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GLOBAL

BUSINESS
IN THIS ISSUE
Feature on Global Opportunities
Subsea News and Events
New Technologies and Innovation
SUBSEA UK
NEWS
THE MAGAZINE FROM SUBSEA UK
WWW.SUBSEAUK.COM
SEPTEMBER 2012
FOREWORD
The key to future sustainable growth in the UK subsea industry is to fully capitalise on the fast-
evolving business opportunities emerging in new provinces around the world.
With the global subsea market set to double over the next ve years, from $35 billion to $70 billion annually and
UK expertise and experience in demand, our members are well placed to take full advantage of this growth.
In close collaboration with UKTI and SDI, Subsea UK is diligently working to ensure you are aware of and able to
tap into the support and opportunities available to access new markets such as Brazil, Malaysia and Australia.
Our links with government have become stronger in recent months as the importance of the subsea sector is better understood and
recognised. In collaboration with Government and academia, our industry can help the UK retain its world-leading position in subsea
and become a truly global centre of subsea excellence.
With the North Sea a recognised test-bed for cutting-edge technologies and expert solutions, mutually benecial relationships have
emerged between companies in regions around the world as a result. Collaboration and partnership are essential for UK companies
in these growing markets.
UK companies have the potential to internationalise their businesses at a time when our skills and technology are in high demand in
areas such as Asia and South America.
These regions are recognising the importance of what the UK can bring to the table and are looking to engage with industry directly.
Indeed, Brazilian exports to the UK in 2011 increased by over 15% and Brazils total imports from the UK increased by almost 3%.
The increase in total trade in 2011 between the two countries in relation to the corresponding period in 2010 rose by 10%.
Recognising the importance of Latin America and Asia for UK companies, Subsea UK will be showcasing British expertise with the
largest delegation of member companies yet at Rio Oil and Gas in September. This is in addition to organising the Subsea Asia 2012
conference in October, which once again boasts an impressive line-up of the worlds leading subsea industry gures.
UKTI is supporting these trade shows by making funding available through
the Tradeshow Access Programme to help nance the costs of exhibiting.
Market entry to different regions brings various challenges; language barriers,
cultural differences, the geographical implications of being further away and
how the local supply chain is going to keep up with these demands.
The UKs subsea industry is well equipped to push the boundaries of
deepwater exploration and production, and reap the rewards in these
exciting new global markets. But it must also continue to drive forward its
commitment to developing new technologies and skills to ensure it remains
at the vanguard of the industry and to sustain its long-term future prosperity.
I hope you enjoy this global market edition of our magazine.
Neil Gordon
Chief Executive, Subsea UK
New Members
Subsea Technologies Group Ltd
Carbon Financial Partners Ltd
Bohler Welding Group UK Ltd
James Alloys Ltd
Concept Steels Ltd
Babcock International Group
GPEC Ltd
Crondall Energy
Capita
To view the full Subsea UK members list, visit the Subsea UK
Directory at www.subseauk.com
Forthcoming Events
October 2012
Subsea Asia, Kuala Lumpur
Conference, Exhibition and
networking events
3 5 October
November 2012
Subsea South East Branch
Meeting, London
8 November 2012
November 2012
Subsea UK at Shefeld
University
22 November 2012
December 2012
Subsea Pipelines Integrity
Management Conference,
London
7 December 2012
AGMand Christmas
Networking Dinner,
Aberdeen
13 December 2012
February 2013
Subsea 2013, Conference,
Exhibition and Business
Awards Dinner Aberdeen
6 7 February 2013
Australasia Oil & Gas 2013,
Conference and Exhibition
Perth, Australia
20 22 February 2013
March 2013
Subsea Tieback Forum2013
- San Antonio
5 7 March 2013
July 2013
Subsea UKs Parliamentary
Reception 2013
3 July 2013
Subsea UK News | September 2012 3
GLOBAL BUSINESS
4 Subsea UK News | September 2012
BUSINESS
Triton Diving Services, LLC has entered into an Exclusive Alliance Agreement with Marin Subsea Ltd, a
company of the Marin Group, for the provision and operation of mass excavation and other services for the
oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Mexico region.
Triton, headquartered in Metairie, Louisiana USA, is a leading
offshore commercial diving services provider with concentration
in the Gulf of Mexico. Tritons best-in-class safety record
and dedication to servicing its clients have earned Triton its
reputation for providing high quality operations with incident free
performance. Triton provides decommissioning, maintenance,
inspection, repair and other services to major and independent
operators in the offshore oil and gas market.
Marin is a full ocean depth subsea intervention specialist
headquartered in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and operates across
Asia Pacic, North and South America, and the Middle East.
The Alliance brings together Tritons superior diving
competencies along with Marins deep-water excavation and
troubleshooting expertise to offer oil and gas clients in the Gulf
of Mexico a broad spread of technical support and operational
excellence. Marin provides and operates limitless ocean
depth hydraulically operated and water driven equipment and
continues to design and develop its arsenal of cutting edge
technology for use the oil and gas sector.
George Stroud (CEO) of Marin commented: The Alliance
Agreement delivers the fantastic opportunity to provide our
specialist skills and equipment to the Gulf of Mexico. The
Marin-Triton Alliance will ensure Marin remains the leader in
the specialist subsea market for decommissioning projects,
mass ow excavation, clay cutting and asset recovery. Marins
equipment and specialist skills coupled with Tritons prociency
to execute complex subsea projects will provide a one-stop
shop for mass ow, high volume excavation (HVE), asset
recovery and other specialised needs of our clients.
Tritons President/CEO Mark Jeansonne stated:
This Alliance places us in a very exciting position.
Triton and Marin share a philosophy and an
operational synergy and our clients will reap the
benets. The Alliance furthers Tritons pursuit to
provide technological solutions to the subsea
needs of its clients. We have identied mass ow
HVE and asset recovery as needed services in the
Gulf of Mexico region. Our Alliance with Marin to
provide these and other services are targeted to
reduce our clients cost of ownership.
Triton Diving Services LLC and Marin
Subsea Ltd Execute Alliance Agreement
Forum Subsea Technologies, a business
line of Forum Energy Technologies,
Inc. has announced the completed
deployment and successful operation
of the new Perry T-1200 Trencher for
Canyon Offshore, a subsidiary of Helix
Energy Solutions Group.
The T-1200 is mobilized to bury power cables at
Sheringham Shoals, an offshore wind farm in the
United Kingdom that is owned equally by Statoil
and Statkraft through joint-venture company Scira
Offshore Energy Limited. The wind farm, which is
currently under construction, has 88 wind turbine
generators, located 17 to 23 km offshore from the
coastal town of Sheringham, North Norfolk.
Perry trenching systems is a market leader in
this technology due to their design, reliability and
capability and have been successfully utilised in
challenging trenching environments throughout
the world. The T-1200 Trencher is an update of
the successful T-750 trencher also owned and
operated by Canyon Offshore since 2004.
Forum Subsea Announces Deployment
of Perry T-1200 for UK Project
BUSINESS
Subsea UK News | September 2012 5
Underwater Centre Forges Partnership With Unique System
The Underwater Centre in Fort William
and Unique System (UK) Ltd have
formally concluded an agreement for
the representation of The Underwater
Centre in the Aberdeen area.
A Unique Maritime Group Company, Unique
System (UK) Ltd will highlight The Underwater
Centres services and facilities to the
industry. These include subsea trials facilities,
commercial diver and ROV pilot technician
training, as well as bespoke corporate training
courses essential for the oil and gas and
renewable energy organisations globally.
Founded in 1993, Unique Maritime Group
(UMG) is one of the worlds leading
integrated turnkey subsea and offshore
solution providers. Through its expanding
network of companies, UMG is a specialist
in the provision of services, and the sale and
rental of equipment for the marine, diving,
hydrographic, oceanographic, and NDT
market sectors.
The group has an established manufacturing
and training capability and has delivered
customised engineering projects worldwide.
UMG has local presence in USA, UK, South
Africa, India, Middle East, Russia and Singapore
and employs over 500 people worldwide.
The partnership will effectively give The
Underwater Centre representation and the
availability of a local contact in Aberdeen.
Unique will benet from being partnered with a
world-renowned and well-established subsea
training provider.
Tom Houghton, Uniques Sales Manager,
believes the partnership will be a great
success and is coming at an exciting time for
both companies.
The Underwater Centre is highly respected
within the industry and were pleased to have
established this partnership which will see us
working closely with them, he said.
The facilities they have and the quality of
the courses and instructors are top-class.
I am looking forward to the opportunity of
effectively showcasing the capabilities of The
Underwater Centre and demonstrating how
companies across the North-East can benet
from their use and involvement with the Centre
for their training and testing requirements.
Steve Ham, General Manager at The
Underwater Centre, added: Its great that we
have created this working relationship with
Unique which will give us more of a presence
in the Aberdeen area.
The Underwater Centre is a purpose
built training facility which incorporates
an extensive pier complex including four
dive stations, classrooms, workshops and
decompression chambers.
Left to Right: Ray Hughes, Unique System (UK) Ltd Managing Director; Steve Ham, The Underwater Centre
General Manager; and Tom Houghton, Uniques Sales Manager, pictured at The Underwater Centre.
6 Subsea UK News | September 2012
BUSINESS
Global-leading energy production technology services company Proserv has secured two major contract
wins worth in excess of 6 million, underpinning the companys fast-evolving international footprint.
The multi-million pound deals with
two of the North Seas foremost oil
and gas operators will see Aberdeen-
headquartered Proserv provide subsea
control systems on both projects from
its Great Yarmouth based facility.
One of the contract awards is for Maersk
Oil UK to support the company on the
Talisman-operated Clyde platform.
Maersk is developing a 25km subsea
tieback to the platform and Proserv is
providing electro-hydraulic multiplex
subsea control systems, along with its
associated topside and subsea interface
systems, as part of the workscope.
The second contract involves Proserv
delivering topside and subsea
manifold control systems support on a
development in the Southern North Sea.
Proservs team of subsea controls
experts, which has been signicantly
enhanced since the company acquired
Weatherfords Great Yarmouth
headquartered Subsea Controls
subsidiaries earlier this year, will play a
key role in carrying out the work.
