effect of temporarily depressing prices, providing the government with extra ammunition with which to defend its next cut in FIT. The current low prices are simply a result of overcapacity in the supply chain for PV panels and the need for stockists to clear their shelves, and as such are unsustainable, so what is the real situation in relation to pricing?

 

The truth is that the PV panels themselves have already fallen considerably in price as demand and manufacturing expertise has increased, but they are relatively new technology, and it would not be unreasonable to expect further price reductions in the future, albeit at a reduced rate.

 

The PV panels are, however, only part of a solar power installation. Other key components that make up a substantial proportion of the overall cost include inverters, switches, isolators and protection devices. These are much more mature technologies and, for the most part, the components were already in volume production long before PV systems became popular. They therefore offer much less scope for future price reductions.

 

Hopefully the PV industry will be able to communicate insights like this to the government in such a way that they are properly taken into account in future FIT planning. If they are not, the PV industry will sustain even more damage than it has done over the last year of uncertainty. That can only inhibit the transition to renewable energy, which the government claims it is so committed to promoting.

 

The effect of the uncertainties surrounding the FIT extends much further than the PV industry, however. Like it or not, the money to finance PV schemes initially comes from investors, whether that means banks and building societies who are lending money for individuals to install PV systems on their homes, or institutional investors that are lending money to public bodies and commercial organisations for larger scale PV schemes.

 

And, especially in the present economic climate, investors abhor uncertainty. There is, therefore, little attraction for them to provide funds for renewable energy schemes where the potential rate of return is at the whim of the government, and may even be attacked retrospectively. If there’s no investment money for PV schemes, however, they simply won’t go ahead, and we’ll fall even further behind our aspirations and goals for reducing carbon emissions, with potentially disastrous consequences for the environment.

 

What the industry needs, what the public needs and what the environment needs is for the government to provide a clear and comprehensive road map for the future of the FIT, with provision for tying any further cuts to the real reductions in the costs of installing systems. In short, what we need is certainty, so that we can maintain interest, investment and momentum in renewable energy.

 

Yes, the FIT scheme costs money and will always cost money, but destroying the scheme with ill-advised and ill-informed decisions may end up costing the earth.

Nautronix is delighted to have won the Innovation and Technology Award, sponsored by Simmons & Company International for their NASeBOP (Nautronix Emergency BOP Acoustic Control) System at the Annual Subsea 2012 Business Awards. This prestigious award is a major achievement in recognition of the advancements made through this development; the company has invested $1.5 million this financial year in the product line and has increased the capabilities of current BOP products, which includes improved safety features.

 

Lindsay MacDonald, Director of Technology at Nautronix said: "We at Nautronix are really excited about winning this Innovation and Technology Award, as a company that invests considerable effort into research and development this is a significant achievement in getting our commitment to improving acoustic BOP controls recognised industry-wide. Nautronix continues to develop its unique Acoustic Digital Spread Spectrum (ADS²) techniques in critical subsea positioning and BOP control applications and we are looking forward to developing the next generation of acoustic control systems".

 

Since the tragic Macondo Gulf of Mexico incident, Nautronix reviewed their existing acoustic BOP control and monitoring product line with a focus on improvements to enhance safety, within a very short time the R&D expenditure with a value of £1 million and a year long development programme was approved which now sees this investment coming to fruition with the launch of a 16 channel NASeBOP System. This product expanded on the existing EBOP product which provided high integrity control and monitoring of BOP critical functions both as primary or secondary control in conjunction with the standard BOP umbilical.

 

NASeBOP provides dual redundant capability to acoustically command and monitor specific functions and sensors interfaced via the Acoustic Valve Package, this can include pressure and temperature sensors. The system is fully compliant with all relevant statutory and geographical standards such as NORSOK D-001, Petrobras and API 16D and API 17E. The top-side equipment also includes a unique Emergency Response System (ERS) which is a portable unit that can be stored in a shore based location and in the event of an incident easily mobilised to any field location to provide monitoring capabilities of the subsea equipment and sensors even after a disconnect has taken place.

 

With 12 NASeBOP systems either delivered, or currently in production due for delivery in this financial year the revenue for these units is in excess of $20m which will have all the key features including the ERS. The awarded NASeBOP is being supplied for use on new ultra-deepwater drill ships being built in Korea, along with the Nautronix NASDrill RS925 hydroacoustic positioning system. With four new drill ships for Noble Corporation and three for Rowan Companies Inc with companies like Noble, Rowan and Ensco fully supporting these products on their new builds, it is a great testament to Nautronix’ technology.

 

The industry has been slow in adopting new technology; however Nautronix is now seeing real recognition for reliable digital acoustics for safety critical systems with the industry choosing Nautronix systems for their superior functionality and leading edge technology over alternative products. Nautronix continues to lead the way in improving the reliability of digital acoustics through its core technology ADS2 (Acoustic Digital Spread Spectrum) with year on year commitment to new technology with over $25m of R&D investment, including significant developments in its unique broadcast only NASNet® MkII positioning system. Please visit the website for further information on the NASeBOP System and other Nautronix products:

Amarinth, a leading company specialising in the design, application and manufacture of centrifugal pumps and associated equipment to the industrial, chemical and petrochemical industries has delivered an innovative open drain pumping solution to be installed in the caisson of the Kumul oil platform located 40km off the southern coast of Papua New Guinea.

 

The bespoke API 610 VS4 vertical sump pump will be installed in a caisson (leg) as part of a $25 million Topsides rejuvenation project of the Kumul platform located in the Gulf of Papua. Any water or oil that drains from the platforms structure or from its production systems is channelled into the open drain caisson to prevent any environmental impact on the sea around the rig.

 

The duty is to pump hydrocarbons and excess water that collects in the caisson to the closed drain accumulator for safe disposal via a ‘take-off’ tanker. This required a 13m long vertical sump pump with an arrangement for low pressure injection of hypochlorite used to prevent the build-up of marine growth. Additionally, due to the angle of the caisson, the pump had to be installed and operate at a 5 degree angle.

 

Amarinth was approached to deliver a cost effective solution for this difficult engineering requirement. An API 610 VS4 sump pump was selected for the duty but to overcome the height restrictions of the platform Amarinth designed this as a modular pump that could be dismantled and installed in four sections.

 

The 5 degree angle of the caisson also presented further challenges for the installation as the pump had to be carefully lined up with the caisson wall. Working closely with the customer, Amarinth designed an innovative adjustable roller system on the pump that aligned with guide plates attached down the inner wall of the caisson as the pump was lowered in.

 

The bearings and seals were also put under additional pressure due to the 5 degree angle and so to guarantee the performance and reliability of the pump Amarinth built a test rig to replicate the operating conditions and mounting system to ensure that the final design took account of the additional stresses and vibrations as a result of the alignment.

 

Oliver Brigginshaw, Managing Director of Amarinth commented: "We are delighted that we were able to deliver a solution for this unique requirement from the other side of the globe. Using a combination of our proven API 610 VS4 pumps, the work we have done previously with modular designs for restricted headroom, and the ingenuity of our engineers, we were able to provide a very cost effective solution that met the requirements and tight timescales of this project".

Salaries for oil and gas engineering professionals are reflecting an active and increasingly confident industry according to The Oil & Gas Global Salary Guide 2012. The Guide, which surveyed over 14,000 oil and gas professionals across the globe found that subsea, piping and drilling engineers are commanding the highest salaries of the 24 disciplines surveyed.

 

Drilling engineers in particular have seen impressive year-on-year salary gains with senior professionals now averaging salaries of $98,000 per annum while manager level staff earn US$142,500 equivalent. Subsea engineers came out on top of all disciplines surveyed and can expect average salaries of US$105,200 and US$146,900 respectively for the same levels of skill and responsibility. Reservoir and petroleum engineers also commanded impressive salaries with senior level practitioners earning an average pay packet of US$97,800 and manager level professionals at US$123,400.

 

Matt Underhill, Managing Director of Hays Oil & Gas, who produced the Guide with leading jobsite Oil and Gas Job Search, commented: "It is very encouraging news for engineering professionals as well as the industry itself as it reflects the increasing levels of confidence and activity over the last year and into 2012. These are figures for average salaries across the world and there will be many highly skilled engineering professionals earning considerably more, particularly those in high paying countries such as Australia, the US and Norway. It is also worth noting that around 40% of engineers are contractors, which shows an industry that is bringing a wealth of new projects online".

 

Duncan Freer, Managing Director of Oil and Gas Job Search commented: "There has also been a significant and welcome demand for graduate level engineers which was not the case in recent years. Skills shortages have been a major concern for the continuing health of the industry and this change is a step in the right direction". While the general trend for engineering specialisms has been upwards, there have been a few exceptions within the core-engineering disciplines of electrical, process and structural, all being relatively flat compared to last year.

 

Overall the Guide showed an industry looking forward to strong growth. Employer confidence has seen a large increase with 26.7% extremely positive about the current market, up from just 9.7% in 2011. Three quarters of all employers expect staffing levels to increase in the next 12 months. Duncan Freer, Managing Director of Oil and Gas Job Search commented: "The general picture presented by the research shows an industry with renewed strength and vigour, offering attractive rewards and opportunities to engineering professionals across the globe".

 

Chevron Corp reports that its affiliate Tengizchevroil LLP (TCO) expects to enter front-end engineering and design (FEED) in 2012 for an expansion project to increase total daily production between 250,000 and 300,000 barrels.

 

The Future Growth Project (FGP) will utilise sour gas injection technology used in existing operations. An early estimate of the total project cost is in the $6 - $8 billion range. The upcoming FEED work will refine the estimate range. TCO is also undertaking an ongoing drilling programme and has entered FEED on a well head pressure management project to support current operations.

 

An early estimate of the total project cost for the trio of projects is in the $20 - $25 billion range. Chevron has a 50% interest in Tengizchevroil. Other partners are KazMunaiGas, 20%; ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Ventures Inc, 25%; and LUKArco, 5%.

Paul Flynn at Earthstaff examines how renewable energy, and the wind sector, in particular promises fresh opportunities for those with the right skill sets.

 

As the credit crunch in Europe morphs into a sovereign debt crisis and on to full-blown currency crisis, it is easy to believe that the continent is something of a black hole when it comes to employment opportunities. But it’s not all doom and gloom and there’s life in the European jobs market in the form of renewable energy.

 

Germany for example, a country with little in the way of fossil fuel resources has made a commitment to produce 100% of its energy from renewable sources by 2050. Switzerland too also announced its intention to abandon nuclear, while even nuclear-heavy France is debating its nuclear future ahead of the 2012 presidential elections.

 

The strength of the renewable sector in Europe started a number of years ago when legally binding national targets were put in place, backed up by the EU Renewable Energy Directive of 2009. So while.the financial crisis may be dominating the headlines, behind the scenes industry is quietly getting on with putting in place the infrastructure and support services needed to meet those targets.

 

Political will, strong domestic markets, upward pressures on oil prices, and a lack of real alternatives have encouraged investment in renewable energy - and wind power specifically - in markets such as Spain, Germany and Denmark. In 2010, Europe saw €12.7 billion invested in wind power, of which 80% went to onshore projects.

 

Available figures suggest that close to 400,000 people in Europe are now employed in renewable energy activities and that all areas are showing significant growth, particularly wind power, solar photovoltaic, bioenergy, public transport and construction. Employment in the wind energy sector alone more than doubled between 2000 and 2007. By 2020, direct employment in wind power is expected to double again to 330,000 people.

 

But before packing up and abandoning Britain for Barcelona or Berlin, it has to be remembered that the European jobs bonanza for renewable energy is currently not for everyone.

 

There seems little doubt that as the industry expands, the ability of highly-skilled professionals to cross over from one related field to another will grow. But at present employers want directly relevant experience. Since renewable energy is a relatively new industry and one with many stages - with approximately 20 to 25 companies that have actively been involved in taking a wind farm even to the consent stage, for example, there is a finite amount of that experience available and a lot needed. This is where employers are fighting it out: for explicitly relevant experience in middle management levels and above - not just transferable skills. Recruitment in this space has become a matter of headhunting and executive search and, if the experience is right, a job interview is all but guaranteed.

 

Having said that, it would be foolish to underestimate the impact of the most serious financial crisis to hit Europe since the Great Depression of the 1930s. But equally it would be foolish to assume that the ‘green’ jobs market has stalled simply because policy makers and headline writers are focused elsewhere. Those with engineering backgrounds of all types are encouraged to look closely at the sector. With the right employer it may prove to be both the perfect career path and the source of renewed economic growth in Europe.

ClydeUnion Pumps, an SPX brand, is committed to supporting clients in increasingly competitive nuclear projects, combining performance with innovation to provide customers with specialised engineered products.

 

The Annecy facility is pleased to report that delegates from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) have recommended to the Mechanical Board that the Annecy facility become holders of ‘N’ and ‘NPT’ certificates, in accordance to the ASME Code, Section III, Division 1. The facility in Western France recently underwent a full survey and audit, which was held at the end of 2011 and will be renewed every three years thereafter.

 

Annecy has always held a rich heritage within the nuclear pumps market and makes this facility our third with accreditation to manufacture equipment to Class 1, 2 and 3 Standard in accordance with ASME regulations, underlining the plants position as a Centre of Excellence for Nuclear products. The other two qualified facilities are Glasgow and Battle Creek. This new phase strengthens and consolidates ClydeUnion Pumps efforts in meeting development strategies whilst facing the constant challenge to maintain expertise and remain a market leader in their core business. The Annecy facility has live nuclear projects in progress, including Brazilian Navy (Class 1) and Tihange (Class 2) and is working with established reactor designers on their plans to create Small Modular Reactors (SMR’s).

 

The SPX Annecy facility has also received positive feedback from reactor vendor and fellow EIC member AREVA on delivering the first pumps on site for their EPR reactors in Europe and China. These contracts are helping strengthen the ClydeUnion Pumps global customer network. The recent ASME award coincided with the ClydeUnion Pumps sponsored annual Nuclear Energy Asia Conference in Hong Kong. Globally over 150 nuclear power reactors with a total net capacity of some 172,000MW are now planned and over 340 more are currently under proposal.

Foster Wheeler has announced that subsidiaries of its Global Engineering and Construction Group have been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCm) contract by Aramco Overseas Company BV (AOC), a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, and by Dow Europe Holding BV (Dow) for a propylene oxide (PO) unit at Jubail Industrial City in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

 

This unit will be part of a world-scale, fully integrated chemicals complex, one of the largest of its kind in the world, which will be constructed, owned and operated by Sadara Chemical Company (Sadara), a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Dow. This contract has been awarded as an extension to the front-end engineering design (FEED) contract awarded to Foster Wheeler by AOC and Dow in 2008. The world-scale unit is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2015.

 

"A key factor in this win was the outstanding Foster Wheeler performance delivered on previous work for Saudi Aramco and Dow," said Umberto della Sala, Chief Operating Officer of Foster Wheeler AG. "First, we received an excellent performance rating from both clients for the significant FEED work that we carried out for the new Jubail complex. Second, we recently completed a new propylene oxide facility in Thailand for the Dow-Siam Cement Group joint venture. The new facility was delivered by our Thailand operation on time, within budget, with an outstanding safety record and to very high quality standards. The PO unit of the Jubail project will be managed by our Thailand operation, bringing the additional benefit of rolling over the high-performing, experienced Thai PO project team onto the Jubail project. We also continue to support Saudi Aramco and Dow by executing additional FEED work scopes and assisting in the management of various other elements of the overall Jubail project".

ATR Group, the leading oil and gas rental services business, is investing some £2 million in new equipment as it responds to rising demand across the UKCS North Sea, Caspian and beyond. The Aberdeen-headquartered firm secured over £20 million from NBGI Private Equity and the Clydesdale Bank, in the last week to pursue its expansion plan.

 

In response to an industry wide shortage of key equipment, ATR is expanding its rental fleet of its compressors, generators and lifting equipment as part of the investment package. The firm provides clients in on and offshore oil and gas, subsea, production and renewables with a range of services and tools for activities including the supply and rental of lifting equipment, inspection and certification, and power generation.

 

Chief Executive Keith Moorhouse said: "Industry demand is rising rapidly, and this significant investment in additional rental assets for our portfolio will ensure that we can support increased customer demand. We have already invested £1 million in adding to our rental fleet in the opening months of 2012, and will double this investment over the next six months, with a focus on key equipment vital to exploration and production operations offshore. The high standard of safety and operational certification required in the offshore industry is a major focus of our work, and ensuring we have additional availability of fully certified equipment helps to protect clients’ investment in their production activities".

 

ATR Group has flourished since a management buy-in over four years ago. The company now boasts a turnover in excess of £17 million and has 100 employees.

Talisman Energy Norge AS has extended the contract for the Regalia at the Yme field until the end of August 2012.

 

The extension of 198 days has a gross value of US$57.4 million, bringing the total contract value up to US$91.4 million. Consequently, the contract with Talisman Energy (UK) Limited for the provision of Regalia in the UK North Sea in 2012 has been terminated.

 

Prosafe is the world’s leading owner and operator of semi-submersible accommodation/service rigs. Operating profit reached US$221.1 million in 2010. The company operates globally, employing 500 people.

Magma Global has launched its new content rich website.

 

Magma designs and manufactures m-pipe®, a high performance pipe created to meet today’s challenging riser, jumper, spool and flowline applications. Magma has developed m-pipe® to meet the particular challenges from deep water and high pressure, high temperature and sour service operating environments.

 

Take a look now by visiting:

Magne Bakke, Chief Operating Officer, STX OSV AS and Richard Longdon, CEO, AVEVA with colleagues.

 

AVEVA has announced STX OSV has standardised its engineering and 3D design work on AVEVA Marine and has purchased more than 100 additional software licenses. The technology, which STX OSV has selected over Tribon and a competitive solution, will be implemented globally across ten shipyards.

 

"We are pleased to confirm our first project’s critical path in the design process was reduced by 30%," added Magne Bakke, Chief Operating Officer, STX OSV AS. "AVEVA Marine has improved and reduced the time of our engineering design process. At the same time, for instance, we can integrate and work on a 3D model during initial vessel design as well as engineering tasks. We then reuse and refine this information during the detailed design and production engineering phases. With AVEVA Marine we achieve integrated hull-outfitting, global work sharing and it supports late design changes. This was key in our decision to standardise on AVEVA Marine for all engineering, hull 3D and outfitting 3D design work. As a result, we’ve made the strategic decision to roll AVEVA Marine out across ten shipyards around the world".

 

"AVEVA Marine has been thoroughly tested in the engineering work of three Offshore Platform Supply Vessels. We encountered some challenges, but overall experienced great improvement over our old systems. AVEVA has an open approach and worked with us to improve the solution even further," said Stig Sandanger Riise, Senior Vice President Technology & Engineering, STX OSV AS.

 

"STX OSV has already demonstrated the 30% increased overall efficiency AVEVA Marine offers users compared to our older Tribon M3 software," added Helmut Schüller, Senior Vice President - Central and North EMEA, AVEVA. "The business value of Integrated Engineering & Design, offering increased quality, reduced man-hours and shorter project duration is a breakthrough in terms of integration and efficiency. STX OSV will quickly recognise these benefits across all of its shipyards".

 

The STX OSV shipyards that will implement AVEVA Marine are:

Romania - Tulcea and Braila

Brazil - Niteroi and Suape (new yard under construction)

Vietnam - Vung Tau

Norway - Aukra, Brattvaag, Brevik, Langsten and Søviknes.

 

In addition to engineering activity at the yards, STX OSV has engineering offices in Norway, Romania and Croatia. AVEVA Marine is a set of integrated applications created specifically for the unique processes of the engineering and design of ship and offshore structures, design management and the generation of accurate production information. To learn more about AVEVA Marine visit:

Bob Breeze, Group Managing Director of Stapleton International has said today: "I am delighted to announce the opening of our new office in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA which is as a result of Andrew White joining us as our Regional Director for North and South America as well as Canada.

 

"Andrew has gained over 26 years of experience prior to joining Stapleton International. Originally from Doncaster in the UK, Andrew moved to the USA 19 years ago. Like many others however, he found his previous role in a large public corporation stifled his entrepreneurial spirit and we are delighted he has joined us to help grow our business worldwide but with specific responsibility for the Americas and Canada".

 

Stapleton International was established in 1972 (40th Anniversary in 2012) to provide professional consultancy services to clients in the engineering and construction industries. Specialising in the resolution of disputes on major projects, Stapleton International gained a reputation for superior technical analysis of the problems faced on large construction projects. This experience in recent years has been invested into their expanding Project Services division to make sure projects are delivered on time and budget and to the right quality.

Fluor Corporation has announced that it will provide project management services for the Mildred Lake Mine Replacement (MLMR) project for Syncrude Canada Ltd in northern Alberta, Canada.

 

The MLMR project involves replacement of existing mining facilities. Fluor will provide procurement, contracting and construction management services for infrastructure work and tie-ins to existing facilities. Work commences immediately and is scheduled for completion in 2014.

 

Fluor Corporation designs, builds and maintains many of the world’s most challenging and complex projects. Through its global network of offices on six continents, the company provides comprehensive capabilities and world-class expertise in engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, operations, maintenance and project management.

Foster Wheeler AG has announced today that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group has been awarded the basic design and front-end engineering design contract by Complejo GNL del Este, a consortium formed by Dominican and Colombian companies that participate in the energy sector of these countries, for a new LNG receiving terminal and jetty to be built in San Pedro de Marcorís in the Dominican Republic.

 

Foster Wheeler has previously completed a feasibility study for the selection of the most suitable technology for the new terminal, which will be designed for a send-out capacity of 240 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscf/d), with an LNG storage tank of 160,000 cubic metres. The design will also consider future expansion(s) up to 700MMscf/d. Foster Wheeler will work with a local partner in executing this work, which is expected to be completed in September 2012.

 

"We are pleased to receive this award, which demonstrates our client’s satisfaction with the feasibility study we have completed and Complejo GNL del Este’s confidence in our LNG expertise and ability to deliver fast-track execution strategies," said Umberto della Sala, President and Chief Operating Officer, Foster Wheeler AG. "Latin America is a strategically important region for Foster Wheeler, and is a region where we already have a very strong track record in winning and successfully executing large, complex projects".

Lanarkshire-based engineering contractor Motherwell Bridge has made a strong start to 2012 with their Clayton Walker Gasholder division securing a series of gasholder contracts totalling £3.7 million in the emerging markets of Turkey, Brazil, Mexico and India.

 

Motherwell Bridge has won contracts to provide a range of engineering, seals and technical assistance for seven major gasholder projects on steel plants across the four countries. In India, Motherwell Bridge has strengthened its presence by winning three lucrative contracts from Bhushan Steel Ltd, TATA Steel and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL).

 

As part of the deal with Bhushan Steel in the Orissa region on India’s east coast, Motherwell Bridge will supply seals for two new 100,000m³ and 50,000m³ blast furnace and coke oven gas gasholders. TATA Steel is revamping one of its LD Wiggins type 80,000m³ dry seal gasholders at Jamshedpur and Motherwell Bridge will provide a replacement seal for the facility. The third Indian deal will see Motherwell Bridge provide two replacement seals for the revamp of RINL’s existing LD Wiggins type dry seal gasholder at the Visakhapatnam steel plant.

 

Motherwell Bridge is also celebrating another contract in Brazil, where it will provide technical assistance for the rebuilding of the piston on USIMINAS’s 30,000m³ MAN-type gasholder at the Ipatinga Steel Works in Minas Gerais. In Turkey, Motherwell Bridge is supplying two seals and technical assistance for revamp of a 40,000m³ LD Wiggins type dry seal gasholder for ERDEMIR at the Eregli steel plant. The seals have already been manufactured and transported to Turkey and are due to be installed in summer 2012.

 

Lastly, the Motherwell Bridge team will be providing a seal kit as part of the refurbishment of a 30,000m³ coke oven gas gasholder for ArcelorMittal Las Truchas at the Lázaro Cárdenas steel plant in the Michoacán region of Mexico.

 

Russell Ward, Chief Executive of Motherwell Bridge welcomed the new contracts and said they would provide the platform for the company to reinforce its presence in these countries and extend its reach into new markets all over the world. "While Motherwell Bridge has had a presence in India for over 100 years, it is heartening to see us win work in markets such as this which are performing so strongly and have escaped the effects of the global economic downturn relatively unscathed.

 

"Likewise, Brazil has been one of the world’s real economic success stories of recent years and we see it as continuing to be a very important market for Motherwell Bridge in the future. We have spotted the trend whereby these large steel companies are increasingly looking to refurbish their existing gasholders rather than make significant investments in new equipment and this means we are ideally placed to provide these services. Securing contracts like these demonstrate we have the skills and capabilities which can be exported all over the world into new markets".

 

Formed in 1898, Motherwell Bridge Ltd today unites a number of multi-skilled divisions focusing predominantly on the engineering, design and construction of storage tanks, gasholders and heat exchangers. The head office remains in Motherwell with other company bases in England as well as Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates to cover business in the Middle East. It handles projects worldwide in over 80 countries.

 

Motherwell Bridge is one of the world’s foremost storage tank providers with an emphasis on fixed and floating roof tanks. The company’s portfolio includes the world’s two largest storage tanks - first in the 1970s and most recently in the 1990s on Zirku Island (UAE), with each capable of holding 1.25 million barrels of crude oil. Motherwell Bridge makes full use of its unparalleled expertise in this area to help minimise product loss in addition to the supply of specialist tank seals.

 

Working across four main industry sectors - oil and gas, petrochemical, chemical, and power and process - the in-house design team provides proficient engineering design to complement the full service for new-builds and repairs, both large and small. Remedial capability ranges from double deck roof repairs to tank-jacking 100m diameter tanks allowing foundation and floor replacement work.

Prosafe has received a Notice of Award for a minimum nine month contract by Shell Philippines Exploration BV using the Safe Astoria for accommodation support at the Malampaya Phase 3 Depletion Compression Project offshore Philippines. On site operations are planned to commence within Q2/Q3 2014. In addition, Prosafe has granted SPEX three additional one-month options.

 

Prosafe has provided SPEX the ability to alternatively choose a structure with 11 month firm period plus options, or 12 month firm period plus options. Total value of the firm period will be between US$58.1 million and US$70.5 million depending on which alternative is selected.

 

Prosafe is the world’s leading owner and operator of semi-submersible accommodation/service rigs. Operating profit reached US$192.3 million in 2011. For more information, please visit:

Peerless Europe Limited, a provider of engineered solutions for the energy industry, has announced the acquisition of Burgess-Manning GmbH, located in Dusseldorf.

 

The acquisition combines and further expands their product range, resources for research and development, increases sales support, enhances engineering and manufacturing processes as well as expanding their capability in order to serve the needs of customers throughout Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Former Soviet Union. Prior to this acquisition, Burgess-Manning GmbH held an exclusive license throughout Germany and its neighbouring countries to design, manufacture, and market custom engineered systems and products under the Burgess-Manning Trademark.

 

Peerless Europe is a wholly owned subsidiary of Peerless Mfg Co, Dallas, Texas, USA, a recognised global leader providing engineering solutions for the energy industry. Since 1933, Peerless has designed and supplied compact, cost-effective gas and liquid filtration and separation equipment to the oil, gas and petrochemical and power industries throughout the world, delivering energy which is safe, efficient and clean.

 

With increased focus on the reduction of air pollutant emissions in both Europe and the Middle East, there has been significant interest in Peerless’ environmental systems product range. Peerless designs and supplies Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Selective Non Catalytic Reduction (SNCR) systems, for the reduction of NOx from fossil fuel burning plant and equipment.

 

The products available from both Peerless Europe and Burgess Manning GmbH are:

• Separation and filtration products, including packaged systems.

• Burgess-Manning industrial silencers.

• Skimovex waste water treatment.

• DeNOx systems, SCR and SNCR - Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Selective Non Catalytic Reduction (SNCR) systems, for the reduction of NOx from fossil fuel burning plant and equipment.

 

For more information on either Peerless or Burgess Manning products and systems please contact the sales department:

Tel +44 (0)1376 556 030

Email sales@peerlesseurope.com

 

Tom Monaco joined the Future Executive Search team in February 2012. Future Executive Search is a division of Global Project Partners Ltd. Tom will be responsible for the Clean Energy practice globally.

 

Announcements that 15% of total UK energy must come from renewable sources by 2020 represent a massive challenge. This is far from the highest EU target with Sweden, for example, planning to reach 50% in the same timescale. However, it already produces approximately 45% of its energy from renewable sources. The UK’s target represents the largest increase among EU members, which creates huge opportunities for the clean energy industry. To meet these demands, this industry must compete for a range of talented leaders/directors, managers and engineers, in a climate of shortage of suitably skilled individuals.

 

FES recognises the need for in-depth understanding of specific requirements of the renewable energy industry, and has therefore strengthened its capability in this sector. Tom Monaco is an experienced recruiter in the global field of clean energy and has built up an enviable reputation as the partner of choice in this ever expanding sector. Tom previously established and managed a start-up division within the clean energy sector working for a large multinational recruitment company. A key area of his focus is supporting and advising European organisations wishing to expand their operation into other EMEA and Australasian territories.

 

Tom has helped numerous organisations in the wind, solar and biomass sectors with key hires to develop and expand their businesses. Global Project Partners is delighted to welcome him as part of the growing team further enhancing the company’s global reach and reputation in this emerging market. For more information, please call Tom on: Tel +44 (0)3300 555 111

The first apprentices to undergo Proserv’s customised Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework for its subsea equipment service technician apprenticeship scheme are, from left to right: Jack Presly, Banchory; Keiran Macleod, Stonehaven; Jordan Mitchell, Balmedie; and Andrew Silver, Cammachmore.

 

Proserv has bolstered its position as a global-leading specialist in energy production services after unveiling a new subsea test and assembly facility that doubles the company’s capacity and harnesses the fast-growing market demand for its services. Energy industry leaders reinforced the significance of the facility as vital to ensuring the UK remains in the vanguard of the global subsea industry and attracts the next generation of talent for its future prosperity.

 

The facility, which spans more than 27,500ft, is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK in terms of its size and industry-leading capabilities. Complete with large test pits, the new facility has 100% capacity for the design testing, maintenance and installation of subsea equipment including system integration tests, factory acceptance tests, tree assembly and blow-out preventers re-certifications prior to deployment offshore or subsea. Proserv, which announced earlier this year that it is set to create more than 130 new international employment opportunities, also revealed that it anticipates investing a further £900,000 into new equipment and growth at its facility over the next nine months.

 

David Lamont, Chief Executive Officer at Proserv said: "Due to increasing international demand for our technology and services, combined with our ambitious vision for growth, the new Birchmoss facility strongly positions Proserv for accelerated expansion and signifies its increase in capabilities and expertise, particularly in the drilling, production, subsea and decommissioning sectors.

 

"As one of the few service companies in the world able to provide this integrated service and now double the capacity with the new facility, it significantly enhances Proserv’s response times and improved operational performance and productivity, whilst maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality and reliability. The new employment opportunities and our tailor-made apprentice training scheme also underlines our commitment to investing in people and their development. We expect to recruit more than 130 new people over the coming months, particularly engineers to manage our order pipeline and projected workload as well as adding to our project management team".

 

Among industry leaders endorsing the new facility was Subsea UK Chief Executive Neil Gordon who said: "This is a significant new facility which, through combining the realm of testing, developing and maintenance under one roof, has the real potential to reaffirm the UK’s world-leading position in the subsea industry. I also hope that it helps inspire a new generation of young people to join one of the most dynamic, technology-driven industries in the world".

 

David Ripley, Oil & Gas UK’s Supply Chain Director said: "The opening of Proserv’s new facility shows how the supply chain can boost the UK economy by creating new jobs, investing in skills and providing services that add high value to the oil and gas industry in Britain and abroad".

 

Scotland’s First Minister, The Rt Hon Alex Salmond, officially opened the new facility which has become the second building that Proserv occupies at the Birchmoss business complex, near Echt in Aberdeenshire. He also presented the first apprentices to undergo Proserv’s customised Subsea Equipment Service Technician course with their latest certificates of achievement.

 

He said: "I am thrilled to officially open the magnificent new test and assembly facilities of Proserv - an Aberdeen-based company with a truly global profile. In the last 35 years, Proserv has been at the forefront of the energy industry, demonstrating an expertise in subsea technology that is a great example of how the knowledge that exists in Scotland can be exported around the world to massive success.

 

"Over that period, Proserv has grown to now employ over 800 people in 21 sites across 10 countries, and the highly impressive new facilities being opened today will allow the company to build on this growth and look forward to a bright future. I am also delighted to welcome the firm’s recent announcement of 130 new jobs - with 40 to 50 skilled positions expected in the North East of Scotland alone - and would also like to commend Proserv for becoming an SQA approved centre for delivering training programmes. It was my great pleasure today to present awards to the first four apprentices to undertake the company’s new customised training scheme for subsea technicians. Proserv’s achievements are yet further proof of the capability and expertise that exists in the oil and gas and renewables sector that exists in Scotland, and a further marker of success in Scottish industry".

 

Proserv has established a customised SCQF (Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework) Level 5 and Level 6 Award Subsea Equipment Service Technician apprenticeship scheme. The four apprentices, who were the first to complete the Level 5 course in August 2011 and are currently carrying out their Level 6 training, were presented with certificates from the First Minister. They included: Keiran Macleod, Stonehaven: Jordan Mitchell, Balmedie; Jack Presly, Banchory; and Andrew Silver, Cammachmore.

 

Larraine Boorman, Managing Director of OPITO said: "There is a real need to bring appropriately skilled people into the industry in order to secure the skills needed for its future success. Apprenticeship programmes are one of the initiatives the industry is using very successfully to provide a long term solution to the skills issue and secure the feedstock for the future".

Honeywell has announced that Honeywell Analytics EMEAI, the market-leading manufacturer of fixed gas detections solutions, is the first in the World to be certified to the updated ATmosphères EXplosives (ATEX) Quality Assurance Notification (QAN) license.

 

ATEX - an European Union (EU) legislation, which has been in effect since 2003 - governs the manufacture and subsequent use of safety products located in EU Member State hazardous locations.

 

"There are currently 2,480 companies globally working to achieve this standard, which comes into effect in May 2014. This achievement highlights our commitment to offering not only value-added products, but the highest level of regulatory compliance and independently quantifiable device performance," said Andi Thompson, Business Leader for Honeywell Analytics EMEAI.

 

ATEX is an active ‘directive’ under regular review by the Notified Body Group (ExNB) in the drive to constantly increase safety, performance and reliability of equipment for use in hazardous areas. An important step was the release in 2011 of a new standard EN 80079-34 revising the quality system and ATEX QAN module requirements for manufacturers of hazardous area equipment, which will help to raise the standard of device performance.

 

"The fact that we are the first in the world to gain this new license is a great achievement and a testament to our world-class regulatory compliance capabilities as an organisation. We would not have been able to achieve this without the hard work and dedication of our entire team," said Andi Thompson.

 

The certification was issued by CSA-Sira, who are one of the few Certifying Bodies to offer ATEX/IECEx product certification, North American CSA certification, gas detector performance testing and functional safety assessment (SIL).

Foster Wheeler AG has announced that Foster Wheeler Upstream, part of its Global Engineering and Construction Group, has been awarded a contract by Discovery Gas Transmission LLC to provide design, engineering and technical services for a junction platform, facilities and associated pipelines within the Discovery System at South Timbalier 283, in the Gulf of Mexico.

 

The platform, located in approximately 350 feet of water, will be a four-pile structure with a two-level deck. It will be designed as an unmanned structure with a control system designed to shut down the facility in the event of an upset condition. The new infrastructure will enable the existing Discovery pipeline to operate at a higher pressure, both before and after the connection of the new Keathley Canyon pipeline.

 

"This project gives us an opportunity to fully showcase our wide range of capabilities and will build on our track record for delivering complex offshore projects in the Gulf of Mexico," said Clive Vaughan, Chief Executive Officer, Foster Wheeler Upstream. Williams Partners LP owns 60% of the Discovery system and operates it. DCP Midstream Partners, LP owns 40% of the system.

Wayne Hutchinson, VP Enterprise Categories and Supplies Management of Shell, and Iain Light, Chief Executive of Applus RTD, have signed a four-year global enterprise framework agreement (EFA). The agreement sees global inspection, testing and quality leader Applus+ become a key provider of services related to vendor and quality assurance/quality control inspections, as well as non-destructive testing and related services, to Shell.

 

Applus RTD and Applus+ Velosi, two divisions of Applus+, will provide an integrated solution on behalf of the global supermajor under the terms of the agreement. The agreement encompasses many of Shell’s own operations and those of its affiliates around the world on capital development projects as well as existing operating assets.

