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Expro has namedSergio Zubelli as regional director, Latin America. In his new role, Zubelli is responsible for all aspects of the company’s business in South and Central America. The company has also appointed Hank Glansbeek as regional technical and business development manager for Brazil.
DOF Subsea has appointedSerge Geraud as operations and business development director based in Angola. He will be responsible for managing the company’s daily operations in support of developments in West Africa. He also will play a key role in developing the company’s business in the region.
Black Marlin Energy has appointedTerry Nilsen as country manager for the Seychelles. Nilsen joined Black Marlin in January 2009 as chief explorationist.
Enterprise Products Partners has appointedMark A. Hurley as senior VP of the company’s crude oil and offshore business unit, effective March 1. Hurley will be responsible for all commercial aspects of Enterprise’s onshore and offshore crude oil transportation and storage assets, as well as its offshore crude oil and natural gas pipelines.
KBR has appointedMark S. Williams as group president overseeing KBR’s government and defense, infrastructure and minerals, and power and industrial business units.
DeepFlex has appointed Mark D. Kalman as VP of engineering. He will be responsible for all aspects of the company’s engineering, technology, product development, and intellectual property management.
RWE Dea has appointedThomas Rappuhn as chairman of its management board. He replaces Dr. Georg Schöning, who has retired.
Electromagnetic Geoservices (EMGS) has appointedDag W. Reynolds as executive VP of sales/marketing and business development.
Mustang has appointedRichard Seale as president of the company’s automation and control business unit. He replaces Don Colchin, who has retired. Seale will be responsible for the business unit’s operations, long-term strategic growth plans, safety performance, and customer delivery.
Environmental Drilling Solutions (EDS) has namedAdam Broussard as area manager for North Louisiana and East Texas. Broussard will oversee EDS’ sales, staff, and services in the regions.
The Bayou Co.s (TBC) has appointedJerry Shea as president. The company also has promoted Joey Zagar to VP-GM in charge of TBC’s New Iberia business unit. Patrick Shea has been appointed director of business development.
Foster Wheeler AG has appointedRobert Flexon as CEO, effective June 1, 2010. Flexon currently is president of Foster Wheeler USA. At that time, Raymond J. Milchovich will relinquish the CEO role but will remain with the company. He will serve as non-executive chairman of the board and consultant to the company through October 2011. Umberto della Sala, president and COO of Foster Wheeler AG, has agreed to extend his tenure with the company through 2013.
Gasol has appointedEwen Wigley as COO. He will be responsible for managing gas monetization projects in West Africa and supporting the company’s board on strategic matters.
Stabil Drill has hiredIuri Valmorbida as a part of its international business development team for Latin America. Based in Rio de Janeiro, Valmorbida will manage sales and business development for Stabil Drill throughout the region.
Gardline has appointedGary Thirkettle as business development manager for the company’s marine sciences metocean capability. He will manage international growth and product development. Thirkettle also will establish a metocean facility at Gardline’s existing Perth, Australia, office.
Maritime Industrial Services Co. has appointedDr. Karim El Solh as chairman of the board. El Solh, who is the CEO and founder of Gulf Capital, has been a board member since 2007. He succeeds Charles L. Davis.
The US Minerals Management Service (MMS) has appointedDavid W. Cooke as regional supervisor for resource evaluation in the organization’s Gulf region office. In his new role, Cooke will oversee economic evaluations for lease sales, and reserve and resource assessments in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic outer continental shelf. He will manage a staff of 135 geologists, petroleum engineers, geophysicists, and support staff who are responsible for data acquisition and management, economic analysis, resource studies, and environmentally sound oil and gas operations throughout the region.
Reliance Exploration & Production DMCC has appointedWalter Van De Vijver as president and CEO. He will oversee the company’s international asset operations. He also will focus on developing Reliance’s E&P portfolio in North America and other “high potential” countries. Van De Vijver succeeds Atul Chandra, who will work with the chairman’s office as senior advisor on international business opportunities.
Applus RTD UK has appointedDavid Whittle and Vincent Amu as senior business managers to consolidate and expand the company’s offering across the power and asset integrity sectors.