They will handle the provision of the
electro-hydraulic multiplex subsea
control systems which provides
the client with the ability to control,
manipulate and monitor their subsea
wells from topside engineering
workstations via market-leading data
and communication systems.
The latest contract awards build on
Proservs high-prole portfolio of clients
and projects, and mirror the companys
global success through contracts with
major operators in other international
provinces including Scandinavia, the USA,
Middle East, Far East and West Africa.
David Lamont, chief executive
ofcer at Proserv, said:
Securing these contract awards
demonstrates Proservs strong
market-leading position and our
track record for delivering value-
added products and services on
time and within budget as well
as our continued investment in
technologies and development of
ingeniously simple solutions for
the next generation.
The contracts also further support our
strategy for continued growth in existing
and new markets, and helps reinforce
our increasingly expanding global
footprint.
Proserv is a market-leading company
which specialises in drilling &
production, subsea technology,
equipment & support services, and
infrastructure services, and operates
worldwide in more than seven regions
and 30 sites including the UK, the USA,
Scandinavia, the Middle East, Far East,
Africa and Australia.
The company has experienced
exceptional growth over the past 12
months particularly in the subsea
services sector. More than 300 members
of Weatherford staff joined Proserv
when the companys subsea controls
subsidiaries were acquired in May
which further strengthened its rapidly-
expanding range of subsea capabilities
and specialist integrated services.
Currently, the subsea industry in the
South West employs approximately
1,000 people directly as well as in jobs
associated with support functions.
Within Dr Foxs constituency, around 700
people work in the industry. The world
market for subsea products is forecast
to double in size in the next ve years,
and Viper Subsea arranged the visit with
Dr Fox MP in order to raise awareness of
the importance of the sector as a future
employer in the region, as well as to
discuss the issues the company faces
in matching that expansion, in particular
that of nding skilled new recruits.
Viper Subsea is a subsea engineering
company that provides consultancy and
manufactures engineering products in
the UK which it sells to the oil and gas
sector worldwide. 90% of its business
is export work and the company is
experiencing rapid expansion, with
50% growth year on year and a record
current order book value for overseas
equipment orders.
Neil Douglas, Managing Director
of Viper Subsea said: In the UK
alone, about 50,000 people are
employed in the industry with over
50% of the revenues resulting from
export sales. The UK is the second
biggest player in the subsea industry
after Norway. However, while the
Norwegian Government has advanced
its progress by investing heavily
in infrastructure and centres of
excellence to encourage skill and
technology development, we have
not reacted so emphatically in the
UK. Recruitment is becoming a major
issue for the subsea industry in the
UK, and given the number of jobs we
can create both here in the South West
and UK wide I believe the Government
needs to follow the Norwegian
approach and invest heavily in skills
development, otherwise we risk having
to buy in skills from overseas, or even
outsourcing to overseas companies in
order to full our orders.
Dr Fox said he believed the
government can create the conditions
in which markets grow rather than
shepherding a market. He said:
Where you have a centre of
excellence already developing as
a result of the skills and market
share, it makes sense for the
government to encourage and
safeguard those.
The industry is concerned that the UKs
current reputation and prole in the
overseas market will rapidly erode in
the face of foreign competition unless
government policy actively supports
training and visibility of the industry.
The most critical challenge for the
industry will be recruitment - the industry
body Subsea UK has announced that
its members expect to have 10,000
vacancies over the coming year. The call
is for facilities to be swiftly established,
for both the current generation of
scholars and engineers from other
specialist elds in declining industries, to
be trained in the skills required by the oil
& gas industry, in particular offshore and
subsea technology.
Proserv Seals Double Subsea
Contracts Win
BUSINESS
Proserv Technician carries out essential maintenance
Subsea UK News | September 2012 7
Dr Liam Fox MP has backed a call by Viper
Subsea for the Government to promote the
skills and enterprise of subsea technology
skills in the South West on his next overseas
visit. The MP for North Somerset voiced
his support while visiting Viper Subseas
headquarters in Portishead recently.
J P Kenny Awarded Multiyear North Sea Subsea Engineering
Service Agreement by Apache
Wood Group Kennys subsea and pipeline business,
J P Kenny, has recently been awarded a $7.5 million
contract by Apache North Sea Limited to provide
subsea engineering services. The contract runs
initially for three years with further options beyond
this timescale.
The agreement covers all of Apaches North Sea assets,
including the Forties complex and the recently acquired Beryl
complex. J P Kenny has in place a dedicated core team to
support the various Apache projects. Multi-discipline teams
will be available to support the diverse scopes of work to be
executed, with an emphasis on responding to customer lead
times while delivering quality services.

Bob MacDonald, Operations Director for J P Kenny
said: This is a signicant contract for J P Kenny and
we are excited to actively support Apache with their
on-going operations, as well as their growth in the
North Sea.
Mark Richardson, Apache Projects Group Manager said:
Apache has a wide range of projects that we wish to progress
in the near future. This contract is focused on the delivery of
these projects to help our expansion in the North Sea.
Neil Douglas (left) of Viper Subsea with Dr Liam Fox MP (right)
South West Subsea
Industry Gains
Political Support
BUSINESS
Prospect is an engineering
solutions provider to the
worldwide energy industries
Prospect provides integrated, multi-disciplinary
engineering design and analysis consultancy
services.
Whether your business requires expert advice
on flow assurance, process separation, pipeline
installation, VIV analysis on a riser or design of a
work-over unit, Prospect can deliver added value
engineering solutions through industry leading
design, analysis and project management services.
Prospects service capabilities include:
- Structural engineering & design
- Mechanical engineering & design
- Installation engineering
- Subsea engineering
- Computational fluid dynamics
- Marine dynamics
- FEA analysis
www.prospect-fs.com
energy engineering
Aberdeen Derby Houston Singapore
T: +44 (0)1224 651831
E: info@prospect-fs.com
energy engineering
Caley Davits for Irish Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel
Offshore handling systems specialist, Caley Ocean Systems, has been awarded
a contract by Babcock, to supply rescue boat davits for a new offshore patrol
vessel for the Irish Naval Service (INS).
The all-weather Caley davits are designed for
rapid deployment, enabling boats to be held
in readiness and launched in seconds, even in
Sea State 6 (5 metre (16ft) signicant waves)
conditions. Crew safety is paramount to the
davits handling system which features anti-
pendulation control for pitch and roll damping
and reduction of pendulum swing. During
boat recovery, the towing boom positions
the boat under the davit, eliminating boat
yaw, while light auto tension winch control
eliminates snatching during recovery.
The Caley systems for the INS patrol vessel
comprise two C-frame davits with associated
towing booms, central hydraulic power units
and controls. Each C-frame davit is designed
to perform the launch and recovery of a rigid
inatable boat weighing up to a 4.5Te SWL.
Stored in the davits integral secure stowage
boat cradle, launch and recovery operations
are controlled from a single control station,
mounted aft of the davit, allowing the
operator a clear view of the davit boat and
towing boom.
Caley davits are already used on a number of
Irish Naval Service ships including: the Roisin
class offshore patrol vessels Long Eirennach
(Irish Ship) Risn and LE Niamh, and offshore
/ helicopter patrol vessel LE Eithne.
With over 200 systems
in operation, and 15
years continuous
product development,
the award winning
Caley Davit is able to
handle all leading rigid
inatable rescue boats
and work boats, and
guaranteed for sea-state
6 operation in most
applications.
Apollo Lands SE
Funding for BSi
Accreditation
Initiative
Engineering design and analysis
service company Apollo Offshore
Engineering has recently been
awarded a Scottish Enterprise (SE)
grant that will enable the rapidly
growing outt to implement a
BSi PAS 99:2006 accredited IMS
(integrated management system)
by December this year.
The grant, believed to be the largest
awarded by Scottish Enterprise to an
SME for quality management system
development, demonstrates SEs
condence in Apollos growth to date, its
future plans and ability to add value to the
investment.
Apollo currently works to ISO 9001:2008
quality management standards but aims to
improve its supply chain competitiveness
by implementing an integrated
management system that goes beyond
quality management to encompass
technical competence, health and
safety and environmental management
procedures. BSi PAS 99:2006 is an
internationally recognised IMS (integrated
management system) that will enable
Apollo to demonstrate compliance with all
elements of ISO 9001:2008, BS OHSAS
18001:2007 and ISO 14001:2004 to the
purchasing community.
Operations Director Ryan
Menzies said: Apollos
engineering resource
has grown by more than
300% this last year and
the implementation of a
BSi accredited IMS at this
stage in our development
will improve business focus
through efciency, improved
communication, reduced
duplication and removal of
system conict.
Bowtech Complete 1million
Contract with SMD and i-Tech
Bowtech Products Ltd (Bowtech) has shipped the
29th vision system to SMD for use on their QX-Ultra
work class ROVs. To date, this has been the largest
single contract for vision systems for use on ROVs
awarded to Bowtech.
The QX-Ultra work class ROVs were commissioned by i-Tech
(division of Subsea 7). For each ROV, Bowtech supplied a
Surveyor colour zoom camera, an Explorer low light level,
high resolution monochrome camera, an L3C-L miniature high resolution colour camera, an LCC
miniature high resolution monochrome camera, eight LED-3200-AC lamps and an ST3K xenon
strobe. The cameras, lights and strobes were chosen after exhaustive tests, extended use and
feedback of similar equipment already extensively used by i-Tech and Subsea 7.
To complement the vision system order, i-Tech also ordered their bespoke QX-Ultra work class
ROVs to be tted with Seacon 55 underwater connectors. Bowtech are an exclusive agent for
Seacon Europe who manufactures these connectors at their Great Yarmouth base. Seacon
55 connectors were chosen by i-Tech because of their improved quality and reliability over
traditionally used ROV connectors manufactured overseas.
Mike Winstanley, Sales Director said: Bowtech is extremely proud to have been able to partner
with SMD and i-Tech 7, who are both long-term customers, on this highly prestigious project.
i-Tech selected Bowtech against strong competition to supply the main cameras for their ROV
eet, following exhaustive trails on-board the Transocean Rather Semi-Submersible rig, whilst
operating in the North Sea for BP in 2008.
Working close with SMD has forged an even better relationship between our respective teams
and we look forward to this relationship ourishing further.
SMD is one of the worlds leading manufacturers of remote intervention equipment. They engineer
and build the worlds largest range of work-class subsea remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and
specialist trenching, cable lay and burial vehicles.