 

Iain Light, Applus RTD CEO said: "The Shell EFA is a significant milestone in the long-standing relationship between Shell and Applus+ as, since the early 1950s, we have been providing X-ray and other NDT services for Shell’s Pernis refinery in the Netherlands. With our current global coverage and expanded service portfolio, we believe that Applus RTD and Applus Velosi offer the best inspection and NDT solutions to the global oil and gas markets both upstream and downstream".

 

Dr Nabil Abd Jalil, Applus+ Velosi CEO added: "This agreement will allow Applus Velosi to continue their strong global relationship with Shell and opens considerable opportunities to build upon that relationship in new areas".

Business research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan’s Best Practices Awards recognise outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Hempel caught the attention of Frost & Sullivan for its work developing versatile products with unmatched functionality for the wind turbine protective coatings market.

 

So what’s the key to Hempel’s winning performance? Gaurav Vyas, Research Analyst at Frost & Sullivan, explained: "Hempel’s strong foothold in the wind turbine protective coatings market is a result of the customer-centric strategy that it has followed over the years. The wind turbine coating product lines are perfect examples of its product line strategy in action and how it has consolidated its position in the marketplace. Hempel’s ability for customisation and onsite technical support represent the critical success factors for increasing and maintaining its market share in the wind turbine coatings market".

 

To benchmark Hempel’s performance against competitors, Frost & Sullivan analysed the breadth of product line, the size of the addressable customer base, the impact on market share, the range of applications and the markets served. Hempel trumped its competitors in every category.

 

Anders Voldgaard Clausen, Group Segment Marketing Manager at Hempel, who is responsible for the wind segment, explained the company’s approach: "For the wind industry, we address all parts of the wind turbine. We always ask our customers what their needs are so that we can tailor our products accordingly. We’ve developed products that meet low VOC requirements and have faster curing times, which means more efficient production. And we’re currently working on other exciting projects for wind towers". All this means lower production costs for wind turbine and tower manufacturers.

 

A key element of its One Hempel - One Ambition strategy, Hempel’s willingness to customise products for the wind industry and offer onsite technical support has helped increase its market share. Anders explained: "Our strategy has helped move us ahead of the competition and into a position where we now have more than 50% of the wind turbine market share".

 

Hempel’s product portfolio for wind turbines consists of products based on epoxy, polyurethane, zinc silicate and polyaspartic, as well as a range of waterborne anti-corrosive products. Besides adhering to industry standards, Hempel’s protective coatings are durable, provide ultra-violet (UV) stability, and are abrasion-resistant.

AVEVA has announced that it has opened a new office in Genoa, Italy to support the growing Italian market. The office will offer sales and support for all AVEVA’s products and solutions, as well as hosting training courses and customer events.

 

"AVEVA’s product portfolios, particularly our Engineering & Design solutions in the plant and marine markets, has seen a significant growth in demand across Italy over the last year," said Daniel Gennaro, Country Manager - Italy, AVEVA.

 

"In order to expand our services and support capabilities we required a space that reflects our rapidly expanding market position and will enable us to realise our growth objectives. The new office enables us to host key customers and prospects due to its locality, as well as the ability to offer essential product and solution services, such as onsite training".

 

Fredy Ktourza, Senior Vice President West EMEA added: "Genoa has a long tradition in the power, metal and shipbuilding industries and is an ideal location. It supports our drive to continue winning market share against our competitors and it will allow us to play a much greater role in the Italian market".

 

AVEVA has over 120 customers in Italy including major owner operators and EPCs in industries such as power and oil and gas and shipbuilding. The new office address is:

 

AVEVA Italy

Piazza Borgo Pila, 39

Torre B - Piano 14

16129 Genoa

Italy

 

Sales Tel: +39 010 541 230

Sales Fax: +39 010 863 11 86

Sales email: info.it@aveva.com

Support email (Plant): supportplant.italy@aveva.com

Support email (Marine): supportmarine.italy@aveva.com

WMT Oil & Gas has been awarded a $1/2 million contract to produce operations procedures for the Terra Papa FPSO in Brazil. The operations manuals will be delivered in both English and Portuguese languages.

 

Situated 70 miles offshore in water depths of approximately 3,900 feet, Papa Terra is a heavy oil subsea development located within Block BC-20 of the southern Campos Basin. The project will feature the first tension leg well platform in Brazil which will be connected to a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel. The completed facility will be capable of producing up to 140,000 barrels of crude oil per day. First production from the Papa Terra project is expected in 2013.

 

The contract was won with the assistance of Clarisse Rocha and the team in the EIC office in Rio de Janeiro through which the initial contact with the client was made and whose support throughout the process has been invaluable. This contract comes on the back of a recently completed project in Brazil, where WMT OIL & Gas provided operations procedures and an asset specific operator training and competency programme to Maersk FPSOs for the Perigrino project. Both of these were provided in English and Portuguese and received letters of commendation from the client.

 

WMT Oil & Gas and WMT Marine are trading divisions of WMT Limited, which is based in Deeside, North Wales. WMT initially produced operations, maintenance and safety procedures and provided engineering consultancy for the marine industry. The company has produced marine procedures and manuals for vessels as diverse as cruise liners, Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs), drill ships and FPSOs.

 

Building on its growing reputation in the marine market, WMT has built up a team of senior engineers and master mariners who have worked in the marine sector and supplemented those with a team of discipline engineers experienced in the oil and gas industry. All of these engineers have hands-on experience of working in their industries and have the ability to communicate their knowledge and experience into the procedures they write.

 

WMT is now in a fairly unique position to be able to offer oil and gas operators and EPC contractors a full suite of marine and topside/process manuals, including commissioning and first hydrocarbon start-up procedures as well as support at the integration stage of a project. This means that all written procedures on an asset such as an FPSO, FSRU or platform are written in the same style and format and are therefore much easier for operators to read and understand.

 

These procedures are often now used by WMT to produce an asset specific operator training and competency programme which being computer based can be used by the operator in their own time and at their own pace, with supervisors or managers only getting involved in the later stages of the programme to carry out assessments. These programmes, like the manuals can be produced in more than one language.

FoundOcean has now completed the offshore foundation grouting at Thornton Bank Offshore Wind Farm Phase II, 30km off the coast of Oostende, Belgium. FoundOcean was contracted to Geosea, the specialist piling and jacket installation arm of the DEME group of companies. The wind farm is owned by Cpower.

 

Jim Bell, Managing Director for FoundOcean commented: "This is a very important project for FoundOcean; it reinforces our capabilities in the offshore wind sector. This comes on the back of our successful grouting operations at the Ormonde Offshore Wind Farm, which we completed in 2010".

 

The four-legged jackets, designed by OWEC Tower, sit in water depths of between 15m and 20m. They were secured to the seabed by grouting the annuli between the stab-in legs and pre-driven piles. 25 structures were grouted in total: 24 turbine foundations and one offshore transformer station foundation. Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) CEM I Type 52.5N was used.

 

"The jackets were loaded out and installed by Geosea, and FoundOcean then completed grouting operations for each structure using its advanced recirculating jet mixer. During the course of the project some 1,500 grout cubes were manufactured for testing characteristic strengths at 24 hours, three days and 28 days," explained Operations Director for FoundOcean, Paul Burns.

 

Each jacket leg is equipped with a primary and secondary grout line, terminating on the mid-section deck for ease of access and connection of the grout hose, at EL +20.00m. A tertiary grout line, fitted with a FoundOcean Male Subsea Grout Connector terminating above the pile stopper, is provided for connection of the grout hose by ROV in the event that contingency grouting of the annulus was required.

 

The project, which mobilised in May 2011, uses the same highly efficient pre-driven piling technique as used on the Ormonde Offshore Wind Farm where FoundOcean completed grouting operations for 31 jacket foundations in the Irish Sea in October 2010.

A versatile distribution board specifically designed for use in commercial PV applications and a fireman’s switch that allows PV installations to be safely isolated in an emergency are among the new products that Eaton is showing on the Solar Hub at Ecobuild 2012. These new introductions are complemented by existing Eaton PV switching and control products, including the company’s convenient integrated PV Switch and Surge Unit which, in the year since its launch, has achieved widespread popularity in domestic PV installations.

 

With Eaton’s new PV-DB distribution boards, multiple single and three-phase inverters can be connected in parallel easily and safely - a common requirement in commercial PV installations rated at 20kW and above. The boards also incorporate a MID-certified kWh meter and a four-pole rotary isolator, as well as offering protection options in line with ENA ER G59/2. This means all of the essential switching, metering and protection requirements for medium-sized PV systems are met by a single pre-wired and fully tested assembly, making installation fast and easy, and ensuring that regulatory standards are always met.

 

The SOL30-Safety fireman’s switches that Eaton is also showing for the first time provide fast, safe and certain isolation of the feed from PV panels to the inverter in the event of any emergency, or as an aid to carrying out maintenance. The switches are normally operated manually, but also include an under-voltage release that can be used to ensure that the PV panels are isolated automatically if the fire service cuts the mains supply to the building where the PV system is installed.

 

For safety reasons and to aid maintenance, solar PV installations must always include a DC isolator for power coming from the solar panels and an AC isolator for power flowing from the inverter. Surge protection devices are also recommended for both the DC and AC circuits. In the past, these requirements have usually been met using devices mounted in separate enclosures; a cumbersome approach that unnecessarily extends the time taken to install and wire a system and adds additional cost.

 

Eaton’s combined PV Switch and Surge Unit, developed in conjunction with Solarcentury, solves this problem by providing DC and AC isolators and surge protection devices pre-wired in a single compact enclosure. As a result, there is only one unit to install and the amount of wiring needed on site is minimised. Installation and wiring time is further reduced by the provision of ready-fitted terminals and glands for other connections, while safety is enhanced by the use of industry standard solar connectors for the wiring from the solar panels.

 

To complement the products on show, experts from Eaton and Solarcentury are making a series of informative presentations in the Solar Hub. Eaton’s experts will also be available throughout the exhibition to provide visitors with advice and guidance on devising solutions for specific applications, with the emphasis on combining safety, performance and convenience with value for money.

 

Hydratight has launched an updated Emergency Pipeline Repair System to offer better disaster planning and contingency services to operators and contractors.

 

Following the dramatic reaction to the Gulf disaster in early 2011, ever-increasing demands are being placed on oil and gas operators to provide safer, faster and more effective contingency plans to react to major accidents. The potential for environmental damage of subsea pipelines requires a critical level of risk management and repair planning. For over 20 years, Hydratight’s MORGRIP mechanical connector has provided the world standard for weldless pipeline tie-in, repair and emergency contingencies for both topside and subsea. The tailored Emergency Pipeline Repair System (EPRS) provides a way for operators and installation contractors to meet their pipeline contingency needs with greater urgency.

 

By joining the EPRS ‘club’ operators and contractors gain guaranteed highest-priority treatment and fast delivery of the required MORGRIP device and expert installation asistance, if required. Hydratight joins member-companies in preparing a full list of MORGRIP and associated engineering needs, offers designs for type approval and regularly updates this information. Members also get advance knowledge of the likely cost of instituting the full repair. "This means much of the delay at the front end of the repair - the design specification, the approvals procedure, costings, and all the other associated advance work - is largely eradicated," said Hydratight’s Connector Product Manager Paul Hughes.

 

Once assessment of the member’s needs is completed, Hydratight ensures the steel stock, machining and engineering teams are allocated and always in readiness. To prove system readiness, the EPRS team provides regular paper exercises with the client to ensure the service will run exactly as intended should a genuine emergency arise. The service already numbers several very large operators among its club members and even companies offering complementary emergency services, where MORGRIP is an integral part of a larger repair.

 

"Even as few as five years ago, Hydratight would need to quote up to two months to deliver one of the larger MORGRIP connectors - even in an emergency - because of the need to get approvals and costings and to assemble the many parts and order the machining necessary," said Paul. "These days, club members can look forward to receiving the finished connector in as few as two or three weeks - well within even the sort of shrunken timescales forced on companies by environmental and political expediency. This sort of emergency response means a major accident can be cleared much more quickly yet with the same dedication to safety".

Foster Wheeler has announced that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group has been awarded a feasibility study by Albanian Refining & Marketing of Oil sha (ARMO) relating to the modernisation of two refineries, located at Ballsh and Fier in Albania.

 

ARMO intends to modernise the existing refineries at Ballsh and Fier to restore production to the original design capacity and produce transportation fuels in line with current European Union regulations. The study is expected to be completed by mid-2012. ARMO, a former state-owned company privatised since 2008, owns these two refineries which serve both the domestic and the Balkans’ regional markets.

 

Foster Wheeler AG is a global engineering and construction contractor and power equipment supplier delivering technically advanced, reliable facilities and equipment. The company employs approximately 12,000 talented professionals with specialised expertise dedicated to serving its clients through one of its two primary business groups.

 

The company’s Global Engineering and Construction Group designs and constructs leading-edge processing facilities for the upstream oil and gas, LNG and gas-to-liquids, refining, chemicals and petrochemicals, power, mining and metals, environmental, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and healthcare industries. The company’s Global Power Group is a world leader in combustion and steam generation technology that designs, manufactures and erects steam generating and auxiliary equipment for power stations and industrial facilities and also provides a wide range of aftermarket services.

NRL Ltd, the EIC member and privately owned energy sector recruitment specialist, has opened an office in Glasgow. The company, which was founded in 1983 and has an annual turnover of around £75 million, specialises in recruiting engineering and construction personnel and supplies to many of the major players in the energy sector.

 

The city has been selected as the location for NRL’s seventh office in the UK and third in Scotland for two reasons. First, to provide a local service to NRL’s many clients in the west of Scotland, and second, to open up new avenues. Donald Livingston, NRL’s group director who is based at the company’s long-established Falkirk office said: "We can see a real need for our services with potential new clients in our core energy markets".

 

The Glasgow office will recruit both for contract and permanent positions, at all levels from project manager to skilled labour. NRL’s existing clients are mainly in the oil, gas, renewable energy, nuclear, petrochemical and facilities management sectors, and the Glasgow team will be introducing NRL’s services to companies in these sectors. The Glasgow office will be led by Peter Reilly and supported by Iain Gray, who between them have 20 years’ relevant experience.

 

Donald said: "The opening of our Glasgow office represents a significant investment by NRL and underlines our belief that there is always room in the market for a quality service. We had planned for this expansion since early 2011, but key to it was always getting the right people on board. Now that we have, we look forward to working with our customers, existing and new, to provide their resourcing solutions".

 

Peter said: "Both Iain and I are delighted to have joined the successful team at NRL. We look forward to working with NRL’s portfolio of long established clients and introducing our services to many new businesses with a need for engineering and construction personnel". Contact NRL Glasgow on:

 

Tel +44 (0)141 314 3967

Email glasgow@nrl.co.uk

The Secure Series sets new parameters for flexible, off-the-shelf containerised generators. Power options offer a greater variety of applications and use, breaking the mould for a fully configurable range of 20ft or 40ft HC containerised generators. Outstanding power output, compact size and ease of transportation make the series perfect for applications worldwide.

 

For its rating and class this range packs a serious power punch but with noise levels coming in at an outstanding 73dBA at one metre and 66dBA at seven metres. The Secure Power Series models are available with a 55^oC ambient cooling option for operation in extreme temperature environments.

 

The Secure Power Series generators are supplied in fully bunded containers, protected against any leakage of diesel or lubricants. The high capacity fuel tank is also fully bunded within the container, and all bunding complies with PPG2 DEFRA guidelines. Engine exhaust emissions comply with the latest emission standards.

 

Built with the end user in mind, this Power Series can be controlled and monitored externally, offering improved health and safety benefits; designed to allow efficient servicing, including dual side door access, with longer periods between oil changes, leading to a higher level of service and usability. Compared with similar rated units, the Secure Series offers higher power outputs delivering lower specific fuel consumption g/kWh.

 

The Secure Power Series features the premium, super silent Secure+ for high specification applications such as the generator rental markets and the fully configurable Secure∞ for all industrial applications demanding a variety of features. Whether the requirement is for a standard cost effective generator or synchronising capabilities for power station applications, the Secure Series is worth considering. For more information please contact Lance Lewis:

 

Tel +44 (0)1723 583 511

Email lance.lewis@dalepowersolutions.com

Fluor Corporation has announced that Arlington Valley Solar Energy II LLC (AVSE II), a member of LS Power Group, has awarded the company a lump-sum engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, as well as a separate contract for ongoing operations and maintenance services (O&M) for its new nominal 125MW solar photovoltaic (PV) facility located in Maricopa County, Arizona.

 

"This significant new win for Fluor positions the company as a leader in the solar power engineering and construction industry," said Dave Dunning, President of Fluor’s Power Group. "We look forward to expanding our solar resume and delivering one of the world’s largest solar PV projects for LS Power. Fluor’s financial strength and backing for this project demonstrates our ability to bring a turnkey solution to our clients for their utility-scale solar developments".

 

The AVSE II project is located on approximately 1160 acres with all of the major permits secured. This project will help meet the regional need for renewable energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The Arlington Valley combined cycle facility is nearby, which was designed and constructed by Fluor in 2002. AVSE II has closed financing for the project and has executed the power purchase agreement for the entire power output from the facility.

 

"We are pleased to be working with a world-class EPC firm like Fluor for LS Power’s largest solar project to date," said John King, Executive Vice President of LS Power. "This project brings many benefits to the State of Arizona and Maricopa County, including construction and operations jobs with local business opportunities and longer-term benefits from tax revenues. The State of California will benefit from the green energy delivered from the project as well as the solar panel sales from a San Diego-based manufacturer for a portion of the project".

 

Engineering and procurement is under way from Fluor’s Southern California operations centre. The facility is expected to achieve full commercial operation by the end of 2013.

Pamela Bingham has joined the international flow control engineering group Rotork as Group Business Development Director. The position is a new one, created in line with Rotork’s strategy for the further development of new business, new customers, acquisitions and external relationships.

 

Pamela has held directorial positions in the engineering industry for the past seven years, working in legal, commercial and business development roles. She joins Rotork from David Brown Gear Systems Limited, where she was a senior executive on the leadership team. She qualified as a solicitor in Scotland twenty years ago, having achieved an honours degree in law and a postgraduate diploma in legal practise from the University of Edinburgh. She re-qualified as an English lawyer in 1996.

 

Pamela has built her career from a strong background in legal roles to one where she has taken on broader executive and strategic responsibilities, focusing on the development and implementation of strategies for business growth through organic growth and acquisition. Working in legal and directorial positions in companies serving industries that include oil, gas, utilities, railways, mining, defence, water and renewable energy, these duties have provided in-depth experience of competitive global markets including emerging and developing economies.

 

Speaking about her new appointment, Pamela said: "I am delighted to be joining Rotork to assist in the execution of its long term strategy of expanding into the wider flow control market, which will undoubtedly provide further opportunities for growth".

Alderley, the market leader in liquid and gas metering and produced water treatment packages, continues its ongoing growth and success by securing orders in excess of £20 million in the first 7 weeks into 2012. The orders are a global result for Alderley as the projects span across the world to include the North Sea, Africa, Middle East, Asia and Australia.

 

The projects secured will see Alderley deliver a range of fiscal metering systems, proving systems, sampling, metering control, deoiling hydroclyclones, bespoke hydraulic solutions and specialist engineering support services. The manufacture of these applications will take place at Alderley’s worldwide facilities in the UK, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and UAE.

 

Chris McGeehan, CEO said: "This is an excellent start to 2012 for the Alderley Group and falls in line with Alderley’s overall growth and development plans across all regions. Through our established regional offices we have the capacity to continue to deliver world-class products internationally and we expect 2012 to continue to be a busy and successful year for the Alderley Group".

Bob Drummond, Chief Executive Officer of Hydrasun Ltd has been revealed as the 2012 winner of a highly prestigious Scottish business award. He was announced as the 35th Grampian Industrialist of the Year at a black tie awards dinner at Mercure Ardoe House Hotel near Aberdeen on Friday 2 March.

 

The award, which is managed by Junior Chamber International Aberdeen (JCI), is granted to the individual in Aberdeen and North East Scotland who is deemed to have made the most outstanding entrepreneurial contribution to business. Selection of the Grampian Industrialist winner takes into account career history of the individual, company growth and success, the role and contribution of the individual, their people development and their entrepreneurial skills.

 

Hydrasun is a leading provider of fluid transfer, power and control solutions to the energy, petrochemical, marine and utilities industries worldwide. Mr Drummond became Chief Executive of Hydrasun Group in 2002 when he acquired the company through a Management Buy-In where he set out his aims for the next ten years, which was to build a truly global company and relocate to headquarters to be proud of.

 

Under Mr Drummond’s leadership, Hydrasun’s turnover has since trebled and is on target to reach £80 million for the current financial year, exports have further increased, several acquisitions have been made, staff numbers have more than doubled to 600 and the company moved into a purpose built £12 million HQ in Aberdeen at the start of last year. He has also led the company through a successful globalisation strategy and its international operations now account for a third of turnover. The company now exports to over 50 countries and has operational bases and subsidiaries throughout the UK and internationally.

 

Mr Drummond has extensive experience of working in the oil and gas industry and has held senior positions in major energy services companies prior to his position with Hydrasun, including RBG (formerly Rigblast Group), Wood Group Engineering and Maersk UK. His success was recognised last year when he won the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2011 in Scotland and Hydrasun won the Achievement in International Business Award at the Northern Star Business Awards 2011.

 

He is dedicated to supporting the wider community and believes that community engagement has the result of motivating and creating satisfaction on a personal level and for Hydrasun staff whilst also enhancing the company’s reputation as a good employer and a good corporate citizen. The Hydrasun Athletics Academy was opened in May 2011 to nurture talented athletes aged 17-23 by providing access to top level facilities and coaching. The initiative, sponsored by Hydrasun, is a partnership between Aberdeen Sports Village, the University of Aberdeen and youth charity Blue Horizon. It is Bob’s dream that the academy will bring an Olympic gold medal back to the North-East by 2016. Hydrasun also sponsors the kids@asv initiative involving a programme of affordable sports clubs aimed at getting children from all backgrounds to participate in regular exercise.

 

Bob Drummond, Hydrasun Chief Executive Officer said: "I am both absolutely delighted and deeply honoured to have been chosen for this prestigious award. I think it also shows worthy recognition of the fantastic efforts and commitment of the entire team at Hydrasun over the past few years and everything we have achieved together".

 

JCI Aberdeen President Jill Harris said: "We had a great response for nominations this year and it was an honour to announce the 2012 winner who will, undoubtedly continue the tradition of excellence associated with the Grampian Industrialist Award. Bob is an inspirational example for upcoming entrepreneurs and leaders in business, and his achievements showcase what the Grampian Industrialist is all about. Since acquiring Hydrasun in 2002, Bob has led its growth to a global success story. His outstanding business achievements have deservedly won him the coveted title of Grampian Industrialist of the Year 2012".

Capital expenditure in Scottish energy industries is expected to total £66.5 billion in the decade to 2020 according to new figures announced by Tony Mackay of Mackay Consultants at a seminar hosted in Aberdeen by diversified technology company 3M.

 

Scotland’s foremost energy economist predicts that the annual average figure will peak at £8.5 billion by 2014 before steadily declining to £4.3 billion in 2020. While expenditure is currently high due to ongoing development projects such as Laggan-Tormore, Clair Ridge and Schiehallion, Mackay says that after 2014 there will be a substantial change in the breakdown of capex over the next decade. For example, North Sea oil and gas is expected to see its current 88% share of total capital expenditure fall to 68%, with the biggest expenditure decline in gas, falling from 42% to 20% during this period.

 

By contrast, wind energy is expected to nearly triple its 2010 share of 6% to 17% by 2020 with the majority of expenditure on offshore wind farms in Scottish waters. Spending on commercial marine energy projects, such as wave and tidal power is also expected to increase significantly over the decade.

 

The 3M event, convened to allow oil industry procurement managers to discuss future industry trends, was held at the science centre Satrosphere in Aberdeen. Delegates were urged to make the most of the current peak in North Sea oil and gas activity before it begins to tail off in 2014. Lee Roan, Business Manager for 3M’s energy markets division, told the audience that it was important for oil and gas businesses to make the most of current investment levels.

 

"Tony Mackay predicts capex will decline substantially from 2014 onwards creating a critical two year window to carefully secure the best deals and plan for market changes. We believe that sharp negotiation skills, smart technologies and innovative products are the only way to enhance business productivity in a tough economic climate. It is important to deal today with an eye on tomorrow’s market".

 

3M works with The Gap Partnership who believe poor negotiating skills cost the UK economy a staggering £75 billion a year, and developing skills to change behaviour can therefore achieve measurable results on company profits.

Mech-Tool is pleased to announce the opening of their new office in Aberdeen to further support the offshore oil, gas and renewable industries with its extensive portfolio of turnkey fire/blast protection and modular solutions.

 

For over 40 years Mech-Tool has led the field in the design and manufacture of products that protect people and plant from the hazards of fire, explosion and noise. The company’s 170 strong multi-disciplined team offers a genuine cradle-to-grave service of: consultation, design, engineering, fabrication, project management, supply, installation and maintenance.

 

Mech-Tool’s dedicated office in ‘Europe’s oil and gas capital’ will provide support for clients based in the area and to meet their growing demands. Mech-Tool’s Business Manager Matthew Camp explained: "We are following a phased introduction plan to bring the services and support of Mech-Tool within convenient reach of our clients. In the coming months the Aberdeen team will grow with the eventual goal of having a full supplement of technical and project related disciplines. We are seeking a greater level of integration with our clients and believe that the best forum for this centres around a local office facility".

 

Products and services key areas:

• Design Engineering & Consultancy Services

• Structural and Blast Analysis Studies

• Accommodation Modules and Equipment Rooms

• Fire/Blastwalls, Heatshields and Windwalls

• Safewrap J120 Flexible PFP Jacket System

 

Contact details for Aberdeen:

Mech-Tool Engineering Ltd

72 Carden Place

Aberdeen

AB10 1UL

Tel +44 (0)1224 261 681

Email matthew@mechtool.co.uk

Nylacast is once again proud to be supporting local charity Prostaid in its fight against prostate cancer. Last August saw 4 key members of the Nylacast team shaving their heads to help raise funds and awareness for the charity, this time 19 members of the Nylacast team will become ‘March Hairs’ and grow facial hair for the whole of March.

 

Robert Banner, Manager and Trustee of Prostaid commented: "Every week 5 men die and 11 are diagnosed with prostate cancer in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland alone". The head shaving fundraiser from last August saw over £2800 being raised and Nylacast hopes to beat this figure this time around in an effort to raise more awareness and funds for this very worthy cause.

 

The list of Nylacast staff which will be growing and grooming their facial hair over the month of March range from all sectors of the business, from accounts and HR to production and include members such as Ivan ‘Magnum PI’ Clark who will be donning a famous 80s look and Chris Foster who has pledged to grow a ‘handle bar’ moustache.

 

Ian Mallabone, Nylacast Group HR Manager commented: "The health and well being of our employees is very important to us. Being able to raise the awareness with our employees on such a sensitive subject and raise money in the process for a really good cause is fantastic".

 

Nylacast and Prostaid would like to encourage everyone to dig deep and donate to this great cause and help in the fight against prostate cancer, whether its £1 or £100 any amount is greatly appreciated. Alternatively you can place your donation by phone by simply sending NYLA77 followed by £ and the amount you wish to donate, to 70070

 

Don’t forget, companies which pay Corporation Tax are able to claim for donations to charities at their Corporation Tax rate, which means you can help raise even more funds for charity.

 

To donate to this great cause simply donate online:

Statoil is preparing an invitation to tender for a new type of drilling rig for mature fields on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). The new rigs, known as category J, will be jack-ups designed by the industry on behalf of Statoil. Statoil will propose for licence groups to take on ownership of these rigs.

 

In order to realise the full potential of the NCS, increasing drilling activity on mature fields is important. Lower rig rates, greater drilling efficiency and access to rigs are key factors to meet this challenge. The new rig concept is designed to meet these requirements.

 

"The key to maintain today’s production level on the NCS towards 2020 is improved recovery from existing fields and fast and effective development of new fields. We need to drill more wells to deliver on our production ambitions," said Øystein Arvid Håland, Head of Drilling and Well at Statoil.

 

The new category J rigs will be able to operate at water depths from 70 to 150 metres and drill wells down to 10,000 metres. It is a tailor-made jack-up rig for operations in harsh environments on both surface and subsea wells in the shallow-water segments on the NCS. It will be a tool primarily for drilling and completion of production wells.

 

"Statoil has the capacity and competence to drive technology and innovation to drill more efficiently and rejuvenate the rig fleet on the NCS. The new category J rigs will deliver wells 20% more efficient than conventional rigs. We aim to achieve reduced cost and time per well with safe and efficient operations," said Håland. The rig design is currently being developed in collaboration with various industry players like hull designers, topside suppliers, construction yards and drilling contractors.

 

"Statoil is continuously working to secure a rig fleet with the right capacities and capabilities to suit our needs. However, upgrade and adaptions on many of the existing rigs appear too costly for our requirements and challenges on the NCS. We are therefore taking steps to rejuvenate the rig fleet and ensure that the right rigs meet the right requirements," said Jon Arnt Jacobsen, Chief Procurement Officer, Statoil.

 

"Now we follow up our industrial approach by proposing to take ownership of the rigs through licenses to improve economics further. As a long-term industrial player on the NCS, we look forward to working with suppliers who have competence in building and operating rigs to develop new and cost-effective solutions," said Jacobsen.

 

BG Group has announced that it has reached agreement with Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC (Sabine Liquefaction), a subsidiary of Cheniere Energy Partners LP, to purchase an additional 2 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) over a 20 year period from the Sabine Pass terminal in Louisiana, USA. In October 2011, BG Group announced it had signed a fully-termed sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with Sabine Liquefaction for the purchase of 3.5mtpa of LNG over a 20 year period.

 

BG Group Chief Executive Sir Frank Chapman said: "The purchase of additional volumes from the Sabine Pass facility builds on the ground-breaking agreement we entered into last year, in which BG Group secured LNG export volumes from the US Gulf Coast. "The agreement adds further volume to our diversified global LNG supply portfolio and is underpinned by the recent material increases in US gas reserves as well as a favourable long-term outlook for global LNG demand".

 

Construction of the liquefaction facilities at Sabine Pass is scheduled to begin in 2012, with an initial phase of two LNG trains. Construction of the second phase, an additional two trains, is expected to commence in 2013, with exports from the initial phase to start as early as 2015 and for the second phase from as early as 2017.

 

At the same time, BG Group is pursuing an expansion of the Lake Charles LNG terminal, in Louisiana, USA, to provide natural gas liquefaction services. The US Department of Energy (DoE) has authorised the terminal to export up to 730Bcf of natural gas per year (approximately 15mtpa) to countries that have a free trade agreement in place with the USA. The DOE is reviewing an application to export natural gas from the Lake Charles LNG terminal to countries that do not have a free trade agreement with the USA.

BMT Group Ltd, the leading international maritime design, engineering and risk management consultancy, has been recognised in the prestigious Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to work for list for 2012.

 

Placed 55th in the list, BMT attained a two star accreditation, recognised as ‘outstanding’ by workplace engagement specialists, Best Companies. This classification follows the elite ‘Michelin Style’ star rating system for organisations that demonstrate high levels of employee engagement based on staff feedback. The staff survey undertaken by Best Companies revealed that 79% of UK employees felt that they have a great deal of support from their managers. Effective management was recognised as the cornerstone of the organisation’s success.

 

Peter French, Chief Executive of BMT Group commented: "We are extremely proud to receive this accolade. As an Employee Benefit Trust (EBT), engagement with all of our staff is something that we take very seriously because without them, we wouldn’t be the successful company we are today".

 

For over 27 years BMT has gone from strength to strength, providing consultancy services to customers in the defence, energy and environment, marine risk and insurance, maritime transport and ports and logistics sectors. With 40 offices in 20 countries, BMT has developed a wide range of business services to assist companies and governments investing in major capital projects and seeking to operate their businesses in the most cost-effective, safe, reliable and environmentally responsible manner.

Dow Formulated Systems, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, has announced plans to launch a new line of HYPERLAST™ and DIPRANE™ non-mercury catalyzed polyurethane elastomer products.

 

At UTECH Europe 2012, Dow will be introducing a full suite of products that utilise non-mercury catalyst technology. These new materials use the previously successful backbone formulations and, through an innovative approach, the R&D team has enhanced the system with improvements in material processing and the final properties of the moulded elastomer.

 

Dow is committed to continually create today’s and tomorrow’s solutions for helping make the world safer, healthier, cleaner and more sustainable for all of us. Within the engineering elastomers business this is as important as ever. There is public concern with mercury and phenylmercury substances and under the REACH Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006) there is a proposal to restrict five phenylmercury substances. Dow has worked to remove the use of organo mercury catalysts from its polyurethane elastomer products.

 

Dow is rolling out a product range that helps the polyurethane processor benefit from knowledge that the materials in use are not impacted by REACH regulation and, therefore, will have supply longevity. Other improvements include a study on sensitisation of low monomer TDI prepolymers, where it was identified that these products, at below 0.1% free TDI monomer, still have the potential to cause sensitisation. Dow will present a paper at UTECH Europe on 18 April 2012 as part of the ISOPA session, and will be available to discuss the study and TDI prepolymers that offer the processor confidence that we hold safety as number one.

 

The well-established one-pack elastomer MONOTHANE™ Polyurethane Systems range has been reformulated to provide enhanced, REACH-compliant material. Customers have endorsed the product and value the brand for its quality consistent performance in process and use. For many years the mantra of Dow’s engineering elastomers business has been ‘making your ideas reality’. So we welcome you to release the power of your curiosity, and together we can look to develop innovative solutions.

Nautronix is pleased to announce the appointment of Alessandra Bunel as Business Development Manager for the Brazilian region. Alessandra will be based full time at Nautronix’ Brazilian office in Rio de Janeiro and will be responsible for developing new business opportunities and increasing the company’s presence in the region.

 

Alessandra brings a wealth of industry experience in business development and sales. Her most recent role was Business Development Director with Drilling Systems Ltd - Innovation in Simulations. In this role she was responsible for developing the business within Latin America and she has significant experience working in the region. Alessandra is a Brazilian national and is fluent in Portuguese, English and Spanish and her experience of the market will be invaluable for Nautronix.

 

Mark Patterson, CEO of Nautronix said: "I am delighted to welcome Alessandra to Nautronix at this exciting time and look forward to working with her. There are a great deal of opportunities currently in the Brazilian region for Nautronix. The opening of our new office in Brazil puts us in an ideal position to effectively promote the Nautronix brand and products in the region".

 

Alessandra Bunel said: "There is no doubt about the growth and the importance of the Brazilian market for the oil and gas industry worldwide. In addition, the challenges faced by deepwater operations in the pre-salt are enormous. Nautronix has cutting edge technology solutions to overcome these challenges, increasing safety and productivity through our state of the art signalling technology. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to use my skills and experience to contribute to the company’s growth within the region and be part of a new era in underwater communication and positioning".

 

Nautronix has been active in the Brazilian market for several years and is currently pursuing a number of opportunities in the region. They have recently been awarded multimillion contracts for supply of their systems which meet the specification requirements for working in Brazilian waters, for new ultra-deepwater drill ships. Nautronix already has a number of systems operating in vessels offshore Brazil. The appointment of Alessandra will allow Nautronix to continue to build upon the business relationships already established in the region and emphasise Nautronix’ commitment to Brazil.

Candida Bond and Douglas Craig

 

The new top floor of the University of Aberdeen’s state-of-the art library, which was made possible by a generous donation by the Craig Group and the Craig family, has been unveiled. The new floor is named the Craig Floor and hosts the David Craig Suite, in memory of the man who helped build one of Scotland’s most successful businesses.

 

The co-founder of Aberdeen’s Craig Group, David Craig, passed away in 2010, just before his 94th birthday and will be remembered in a fitting way with the Craig Floor, which will have stunning views across the North Sea where he spent much of his young working life and which forms a rich part of the Craig Group’s heritage.

 

This floor also features the University’s renowned divinity and philosophy collections which will be used to support some of the UK’s top research academics in these fields, who are based at the campus. The David Craig Suite houses a series of flexible conference and seminar rooms and will be used for university and student events as well as being made available to the wider business community for meetings and informal evening receptions.

 

Chairman and Managing Director of the Craig Group, David’s son Douglas Craig said: "We are delighted to contribute to this fantastic building and the Craig Floor looks magnificent. The David Craig Suite is a very touching and fitting tribute to my father and will inspire everyone who uses it. Overlooking the North Sea it is a perfect way to remember David who pioneered fishing in the North Sea, both as a skipper and then at the helm of the group for more than 70 years".

 

A lifelike bronze sculpture which fully captures many of David Craig’s attributes has also been unveiled. It was created by Candida Bond who is based near Aberdeen and was an apprentice for 7 years to the prolific British sculptor David Wynne who created the Queen Elizabeth Gates at Hyde Park in London and has sold out many exhibitions all over the world.

