Compiled by Ariana Hurtado, Editor and Director of Special Reports
People
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT:
2024 Executive Perspectives Special Report
In this 3rd annual report—published this week—industry leaders identify the challenges and solutions, trending technologies, top projects, and the path forward for the offshore oil and gas industry.
This special report, released in June, provides an overview of the offshore oil and gas sector's best tactics for navigating an evolving marketplace.
Highlights include:
- Chevron, Tullow and Woodside execs share their top offshore strategies
- Deepwater market intelligence
- Technology advances and case studies
- Decarbonization efforts
- Workforce woes
A. Paul Blakeley has elected to step down as executive director, president and CEO of Jadestone Energy. Dr. Adel Chaouch, currently non-executive chairman, has been appointed executive chairman. Joanne Williams, currently an independent non-executive director, has been appointed COO. Lastly, Linda Beal, currently an independent non-executive director, has been appointed senior independent non-executive director.
Oceaneering International Inc. has promoted Benjamin M. Laura to senior vice president (SVP) and COO, effective Jan. 1, 2025. He has served as SVP and chief innovation officer since 2022. Read more.
Dominion Energy's Diane Leopold, executive vice president (EVP) and COO, will retire on June 1, 2025, after 30 years with the company. During this transitional period, Leopold will begin to transfer utility and contracted energy responsibilities to Ed Baine, currently president-Dominion Energy Virginia, who will become president-Utility Operations and Dominion Energy Virginia, and Eric Carr, currently chief nuclear officer, who will become chief nuclear officer and president-Nuclear Operations and Contracted Energy. Leopold will retain operational oversight of all major construction projects including the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project and the Charybdis, the first Jones Act-compliant turbine installation vessel in the US.
CRC Evans, a specialist in welding and coating services, appointed Chris Sanne CFO and to the organization’s board on Dec. 4. He is responsible for the group’s financial management. Previously, Evans served as senior director of the Scandinavia operation.
Jens Økland has been appointed Equinor's acting EVP for Renewables, effective Dec. 4. Current EVP Pål Eitrheim has accepted a leadership position outside the company, but he will be available to the company until May 31, 2025. The process of appointing a new EVP of Renewables has begun.
bp has appointed two new Azerbaijan-Georgia-Türkiye (AGT) leadership team members. Based in Baku, Chingiz Hajiyev will take on the role of vice president of business development Caspian, effective in January 2025. Stuart Shaw took on the role of vice president of production for the AGT region on Dec. 2.
Trendsetter Vulcan Offshore has appointed Russell Collins country manager, Australia, to head up the company’s newly opened office in Perth.
RenQuip, a manufacturer of hydraulic and mechanical equipment, has named Andy Muirhead its new business development manager.
LanzaTech Global Inc., a carbon recycling company, has appointed Thierry Pilenko, former executive chairman of TechnipFMC, to its board of directors, according to a Nov. 25 news release.
Company news
Shell UK and Equinor UK have agreed to combine their UK offshore oil and gas interests to form a new company. The incorporated joint venture (JV), based in Aberdeen, will be the UK’s largest independent offshore oil and gas producer, they claim, with each company owning a 50% share. Read more.
Seatrium Letourneau USA has entered a memorandum of understanding with Cochin Shipyard to jointly design and supply equipment for jackup rigs to the Indian market. Read more.
ABL Group entered into an agreement Dec. 5 to acquire 100% of the shares in Brazil-based Proper Marine, a naval architecture and engineering consultancy, which will be merged with ABL Group’s design and engineering arm, Longitude. The acquisition will expand the ABL's technical center of excellence in design and engineering for maritime and offshore energy construction and operations. Read more.
ABL also expanded its global presence Nov. 19 with a new office in New Zealand to support the country’s maritime and offshore energy markets. The office will be led by Morwenna Vye.
Baker Hughes has opened its new liquid mud plant, cement bulk and integrated multi-modal complex in Namibia. Read more.
Inyanga Marine Energy Group has set up a new office in Canada to help drive the development of offshore renewable energy in the country, the company announced Dec. 3. The new company, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, will provide marine engineering and offshore operations support to the marine renewable energy industry in Canada, across both the offshore wind and tidal energy sectors.
Sulzer opened a new service center Dec. 5 in Al Ahmadi, Kuwait, to provide 24/7 engineering services for all brands of pumps and rotating equipment. The center supports more than 1,500 Sulzer pumps already installed in local plants across Kuwait, while further servicing pumps from other brands.
Kobelco Compressors America Inc. (KCA) broke ground on the expansion of its Houston Service Shop on Nov. 1. The 33,000-sq-ft addition will feature enhanced infrastructure, including six compressor overhaul stations, two drive-through loading bays, an extruder overhaul station, and specialized areas for hydro blasting, non-destructive testing, and painting.
OEG Energy Group Ltd. has moved into a new global headquarters at The Stratus Building, ABZ Business Park in Dyce, Aberdeen, following a seven-figure sum investment in a multi-year lease, according to a Dec. 3 company announcement. OEG also reported 300 new hires across its global business in the last 12 months.
Fulkrum, a specialist in inspection, expediting, auditing and technical staffing services, has launched its new entity in Iraq. The new entity, registered in Basra, enhances Fulkrum’s presence in Iraq and strengthens its ability to bid for and secure large-scale contracts, according to a Dec. 2 company news release.
Vallourec, a tubular solutions provider, entered into an agreement Nov. 25 to sell its c. 99% participation in PT CPPI and PT SCN (“Logistics Group”) to CKB Logistics, a subsidiary of ABM Investama Tbk, for about €20 million ($21.1 million), of which €2.9 million ($3 million) will be paid via an earn-out.
Petronas signed a memorandum of understanding last month with China National Petroleum Corp. at the CNPC International Cooperation Forum to collaborate in upstream exploration and production of oil and gas internationally, and throughout the LNG value chain. Read more.
DUG Technology (DUG) has formed a partnership with energy consultancy PetroVision offering seismic data processing services in Nigeria. Read more.
About the Author
Ariana Hurtado
Editor-in-Chief
With more than a decade of copy editing, project management and journalism experience, Ariana Hurtado is a seasoned managing editor born and raised in the energy capital of the world—Houston, Texas. She currently serves as editor-in-chief of Offshore, overseeing the editorial team, its content and the brand's growth from a digital perspective.
Utilizing her editorial expertise, she manages digital media for the Offshore team. She also helps create and oversee new special industry reports and revolutionizes existing supplements, while also contributing content to Offshore's magazine, newsletters and website as a copy editor and writer.
Prior to her current role, she served as Offshore's editor and director of special reports from April 2022 to December 2024. Before joining Offshore, she served as senior managing editor of publications with Hart Energy. Prior to her nearly nine years with Hart, she worked on the copy desk as a news editor at the Houston Chronicle.
She graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Houston.