Carbon Invests in Aberdeen
With the UK economy once again ofcially in
recession, it is reassuring to know that areas of
the country are still thriving. Aberdeen and its ever
expanding business community is just such a case.
With an increasing number of business
start-ups and a growing pool of highly-
skilled residents, Aberdeen is well placed
to aid in the recovery of the UKs struggling
economy. Indeed, this combination has
contributed to the city being named as one
of ve cities best placed to aid the UKs
economic recovery. Alongside Edinburgh,
Cambridge, Milton Keynes and London in
The Cities Outlook 2012 survey, Aberdeen
has the added advantages of strong
growth in both the technology and energy
industries as well as a rst-class network of
professional services companies to support
these sectors.
Commenting on the strength of the
Aberdeen economy and the opportunities
this presents to businesses, Gordon Wilson,
managing director of Carbon Financial
Partners, one of Scotlands leading nancial
planning rms, said: Aberdeen presents
a fantastic opportunity for many growing
businesses at this time and were grasping
it with both hands. But we want to invest in
opportunities as well as taking them, thats
why weve
opened our permanent ofce here and
recruited more nancial experts to our team
to continue to develop and strengthen our
offering.
Carbons desire to work more closely with
the energy sector can be evidenced by the
rm becoming an Associate Member of
Subsea UK and having recently attended
OTC in Houston for the second time.
Barry ONeill, Investment Director at Carbon
Financial Partners, believes that having a
strong web of support businesses around
an industry is crucial for success, but that
ultimately it is individuals that drive things
forward. All successful businesses need a
support network of other businesses, be it
lawyers, accountants, nancial planners or
recruitment consultants. Knowing you have
a range of experts close at hand is vital to
developing a businesss condence to grow.
But it shouldnt be forgotten that the key
individuals within those businesses need a
similar network.
BUSINESS
Subsea UK News | September 2012 9
SKILLS
10 Subsea UK News | September 2012
Training Powerhouse
Hydratights expertise in joint integrity is making the company the go-to
powerhouse in training.
Since the courses were introduced at the
end of 2011, hundreds of trainees have
undertaken the companys new ECITB-
approved training courses in mechanical
joint integrity. Hydratights three centres
also delivered over 50% of the technical
testing involved in the revised courses.
The ECITBs new Mechanical Joint
Integrity (MJI) courses were devised
to update materials, standards and
methods, and came into effect in October
2011.
The major uptake followed Step Change
in Safetys call for new qualication
standards. Step Change and the ECITB
developed new courses and tests as
part of an industry-wide drive to reduce
hydrocarbon leakage by 50%.
Step Change backed up its call by
publishing new guidelines, Mechanical
Joint Integrity The Route to
Competence Guidance, ofcially released
- and a major discussion point - at
the Step Change hydrocarbon release
seminar in March.
Hydratights joint-integrity experts
contributed signicantly to the
formulation of the new courses, as
key members of the Step Change/
ECITB review committee. The company
fully revised its own course materials,
procedures, equipment and training rigs
to meet the new standards in advance
and the rst recruits were able to
undertake the new courses within a week
of their introduction.
The pressure on companies
to do the job right rst time
and make a major impact on
hydrocarbon leaks has never
been greater, said Hydratights
technical competency leader,
Jason Barnard.
Step Change and the ECITB wanted
to bring the courses right up to date to
make sure trainees were getting the best
possible information, and we were happy
to be involved because or our expertise in
leak reduction and joint integrity. We are
very pleased the new courses are proving
up to the task they have been set and are
increasing competency standards.
Hydratights three training academies
are all ECITB and MJI approved training
and test centres, with expert trainers and
examiners at each centre. The company
has offered ECITB bolting courses since
1994 and has trained thousands of
newcomers to the industry.
The new technical standards - MJI10,
18 and 19 - replace the former ECITB
TECSkills PF10, PF18 and PF19 units
and cover hand- and hydraulic-torqued
bolted connections; hydraulically-
tensioned bolted connections, and
the general dismantling, assembly
and tightening of bolted connections
respectively.
Modus Seabed Intervention Helps Apprentice Aim
for a Subsea Career
Modus Seabed Intervention, one of the North Easts leading subsea specialist companies, has teamed up with The TTE
Technical Training Group to initiate an apprenticeship training programme to aid teenagers in their path towards full-time
employment.
Following an initial two years with TTE, 18-year-old Michael Gregory,
from Teesville, Middlesbrough, has joined Darlington-based Modus
as an Apprentice Electrical Technician.
He will spend the following two years completing his apprenticeship,
working on the rebuilding and maintenance of Modus eet of remote
operated vehicles (ROVs) and associated equipment.
Modus ROVs are actively involved in trenching, cable lay and other
subsea operations across the world in the oil and gas, renewable
energy and telecommunications markets.
Michael will gain hands-on experience and learning at Modus
riverside facility on the banks of the River Tees and, during term time,
will spend day release at Redcar & Cleveland College.
Mick Beezer, operations manager at Modus, said: Developing the
skills of young people in this industry, particularly with regard to the
renewable energy sector, is a vital role of any company involved
in the market. Here in Darlington, with the excellent Darlington
Foundation for Jobs, this industry requirement mirrors the aims and
ambitions of training young people to be the workforce of the future.
Michael said: It is great to be continuing my
apprenticeship with Modus. The rst two years with
TTE Technical Training Group has given me a great
start to my career and now I can continue to gain
experience and skills in the working environment
with Modus.
Steve Grant, managing director of The TTE Technical Training Group
added: Placing an apprentice with a high quality rm such as Modus
is the ideal outcome for any relationship we build with a young
person. The skills requirements of the subsea sector are diverse, as
are the opportunities for a young electrical apprentice, and we hope
Michael goes on to have an exciting and successful career.
GE Oil & Gas recently hosted a customer
and community celebration to mark
the 30th anniversary of the companys
Charleton Road, Montrose facility, which
supplies a wide range of equipment and
services for the offshore oil & gas industry.
Among the dignitaries attending the event were
Mike Weir, Member of Parliament for Angus,
Scotland; David Valentine, head of economic
development at the Angus Council; and several GE
executives including Rod Christie, president and
CEO of Subsea Systems for GE Oil & Gas.
I am pleased to join GE Oil & Gas to help them
celebrate 30 years in Montrose, said Weir. I know
this is a signicant milestone for the business but
also for the local community as the facility has been
key to supporting Scotlands offshore oil and gas
industry. With vital investment, it will continue to
help maintain Scotlands position at the centre of
the global industry in the years to come.
Since it was established 30 years ago, the Montrose
facility has supported both the international and
Scotlands offshore oil and gas sector. It has been a
key manufacturing center for a wide portfolio of GE
Oil & Gas equipment including marine riser systems
and subsea tree and wellhead systems.
The Montrose facility has enjoyed
a long history of success and
achievement in the offshore industry,
said Christie. That tradition will
continue as we move forward with
new and innovative technologies
to help our customers meet the
challenges of safely and reliably
bringing offshore oil and gas reserves
to the world.
The original plant was founded by Hughes
Offshore in 1982, and operations were merged
with Vetco Gray in 1986. The group was acquired
by ABB in 1991 and became ABB Vetco Gray.
The ABB Vetco Gray oil and gas business was
acquired by a private equity syndicate in 2004
and it became Vetco International. GE acquired
the business in February 2007 and today, the
Montrose facility manufactures and repairs the
full range of Vetco Gray equipment. Currently,
200 people are employed at the Montrose site.
Aberdeen-based subsea installation contractor Bibby Offshore is leading the way in
saturation diving safety in the North Sea after recently carrying out fully successful
evacuation trials.
The trials involved mating a Self Propelled
Hyperbaric Lifeboat (SPHL) from the companys
Diving Support Vessel (DSV), Bibby Sapphire, to a
Portable Hyperbaric Reception Facility onshore.
Saturation diving requires divers to live in a
conned area on the vessel that has a controlled
atmosphere. This allows them to work at depths of
up to 300 metres below sea level. However, it can
take up to seven days for the divers to decompress
to normal atmospheric conditions. In the case of an
emergency, such as a re or sinking ship, the divers
need to be transferred to the SPHL, which would
then be launched from the ship and sailed to safety,
awaiting rescue.
The Portable Hyperbaric Reception Facility, built
by Mimir Marine, is a shore based point that allows
saturation divers to be transferred from a SPHL
to a more comfortable living area, pre-set at the
correct atmospheric level, where they can continue
to decompress safely. It also allows a medic or
doctor to be in
situ, capable
of treating any
divers that
may require
further medical
attention.
Barry Porter, Bibby Offshores global diving
operations manager, said: Bibby Offshore is
determined to ensure that we have the best
possible facilities for dealing with any diving
emergencies. The success of the trial clearly shows
our commitment to ensuring that, not only are we
investing in state of the art equipment, but more
importantly, that we document the processes and
procedures we would follow in an emergency as
proven.
The trials have been commended by diving
authorities from two major global oil and gas
operators.
Derek Beddows, BP global diving technical
authority, was invited by Bibby to the trials. He said:
It is very encouraging to see Bibby Offshore now
moving forward positively with this very important
safety initiative that would be essential to the
preservation of life in the event that divers ever
had to be evacuated from saturation on a vessel in
distress.
It is also very satisfying to note that BPs own
Policy Statement 002,Effective Hyperbaric
Evacuation, SPHL Transit and Diver Reception
Facilities, is now being widely recognised and
complied with across the industry after little more
than a year since its release.
Bibby Offshore Receives Praise After Successfully
Completing Hyperbaric Rescue Trials
ACHIEVEMENT / SAFETY
Subsea UK News | September 2012 11
Matrix Listed in
Forbes Asias
Best Under a
Billion
Matrix Composites &
Engineering has been
ranked in the prestigious
annual Forbes list for Asias
200 Best under a Billion.
To be considered, companies
must generate annual revenue
between $5 million and $1 billion
(US), have positive net income
and have been publicly traded
for at least a year. From a total of
15,000 eligible companies across
the Asia Pacic region, Forbes
ranked the companies based on
sales growth, earnings growth
and return on equity in the past
12 months and over three years.