 

Former Principal of the University of Aberdeen, Sir Duncan Rice, who led a hugely successful fund-raising campaign to make the ambitious building a reality, will say a few words at the opening tonight as without him the Craig Floor would not be possible. Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen Professor Ian Diamond said: "We are honoured to host a lasting tribute to David Craig, who was an inspirational figure throughout the north east, within our library".

 

The Craig Group family has strong ties with the university. Douglas completed his undergraduate studies in accountancy and political economics at the campus and was made an Honorary Doctorate in 2010. Mr Craig snr was also recognised by the university four years ago when his services to the local business community also granted him an Honorary Doctorate.

 

He helped lead the family-owned shipping and energy services firm to international success in the oil and gas industry and is believed to have been the oldest chairman of any Scottish company. However, away from the business world, Mr Craig’s great love was gardening and his dahlias were his pride and joy. Last year, The Royal Horticultural Society officially registered specially-grown dahlias in honour of Mr Craig. Paying additional homage to much-respected figure Mr Craig, the Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen (RHSA) - of which Mr Craig was a long-standing director of the society and latterly an honorary vice president - has appointed his son, Douglas Craig, as its president elect.

 

The Craig Group provides offshore support, ROV survey, emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRVs) and oilfield procurement and employs around 1000 people. The Craig Group remains one of Scotland’s top 100 companies and in the top 20 of offshore service companies in the North Sea. Its divisions operate in Europe, Africa and the US in the areas of offshore support, ROV survey, emergency response and rescue vessels, oilfield supplies and leisure.

NBGI Private Equity has completed its first oil and gas transaction with a major investment in leading oil and gas rental services business, ATR Group. An equity and debt financing package of over £20 million led by NBGI, supported by the Clydesdale Bank, will enable the Aberdeen-based group to further invest in its rental fleet and fast-track its international growth.

 

A market leader in the rental of specialised tools and equipment for the offshore oil and gas industry maintenance market, ATR Group has flourished since the management buy-in over four years ago led by Maven Capital Partners. The company now boasts a turnover in excess of £17 million and 100 employees. NBGI has backed ATR Group’s existing management team led by Keith Moorhouse (pictured), who is reinvesting in the business, alongside Operations Director Mike Robertson and newly appointed Chief Financial Officer, Euan Leask.

 

Commenting on the investment, Mr Moorhouse, Chief Executive of ATR Group said: "Maven’s investment in 2007 allowed us to take forward our growth plans, providing the necessary capital and expertise. Since then and despite a challenging economic climate, we have rapidly grown the business, expanding our client base, our fleet and our global footprint. As we enter a new exciting stage of growth with the right foundations in place, we welcome the investment by NBGI which will enable a step-change in our investment plans for the fleet and allow us to explore opportunities for future acquisitions. This will in turn allow us to offer an enhanced service to clients".

 

Lawrence Dean, Investment Director of NBGI, who joins the ATR board added: "ATR’s market-leading position and robust financial standing provide a strong platform for organic and acquisition-led growth. We are delighted to be supporting the senior management team and looking forward to working in partnership to take the business to the next level, exploiting the strong growth potential".

 

Jock Gardiner, partner at Maven concluded: "This is another profitable exit from an energy services business for Maven client funds and allows the ATR management team to continue its ambitious growth strategy. We have enjoyed working with Keith and the rest of the team since 2007 in what has been a period of considerable development for the business. We wish the team all the very best for their next exciting stage of growth". Advisers in the deal included Campbell Dallas, Johnston Carmichael, Dundas & Wilson, Paull & Williamsons and PWC.

Damper Technology Ltd (DTL) is pleased to announce that they are launching their own range of Radial Vane (Inlet Vane Control) Dampers.

 

The Radial Vane Damper (IVC) is predominantly used on fan inlet applications, offering an enhanced level of flow and pressure control. A Radial Vane Damper has multiple blades arranged around a central hub enhancing the performance of the fan by introducing swirl into the fan inlet providing an efficient method of control.

 

DTL’s Radial Vane Dampers can be fitted with any form of actuation allowing either local or remote modulating control and are designed to withstand the high air velocities that can be experienced in use. Engineered to ensure ease of maintenance and service without removing the damper from the fan, DTL’s Radial Vane Dampers are custom-engineered and manufactured to customer specifications depending on the application and performance required.

 

Peter Adams, Sales Manager, for DTL said: "It has been a long time since we have launched a new product to market, so we are excited about the possibilities and markets it will open for us, all our Radial Vane Dampers can be supplied with CE and ATEX marking as required, designed and manufactured by a company holding ISO 9001:2008 accreditation and with over 45 years of damper experience worldwide so you can expect a robust product that is backed by full spares, servicing and support".

 

For more information on the range of Damper products DTL provide worldwide, contact Peter Adams:

Tel +44 (0)115 932 4046

Email peter.adams@dampertechnology.com

BG Group has announced that it has received initial approval from the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) for up to $1.8 billion of long-term finance to fund part of the company’s interests in the pre-salt Santos Basin, offshore Brazil.

 

Subject to further approvals and the completion of a final agreement, the funding facility will be allocated to BG Group’s share of local procurement and construction costs for the eight floating production, storage and offload (FPSO) facilities that will be owned by BG Group and its Santos Basin partners.

 

The 150,000 barrels of oil per day capacity vessels are part of the wider first phase, fast-track development programme in the Santos Basin that will deliver 2.3 million barrels of oil equivalent per day of capacity by 2017. By the second quarter of 2012, BG Group expects to agree terms with BNDES on finance with a 14 year term.

 

BG Group Chief Financial Officer Fabio Barbosa said: "We are delighted to have received this initial approval from BNDES for long-term financing of up to $1.8 billion which will add to the diverse funding options already in place as we progress our global growth programme. In particular, the funds will help underpin BG Group’s investments for the successful development of our world-class pre-salt Santos Basin interests. Finally, it also represents the support of one of the key players in the Brazilian government to our partnership with Petrobras and the country".

Capula has been awarded a contract by the South East Electricity Substation Alliance (SEESA). SEESA is an alliance led by National Grid working in a partnership with Alstom, Skanska and Mott MacDonald. They are carrying out a significant upgrade and extension of the substation control system (SCS) at New Cross, London.

 

Capula will be implementing a Type Registered SCS solution based on a GE Digital Energy RTU, featuring D25 technology, and copa-data for the incumbent HMI to support additional plant at the substation and help reinforce National Grid’s network, ensuring the region continues to enjoy safe, secure and reliable electricity supplies in the future.

 

Work is already underway on the project, with completion scheduled for mid-2013. "This is an important contract of considerable value," said Chris Conn, Capula’s Transmission & Distribution Manager. "We’re delighted to be delivering this upgrade and our exemplary track record in both delivery and support for National Grid was a key factor in Capula being selected".

Harris CapRock Communications, the global provider of fully managed communications for remote and harsh environments, has been chosen by Siem Offshore to deliver turnkey Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) communications to five of its supply vessels, located offshore in Brazil. The SeaAccess solution will enable Siem to extend its corporate IT network and applications to its vessels. Siem Offshore Inc is an owner and operator of modern support vessels for the global oil and gas service industry.

 

"We require a robust communications solution onboard our vessels to support our crew and our day-to-day operations," said Cato Engebretsen, Director of Supply Chain for Siem Offshore Inc. "It’s important for our fleet to be fully connected to headquarters and our other offices at all times, and after assessing the capabilities of Harris CapRock and its ability to provide local service and support in Brazil, it was the clear choice for our team".

 

Harris CapRock will deploy end-to-end VSAT communications to enable corporate networking, internet access, voice over IP, real-time monitoring and reporting, and crew morale services. All equipment will be tested in Aberdeen, UK, and then shipped and installed locally in Brazil. The turnkey solution includes network design, equipment and installation, as well as service and 24/7 support from Harris CapRock’s Customer Support Center (CSC).

 

The contract has the potential to be extended to an additional four vessels. Harris CapRock was selected as Siem Offshore’s communications partner as a result of its deep experience in providing local service and support in Brazil, combined with its reputation for delivering highly reliable solutions. "The agreement with Siem Offshore’s Brazilian operations highlights the quality communications technology that we’ve built a solid reputation on in the market," said Pal Jensen, President of SeaAccess, Harris CapRock. "Our presence in Brazil continues to grow as we broaden our systems integration services, project management capabilities and in-region field service and support. This partnership is a natural extension of the progress we have made".

 

Harris CapRock Communications is a premier global provider of managed satellite and terrestrial communications solutions specifically for remote and harsh environments including the energy, government and maritime markets. Harris CapRock owns and operates a robust global infrastructure that includes teleports on six continents, five 24/7 network operations centres, local presence in 23 countries and more than 275 global field service personnel supporting customer locations across North America, Central and South America, Europe, West Africa and the Asia Pacific region.

Snorre A Photo Rune Johansen/Statoil

 

Statoil has awarded to Aker Solutions the contract for the upgrade of drilling facilities on the Snorre A platform. The contract has an estimated value of NOK1 billion. The upgrade will make it possible to drill new wells from Snorre A in the period up to 2040.

 

"Well drilling and maintenance represent the most important activities we can undertake in order to recover more oil and gas from our fields. By upgrading the drilling facilities on Snorre A we reckon we can recover 67 million additional barrels of oil from the Snorre field," said Bente Aleksandersen, Head of Operations South in Development and Production Norway in Statoil.

 

With an oil price of US$100 per barrel, that means oil worth roughly NOK40 billion. The main objective of the drilling facilities upgrade is to improve both the general environmental conditions as well as the safety of drilling operations on Snorre A. The work will start in March this year and will be completed in 2015.

 

"We will in the future be seeing more and more of this type of modification in order to extend the lifetime of existing fields. It is an attractive market for the supplier industry. Upgrading a platform that is already in use is demanding; it’s a task that sets tough requirements to the expertise and quality of deliveries. But we are certain that we, together with Aker Solutions, can better enable Snorre A to carry out its future operations by implementing this drilling upgrade project," said Vidar Martin Birkeland, Head of Project Procurement at Statoil.

 

Several of the Statoil-operated fields will get an extended lifetime because the company will manage to increase the recovery of oil and gas and tie back new discoveries to already established field centres. The upgrade of the drilling facilities is an important step towards extending the lifetime of several fields and thereby helping boost recovery. The Snorre A upgrade will help extend the field’s lifetime until 2040. There are also plans to upgrade the drilling facilities on the Gullfaks field, which will make a significant contribution to extending its lifespan.

Paul Shinnie, Dave Galloway and Colin Hazelton

 

Leading global equipment rental specialists Coates Offshore has announced the appointment of a new global operations team. Colin Hazelton has been appointed as global head of operations, Dave Galloway has been appointed as operations manager for emerging markets, whilst Paul Shinnie will manage operations across the UK and continental shelf.

 

Colin will lead the operations team, strengthening Coates Offshore’s global operations to provide the right infrastructure to support customers around the world. Colin brings in excess of fifteen years experience in the rental industry and most recently held a senior position with Speedy International Asset Services based in Dubai, where he was responsible for opening their rental operations in Abu Dubai, Dubai and Egypt.

 

"Having worked in downstream petrochemical activity in the Middle East, Colin has a very strong understanding of the opportunities and challenges that exist in the global oil and gas sector. Colin’s knowledge and experience is a welcome addition to our team at Coates Offshore," commented Kieran White, Executive Director.

 

Dave Galloway will primarily be focused on operations in Brazil, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia. Dave, who joins Coates Offshore from his most recent role as global technical support manager at Airpac Bukom, also has in excess of fifteen years experience in the offshore air and steam, well testing and high pressure pipeline market.

 

Paul Shinnie also joined from Airpac Bukom to oversee operations of Coates Offshore’s facilities in Aberdeen, Great Yarmouth and Den Helder. Colin, Dave and Paul will be supported by service delivery managers across Coates Offshore’s regional locations. These are new roles within the business in an aim to assist the enhancement of local service delivery in key regions. This team will continue to grow to support the delivery of Coates Offshore’s global capability on a local scale.

 

"We have expanded our business in geographic locations across the globe and continue to deliver on our commitment to grow our business," said Kieran White, Executive Director. "We have therefore developed a strong structure to our team coming into 2012 and are in a great position to provide the support our business and customers require operationally".

 

"We are delighted to have appointed Colin, Dave and Paul," added Kieran. "The additions and changes bring great experience and strength to the operations team and we will continue to grow and develop this area of our business". 

 

Coates Offshore now employs over eighty people globally and supplies core products for air compression, steam generation, heat exchangers and sand filters designed to support the needs of major oil and gas operators and service companies in the production of oil and gas, well testing, high pressure pipeline, rig repair and maintenance. For more information about Coates Offshore visit:

Capula is pleased to announce the dates for their OSIsoft PI training programme in 2012. The programme features a new course on OSIsoft PI Application Development, and they’re always able to tailor bespoke courses to suit in addition to their standard syllabus. Please click the link below for course dates.

 

OSIsoft PI brings all operational information into a single system, which is then made available and visible to all users from the plant floor to senior management in a clear and understandable format. Using PI’s reporting and analytical tools, the information becomes meaningful and enables key decisions to be made in real-time, based on current and historical performance.

 

Capula is the leading UK-based integrator of OSIsoft PI systems across a wide variety of market sectors including power generation, utilities and the oil and gas sector. In addition, they provide a full range of complimentary services for OSIsoft PI implementations including system design and optimisation, interface design and implementation, bespoke OSIsoft PI application development, 24/7/365 support and system training.

 

If you would like further information, please email Nigel Crunden: nigel.crunden@capula.co.uk

DNV has developed a new pipeline concept, called X-Stream, that can significantly reduce the cost of a deep and ultra-deepwater gas pipeline while still complying with the strictest safety and integrity regime. X-Stream is based on established and field-proven technologies which have been innovatively arranged.

 

X-Stream can reduce both the pipeline wall thickness and time spent on welding and installation compared to deep-water gas pipelines currently in operation. The exact reduction in the wall thickness depends on the water depth, pipe diameter and actual pipeline profile. Typically, for a gas pipeline in water depths of 2,500m, the wall thickness reduction can be 25 to 30% compared to traditional designs.

 

"It’s essential for DNV that the new concept meets the strict requirements of the existing safety and integrity regime, and I’m pleased to confirm that this concept does," said Dr Henrik O Madsen, DNV’s CEO, who announced the news at a press briefing in London.

 

"DNV has been instrumental in developing and upgrading the safety and integrity regime and standards for offshore pipelines over the past decades. Today, more than 65% of the world’s offshore pipelines are designed and installed to DNV’s offshore pipeline standard. As the deep-water gas transportation market will experience massive investments and considerable growth over the coming years, new safe and cost-efficient solutions are needed," Dr Madsen added.

 

Current deep-water gas pipelines have thick walls and, due to quality and safety requirements, the number of pipe mills capable of producing the pipe is limited. When installing pipelines, the heavy weights are difficult to handle and the thick walls are challenging to weld. And finally, the number of pipe-laying vessels for deep-water pipelines is limited too.

AXIOM, a joint venture of AMEC, Assystem, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc and Mott MacDonald, has been awarded one of two contracts that establishes a 15 year Design Services Alliance (DSA) with Sellafield Limited.

 

The DSA framework, potentially worth up to £1.5 billion over the 15 years, will provide Sellafield with access to the full range of multi-disciplined engineering services - civil and structural, mechanical, control and instrumentation, and process - for the development and refurbishment of new and existing facilities and for decommissioning at the Sellafield site in West Cumbria. AXIOM is one of two organisations to have been appointed under the DSA.

 

AXIOM’s contract will involve providing front-end engineering design support for all new facilities and for the refurbishment and upgrading of existing facilities and systems to the production operations and infrastructure directorates at Sellafield. This work will be delivered in collaboration with Sellafield’s own staff and local suppliers, with all parties working as part of an integrated team.

 

Tom Jones, Chairman of the AXIOM joint venture, emphasised that full and total co-operation with the local supply chain is the top priority: "The companies that make up AXIOM have a long established history of working with the supply chain throughout West Cumbria and not only will this continue, but we plan to increase our involvement to ensure that we fully utilise the vast range of skills and expertise available in the area".

 

Todd Wright, the NMP-sponsored Managing Director for Sellafield Ltd said: "Effective supply chain engagement through long term collaborative alliances is key to Sellafield Ltd delivering and exceeding commitments made in our performance plan. These new contracts will bring stability and certainty to the supply chain and are excellent news for West Cumbria".

 Jim McAleese, Managing Director, Alderley Systems Ltd said: "Mark’s appointment is fundamental in strengthening Alderley’s Produced Water Treatment system capabilities and offerings. Not only does he bring a wealth of experience but his hands-on knowledge and approach makes him an asset to the team". Speaking of his appointment, Dr Mark Smeed said: "I am excited to be joining Alderley at a time where their equipment is developing into a market leading position and looking forward to being able to utilise Alderley’s demonstrated equipment to surpass client expectations".

 

Alderley is a multi-disciplined engineering company operating in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries producing effective and efficient solutions for the metering, processing, treatment and control of hydrocarbon products. Alderley has been manufacturing oilfield metering equipment since 1959 and has supplied more than 500 systems to more than 50 countries. Alderley has regional headquarters in the UK, Middle East and Russia as well as a regional subsidiary in Saudi Arabia. Alderley plc is an independent family-owned British company. More about Alderley can be found at:

OPTITEMP TT 51. Head-mount (left) and rail-mount version

 

Constant measuring accuracy over a long period of time is crucial when it comes to monitoring process temperatures. The OPTITEMP TT 51 features a newly developed electronic system that boasts a long-term measuring error of ±0.1°C (for Pt 100) or ±0.05% of span. Over a period of five years, the long-term error is just a quarter of the drift of comparable temperature transmitters. By using the Sensor Matching feature, the total sensor/transmitter accuracy can be further increased.

 

The superior reliability of a measuring station equipped with an OPTITEMP TT 51 temperature transmitter can be attributed to more than one principle as the transmitter has double inputs for eg Pt 100 or thermocouple sensors. The transmitter features SmartSense insulation monitoring to detect moisture in the measuring insert. If the measuring insert (and the sensor element) absorbs moisture, the electrical isolation resistance immediately decreases, resulting in a measurement error.

 

A second, redundant sensor can be connected to the OPTITEMP TT 51 transmitter by way of a dual input. The Sensor Backup function will reduce the risk of losing important measurements by automatically switching over to the back-up sensor in the unlikely event that the primary sensor fails. For use in safety-related applications, the OPTITEMP TT 51 features SIL2 approval as per IEC 61508. The error monitoring and information meet the NAMUR NE 43, NE 89 and NE 107 recommendations. The transmitters are available with Ex-approvals according to ATEX. The EMC immunity meets Criteria A performance, based on EN 61326-1 and NAMUR NE 21.

 

The OPTITEMP TT 51 transmitter is programmable either directly from a PC via a USB interface or by means of any HART communication tool available on the market. The OPTITEMP TT 51 is either mounted directly inside a standard DIN B sensor head (head-mounted transmitter) or it is installed separately in a control cabinet as a space-efficient DIN- rail-mounted transmitter with a width of only 17.5mm.

 

Established in 1921, KROHNE is a family-owned business employing 2,227 people around the world with representatives on all continents. The company has its headquarters in Duisburg, Germany where it develops, manufactures and sells products in the field of measuring technology. KROHNE stands for innovation and superior product quality. KROHNE is one of the market leaders in industrial process measuring technology.

Rotork Skilmatic SI electro-hydraulic failsafe valve actuators on the loading jetty

 

The recently opened Botlek Tank Terminal (BTT) at Rotterdam relies on Rotork’s latest electric valve actuation technologies for automated flow control and vital safety related duties associated with the import, export and storage of a varied range of liquid bulk products.

 

Construction of the €70 million first phase of the terminal began in April 2010 and was completed within budget and on time by the Polish company Polimex-Mostostal SA. BTT has 34 storage tanks, providing a combined storage capacity of 200,000 cubic metres, of which 130,000 cubic metres is earmarked for clean fuels and the rest is for edible oils and biodiesel. The state-of-the-art terminal has deepwater berths including a 420 metre jetty that can simultaneously accommodate two seagoing vessels and two barges, operating 24 hours-a-day.

 

Over 250 Rotork IQPro multi-turn and quarter-turn intelligent electric actuators have been installed to operate the valves that control the routine movement of liquids throughout the site. A further 55 Rotork Skilmatic SI self-contained electro-hydraulic actuators have been installed in strategic areas on valves that provide failsafe Emergency Shutdown (ESD) protection from potential accidents and spillages. All the Rotork actuators are monitored and controlled on fully redundant Rotork Pakscan digital bus loops, linked by three Pakscan P3 master stations to the site’s central SCADA system.

 

The Skilmatic SI actuators are equipped with integral circuitry designed to receive a separately hardwired discrete ESD alarm signal that will override any other input and move the actuator to the pre-determined safe position, even in the event of electrical power failure. These actuators are situated on the inlet and outlet ports of the storage tanks and on the marine and truck loading bays. They are key components in the Safety Instrumented System (SIS) that operates with dedicated level and flow sensors and ESD logic solvers to provide the site’s Safety Instrumented Function (SIF).

 

BTT General Manager Charles Smissaert pointed out that the Rotork Skilmatic electro-hydraulic solution for ESD protection at the site had been selected as a more robust and reliable alternative to air operated actuators, which also require more maintenance.

 

All Rotork actuators at BTT feature ATEX explosionproof certification and IP68 double-sealed watertight enclosures designed for harsh and exposed environments. They also share Rotork’s IQPro non-intrusive setting, commissioning and data communication technologies, enabling actuator configuration and data logger files to be transferred from the field to the office for diagnostics, analysis and storage. In combination with Rotork IQ-Insight software, this data can help to maximise plant utilisation by identifying potential valve wear problems and facilitating predictive maintenance.

 

The punctual completion of the tank farm was assisted by the nearby presence of Rotork BV’s fully equipped workshop, which provided the facilities to motorise all the valves, encompassing gate and butterfly designs in sizes up to 16 inches, before shipping them to site as complete, factory tested packages. Rotork also assisted with installation and commissioning and will continue to provide local support for all the installed actuators.

Oil and gas professionals have suggested that the development of new projects in Asia Pacific would be unaffected by increased regulation, indicating significant confidence in the region’s growth prospects.

 

According to a poll conducted on friday at the Australasian Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition (AOG) in Perth, 61% of industry professionals thought that increased regulation would not damage prospects for new oil and gas projects in Asia and the Pacific, while 39% said that it would. The Industry Snapshot Poll was conducted by global independent technical advisor GL Noble Denton on the third day of AOG, which is expected to attract more than 11,000 industry professionals from across the world.

 

The survey indicates that oil and gas professionals are more bullish about the potential impact of increased regulation in the Asia Pacific region than elsewhere in the industry. The threat of a tightening regulatory landscape is one of the top three barriers to business growth, according to a survey of international oil and gas executives published last month in an Economist Intelligence Unit report on the outlook for the sector, commissioned by GL Noble Denton.

 

GL Noble Denton’s Executive Vice President for Asia Pacific, Richard Bailey (pictured), said: "The result of this poll shows clear confidence for strong growth in the Asia Pacific energy sector. Increased regulation often brings the prospect of higher operating overheads, project delays, and increased litigation. Yet, according to the oil and gas professionals we surveyed, the development of new projects in the region would not be negatively impacted if the regulatory landscape was to change".

 

GL Noble Denton conducted three Industry Snapshot Polls this week at its stand (K32), one for each full day of AOG. Delegates were also asked to vote on whether Australia will become the world’s largest gas exporter by 2013 and if the country is doing enough to develop its own oil and gas talent. The full poll results will be available from:

Global Project Partners Ltd has expanded its successful operations in Australia, where it operates through its Future Executive Search and Global Project Solutions divisions. Global Project Partners Australasia PTY Ltd has also recently launched its website: www.globalprojectpartners.com.au Jennifer Evans is CEO of Global Project Partners’ global operations, and Lucy Antrobus was appointed Global Project Partners Australasia PTY Ltd Executive Director in December 2011.

 

Jennifer focuses on company strategy and client development and management, as well as board-level executive, non-executive and director-level appointments in the oil and gas and energy and utilities sectors. Jennifer manages the Global Project Solutions team responsible for recruitment at engineering through to middle management level. GPP is a global member of the EIC.

 

Lucy leads the Global Infrastructure Practice. She specialises in board-level executive, non-executive and director-level positions within general, commercial and operational management. Her focus is in the infrastructure sector, with a particular emphasis on transportation, underground infrastructure and mining. Her experience in multi-national construction and project management has resulted in engagement with ASX 50, FTSE 100 and 250 companies.

 

Significant experience in the Australasia and Asia Pacific regions, coupled with their unique insight into the specific requirements of their niche markets, makes GPP Ltd and its divisions a highly effective partner for clients seeking the highest calibre executives, managers and engineers in the energy and infrastructure sectors. With offices in the key locations of Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, GPP is well positioned to meet the human capital needs of major organisations in the region. Anyone wishing to discuss their Australian operations in greater depth should contact Jennifer Evans or Lucy Antrobus on: Tel +44 (0)20 3002 2199

The Satyr-3 well encountered approximately 243 feet (74 metres) of net gas pay. The well is located 113 miles (182 kilometres) north of Exmouth in the WA-374-P permit area, and was drilled in 3,688 feet (1,124 metres) of water to a depth of 13,369 feet (4,075 metres). George Kirkland, Vice Chairman, Chevron Corporation said: "Satyr-3 represents our thirteenth offshore discovery in Australia since mid-2000. This recent discovery reinforces the quality and value of our Australian exploration lease holdings in the Carnarvon Basin".

 

Melody Meyer, President, Chevron Asia Pacific Exploration and Production Company said: "The Satyr-3 discovery adds to our Australian resource base, further supporting our long-term plans to position Chevron as one of the world’s leading LNG suppliers". Chevron’s Australian subsidiary is the operator of the WA-374-P permit area and holds a 50% interest, with Exxon Mobil and Shell each holding 25%.

Oil and gas professionals have called for Australia to do more to build local industry talent, as the country struggles with an increasing shortage of skilled professionals. According to a poll conducted yesterday at the Australasian Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition (AOG) in Perth, 68% of industry professionals think that Australia should invest more in developing a local skills base, while 32% thought that the country is doing enough to increase the pool of local professionals.

 

The Industry Snapshot Poll was conducted by global independent technical advisor GL Noble Denton on the second day of AOG, which is expected to attract more than 11,000 industry professionals from across the world. The result of the poll follows the publication of a new GL Noble Denton-commissioned Economist Intelligence Unit report on the outlook for the oil and gas industry, which estimates that there will be a shortage of 150,000 people needed to develop projects in Western Australia by 2015.

 

Richard Palmer, GL Noble Denton’s Country Manager for Australia said: "The Australian oil and gas industry continues to grow at pace, as does concern over where the skilled professionals required to meet the demands of new projects will come from. It is clear that we need to work together more cohesively to help educate emerging young talent on the benefits of joining a thriving local industry".

 

GL Noble Denton is conducting three Industry Snapshot Polls this week, one for each full day of AOG. Delegates are also being asked to vote on whether Australia will become the world’s largest gas exporter by 2013 and if increased regulation would damage prospects for new oil and gas projects in the Asia Pacific region. To participate in the poll, visit GL Noble Denton at stand number K32. Participants will be entered into a prize draw to win an iPad 2 at the end of the show. The results of the polls will be available after the conference from:

EIC Chief Executive Ian Stokes joined Calder customers from the offshore oil and gas and industrial sectors worldwide, including a number of EIC member companies, along with trusted suppliers to celebrate Calder’s 30^th anniversary and the opening of their new facility in what was one of the great days in the company’s 30 year history.

 

Calder’s hazardous area, high pressure pump packages can be found operating on all continents for all sectors of the energy industry. The oil and gas, power generation, water treatment, nuclear, and petrochemical industries all use Calder’s solutions which include packages for chemical injection, decontamination, pipeline testing, heat exchanger cleaning, and environmental processes to name but a few.

 

Following a formal meal to mark the celebrations, Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham Kt. (above centre), a great ambassador for British business, spoke passionately about the UK manufacturing sector and its need to embrace partnerships with customers and suppliers from around the globe. Founder, Ian Calder-Potts (right), spoke of the early days, the strength of the Calder team, and the support from customers and suppliers that helped Calder to become a trusted name within the industry.

 

With guests arriving from Norway, Germany, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and a large contingent from neighbouring Scotland, it was a truly international event which gave people the opportunity to view close up Calder’s quality products, and also to catch up with friends and colleagues. Calder’s ability to understand customers’ needs, regardless of location, allows them to work closely to design, manufacture and commission bespoke high pressure pumping solutions to operate in the harshest environments while conforming to local and international standards. For further information visit:

Lloyd’s Register has appointed the industry-respected wind turbine specialist Steve Gilkes to lead its ambitious technical support programme for operators and manufacturers serving the wind sector.

 

Gilkes, who has started the role of Global Wind Turbine Leader after joining the organisation from GL Garrad Hassan, will be based in Bristol and is expected to bring a wealth of experience to the job, having spent more than 21 years in the industry before joining Lloyd’s Register earlier this month.

 

"Offshore wind farms are moving to deeper waters and the number of turbines being deployed in each farm is increasing. With this growth come the complexities of developing new, safe wind turbine technologies; the technical assurance needs of companies operating in the wind power generation sector are increasing," Gilkes said. "I am looking forward to the challenge of growing the technical expertise of the Lloyd’s Register Group to drive forward our technical support in wind and marine turbine technology".

 

Gilkes joined Garrad Hassan in 1995 and was head of mechanical engineering of their turbine design department in 2009. He began his career in 1977 in avionic systems for British Aerospace Plc and worked in their flight test department on Jaguar aircraft. A move to Wind Energy Group Limited saw him rise to the position of Principal Aerodynamicist in 1990 when he was accountable for aerodynamic design of blades, aerodynamic noise suppression, load testing and monitoring prototype developments.

 

He joins Lloyd’s Register’s Energy team at a time when the energy division is enjoying strong income growth - 15% in the last fiscal year - by enhancing its specialist technical expertise through acquisitions and further expanding its capabilities in the renewables sectors.

 

Lloyd’s Register has committed more than £150 million in the last five fiscal years to acquire companies displaying technical leadership in their specialist fields, including: Scandpower AS, a leader in independent risk-management; and Human Engineering Ltd, one of the world’s top human-factors consultancies.

Oil and gas industry professionals are confident in Australia’s ability to become the world’s largest gas exporter according to a poll conducted yesterday at the Australasian Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition (AOG) in Perth. 84% of participants said that Australia would grow to become the premium exporter of gas by 2030, while 16% thought that it would not.

 

The Industry Snapshot Poll was conducted by global independent technical advisor GL Noble Denton on the first day of AOG, which is expected to attract more than 11,000 industry professionals from across the world. Richard Palmer (left), GL Noble Denton’s Country Manager for Australia said: "The result of this research reflects the rapid rise to prominence of Australia’s oil and gas industry and the optimism of its professional community as the country strives to become a world-leading oil and gas hub over the next 20 years.

 

"Favourable economic conditions and high levels of confidence in Australia’s energy future will fuel further capital expenditure within the industry, propelling the development of new LNG projects at an unprecedented rate". Australia currently stands as the world’s fourth largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after Qatar, Indonesia and Malaysia. The country is the tenth largest exporter of natural gas overall, with the market dominated by Russian export.

 

Australia’s rapid growth in gas production has led to a strong increase in demand for GL Noble Denton’s technical advisory services over recent years. Last year, the company announced a landmark deal with leading Australian coal seam gas explorer and producer QGC, to supply inspection services for the installation of the 540 kilometre underground line between natural gas fields in the Surat Basin and a natural gas liquefaction plant on Curtis Island on Queensland’s coast. The venture is expected to further boost the country’s reputation as a leading producer and exporter of natural gas.

 

GL Noble Denton is conducting three Industry Snapshot Polls this week, one for each full day of AOG. Delegates are also being asked to vote on whether Australia is doing enough to grow its own oil and gas talent and if increased regulation would damage prospects for new oil and gas projects in the Asia Pacific region. To participate in the poll, visit GL Noble Denton at stand number K32. Participants will be entered into a prize draw to win an iPad 2 at the end of the show.

 

The results of the polls will be available after the conference at:

Flexitallic Ltd, the world leader in the manufacture and supply of static sealing products, and Sealex Ltd, a leading distributor of specialist sealing technologies, engineered hoses and associated products have announced the centralisation of their operations in Aberdeen.

 

Both companies are members of the FDS Group, and this new structure ensures their customers based in and around Aberdeen, specifically those operating within the oil and gas sector, will benefit from:

 

• Quickest response to meet the increasing needs of the market.

• Highest levels of customer service.

• Local service and supply with a dedicated manufacturing cell.

• Extensive product range of gaskets and associated products.

• Knowledge and technical support from an experienced UK team.

 

The Group’s investment also marks a further boost to the local economy, with potential recruitment plans being considered to support operations during 2012.

 

Paul Marray, Distribution Managing Director of Sealex Ltd said: "I’m excited to bring Sealex’s product range and vision of customer service to the highly competitive Aberdeen market place, so we can build on the technical expertise and local knowledge contained within Flexitallic. Through increased customer contact we will be able to look after the needs of the local market and supplement our current production capabilities accordingly".

 

In addition to having a large number of stocked product lines and supporting services, the Group’s Aberdeen operations, which will remain at its Dyce Depot on the Wellheads Industrial Estate, has been strengthened following the introduction of a dedicated gasket manufacturing facility.

 

Alex Lattimer, Commercial Director of Flexitallic Ltd said: "By joining forces with Sealex we will bring together the world leading manufacturer of gaskets, and an established distribution network. I am also very pleased to announce the creation of a dedicated gasket manufacturing facility for Aberdeen which will provide customers with immediate gasket supply in this demanding market".

 

For more information about the range of product and services available, please contact Paul Marray, Distribution Managing Director of Sealex Ltd on: +44 (0)7852 194 555 or Ian Marray, Sales Director of Sealex Ltd on: +44 (0)7977 522 034

Petrotechnics, the global leader in the provision of frontline work execution solutions to the oil and gas sector, is to join industry experts, hosting the forthcoming Centre for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) bootcamp.

 

Representatives from the company, including senior consultant Errol Eccles and Thane Russey, who has responsibility for business development in the Americas, will join attendees from firms including Occidental Oil and Gas, The Linde Group and TOTAL, as part of a debate around process safety management (PSM) and Work Execution.

 

The event, which will take the form of an intensive four-day course, will take place from 27 February to 1 March. Attendees will take part in workshops and case study presentations, addressing topics including the various types of Process Hazard Analysis and principles of risk management.

 

A technical course will also be delivered by lead CCPS instructor, Don Abrahamson, who has more than 40 years of experience in process safety management, working with a number of companies, including Celanese and Occidental Chemical. Petrotechnics’ decision to host the bootcamp is part of the firm’s wider aim of promoting best practice and safety across the energy sector.

 

The firm is also hosting a number of its own events, including a business breakfast in Calgary, Canada, on 7 March at the Calgary Economic Development Centre, with a further session in the same month at its Houston office. Both will focus on the risks associated with work execution and the management of cumulative risk.

 

Mike Neill, President of Petrotechnics USA said: "We are an active and committed organisation with a genuine interest in keeping people safe; after all, they are the most important resource of any business.

 

"The oil and gas industry is arguably one of the riskiest in the world and while significant investment has been made in terms of planning and production, the execution of work at the frontline tends to be overlooked. While there is an abundance of robust systems and tools to manage process safety, plant integrity and occupational safety, there is a lack of support in the middle, work execution. This is the process by which people undertake work at the frontline, interaction that can result in increased operational risk.

 

"Recognising the significant value that can be gained by improving this process, we are absolutely dedicated to educating our industry peers and sharing best practice to ensure that we continue to improve operational standards and performance for the benefit of the entire energy sector. These events are just one way of supporting our ambitions of ensuring a safer future for all".

 

The vessels will be powered by diesel generator sets, feeding power to a 400 Volt switchboard, which will supply power to permanent magnet propulsion motors. Innovative green technology supplied by Imtech Marine includes two lithium battery banks of approximately 700kWh, reducing fuel and CO2consumption by at least 20%. The ferries will be operated by Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services, CalMac Ferries, and will be designed for the many short routes around the Clyde and Hebrides. With a service speed of nine knots, the hybrid ferries will be able to accommodate 150 passengers, 23 cars or two HGVs.

Hill International’s Birmingham office is delighted to announce the expansion of its team with the new appointment of Lee Snowden as Associate Director. Lee has over 17 years experience in the construction industry providing contract, commercial, dispute resolution and quantum services.