Company News
A consortium comprisingDONG Energy, E.ON, and Masdar has awarded JDR Cable Systems a contract to supply subsea power array cables for the first phase of the London Array offshore wind farm. The first phase of development, consisting of 175 wind turbines and two offshore substations, will be installed in water depths of up to 23 m (75 ft) approximately 20 km (12 mi) from the Kent and Essex coasts in the outer Thames Estuary. Subsea export cables will connect the wind farm to an onshore substation at Cleve Hill, on the North Kent coast. From the substation, the electricity will be fed into the existing 400-kV transmission network. The scope awarded to JDR includes engineering, design, and manufacture of over 200 km (124 mi) of 33-kV array cables including proprietary hang-off and termination systems that will link individual wind turbine generators, wind turbine generator arrays, and offshore substations. The cables will be produced in 2010 and 2011. When complete, the first phase of London Array will be among the world’s largest offshore wind farms, delivering up to 630 MW, according to JDR. The company estimates that this is enough power for approximately 470,000 homes.
Signal International has acquired Bender Shipbuilding & Repair assets for $31.25 million through a bankruptcy auction. After court approval and closing, which was slated by the end of last month, the company will begin operations as Signal Ship Repair (SSR). The purchase includes 3,300 ft (1,006 m) of deepwater frontage, six repair/construction yards, three steel floating dry docks, and other equipment on 26 acres. As SSR, the new operation will focus on vessel build, overhaul, and repair, Signal says.
Deepwater EU has created a cathodic protection design and project management center at the University of Surrey Research Park in Guildford, UK. The new center, led by manager Geoff Camm, will provide corrosion consultancy, from initial design assistance, third-party review, failure investigation and analysis, and project managed total project implementation.
DNV has established a greater China offshore committee. The new entity, led by CNOOC Vice General Manager Zhou Shouwei, consists of senior executives and experts from Chinese oil majors, offshore engineering companies, shipyards, and design houses.
KD Marine has agreed with Mermaid Offshore Services (MOS) to provide fully integrated saturation, air diving, daughter craft, and ROV services from the DSV Mermaid Endurer to the European market. KD Marine is lead contractor in the new alliance, providing diving and project management services while MOS will provide DSV, marine, and ROV services.
Proserv Offshore has acquired Twin Hills Wireline Services.
Eni Norge has awarded Sevan Marine a contract covering project and engineering management and early operation preparation services for the Goliat FPSO. The Sevan 1000-design FPSO will have a production capacity of 110,000 b/d of oil, a gas processing capacity of almost 4 MMcm/d (141 MMcf/d), and an oil storage capacity of 1 MMbbl.
Kongsberg Maritime and Wellstream International have joined the National Subsea Research Institute (NSRI). NSRI, a partnership between Subsea UK, the University of Aberdeen, Newcastle University, Robert Gordon University, and the University of Dundee, aims to develop and lead a coordinated research strategy for the subsea sector.
flexlife has created a research and development facility specializing in flexible pipe projects and technological advances. The new R&D facility comprises office and workshop space and represents an investment of $813,000 over five years, the company says.
SGS and Halliburton have agreed to offer combined formation fluid sample acquisition and analysis services. Halliburton will provide solutions for acquiring fluid samples, and SGS’ oil, gas, and chemicals division will deliver fluid analysis services. The companies’ clients will have access to solutions, including portable laboratory services, for acquisition, analysis, and independent quality control of production and reservoir fluid samples.
Petrofac has acquired Scotvalve Services, a UK-based services company, from Scotvalve’s management for $5 million. Petrofac says the acquisition will enhance its mechanical services offering, providing repair and maintenance services within a wider geographic footprint. Scotvale will form part of Petrofac’s offshore engineering and operations business.
EOC has agreed with PetroVietnam Transportation Corp.(PVT) to incorporate an equally owned joint venture. The venture will provide operation and maintenance services for an FPSO contracted for the Chim Sao oil project, offshore Vietnam.