Sales of this years SMEs from 15
countries grew an average 48%
from last year and generated $47
billion in revenue while employing
over 370,000 people.
Top: Distributed Buoyancy Module
Middle: Composite Drilling &
Completions Centraliser
Bottom: VersaSlab
GE Oil & Gas Celebrates 30th
Anniversary of its Montrose Facility
Helix Well Ops UK
Takes Three-Year Charter
Of Skandi Constructor
Aberdeen-based Helix Well Ops UK (Well Ops), a business unit of
international offshore energy company Helix Energy Solutions Group
(Helix ESG), is expanding its Europe and Africa well intervention eet
with an investment that will create 60 jobs.
A leading global provider of subsea well
intervention, Well Ops will take control
of the mono-hull well intervention
vessel Skandi Constructor in spring
2013, after agreeing a three-year
charter with DOF Subsea.
The move to strengthen Well Ops
regional eet, which currently includes
the 132-metre (433ft) long Well
Enhancer and the 114-metre (374ft) long
MSV Seawell, will lead to the creation
of approximately 50 jobs offshore and
a further 10 onshore over the next
nine months. At the moment the rm
employs 70 staff in Aberdeen and a
further 300 offshore.
Launched in 2009, Skandi Constructor is
a 120-metre (393ft) long Ulstein SX121
DP3 mono-hull well intervention vessel
that features the new X-bow design.
The 8,500-tonne vessel accommodates
up to 100 personnel and is capable
of working in depths of up to 3,000
metres (9,842ft). It has a deck capacity
of 1,470 square metres (15,822 sq ft)
and features an 8m x 8m (27ft x 27ft)
moon-pool, a 150-tonne crane, a
multi-purpose tower with 140-tonne lift
capability and two work class ROVs.
Well Ops will build and test, ready for
use, a specially designed version of its
7 subsea intervention lubricator (SIL)
to enable subsea well interventions to
be undertaken from Skandi Constructor.
The SIL is a single trip well intervention
system that provides well access, while
managing containment when the well
is live and under pressure. The SIL is
congured to undertake work through
all types of subsea christmas trees.
The vessel and SIL will allow Well Ops
to provide its regional clients with a
solution for deeper water wells and well
interventions, which to date has been
limited within the mono-hull vessel
market.
Steve Nairn, Well Ops regional
vice president of Europe and
Africa, said: Well Ops is
extremely proud to announce
the addition of a third vessel to
our eet and it underlines our
commitment to providing well
intervention services. Skandi
Constructor strengthens our
offering internationally and
expands our well intervention
service capability.
GROWTH GROWTH
Subsea UK News | September 2012 13
EPC Offshore Doubles
Turnover for Third
Consecutive Year
Rapidly growing oil and gas project
management contractor EPC Offshore
has marked the close of its third year
in business by doubling its turnover
for the third consecutive year.
Since its inception in July 2009 the Aberdeen-
headquartered company, which assists
oil and gas rms in turning development
opportunities into commercially successful
assets, has consistently exceeded its year-
on-year growth targets.
Turnover has grown from 3million in 2009/10
to 12million at the close of the current
nancial year.
Chief executive ofcer Keith Wallace said:
We are very pleased with the companys
achievements delivering projects and value
for our clients. We have built a world class
team and secured a clutch of highly valued
clients all with tremendous development
assets. Our success has been rmly founded
on our team commitment and the ethos that
our clients goals are our goals.
Our focus is to continue delivering value
for our customers and opportunity for our
employees and we are looking to strengthen
our corporate team going forward so we can
rise to bigger challenges in the future.
Based in Albyn Terrace, EPC Offshore works
with exploration and production companies
to project manage projects to sanction
and nal delivery. It uses a comprehensive
and structured set of principles to achieve
maximum project value, optimum resource
utilisation and quality assurance. Key areas
of expertise are in Floating Production and
Subsea facilities.
Employee numbers
have grown during
the last three years
to 75 full time staff
based both at EPCs
ofce in Aberdeen
as well as at a base
in the south-east of
England.
From left to right: Martin OCarroll,
Neil Gordon & Kevin McBarron
UTEC Opens New Regional HQ
in Aberdeen, Scotland
UTEC has reinforced its presence in Scotland with the
opening of new regional headquarters in Aberdeen.
The purpose tted building comprises over 3000 sq. ft. of modular
ofce accommodation and 4000 sq. ft. of workshop/warehouse space,
enabling further development of the range of services available to
clients at home and overseas.
UTECs Aberdeen base provides services in the North Sea and West
Africa and supports operations in the Mediterranean and North Africa
in conjunction with the companys Naples ofce.
UTEC expects revenues from Europe and African operations to more
than double during 2012, which in turn has led to a 60% increase in staff.
This facility supports UTECs vision for the region which includes
additional growth of our core capabilities; construction support, AUV,
geophysical and geotechnical services, says Kevin McBarron, UTECs
Aberdeen-based Managing Director.
This new building also provides our valuable staff
with a safe, comfortable working environment
including a dedicated training facility providing
more in-house training.
UTEC is one of the worlds largest independent offshore survey
companies providing a wide range of survey services including
offshore positioning and construction support, geophysical and AUV
surveys, dimensional control surveys, laser scanning and modeling
and geotechnical sampling. UTEC has ofces located around the
world including: Houston, Aberdeen, Rio de Janeiro, Calgary, Perth,
Singapore, St. Johns, Naples and Dubai.
12 Subsea UK News | September 2012
Tritech North America Open for Business
Underwater technology specialist Tritech is expanding its global reach with a new ofce
in Houston, Texas.
Tritech North America will focus on developing new opportunities in the North American region and
establishing closer working relationships with its OEM partners and customers. Opening in the companys
21st year in business, Tritech North America now offers full Sales & Customer Support Services in the
region, complementing the Tritechs UK ofce in Westhill, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Maurice Fraser has
been appointed President of Tritech North America and will lead the operation.
Maurice Fraser comments: This is a very exciting venture for Tritech which has been in
development for the last 12 months. I have been encouraged by the positive feedback and support
that this new initiative has received from all of our customers and business partners, as we aim
to develop new opportunities for our business in North America. In collaboration with both our
distributors and partners in the USA, a local presence will allow us to provide improved support to
our customers across the region.
Simon Beswick, Managing Director, Tritech, comments: Establishing our rst overseas ofce is
an important step for Tritech. The North American region is already the largest of our overseas
markets and we recognise the need to invest in further support and development of our key
customer relationships. We have seen many of our customers adopt an increasingly global
approach to their businesses and our new ofce will seek to reect this.
Keith Wallace,
CEO, EPC
Offshore
Maurice Fraser,
President of Tritech North America
Lack of middel
The Johan Sverdrup oil field is located
about 140 kilometres west of Stavanger, Norway.
1.7-3.3
billion
barrels
of estimated
recoverable
oil.
FEATURE ARTICLE
The global subsea market is said to be increasing rapidly with some pretty high growth predictions.
Can you give us an overview and which particular regions of the world are seen as high growth areas
for the subsea sector?
The oil and gas industry, particularly the subsea sector, is a dynamic industry. If we look at the ve year forecast (2012-2016) for the
subsea sector we are seeing Western Africa, Latin America and the Lower Tertiary section of the Gulf of Mexico as key regions of growth
on the back of increasing deepwater activities.
For the offshore industry as a whole, Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, India and China) and Europe (UK and Norway) can be included in this.
Global Capex over the next ve years will be around $589billion for the offshore industry with around $260billion committed to the SURF
market segment (Subsea Umbilicals Risers Flowlines).
With Brazil attracting much focus when
it overtook the UK to become ranked
6th in the world for GDP, what is the oil &
gas and in particular the subsea market
outlook for the area?
Brazil will have a lot of growth over the next
ve years, particularly with the pre-salt
basin. Capex over ve years is looking to
be around $85billion, the largest in Latin
America.
Brazil is one of the largest countries we
track; its oil and gas activity is dominated
by national oil company Petrobras.
In 2007, Brazil had approximately 20billion
recoverable barrels of oil; after the pre-
salt discoveries, the estimate increased
to 50billion barrels. This puts Brazil just
outside the list of top 10 global producers
in number 11.
We would expect Brazil to break into the
top 5 producers by 2020.
There are many issues surrounding
the local supply chain, the lack of local
qualied staff and the strong local content
laws that can cause delays and lead to
signicant increases in production costs.
This can be a discouraging process for
foreign companies looking to set shop in
the country.
As an example of the overheated supply
chain, Aker Solutions earnings suffered
recently, since delivery delays during
2011 cost the company US$87 million
in compensation. This accounted for
almost 20% of the third tranche contract
value that Petrobras awarded
to Aker Solutions in 2011.
More important than the
manufacturers specic
Brazilian facility issues is the
fact that capacity in Brazil
is expected to be stretched
for the three biggest subsea
manufacturers there -
Cameron, FMC and Aker
Solutions. As a result,
Petrobras might reduce its
recent contracting speed
in order to account for
manufacturers capacity constraints.
It is not so easy to do business in Brazil as
it is in some other parts of the world.
Although Brazil is increasingly signicant,
West Africa is also shaping to become a
major region for subsea activities, with
Angola, Nigeria and Ghana production
over the next ve years projected to grow.
East Africa has the potential to become
a signicant region on the back of recent
gas discoveries in Mozambique and
Tanzania.
Asia Pacic is a very large geographical
region, which countries feature high in
subsea opportunities?
The fastest Capex growth in terms of
CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) is
strongest in Australasia, by which I mean
Australia, Papua New Guinea and New
Zealand. Australian capital expenditure
growth is predominantly for LNG (liqueed
natural gas) eld developments especially
as demand grows from the increasing
need of energy from its neighbour Asia.
In South East Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia,
China and India all feature highly in
subsea opportunities. Chinese activity
is particularly high especially with the
expected growth of deepwater activities
with national oil company CNOOC,
predicting production growth of 1 million
barrels per day by 2020 from deepwater
elds (water depth above 500m).
Are there any centres (hubs) around
the world where the deep-water
opportunities will focus highly?
Globally Houston and Aberdeen are
still the recognised general hubs, with
Stavanger arguably the third. Deepwater
opportunities are on the increase here but
West Africa holds the greatest potential
in the short to medium-term.
Singapore and Kuala Lumpur for
fabrication yards, vessels and general
subsea activity, pave the way in Asia.