 

Lee is both technically and legally qualified with experience of commercial and contractual issues across a broad range of construction sectors including general infrastructure, highways, rail, power, oil and gas, housing, commercial, retail new build and refurbishment.

 

Lee joins Hill International having held the previous position of Associate Director within an expert witness/litigation department and has been involved in the preparation of reports on various quantum and time related issues for a number of expert witness commissions for employers, construction contractors, insolvency practitioners and major banks.

 

Paul Mansell, Vice President and Executive Director said: "I am delighted to welcome Lee on to the Birmingham team. The experience and expertise Lee possesses will strengthen the existing team and will be instrumental in the continued and successful growth of the company here in the Midlands region".

 

Hill International is a global consultancy with 3,200 staff providing engineering/construction claims and project management services to clients working on major capital expenditure projects. The company has a global network of construction consultants, giving clients the ability to draw upon the skills of thousands of professionals.

 

For more information about Hill International please visit:

Honeywell has announced that it has acquired Fire Sentry Corporation, a privately-held manufacturer of innovative fire detection and control products for a broad range of industrial markets.

 

Based in Yorba Linda, California, Fire Sentry’s product portfolio consists of fast-responding electro-optical flame detectors, portable test lamps and dedicated control panels that are used by customers in industrial settings such as petrochemical, semiconductor, paint booth/finishing, automobile airbags and munitions plants. Fire Sentry’s products are designed to ensure rapid, accurate, and reliable detection of both hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon fires within a single device.

 

The acquisition will help Honeywell significantly expand its gas and flame detection, and monitoring solutions and builds on the company’s acquisitions of System Sensor in 1984 and Zellweger Analytics in 2005 among other important acquisitions in the gas detection arena. The company will be integrated into Honeywell Life Safety and will extend significant synergies in distribution channels, vertical end-markets and global end-users.

 

"This acquisition will further strengthen Honeywell’s leadership position in the gas detection space by enhancing our competitive gas and flame offering and bolstering our cross-selling opportunities across the globe," said Mark Levy, President and CEO of Honeywell Life Safety. "Fire Sentry has a 30 year history of proven fire and flame detection innovation and more than 100,000 units installed worldwide in a wide array of industrial settings. This is a great fit for our Life Safety business and deeply complements our technology advances in gas detection which include an impressive number of technological firsts".

 

Fire Sentry’s smart electro-optical radiant energy multi-spectrum and multi-spectral flame detectors and associated products greatly reduce false alarms thanks to its innovative use of patented algorithms.

Tata Steel has secured a major contract from Siemens Wind Power to supply 25,000 tonnes of high quality profiled steel plate for wind towers. The order - the largest to date for the steel company’s dedicated wind tower hub in Scunthorpe, England - is worth an eight figure pound sum and establishes Tata Steel as a key supplier to Siemens Wind Power.

 

Tata Steel will deliver 25,000 tonnes of profiled plate, cut into the desired shape, between April and September this year. The steel will be used to build about 150 onshore wind turbine towers. Tata Steel has already supplied Siemens Wind Power with 6000 tonnes of steel plate for similar developments in the UK and Europe.

 

Phil Knowles, Tata Steel Commercial Manager for Power Generation said: "Demand for steel in the renewable energy sector will continue to grow, and we’re ideally placed to help our customers tap into this important opportunity. This major contract, and our position as Siemens Wind Power’s nominated sub-contractor, is a direct result of the investment in our Scunthorpe wind tower hub and a great deal of work from the Tata Steel team. The agreement we’ve negotiated with Siemens Wind Power is a strategic customer alliance that will help in our objective to be a key supplier in the offshore wind power market".

 

Steel plate will be manufactured at Tata Steel’s plate mills in Scunthorpe, and Dalzell, in Motherwell, Scotland, before being cut to size and edge profiled at the company’s dedicated wind tower hub in Scunthorpe. The steel will be delivered to a fabricator which will form the plate into round sections before they are welded together to form the turbine tower.

 

Claus Loenvig Menne, Global Commodity Manager Tower Raw Materials, Siemens Wind Power said: "Wind turbines represent an efficient and reliable option in terms of renewable energy sources. Siemens Wind Power already has an exceptional track record in this area and we are confident this supply agreement with Tata Steel will see us continue to enhance both companies’ reputation for operational excellence".

 

Tata Steel’s wind tower hub in Scunthorpe was established in 2010 to process and distribute steel plate to manufacturers of wind turbine towers. It can deliver up to 200,000 tonnes annually, reducing customers’ processing time while ensuring full traceability. It is anticipated the arrangement with Siemens Wind Power will open up further opportunities for Tata Steel to supply other steel products such as hot rolled coil and hollow sections which are also used in wind turbines.

Despite the economic downturn being experienced globally, 2012 is set to be an exciting year for companies operating in the oil and gas industry. There is a real sense of optimism, with renewed confidence around the world.

 

Surging demand for oil and natural gas means that commodity values continue to remain high, despite political tensions in key regions, increasingly demanding exploratory environments and the resultant impact of rising costs on operators. Regardless of these factors, the industry is nothing short of vibrant. This buoyancy is reflected in the jobs market too, according to the latest joint report from OilCareers.com, the international jobs board for the oil and gas industry, and partner and fellow EIC member Air Energi, a global provider of manpower solutions to the energy sector.

 

The ‘Global Oil & Gas Workforce Survey: Expectations for hires and pay rates in the oil and gas industry (H1) 2012’, suggests that the real challenge this year will be in preparing for the future, ensuring the continued flow of adequately skilled professionals. While the ‘great crew change’ remains high on the agenda, there are signs that the industry is beginning to take its role more seriously by making attempts to combat the issue. Solutions are innovative and wide-ranging; from internships and virtual mentorship, to supplementary offsite education programmes and more flexible government allowances towards working retirees.

 

Activity levels across Africa, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Australasia, Caspian, Europe and the Middle East will remain high, with the expectation for both contract and salaried pay rates to increase as a result across a number of these regions. For the UK, 2012 was met with welcome news, as 46 new production licences were handed our during the country’s most recent licensing round. This is evidence of a revival in domestic activity, and will ward off pressure from other countries, Australia in particular.

 

Permanent staff are increasingly being given preference over contractors. They come with less flight risk, slightly lower rates and can easily be mobilised within organisations, either in terms of succession planning or to other postings abroad. However, as project development activity ramps up over the next 12 months, favourability could return to contractor positions. Fabrication, operations and production personnel are amongst the highest in demand, but given the increasingly technical nature of offshore exploration in the UKCS, professional sciences and engineering credentials are also highly valuable and proving difficult to find.

 

Scandinavia too, is enjoying renewed success, with the focus switching from maximising existing reserves to new discoveries. Three major finds by Statoil, as well as a historically large licensing round, have reaffirmed the region’s position as a leader in the industry. Mainland Europe paints a slightly different picture. A few cautious approaches to staffing have been observed, with a slight preference towards contractors. This will allow companies to be more flexible, enabling them to make rapid adjustments to headcount as required, in response to some continued uncertainty around the economy.

 

Mark Guest, Managing Director of OilCareers.com said: "Despite all the challenges, I believe our industry remains fundamentally attractive. Energy demand continues to grow and oil and gas look set to remain important parts of the energy mix for the foreseeable future, with many of the world’s largest finds being discovered, creating new energy hubs. A number of companies are developing unparalleled project queues this year, with such investments impacting positively on the employment market. We’re seeing examples of this through increased hiring globally and, with plenty of opportunities on the table it’s an exciting time to be involved in the energy sector".

 

Ian Langley, Group Executive Chairman of Air Energi added: "The Air Energi-OilCareers.com survey provides an indication of the trends that the industry can expect to see across the remainder of the year. With increased exploration activity across all regions, a lack of suitably qualified labour will continue to remain a concern. Many companies, however, are now giving the long-standing skills gap their full attention, ensuring they have the capability to maximise the abundant opportunities on offer worldwide".

 

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The successful development of new production processes, plus continued investment in new people and plant, has allowed sealing solutions provider James Walker to make significant reductions in manufacturing leads times across a growing number of the company’s range of static, rotary, hydraulic and custom-moulded sealing products.

 

Over 500 lines of high performance ‘O’ rings are now available ex-stock, including items manufactured in the company’s industry-leading rapid gas decompression resistant materials. Achieved against a background of rapidly rising demand, the expansion of the stocked ranges has created capacity on the production floor which has allowed ‘make to order’ times to be reduced by nearly 50%.

 

Similar lead time improvements have also been made on the James Walker Springsele range, again including versions manufactured in high-performance RGD materials.

 

The latest plant to be installed represents the third significant investment package to be put in place at the company’s Cockermouth manufacturing facility in the last 12 months in addition to increases in staff levels. The investment has been aimed at extending the facility’s flexibility in addition to meeting a growing global demand across the range of products manufactured by James Walker & Co.

 

The latest lead time improvements are in addition to the company’s existing Xpress priority manufacture and dispatch services which cover Walkersele® rotary seals, including on-site joined (OSJ®) versions, plus Chevron® and Solosele® hydraulic seals. Full details of products available on priority manufacture and dispatch are available from the James Walker & Co sales team: +44 (0)1270 536 000

Philip Burness has joined global flow control specialist Rotork as Director of Site Services, responsible for Rotork’s worldwide after sales and engineering projects business. Based at Bath in the UK, Rotork is the world’s leading manufacturer of valve actuators, valve control systems and precision control instruments.

 

Philip brings to his new position over thirty years’ experience in process industry service and maintenance activities, most recently as the Service Director for a leading international manufacturer of instrumentation and control systems. His previous experience includes instrument and control design, implementation and maintenance responsibilities in the chemical, plastics and power generation industries.

 

As Rotork Site Services Director, Philip will work with Rotork’s worldwide sales and service company network to continue the growth of after sales support, engineering projects and life of plant services. In this important role he replaces Grant Wood, who has been appointed Managing Director of Rotork Controls, Rotork’s electric valve actuation division.

Worker on site at the Port Clarence offshore base

 

Wilton Engineering Services Limited (WESL), a leader in design, fabrication and construction services to the oil, gas and energy industry, has announced the award of a significant UK North Sea contract with international integrated energy company ConocoPhillips.

 

The award to fabricate the Long Term Compression (LTC) module for the Britannia field will create up to 100 new jobs with a further 150 sub-contract jobs taking the total to 250 jobs for Teesside. Britannia is a gas condensate field situated around 130 miles (210 kilometres), north east of Aberdeen. The original main platform was built at the Wilton Group’s Port Clarence facility in 1995.

 

The team at Wilton Engineering, a Wilton Group company, will deliver the 2,200 tonne LTC module in March 2013, which will extend the life of the Britannia gas field and enhance production from existing wells. The LTC module will be 30 metres long, 29 metres high and 18 metres wide and it will accommodate one of the largest compressors in the North Sea.

 

Bill Scott, Chief Executive Officer of Wilton Group said: "Wilton Engineering is delighted to have been awarded the contract to work on this prestigious project. We are looking forward to developing an excellent working relationship with our client and are confident of delivering the project safely, whilst achieving all the project deadlines. The contract was awarded following a competitive tender process and we are really pleased that it was placed within the UK. To have this project carried out in Teesside will be a great boost not only to our workforce but also the wider local economy. The award further enhances our reputation to build large-scale engineering projects and endorses the skills of our talented workforce".

 

"This is great news for Wilton Engineering and great news for the UK economy with 250 quality jobs being supported over a prolonged period in the North of England," says Energy Minister Charles Hendry. "I am particularly pleased to see companies like ConocoPhillips acknowledging the excellent engineering and construction capability which exists on their doorstep and in doing so helping to grow the UK industrial sector".

 

Wilton Engineering occupies a 50 acre construction yard with design and large fabrication facilities in Middlesbrough, which is also the location of Universal Coatings which shotblasts and applies specialist coatings. Recently, the group launched a new operation in Brazil, which has already secured rig upgrade contracts with a global drilling contractor. Wilton has also established a rig upgrade and vessel mobilisation business in Dundee and opened an office in Great Yarmouth in pursuit of its growth strategy.

 

In October, Wilton Engineering was recognised as the fastest growing large business in the North East of England for the second year in a row after collecting the 2011 honour at the Ward Hadaway Fastest 50 Awards and just recently during November its CEO, Bill Scott was awarded the North East Business Executive of the year for 2011.

PEI-Genesis Inc, one of the world’s fastest integrators of configurable and modified standard power supplies, is now UL-certified and holding inventory to add value to power supply solutions from Emerson Network Power, a business of Emerson and the global leader in enabling Business-Critical Continuity™.

 

A broad range of Emerson Network Power standard products, including medical and industrial grade configurable power supplies, are available for modification. The addition of this line expands PEI-Genesis’ standard offering for power products to 4920 watts. All modified standard power products are assembled within PEI’s usual five-day turnaround, which is substantially quicker than typical industry lead times. As always, no minimum order quantities are required.

 

"PEI-Genesis is focused on delivering highly-tailored solutions quickly, and with superior engineering support," said Russel Dorwart, President and COO, PEI-Genesis. "We have passed UL certification and are fully stocked to assemble Emerson Network Power products for design engineers in North America and Europe. We believe that our speed and technical expertise combined with Emerson’s broad range of configurable power options will give our customers vast choice with immediate satisfaction".

 

"As a distribution partner, PEI-Genesis provides us with an exceptional channel to deliver our products. Their no minimum quantity policy means that R&D engineers can get Emerson Network Power products modified to their exact specifications in just five days, and order only one piece, if that’s all they need," said Greg White, Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Embedded Power, Emerson Network Power. "We view this capability as a terrific competitive edge for us".

 

PEI’s team of dedicated power design engineers are available to assist with the most complex design challenges. Learn more about Emerson Network Power from PEI-Genesis here:

FoundOcean has won two North Sea pile grouting contracts for a total of five jacket structures, the installation of which are due to start in the first half of 2012. The contracts were awarded as FoundOcean and Saipem enter the second year of a three year agreement between the two companies. Operations will be carried out onboard Saipem’s S7000 heavy lift vessel.

 

Martin Hardy, Commercial and Technical Director at FoundOcean said: "This three year agreement confirms Saipem’s confidence in FoundOcean’s ability and expertise when it comes to offshore grouting. We completed four North Sea projects for Saipem during 2011, and look forward to continuing our successful alliance in the future".

 

The first award consists of pile sleeve grouting for three jackets as part of planned extension works. Two jackets each have four legs and three pile sleeves per leg, and the third jacket is a four-legged steel structure with one pile sleeve per leg. The three jacket project is located in the southern part of the Norwegian North Sea in water depths of between 70m and 80m. A 10 man crew will be mobilised to undertake the grouting operations.

 

The second award consists of two four legged jackets: the first has two pile sleeves per leg, and the second has one pile sleeve per leg. The field is located in the UK sector of the Central North Sea at water depths of between 75m and 82m. A 10 man crew will also undertake the grouting operations.

 

For both projects, the connection between the pile and the sleeve will be made by injecting CEM1 Type 52.5N cement and seawater grout into the annuli. A conventional displacement grouting system has been designed for the jackets, with subsea primary, secondary and tertiary grout inlets to the sleeves. The grout lines on all five jackets incorporate FoundOcean Male ROV Subsea Grout Connectors.

Fluor Corporation has announced that it has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract by Joule Unlimited Inc to design and build a biofuels demonstration facility in New Mexico.

 

The facility is intended to scale up a pilot process currently producing liquid fuels via Joule’s novel technology, which uses sunlight to convert proprietary organisms and carbon dioxide into liquid hydrocarbons and ethanol. Joule recently won the 2011 Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award in the Energy category.

 

"As a leader in the engineering and construction sector, we believe that the Joule demonstration facility affords Fluor an opportunity to showcase our integrated solutions and assist in the commercialisation of this critical technology," said Lou Del Tufo, Fluor’s Senior Vice President of Energy & Chemicals and Fluor’s Biofuels business team. "We look forward to serving Joule on this project and hope to work with them as they solidify their position as one of the most innovative and forward-thinking technology companies in a rapidly growing global biofuels industry".

 

"We are pleased to be working with Fluor, one of the world’s largest and most experienced contractors, and we look forward to the completion and start-up of this facility, which is critical to Joule’s success," said Bill Sims, President and CEO of Joule Unlimited. "We fully expect to demonstrate the high efficiencies and commercial viability of our process, which will further enhance Joule’s leadership position in the biofuels industry".

 

Fluor’s Greenville office is leading the EPCM services project. Engineering, procurement and site mobilisation is currently under way. For more information please visit:

Wages and confidence are surging in the global oil and gas industry, according to the annual Salary Guide produced by leading jobsite Oil and Gas Job Search and Hays Oil & Gas.

 

The Salary Guide, based on over 14,000 respondents worldwide, reveals an industry generally brimming with confidence despite widespread concerns over the global economy. Employer confidence has seen a large increase with 26.7% extremely positive about the current market: up from just 9.7% in 2011. Three quarters of all employers expect staffing levels to increase in the next 12 months.

 

Matt Underhill, Managing Director of Hays Oil & Gas commented: "This level of confidence has far surpassed that which we have seen over the last few years, and contrasts significantly with the wider economic outlook. With confidence comes salary increases and this is reflected with an increase in the average worldwide salary for professionals and skilled employees in the industry to US$80,458 per annum (equivalent) up 6.1% in the past 12 months".

 

Duncan Freer, Managing Director of Oil and Gas Job Search commented further: "The oil and gas industry is certainly in good shape and this is coming through loud and clear in our data. There has been a distinct move to employ permanent staff rather than contractors for many oil companies, demonstrating a confidence amongst employers in hiring new staff to cover future workloads. This is not to say that contractor demand is falling, with a multitude of new projects coming on line through the year, rates in this sector of the industry are still rising".

 

Freer continued: "While many western economies have witnessed anaemic rises in wages, the oil industry has rewarded its professionals with robust growth and a wealth of opportunities. Indeed many industry professionals are rewarded at far higher rates than the average figures suggest, especially if they have a good level of experience or particular in-demand skills such as drilling and the geosciences".

 

The USA, Canada, Norway, The Netherlands and Australia once again feature prominently in the current guide but, as Matt Underhill points out, there are also areas of tremendous potential around the world: "Brazil, China and Iraq are rising stars that have seen significant salary hikes driven by huge local investment giving rise to some very exciting and bold projects".

 

Underhill summarised: "These positive developments are not to say the industry is without its concerns. Skills shortages have become the most significant of these, and economic and political instability also remain prominent. The guide also highlights demographic issues particularly in the US and other developed economies. Nevertheless, the Salary Guide points to an industry full of confidence and opportunity as we progress through 2012.

 

"Salaries are rising as are staffing levels and with a range of promising projects coming to fruition, there is every reason to be upbeat about the oil and gas industry over the coming 12 months and beyond".

 

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On 25 January 2012, Specialist Services, an EIC member company, announced that it has received ISO14001:2004 and OHSAS18001:2007 Certifications from LRQA. This signifies the company has completed its QHSE management system platform to conform with the best QHSE practises recognised internationally.

 

"We set ourselves a very tough challenge at the beginning of 2011 to reduce the impact our products and services have on the environment, whilst at the same making our places of work safer for employees, and visitors alike. ISO14001 and OHSAS18001 provide us a framework to integrate environmental protection and compliance health & safety assurance into daily operations. Through a lot of hard work, focus and teamwork we have made the commitment in just one year’s time. It is these qualities that makes Specialist Services a great company to work for and work with," said Ian Rogers, CEO of Specialist Services Group.

 

Specialist Services quality management system is also certified by LRQA in accordance with ISO9001:2008, the company believes in ‘quality is doing the job right first time,’ and will continue its commitment to quality, environment, health and safety as a responsible citizen of the society.

 

Specialist Services is a global supplier of modular buildings and packaging solutions for people and equipment in the oil and gas industry. Established in 1982, the company has developed an international capability in the provision of design, engineering, manufacture, installation and support across their broad product and service options in the field of offshore living quarters, technical buildings, onshore and offshore modular buildings and expertly packaged well testing and process equipment.

 

Their core strength comes from the diverse backgrounds and experience of 1000 members of staff. Over the last 30 years Specialist Services has developed into a highly resourced, international company with a global reach. From their corporate head office in Dubai and with major fabrication facilities in the Middle East, Europe and Asia, Specialist Services is able to support clients requirements worldwide.

AVEVA has announced that it will be giving a conference presentation and sponsoring the 7th Annual Asset Integrity Management Week, 11 - 15 March 2012, at New Westin Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

 

Mohamad Awad of AVEVA will present: ‘A Plant Operation Perspective: Bridging the Information Gap using Technology’ on Monday 12 March at 11am. It will investigate how companies in the oil and gas, marine and power industries are benefiting from improved information consistency and integrity. The presentation explains how finding the right asset management solution will enable powerful information access and validation, keeping data evergreen across the entire lifecycle of the asset.

 

"Companies with the right information strategy are controlling risk, compressing schedules and reducing their project and operational costs," said Mohamad Awad, Business Development Manager, Middle-East & India, AVEVA. "Working across disciplines, between organisations, and around the world requires the ability to collect, share and validate important information. All types of engineering, design and operational data and documents must be available to the right people at the right time. Our presentation will demonstrate how this can be achieved, and the Asset Integrity Management week is the perfect place to showcase this expertise".

 

At the 7th Annual Asset Integrity Management Week, held in Abu Dhabi, UAE from 11 - 15 March 2012, professionals will gain an insight into solutions for AIM and learn how implementation strategies are changing the face of day-to-day operations across the industry. To learn more about the Asset Integrity Management Week 2012 please visit:

A new educational support scheme for mechanical engineering students - Engineering Insight - has been launched with sponsorship help from PC World Business and McGraw Hill Publishing.

 

Engineering Insight is designed to engage with mechanical engineering students at renowned iMechE-accredited institutions, by setting real-world design challenges based on actual products and applications. More than 200 students at Aston and Brunel universities will take part in the inaugural scheme in 2012, with projects, guidelines and support provided by UK engineering firm Midland-ACS. Students will be formed into teams of four, and asked to come up with new product design concepts for specific flow control applications.

 

To encourage problem solving within a team working environment Engineering Insight has set up an award for innovation, which will be judged by engineers at Midland-ACS. The projects for each university are based on detailed design criteria set out by the engineering department of Midland-ACS. As an incentive, members of the team at each university that create the best design solution will each receive a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, courtesy of PC World Business. Spot prizes for each university will also be provided, to reward outstanding individual contributions as noted by the university course tutors. Additionally, every participating student receives the book Engineering Formulas by Kurt Geick, courtesy of McGraw Hill Publishing.

 

"Our aim is to help give students the best possible start to their working careers, as well as have a little fun during the process," said scheme organiser Andy Sealey. "At the end of the project, every participant will be in a position to show prospective employers some real-world design experience in addition to their academic achievements".

 

The design challenges complement the participating universities’ existing degree course structures, which will remain the same. Engineering Insight projects will simply replace the theoretical design examples normally used. Each university will work on separate challenges, to avoid inter-university competition. Engineering Insight hopes to extend the scheme to more institutions across the UK during 2012. More information:

 

ERM has over 140 offices in 40 countries and employs around 4000 people. Over the past five years ERM has worked for more than 50% of the Global Fortune 500 delivering innovative solutions for business and selected government clients helping them understand and manage the sustainability challenges that the world is increasingly facing.

 

Lord Browne noted with interest the provision of sustainability consultancy services for oil and gas companies in the region and commented that it was encouraging to see British business thriving in this sector in the regional market. Lord Browne commented: "I was delighted to have been asked to inaugurate ERM’s impressive new offices in Abu Dhabi - this is a fine example of a UK company working in partnership with the Emirates and demonstrating its long-term commitment to the region".

 

ERM has been working in the Middle East for over 30 years and the recent growth in demand for consultancy services in the UAE and across the Middle East has driven rapid expansion of its local operations including the move to its new office location. ERM in the Middle East has a principal focus on the oil and gas sector and supports the major national and international oil, gas and petrochemical companies active in the region. The Abu Dhabi office is the central hub for ERM’s work in the Middle East and services work in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar.

Foster Wheeler has announced that the Iraq Crude Oil Export Expansion project (ICOEE) has achieved its ‘first oil ready for start-up’ milestone. This is a significant step towards Iraq’s planned increase in crude exports. This first phase of the expansion is intended to increase the country’s crude oil export capacity by 1.8 million barrels per day (MMBPD) of additional production. A further increase of another 1.8MMBPD in Iraq’s export capacity is intended to be delivered on completion of phase 2 of the expansion. Achievement of this milestone represents the start of the final commissioning activities leading to readiness of the facilities to load first oil cargo onto a tanker for export.

 

Foster Wheeler executed the front-end engineering design for the two-phase capacity increase and is currently the project management consultant (PMC) for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of both phases of the project. South Oil Company, a company under the Ministry of Oil of the Republic of Iraq, with Foster Wheeler’s assistance, purchased long-lead items and free-issued these to the EPC contractors in order to assure the schedule.

 

"We are proud to play a key role in realising Iraq’s development vision," said Umberto della Sala, Chief Operating Officer of Foster Wheeler AG. "We have established an excellent working relationship with South Oil Company and Iraq’s Ministry of Oil, and this teamwork has been a key success factor in achieving this ‘first oil ready for start-up’ milestone. We have been executing projects in Iraq since the 1930s and we believe that this latest success demonstrates that we are committed to working, together with our clients in Iraq, to deliver project execution excellence".

 

The Director General of SOC, Mr Dheyaa Jaafar Hyjam said: "This is a truly wonderful achievement by all the parties involved, and forms the first of many steps that would see Iraq’s export capacity rising to restore Iraq to its rightful place as a world-class oil producer. We are proud of the close relationship between ourselves and Foster Wheeler, and the commitment that Foster Wheeler has demonstrated in making this project a success. We look forward to continuing this success in the second phase of the ICOEE project".

Photo Copyright © 2012 Apache Corporation

 

Alderley Systems Ltd, a subsidiary of Alderley Plc, has been awarded a contract by global exploration and production company, Apache, to design and deliver a processing system capable of removing sufficient produced water in order to remove production constraints in the Forties field. The system will be installed on the Forties Bravo, located 110 miles north east of Aberdeen, in the UK sector of the North Sea.

 

The Forties Bravo platform is currently produced using down hole electrical submersible pumps with direct export via a subsea pipeline to the Forties Charlie platform for processing. The aim of the project is to install sufficient equipment on the Forties Bravo platform to reduce the water cut of the production fluids to Charlie and cleanup the waste (and solids).

 

Alderley Systems Ltd scope of supply is for a sand cleanup vessel, incorporating de-sanding hydrocyclone liners. The sand cleanup vessel (V-2311B), made from duplex stainless steel, will remove the entrained oil from the main partial processing hydrocyclone package and degasser vessel and will provide storage of the cleaned slurry in preparation for disposal overboard. The vessel has been manufactured and successfully pressure tested with the fabrication of the project well underway at Alderley Systems Ltd UK base.

 

Jim McAleese, Managing Director of Alderley Systems Ltd commented: "Alderley Systems will deliver this project in a challenging 25 week delivery. This shows our commitment to providing world-class services and products, all delivered with unsurpassed efficiency".

 

Alderley is a multi-disciplined engineering company operating in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries producing effective and efficient solutions for the metering, processing, treatment and control of hydrocarbon products. Alderley has been manufacturing oilfield metering equipment since 1959 and has supplied more than 500 systems to more than 50 countries. Alderley has regional headquarters in the UK, Middle East and Russia as well as a regional subsidiary in Saudi Arabia. Alderley Plc is an independent family-owned British company. More about Alderley can be found at:

Fabricom GDF SUEZ held their annual training and development awards at the CATCH training facility at Stallingborough on 16 December. The awards celebrate the achievements of their workforce who have undergone professional career development; including apprenticeships, engineering and management qualifications.

 

Each year Fabricom awards one of their apprentice technicians with the much coveted title of ‘Apprentice Technician of the Year’. This year, the competition has been as tough as ever, with high standards of apprentices who are assessed on a criteria which includes; technical ability, safety awareness and professionalism.

 

This year’s winner is Tom Gladding, who has worked on projects from Fabricom’s modular construction facility at Immingham and on projects for a number of their clients in the area; including ConocoPhillips and Vivergo Fuels. Currently, Fabricom employs 40 apprentice technicians from their UK facilities and project sites, who are working towards NVQ level three in their chosen discipline. This is supported by training partners The Engineering Construction Training Industry Board.

 

Other achievements celebrated at the awards ceremony included recognition for engineers who are participating in the GDF SUEZ Nuclear Training Programme; which includes secondments to nuclear projects on which GDF SUEZ is involved. Yvonne Day, Senior HR Manager was also presented with a certificate by Nigel Carlton, Fabricom’s UK CEO, from The Chartered Management Institute accrediting her with ‘Chartered Management’ status.

 

Yvonne Day said: "It is always good to celebrate and reflect on our training and development achievements each year, in particular the high standard of skill achieved by our apprentice technicians and engineers. I would like to congratulate Tom Gladding on being chosen as this year’s winner of Apprentice Technician of the Year, it makes me really proud that we employ such a bright young man, he has a great future ahead of him. We invest in and encourage lifelong learning for all of our employees and believe it is essential to do this to maintain the high level of skills required for the oil, gas and power industries that we operate in".

To what extend can a process be expected to perform safely? And in the event of a failure, to what extend can the process be expected to fail safely? These questions are answered through the assignment of a target Safety Integrity Level. SIL ratings measure the safety risk of a given process.

 

The higher the SIL level, the greater the impact of a failure and the lower the failure rate that is acceptable. Assigning a SIL level is thus based on the amount of risk reduction that is necessary and/or requested to maintain risk at an acceptable level.

 

To determine SIL in the process industry, one needs to consider the entire control loop. In order to be able to do so each device in this loop needs to have a safe failure fraction, one of the important device factors that needs to be calculated. It will be the total of all these different values that determines the obtained SIL level.

 

More than thirteen years ago, Magnetrol® was the first to introduce the two-wire guided wave radar to the marketplace. Now Eclipse® 705 has received the exida certificate for a ‘SIL 3 Capable’ device according to the IEC61508:2000 Parts 1-7. This means in practice that combining two devices in a 1oo2 set-up is in line with SIL 3 loop requirements. In addition to this SIL rating Magnetrol also has several agency approvals (eg ATEX, Lloyds, TÜV, FM/CSA) for Magnetrol’s Eclipse® 705.

On Monday 3 October 2011 Shipham Valves was acquired by a subsidiary of Hamworthy Plc, a world leader in the design and manufacture of innovative marine and offshore fluid handling systems, and became a trading division of Hamworthy Valves Limited.

 

Hamworthy Plc was subsequently aquired by Wärtsilä. This change will further strengthen the product and service offering to all existing customers. Please be advised that business continues as usual and all contacts remain the same. This press release merely gives formal notification of a change of the ultimate parent company and the opportunities it presents for the future.

 

If you have any queries or opportunities you wish to discuss, then please do not hesitate to contact your usual contact at Shipham Valves.

ACE Winches, the Aberdeenshire-based deck machinery specialist welcomed Scotland’s First Minister, and local MSP, Alex Salmond to its Aberdeenshire premises on Monday, 6 February, as the company celebrated the completion of its largest ever export contract.

 

Mr Salmond, who is constituency MSP for Aberdeenshire East, where ACE Winches is based, was greeted by Chief Executive Officer Alfie Cheyne at the firm’s Towie Barclay Works headquarters, near Turriff. During the visit Mr Salmond saw a presentation that illustrated Mr Cheyne’s vision for the future at Towie Barclay and the £11 million investment in its transformation into a global centre of engineering and manufacturing excellence.

 

Since founding ACE Winches in 1992, Mr Cheyne has never wavered from his commitment to establish the business as an indigenous north east of Scotland company, that retains a local workforce competing at a global level. During his visit to ACE Winches Mr Salmond saw the latest order to be completed, on schedule, at Towie Barclay - a £4.2 million pound winch package. The ABS certified winches are destined for Superior Energy Services based in Houston and built to withstand the severest of conditions in the Arctic where they will eventually be deployed.

 

"This contract is the next step in our strategy to become a significant player in the North and South American markets, and further cements our reputation for delivering exceptional service and performance in the world’s harshest operating environments," said Mr Cheyne.

 

Accompanied by Chief Financial Officer Valerie Cheyne and Chief Operating Officer Graeme Wood, Mr Cheyne provided Mr Salmond with a brief history of the firm and explained plans for the company’s growth. The company has a strong commitment to youth employment, training, research and development. The ACE Winch Academy aims to be the unrivalled accredited provider of training in all aspects of winch project engineering and winching operations for clients and ACE personnel.

 

Mr Salmond met with some of the workforce and praised the company’s global export achievements in both its manufacturing and hire business divisions. He added that ACE Winches had recognised the huge potential in world markets and praised the company’s vision to become a global centre of excellence in winching technology and hardware supply.

 

Mr Salmond said: "ACE Winches’ exciting expansion plans show a dynamic and ambitious local employer going from strength to strength. Scotland has huge potential to export its first class technological capabilities and ACE Winches is grasping these exciting opportunities, driving forward their company and actively promoting their knowledge and innovation abroad. After many years in the constituency, ACE Winches is a key employment provider and it is the home grown expertise of this work force that will help see ACE realise its impressive vision for the future".

 

ACE employs 240 people around the world, with 180 located at Towie Barclay. With approximately 70% of its turnover attributed to overseas markets, Mr Cheyne said the firm is looking to grow its number of international bases. As the current Norwegian market is particularly buoyant, its first aim is to strengthen and support its existing Norwegian base in Stavanger to maximise the potential this market and client base has to offer.

 

The company is constructing a four acre facility within the campus for the load testing up to 800te and mobilisation of winching equipment. A new warehouse will be operational from May 2012. Since 2003, when the company had 25 employees and a turnover of £1.8 million, it has focussed on its main objective to achieve sustained growth, success and profitability. The company has received numerous awards for its export achievements including the coveted Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2010 and a Scottish Offshore Achievement Award for Exports in 2010.

UK oil and gas industry professionals are enjoying competitive wages according to The Oil and Gas Global Salary Guide 2012, which is based on data from over 14,000 respondents.

 

The Guide, produced by Hays Oil & Gas and leading jobsite Oil and Gas Job Search, shows that full time UK oil professionals enjoy average salaries of £55,850 per annum which is more than twice the national salary average of £26,244. The 2012 survey also demonstrates strong growth in salaries for imported labour. Expat labour can command average salaries of £51,890 per annum: up 6.8% on the previous year.

 

Contractor day rates for those working in the North Sea (including the UK, Scandinavia and the Netherlands) are amongst the most competitive worldwide. Experienced engineers and managers can expect average rates of £540 per day and, for director level contractors, this figure rises to around £900 per day.

 

Matt Underhill, Managing Director of Hays Oil & Gas commented: "Last year we reported a 30% rise in contractor wages for UK professionals. This was particularly encouraging for UK based oil and gas professionals as the rates are a good indicator of the state of the job market, being more reactive to short-term changes in demand for skills. The figures from the 2012 guide demonstrate that the UK oil and gas industry has maintained this recovery and day rates remain buoyant".

 

Duncan Freer, Managing Director of Oil and Gas Job Search added: "Average oil and gas salaries in the UK are around 8% more than the worldwide average. Greater activity is scheduled for 2012 and beyond following a difficult period during the recession. Despite some forecasts many oil companies are continuing to invest in the North Sea so it is a time to look forward with confidence".

 

The Salary Guide, which features data from over 50 countries, reveals that continuing global confidence is the central finding of the report. Over 30% of respondents expect salaries to go up by more than 10% in the next 12 months. Employer confidence has also seen a large increase with 26.7% being extremely positive about the current market: up from just 9.7% in 2011. Three quarters of all employers expect staffing levels to increase in the next 12 months.

 

Matt Underhill, Managing Director of Hays Oil & Gas commented: "The salaries, day rates and general sentiment in the guide reflect a strong and confident industry. There are now tremendous opportunities for new graduates and candidates with transferable skills to enter a buoyant and rewarding industry".

 

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Aberdeen-based subsea engineers Jee Ltd ended the year with the good news that the company has been awarded ISO 18001 for Occupational Health and Safety, as well as 14001 for Environmental Management.

 

"These international standards are not mere badges but proof of our commitment to creating a safe, secure environment for staff and evidence that we take the corporate responsibility of our growing business seriously," said Trevor Jee, Managing Director.

 

"We have ambitious plans for expansion in 2012. Certifications such as these mean we have the processes and systems in place to grow at a sustainable rate that will benefit employees and clients alike".

 

ISO 14001 is awarded to organisations that can prove they have systems in place that minimise the company’s negative effects on the environment. ISO 18001 reflects a company’s health and safety policy and procedures within the workplace. For Jee, this ISO shows that they take the safety of staff and clients seriously, both offshore and in the office.