Omron Oilfield & Marine is partnering with ALTA Rig Systems (ARS) to deliver automated control systems for its electric drawworks product line. Based in Edmonton, Canada, ARS designs and manufactures standard and custom gear driven drawworks
Kongsberg Maritime has opened Kongsberg Maritime China Jiangsu (KMCJ), a 2,880-sq m (31,000-sq ft) sensor production facility in Zhenjiang, China. The KMCJ production facility features a mechanical workshop with a range of CNC-machining centers and other workshop machinery for production of sensor parts and mechanical components.
Acteon has formed Pulse Structural Monitoring, a new business unit providing structural monitoring equipment, systems, and services to the offshore industry. The business was previously embedded within Acteon group company 2H Offshore. The aims of spinning out Pulse Structural Monitoring as a stand-alone enterprise are to create greater focus and intensity within the organization, expand the customer base, and to grow the business, the company says.
2H Offshore Engineering has merged its UK-based shallow water conductor and deepwater riser engineering teams into a single group. The combined group will be based in the company’s Woking, UK, office. The shallow water conductor engineering team was based in Norwich, UK, and formed part of the UWG analysis group, acquired by 2H in July 2008. The office will be closed.
Ramboll Oil & Gas has acquired QA Consulting. QA Consulting prepares maintenance procedures and plans preventive maintenance for offshore facilities. The company also assists clients on an ad-hoc basis during engineering, construction, and commissioning.
Energy XXI (Bermuda)has acquired Gulf of Mexico shelf oil and natural gas interests from MitEnergy Upstream. The transaction has doubled the company’s interests in the same group of properties Energy XXI purchased from Pogo Producing Co. in June 2007. The properties include 22 fields currently producing approximately 8,000 net boe/d, about 77% of which is oil.
Ensco International’s stockholders have approved a plan to change the company’s corporate structure. Effective Dec. 23, 2009, Ensco’s parent company legal domicile changes from the US to the UK. The new parent company name will be named Ensco International plc.
GE Oil & Gas and Al Shaheen Energy Services have signed two partnership agreements, consolidating PII Pipeline Solutions’ presence in Qatar and the Middle East, and establishing a JV for aftermarket services of Turbomachinery equipment in Qatar.
Lloyd’s Register has acquired Scandpower, a provider of risk management services.
Seajacks International has signed a conditional amalgamation agreement with R/C Europe Offshore Investment Partnership (Riverstone). Upon completion of the transaction, which was expected in January 2010, the parties will combine Seajacks with a Bermuda-exempted company to be formed by Riverstone. Riverstone will be sole owner of the amalgamated company.
Wood Group’sAlliance Engineering has signed a frame agreement with Statoil USA E&P to provide engineering and design services for Statoil’s upcoming Gulf of Mexico prospects. The frame agreement includes topsides engineering, design, and project management services for production facilities and field development studies.
Statoil is acquiring a 25% working interest in 50 ConocoPhillips leases acquired in the Chukchi Sea federal OCS lease sale in 2008. ConocoPhillips will retain operatorship and a majority working interest in the leases.
In addition to financial considerations from Statoil, ConocoPhillips will acquire a 50% working interest in 16 Statoil-operated Gulf of Mexico blocks and acquire all of Statoil’s 25% working interest in five additional GoM blocks (operated by ConocoPhillips). ConocoPhillips’ initial drilling in the Chukchi Sea is scheduled for 2012.
TAM International North Sea has expanded its offices in Aberdeen, Scotland. The recently acquired building, next to the existing TAM facility, will provide 5,800 sq ft (625 sq m) of offices as well as additional warehouse space for customer demonstrations and storage.
Renovation is scheduled to begin in February, and is expected to be completed in July. OperatorDet norske has awarded Sevan Marine a pre-FEED/FEED study contract for the potential application of a Sevan FPSO on the Froy field in the Norwegian North Sea. The study will be carried out during first half of the year. During 4Q 2009, Sevan performed a study for Det norske demonstrating the feasibility of the Sevan cylindrical FPSO bridge-linked to a wellhead platform (WHP).
Petrobras has awarded FMC Technologies an $80-million subsea service contract. The agreement is effective through 2012. FMC also picked up a $40-million contract from Statoil for the design and supply of subsea equipment to support the Snorre field in the North Sea.
Mercator Lines has signed a seven-year charter for a mobile offshore production unit and an FPSO. The company has also signed a five-year charter with BG India for an FSO.