Perth in Western Australia is also a
growing deepwater hub, especially for
LNG projects.
With the UK Government beginning to look more favourably towards the oil & gas
industry, are we seeing condence and investment for subsea projects?
Last budget (2012) was encouraging
for UKCS, mostly towards the
decommissioning market
segment. Under the new
rule, effective in 2013, the
government will contractually
conrm tax relief to operators
for decommissioned assets,
clearing the smoke of
uncertainty from the previous
tax structure. Under this new
structure, the UK government is hoping
to encourage investments towards the
decommissioning supply chain which
has been struggling to blossom due to
high oil prices (amongst other reasons)
over the last couple of years.
The year before the outcry on
tax made a real difference
to the way government
thinks about the
industry. Following that
budget some marginal
eld developments
were put on hold
as the increase of
supplementary charge
from 20% to 32% made
the differences for some oil and
gas operators. Because of the potential
impact on employment levels the
government took notice and somehow
adjusted its reforms towards the oil and
gas industry in 2012.
The oil and gas industry is big and
for the government, it is crucial
to nd the right balance
between support and
benets. Government
needs to reap the rewards
of such a buoyant
industry but not step on
toes of the offshore oil and
gas industry in the process.
I would denitely say there is a lot
of condence in the industry, Aberdeen
in particular has its own bubble; the
mood is dynamic, busy but it is severely
understaffed for experienced staff. Most
of the engineering companies I talk to are
at a 40 50% stafng decit compared to
the current level of project opportunities.
There is also a real issue with workforce
age; we have older workers and young
trainees, but nothing in the middle.
These are the types of issue it is vital
Government lends its support to.


Norway is one of the closest countries
to the UK with a signicant oil & gas
industry, should UK business be
giving some focus to the opportunities
emerging here?
Yes, Norway should denitely be a focus
for UK companies as there is a wealth
of opportunities. Statoil last year found
a giant oileld, called Johan Sverdrup,
which has between 1.7 and 3.3 billion
barrels of estimated recoverable oil.
Norways deepwater sector is growing, it
is important for UK companies to have a
presence here and doing business in this
stable country is easier than breaking
into some of the newer markets globally.
Going forward the industry looks strong
globally. If we look at economic events
worldwide, the Eurozone crisis for
example, the oil and gas industry is
unusual in that it is going from
strength to strength. Aberdeen
as a hub has one of the
lowest unemployment
rates in Europe, and the
global subsea outlook
is strong despite
macr oeconomi c
concerns.
An Interview with Kader Dicko,
Senior Analyst Business Strategy and Analysis, Ineld
GLOBAL BUSINESS
Inelds Subsea Market Report to 2016 is devoted to the global subsea oil and gas market and provides in-depth
analysis of trends, issues, forecasts and technological developments. For more information visit www.ineld.com
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
USA
CHINA
JAPAN
GERMANY
FRANCE
BRAZIL
UK
ITALY
$15.09m
40-50%
experienced
staff deficit
1million
China
to produce
barrels per day
by 2020 from
deepwater
fields
$7.29m
$5.86m
$3.57m
$2.77m
$2.49m
$2.41m
$2.19m
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
USA
CHINA
JAPAN
GERMANY
FRANCE
BRAZIL
UK
ITALY
$15.09m
40-50%
experienced
staff deficit
1million
China
to produce
barrels per day
by 2020 from
deepwater
fields
$7.29m
$5.86m
$3.57m
$2.77m
$2.49m
$2.41m
$2.19m
Latin America & West Africa
are shaping up to become key
regions for growth.
Brazil now has
the worlds 6th
largest GDP.
Brazil will be a
top 5 oil producer
by 2020.
Top 8 countries by GDP
Although it is hard to put a timescale on it, the Arctic region will begin
to emerge as a hub for offshore oil and gas activities in the long-term.
Once the industry will be able to overcome technical challenges with
the harsh weather and environment, this region of the world could
potentially reap major benets for the offshore oil and gas industry.
With recent events such as the Fukushima
nuclear plant disaster, many Asian countries
are now looking to decrease their dependence
on nuclear energy with gas becoming an
alternative key source. This increase in growth
has gone hand in hand with a signicant
increase in investment in the region.
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
USA
CHINA
JAPAN
GERMANY
FRANCE
BRAZIL
UK
ITALY
$15.09m
40-50%
experienced
staff deficit
1million
China
to produce
barrels per day
by 2020 from
deepwater
fields
$7.29m
$5.86m
$3.57m
$2.77m
$2.49m
$2.41m
$2.19m
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
USA
CHINA
JAPAN
GERMANY
FRANCE
BRAZIL
UK
ITALY
$15.09m
40-50%
experienced
staff deficit
1million
China
to produce
barrels per day
by 2020 from
deepwater
fields
$7.29m
$5.86m
$3.57m
$2.77m
$2.49m
$2.41m
$2.19m
Lack of middel
The Johan Sverdrup oil field is located
about 140 kilometres west of Stavanger, Norway.
1.7-3.3
billion
barrels
of estimated
recoverable
oil.
GROWTH
Oil and gas engineering group Penspen has opened a new ofce in Mexico City
to expand on its existing bases in Ciudad de Carmen and Comalcalco.
The ofce will be Penspens third location in Mexico.
Penspen has had a strong presence in
Mexico for over 15 years, undertaking
a wide range of integrity, engineering
and project management work. The
new Mexico City ofce will enable the
company to step up its activities in
pipeline maintenance, performance
improvement of existing oil and gas
infrastructure, and training. It will also
conduct techno-economic studies to
support investment decisions regarding
new pipelines and facilities.
Penspens Director of Integrity Services,
Nigel Curson, said:
Our Mexican operations have played
a key role in us obtaining The Queens
Award for Enterprise: International
Trade 2010. With its estimated
681 trillion cubic feet of shale gas
reserves, Mexico represents a wealth
of opportunities for companies like
Penspen which have a strong track
record in oil and gas engineering,
project management and integrity
services. We look forward to further
developing our relations with our
clients in Mexico, as well as expanding
our consultancy services to cover
the full range of engineering, policy
development, improvement of existing
infrastructure, training and knowledge
transfer.
The ofce has already experienced its
rst new award signing a pioneering
$1.2 million contract with a range of
private and public companies and
institutions to develop high level integrity
policies and procedures for Mexican
state-owned oil and gas company
PEMEX. The contract, which is set to last
two years, is the rst to be agreed since
the opening of Penspens new Mexico
City ofce this Summer.
Under the terms of the agreement,
Penspen will:
Assist in the development of a plan for
managing the integrity and reliability
of transmission pipelines, gathering
pipelines, onshore pipelines, offshore
pipelines, storage terminals and
maritime terminals.
Provide training related to pipeline
integrity/risk assessment.
Review the current Mexican norm:
NOM-027-SESH-2010 (Pipeline
Integrity Management Plan).
Input into discussions on best
risk assessment methods, integrity
evaluations, response to evaluations,
and evaluation of compliance.
Penspens Technical Director, Phil
Hopkins, commented:
PEMEX is a major oil and gas
company, and like all majors, they
must constantly seek to improve
both safety and performance.
This project will give PEMEX
the procedures, strategies,
and know-how to achieve
both these goals. Penspens
UK and Mexican teams are all
looking forward to the technical
challenges this project brings,
and working with such a
prestigious group of companies.
New Penspen Ofce in Mexico Signs
$1.2 Million PEMEX Deal
Subsea UK News | September 2012 17
Nigel Curson,
Director of Integrity
Services
Mexico Country Manager, Mauricio Moreno,
in Penspens New Mexico City Offce
CEONA Announces Acquisition of Project
Development International Limited
CEONA announced today completion of the acquisition of Project Development International Limited (PDi). Steve Preston,
Chief Executive Ofcer, stated: We are very pleased to have completed the acquisition of the PDi business. This acquisition
represents a critical part of the CEONA strategy, allowing us to access engineering and project management capabilities to
enhance our offering to the market.
PDi is a project, construction and engineering management services company with a long and proven track record in the subsea construction
market. PDi has approximately 80 people, mainly subsea engineers and project management experts and, alongside existing offshore vessels, will
strengthen CEONAs ability to win and execute business. Primarily based in Aberdeen, PDi will provide the systems, infrastructure and expertise
to grow CEONAs London based engineering team.
Commenting on the developments, Geir Aune, Chairman, stated: This acquisition is a major step forward for CEONA and provides another
building block to CEONAs strategy. It provides critical mass to the key technical capabilities of CEONA alongside the existing and improving
asset base.
Subsea Success
for Ocean Installer
in the UK
The Norwegian subsea entrepreneur Ocean Installer has
experienced great success in the UK market since the opening of
its Aberdeen ofce in May.
Since Ocean Installer and its UK Managing Director, Martin Sisley, opened the
Ocean Installer Aberdeen ofce in May, the subsea entrepreneurs UK based
staff has gone from 2 to 11. By the end of the year, 20-30 people will be based
in Ocean Installer House and by the beginning of 2014, Ocean Installer will
have created approximately 100 jobs in Aberdeen. The establishment and further
development of the Aberdeen ofce is a response to and a catalyst for Ocean
Installers success in the UK sector of the North Sea, Martin Sisley explains.
The UK market is an important area of focus for Ocean Installer. By building an
operational branch that offers full coverage of all our services, we facilitate close
cooperation with current and prospective UK based clients, Sisley said.
Since May, Ocean Installer has experienced rapid progress in the UK subsea
market. The company, who offers the full range of subsea services and
whose core competence is within the SURF (Subsea, Umbilicals, Risers,
Flowlines) segment, has successfully completed two offshore jobs in the UK
sector of the North Sea, whilst three recently secured contracts contribute to
a growing backlog.
Our people are our most important asset, said Sisley. We
have managed to attract highly qualied and motivated staff
who takes great pride in identifying and meeting the needs of
our clients in all aspects of any operation. In combination with
an efcient organisational structure and rst-rate vessels and
equipment, our clients trust, and experience, that we deliver
top-quality services in a safe and timely manner.
SeeByte Opens
San Diego Ofce
SeeByte, the global leader in creating
smart software technology for
unmanned maritime systems, has
announced the opening of a new
ofce in San Diego, USA.