 

Find out more about Jee on YouTube, or via the website:

Co-operation by in-house teams across three international boundaries has won Hydratight a significant order from a client in the Persian Gulf.

 

The client contacted Hydratight’s UAE office about subsea bolting and flange-pulling equipment, but offered insufficient detail for an accurate quote to be made. Hydratight’s Saudi team contacted the client’s engineers directly and carried out a full technical study to supply a specification.

 

When this was passed back to the UAE team, it became clear that the client would need a large number of Hydratight’s Aquajack subsea tensioners - in a non-standard size. Engineers in the UK quickly worked up design sheets and collaborated with a flange manufacturer to make changes to the flange design, since the job site also had highly restricted access.

 

The investigation, specification and full proposal, which included rental equipment from England, was back with the client within a week, and agreed soon afterwards. Two months later the client was in a position to begin work with the new tools - despite the late addition of an order for a special calibration kit and a team to operate it, which was designed and supplied by the Saudi team.

 

"For us, this was a fast turnaround; a unique collaboration with the various companies involved in the project. The client was extremely pleased with the speed and success of the project," said Hydratight Regional Managing Director PCA Mohan. "It was possible because even though Hydratight is a global company, with many regional centres, we act like one big team. When someone asks us for assistance, our help could come from the nearest centre or thousands of miles away - whichever of our teams has greatest knowledge of the type of work required. The interconnection is vital to our success".

Nautronix has conducted a successful trial of NASNet® for Cairn Energy, offshore Greenland, proving the viability of NASNet® and the Nautronix ADS² signalling technology capabilities in a harsh environment. The NASNet® system was deployed from the AHTS Siem Aquamarine in approximately 300msw and during the deployment various acoustic communication and positioning tasks were undertaken to demonstrate the capabilities of the system.

 

Cairn Energy wished to trial alternative acoustic systems at similar depths and environmental conditions to assess communications. No system acoustic communication issues were experienced at any point during the trial throughout the entire water column using NASNet®. The success of the trials ably demonstrated the advanced Nautronix ADS² signalling capabilities to provide a reliable and robust communication capability in the harshest of environments.

 

An array of 5 NASNet® seabed Stations was deployed at the chosen location to provide seamless multi-user positioning capability for both the vessel and ROV. The positioning capability and stability of the NASNet® system was fully demonstrated for both the vessel and ROV. This is particularly important for operational locations at high latitudes where periods of instability of GNSS systems are not unknown and NASNet® can offer a viable DP Reference position solution (NASNet® DPR) with position update frequency and quality equivalent to DGPS solution.

 

As per previous projects where NASNet® has been successfully deployed it was pleasing to be able to demonstrate the positioning capabilities of the NASNet® VTrx system for the ROV with favourable feedback from the experienced ROV crew in terms of installation ease, quality and rapid position update rates allowing ROV manoeuvres to be undertaken with increased confidence.

 

As with all Nautronix leading commercial acoustic systems, NASNet® utilises Nautronix proprietary ADS2 (Acoustic Digital Spread Spectrum) broadband signalling technology which has been proven, with over ten years of successful subsea operations, to provide superior accuracy, repeatability and reliability for dynamic positioning of vessels during deepwater drilling operations. This trial demonstrated this function where successful long range communication tests were completed with no signal drop outs observed and once again provides confidence that operational critical function can be provided by the range of Nautronix commercial acoustic systems such as NASeBOP.

 

For more information please contact Rebecca Christie: rebecca.christie@nautronix.co.uk

North Star Shipping, a division of the family-owned global shipping and energy services firm the Craig Group, has been awarded a major new contract with Talisman Energy (UK) Ltd.

 

Under the contract the company, which provides offshore support vessels to the industry, will build two new platform supply vessels to support Talisman Energy’s North Sea operations. The contract, which is for five years with multiple options thereafter, will create 50 new jobs and represents a further £50 million investment by the Craig Group in its fleet.

 

The two IMT-982 designed vessels, still to be named, will be 83 metres long with an 18 metre beam and have diesel electric propulsion systems offering a greater fuel economy and efficiency. They have been specifically designed to meet the requirements of Talisman Energy in the North Sea. They will be built at the Balenciaga Shipyard in Northern Spain and are due for delivery in the second and fourth quarter of 2013. They will bring the Craig Group fleet to 37 and reinforce its position as the biggest wholly UK owned offshore support fleet.

 

Callum Bruce, Managing Director of North Star said: "The award of this contract secures our position at the forefront in the provision of vessels in the North Sea. Our major investment in state-of-the-art vessels supports the UK offshore industry and its employees as well as showing our continuing support to British shipping".

 

Douglas Craig, Chairman and Managing Director of the Craig Group said: "Through continuous investment in our people, infrastructure and vessels, we are demonstrating our commitment to meeting the needs of clients with a service that is driven by safety and quality. The new vessels meet Talisman’s expectations in terms of safety, operability and efficiency and we continue to look for ways to provide the most innovative, cost effective solutions for all our customers".

 

The Craig Group fleet, operated by North Star, now stands at 31 vessels in service with a further six vessels under construction.

 

 

"We saw a strong return to growth in 2011, with Sparrows provisional results for the year to December 2011 showing sales in excess of £165 million, up 11% on 2010, and EBITDA similarly increased," said Chief Executive Doug Sedge. "While high tax and low gas prices mean challenges for all in the energy industry, business is growing strongly in the deepwater oil plays in West Africa and Brazil, while market confidence is also returning in the US Gulf of Mexico".

 

Doug Sedge says Sparrows is also reaping the reward for continuing its prudent investment strategy through the global financial crisis. Sparrows increased its global employee numbers by 14% in 2011, invested in facilities extensions or upgrades in the UK, US and opened a new engineering design and offshore crane service facility in Mumbai, India.

 

Sparrows says it enters 2012 with a record order book, putting the company on track to achieve its sales goal for the year of £180 million. The order book has been further bolstered by December and January contract wins expected to be worth £36.25 million to Sparrows over the next 5 years; the contracts are with BP in West Africa, with Shell and Chevron in the US Gulf of Mexico, and with an unnamed operator in the UK.

 

"These are contracts for clients with whom Sparrows has developed long term working partnerships: we have proved our delivery of reliability, safety, value and engineering excellence to these companies, and it is on that basis that they choose to award us new contracts as their own operations grow," said Doug Sedge.

 

Sparrows Global Engineering Director in Aberdeen, Ewen Kerr, says Sparrows is actively seeking more than 60 new engineers and technicians to fill onshore posts in Aberdeen created by growth in the UK alone. These are among the 146 posts Sparrows is recruiting to worldwide, expecting to grow the global workforce to over 1,950 by 2013.

 

Sparrows is one of Aberdeen’s largest participants in the Institution of Mechanical Engineers graduate development programme, with 49 engineers currently working towards their Chartered Engineer qualification. The new posts are for a wide range of engineering talent, from experienced offshore technicians developing office-based engineering careers, to university trained engineers.

 

The growing employee numbers, Sparrows says, are attributable to a trend towards ever more complex engineering projects, higher volumes of manufacturing, hydraulic and electrical maintenance activities, and continuing demand for the company’s core offshore lifting and mechanical handling skills.

 

Globally, Sparrows recorded a 47% improvement in safety performance in 2011, with the North Sea and West Africa teams ending the year on a perfect ‘Zero’ Total Recorded Case Frequency. "Neither we nor our clients can ask our people to do better than Zero Incidents: the challenge is that, having proved it can be done, we now have to do it again in 2012," said Sparrows HSEQ Director, John Fraser.

 

"Our own strong performance, allied to market growth, has given Sparrows the confidence to further increase our rate of investment in the business," said Doug Sedge. Capital projects for 2012 include additions to Sparrows offshore crane rental fleet, facilities growth in Brazil and installation of new business management system software across the global business.

 

"We are bullish about Sparrows prospects and are actively pursuing growth opportunities - both organic and through acquisition - in key strategic markets. With that in mind, and with the support of our stakeholders and banks, we have engaged the financial advisers Ernst & Young to work with us in attracting new investment to the Sparrows Group to fuel that growth in the next few years," said Doug Sedge.

Safe Concordia

 

Safe Caledonia, Safe Lancia, Jasminia, Safe Hibernia, Safe Britannia, Safe Regency, Safe Bristolia have been fully utilised in the fourth quarter. Safe Concordia was five days off hire in the quarter due to smaller modifications of the DP system.

 

Safe Scandinavia commenced operations at the Valhall field in October. Prior to contract start, the rig had a brief yard stay to adjust the gangway pedestal to fit with the landing height on Valhall. Together with normal mobilisation procedures, this implied that the rig was out of operation for 21 days in the quarter.

 

Regalia commenced the contract with Talisman at the Yme field in Norway on 1 November, after completing the contract at the Valhall field in the middle of October. In total, Regalia was off hire for 11 days in the fourth quarter. Safe Astoria and Safe Esbjerg were idle in the fourth quarter.

 

Prosafe is the world’s leading owner and operator of semi-submersible accommodation/service rigs. Operating profit reached US$221.1 million in 2010. The company operates globally and employs 500 people.

SGS, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, is attending the 16th Annual International Pressure Equipment Integrity Association (IPEIA) Conference which takes place at the Banff Center in Banff, Alberta, Canada on 29 February to 2 March, 2012. Throughout the event, SGS will hold an informative presentation on ‘Issues with Qualifying NDE Technicians’, as well as present the wide range of services it is offering for pressure equipment at stand 23 on the first floor.

 

IPEIA Conference is a leading international event aimed at increasing awareness of pressure equipment safety and reliability throughout industry and providing knowledge and education for the continuous development of the business. The three-day event presents a perfect occasion for SGS to showcase its wide portfolio of asset integrity management services, including risk based inspection and non-destructive testing (NDT), and to forge new business contacts.

 

With asset integrity management services, SGS ensures the integrity, reliability and safety of the assets in accordance with all regulatory requirements. Based on the first-rate experience and competence, SGS can tailor an asset integrity management programme to suit the needs of every client, helping to reduce risks and meet all relevant regulations.

 

The attendees of IPEIA will have a unique chance to learn more about the differences between the North American and European NDE qualification and training requirements during the presentation, entitled ‘Issues With Qualifying NDE Technicians’, presented by Floris Verhagen, Global Director NDT Business at SGS. The presentation will provide interesting facts about the weaknesses of various systems, with a variety of examples of interpretations and solutions on how to perform NDE inspections the right way and obtain consistent results.

 

SGS is eagerly looking forward to the 16th Annual International Pressure Equipment Integrity Association (IPEIA) Conference and hopes to convince the participants that its range of services and the breadth of its expertise are practically unrivaled.

Image courtesy of ÅF AB

 

AVEVA, the leader in engineering design and information management solutions for the plant, power and process industries, has announced that ÅF AB, one of Sweden’s leading contractor and industry groups, will use AVEVA Plant as its principal design portfolio. ÅF AB has realised major cost and time savings using AVEVA PDMS for 3D design since it was first deployed in 2000. Under the terms of the new agreement, ÅF AB will now roll out AVEVA Plant across all new large and medium sized design projects.

 

Working within a number of sectors, including paper, chemical, energy, petrochemical and pharmaceuticals, ÅF AB provides customers with profitable energy solutions. Projects include new paper machines, biomass power plants, nuclear, thermal and renewables.

 

"We selected AVEVA PDMS not only because we know it will always get the job done, but also because it is the most established design tool on the market being used both by our customers and machine suppliers," said Per Högberg, CAD Co-ordinator, ÅF AB. "We are winning new business in both our traditional and new business sectors. This growth demands 3D design that offers high productivity, right first time design and minimum site rework. PDMS provides this and we can pass these benefits directly to our customers. Using AVEVA software is making us more competitive while helping us to satisfy our customers".

 

"ÅF AB has paid us the ultimate compliment by standardising on AVEVA and this reinforces our longstanding relationship," added Jan Backlund, Account Manager EMEA North, AVEVA. "They need to work with the most up-to-date 3D designs. Design consistency and the sharing of accurate information is critical to avoid rework that becomes increasingly more costly and disruptive as a project evolves. It’s very satisfying to see how our AVEVA Plant solutions are having such a positive impact on the bottom line at ÅF AB".

 

AVEVA PDMS 3D design software is part of the AVEVA Plant portfolio, delivering maximum design productivity and capability on all types of plant projects, from small upgrades to major new builds. For further information please visit:

Royal Dutch Shell plc has released its fourth quarter and full year results and fourth quarter interim dividend announcement for 2011.

 

Royal Dutch Shell Chief Executive Officer Peter Voser commented: "Our fourth quarter results were impacted by a sharp downturn in industry refining margins and North American natural gas prices. The global economy and energy markets are likely to see continued high volatility. Despite the near-term uncertainties, Shell’s focus remains on through-cycle investment for sustainable growth.

 

"I am pleased with our delivery in 2011, focusing on improving our operating performance and ramping up our growth projects. We have made good progress with portfolio development during 2011, with new opportunities in global gas, liquids-rich shales and exploration, alongside some $7.5 billion of divestments as part of Shell’s drive for on-going capital efficiency and portfolio improvement".

 

Quarterly results announcement (results in full) online:

Roxtec UK MD Graham O’Hare

 

Bury based international safety seal manufacturer Roxtec has agreed another major deal in the wind farm sector with specialist crane manufacturer Granada Material Handling (GMH) to supply the Gwynt y Mor wind farm in the Irish Sea.

 

Swedish owned Roxtec will deliver a bespoke cable seal solution for more than 164 cranes at the wind farm which is under construction 18 miles off the North Wales coast and is expected to supply power to 400,000 UK homes once completed.

 

Roxtec’s UK Managing Director Graham O’Hare said Roxtec has now been used in every offshore wind farm in Europe. "The wind farm sector is a key growth market for us," he said. "Our depth of experience and expertise means we are now becoming a wind industry standard. We are determined to build on this and really grow in the sector over the next decade as billions of pounds of investment is ploughed into it in the UK and across the world.

 

"We have worked closely with GMH’s design team to develop a cable seal solution to comply with all safety requirements of the project. Two Roxtec seal kits will be installed on each one of the 164 Granada Python Foundation Cranes - sealing multi cable transit openings and thereby protecting the equipment. Our product comes with an IP67 rating promising operational reliability. And critically for this industry it offers protection from dust ingress and immersion in water between 15cm and 1m depth".

 

Mr O’Hare added: "The GMH cranes have to conform to BS EN 13852 and Lloyds Register for lifting appliances in a marine environment. We offer our knowledge and skills to ensure they operate to the highest safety standards". Roxtec is the world’s leading manufacturer of innovative cable and pipe transit systems, supplying many of the globe’s biggest firms. It has a global turnover of 96m Euros and is active in 70 countries.

 

In the UK its turnover has more than doubled in the past 3 years with sales above £3m in 2011. Roxtec’s seals are used to protect people, buildings and equipment. Key sectors it is operating in include marine, oil and gas, telecoms, construction, power (generation, distribution and transmission) and OEM - eg trains, engines, motors, generators and power sources. Roxtec’s products are designed to seal cables and pipes and protect buildings and equipment from fire, explosions, water, gas, dust, vibrations, electro-magnetic disturbances as well as vermin.

 

Roxtec is actively expanding into new areas offering innovative and safe sealing solutions to a variety of industries. Roxtec has a Triple A credit rating. Visit:

A partnership led by PJD Group and Fiddlers Ferry Power Station has been awarded a prestigious national manufacturing award, the EEF Innovative People Management Award sponsored by JAM Recruitment, in a ceremony held at the Plaisterers Hall in the City of London.

 

Having already been awarded the North West Regional award, the partnership beat off competition from other regional winners from across the UK. It won the award for a joint collaborative project with partners the British Safety Council and Manchester Metropolitan University, to engage the whole workforce at the power station and outside contractors in a company-wide programme based on behavioural change to improve health & safety on the site.

 

The annual awards are hosted by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, the voice of manufacturing in the UK. They recognise excellence in enterprise, innovation, environmental performance and skills development among UK manufacturers.

 

David Ost, North West Region Director for EEF commented: "Industry is a major contributor to both the North West and national economy. This company is leading the way by engaging all of its staff in the way the business operates, which in turn reduces its operational costs while maintaining high levels of service and quality. Congratulations to them on winning this award".

 

John Morris, Chief Executive of the EEF’s recruitment partner, JAM Recruitment said: "The entries we have seen this year are testimony to the talent, innovation and determination of the UK’s manufacturing sector. The contribution manufacturing makes to the UK economy cannot be underestimated, and these awards are a much needed opportunity to celebrate the very best in this industry".

 

Professor Steve Evans of Cranfield University and Chair of the Judging Panel said: "This is a genuinely innovative approach to people management. By implementing a cognitive behaviour change programme staff are encouraged to behave and act in a manner which has improved the safety culture for themselves, colleagues and the organisation as a whole".

Foster Wheeler has announced that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group has been awarded a project management consultancy (PMC) contract by 2Co Power (Yorkshire) Limited (2Co) for the Don Valley power project in Stainforth, Yorkshire, UK.

 

The Don Valley power project is part of a carbon capture, utilisation and storage scheme (CCS) being developed by 2Co, comprising a 900MW installed capacity (650MW net export capacity) integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant, CO2 transportation, and storage combined with enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The plant will be designed to capture, as CO2, some 90% of the carbon in the fossil fuel. The CO2 will then be compressed and transported via an underground pipeline being developed by National Grid. This pipeline will transport the CO2 to the North Sea where it will be injected into selected oil fields. These oil fields are intended to provide storage for the CO2, and the injection of CO2 through EOR will enable a larger proportion of the oil reserves to be recovered than would otherwise be possible through more conventional methods.

 

Foster Wheeler’s role as PMC for the project up to final investment decision by 2Co, which is expected in mid-2013, will include development of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract package, and engineering strategy, review of the existing front-end engineering design package, review of the licensors’ scope of work and process design packages, and provision of other development support to 2Co. 2Co has stated its intention that, after the final investment decision is taken, Foster Wheeler will manage the EPC contract on behalf of 2Co. This latter scope of work would be covered by a separate award.

 

2Co Energy Ltd’s objective is for Don Valley to be the first project to be built as part of the UK’s CCS development programme. 2Co’s final investment decision will be subject to confirmation of financial support from the UK government and the European Union. 2Co expects the new plant to begin operation by the end of 2016.

 

"We are delighted to win the project management contract for the Don Valley power project," said Umberto della Sala, Chief Operating Officer of Foster Wheeler AG. "Our expertise in power generation and carbon capture and storage, together with our strong project execution track record, will provide significant added value to 2Co in realising this ground-breaking project. We look forward to working with 2Co, which is an emerging player in the carbon capture and storage market and has stated its commitment to becoming the leader in delivering the benefits of such schemes globally".

 

Jonathan Briggs, Managing Director, 2Co Power (Yorkshire) Ltd said: "The Don Valley power project is the UK’s most advanced and economic carbon capture and storage project. Foster Wheeler’s appointment will ensure we deliver this ground-breaking project on time to help create jobs, supply low carbon electricity to the region and help the UK meet its ambitious energy security and national carbon reduction commitments. Foster Wheeler will now manage the project with us. The successful construction of CCS projects requires expertise in both the hydrocarbon processing and power industries, which plays to Foster Wheeler’s strengths".

Yorkshire-based cable cleat manufacturer Ellis has turned the tables on the international trend for cheaply manufactured products from the Far East being sold into the UK by securing a significant order from China.

 

The company’s Emperor cleats (pictured) have been specified by COSCO Engineering for installation on the Vantage Drilling Company’s new drill ship, the Dalian Developer. The order was secured as a result of the company’s persuasive technical argument, which highlights the vital importance of correctly tested and specified cable cleats.

 

Tony Conroy, Export Sales Manager for Ellis explained: "The growth in cheaply manufactured cleats has certainly muddied the picture in recent times, but we have always remained confident that our approach would eventually see our technically superior products come to the fore in China". Ellis’ technical approach has brought the company widespread global success and its cleats are now used in a number of major projects in the oil, gas and power generation industries including Lusail City in Qatar and the Kashagan project in Kazakhstan.

 

"It certainly seems like our technical and safety based message is really striking home," continued Conroy. "People now know that underspecified cleats can pose serious safety issues. And when you consider the amount of money some of the projects we’re working on are worth you certainly wouldn’t want to be the specifier who cut costs by ordering cleats that were simply not suitable for the job".

 

Ellis is supported by a worldwide network of specialist distributors covering Europe, the Middle East, Asia, South America, Australia, Kazakhstan and the United States. For this latest order the company’s export team worked closely with Hong Kong distributor, Wang Yip Hong (J&P) Limited and its Chinese partner, Senkori Trading (Dalian) Co.

 

The $500 million Dalian Developer is being built at COSCO’s Dalian shipyard in China and is due for completion in July 2012. It is a MPF 1000 6th Generation Ultra Deepwater Drillship for use in harsh environments, has a hull size of 291m x 50m, and is designed to drill wells at ultradeep water depths up to 10,000ft and drilling depths exceeding 30,000ft.

 

For further information on Ellis, its products and capabilities visit their website or call: +44 (0)1944 758 395

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc has announced that it has been awarded a contract by IDEA Soda Ash and Calcium Chloride Company (ISACC) to provide engineering and project management services for the construction of a $300 million soda ash and calcium chloride production facility in Jubail’s Second Industrial City, the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

 

The facility is the first of its kind in the Kingdom and the Gulf Co-operation Council to produce soda ash (sodium carbonate) and calcium chloride. These products, currently being imported, are used in oil and gas drilling operations, as well as in the manufacture of glass and detergents. Following award of the engineering, procurement and construction contract, Jacobs is also providing the project management services up to the plant start-up.

 

ISACC Managing Director and CEO Abdulaziz A-Muaiyyad stated: "We are excited to be working with Jacobs, in their capacity as our PMC (project management consultant) partner, for this strategic project for the Kingdom. The project will make a significant contribution to the development of Saudi Arabia’s non-oil economy with all basic materials secured from mines within Saudi Arabia".

 

Jacobs Group Vice President Bob Irvin stated: "We are pleased to bring our long experience and expertise in the field of engineering services and project management in the region to this project. It is the first of its kind in the Kingdom and we fully recognise the importance of increasing the participation of the chemical industries sector in the national economy".

WindFloat Photo Copyright 2009-2011 Principle Power Inc

 

Hempel, the world-leading coatings supplier, is taking part in a project to performance test an offshore corrosion protection system on WindFloat, a semi-submersible floating structure for offshore wind turbines that has been deployed with a 2MW Vestas turbine off the coast of Agucadoura, Portugal.

 

Hempel provides test products for the following WindFloat sections: the permanently immersed areas, the splash zone and the above-water line areas. In addition to supplying coating systems, Hempel contributes with technical support and advice.

 

The project will be carried out by the Materials and Coatings Laboratory (LMR) of LNEG (National Laboratory for Energy and Geology), Portugal, with the overall aim of testing and evaluating different corrosion protection systems for offshore steel structures. The performance of the anticorrosive coatings will be evaluated by exposure at the Agucadoura test site for a 2 year period.

 

The WindFloat project is part of WindPlus, a JV headed by Energias de Portugal (EDP) with partners including Principle Power Inc (the developer of WindFloat) and Vestas, which has supplied the V80-2.0MW wind turbine for the project. The first WindFloat was successfully deployed off the coast of Agucadoura, Portugal, in December 2011. It is the first offshore wind deployment requiring no heavy lift equipment offshore. All assembly, installation and pre-commissioning of the wind turbine took place on land.

 

Hempel has been a supplier of corrosion protection to the offshore wind energy industry since 1991, when the first offshore wind farm was erected, and has also solid experience in coatings for offshore oil and gas platforms, undersea pipelines and ships. Hempel aims to continuously increase its knowledge through R&D activities including involvement in innovative offshore projects such as WindFloat.

FoundOcean has been awarded Licensed Applicator status by BASF for its cement-based Exagrout Masterflow® 9500, which has been specifically designed and validated for use in the installation of offshore wind farms.

 

"We’re proud to be appointed as Licensed Applicator for this material. We believe that this ultra-high strength grout demonstrates pioneering properties and will be a welcome addition to the range of specialised grouts that we currently mix and pump for our clients," commented Jim Bell, Managing Director for FoundOcean. "The confidence shown by BASF to award FoundOcean Licensed Applicator status recognises the high quality of personnel, plant and services we offer".

 

Masterflow® 9500 has been tested and validated by licensing bodies for use in grouted connections of offshore foundations, and is the only product that comes with a detailed and grout specific Statement of Compliance by DNV. "Marrying BASF’s world leading chemical manufacturing capabilities and FoundOcean’s extensive offshore experience means that foundation installers and wind farm developers can be confident in the integrity of the grouted connection," assured Luc Westhof, Key Account Manager for Wind Power at BASF.

 

Charles Elins, Regional Projects Manager UK and Ireland for BASF added: "We have been developing performance grouts for over 100 years and our wind turbine grouting experience, from which we have formulated our offshore solution, is well established". This ‘fit for purpose’ grout demonstrates impressive properties such as low heat of hydration thus eliminating the risk of thermal cracking, rapid strength build-up even at low temperatures to support increased installation rates and 28 day compressive strengths of 140MPa. In addition, Masterflow® 9500 can be pumped at temperatures as low as 0ºC which means the available installation season can be extended and offshore wind farms can be operational sooner. Finally, and arguably the most important attribute, Masterflow® 9500 exhibits zero autogenous shrinkage, a factor which when significant enough is proven to cause cracking in high-strength concrete structures.

 

Alderley, the market leader in liquid and gas metering and produced water treatment packages, has announces a record trading year. Turnover has increased by 26% and profit before tax has increased by 52% from the previous year. All parts of the group have contributed towards this success with the majority of Alderley’s turnover derived from outside the United Kingdom, reflecting the global spread of its business within the oil and gas industries. The Alderley group comprises Alderley Systems, Alderley FZE, Alderley NefteGaz, Alderley ICD and Specialised Management Services.

 

During 2011, the market for Alderley’s products and services has been strong, with several contracts having been completed in Singapore by the Far East Projects Team. Alderley Systems has delivered amongst others deoiling hydrocyclones, compact floatation units and degasser vessels for use in the North Sea, while Specialised Management Services (SMS) have designed and manufactured chemical injection units, hydraulic power units for the North and Barents Sea.

 

The Middle East has been exceptionally buoyant and Alderley FZE has secured contracts for the design and manufacture of a variety of gas metering skids for a number of Middle Eastern countries. As a result Alderley is currently expanding its production facilities at their Jebel Ali Free Zone site, demonstrating continued commitment to the development of the Middle East market. Chris McGeehan, CEO said: "2011 has been an exceptionally busy and successful period for the Alderley Group. This is expected to continue during 2011/12 with further commitment to invest in our people, our technology and our infrastructure globally".

Statfjord C Photo Harald Pettersen/Statoil

 

Centrica Plc, the parent company of British Gas, has reached an agreement with ConocoPhillips to acquire its non-operated interests in the gas and oil producing Statfjord field and associated satellites for a total cash consideration of $223 million (£142 million), including $103 million (£66 million) attributable to historic tax allowances. The fields, which are located across both the Norwegian and UK sectors of the Northern North Sea, produce gas for the UK market. The acquisition further strengthens Centrica’s integrated business model and provides another secure source of gas for our UK customers.

 

The deal will see Centrica acquire a further 15.17% interest in the field which, combined with its existing equity interest, will increase its overall stake in this core asset to 34.30%. It will also see the company increase its interest in the Statfjord satellites (Statfjord Nord, Statfjord Øst and Sygna), all of which are producing fields tied back to Statfjord. The gas produced from these fields is either uncontracted or already contracted to Centrica and is directly linked to the UK market.

 

Mark Hanafin, Managing Director of Centrica Energy said: "Increasing our stake in Statfjord marks the latest stage in our drive to secure high quality sources of gas for our customers, adding both earnings and long-term value to Centrica. The acquisition, which follows our announcement last year of a new 10 year gas supply deal with Norway and acquisition of assets from Statoil, underlines our commitment to invest in North Sea production and secure future energy supplies for the UK".

Left to right: Paul France, Damian Dugdale and Peter Spedding

 

Yorkshire-based engineering firm, KOSO Kent Introl (KKI), has expanded its team through three new appointments. The global specialist control valves manufacturer and supplier continues to deliver strong global sales.

 

David Limb, Sales Director at KKI said: "We are pleased to continue to create employment in Yorkshire, particularly during a time when confidence in the region’s manufacturing sector is low. The three new employees have a wealth of manufacturing experience and will prove to be valuable assets to KKI. We continue to grow the business domestically in Brighouse, and through overseas exports to our oil, gas, petrochemical and power industry customers".

 

Damian Dugdale starts at KKI as an Expeditor, responsible for managing supplier purchase orders and expediting spare parts orders. He demonstrates high levels of experience in his field, having managed purchasing and expediting processes at Edmund Bell Fabrics, and transport planning and stock control for the Clipper Group.

 

Paul France is the new Workshop Engineer within KKI’s service department. He has extensive experience within manufacturing and has previously worked as a fitter at KKI for 22 years, at JH Smith Engineering for seven years and for over 13 years at MRC Transmark.

 

Peter Spedding joins as the new Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Operator. He has over 30 years experience in manufacturing, having spent 17 years as a manufacturing technician for Lucas Aerospace, ten years at Weir Valves and four years at Valvetek Machining Ltd.

Rotork IQTPro electric valve actuator on diesel tank supply lines

 

An offshore platform in the North Sea that is the first of its type to serve a power generating wind farm is home to fifty Rotork IQTPro intelligent electric valve actuators.

 

The Borwin Alpha platform is the first offshore installation designed to convert AC power into high voltage direct current (HVDC) for onward transmission. Built and designed by the Heerema Fabrication Group on behalf of ABB, the facility can transfer a power of 400MW at a bipolar voltage of 150kV. The converted current is carried by a 200 kilometre cable for onshore connection to the European power grid.

 

The BARD Offshore 1 wind farm that is served by the Borwin Alpha platform is situated 100 kilometres north west of the German island of Borkum. Eighty wind turbines will be installed when the farm is completed in 2012. The 200 kilometre cable connection to the mainland is the longest in the world for an offshore wind farm, as well as the first to utilise HVDC transmission.

 

The majority of the Rotork IQTPro actuators are controlling the operation of butterfly valves in applications on the cooling system for the power conversion plant and the fuel systems for emergency generators. Some of the valves are installed within the platform superstructure whilst others are outside and exposed to the harsh North Sea environment. Reliable operation is enhanced by the double-sealed actuator enclosure design, combined with non-intrusive commissioning and data transfer technologies that permanently eliminate the need to remove any covers once the actuators are wired-up.

 

Rotork IQTPro actuators also incorporate increased functionality features as standard for improved long term asset management. For example, an integral data logger stores historical operating data, including the sequence of valve torque profiles. This information can be downloaded and analysed with Rotork’s PC-based IQ-Insight software to establish predictive maintenance schedules or identify potential problems.

Foster Wheeler has announced that a subsidiary of its Global Power Group has been given a limited notice to proceed (LNTP) for the design and supply of two heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) to Técnicas Reunidas SA (TRSA).

 

The terms of the agreement were not disclosed, and the value of the LNTP will be included in the company’s fourth-quarter 2011 bookings. Foster Wheeler expects to finalise the contract and to receive full notice to proceed in the second quarter of 2012 at which time the full value of the contract would be booked.

 

The HRSGs will be installed in a combined cycle power plant that TRSA will build near Budapest, Hungary. The plant will be owned by CM European Power International (a joint venture between Czech Republic utility company CEZ and Hungarian oil and gas company MOL).

 

Foster Wheeler will design, supply and provide advisory services for erection and start-up of two HRSGs, which will be coupled to two Siemens combustion turbines model SGT5-4000F, with a total installed capacity of 860MWe (gross megawatt electric). Delivery of the HRSGs is scheduled for mid-2013.

 

"This award clearly demonstrates Foster Wheeler’s state-of-the-art design and competitiveness in the large-size heat recovery steam generators market," said Jesús Martí Sanz, Chief Executive Officer of Foster Wheeler Energia SL in Madrid. "Our value-added solution together with our global sourcing and flexibility to match our customer’s needs were the key factors behind this award".

Enclosure manufacturer Intertec is making it easy to deploy advanced laboratory-grade instrumentation in the field with the launch of an explosion proof protection option. A new inert gas pressurisation system allows its protective cabinets or enclosures to house laboratory-style equipment that is non explosion protected - such as analysers and sensors - in IEC-Ex and ATEX Zone 1, 21, 2 or 22 hazardous areas.

 

Intertec is known for offering an exceptionally broad range of field protection enclosures, which are constructed from high performance grades of GRP (glass reinforced polyester). The new inert gas pressurisation option - InertSyst - extends the types of equipment that plant instrumentation engineers can install in these protective enclosures - providing an unmatched choice of enclosure styles and opening formats, as well as climate protection accessories.

 

A unique aspect of the new Ex p system is that it is certified for use where a hazardous atmosphere might be created inside the enclosure - due perhaps to a hydrocarbon leak from the analyser equipment - as well as more conventional situations where a potential hazard is caused by the atmosphere outside the enclosure. The certification also applies to the system as a whole. This means that Intertec can use the principle for virtually any application, without having to seek re-certification from approvals agencies.

 

According to Martin Hess, CEO of Intertec: "The ability to deploy non Ex approved laboratory equipment in hazardous environments provides considerable flexibility for system installers. They are now able to place the equipment precisely where it is needed. And because Intertec issues the CE certificate of compliance, there is no risk of installation schedules being compromised by lengthy certification procedures".

 

InertSyst - or inert gas purged system - works by maintaining a small overpressure inside the enclosure, in the order of 0.8 mbar, of an inert gas such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide. Many refineries and chemical facilities incorporate air separation plants to produce a source of nitrogen which is piped around the facility. If this is not available, the enclosure can be supplied from a stand alone cylinder. The introduction of InertSyst extends Intertec’s ability to provide explosion-proof enclosure systems, enabling it to help clients achieve site-wide standardisation of field-based equipment and thereby reduce their total cost of ownership through easier procurement, maintenance and spares holding.

 

Intertec designs and manufactures probably the world’s broadest selection of field protection enclosures and cabinets, and the new InertSyst gas purge system is suitable for use with most of these - up to sizes providing some 6000 litres capacity. The technique can accommodate enclosures fitted with intrinsically safe heaters of up to 400W dissipation, provided that they are designated T3 or T4 and are ATEX approved. Typically this would comprise an Intertec explosion-proof electric heater and smart controller combination. The inert gas is introduced via a solenoid valve, controlled by an application-specific electronics module which monitors internal and external pressure; the minimum and maximum internal pressures are programmable. Intertec offers a choice of digital (on-off) or proportional solenoid valves, to best suit the application.

 

The nitrogen purging and pressurisation process depends upon the particular application and its environment. For Zone 1 or 2 applications, where an external explosive gas or vapour atmosphere might be present, the enclosure is initially thoroughly purged with nitrogen to remove all oxygen before any protected devices are energised. Zone 21 or 22 applications, where the potential hazard is created by dust in the atmosphere, do not require this initial purging.

 

Subsequently, provided that the instrumentation is not capable of leaking hazardous gas, the control module simply causes sufficient nitrogen to be injected periodically to compensate for natural leakage, maintaining a slight positive pressure inside the enclosure to prevent ingress of an explosive mixture. However, if the instrumentation is itself capable of compromising the integrity of the enclosure by leaking hydrocarbons, then the system has a continuous flow mode which continuously feeds a higher, but still carefully regulated, quantity of nitrogen through the enclosure to dilute the hazardous gas before dispersing it into the atmosphere.

 

When fitted with InertSyst, Intertec’s enclosures fully comply with the IEC EN 60079-2 standard for equipment protection provided by pressurised enclosures in explosive atmospheres. Intertec’s new InertSyst is also available for cabinets and enclosures produced by other manufacturers. More information:

Capula has won a significant contract with Scottish Power (part of the Iberdrola Group) for the refurbishment and modernisation of the condensate polishing plant on the four 600MW generating units at Longannet power station, Scotland. The condensate polishing plant is used to regenerate the water used in the boiler cycle to minimise plant corrosion which can happen as a result of chemical properties in the demineralised water degrading over time.

 

Capula’s scope of work will cover the complete refurbishment of the control and instrumentation systems, including the replacement of valves and orifice plates, installation of new electrical actuators, modifications to plant pipework and improvements to the plant drainage systems. In addition, Capula will also carry out civil works, installation of electrical cabling and network integration.

 

Integrating fully into the plant DCS system, Capula’s solution will enable the plant to be supervised and monitored from the main control room, while the improved diagnostics and instrumentation will enable better maintenance of the plant and accurate process control. Delivery is already in progress, with commissioning scheduled for April 2012.