The San Diego ofce will provide a centre for
the companys engineering capabilities in the
USA and serve as a point of contact for all US
customers. The expansion follows the 10th
anniversary of the companys establishment,
celebrating a decade of success in
developing software solutions for military and
commercial customers.
CEO Bob Black commented: The US ofce
is only one of the progressive steps SeeByte
is taking to enable growth and ensure our
team is given the best possible opportunities
and facilities in which to work. By opening an
engineering base in San Diego, we will be in a
position to provide an enhanced service to our
customers and partners in the United States.
GROWTH
Subsea UK News | September 2012 19
Sonomatic
Expands its
Operations
in Aberdeen
Sonomatic, the advanced inspection
and integrity specialist, is celebrating
its record growth in 2011 with the
expansion of its largest operational
base in Aberdeen.
The business achieved a turnover of over 14.7
million in 2011 and has been awarded a record
number of contracts for 2012. In light of these
recent successes, the company has invested
100,000 in expanding its ofces to allow for
an increase in its workforce this autumn.
The new ofce adds 40% more space onto
the existing 4000sq ft. It includes additional
ofce space for Sonomatics growing
integrity and advanced analysis team and
a purpose-built demonstration area, which
will be utilised for staff training and Open
Days. This permanent feature will display the
companys full capabilities including its range
of subsea, topside and splash zone inspection
tools. Sonomatic continues to develop new
NDT technologies and plans to use the
demonstration area to train new recruits on
joining its experienced technical team.
In March, the company employed three new
staff members, taking its current total to 18,
and will employ a further ve members of
staff by the end of 2012. Graham Marshall
and Scott Bulloch will play key roles at
Sonomatic, as the subsea and topside project
managers respectively.
Graham, who will be handling all subsea
projects, said: I am delighted to be appointed
Subsea Project Manager and am looking
forward to developing strong working
relationships with all of our clients.
2012 is an exciting year of expansion at
Sonomatic, as we continue to develop new
and more effective ways of completing
NDT for the subsea market. Our newest
technology, the Mag Rover, a fully automated
steerable scanner, has been engaged on
several projects over the next few months
and our ROV deployed inspection scanner is
frequently in use.

Topside project manager, Scott
Bulloch said, Our Non-Intrusive
Inspection technology reduces
costs and maintains efciency for
our clients. We are committed to
developing bespoke inspection
and software technology for our
clients topside projects.
John Lilley, Managing Director, said,
Expanding our largest operational base in
Aberdeen will enable us to grow the company
further and increase our capabilities with
continued focus on outstanding service to
clients.
Sonomatics Craig Cavana carries out maintenance on a CSI scanner (Photo courtesy of the Press and Journal)
Online Electronics Limited Reports Company Growth
Online Electronics Group has grown progressively since its formation in 1996. Over the past year numbers
employed have increased by 25% to a current staff base of over 50 personnel engaged in international operations.
Online Electronics Limited (OEL) the parent company within
the Online Electronics Group operates from the Company
head ofce in Aberdeen. OEL is supported by wholly owned
subsidiaries Online Electronics Asia Pacic Pte Ltd, Singapore,
Online Pipeline Solutions Inc, Houston, Texas, USA and Branch
ofces in Dubai, UAE; Perth, West Australia; and Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. This international network of ofces has enabled the
group to service clients in more than 70 countries positioning the
business as a world leader in their eld.
OEL specialise in the design and manufacture of pipeline
pig monitoring equipment and high-tech pipeline data
communication and logging systems. Products incorporate
acoustic, electromagnetic, magnetic and ultrasound
technologies covering subsea and land applications. The
companys innovative approach to pig monitoring, through
pipe wall communications, data logging and data transfer in
pipeline applications has seen the introduction of breakthrough
technologies including ATEX compliant products. The company
has a strong track record in bespoke product design for clients;
many becoming part of the companys range of standard
products. Products can be purchased or hired from stock held
at its international locations offering fast customer response.
In 2012 a high priority was given to investment in additional
personnel in our R&D department increasing capacity to
design and provide new cutting edge technologies to meet the
demands of the pipeline industry.
2012 has also been a milestone year for the group with the
formation of subsidiary company Online Valves Ltd (OVL)
headed by Dave Sim, who has a 12 year track record in the
pipeline valve and components sector. OVL is a specialist valves
business based operating from the Groups Aberdeen HQ. OVL
offers a fast response and quick delivery of pipeline valves
and associated products to the oil and gas and petrochemical
industries worldwide. OVL and OEL share a very similar client
base and the international market reach of the group has helped
the business get off to a ying start.
18 Subsea UK News | September 2012
GROWTH
GROWTH GROWTH
NORTH SEA REPORTER
News & Analysis Keeping you informed
North Sea Reporter is an established and respected weekly upstream
oil and gas publication produced by KL Energy Publishing Ltd.
Subscribers to NSR include leading oil companies, rig contractors, a wide range of service sector
companies, government departments and members of the investment community.
North Sea Reporter will keep you informed of all key news
and upstream activity in the North Sea region with particular
focus on the rig market, drilling and construction. Regular
weekly coverage includes:-
Rig Market - contract, dayrate and utilisation data
(North Sea, Mediterranean & West Africa)
Drilling a weekly round-up of all North Sea drilling activity
Construction and engineering
Field development and production
Contract awards & Company news
Data in tabular format detailing industry activity
(rig market, drilling, construction)
Mediterranean & Africa briefng
North Sea Reporter is available via annual subscription and
emailed direct to subscribers (PDF). For a sample copy, or to
enquire about subscription, please contact one of the Directors
(left) or alternatively visit www.klenergypublishing.com
John Kendall
john.kendall@klenergypublishing.com
Meg Leitch
meg.leitch@klenergypublishing.com
NorthSeaReporter-AD-210x148-v2.indd 1 13/08/2012 09:40
Subsea UK News | September 2012 21
GE Signs Agreement to Acquire Naxys
GE has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Naxys, a provider of subsea leak detection and
condition monitoring sensors based on passive acoustic technology. The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory
approval and other customary closing conditions, further expands GEs monitoring and sensing solutions and will be part
of the companys Measurement & Control business. This deal is another step towards a stronger GE presence in Norway.
Headquartered in Bergen, Norway, Naxys employs 31 people.
Through its commitment to innovation, Naxys
has developed world-class sensor expertise and
technology that ts well with GEs culture and
capabilities, said Brian Palmer, president and CEO
of GE Measurement & Control and vice president of
GE Energy. By combining talent and know-how, we
are developing a strategy that will capitalise on both
companies existing expertise.
The addition of Naxys will expand GEs sensing and condition
monitoring offerings and extend its reach into the subsea space for
energy customers around the world. GEs global presence will allow
Naxys to introduce its solutions to a worldwide customer base, said
Jens Abrahamsen, CEO of Naxys. While very different in scale, these
two companies both bring outstanding innovation to bear.
Naxys develops and supplies leak detection and condition monitoring
sensors based on proprietary, passive acoustic hydrophone
technology. The design of the sensing element enables extremely
sensitive and accurate measurement of subsea acoustics.
Naxys products allow operators to monitor the
integrity of their subsea installations.
In August, GEs Measurement & Control business acquired PRESENS,
a provider of pressure, temperature and ow measurement solutions
for efcient operation of subsea equipment. GEs Measurement &
Control business is based in the greater Boston area. It is a leading
innovator in sensor-based measurement, inspection, asset condition
monitoring, controls and radiation measurement solutions that deliver
accuracy, productivity and safety to customers in a wide range of
industries, including oil and gas, power generation, aerospace,
transportation and healthcare. The business is part of GE Oil & Gas
and has more than 40 facilities in 25 countries worldwide.
Major Funding Boosts of 8 million
for Subsea Firm ROVOP
A rapidly evolving and award winning
new subsea business has secured
60,000 in public sector funding to
support its business growth and
expansion overseas.
The cash boost from Scottish Enterprise and
Scottish Development International will help
ROVOP, based in Westhill, Aberdeenshire, to
both explore international business growth
opportunities and undertake business
improvement activities. Specically, the
money will allow the hiring of a manager
for international business development
opportunities.
This latest support comes hot on the heels
of the nations nance minister John Swinney
announcing an investment from the Scottish
Loan Fund (SLF) of 1.6 million to the
company, with an option to drawdown up to
5 million in total.
Added to that, ROVOP has secured 3m of
other funding, including signicant support
from RBS. The total of 8m of nance allows
the company to deliver on the rst stage of its
growth plan.
ROVOP specialises in the supply of state of
the art Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs)
solutions to the offshore oil & gas and
renewable industries, where its unmanned
submarines are used to complete tasks and
gather information underwater.
Operating in a niche area, the business
provides rst-class equipment and pilot
technicians to ensure ROV projects are
delivered safely and efciently. ROVOP is
unique in that it is 100% focused on ROV
services and therefore provides genuine
expert capability.
The position of manager for international
business has been established with a view to
securing the companys growth in developing
energy regions while making further progress
in the ever expanding offshore wind market.
SLF funding will enable ROVOP to acquire
additional ROVs to meet the growing demand
that has seen the business secure long-term
contracts with major marine contractors.
The SLF was established by the Scottish
Investment Bank, a division of Scottish
Enterprise, to help address a specic funding
gap in the SME market across Scotland, and
is managed by Maven Capital Partners.
Steven Gray, managing director of ROVOP,
said: The support of Scottish Enterprise,
RBS and SLF investment is an endorsement
of ROVOPs signicant growth plans and will
be key to enabling the businesss continued
expansion. This investment allows us to
support clients with new equipment at a time
when they are demanding the responsive and
reliable service that our team can provide.
The focus on international
markets is a vital step for us.
Demand for our products and
expertise continues to grow both
at home and abroad and the
appointment of someone who can
manage our international business
is part of our plan to match our
geographic reach to that of our
international client base.
In less than one year since it began trading,
ROVOPs rapid growth has already seen
the company win Promising New Business
at the 2012 Grampian Awards for Business
Enterprise as well as being named a nalist
for Best New Enterprise at Subsea UKs 2012
Business Awards.
Wilton Engineering
Expanding Capacity in Teesside
To meet the growing demand for subsea construction services now and in the
near future, Wilton Engineering, who currently operate out of the 50 acre Port
Clarence site in Middlesbrough, have taken the lease of additional engineering/
manufacturing site which will signicantly expand their overall capacity.