 

"Capula was chosen for this project due, in part, to our extensive experience of working on the DCS systems at Longannet," said Chief Executive Roger Turner. "Our excellent track record in the automation of condensate plant polishing and water treatment plant control schemes on other power plants was also a contributing factor".

Prosafe has been awarded a contract by Cotemar Group for a contract extension for Safe Hibernia to be used at Pemex’ Cantarell field in Mexico.

 

The Safe Hibernia bareboat contract is extended by 744 days, through to the end of December 2013. The value of the extension is about US$39.4 million. Prosafe is the world’s leading owner and operator of semi-submersible accommodation/service rigs. Operating profit reached US$221.1 million in 2010. The company operates globally and employs 500 people.

The 295MW capacity wind farm will be installed in water depths ranging from 22 to 25m on four-legged jacket foundations. The 49 foundations (48 turbine and one transformer substation) will be grouted to the seabed using BASF’s Exagrout Masterflow® 9500 cement based grout.

 

Martin Hardy, Commercial and Technical Director for FoundOcean commented: "We are thrilled to have secured this contract with RWE Innogy following our success at Thornton Bank 2, and look forward to a long and successful relationship for all parties involved. We are extremely confident that the Exagrout will provide advanced results over other high strength grouts on the market".

 

Masterflow® 9500 has been selected to secure the foundations to the seabed as it has been through rigorous testing and exhibits many pioneering properties including:

 

• Zero autogenous shrinkage, a factor which has been shown to cause cracking in high-strength concrete structures.

• Ability to be pumped at temperatures down to 0ºC which increases the opportunity of lengthening the available installation season, meaning that the OWF could be operational and generating revenues quicker.

• Rapid strength build-up to support increased installation rate and to guarantee safe structures at an early age.

• Low heat of hydration, eliminating the risk of thermal cracking.

• 28 day compressive strengths of 140MPa.

 

Luc Westhof, Key Account Manager for Wind Power at BASF commented: "Marrying BASF’s world leading chemical manufacturing capabilities and FoundOcean’s extensive offshore experience means that foundation installers and wind farm developers can be confident in the integrity of the grouted connection".

 

Charles Elins, Regional Projects Manager UK and Ireland for BASF, added: "We have been developing performance grouts for over 100 years and our wind turbine grouting experience, from which we have formulated our offshore solution, is well established".

 

"We are pleased to be working with FoundOcean on this ground breaking project. The synergy between our companies is evident in how we are all working towards extending the foundation installation period for this offshore windfarm: RWE Innogy is using vessels which can withstand more turbulent waters; BASF has manufactured a material which can work down to 0ºC; and FoundOcean will be using their winter-proofed equipment to mix and pump the grout," remarked Hans Kahle, Managing Director of RWE Innogy’s Offshore Logistic Company OLC .

 

Hima-Sella to upgrade Safety Instrumented Systems at Petroplus’ Coryton fuel processing refinery

 

Safety systems specialist Hima-Sella has received an order for the end-of-life replacement of Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) within two processing units at Petroplus’ Coryton refinery in Stanford-le-Hope in Essex, England. The facility is a fluid catalytic cracking refinery with a throughput capacity of 220,000 barrels per day.

 

Petroplus is currently replacing SIS equipment that protects the Naphtha Hydrotreating and Continuous Catalytic Reformer processing units. The SIS is to be implemented using two HIMA HiQuad H51q-HS Programmable Electronic Systems (PES), designed to meet IEC61508 SIL2, and will be located in a local instrument house. In addition, HiQuad systems are already in use at Coryton - protecting the site’s cracking complex and bitumen road loading facilities - which enables Petroplus to consolidate spares (kept onsite) and reduce maintenance costs.

 

Eddy Turnock, Hima-Sella’s Sales & Marketing Director commented: "Our relationship with the refinery goes back many years, and the SIS project for the Naphtha hydrotreating and reforming units includes the replacement of equipment Hima-Sella commissioned in 1984 - which has performed well but is now facing component obsolescence issues. We are therefore delighted that Petroplus continues to see value in the HIMA products and Hima-Sella’s expertise".

 

The new HiQuad systems will be supplied with tiled matrices for indicating local unit conditions such as start-up overrides, output conditions, emergency shutdowns (ESDs) and a variety of site-wide general alarms.

This new high-quality and mobile LED working lamp with charging station made by BARTEC has been designed for the comfortable illumination of works spaces in all explosion-hazardous areas with gas or dust, ie it is suitable for use in zones 0/20, 1/21 and 2/22.

 

Its high performance is based on the wide temperature range of use from -20°C to +60°C, the protection against strong water jets (IP 66) and 30 high-quality LEDs which, with a luminous power of over 600 lux from a distance of 1m, allow to work safely at any operating site. Due to the charging adapters for 12V-24V DC and for 200V-250V included in the standard scope of delivery, the working lamp can be recharged both in the truck and from the 230V mains supply outside the hazardous area.

 

When charged, the working lamp can be used for continuous operation during 6 hours. A highly efficient lithiumion accumulator guarantees a long operating life and a short charging time of maximally 3 hours (80% charging capacity within 1 hour) and provides for fast availability in everyday operation.

 

In spite of its compact and robust construction type made of impact-proof and slip-resistant plastic, the new BARTEC Ex working lamp is characterised by low weight (approximately 600g), easy use and an aesthetic patent-protected design. The ATEX and IEC Ex certified working lamp with charging station is available in two versions, with open or closed turnable fastening hooks.

David Lamont (right), Chief Executive Officer at Proserv, which has reported a 17% increase in turnover, with CNC (computer numerical control) machine operator Alan Carlyle

 

Proserv, the global-leading specialist in energy production technology services, has announced that it is set to create more than 130 new employment opportunities after reporting a 17% increase in turnover. The company also forecasts a further 20% growth in turnover over the next year.

 

Within the last 12 months, Proserv has surpassed its ambitious growth figures with a projected turnover of £113 million for the year ending December 2011. This figure rose from £96 million for the same period last year, underpinning the company’s fast-evolving international track record and increasingly-growing demand for its integrated specialist services and world-class technologies. Proserv’s strong business growth comes just three months after the company harnessed its position for future accelerated expansion by announcing that it had consolidated five separate entity companies under the Proserv brand.

 

David Lamont, Proserv’s Chief Executive Officer said: "Since the merger, we have seen significant growth in our business due to our increased capabilities and expertise, particularly in the drilling, production, subsea and decommissioning sectors. We forecast even stronger results for 2012, having secured a number of new contracts and as a result, we will be building on our current global workforce of almost 800 people by a further 17% next year to support our current order book and strong sales pipeline. This reinforces our ambitious plans for future accelerated expansion and to meet demand for our enhanced portfolio of complimentary products and services to clients globally".

 

Around 40 to 50 of the new employment opportunities are to be created in Aberdeen City and Shire. In July, Proserv announced the completion of a new financing arrangement for around £72 million (approximately $115 million) which brought together five respected and successful companies under its brand. The five businesses, which are now known as Proserv, were: Proserv Technology, Proserv Offshore, Hydrafit Subsea, all located in Aberdeenshire; and Houston-based Gilmore Valve and Argus Subsea.

 

Leveraging the strong market positions, track records and capabilities of these individual companies, Proserv can offer clients an enhanced portfolio of field-proven complementary technologies, in-depth engineering expertise and world-class service. "Bringing all five businesses together under one cohesive organisation with its own identity has enhanced our market-leading presence as well as extended our global footprint and support coverage," said David. "Our focus is to build on our current position, invest in recruitment and the training of our people and continue with the global promotion of our full product and service range into new and existing markets".

 

Proserv is a market-leading energy production technology services company which operates worldwide in more than 7 regions and 21 sites including the UK, the USA, Scandinavia, the Middle East, Far East, Africa and Australia. The company has a 35 year track record in delivering bespoke technologies and services for the energy industry, particularly in the drilling, production, subsea and decommissioning market sectors.

Harris CapRock Communications, the global provider of fully managed communications for remote and harsh environments, has signed a two-year contract to provide Nabors Industries with satellite communications for multiple land rigs and a base office in Iraq. Harris CapRock’s Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) services will provide Nabors personnel working on remote Iraq land drilling sites the ability to interconnect with the local base office and corporate headquarters.

 

As its operations continue to grow and expand across the globe, Nabors requires an integrated communications platform that allows personnel to share critical information between their remote locations, regardless of what part of the world they may be in. A uniform communications solution through one partner provides Nabors personnel with a consistent user experience from one remote location to the next.

 

"As we move into new regions, it’s important that we receive the same level of quality and reliability consistently in our communications to provide real-time visibility to the well sites that we currently have in other areas where we operate," said Sri Valleru, Chief Information Officer, Nabors Industries. "We need to help our operations personnel focus on what they are there to do, not worry about how to learn a new communications system or about the integrity of its reliability. Harris CapRock met our requirements with its global capabilities and was a natural fit for our team".

 

Under the terms of the agreement, Harris CapRock will provide data transmission, internet connectivity and ongoing service and support to sites throughout Iraq, with the potential for additional VSAT units to be secured in the future. This will allow Nabors personnel to share critical information, such as well site data, to and from the land rigs and the base office, and ultimately send data back to the Nabors corporate office in Houston, Texas. Harris CapRock will leverage its self-owned and operated teleports in Houston and Aberdeen, Scotland, to land communications traffic.

 

The agreement represents an extension of Harris CapRock’s existing relationship with Nabors. Currently, Harris CapRock provides Nabors with similar services in other parts of the world including one base office and two land rigs in Papua New Guinea, one offshore rig in Gabon and one offshore platform rig in Southeast Asia.

 

Additionally, in 2010, Harris CapRock signed an agreement providing Nabors and its business unit, Canrig Drilling Technologies, with VSAT services to more than 378 land drilling rigs in North America. Provisions in the service agreement include broadband internet, voice connectivity, corporate networking and real-time data to its personnel working at remote drilling sites. The contract came just one month after Harris CapRock launched FieldAccess™, its fully managed VSAT service designed uniquely for the land drilling market. FieldAccess was officially introduced to the market in August 2010. As a result of that service performance, Harris CapRock’s partnership with Nabors has grown to include its Iraq operations.

 

"We have worked with Nabors since 2004 on short-term drilling opportunities, and have provided services to other customers with Iraq activities since 2003," said Tom Eaton, President, Harris CapRock. "With our expanded portfolio and added focus on services to specifically meet the needs of land drilling clients, we are proud to support Nabors’ growing operations in Iraq and elsewhere around the world".

 

"The partnership we have with Harris CapRock is based upon proven experience providing services to our land drilling fleet," continued Valleru. "Harris CapRock’s on-time deployment in the Nabors North America roll-out in 2010 influenced our decision to select the company again for the Iraq project. In addition, Harris CapRock’s past experience supporting services in Iraq and internationally further builds upon its reputation of providing reliable, dependable services globally".

 

Harris CapRock is currently supporting a number of active project sites in Iraq to aid customers with government and energy operations, providing a range of fully managed communication solutions and systems integration services.

 

Harris CapRock Communications is a premier global provider of managed satellite and terrestrial communications solutions, specifically for remote and harsh environments including the energy, government and maritime markets. Harris CapRock owns and operates a robust global infrastructure that includes teleports on six continents, five 24/7 network operations centres, local presence in 23 countries, and over 275 global field service personnel supporting customer locations across North America, Central and South America, Europe, West Africa and Asia Pacific.

Oil and gas industry leaders have forecast improved performance and higher levels of capital expenditure this year, despite concerns over global economic instability, according to a new report on the future of the sector. Increased investment across the industry will focus on exploration activity, with North America emerging as the area with the greatest opportunities in 2012.

 

Big Spenders: The outlook for the oil and gas industry in 2012, is the Economist Intelligence Unit’s second annual industry barometer, commissioned by GL Noble Denton, the independent technical advisor to the industry with considerable insight into many of the issues faced by those operating in the oil and gas sector.

 

82% of the 185 board-level directors and industry policy makers surveyed for the report are either highly or somewhat confident about the business outlook for their company, compared with 76% last year. Just 8% of those polled described themselves as pessimistic over performance in 2012. Findings from the research also show that nearly two thirds (63%) of executives plan to invest either somewhat or substantially more over the next year, in contrast to 49% in 2011. 41% of industry professionals expect to see increased investment in exploration activities over the next year, with only 4.3% anticipating a decline.

 

There remains a caveat, however; if global economic conditions deteriorate, oil and gas companies will have to scale back their spending commitments where they can do so without creating damage to their wider portfolios, according to the report. Other key findings from the research, as reported by the Economist Intelligence Unit, include:

 

Rising operating costs emerge as the top barrier to growth. More than 50% of respondents say that they expect there to be an increase in wages over the next 12 months. 54% of respondents also expect the cost of contractors to increase, compared to only 11% anticipating a decline.

 

Risk remains a key challenge. An overwhelming majority of respondents - 82% - either strongly or somewhat agree that regulatory issues have become more important in the post-Macondo period. Increasing regulation is regarded by more than 30% of respondents as the main challenge for their company over the next 12 months.

 

Skills shortages are becoming more acute. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s research, this issue comes out of the survey as one of the major obstacles to growth over the next 12 months. Last year, skills issues came fifth on the list of barriers and were only identified as a top three issue by 25% of respondents. This year, the issue has risen to second on the list, and has been identified as a key barrier by 34% of respondents.

 

Unconventional gas: A global game changer? The advent of projects like the Marcellus, Barnett, Haynesville and Fayetteville shales have created a supply glut that has affected global prices. Yet there is widespread doubt as to whether the shale gas revolution can be exported outside North America.

 

Scope for optimism for refiners: After a dismal few years, the downstream sector is showing some signs of life, at least in the US. Refining profitability has improved where robust margins have resulted from a revival of consumption of refined products. But Asia and Europe remain in the doldrums.

 

Pekka Paasivaara, member of the GL Executive Board said: "The second annual Economist Intelligence Unit oil and gas industry barometer sends a clear message: Companies are preparing to spend big in 2012, despite a slower growth in demand for oil and gas during the second half of last year, and concerns over the future of the global economy.

 

"But this doesn’t mean that our clients are sanguine about their prospects for the year ahead. Findings from the report highlight a wealth of barriers to success, from rising operating costs to the worry of an impending shortage of skilled professionals and an uncertain regulatory environment in the post-Macondo era.

 

"While capital expenditure looks set to take off, industry leaders will need to invest selectively this year, keeping operating risks low during a period of prolonged uncertainty. Their success will be defined by an ability to develop innovative approaches to operating more safely, efficiently and sustainably than ever." Download the full report at:

Dron & Dickson rope access specialist testing equipment

 

Dron & Dickson, specialists in design, supply and maintenance of hazardous area electrical equipment, has been awarded full membership to the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA).

 

IRATA members are required to abide by a code of ethics and are subject to a strict auditing process to ensure that the Association’s requirements for quality assurance, safety, training and working practices are being met. Following such an audit of the company’s Aberdeen facility by an independent third party assessor, Dron & Dickson’s full membership was approved.

 

Paul Guntrip, Rope Access Manager at Dron & Dickson said: "Gaining full IRATA membership gives us complete ownership over the rope access competency and training regime, allowing for much tighter control on quality. IRATA approval also assures our clients of the very highest safety standards.

 

"The audit process involves checking that the correct procedures and systems are in place to ensure that industrial rope access work is carried out in a safe manner. Each company must be able to show that work is done in accordance with the conditions laid down in the International Code of Practice, which the Health and Safety Executive (UK) have commended".

 

The IRATA accreditation is recognised the world over as the leading competency body for companies involved in rope access services. Dron & Dickson employs more than 200 people off and onshore. It has a network of wholesale bases in the UK in Aberdeen, Hull, Lowestoft and Stirling to ensure it can provide a rapid response to client need. As well as targeting growth in the oil and gas sector, Dron & Dickson operates in the renewables and decommissioning markets. It also works in additional sectors of industry ranging from pharmaceuticals to distilleries.

 

Services provided include design, specify, supply, install, test, commission, maintenance and repair of electrical equipment in hazardous areas both on and offshore; Steel framing and cable management system upgrades, compilation and implementation of hazardous area strategies, and general electrical support to operators and contractors.

 

The company offers a range of life-cycle solutions and holds numerous supply agreements providing competitive contract prices, matched inventory, spend analysis, KPI reporting and technical support. Through an extensive supply chain, Dron & Dickson can source a diverse range of products.

Petrobras’ CENPES Research and Development Centre has successfully concluded its qualification test programme of the world’s first modular small scale GTL facility and has qualified and approved its process conception for use by Petrobras. The approval of the performance of the plant by Petrobras is a significant milestone for CompactGTL whilst it continues to undertake project studies, on behalf of clients worldwide, for commercial scale modular gas-to-liquids technology.

 

The CompactGTL solution offers an alternative to gas flaring and the plant incorporates all aspects required for commercial application in treating associated gas at remote onshore and offshore oilfield locations, including gas pre-treatment, pre-reforming, reforming, waste heat recovery, process steam generation, syngas compression, Fischer Tropsch synthesis, FT cooling water system and tail gas recycling, which can be integrated to a host facility or operated as a stand alone operation. The proprietary mini-channel SMR and FT reactors, operating in conjunction with new catalysts coated on metal substrates (combustion, reforming and FT) demonstrate a compact, low centre of gravity GTL process for the first time.

 

Nicholas Gay, Chief Executive said: "We are pleased that the commercial demonstration plant has passed the programme of testing by Petrobras. It has been a real team effort working with Petrobras throughout the past year on this test programme which has produced some extremely positive results and has shown the plant can be robust, with the operational availability expected of large scale commercial facilities. We can now progress our plans in conjunction with clients throughout the world to develop commercial scale modular gas to liquid plants".

 

CompactGTL is predominantly backed by funds advised by Coller Capital, a global private equity investor. Jeremy Coller, Chief Investment Officer of Coller Capital commented: "We acquired our initial holding in CompactGTL as part of the acquisition of a portfolio of companies from a corporate seller. We quickly recognised the business’s potential and have provided follow-on investment to support its continuing growth and development. With this approval from Petrobras the company has passed a critical milestone, demonstrating its leadership in an area with the potential to be a gamechanger for oil and gas exploration".

 

CompactGTL is a UK based turnkey solution provider which has developed a modular GTL technology that handles the problem of associated gas. The solution empowers oil and gas companies to develop fields previously considered uneconomic in remote (onshore and offshore) or deepwater environments. CompactGTL has established partnerships with world class companies including SBM Offshore, Fluor Limited and Sumitomo Corporation to meet demand for commercial projects. For more information visit:

Dron & Dickson rope access workers performing maintenance on a junction box

 

Dron & Dickson, specialist in design, supply and maintenance of hazardous area electrical equipment, has secured a new contract with Maersk FPSOs UK Limited. The deal will see Dron & Dickson conduct an Ex baseline survey for the North Sea Producer FPSO to establish the client’s asset register.

 

The survey will involve a team of electrical technicians inspecting all Ex items onboard the North Sea Producer. The data recorded will then be downloaded onto a new Ex register to be integrated into the maintenance management system. Once the baseline survey has been established, a maintenance strategy will be implemented to ensure that all Ex items on the FPSO are inspected periodically. A three man rope access team will be required for the duration of the contract, which has potential to be extended to other vessels within the fleet.

 

The work will be completed in accordance with the IEC 60079-17 standard for the inspection and maintenance of electrical installations in hazardous areas, complying with the requirements of the Health & Safety Executive. Colin Maver, Operations Director at Dron & Dickson said: "Securing the contract with Maersk FPSOs further establishes our reputation for providing a high-calibre service for operators across the North Sea. This is the latest in a succession of contract wins for Dron & Dickson throughout 2011, from both new and existing clients and we are very much looking forward to building a strong relationship with Maersk FPSOs".

 

Health and safety is of the utmost importance at Dron & Dickson and the company is ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and IRATA registered. This level of accreditation guarantees that all QHSE management systems undergo an intensive audit every six months. The company employs more than 200 people off and onshore.

 

The company has a network of wholesale bases in Aberdeen, Hull, Lowestoft and Stirling to ensure it can provide a rapid response to client need. As well as targeting growth in the oil and gas sector, Dron & Dickson operates in the renewables and decommissioning markets. It also works in additional sectors of industry ranging from pharmaceuticals to distilleries.

 

Services provided include design, specify, supply, install, test, commission, maintenance and repair of electrical equipment in hazardous areas both on and offshore; steel framing and cable management system upgrades, compilation and implementation of hazardous area strategies, and general electrical support to operators and contractors.

 

The company offers a range of life-cycle solutions and holds numerous supply agreements providing competitive contract prices, matched inventory, spend analysis, KPI reporting and technical support. Through an extensive supply chain, Dron & Dickson can source a diverse range of products.

Business is returning to Libya in promising volumes according to leading industry jobsite Oil and Gas Job Search. The UK based operation now has more posts for oil and gas jobs than it did at the same stage last year.

 

Oil and Gas Job Search received its first commission within 48 hours of the fall of the Gadaffi regime, from the Taknia Libya Engineering Company that works in the oil and gas sector. Gareth Ford, Business Development Manager for the Middle East at Oil and Gas Job Search commented: "Oil and gas professionals should start to consider returning to the region as things stabilise. Morocco, Algeria as well as Libya will offer opportunities moving forward, which will prove attractive to skilled industry professionals".

 

Ford continued: "There were concerns about a functioning bank system in Libya, but that was resolved in our case within a week. Payment did not prove to be an issue". Libya had offered among the best expat wages to be found globally according to Oil and Gas Job Search’s 2011 Salary Guide, produced in connection with Hays Oil and Gas - the 2011 Salary Guide, based on nearly 11,000 respondents is available on request - it features salary information for over 50 countries, including all the main oil and gas producing nations in the Middle East. The 2012 Salary Guide will be available in early 2012.

 

Duncan Freer, Managing Director of Oil and Gas Job Search commented: "The events of the past months in the region have been of deep concern from many viewpoints, not just on a business level. We hope that in the case of Libya, the return to a functioning oil industry will bring stability and opportunity to locals and expats alike and will help facilitate reconstruction work".

 

Oil and Gas Job Search is the leading industry jobsite for the oil and gas industry, it registers:

• 400,000+ searchable resumes.

• 10,000+ new candidate registrations per month.

• 380,000 visits per month.

• 3.2 million page views per month.

• 1 million plus onsite job searches carried out per month.

• 50,000+ job applications per month.

Business Secretary Vince Cable met Allan Cook, Chairman of the Skills and Jobs Retention Group yesterday, together with representatives from BAE Systems, Rolls Royce and Nissan.

 

The Group has created the Talent Retention Solution (TRS), a website that holds details of engineering staff at risk of redundancy and vacancies in the engineering sectors. This is good news for engineers looking for work, for companies looking to recruit and for the UK as a way of retaining vital skills for the benefit of growing sectors in engineering such as aerospace, automotive, renewables, marine and nuclear.

 

The Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "I was pleased to hear today from Allan Cook and representatives of leading engineering companies about progress in the development of the Talent Retention Solution, which the government helped business to create. The TRS provides a way for advanced manufacturing and engineering companies to recruit engineers quickly.

 

"It supports UK economic growth by ensuring that sectors who are winning business and recruiting can secure vital engineering talent from companies that are in a different economic cycle. I encourage engineering firms to take advantage of this important opportunity to add to their skillsets, and particularly SMEs for who the service is free".

 

Allan Cook said: "I continue to be encouraged and delighted with the level of support for the TRS across all engineering sectors, from large, medium and small engineering firms to trade associations and the UNITE union. This is the first national system to support the redeployment and retention of engineering talent.

 

"It is very clear that there is real demand for engineering skills in the market which is reflected in the success of TRS. The system is already fully operational and working well. Many of the larger and medium sized engineering companies are actively engaged, but it is relevant to all companies in the supply chain with demand for engineering skills or where there is, unfortunately, a need to engage with companies where employee numbers are reducing due to market forces.

 

The service is free for SMEs with employee numbers less than 500, so they can benefit from the system at no cost. For all companies interested in engineering recruitment, this is an opportunity not to be missed - for more details and to sign up to the TRS see the website".

 

The TRS was launched in July 2011, and was supported by a grant from the UKCES in 2011. It is now fully self-financing in the private sector. It is a redeployment and retention tool. To date 345 UK companies have registered on the TRS. The number of vacancies on the system is growing quickly - there are 500+ live vacancies today, and the system currently holds details of 690 people. All of these numbers are expected to continue to grow quickly over the next few months. The system is devoted entirely to the needs of recruitment in the engineering sectors.

John Rae and Richard Parley

 

Air and steam equipment rental specialist Airpac Bukom Oilfield Services, a Vp plc business, is pleased to announce a number of key technical appointments at the start of 2012.

 

John Rae has been appointed as Technical Support Manager and will be responsible for managing the operations of our full range of air and steam rental equipment on contract in over 30 countries. In addition John provides operational support to our high calibre pool of offshore personnel in Aberdeen, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East regions. John has worked for Airpac Bukom as a senior offshore operator for the last 6 years, supporting hundreds of well test and high pressure pipeline and gas transfer contracts all over the world.

 

Richard Parley has been promoted to Workshop Manager for the Aberdeen service facility. Richard will concentrate on managing the company’s maintenance and workshop resources within the Aberdeen base to ensure consistently high service quality is delivered to our North Sea and European client base.

 

Kevin Donaldson rejoins Airpac Bukom as Workshop Supervisor at the Aberdeen base, supporting Richard’s role as well as overseeing the maintenance and servicing of our large modern fleet of air compressors, steam generators, heat exchangers, dual pot sand filters and air treatment ancillaries.

 

Jim Yeats, International Operations Manager added: "We are delighted to announce these recent appointments to support Airpac Bukom’s quest to provide the very best air and steam equipment as well as offshore personnel to our global client base. Airpac Bukom believes in the development of existing talent through training and providing career advancement. John has a wealth of offshore experience and has an excellent reputation throughout our client base for his mechanical knowledge and professionalism. Richard and Kevin will run a very tight ship in the workshop ensuring their team deliver the highest quality maintenance and servicing programme".

 

Airpac Bukom Oilfield Services provides air and steam solutions to the well testing, fabric maintenance, pipeline dewatering and drying, product transfer, underbalanced drilling (UBD), cuttings movement and LNG pipework testing markets globally.

Bill Bayliss, new Group Chief Executive at Viking Moorings

 

Viking Moorings, the leading provider of mooring solutions to the offshore industry, has announced the appointment of Bill Bayliss as Group Chief Executive, heralding a significant restructuring of the company, which involved the co-existing shareholders.

 

Mr Bayliss, who is based at the company’s Aberdeen operations centre, has been charged with implementing a series of management changes and growing the company through additional service provision and international expansion in 2012 and beyond. He has predicted more jobs will be created as Viking pursues its strategy of growth.

 

As an international leader in the delivery of mooring and related services to the offshore oil and gas industry, Viking is focussed on strengthening its presence in markets in the UK, Norway, Singapore and Australasia. The company specialises in equipping operational assets in hostile environments throughout a project’s lifecycle.

 

Company targets in 2012 include moving into the Gulf of Mexico market and setting up an operation in Indonesia. The company’s high value engineering services - including mooring analysis and modelling for rig locations and moves - will be augmented by a broader asset management provision to customers. Viking Moorings also plans to open a new corporate headquarters in Aberdeen next year.

 

Mr Bayliss said a recently completed financial restructuring had injected a significant amount of investment to enable and support its planned activities. This security was allied to a balance sheet that is robust and secure. He added: "One of my personal values that I feel passionate about is that we must be able to deliver a service to our customers without compromise to integrity, legal or HSE (health, safety and environment) aspects. Viking Moorings has developed a long-term trusted adviser role with many of the world’s leading drilling contractors and oil and gas companies and this will continue".

 

Mr Bayliss said flexibility and regional support are crucial for today’s service providers as rigs need to be moved more efficiently than ever before and, once on site, need to quickly become operational. The company has also introduced different methods for mooring semi-submersible rigs such as fibre ropes that are new in markets such as Australia. It has also moved its Australian team into a new office in Perth.

 

The company helps clients and operators save time and money before drilling programmes start, maximising efficiency. According to Viking Moorings, one client estimated it saved multi millions on one project as a result of Viking’s pre-lay mooring strategy.

 

Mr Bayliss said: "We will build on a solid foundation of strong customer support. Having spent considerable time speaking to staff I have been left with a sense of great commitment and a team with a real desire to succeed. This spirit provides a solid foundation on how we can safely grow the company in 2012 and beyond. I want to maximise opportunities created in a restructured business, to strengthen our global position and take advantage of the good oil and gas market.

 

"With the improvements being made in the quality of our processes, and increased transparency in the management of our assets, our people and our financial commitments, I am positive we can make a good return on the investment made by our shareholders. The market is certainly improving as the industry drives to deliver more oil and gas in the areas in which we operate. I am confident that the foundations we now have in place will allow us to build a much stronger business that will become a genuinely global market leader in 2012".

Foster Wheeler has announced that a subsidiary of its Global Power Group has been awarded a contract by Yuen Foong Yu Paper Mfg (Yangzhou) Co Ltd for the design and supply of one circulating fluidised-bed (CFB) steam generator for captive use at its industrial paper complex in Yangzhou Jiangsu Province.

 

Foster Wheeler will design and supply the 50MWe (gross megawatt electric) CFB steam generator plus auxiliary equipment and provide site advisory services for the project. The CFB steam generator will be designed to burn coal blended with paper sludge while meeting applicable environmental regulatory requirements.

 

"We welcome the award of this project by Yuen Foong Yu (YFY), a valued and repeat customer," said Mark Garvey, Chief Executive Officer of Foster Wheeler Power Group Asia. "This is our fourth opportunity to supply a Foster Wheeler CFB to a YFY project. This award confirms again YFY’s confidence in our world-class, competitive and environmentally friendly CFB technology".

 

"Since 2005, both parties had the intent to co-operate on this second Yangzhou project which we are now happy to announce", said Mr CJ Chang, General Manager, East China Area, Yuen Foong Yu Paper. "We are looking forward to working with Foster Wheeler again on this upcoming project".

UK based engineering company Damper Technology Ltd (DTL) has announced that it is opening an Indian subsidiary that is expected to start trading next month.

 

The newly incorporated company, Damper Technology India Private Limited (DTL India) is currently setting up offices in Coimbatore, Southern India. A management team has been established and a team of approximately 10 engineers, project managers and sales staff are being recruited from the local area. Initially, manufacturing will be subcontracted to a company in Bangalore, but the overall objective is to purchase or build their own manufacturing facility there within the next few years.

 

DTL has been a part of the Orbinox Valves International (OVI) Group since 2009, and the decision to go into India was made after a 2 year feasibility study highlighted that to serve the Indian domestic market, a local presence is essential. The decision was made easier as the group already have a manufacturing facility and links in the Tamil Nadu region of India.

 

DTL design and develop equipment that regulates the flow of air or gas for the energy industry and India’s developing economy has a need for power, which means more and more power stations are being built that require the types of valves and dampers that are essential for the safe operation of power stations, oil rigs, cement works and other heavy duty industry.

 

Mark Hancock, Managing Director of DTL said: "Within three years the hope is that the Indian operation will be turning over as much as the UK but the two offices are not in competition, as a lot of the project execution and complex design work will still be managed from the UK office. We currently employ 20 people at our UK base in Ilkeston, Derbyshire but we also have plans to recruit more people this year as work from India increases".

 

DTL India will be led by Mr Suresh Menon, based in India. Mark Hancock having been background checked and cleared by the Indian authorities will sit on the board, and the DTL Sales Manager (Peter Adams), Engineering Manager (Andrew Mellor) and Operations Director (Gary Tunnicliffe) will all be heavily involved in supporting the venture. Peter exhibited at the Powergen India Exhibition during 2011, and already has plans for two exhibitions, in Calcutta and Delhi, this year.

 

For more information on the range of Damper products DTL provide worldwide, contact the Sales Department on: +44 (0)115 932 4046 or email: sales@dampertechnology.com

Aberdeen head-quartered global shipping and energy services firm, Craig Group, has announced healthy results for the year ending April 2011. The privately owned, family-run business has reported turnover of £111.9 million with operating profits of £13 million. These are up on the previous year when turnover was just over £92 million and profits were £10 million.

 

The group, whose core activities are the provision of offshore support, ROV survey, emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRVs) and oilfield procurement, provides employment for around 1000 people. Craig Group Chairman and Managing Director Douglas Craig (pictured) said: "As anticipated last year, we have seen steady growth in 2011 across all our divisions. This is primarily due to oil and gas markets picking up but also down to our continued investment in vessels and people to further enhance our service and give us a competitive edge".

 

Capital expenditure in the year was £16.4 million of which £15.4 million was spent on the continued modernisation of the fleet of emergency response and rescue vessels. The fleet is operated by group division, North Star Shipping, who saw its turnover increase by 17% to £73.2 million. Four new-build ERRVs, commissioned in 2010/11, are due to be delivered this year. Turnover at Craig International Supplies (CIS), the group’s oilfield procurement division, also rose from £30.4 million to £34.1 million.

 

Mr Craig added: "Through continuous investment in our people, infrastructure and vessels, we are demonstrating our commitment to clients with a service that is driven by safety and quality. Our investment of £170 million since 2003 representing 20 new vessels gives us the largest and youngest British wholly owned fleet engaged in the UK offshore industry. This has enabled us to win new contracts and retain existing ones as oil and gas operators are rightly demanding the best vessels and crews to support operations in the hostile North Sea.

 

"Investment in e-procurement technology and systems in all our geographic locations has positioned CIS as a leader in global oilfield procurement and in 2011 we secured a number of new contracts and extensions to existing contracts". The group donated £397,000 to various charities and local causes in 2011, including Robert Gordon’s College and the new University of Aberdeen Library. "This underlines our commitment to the communities in which we operate," said Mr Craig. "Our corporate social responsibility programme is centred around supporting young people and the disadvantaged in our communities through education and sporting and arts programmes".

 

The Craig Group remains one of Scotland’s top 100 companies and in the top 20 of offshore service companies in the North Sea. Its divisions operate in Europe, Africa and the US in the areas of offshore support, ROV survey, emergency response and rescue vessels, oilfield supplies and leisure.

Lloyd’s Register has appointed the John Wishart to take charge of its ambitious global energy team. Wishart, who has assumed the role of Energy Director after joining the organisation from fellow EIC members GL Noble Denton, will be based in London and is expected to bring a wealth of experience to the job, having spent more than 30 years in the industry before joining Lloyd’s Register.

 

"Rising energy prices, stricter emission standards and the complexities of exploring new energy sources are increasing the technical assurance needs of companies operating in the energy supply chain," Wishart said. "I am very much looking forward to the challenge of growing the energy business of the Lloyd’s Register Group in all its dimensions - upstream, downstream and the conventional, nuclear and renewables sectors. I am especially looking forward to working together with all of my new colleagues to drive the success of our energy business".

 

Wishart joined Noble Denton as group managing director in 2008 and became President of GLND when the companies merged in 2009. He is a chartered engineer with a wide international portfolio of experience covering the upstream and downstream segments of the oil and gas business. The experience has been split between the contracting, consulting and operator sectors and has included a diverse range of roles.

 

Wishart brings with him a strong industry network and experience in developing diverse business portfolios with a range of stakeholders including government, international and national oil and service companies. He joins Lloyd’s Register’s energy team at a time when the division is enjoying strong income growth - 15% in the last fiscal year - by enhancing its specialist technical expertise in the traditional sectors through acquisitions and further expanding its capabilities in the renewable and nuclear energy sectors.

 

Lloyd’s Register has committed more than £150 million in the last five fiscal years to acquire companies displaying technical leadership in their specialist fields, including: Scandpower AS, a leader in independent risk-management; ModuSpec BV, the leading provider of technical services to the offshore drilling sector; and Human Engineering Ltd, one of the world’s top human-factors consultancies.

Hydratight’s Global Competency Leader, Jason Barnard (left) and PDA Director Alastair Baird, sign strategic partnership agreement

 

Global joint integrity and engineering services company Hydratight has formed a strategic partnership with one of the world’s leading commercial diver training schools.

 

Hydratight and the UK-based Professional Diving Academy (PDA) will collaborate on specialist courses aimed at improving both subsea joint integrity and skills, as well as diver safety. The partnership aims to fill a gap in the current training provision for industrial divers, initially offering a course on the subsea use of bolting tools with extensive underwater practical tuition - the only course of its kind in the world.

 

Currently the biggest problem for divers is that much of their formal training in the use of subsea bolting and jointing equipment has to take place on dry land, or more commonly during a sometimes disjointed training regime conducted by experienced divers, often while a contract is running.

 

"There simply hasn’t been anywhere for divers to learn how to operate specialist tools underwater from experts - and these aren’t skills that should be learned on the job," said Hydratight’s Global Competency Leader, Jason Barnard. "When bolt tensioners, torque wrenches and other powered equipment is taken underwater, everything changes: weight, handling, the forces employed, the time taken and many more critical factors, are all different.