The new site situated near Hartlepool covers some 10 acres and houses a large
fabrication hall, overhead and mobile cranage, plentiful ofce accommodation and yard
storage space with hard standing.
The facility, located close to the main site at Port Clarence, will give Wilton much more
exibility in terms of project execution and capacity, something which had become a
constraint in recent times with on-going signicant contracts for various oil companies
and offshore contractors.
With the number of new tenders received at an all-time high,
mainly from North Sea clients planning new eld developments,
this additional capacity is much needed and very welcome indeed,
says Wilton Group Business Development Director, Des Hateld.
Especially if we are to maintain our growth in the coming years.
22 Subsea UK News | September 2012
TECHNOLOGY
A joint industry project, SURF IM, that aims to enable an integrated approach to integrity management of
subsea, umbilical, riser and owline (SURF) systems, and develop new best practice guidelines for subsea
integrity management is underway. Wood Group Kenny are leading the project, which has support from 12
of the worlds leading international operators secured with assistance from ITF, the technology facilitator for
the global oil and gas industry. The project is due to be concluded in December 2012.
As the industry evolves towards an
increasing number of deepwater
developments, exploited through remote
and long distance subsea tiebacks and
subsea processing systems, production
will become increasingly reliant on
SURF system integrity. A cost-effective
integrity management strategy has to
dene and implement the optimum
levels of inspection and monitoring
required to reliably assess the systems
integrity, but this can only be achieved
with a good understanding of possible
failure mechanisms and the availability
of appropriate deepwater inspection and
monitoring technology.
Wood Group Kenny director Patrick
OBrien explains: What this project
is working towards is an integrity
management strategy that is
aligned with the pace of
SURF system technology
development and use.
We set out to take
an integrated, life
cycle approach,
and apply a
consistent
methodology,
starting with
a review of
experience
with systems in
operation which includes classication
of failure modes and mechanisms.
SURF IM project manager Adriana
Botto from Wood Group Integrity
Management, a Wood Group Kenny
business, added: We are also reviewing
existing subsea inspection and condition
monitoring technologies as well as those
under development, and identifying
technology needs for detection and
prediction of subsea equipment failures.
Its generally accepted that subsea
inspection technology lags behind
capability for topside and onshore
systems, and this is especially true
when it comes to fault-nding capability
for evident and incipient failures and
non-destructive testing techniques. We
hope that a major benet of this project
will be identication of areas requiring
additional development and provision of
a road map to bridge the gaps between
the current status of technology and the
desired performance specication.
Wood Group Kenny say that the
information gathered will be used to
develop a systematic approach to
mapping failure modes and
mechanisms of all subsea
equipment (subsea structures,
umbilicals, risers, owlines,
christmas trees and subsea
control systems) onto a subsea
integrity management system,
taking the project life cycle from
design to decommissioning into
account, and that this will
enable a more
predictive
and risk-
based,
rather than
reactive,
approach
to integrity
management.
SURF IM: Advancing and Automating Integrity
Management Strategy for Subsea Umbilical Riser
and Flowline (SURF) Systems
Pipe Laying Activities in the North Sea
Flexlife, an oil and gas industry specialist in subsea project and integrity management,
has successfully completed onshore and offshore trials of its Armadillo technology in
Brazil with local operational partner Ocenica Diving Services.
An onshore trial was completed at Ocenicas base in Macae in a diving test tank to conrm the
technologys capability and demonstrate what could be achieved during an offshore trial.
During this initial test the Armadillo was installed onto a section of pipe in the test tank and nitrogen
was then injected into annulus to prove the integrity of the repair.
This was followed by an offshore operational demonstration of the technology on a gas-lift riser on the
P-19 semi-submersible production platform located in the Marlim eld Campos Basin, conducted in
June 2012.
Armadillo was installed at a water depth of approximately 4m, followed by a pressure test of 2.5bar in
the annulus proving the repair and testing annulus integrity to a depth of 25m.
Leonardo Dias, executive manager Brazil, said: The successful trial marks the rst offshore operation
in Brazil performed by Flexlife and demonstrated that the pioneering repair system is the most reliable
solution for outer sheath repair and damage identication, available and eld proven in the strictest
offshore market in the world.
We have a team of engineering, technical and support staff who are all highly
experienced in the Brazilian oil and gas market - the potential is enormous for us
and it is very signicant for the future of Flexlife in Brazil.
The modular Armadillo system is constructed in bespoke lengths and diameters in order to
encapsulate and seal known outer sheath damages. It allows continued operation of the exible pipe,
preventing the ingress of oxygenated seawater and consequently arresting corrosion, allowing life
expansion techniques, increase of integrity awareness and operational safety.
TECHNOLOGY
Subsea UK News | September 2012 23
A particularly innovative aspect of the project relates to subsea
boosting and injection equipment integrity. The aim is to identify
failure modes associated with subsea boosting and injection systems
and the enabling technologies such as subsea controls, subsea
power distribution, structural and mechanical designs and ow
assurance technologies.
Flexlife Completes Successful Brazil Trials
MetalTek on Centrifugal Casting
For many subsea applications, centrifugal casting provides the combination
of very high integrity metal and alloy selection that helps ensure product
performance. Centrifugals are manufactured in nearly any alloy including the
very high strength and corrosion resistant materials demanded in high-reliability
offshore applications.
Centrifugals are produced by introducing molten metal into a spinning die which is rotating either
in a vertical or horizontal axis depending on the conguration of the desired part. Ring and cylinder
type shapes are cast vertically; tubular shapes are made with the horizontal centrifugal process.
Either process may be used to produce multiple parts from just one casting.
Because of the high g-forces applied to the molten metal in the spinning die, less dense material,
including impurities, oats to the I.D. where it is subsequently removed by machining. Solidication is
managed directionally under pressure, from the O.D. to the I.D., avoiding any mid-wall
shrinkage, leaving a defect-free structure without cavities or gas pockets.
From facilities like the MetalTek Sandusky Ltd operation in Glenrothes,
Scotland, centrifugally cast products up to 11m in length and up to 61000 kg
can be produced. Applications like mooring systems, subsea ROVs, high
pressure accumulator tubes, pumps and piping, oil/water
separators, and a multitude of other applications that
demand very high integrity in severe corrosion-resistant
environments are prime candidates for centrifugals.
A niche supplier to the oil & gas
industry is offering dramatically
reduced waiting times on its
range of metal products essential
to subsea pipe laying and
construction.
James Alloys Ltd, which provides high
value metal products for distribution
throughout the world, can now supply
stainless steel, nickel alloy and titanium
banding systems in under two months.
One such product is of particular interest
to the subsea industry. Nickel chromium
alloy 625, containing Molybdenum, can
be used in high load marine, subsea and
chemical environments. It comes with
toughened anti-corrosion properties
which are particularly resistant to crevice
corrosion.
An outstanding strength to weight ratio
is provided by the titanium alloy which
has exceptional resistance to corrosion
from salt water, acid, alkalis and harsh
industrial chemicals.
Before reaching an agreement with a
major European mill, the Manchester
based company followed an industry
standard delivery time of six months on
banding, clips, installation and tooling
supplies.
Managing director Mark Catlow
said: There is an increasing
demand from the oil & gas
industry for high specication
banding systems provided in as
short a timescale as possible.
Over the past 12 months we
have seen a dramatic surge in
orders from the Middle East
and we are now experiencing a
similar increase from operators
in the North Sea. This is leading
to increasing waiting times on
orders and ultimately delays to
projects.
The ability to supply the same high
quality products in a shorter time frame
will give companies a competitive edge in
terms of fullling customer requirements
more quickly.
James Alloys Ltd has over 50 years
experience in delivering a wide range
of long and at products, slit coils
and special sections in addition to a
comprehensive range of pipes, tubes and
ttings in a variety of grades and alloys.
Picturing the Deep: A Massive Seaoor
Photograph, Taken by Autosub6000
The most detailed photographic survey of the abyssal ocean oor has been taken by the National
Oceanography Centres robot sub, Autosub6000 some half a million photos that will be stitched together
to form a street view map of the North Atlantics Porcupine Abyssal Plain and its inhabitants.
Forward and down-facing cameras mounted on the unmanned
robot sub have provided continuous images of an area some
twelve miles long by four miles wide (20 km by 7 km), covering
an area about the size of city such as Southampton, but three
miles underwater (around 4850m).
The Porcupine Abyssal Plain is just off the coastal shelf some
350 miles southwest of Lands End. Although its name might
suggest that it is at, the plain does have hills. This landscape
scale photo will give scientists a wealth of information about
the communities and how they change with the different
terrains. Coupled with advanced acoustic mapping, and
samples taken of the ocean oor, the team of scientists led by
Dr Henry Ruhl will have a complete picture of what lives at, on
and in the ocean oor.
We want to learn how communities might differ
between abyssal hills and at areas, which is similar
to understanding how communities of animals might
change as one moves from a valley to the summit
of a mountain. On land it is easy to conrm on the
ground what we can see from satellite photographs,
but this is far harder in the deep-sea because we
cant see through the water using light. Even though
its difcult to make measurements there, abyssal
habitats cover more than half the surface of Earth.
The benet of using Autosub6000 for collecting
photos of the seaoor is that it can cover vast
stretches of the seabed quickly while collecting a
huge number of photos, along with other data about
the environment.
The downward facing camera takes photos directly below
Autosub6000. These photos are used to assess the number
and types of invertebrates that live on the seaoor in different
areas of the plain. Sea cucumbers are the dominant type of
large invertebrates in the abyss, and there are at least ten
different varieties in the photos. Autosub6000 takes one photo
every 0.8 seconds, and the photos overlap. This overlap
means that photos can be stitched together into long strips,
giving a continuous picture of the seaoor.
The forward facing camera is used to look at the numbers and
distribution of abyssal sh. Fish decline in number rapidly with
depth, with only a few species able to survive on the limited
food supply in the abyss. The rarity and mobility of sh means
that surveys must cover large distances to determine their
distributions over the seabed, which is another reason why
Autosub is such a valuable tool. Eels and rattails dominate
sh species in the abyss. They are typically scavengers that
can cover long distances using relatively little energy to try
and nd food. The forward-facing camera is used to monitor
sh because they can be startled and swim away before being
seen by the downward facing camera.
In addition to the cameras, Autosub6000 has a suite of
instruments that collect ne-scale bathymetric data that
gives the shape of the seaoor; mapping acoustics that will
reveal the composition of the seaoor mud, rock, sand; and
environmental sensors that measure temperature and the
amount of particles in the water. While Autosub6000 gathered
data, the scientists took mud core samples to nd out what is
living in the seaoor. The cores conrm variation in sediment
type as well as collecting microscopic worms, crustaceans,
and bacteria.
24 Subsea UK News | September 2012
TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY
Subsea UK News | September 2012 25
Hydratight Launches Pocket-sized
Boltscope Pro
Joint integrity specialist Hydratight
has launched a smaller, user-friendly
version of its highly-regarded
BoltScope ll bolt load monitoring
device.
The new pocket-sized BoltScope Pro brings
higher levels of accuracy to the bolting
professional.
BoltScope Pro is the rst cost-effective
ultrasonic monitoring device to measure bolt
load, elongation, stress and percentage of
strain at nanosecond intervals, and resolutions
down to a thousandth of a inch.
Loaded and unloaded bolt readings can be
compared instantly on its easy-to-read screen.
The device can also be congured for linear
regression or vector readings to assist load
measurement optimisation.
BoltScope Pro can store 8,000 readings in
multiple groups for detailed comparisons.
Readings can be stored ofine for joint
integrity reporting.
New features include an auto-
set facility, which automatically
optimises signal detection and
adjusts the display accordingly;
visual waveform matching so
readings can be repeated with
great accuracy, and a high-low
alarm, which can work with the
data port and an external pump
shut-off device, to limit errors.
BoltScope Pro has a tough aluminium body
with sealed end-caps for long service in the
very toughest conditions. It is battery powered,
with up to 150 hours of battery life.
James Alloys Slash Delivery Times on Specialist Metals
for the Oil and Gas Industry
Creatures of the deep: 1. Bristleworm Polynoid 2. Enypniastes Spanish Dancer
3. Grenadier 4. Medusa Jellyfsh 5. Sea Cucumber Benthodytes
6. Sea Anemone (Actinarian) 7. Spikey Sea Cucumber
8. A Squat Lobster (Munidopsis) catches a ride
1.
5.
2.
6.
3.
7.
4.
8.
26 Subsea UK News | September 2012
TECHNOLOGY
Vector Technology Celebrates
Third Anniversary
Vector Technology Groups Subsea Divisions rapid growth within the international offshore
subsea oil & gas arena stems from its continued ability to deliver bespoke engineering
solutions to meet clients challenging deep water eld development requirements.
These solutions draw heavily upon Vector Technology Groups 25 years worth of
experience in providing clients with high integrity compact sealing solutions. This
innovative approach to providing technological solutions subsequently culminated in
industry recognition in February 2012 when Vector Technology Group was nominated
as a nalist for the prestigious Subsea UK Subsea Business of the Year award.
Vector Technology Groups Subsea
Division has passed its third anniversary
during which time it has achieved both
signicant nancial and engineering
success. Underpinning this success is the
Optima subsea clamp connector, a single
lead screw remotely operated clamp
connector developed in close conjunction
with North Sea operating companies to
ensure simplicity of design and ease of
assembly to minimise installation times. At
the heart of the Optima is Vectors unique
Duoseal technology, a double pressure
energised seal ring which prevents both
internal and external leakage. Single
and dual bore Optima variants are
currently installed within deep water eld
developments as far aeld as the Gulf of
Mexico and Western Africa in sizes up to
36 NPS and maximum working pressures
up to 15,000Psi.
With future subsea eld developments
entering into deeper, remoter, ever more
hostile environments there will be an
increased demand for more robust,
dependable, compact sealing solutions.
To meet these challenges. Chris
Lee, Executive Vice President
of Vector Technology Groups
Subsea Division, comments:
The industry is experiencing a
gradual shift in preference from
the traditional collet connector to
the single lead screw, remotely
operated, clamp connector in
light of the benets that can be
achieved through the reduced
installation time.
As Vector Technology Groups Subsea
Divisions business has grown it has
also diversied entering into partnership
opportunities with both SSIVs and other
subsea equipment suppliers.
Whilst normal Subsea Connector delivery
times are measured in months or even
years, Vectors ability to manufacture
some vitally needed clamps in days
helped a major operator solve a critical
environmental issue in the GOM.
Subsequently Vector has been invited to
participate in most of the Well Capping
Initiatives around the world, not just
for connectors but for other peripheral
equipment such as goosenecks.
In addition, situated within all of the
major oil provinces throughout the world,
Vector Technology Group has recently
invested in a new manufacturing facility
within Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to meet
with the ever increasing demand for
clamp connectors and compact ange
connector products in that region.
Tritech, the underwater technology specialist, has developed its 360 real-time anchor-chain and
riser integrity system for Floating Production Storage and Ofoading Units (FPSOs) to include a full
design service that ensures optimum deployment.
A eld-proven technology, RAMS offers continuous
monitoring of the presence, integrity and position of mooring
lines and risers 24/7 from proprietary sonar technology
deployed beneath the FPSO turret. Launched at Offshore
Europe 2011, this unique 360 sonar technology has beam
steering capability that allows the system to be congured
upon installation. This ensures its deployment provides the
optimum sonar return from the mooring lines and risers in
order to provide 100% target detection and reliability.
Tritech are now able to offer a full design service using
in-house software that allows an extensive feasibility and
visibility study to determine the best conguration for the
customer. This simulation programme allows Tritechs
engineers to assess the best position for deployment and
calculate the expected accuracy of the RAMS system once
it is installed, meeting customers safety needs.
Leading the developments in RAMS technology is Tritechs
Business Development Manager Angus Lugsdin. Previously
US Business Development Manager, Angus
led early research and market planning into key
customer markets in North America, contributing to
the opening of Tritech North America last month.
Angus Lugsdin explains: Unlike other mooring line
and riser monitoring systems, Tritechs RAMS
technology is deployed through the FPSO turret and
requires no additional sensors to be mounted on the
mooring lines or risers, making it far more suitable
for long-term maintenance-free deployment.
Long-term deployment is also aided by sonar
design, which has no mechanical moving parts.
Furthermore, continuous data recording allows for
detailed data export for ofine trend analysis, further
enhancing the attractiveness of this technology
to FPSO operators. The success of the Petrojarl
Foinaven deployment has shown BP, and hopefully
other service providers, the value of the system.
Top: Image shows a Plan Display
simulation of anchor chains, risers and
umbilical positions.
Bottom: Image showing RAMSsoftware
screen; here a simulation shows potential
alarms in Riser Movement, Anchor Chain,
Storage Low and Noise.
Tritechs RAMS FPSO Technology Offers Full Feasibility Study
Advanced Subsea
Inspection Services
& Solutions
Specialised Inspection Solutions for:
Risers & Caissons
Flexible Risers
Subsea Structures
Subsea Pipelines
Ship Hulls
Innospection Ltd, Unit 1, Howemoss Avenue, Kirkhill Industrial Estate, Dyce, AB21 0GP, Aberdeen, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1224 724744 Email: info@innospection.com www.innospection.com
Innospection_Subsea_ad_SEP12.indd 1 16/08/2012 14:09
New Generation of MECTM Subsea Scanners
Offers Enhanced Inspection Capabilities
Innospections strength in application development and responses to market requests has resulted in the
development of new ROV deployable subsea inspection tools suitable for deeper operations. The MECTM
Subsea Scanners include both the MEC-FITTM Flexible Riser Inspection Tool and the MECTM Combi Crawler,
which were successfully launched and eld tested.
These ROV deployable subsea inspection
tools combine the advanced inspection
techniques of Saturation Low Frequency
Eddy Current (SLOFECTM) for corrosion
detection and Ultrasonic for direct wall
thickness reading within the same tool,
increasing the accuracy of the SLOFEC
results. There is also the possibility of
incorporating Pulsed Eddy Current for
inspection through heavy coatings.
These advanced subsea inspection tools
support the lifetime assessment of exible
risers, subsea pipelines and subsea
structures ranging in size and complexity
from small diameter risers through
caissons and pipes to platform structures
and at surfaces like ship hulls.
MEC-FITTM Flexible Riser Inspection
Tool allows the rapid external scanning
of the various armour layers of the
exible risers to detect cracks, corrosion
and general wall loss. The inspection
technique combines a Direct Current eld
with the Eddy Current eld to allow the
defect detection in the various layers. No
annulus ooding couplant is required for
the penetration of the eld lines due to its
electromagnetic technique.
The rst generation of the MEC-FITTM
Tool runs vertically along the exible
risers after being deployed by the ROV.
The second generation of the tool
has the ability to self-crawl along the
exible risers after being set up by the
ROV. The cantilever arm at the side
of the tool can be adapted to allow
a further circumferential coverage so
that horizontal pipes at the six oclock
positions can be inspected.
MECTM-Combi Crawler allows the
inspection of subsea structures such as
platform legs and caissons where access
from the topside is not possible. This tool
is able to crawl up the inspection surface
at the various subsea depths and through
the splash zone. Capable of remaining in
stable contact with the inspection surface
despite the turbulences and waves, the
MECTM-Combi Crawler provides the
online analysis of localised corrosion and
general wall thickness of the inspected
objects. With minor adaption, the second
generation of this tool can be used for the
inspection of at surfaces like ship hulls.
Next in the R&D pipeline is the potential
development of a wire rope scanning
system for the inspection of FPSO and
vessel mooring lines.
TECHNOLOGY
SHAPE YOUR OWN
AND
OUR FUTURE
THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY / WWW.OCEANINSTALLER.COM
JOIN US
Engineering Manager
BA Manager
Operations Manager
Project Managers
Planning Engineer
Proposal Engineer
Project Engineers
Subsea Engineers
Installation Engineers
BA Estimator
HSEQ Manager
Client Account Manager
Ocean Installer is an Aberdeen and Stavanger based subsea construction company operating in the North Sea. Our ambition is to
become a leading company in the global SURF market. We will reach this goal by providing the most competent staff and the highest
quality services. We offer our employees an opportunity to contribute to and excel with our progress.
We are looking for the following positions:

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