 

"Generally, engineers don’t go underwater because they aren’t divers; divers don’t know the best uses of the equipment because they aren’t experts in the procedures and tools. We aim to bridge that gap by offering specialist training where it should be delivered - both in the classroom and underwater in realistic conditions, including highly-restricted visibility".

 

The PDA offers Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), accredited commercial diver construction and inspection training for delegates around the world. The organisation has a well-established reputation for delivering highly-advanced courses. It recognised and responded to a critical gap in specialised subsea training and found Hydratight, with its renowned expertise and commitment to technician training, an ideal strategic partner.

 

"With several high-profile leaks from offshore oil and gas flow lines making international headlines recently, we feel that divers should have a mechanism that allows them to train on this highly specialist equipment and associated procedures in the proper working environment," said PDA’s Training Manager Neil MacMillan.

 

Both organisations anticipate that courses will be available in early 2012 run by Hydratight and PDA experts at the academy’s extensive wet and dry training facilities in Dunoon, Scotland and through a strategic network of training facilities worldwide.

FoundOcean hit a milestone in its 45 year history in November, with a record number of personnel mobilised on offshore projects. "This is a very exciting and busy time for FoundOcean. The success of the company relies on the dedication and skill of our offshore personnel who provide our clients with the high quality, safe and successful grouting services that are demanded," praised Paul Burns, Operations Director for FoundOcean.

 

The 44-strong team were mobilised across four continents to undertake the following contracts:

• North Rankin B (NRB) off the coast of Western Australia.

• Grouting a pipeline repair clamp with a supporting fabric formwork in the Gulf of Mexico.

• Two platform installation contracts offshore Malaysia.

• Installation foundation grouting for a platform off the coast of Spain.

• Planned upgrade works to an existing platform in the North Sea.

• Grouting of a spoolpiece support bag offshore Canada.

• Planned equipment maintenance at the offshore service base in Batam, Indonesia.

 

"The company has resisted the general downsizing trend through the recession by nearly doubling the number of staff we employ from 40 to 75; a large proportion of these have been offshore personnel". Jim Bell, Managing Director for FoundOcean continued: "This has been in direct response to the number of contracts we have secured for 2012 and beyond in both the oil and gas and offshore wind sectors, a trend we hope to see continue". View FoundOcean’s full track record at:

Camcon Oil, a provider of innovative solutions to the oil and gas industry, has moved its headquarters into new purpose-built office accommodation just outside Cambridge in the village of Foxton. The new 737 square metre office is in response to company growth as Camcon prepares to take its digital artificial lift solution, APOLLO, to market.

 

The property - Burlington Park in Foxton - comprises a former print works which has recently been refurbished to offer high quality character accommodation. "Moving into our purpose-built new offices is just another milestone as we prepare to go to market," said Ian Anderson, Chief Operating Officer of Camcon Oil.

 

"With our new offices, our manufacturing agreements with Cambridge-based Ultra CEMS and our distribution partnerships throughout the Middle East and Far East, we now have the ideal platform to push forward in developing market share for APOLLO".

 

APOLLO, part of Camcon’s Digital Intelligent Artificial Lift (DIAL) solutions portfolio and which is shortly to complete field trials with a leading oil and gas operator, will provide operators with accurate gas injection control and flexibility from a single asset. This is achieved through a series of digitally operated valves which enable the real-time setting of injection rates.

 

Through this, operators can look forward to increased recovery from existing oil fields. Recent tests have found that APOLLO can deliver as much as 1,000 BOPD (barrels of oil per day) more oil production from a typical well and, in one scenario, a 110% increase in production compared to traditional gas lift equipment.

Eaton has launched a new app for Apple smartphone and tablet users to provide easy and fast, on-the-move access to its catalogues. As well as the main Eaton product catalogue, the app, called Eaton Catalogs, features brochures covering topics like lean automation and photovoltaic technology, and also the latest issue of Eaton’s SOLUTIONS magazine for customers. The app is available to download for free from the app store by searching for Eaton. Users can also scan the QR code to access the download area directly.

 

The Eaton Catalogs app is designed to meet customers’ requirements for fast, mobile communication of production information. It provides a highly attractive and clearly designed user interface with fully developed functions. In the form of a ‘shelf view’, the user is provided with a clear overview of Eaton’s latest product catalogues. These can either be browsed live or downloaded to the device. The app also features an ‘Update’ function ensuring that customers are always kept up-to-date with the latest information.

 

Users can navigate the app using the linked table of contents, thumbnail views and the rapid search function. Direct links to product datasheets are also included for when further detailed technical information is needed. From the datasheets, users can also find links to other documents such as instructional leaflets and technical publications. For more information please visit:

Oil and Gas Job Search, the leading industry jobsite, has won a new contract with Briscoe Search and Selection. West Australian based Briscoe is utilising Oil and Gas Job Search for CV searching and networking through the jobsite for clients and project information.

 

Briscoe has recently recruited Colin Giles as Principal Consultant for its oil and gas operations to boost its presence in the sector. Colin Giles gives his reasons for selecting the jobsite: "We recognised that Oil and Gas Job Search opens up a brand new database of candidates. This will allow us to construct a worldwide talent map over the short to long-term for prospective clients".

 

Giles continued: "We didn’t want just a job board with a database. We need a service that we can integrate with our strategic planning and in Oil and Gas Job Search we have found the functionality and account management that we required to fulfil that aim". The UK based Oil and Gas Job Search particularly highlighted in its Salary Guides, produced with Hays Oil & Gas, the high volume of expats that are being attracted to the region owing to attractive salary packages, lifestyle and the potential of the industry.

 

Aron Myerthall, Business Development Manager at Oil and Gas Job Search commented: "The new contract with Briscoe rounds off a very successful first year for the new Perth office of Oil and Gas Job Search. We see vast potential to contribute to the oil and gas industry in Australia. With mega projects such as Gorgon offering such a promising future (in Liquefied Natural Gas), I believe that we are only at the beginning of great things for Oil and Gas Job Search and the industry in Western Australia".

 

Duncan Freer, Managing Director of Oil and Gas Job Search commented: "Australia accounts for 10%, and growing, of our revenue at present. I can only see our commitment to the Australian market becoming stronger, something that I am looking forward to seeing develop".

AVEVA, the leader in engineering design and information management solutions for the plant, power and marine industries, has announced that SETAL (SOG - Óleo e Gás S/A) of Brazil, a leading Latin American EPC, has successfully implemented AVEVA NET following a rigorous assessment period against competitive solutions.

 

SETAL required an information management tool to enhance the visibility and accuracy of production and construction. AVEVA NET met its business and technical objectives, saving time and money. The implementation, which was both on schedule and within budget, will be used initially within Petrobras projects in South America.

 

One key reason for selecting AVEVA NET was its open approach to technology integration. The SETAL new deployment integrates a number of different solutions, including AVEVA Diagrams and AVEVA PDMS, applications from other vendors and in-house engineering design solutions. During assessment, SETAL visited other Brazilian companies to compare available solutions. They were very impressed with feedback on AVEVA NET from previous implementations.

 

"For SETAL, AVEVA NET was the right choice. It was implemented quickly, efficiently and according to our exact requirements. The AVEVA implementation team were very proactive," said Rodrigo Sasso, Automation Project Manager, SETAL. "We can see the potential to use AVEVA NET with customers other than Petrobras, as well as outside of the oil and gas market".

 

"AVEVA NET’s open architecture was ideally suited to the task of integrating with SETAL’s many different sources of information. This was demonstrated to SETAL throughout our implementation and handover process," added Rodrigo Schiaveto, Account Manager in Brazil, AVEVA. "SETAL is already a positive reference for our AVEVA Plant solutions and the addition of AVEVA NET will help them to realise the potential of AVEVA’s Integrated Project Execution (IPE) strategy. This strategy allows engineering contractors to compress schedules, reduce the cost of major capital projects through project wide information sharing and management".

 

AVEVA NET is currently being used on the REPAR Araucária project with Petrobras. To learn more visit:

The ultra-fast NTMOS H2S gas detector (shown here with the FlexVu® Universal Display) has recently earned an ingress protection rating of IP66/67

Detector Electronics Corporation (Det-Tronics), the world leader in industrial fire detection, gas detection, and hazard mitigation systems, has announced that its Nanotechnology Metal Oxide Semiconductor hydrogen sulfide gas (NTMOS H2S) detector has earned approval for use in locations that require an ingress protection rating of IP66/67, ideal for petrochemical, oil and gas applications.

 

This rating was achieved as a result of the detector’s robust mechanical design and indicates that the gas detector is protected against dust and forceful water during operation. "We’ve combined high-performance functionality with simplicity. The ingress protection filter and guard protect the detector in tough offshore situations and are fully replaceable in the field," said Charles Hoff, Product Manager, Det-Tronics.

 

The new certification joins the list of other previously obtained approvals and certifications for the NTMOS H2S gas detector, including CE, CSA, ATEX, IECEx, FM tested and certified to ISA-92.0.01. In addition to multiple certifications, the NTMOS boasts a life-saving, speed-of-response performance that detects H2S in six seconds (T20) and delivers a proper detection solution in challenging environments where electrochemical sensing technologies are not preferred. For more information about Det-Tronics visit:

SGS in Nigeria received the African Order of Merit in Testing and Pipeline Welding Inspection 2011 from the Institute for Government Research and Leadership Technology in recognition of SGS’s outstanding work and excellent service delivery. SGS was presented with the award during a prestigious ceremony in the Nicon Luxury Hotel in Abuja, Nigeria.

 

As an independent third-party company, SGS was selected from among many companies as the winner of the African Order of Merit in Testing and Pipeline Welding Inspection 2011 by the Institute for Government Research and Leadership Technology, a registered project initiative of the African Foundation approved by Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education.

 

On 25 June 2011, SGS was officially presented with the African Order of Merit during a prestigious ceremony in the Nicon Luxury Hotel in Abuja, Nigeria, in recognition of SGS’s outstanding work and excellent service delivery in testing and pipeline welding inspection. The African Order of Merit is an esteemed recognition of companies which deliver particularly excellent services in a variety of sectors, and thus contribute to the development of the Nigerian economy.

 

SGS is proud to be honored with this significant order, which acknowledges SGS’s excellence in testing and pipeline welding inspection. With its first-rate experience and competence, SGS is looking forward to even more challenging projects through which it can support the Nigerian government in boosting their economy.

Bifold Group has introduced their range of direct mount solenoid valves, manifold and accessories for general valve actuator applications. These valves are available in 3/2 or 5/2 5/3 port configurations.

 

Compact in its design, the solenoid valve features a NAMUR mounting pattern according to VDI/VDE 3845 designed to mount to any NAMUR valve actuator thus reducing actuator response times, space requirements and also negating the need for a back plate. Installation costs are lower as the need for tubing, fittings, brackets and assembly labour are greatly reduced. All mounting screws and seals are included with the valve. What differentiates the Bifold design to any other on the market is the unique patented mounting/spacer block which is free to rotate through 360°. This feature avoids the solenoid housing from coming into contact with the switch box and ensures the Filter Regulator remains upright at all times.

 

This range of products also includes the manifold option which incorporates the NAMUR interface kit based on the market leading ‘AXIS’® system, allowing the direct mounting of filter regulators, check valves, flow control valves, pressure relief valves and manual valves. The system will accommodate all valve actuators in any orientation. The unique multifunction rotating system includes inlet/exhaust flow control valve and high flow quick exhaust valve and optional fully rotational filter regulator.

 

This robust design is manufactured from 316L stainless steel with an operating temperature range of -60°C to +180°C and worldwide approvals Ex d, Ex ia, Ex emb and explosion proof. This product range is available with the widest range of override options including auto reset, spring return manual override, stayput manual override, manual reset, tamperproof manual latch and latch energised. All FP solenoid valve assemblies have SIL 3 third party certification to IEC 61508.

 

Headquartered in the UK, The Bifold Group is a major developer and manufacturer of pneumatic and hydraulic system component technologies for oil and gas (upstream and downstream) and power generation industries. Bifold products are delivered through a large manufacturing and distribution network. For innovative and reliable valve solutions, and where more detailed information and a PDF brochure may be downloaded, visit:

DNV has acquired 74.3% of KEMA’s shares, creating a world-leading consulting and certification company within the cleaner energy, sustainability, power generation, transmission and distribution sectors.

 

DNV and KEMA will form a world-leading energy consulting, testing and certification company that can drive the worldwide transition towards a safe, reliable, efficient and clean energy ecosystem. DNV KEMA will consist of all 1800 KEMA employees and 500 employees from DNV’s renewable energy and sustainability activities. The new company will be led by Thijs Aarten, the CEO of KEMA, and headquartered in Arnhem, the Netherlands. Mr Aarten will report to a Supervisory Board chaired by DNV CEO Henrik O. Madsen.

 

"By joining forces, 2300 experts will meet the needs of an industry in rapid transition and growth. The combination of cleaner fossil-fuel-based power generation and the increased use of renewables will truly make a global impact. This is the strategic rationale behind DNV’s biggest investment ever which, along with DNV’s other 8000 employees engaged in supporting our maritime, oil and gas and other customers, makes DNV a leading global player in third party and technical advisory roles," said Leif Arne Langøy, the Chairman of DNV’s Board of Directors.

 

KEMA’s activities are highly complementary to those of DNV’s existing renewable energy and sustainability businesses and all these activities will be integrated to form one compelling service offering to the global energy sector. Services will cover the entire energy value chain from energy source to end user, including wind energy, carbon capture and storage, carbon trading, energy efficiency, power generation, transmission and distribution, and energy-related testing, inspection and certification.

 

The global energy sector is heading for significant changes and investments. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that US$10 trillion will be spent between 2010 and 2030. Stricter environmental regulations and increased fuel costs will drive a transition towards cleaner fossil fuel and more cost-effective power generation. This transition, including that towards integrating more renewable power into the energy grids, will require system-wide changes. In the US, Europe and Asia, the shift is already under way and will be partly supported by the introduction of smart grids or intelligent energy networks.

 

"In DNV, we have found a solid, innovative and international partner that has the same strategic vision, purpose and values as our company. For decades, KEMA has been a highly respected global energy consultant and provider of energy-related testing, inspection and certification services. Both KEMA and DNV have strong traditions as independent leading players with world class technical and business knowledge and growth ambitions," said Thijs Aarten, the CEO of KEMA.

 

"Over the past two decades, we have become a leading certifier and technical adviser on renewable energy. But to fulfil our ambition of really impacting our customers’ transition towards a low carbon economy we need to also provide independent certification and technical advice to the power generation, transmission and distribution sector. KEMA is globally recognised in this mission sector and is thus a perfect strategic fit," said Henrik O. Madsen, the CEO of DNV.

 

"Through organic growth and acquisitions, we have built significant capacity relating to renewable and cleaner energy, such as wind and solar energy and carbon capture and storage. In addition, DNV has recently developed power transmission and distribution capabilities, a field in which KEMA is already a global leader. The acquisition of 74.3% of KEMA’s shares is a huge step towards achieving our ambitions and widens our portfolio, which includes our traditional maritime and oil and gas businesses," said Mr Madsen.

 

"DNV KEMA’s core markets are in Europe, North America and China and the new company will benefit our customers by providing them with a broader portfolio of services across the entire energy value chain," added Mr Aarten. While DNV becomes the majority shareholder with a 74.3% share, Alliander retains its holding (25.4%) as does Cogas (0.3%). The transaction is subject to the approval of the US, Dutch and German competition authorities.

AVEVA, the leader in engineering design and information management solutions for the plant, power and marine industries, and FARO, a leader in high precision laser scanning and 3D documentation technology, have announced that they have signed an Interoperability Agreement.

 

Under the terms of this agreement AVEVA and FARO will co-operate closely to provide an efficient integration between FARO’s laser scan hardware technology and AVEVA’s portfolio of laser engineering and design software solutions. Following the recent acquisition of the LFM software division of Z+F UK this partnership further demonstrates AVEVA’s significant commitment to the 3D data capture market.

 

"AVEVA is delighted to announce this Interoperability Agreement with FARO," said Paul Cooper, VP Partnerships and Strategic Alliances at AVEVA. "Delivering seamless integration between AVEVA and FARO fully supports our committed strategy of delivering innovative software solutions to our customers which add value to laser data captured from all the leading hardware vendors".

 

Bernd Becker, Director of Product Management & Business Development 3D-Laser-Scanner at FARO added: "We are very pleased to join the AVEVA Global Partner Network. This agreement will ensure that our joint customers can benefit from a complete solution which leverages the FARO 3D capture technology and AVEVA’s suite of laser engineering and design solutions".

Eaton has launched a new guide for its power distribution product range entitled ‘Smart solutions for electrical distribution in commercial and industrial applications’. The guide includes nearly 200 pages of essential information about Eaton’s comprehensive range of power distribution solutions designed to help reduce power consumption and related greenhouse gas emissions in commercial and industrial buildings. The catalogue can be downloaded free from the literature library on Eaton’s website. The product guide comprises 10 chapters and covers key topics such as:

 

Eaton offers a complete range of MCCB panelboards and pan assemblies providing all the options you need from a straightforward panelboard to a comprehensive panelboard system. The range now offers a variety of incoming devices and a greater choice of outgoing ways to provide more flexibility and choice to the user.

 

Eaton offers a broad range of modular solutions for circuit protection and control. Eaton’s 10/15kA MCBs are high performance current limiting devices with the ability to disconnect overloads and short circuits. They are available with trip types B, C and D with many features of benefit to all customers.

 

Eaton’s MEM series products have earned a worldwide reputation and a market leading status for reliable high quality switch and fusegear. Constantly updated and refined to comply with the very latest international standards, the market leading switchgear range, specialist heavy duty items and dedicated distribution and control equipment fulfils the diverse requirements of the contractor, specifier, OEM and distributor alike.

 

From power distribution to power quality and control, Eaton allows companies to proactively manage their complete power system by providing electrical solutions that make applications safer, more reliable, and highly efficient. For more information please visit:

The completed CVA actuator installation

 

Rotork’s innovative CVA electric actuator has been specified for critical valve control duty on high temperature gas turbine pre-heater equipment supplied to the power generation industry. The application demands unrestricted modulation of a three-way valve to control the pre-heated temperature of fuel gas for electricity generating turbines.

 

The Rotork CVA actuators have been installed on seven skid-mounted units supplied to Riyadh PP11, a power plant project serving the capital city of Saudi Arabia. Manufactured by Petrogas Gas Systems in The Netherlands, the units heat the gas on its way to the turbines by passing it through a chamber that is surrounded by an oil bath that is heated to a temperature of 185ºC.

 

A CVA actuator controls the position of a three-way valve on the inlet side of each unit to ensure that the process does not overheat. Operating from a 4 - 20mA control signal, the actuator moves the valve to control the heat output. Precise and responsive valve positional control, with repeatability and resolution at less than 0.1%, makes an important contribution to the overall high efficiency of the pre-heating performance.

 

Seven ATEX certified explosion proof CVQ quarter-turn actuators have been supplied to operate 200mm (8 inch) Class 300 valves. The double-sealed CVA design also provides permanent environmental protection to IP68, with non-intrusive setting and commissioning technology. An integral data-logger facilitates valve diagnostics with predictive maintenance capabilities for efficient long term asset management.

Chevron Corporation has announced a $32.7 billion capital and exploratory spending programme for 2012. Included in the 2012 programme are $3 billion of planned expenditures by affiliates, which do not require cash outlays by Chevron. Total investments for 2011 are estimated at $33 billion, reflecting approximately $28 billion in capital and exploratory expenditures and $4.5 billion for the acquisition of Atlas Energy Inc, which closed earlier in the year.

 

"We continue to develop an unparalleled project queue," said Chairman and CEO John Watson. "Our 2012 capital programme covers a number of multi-year projects currently in the construction phase, including two world-class Australian LNG projects and multiple deepwater developments. We believe these investments will yield significant production growth and reward our shareholders for years to come. By 2017, we expect our net crude oil and natural gas production to grow about 20 percent to 3.3 million barrels per day. This growth profile, along with our current financial strength, supports our priority of continuously growing our dividends".

 

Watson continued: "Our 2012 capital programme includes spending of nearly $9 billion in the United States, with major new investments in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania and our refinery at Pascagoula, Mississippi. These projects are expected to result in new jobs and new sources of revenues for the communities where we operate. Our investments, both in the United States and elsewhere around the globe, help provide affordable new energy supplies to support a growing economy". For more information please visit:

Hartlepool Power Station Photo © 2012 British Energy

 

Capula has been awarded a contract by EDF Energy Nuclear Generation for a protection system at both Heysham and Hartlepool power stations as part of their PLEX (plant life extension) programme.

 

The Hybrid Electronic Analogue Temperature Sensing (HEATS) system is designed to meet a safety integrity target of SIL 1. The system is key to continued station operation and it will protect equipment from rises in temperature and humidity in the plant basement.

 

Capula’s scope includes the design, build, commission and safety case support using compliant components with emphasis approval and proven operational experience, adhering to EDF’s CTS standards throughout. Commission is scheduled for March 2012.

 

"Capula has over 30 years’ experience in working on projects throughout the nuclear lifecycle, with safety system capability up to a SIL 2 rating," said Nuclear Services Director Alex Moore. "We enjoy an excellent working relationship with EDF Energy, our technical proposal at tender, coupled with our successful delivery record, was instrumental in securing this contract".

 

Oil and gas telecommunications company Nessco Group is set to double its turnover this year to £34 million following a number of global contracts.

 

Scottish Energy Minister, Fergus Ewing visited the Aberdeenshire headquartered company as it announced that it has created more than 40 new jobs last year and has plans to expand its 130 strong workforce by at least another 20 in 2012. The company, which specialises in telecoms systems integration and services has secured a number of key contracts in the last three months in the North Sea, Iraq, West Africa, Brazil and the Middle East worth more than £23 million.

 

The work includes systems for both upstream Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels (FPSOs) and downstream plants. In the UKCS the company has been awarded new projects in the Golden Eagle, Clipper and Forties fields.

 

Ian McPherson, Managing Director said: "Our strategy of continuing to invest during the challenging times has paid off this year with turnover doubling, significant new export contracts and the recruitment of skilled engineers and technicians. The business has been built on a reputation for robust quality, giving clients reassurance that their vital offshore systems are protected around the clock and subsequently our growth is testament to that success".

 

Energy Minister Fergus Ewing welcomed the company’s expansion and job creation. He said: "Oil and gas is of vital importance to the Scottish economy and with around 200,000 jobs and 30-40% of oil reserves still to be exploited, it’s an industry with a long future. I welcome Nessco’s innovation in winning new business around the world and investment in its future by recruiting new staff into the industry in Aberdeen".

 

Nessco has made a considerable investment in its VSAT services (very-small-aperture terminal) and specialist support for UKCS operations at its Westhill base. There has been a recent upgrade in infrastructure and local 24/7 helpdesk and the addition of new staff with specialist telecommunication skills.

 

Mr McPherson added: "We intend to continue to recruit and invest in training in 2012 and will take on at least a further 20 people in the coming months to support new contracts and build on our current position".

 

Nessco designs, engineers and deploys integrated telecommunications networks, providing total solutions for platforms, process plants and pipeline installations. Established in 1979, Nessco has grown into a global company with operations in Brazil and Azerbaijan and has plans for further expansion.

Pipeline engineering experts, STATS Group, has completed an isolation project on behalf of AMEC to allow maintenance and replacement works on the North Everest platform in the central North Sea. The workscope covered three maintenance valves and one ESD valve on a 20 inch gas import line onboard the BG operated platform.

 

After a detailed site survey and piggability study, STATS decided the best solution was to use a tethered Tecno Plug™ pushed by stem bar to location from a temporary launcher. As the pipeline had no pigging history, this method was considered as the least risk laden option rather than pigging a remotely operated plug from the pig trap.

 

This alternative method was proposed based on detailed analysis during the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) process, including the piggability study which revealed potential issues for the route of the pigging run which could have prevented the Tecno Plug™ from reaching the desired set location.

 

The FEED process included generation of a project design premise, pipe stress analysis, piggability study, FMECA, operational procedure and risk assessment. This package identifies and mitigates operational risk and reassures clients by providing detailed analysis of the internal conditions and geometry of the pipeline prior to carrying out the isolation.

 

Prior to carrying out the isolation the pipeline pressure was reduced to 6 barg, with the ESD closed and sealant injected, the maintenance valve was then closed to provided temporary pipeline isolation. This allowed the temporary launcher to be installed inboard of the ESD valve and a team of STATS technicians to break out the piping. A weld repair scope was also required and the STATS team removed the first 90^o bend with clam shell cutting tools.

 

STATS also provided gas bags to act as a vapour barrier while a new 1500# flange was welded into the line. The new flange was then pressure tested using a STATS Flanged Weld Test Tool before reinstating the new bend and launcher valves. With the temporary launcher now in place and fully pressure tested, the valves were opened and the Tecno Plug™ was deployed into position outboard of the valves and hydraulically set to provide pipeline isolation.

 

Once set and monitored the stem bar was disconnected and the valves were replaced. As the pipeline pressure was only 6 barg, the Tecno Plug™ was installed in the reverse direction, providing full isolation while also providing a test boundary to pressure test the integrity of the reinstalled valves.

 

A full pressure test at 208 Barg was then conducted between the temporary launcher and the Tecno Plug™ before the plug was unset and recovered back into the launcher. The valves were then closed and temporary launcher removed allowing the pipeline to be reinstalled and returned to operation.

Ian Martin, left, with some of the team in Papua New Guinea

 

The Inverness headquartered international leader in staff provision has increased its offering with a new enhanced training facility in Papua New Guinea, a move which has seen the company reach a projected turnover of £23 million in the area, a rise from £10.4 million the previous year.

 

Orion Group, a company employing more than 270 staff across eight UK and 19 worldwide offices launched its Papua New Guinea presence in 2009, providing a training school to support the fabrication of a local liquefied natural gas (LNG) project and several other large infrastructure projects.

 

Ian Martin, the Vice Chairman of the Group who relocated to Inverness from Glasgow in 1984 spent 17 years building his experience in oil and gas as a contractor in locations around the world. He explained: "The potential for opportunities within Papua New Guinea were identified several years ago in parallel to our exit strategy for Kazakhstan. The region has proven to be the perfect replacement for skilled oil and gas personnel from our many areas of operation.

 

"Our increased offering runs in parallel with our existing facility and we continue to supply more than 250 contractors to some of the region’s key infrastructure projects. We always look to utilise the local workforce and to date, around 4000 have taken advantage of Orion’s training facility with the next phase of the project to include them directly in projects".

 

Ian, who has been involved with Orion Group’s international expansion strategy sees Papua New Guinea as the perfect country to break the 1000 contractors barrier over the next two years, something that was achieved to great acclaim in Kazakhstan in 2006, as Ian points out: "Myself and the team worked incredibly hard over a nine year period to offer a one stop solution for our clients. We developed a thorough search and selection process which included mobilisation, medical compliance, support with Visas and work permits as well as local transportation, all put in place to benefit our clients.

 

"We manage and facilitate training and competency assessment reviews for the local workers as our primary function because there is a very small local skilled workforce in the area, so we had to make sure we had the right people with the right skills for the jobs".

 

With a shortage of a skilled local workforce in Papua New Guinea, Orion Group is now at the advanced planning stage to take the current training model and replicate it to several other locations across the globe to increase and further enhance its international offering.

 

The role Ian played in making Kazakhstan a success story for Orion Group and the constant repayment of investment on work undertaken was substantial in funding Orion’s international growth. The well proven one-stop support and set-up services offered by the staff provider makes the company well positioned to attract new business deals while the forecast figures for the contractors work is expected to more than double over the next two years.

In today’s global economy, successful energy projects necessitate the careful co-ordination of several players from multiple countries. With years of experience in helping EPC customers deploy energy projects throughout the world, Anixter has worked on a variety of energy projects that required strategic manufacturer partnerships, technical expertise and a global distribution network.

 

This experience paid off when Anixter completed a $17 million liquefied natural gas project in Qatar over 15 months. Anixter used its operations within Dubai, in association with its customised cable management, to track $6 million in dedicated product inventory for the project. The cables were shipped into Anixter’s Dubai warehouse where they went through Anixter’s cable management programme.

 

Anixter co-ordinated the movement of this inventory between its US, European and Middle East facilities to meet the aggressive build-out schedule, which included nearly $2 million in drop shipments and cable-managed product releases each month. In total, more than 125 various cable types, associated connectors and glands, and other cable accessories were supplied. Anixter managed nearly 5000 separate cables cut to circuit length, uniquely identified and loaded onto custom reels.

 

The efficiency of Anixter’s cable management solution provided significant cost savings by procuring the required cable and eliminating unnecessary carrying costs and excess material. Anixter provided on-time inventory so the project would meet the strict deadline. Anixter recently added to its global network by creating a new partnership for a location in Saudi Arabia, which significantly expands Anixter’s Middle East footprint by supplementing its current location in Dubai.

 

Learn how Anixter can help you to grow your business and reduce costs with their customised solutions for global capital projects. Contact Anixter at the following Wire & Cable locations:

 

Unit A, The Beacons, Birchwood Park, Birchwood, Warrington, Cheshire WA3 6GP

Tel +44 (0)1925 838658

Fax +44 (0)1925 850411

 

PO Box 16854, Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai, UAE

Tel +9714 806 7150

Fax +9714 806 7155

 

Anixter’s Wire & Cable Handbook provides one of the most comprehensive product guides for the wire and cable industry. Request your copy at:

Alderley Systems Ltd, a subsidiary of Alderley Plc, has announced the appointment of Jim Gray as Sales Director for Metering Systems. Joining Alderley’s fiscal measurement integration team, Jim brings with him over 30 years of experience within the oil and gas industry gained from working for leading manufacturers such as SARASOTA, Spectra-tek, Daniel/Emerson and Cameron-Caldon. He has in depth knowledge of ultrasonic metering and is a member of the BSI (British Standards Institution) Committee/ISO Ultrasonic standards. Alderley is a market leader in liquid and gas metering, produced water treatment packages and water injection systems.

 

Eric Maddock, Group Business Development Director said: "Jim’s appointment is key in strengthening Alderley’s Metering Systems capabilities and offerings. Not only does he bring a wealth of experience but his collaborative and consultative sales approach makes him an asset to the team". Speaking of his appointment, Jim Gray said: "Alderley has a strong reputation in the oil and gas industry. They have highly experienced engineering teams for metering and I am confident in the knowledge that I will be working for the best systems integrator".

 

Alderley is a multi-disciplined engineering company operating in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries producing effective and efficient solutions for the metering, processing, treatment and control of hydrocarbon products. Alderley has been manufacturing oilfield metering equipment since 1959 and has supplied more than 500 systems to more than 50 countries. Alderley has regional headquarters in the UK, Middle East and Russia as well as a regional subsidiary in Saudi Arabia. Alderley Plc is an independent family-owned British company. More about Alderley can be found at:

Heerema Fabrication Group (HFG) has been awarded the contract for the fabrication of two jackets for the Golden Eagle Development project of Nexen Petroleum UK Ltd.

 

The contract consists of the fabrication of a 6,000 tons wellhead jacket and a 6,000 tons jacket for the PUQ (Production Utilities Quarters). The construction will be executed at the Vlissingen fabrication location and is scheduled to start in February 2012. Both jackets will have a height of 130 metres with a foot print of 45 x 45 metres. It is scheduled that the jacket will be ready for transportation to Nexen’s Golden Eagle oilfield in the UK North Sea, approximately 43 miles from Aberdeen, in the 2nd quarter of 2013.

 

"The award of the Golden Eagle jackets contract follows the successful execution of the Buzzard PS jacket contract in 2009, which formed the basis for the mutual confidence to fabricate the wellhead and PUQ jackets in parallel for delivery by 2nd quarter 2013," according to Remco van Gilst, VP Business Development and Sales.

 

Tino Vinkesteijn, CCO of Heerema Fabrication Group added: "Securing this contract will continue to safeguard employment at our Vlissingen facility and also create additional supply chain jobs in this region, as it will directly follow the jackets currently under construction. The continuous improvement process of our safety culture, which is called ‘Building on Safety’ is secured and carefully taken into account in the overall project planning to achieve a safe and accident free working environment. We look forward to working again with our client Nexen to accomplish a safe execution and successful completion of this project".

Parker Hannifin Corporation, the global leader in motion and control technologies, has signed an Enterprise Framework Agreement (EFA) with Shell as a single source supplier for the provision of instrumentation valves, manifolds, process-to-instrument valves, fittings, tubing, protective enclosures and related products. Under the terms of Shell’s EFA - which runs for an initial period of five years - Parker’s Instrumentation Group will supply Shell and its affiliates worldwide with a broad range of process instrumentation products.

 

"We are delighted to win this contract with such a major player in the oil and gas business, and are confident that our manufacturing resources on three continents and our global Parker Sales Company support network will meet the enormous challenges of this supply agreement," said Ian Huggins, General Manager of Parker Hannifin’s Instrumentation Products Division in Europe. "We are also excited with the prospect of closer engineering co-operation, as this will give us a front row view of emerging technical challenges in critical application areas".

 

"We see this agreement marking the start of a sustained period of progress in instrumentation technology," added Sheldon Banks, EMEA Sales and Marketing Manager of Parker Hannifin Instrumentation Products Division in Europe. "We believe that such a co-operative relationship between major players in their respective spheres will help to establish many new standards for performance, safety and cost reduction".

 

Over the last decade, Parker has invested heavily in innovation, and has made many significant advances in areas including safety, speed of installation and maintenance, and lowering emissions. In particular, Parker’s new products can dramatically reduce the number of potential leak paths in a fluid flow system, and improve ergonomics for instrumentation and maintenance engineers. Its core values of ‘faster, smarter, cleaner, safer’ capture the company’s goal of leadership in the process instrumentation market.

 

Also important is Parker’s long experience in designing and manufacturing instrumentation using specialised alloys that optimise protection against corrosion - a major problem for many current oil and gas projects. The Instrumentation Group is dedicated to being the global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of high quality, critical flow and ultra-high purity components for the petrochemical, chemical processing, oil and gas, power generation, water analysis, biopharmaceutical, semiconductor, and analytical equipment industries.

 

With annual sales exceeding $12 billion in fiscal year 2011, Parker Hannifin is the world’s leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company employs approximately 58,000 people in 47 countries around the world. Parker has increased its annual dividends paid to shareholders for 55 consecutive years, among the top five longest-running dividend-increase records in the S&P 500 index. For more information visit the company’s website at:

Visund Photo Kjetil Alsvik/Statoil 

 

Recoverable reserves are expected to be 29 million barrels of oil equivalents, and to consist mainly of oil. A standard seabed template with two wells is envisaged. It will be produced by FMC and will be installed during the summer of 2012. The oil will be transported to Visund A through a new pipeline system, for processing on the platform.

 

Statoil has, in conjunction with the authorities and with partners, secured a rapid process for decision-making and the early delivery of equipment with long lead times. All of the main contracts have already been awarded, apart from marine installations and platform modifications. These are planned to be awarded by the end of the year. This investment decision re-opens part of the acreage where production stopped in 2006.

 

It has now been made possible thanks to a standardised solution, minimal modifications on the host platform and experience gained on the Visund satellite field. Earlier this year it was decided to fast track Visund South with a tie-back to Gullfaks. Both decisions make for good resource utilisation and prolonged production on the Visund field. The Visund North decision will also help prepare the ground for developing other resources in the northern Visund area.

 

"2011 has become a breakthrough year for fast-track developments on the Norwegian continental shelf. With Visund North Statoil has taken its seventh fast-track portfolio investment decision this year," said Halfdan Knudsen, Senior Vice President for the NCS fast-track development portfolio. Statoil’s ambition is to bring the first five fields of this type of fast-track development into operation by the turn of the year 2012/2013.

Siemens and UPM Caledonian Paper (UPM) have received the Industrial and Commercial Award for their successful construction of a combined heat and power station in Irvine, Scotland. This award is bestowed annually by the British Combined Heat and Power Association (CHPA) for innovations in the power generation and supply sector.

 

UPM, a front-running international producer of magazine paper, has completed an upgrading project in which a fossil-fueled paper-mill boiler was replaced with a modern, fully integrated, biomass-fueled combined heat and power plant. 350,000t/a of biomass in combination with production residue from the Irvine facility will serve as the plant’s primary fuel. The new plant’s SST-300 turbine generates all the process steam needed for producing UPM Caledonian’s coated paper and for drying the pulp.

 

In addition to this successful co-operation, Siemens’ specially tailored SST-300 single-casing industrial steam turbine was the decisive factor for receiving the award. With a rating of 50 Megawatt (MW), this steam turbine and its modular design concept enable cost-effective accommodation of the owner’s individual wants and needs. Thanks to the use of Siemens turbine technology, the CO2 reduction figures published in UMP’s balance of accounts were exceeded for the company’s Irvine power plant. CO2 emissions can now be reduced by some 75,000 tons annually: that is tantamount to roughly 35,000 households converting to a renewable form of power generation. After a mere two-year period of construction, the plant was commissioned ahead of schedule in the spring of 2009. Situated in Ayrshire, roughly 50km southwest of Glasgow, this project counts as a significant milestone in the ecologically sound generation of electricity by biomass power plants.

 

Steve Wildman, Director and General Manager of the Oil & Gas Division at Siemens Energy UK said: "This award underscores our leadership in the development of eco-friendly solutions for the generation of power and heat, particularly by means of our practice-proven, highly efficient turbine technology. Thanks to outstanding co-operation on the part of UPM Caledonian, we were able to develop the best solution for all concerned. In addition, this project helps us support Great Britain’s ambitious energy policy objectives".

Generator pods being assembled

 

WEG has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and the concluding of a technology transfer agreement with M Torres Olvega Industrial (MTOI) of Spain.

 

The Memorandum of Understanding and the technology transfer agreement will result in the creation of a joint venture between WEG and MTOI, with equal participation, for manufacturing, assembling, installing and marketing of wind turbine generators, as well as operation and maintenance services.

 

With this joint venture WEG will be able to start to meet the growing demand of the Brazilian market, participating in the wind power generation business supplying wind turbine generators with proven technology and high local content.

 

WEG is one of the worlds largest and most successful suppliers of electric motors and related control equipment. They specialise in both high efficiency motors and units developed for specific industry applications.

Rotork, the market leading manufacturer and flow control company, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Prokits Ltd, a designer and manufacturer of valve adaptor kits and accessories for the valve industry, based in Mansfield, UK. Rotork has acquired all the share capital of Prokits.

 

Prokits has been known to Rotork for many years and the company has built an established customer base for valve adaptation kits and accessories. The sole owner of Prokits, Craig Mellins, has been appointed as General Manager of Rotork Valvekits into which the Prokits business will be merged.

 

Commenting on the acquisition, Rotork Chief Executive Peter France said: "The acquisition of Prokits, for which Craig Mellins has established a good reputation in the market over the last decade, will increase the customer base and scale of our Rotork Valvekits valve adaptation and accessory products business".

© Centrica 2011

 

Centrica has announced that early appraisal results at its Butch exploration well in the Northern North Sea indicate a significant presence of light oil in the reservoir.

 

Preliminary resource estimates indicate a discovery of between 30 to 60mmboe for the main Butch segment, in which it has a 40% operating interest. Further data collection is now underway and the drilling of a second side track well has commenced on the Butch south west compartment, where Centrica is targeting additional volumes. Butch, which is located 220km off the coast of Norway, marks yet another milestone in Centrica’s ambitions to grow its upstream business by 50% in the next three to five years.

 

Jonathan Roger, Managing Director of Centrica Energy Upstream said: "These are very exciting times for Centrica’s oil and gas business as we look to increase our production by 50% over the next three to five years through a balance of exploration and acquisition activity. Early indications are that we have found light oil in our Butch exploration well in Norway. This discovery comes only two weeks after announcing the £1bn acquisition of production and development assets from Statoil, which opens up new exploration possibilities and will increase our reserves by nearly a third".

Hill International, the global leader in managing construction risk, has announced that it has received a contract from Diamond State Generation Partners LLC, a related company of Bloom Energy Corporation, to provide construction management services in connection with the development of the Red Lion Energy Center in New Castle County, Delaware.

 

The Red Lion Energy Center will be a fuel-cell technology, grid-tied, base-loaded generating station, using natural gas for fuel. Major equipment will include 130 fuel cell units, or ‘Bloom Boxes’, grouped in clusters. The plant facilities will also include a natural gas regulating station, well, deionised water plant, water storage, administration and control building, and stormwater management systems.

 

"We are proud that Bloom Energy has entrusted Hill to manage the construction of its Red Lion Energy Center," said Michael V Griffin, PE, Hill’s Senior Vice President and Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager. "This is truly a groundbreaking project utilising groundbreaking green energy technology," Griffin added.

 

Hill International, with 3,100 employees in 100 offices worldwide, provides programme management, project management, construction management and construction claims and consulting services. Engineering News-Record magazine recently ranked Hill as the 8th largest construction management firm in the United States. For more information on Hill, please visit:

Dresser-Rand, the global supplier of rotating equipment solutions to the oil, gas, petrochemical, and process industries, has been awarded NOK4 million (US$684,000) in public grant funding by Innovation Norway (IN). The grant will be used to support testing for a new, environmentally friendly turbine-generator set, known as the Dresser-Rand KG2-3G unit.

 

KG2 gas turbines for power generation have a 99.3% start reliability, full-load throw-on capacity, and minimal maintenance requirements. Dresser-Rand KG2 gas turbines are ideal for standby and continuous power supply onshore and offshore. The KG2 generator set has been specifically designed to meet requirements for power from 1MW to 10MW (single and multiple units). More than 900 units have been delivered for standby, industrial and oil and gas applications worldwide.

 

IN, a development funding arm of the Norwegian government that supports environmental initiatives, awarded Dresser-Rand the funding because the KG2-3G turbine is expected to drastically reduce fuel consumption, decrease CO2 emissions 35%, and decrease NOx and CO emissions 80% when compared to the rating of the KG 2-3E turbine. The KG 2-3G gas turbine is the third generation of the all-radial KG2 gas turbine product line, which was first installed on the island of Røst off the Norwegian coast in 1968 for a power generation application.

 

"We are thrilled to have the support of Innovation Norway in this testing programme, and our primary goal is to prove that the KG2-3G can meet the same standards for durability, ruggedness and endurance as current turbines on the market, while reducing harmful gas emissions," said Odd Guldsten, Vice President and General Manager of Dresser-Rand operations in Kongsberg, Norway.

 

The unit will be installed at the WINGAS Transport GmbH site in Greifswald, Germany, where the North Stream pipeline comes into Europe from Russia. WINGAS will provide natural gas for the field test in exchange for the heat and power produced by the KG2-3G turbine. The electric power will be exported and the exhaust heat used to heat pipeline gas coming out of the Baltic Sea.

 

"We believe in the importance of producing power through more efficient and environmentally friendly systems, and we look forward to further optimising our pipeline stations," said Klaus Haussmann, Executive Expert at WINGAS Transport. "Adding this small industry gas turbine should close demand gaps in our operations, and we expect to see promising results from this testing".

 

The KG2-3G also comes with an acoustic enclosure for onshore installation and is suitable for a variety of applications, including biofuel systems. The equipment is scheduled for delivery in January 2012, and the test is planned for up to 8,000 hours of field operation.

In July 2011, SGS was assigned a contract to perform comprehensive quality control services during the production process of wind towers by Sany Group in China.

 

In order to ensure that the wind towers will fulfill the applicable regulatory and client-specific requirements and operate as intended, Sany Group, a heavy construction equipment manufacturer, looked for a reliable inspection, verification, testing and certification company. Due to the decades of experience in projects of this kind, professional technical support and a group of senior experts, SGS was chosen to provide third-party services to Sany Group.

 

For the duration of the contract, scheduled to begin in August 2012, SGS’s team of experts will provide complex on-site inspection, auditing, monitoring and quality control witness services during the production process. SGS will verify materials, parts and final products through checks and sample testing.

 

The inspection of the wind towers will be carried out in accordance with quality assurance procedures and a checklist relating to specific types of equipment, operational factors and the vendor’s quality control system. In addition, SGS will review the design, specifications, drawings and specified standards, to meet the applicable regulatory requirements.

 

With the help of SGS, the quality of the wind towers will be in compliance with all international and national standards in line with client expectations. SGS is confident that it’s range of professional and timely services will build a good foundation for further co-operation with Sany Group in the future.

 

The comments were made at an exclusive dinner and round table discussion event to generate research information for a forthcoming Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report on the outlook for the oil and gas industry in 2012 and beyond, commissioned by GL Noble Denton.

 

The event, which was held in Singapore to coincide with Singapore International Energy Week, was attended by a mix of senior representatives from international oil companies, technical suppliers and industry associations who offered strong opinions on where the industry is heading and the challenges that await it in the future.

 

"The discussions raised around the tables at this event have confirmed the underlying concerns felt within Asia’s oil and gas industry, many of which are linked to the rapid expansion the region is experiencing," said Richard Bailey, GL Noble Denton’s Executive Vice President for the Asia Pacific, who hosted the event.

 

"The Asian oil and gas industry is clearly focused on its future challenges, and the opportunities that lie ahead, and GL Noble Denton continues to support its key players in developing the innovative solutions they need to meet the region’s evolving energy demands," he said.

 

The EIU’s 2012 report, which has been commissioned by GL Noble Denton, will be available to download in mid-January from:

Foster Wheeler AG has announced that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction (E&C) Group and the subsidiary’s joint venture partner, Qatar Kentz WLL, has signed an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCm) framework agreement with Qatargas Operating Company Limited (Qatargas).

 

The framework agreement covers projects associated with the existing Qatargas LNG facility at Ras Laffan Industrial City and will include both onshore and offshore work. The agreement will be for three years with an option to extend for a further two years. The booking values for the projects will be recorded as individual service orders are received.

 

Qatargas plans to issue invitations to its framework contractors to bid for specific packages of work, which packages may include pre-front end engineering design (pre-FEED), FEED and EPCm services.

 

"Our joint venture’s combined strengths, Foster Wheeler’s upstream and LNG expertise, and project execution track record, and Qatar Kentz’ local presence, position us very strongly to deliver a full range of high, quality services for Qatargas at its Ras Laffan LNG facility," said Umberto della Sala, Chief Operating Officer, Foster Wheeler AG. "This is a further example of our focus on delivering a complete, local service to our clients, which objective is a key element of our Global E&C Group’s Strategic Renewal Initiative".

The Academy of Joint Integrity was launched last year to raise awareness of sealing technology and to provide professional accredited training services to support its global client base.

 

It remains essential that gaskets and sealing products are installed, assembled and tightened to industry best practice, so to enhance the training to an unrivalled level, The Academy of Joint Integrity (part of the FDS Group which includes Flexitallic and Novus Sealing) has invested in another state-of-the-art FADU specifically for North Sea and Subsea customers.

 

The FADU enables the user to tighten a bolted joint and see the impact of tightening procedures on screen through the innovative load monitoring software. The benefits of this interactive training are already being appreciated in Aberdeen with many operators and engineering firms signing up for training and lunch and learn sessions.

 

Gary Milne, Group Technical Training Manager of the FDS group of companies, sits on the latest ASME - PCC-1-2010 Committee and recognises the benefits of the FADU, in providing Accredited Integrity Training Courses to encompass the latest ASME guidelines.

 

"The FADU is a fantastic tool for both the trainer and the candidate. The trainer can easily convey the complex interactions of the flanges, bolts and gasket, whilst the candidate can clearly see the importance of following correct procedures". To read the full article on the FADU visit:

The OPTIMASS 2300 installed at a refinery illustrating the benefit of its compact design

 

KROHNE Ltd, based in Wellingborough, Northants is now seeing the benefits of the substantial investment made to expand their UK Coriolis mass flowmeter manufacturing facility. The OPTIMASS range of Coriolis mass flowmeters has been manufactured in the UK at KROHNE’s global centre of excellence for Coriolis mass flowmetering since 2002, and is a winner of the innovation category of the highly acclaimed Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

 

The popularity in the market place for the OPTIMASS range meant that to keep up with customer demand, KROHNE had to expand their UK manufacturing facility; a key decision to make during a recessionary period. A 1,687sq mt extension to KROHNE Ltd’s UK manufacturing facility has since been completed and has proved to be essential in allowing the company to keep pace with opportunities world-wide and continue with their new product development plan.

 

One of the most recent innovations from KROHNE Ltd is the OPTIMASS 2000; a mass flowmeter for bulk measurement of liquids and gases. It ranges in size from DN100 (4") to DN250 (10") and is the only mass flowmeter available in both Duplex and Super Duplex. However for a meter that is designed to measure such high flow rates, it has what is considered to be a small installation envelope making it a very attractive proposition to skid builders and companies who have limited space for installation, such as on offshore platforms. The footprint of the OPTIMASS 2000 also offers significant energy savings to the customer as it has a lower pressure drop due to its straight tube design and the minimal length of the measuring tubes.

 

KROHNE Ltd exports over 90% of its production and has long-term plans for continuous investment to further improve production capacity. Already in 2012 KROHNE plan to increase their calibration facilities and add further rigs to the 11 UKAS accredited calibration rigs already housed at the Wellingborough facility. Coupled with this will come the launch of a new Coriolis mass flowmeter to handle high temperature, high pressure and cryogenic applications.

 

"The building expansion in the UK is a confirmation of the trust that our customers have in our company and in our employees who’s knowledge and dedication is the key to our success," said Trevor Fawcett, Managing Director of KROHNE Ltd. "Employing and maintaining a skilled work force and developing specialist skills is essential in our line of business. For this reason we are now offering engineering apprenticeships through a government backed programme. We also operate a recognised industry training and certification programme. The key to our future success depends on our ability to continue to produce innovative and reliable products that exceed our customers’ expectations and having a skilled and dedicated workforce along with excellent manufacturing facilities is a vital step to achieving these goals".

Jacobs Engineering Group Inc has announced that it has received a contract from Shell Downstream Distribution to provide project management and engineering services for Shell’s European Programme. The contract involves programme assets in Austria, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxemburg, Turkey, Italy, Denmark, Norway and the United Kingdom.

 

The three year framework agreement has an optional two year extension. Contract value is confidential. Jacobs’ office in Ghent, Belgium is leading the programme work, working closely with Jacobs’ offices in Cologne, Germany; Milan, Italy; Stenungsund, Sweden; Glasgow, Scotland and Mumbai, India.

 

Jacobs is supporting Shell in managing its Regional Capital Programme through the engineering procurement and construction management (EPCM) model for identified projects. Jacobs is also managing Shell’s asset or project information and documents for all terminal facilities across the region.

 

In making the announcement, Jacobs Group Vice President Robert Matha said: "Jacobs and Shell have a decades-long relationship across Europe. We are very enthusiastic to enhance and sustain our partnership with this important asset management contract".

Oil and gas industry professionals see unconventional gas as a long term solution to the world’s energy demands, according to a poll conducted yesterday at the 20th World Petroleum Congress in Doha. 57% of participants said that the production of unconventional gas, which includes shale gas and coal bed methane, would help fuel the projected long term growth in global energy consumption, while 43% thought it would not.

 

The Industry Snapshot Poll was conducted by global independent technical advisor GL Noble Denton during the third day of the World Petroleum Congress, which is expected to have attracted more than 12,000 industry professionals from across the world. The poll was also completed online by senior professionals from across the industry.

 

Pekka Paasivaara, Member of the GL Executive Board said: "The energy industry’s opinion on the future role of unconventional gas has been volatile this year, as the sector continues to debate the profitability and environmental impacts associated with its production. The result of this poll clearly shows that these challenges haven’t affected optimism in the belief that unconventional gas will sustain world demand in the years to come".

 

GL Noble Denton has conducted three Industry Snapshot Polls this week, one for each full day of World Petroleum Congress. Delegates were also asked to have their say on whether the sector is doing enough to encourage future generations to chose a career in oil and gas, and whether they believe the industry has the capability to support energy demand in 10 years time.

 

The results of the polls are available at:

Mongstad Photo Helge Hansen/Statoil

 

Gassnova and Statoil have chosen suppliers of CO2 capture technology to participate in a technology qualification program for full-scale CO2 capture at Mongstad (CCM).

 

In late Spring, the CCM project announced a technology qualification program for all companies which have technology that could be used to capture CO2 from the existing combined heat and power plant at Mongstad. This was an open international process where the goal was to select companies for technology qualification for full scale capture of CO2.

 

The following companies have been selected to participate in the technology qualification program: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, ALSTOM Carbon Capture GmbH, Siemens AG, Aker Clean Carbon and Huaneng-CERI Powerspan Joint Venture. The purpose of the technology qualification program is to qualify at least one technology and demonstrate that it can be scaled up and used at the combined heat and power plant at Mongstad, and that it will meet all HSE requirements.

 

"CO2 capture, transportation and storage is unquestionably required to combat climate change. Norway has undertaken an important role, and succeeding with the Mongstad project and the technology qualification programme is vital in this context. We are therefore very pleased with the participation from internationally leading technology suppliers representing different capture technologies. We look forward to working together with them," said Bjørn-Erik Haugan, CEO of Gassnova SF.

 

The technology qualification program is divided into three phases:

Feasibility study to show that the technology can be used at Mongstad. Companies must demonstrate that technologies can be scaled up; that they have the necessary operational regularity; and that high capture ratios are possible to achieve in relation to energy use and costs, for example.

 

Demonstrate that the process will work and that the emissions will be within the specified criteria. This shall include vendors’ test of chemical and process technology so that real emission data can be analysed and evaluated based on the limit set for release at Mongstad.

 

Concept Phase for design of full scale CO2 capture at Mongstad.

 

"CCM is a very large industrial and technological development project, and a plant of similar size has never been built before. For Statoil, it is very important that the system works as intended and does not represent any danger to people or the environment. For CO2 capture technology in general, it is also important that the project shows that CCS can be accomplished elsewhere: therefore it is of great importance that there is a responsible project implementation that takes care of uncertainties in the best possible way, ensuring the best technical solutions at the lowest possible cost. We are very pleased to announce several leading technology vendors, as well as a thorough technology qualification program," said Kurt Georgsen, Vice President in Renewable Energy and responsible for CCM.

 

Successful results in the technology qualification programme should allow for a concept selection including selection of technology in the first half of 2014. Participation in the technology qualification program will provide technology suppliers with an opportunity to demonstrate its technology for a full-scale plant at Mongstad. Multiple vendors can bid on a FEED (Front End Engineering and Design) based on the concept selected, and the final investment decision will be put to Parliament in 2016.

Oil and gas industry professionals believe that the sector needs to work harder to encourage future generations to choose a career in energy, according to a poll conducted yesterday at the World Petroleum Congress in Doha.

 

57% of participants said companies need to make greater efforts to demonstrate the benefits of a career in the oil and gas industry to young people, while 43% disagreed, believing that companies are now making a more conscious attempt to tackle an impending skills shortage.

 

The Industry Snapshot Poll was conducted by global independent technical advisor GL Noble Denton during the second day of the World Petroleum Congress, which is expected to have attracted more than 12,000 industry professionals from across the world. The poll was also completed online by senior professionals from across the industry.

 

Pekka Paasivaara, Member of the GL Executive Board said: "A recent increase in oil and gas industry investment and activity has caused the sector to focus on addressing the industry’s diminishing number of skilled professionals and ageing workforce.

 

"There is a perception that younger generations have been lured away from a career in oil and gas by the finance sector over the past 20 years. The results of this poll show that the industry needs to review what it is doing to ensure that it attracts graduates equipped with the necessary skills to cope with the increasing challenges facing the sector".

 

GL Noble Denton is conducting three Industry Snapshot Polls this week, one for each full day of World Petroleum Congress. Delegates are also being asked to give their views on the long-term potential of unconventional gas as a solution to the world’s requirements, and whether they believe the industry has the capability to support energy demand in 10 years time. To participate in the poll, visit GL Noble Denton at stand number 9216. Participants will be entered into a prize draw to win an iPad 2 at the end of the show.

 

The results of the polls will be updated daily at:

Edgen Murray, the leading global distributor of specialty steel products to energy infrastructure markets, has announced the expansion of its Paris operations to meet customer requirements in France and North Africa. Located in Neuilly Sur Seine, the new office is significantly larger than the company’s previous facility in La Defense and includes options for further expansion.

 

The Paris operation is staffed by an international sales team, with skills and experience spanning multiple European, Asian and Middle Eastern markets.

 

Craig Kiefer, Chief Operating Officer said: "The continued strength of the French EPC market, particularly the upstream sector of Edgen Murray’s business, together with the opportunities presented by French designed and engineered international downstream and wind power generation projects presents a compelling rationale for an increased presence in France.

 

"Our key advantage is our ability to offer qualified mill manufacturing and stock supply routes that satisfy high quality structural steel and piping specifications to project owners in French and North African markets. Our increased presence and capability in the region also provides a platform to target France’s offshore wind power generation market".

 

According to EIC DataStream, France and North Africa are currently attracting combined, potential energy investments in various stages of development of over US$260bn in value across upstream, downstream, power and renewables sectors between 2012 and 2016.

 

Edgen Murray’s capabilities include materials consultation, sourcing, packaging, logistics, quality and project management in the French and North African markets. These are complemented by the company’s range of high quality structural steel products, high grade seamless and welded pipes, fittings, valves and plates.

Fluor Corporation has announced that it was awarded a multi-year special projects supplement to their existing contract to provide construction and other support services for Luminant’s environmental retrofit programme. Luminant is a subsidiary of Energy Future Holdings Corp.

 

Fluor will supply management, supervision and craft personnel to support construction services and environmental retrofits to Luminant’s current coal-fired power plant units. Fluor began providing ongoing maintenance and modification services at four of Luminant’s power units in 1984 and has since grown the relationship to cover all of the company’s fossil power generating units and equipment repair centre. During this time, Fluor has successfully executed multiple major capital projects including the recently completed Oak Grove Units 1 & 2 clean coal project and the balance-of-plant construction for Luminant’s Sandow 5 Selective Catalytic Reduction project.

 

"Fluor is extremely well positioned to support our customers and partners who must retrofit their generating fleets to comply with the requirements of the cross-state air pollution rule (CSAPR) and the electric generating unit maximum achievable control technology (EGU MACT) standards," said Dave Dunning, President of Fluor’s Power Group. "Fluor’s scope extension of its ongoing maintenance and services contract with Luminant fits our strategy to assist a valued partner with their environmental compliance needs".

 

"This new work is a natural outgrowth of Fluor’s more than 25 years of providing Luminant with high value maintenance and construction services throughout its power generation fleet in Texas," said Rick Graves, Senior Vice President of Fluor’s Power Group. "Assisting power clients in providing clean energy to their customers is within our sweet spot, and we are pleased that Luminant has placed its confidence in us to deliver value-added solutions for this important environmental retrofit programme".

Oil and gas industry professionals are confident in the industry’s ability to sustain the global demand for energy 10 years from now. According to a poll conducted yesterday at the 20th World Petroleum Congress in Doha, 86% of participants said that the industry will be able to meet estimates for increased global energy consumption, while 14% thought that it would not.

 

The Industry Snapshot Poll was conducted by global independent technical advisor GL Noble Denton on the first day of the World Petroleum Congress, which is expected to attract 12,000 industry professionals from across the world. The poll was also completed online by senior professionals from across the industry.

 

Pekka Paasivaara, Member of the GL Executive Board said: "The result of this poll shows the sector’s confidence in its ability to meet the challenges of the growing global demand for energy. While oil and gas reserves are still plentiful, the mounting technological challenges of accessing these resources in harsher environments have been an area of concern for some sector professionals. Despite this, it is encouraging to see that confidence in the industry’s ability to secure future supply safely, efficiently and sustainably remains high".

 

GL Noble Denton is conducting three Industry Snapshot Polls this week, one for each full day of World Petroleum Congress. Delegates are also being asked to have their say on whether the oil and gas industry is doing enough to encourage future generations to join the sector, and on the long term potential of unconventional gas as a solution to the world’s requirements. To participate in the poll, visit GL Noble Denton at stand number 9216. Participants will be entered into a prize draw to win an iPad 2 at the end of the show.

 

The results of the polls will be updated daily at:

A combination of fast working, high-quality design and service won joint integrity specialist Hydratight a crucial commission at a major BP pumping station in Aberdeen.

 

Hydratight was approached to design, build, test and install a custom-engineered 24in MORGRIP weldless connector in only 10 weeks. The highly-limited timeframe was to fit into a scheduled five-day shutdown at BP’s major Cruden Bay pumping station. "The shutdown was part of a bigger operation on the Forties Pipeline System, to allow for the removal of a 13ft piece of unexploded World War II ordnance from the seabed, 25 miles off Peterhead," explained Hydratight Project Manager, David Tromans.

 

But the Hydratight team discovered a second major constraint when surveying the site: "The installation site was highly restricted: we realised we would need to re-engineer our design to reduce the connector’s overall length," Dave added. "The solution was to sleeve the inner wall of the pipe, increasing its strength: it’s a technique we have used in a range of projects, where pipe wall thickness and tolerances have been significant factors. MORGRIP uses massive gripping forces, so the pipe must be able to bear the pressures involved".

 

Laser scanning accurately surveyed the pipe’s inner walls to within 0.1mm and a local machine shop finished machining the sleeve, which was fitted during the MORGRIP installation. "Once the pipe had been cut and the sleeve inserted, installation of the MORGRIP unit was very simple," said Hydratight Project Engineer Ali Naqvi. "The 24in MORGRIP was a stab-on connector which, despite its inherent weight, was installed, activated and tested within 6 hours. "This time frame was achievable because we supplied all the installation services and could streamline the interfaces".

 

"The quality, performance and functionality of the connector were excellent - as were the complete installation services Hydratight provided during this critical project," said AMEC Mechanical Consultant, Mike Ridyard.

Allied International UK Ltd is delighted to announce the opening of its new project office in London. With its UK head office in Grangemouth and additional warehouses in Aberdeen, Allied is one of the leading manufacturers and stockholders of buttweld fittings, flanges and linepipe in carbon, stainless, alloy and duplex steels worldwide.

 

Commercial Manager Michael Duncan said: "Allied has always been strong in the project market due to our manufacturing capabilities in Italy and also our strong relationships with various mills worldwide. As our presence continues to grow in the UK, the time is now right to open a dedicated project office to help service the project work more efficiently. Location is important also as we have previously been serving the London area from Grangemouth and this new location will ensure a closer relationship with existing and potential clients.

 

"Mr Mark Light has been employed as Project Sales Manager for this area. Having worked in the project business for many years he has the experience, knowledge and expertise to ensure all aspects of project work are executed from enquiry through to final delivery".

 

As well as satisfying long lead time projects, Allied International has the capability to service fast track requirements from their 4000 tonne stockholding of pipes, fittings and flanges in Grangemouth and Aberdeen and with the 30,000 tonnes of material at their custom built warehouse in Italy. For more information, please contact Mark Light, Project Sales Manager:

Email m.light@alliedfittings.com

The Acme West-1 well encountered approximately 377ft (115m) of net gas pay, while the Acme West-2 well encountered 184ft (56m) of net gas pay. The two wells, located in the WA-205-P permit area, add additional resources adjacent to last year’s Acme discovery. The Acme West-1 and Acme West-2 exploration discovery wells are approximately 93 miles (150km) from Onslow, and were drilled in 3,035ft (925m) of water. Acme West -1 was drilled to a total depth of 15,558ft (4,742m) and Acme West-2 was drilled to 14,590ft (4,447m).

 

George Kirkland, Vice Chairman, Chevron Corporation said: "This is our 11th exploration discovery in a 24 month period. Our exploration success and ability to continually add to our Australian portfolio supports our long-term plan to position Chevron as one of the world’s leading LNG suppliers. The discoveries are expected to help underpin potential expansion opportunities at the Wheatstone liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub, which moved to the construction phase in September 2011".

 

Melody Meyer, President, Chevron Asia Pacific Exploration and Production Company said: "We are realising the benefits of our investment in an extensive drilling campaign and the opportunities we have as a leading lease holder in the Carnarvon Basin. The discoveries underscore the quality of the company’s drilling program, and commitment to technical excellence and safe operations". Chevron Australia is the operator of the WA-205-P permit and holds a combined 67% interest, while Shell Development (Australia) holds the remaining interest.

A leading Scottish businessman was inducted into the Entrepreneurial Exchange’s Hall of Fame during a glittering ceremony at the Glasgow Hilton hotel on Thursday 1 December 2011.

 

Jim Milne, founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Aberdeen-based Balmoral Group, was added to the list of business luminaries that began in 2002 and includes Sir Jackie Stewart, Sir Bill Gammell, Jim McColl and Martin Gilbert. Between two and four successful entrepreneurs are inducted into the Hall of Fame annually, each receiving a special bronze award that is set in Scottish stone.

 

Balmoral Group was established in 1980 producing glass reinforced plastics products. Today, the privately-owned company is recognised as a leading designer and manufacturer of solutions for the global subsea, energy, civil and environmental engineering sectors. Now, with a payroll approaching 400 and turnover for year ended 31 March 2011 exceeding £73m, the company exports approximately 84% of its manufactured goods.

 

Commenting on the induction, Jim said: "I am deeply honoured to be added to such a distinguished list of Scottish business talent. The breadth of experience that the Hall of Fame represents is outstanding and is unique in its recognition of Scottish entrepreneurship. Everything that we have achieved at Balmoral has been accomplished through teamwork. I am therefore delighted to dedicate this award to everyone that has been part of our team since 1980".

 

Synonymous with Aberdeen and the Scottish manufacturing industry, Jim’s travels have taken him around the world many times. A respected international entrepreneur and businessman he is renowned for his straight talking and for extolling the virtues of Scotland and Aberdeen city and shire in particular.

 

Mr Milne was awarded the CBE in 1994; received an honorary doctorate from Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University in 1999 and was made Burgess of Guild in the City of Aberdeen during 2004. He became Deputy Lieutenant of Aberdeen City in January 2007 and received a Degree HonorisCausa from the University of Aberdeen in 2008.

ABB has given its support for a new facility built by City College Plymouth aimed at encouraging the uptake of energy efficient, sustainable technologies in industrial, commercial and residential projects in the UK. Named the ABB Energy Centre, the hi-tech facility is the centrepiece of a pioneering new initiative being led by the college to connect education and industry with the latest low carbon technology and methods.

 

Working with its local partner, Western Electrical, ABB has supplied a range of equipment for use in the centre, including its i-bus (KNX) intelligent building controls, variable speed drives, solar inverters and various instruments from its measurement products range. This equipment features throughout the centre, which incorporates 14 purpose-built bays for demonstrating and training on a variety of energy saving technologies and techniques.

 

ABB’s i-bus (KNX) intelligent building controls are used extensively in one of the bays. Built around a smart home scenario, the bay demonstrates how ABB’s i-bus (KNX) technology can be used throughout the home to help improve energy efficiency. The ABB Energy Centre also features technologies and training systems around grey water harvesting, solar thermal paneling, photovoltaics (PV), air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, combined heat and power (CHP) systems, variable speed drives and environmental monitoring systems.

 

ABB became involved in the project after being recommended to City College Plymouth by Stuart Morrison, MD of electrical distributor, Western Electrical. "Western Electrical has worked closely with City College Plymouth for many years, sponsoring its electrical apprenticeship programme to help get young people into work in the electrical industry," said Stuart. "When the college came to us with the idea of building a dedicated training centre to showcase the energy efficient and environmental benefits of today’s available technologies, I immediately suggested ABB to help bring the idea to fruition".

 

The ABB Energy Centre will also have its own dedicated conference and training facility, showcase areas and an interactive workshop. It will give both students and visiting schools an opportunity to explore a range of ideas and processes through interactive activities. Academic and commercial training will be delivered through the college with the help of ABB and construction giant Cowlin, covering the use of low carbon innovations and products. ABB’s involvement in the Energy Centre project is part of its continuing focus on encouraging UK users to help save both energy and cost through the adoption of energy efficient technologies.

 

"With energy efficiency and sustainability at the very core of ABB’s business, we are always keen to find new ways to promote awareness of our technology and the ways in which we can help both people and companies to better manage their energy consumption," said James Haigh, General Manager for ABB’s UK Low Voltage Products business. "Our involvement in City College Plymouth’s Energy Centre project is a great way for us to take an active role in educating and training the workforce of the future about how they can use energy more sustainably".

 

The ABB Energy Centre will officially launch on 8 December 2011 and will be opened by TV presenter and sustainability champion Charlie Luxton. Said Charlie: "The ABB Energy Centre will play a key role in demonstrating the value of low carbon technology to a variety of audiences and I am certain it will bring huge benefits to the region’s economy for years to come".

 

As well as students, the centre will also be open to local groups such as the ECA and NICEIC, school children, and also local companies including architects and consultants, to enable them to see how technology is offering new possibilities for saving energy and protecting the planet for future generations.

 

"It’s great to have a location based in the south west of England that brings together the leading technologies available within the electrical industry where we can train and educate our industry to apply the environmental and technological benefits that this technology brings," said Western Electrical’s Stuart Morrison. "By appealing to everyone from architects through to young schoolchildren, the ABB Energy Centre can play a significant role in promoting the ideas of energy efficiency and sustainability to help change the world we live in". Viv Gillespie, Principal at City College Plymouth added: "We are thoroughly looking forward to showing what we will be able to deliver for students and companies alike at the ABB Energy Centre, which we are confident will put the college at the forefront of the sustainability agenda".

For more information about either the ABB Energy Centre or ABB’s energy-saving products, please emal lv.products@gb.abb.com or call +44 (0)2476 368 500 ref. ‘Energy saving products’.

BG Group has announced that it has signed a fully-termed sale and purchase agreement with Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC, a subsidiary of Cheniere Energy Partners LP, for the purchase of 3.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of liquefied natural gas over a 20 year period from the Sabine Pass LNG terminal located in Louisiana, USA.

 

The agreement, which is subject to certain conditions and approvals, is the first long-term LNG purchase agreement from a project on the US Gulf Coast, allowing BG Group to secure LNG volumes for export from the US to international gas markets. LNG exports are expected to commence as early as 2015.

 

Construction of the liquefaction facilities at Sabine Pass is expected to commence in 2012, with the initial phase to consist of two trains capable of producing up to 9mtpa of LNG. BG Group is not an investor in the proposed liquefaction facilities.

 

BG Group Chief Executive Sir Frank Chapman said: "This is a ground-breaking agreement for BG Group, giving us first-mover advantage in securing LNG export volumes from the US Gulf Coast. It is the first agreement of its kind in this region and it secures us early access to the rapidly emerging commercial opportunities driven by the recent material increases in US gas reserves.

 

"We are delighted to have signed this landmark deal for BG Group in a market and a country where we have been intimately involved, throughout the gas chain, for a decade. It adds further diversity to our global LNG supply portfolio and builds upon our proven track record in capturing and developing new opportunities that continue to drive the global growth of our LNG business".

Foster Wheeler has announced that a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group has received an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCm) services contract from Sasol New Energy Holdings (Proprietary) Limited for the outside battery limit (OBL) portion of a new gas-fired power generation plant at Sasolburg, South Africa.

 

Sasol has stated that this project is expected to raise its electricity self-sufficiency to 840 megawatt electric (MWe) or 60% of its overall power draw, and forms part of a broader plan within the Sasol group to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions and bolster power self-sufficiency in the light of South Africa’s tightening electricity supply/demand balance.

 

Foster Wheeler’s scope will include the earthworks for the entire outside battery limit site; an access road; utility connections; 15/88kV step-up transformers and an 88kV substation with associated electrical infrastructure and network system. Foster Wheeler’s workscope is scheduled for completion during the third quarter of 2012.

 

"We executed the feasibility study for this project and are very pleased that Sasol has now awarded us this EPCm contract," said Umberto della Sala, Chief Operating Officer of Foster Wheeler AG. "This award, which follows our recently announced EPCm win for the Sasolburg utilities expansion, is not only significant in that it highlights Sasol’s continued confidence in our South African operation but it also demonstrates our expertise in power generation projects and confirms our ability to provide comprehensive support to our clients in meeting their objectives in all aspects of their business".

BP Norge AS has exercised an amended 45 day option for the continued use of the Safe Scandinavia at the Valhall offshore facility in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. The value of the exercised option is around US$10.9 million. In addition, Prosafe has granted two additional 2 week options commencing March 2012 if exercised.

 

Prosafe is the world’s leading owner and operator of semi-submersible accommodation/service rigs. Operating profit reached US$221.1 million in 2010. The company operates globally, employs 500 people and is headquartered in Larnaca, Cyprus. Prosafe is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange with ticker code PRS. For more information, please visit:

PJD Group, one of the UK’s leading independent mechanical engineering contractors, is ending 2011 on a high after announcing a hat trick of successes. The company, which provides a range of mechanical and construction services to the energy and industrial sectors, has seen turnover increase, project security boosted and grown its staff base by nearly 70%, all in the last year.

 

Sustained growth throughout the UK has enabled the business to strengthen its nationwide foothold by opening two new regional offices. With both offices to open over the next quarter, the expansion enables PJD to strengthen its position in the South East, with an office based in Chatham, Kent. While the new office in Warrington, covering North West England, will provide a strong platform for further expansion in the region’s energy and industrial sectors.