New tools and approaches are set to benefit the Gulf of Mexico decommissioning market in 2012, reflecting the confidence of some of the market. But uncertainty remains over the true impact of the Idle Iron Notice To Lessees (NTL) in the years ahead.

The Idle Iron NTL, issued in October 2010, was expected to be a watershed in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). It would prompt an expansion in the decommissioning market, driven by a government requirement to remove idle wells and structures. These predictions appear well founded.

At least 150 structures have been decommissioned in the past 12 months according to the preliminary findings of Decomworld's 2012-13 GOM report. With further structures yet to be included in the data released by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement's (BSEE) in November 2011, predictions for 2012 and beyond should be positive.

The forecast for next year is mixed, with interviewees quoted in the forthcoming Decomworld report demonstrating a significant divergence of opinion. But expectations remain high – notably among contractors – that decommissioning levels will reach or exceed 150 platforms in 2012 and beyond.

Innovation

Market uncertainty has spurred companies to introduce new technology and improve the efficiency of decommissioning processes. Both operators and contractors, interviewed in the 2012-13 Decomworld report, are tackling cost efficiencies of decommissioning directly: through technology and strategy innovation as well as operators offering their own decommissioning services.

Niche service providers are developing new hardware to cut up and remove damaged and idle platforms. One contractor is marketing a specialised pin drilling system and a new vertical caisson cutting tool. Another is constructing up to eight rigless pulling and jacking units for tubulars.

Operators are innovating too. One operator interviewed within the report, has contracted a liftboat specially designed and fitted out to perform decommissioning in a single mobilization.  The liftboat owner modified the vessel to target the growing decommissioning market in the GoM <300' water depth market. This vessel is fully equipped to remove their decommissioning liabilities and is due for deployment in 2012.

On the contracting front, strategies are also changing. Providers are continuing the shift from turnkey operations to day-rate work, citing higher efficiency levels. This entails more detailed planning for offshore operations, according to one of our respondents.

Idle Iron ripples

Regulatory compliance will undoubtedly continue to be a major factor in operators' decommissioning strategies but financial resources are of crucial importance too. "The reality is, companies can only do what they can afford to do both in terms of resource limitations and finance," one operator said. While both Chevron and Apache have talked of a significant rise in their decommissioning spend, this might not apply to smaller players, our research suggests.

The question arises of whether the government can force operators to comply with the Idle Iron NTL if doing so would be beyond their budgetary capability. On the other hand, some operators have cited difficulties in obtaining regulatory permits for work that might forestall decommissioning plans.

Overall, the market looks well underpinned for 2012 but the degree of uncertainty has left some contractors reluctant to commit extra investment in personnel and equipment.

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Cal Dive International, Inc. (NYSE:DVR) announced on Wednesday that it has been awarded a Field Abandonment and Decommissioning Contract from an operator in the Gulf of Mexico which includes the abandonment of sixteen wells, seven pipelines, and the removal of eight structures. The contract is expected to generate total revenue of approximately $25 million and will utilize two of the Company's key assets. Work on this project will commence in the first quarter of 2012 and is expected to be completed by the end of June 2012.

Quinn Hébert, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cal Dive, stated, "We are pleased to announce the award of our first decommissioning program in the Gulf of Mexico for 2012. We expect 2012 to be an active year for salvage work in the Gulf of Mexico as regulators encourage producers to remove idle iron. This project highlights Cal Dive’s ability to provide full service solutions to our clients."

Seventy-eight percent of Florida voters favor more development of U.S. oil and natural gas resources, and similar numbers believe more oil and natural gas development would provide major benefits to the nation, including more U.S. jobs, according to a new poll released on Monday.

"Voters in Florida know developing more of America's homegrown energy makes sense for jobs, government revenues, and our energy security," said API President and CEO Jack Gerard. "Our economy will demand large amounts of oil and natural gas for at least several more decades even as the role of alternative energy increases. Common sense says we should have Americans producing that oil and gas here at home as much as possible."

The telephone poll of 600 likely Florida voters found that large majorities believe that more U.S. oil and natural gas development could lead to more American jobs (91 percent), increase the nation's energy security (85 percent), help reduce consumer energy costs (80 percent), and deliver more revenue to the government (73 percent). Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) believe that some in Washington are intentionally delaying domestic oil and natural gas development, potentially hurting the economy and leading to higher energy costs for consumers.

The United States is the world's largest producer of natural gas and third largest producer of oil. It has very substantial reserves of both in part because of technological progress in offshore development and in the development of shale oil and natural gas onshore.

API represents more than 490 oil and natural gas companies, leaders of a technology-driven industry that supplies most of America's energy, supports 9.2 million U.S. jobs and 7.7 percent of the U.S. economy, delivers more than $86 million a day in revenue to our government, and, since 2000, has invested more than $2 trillion in U.S. capital projects to advance all forms of energy, including alternatives.

IBM (NYSE: IBM) has been selected for a global research project to develop the world’s first integrated environmental monitoring system aimed at helping oil and gas companies minimize the environmental impact of their operations.  IBM researchers, developers and a team from IBM’s Centre of Excellence for Oil and Gas in Stavanger, Norway, are collaborating with experts from Statoil, Kongsberg Group and Det Norske Veritas (DNV) on developing a solution that will use industry frameworks combined with advanced streaming analytics technology to enable real-time monitoring of environmental data, and early detection of and response to operational events surrounding offshore installations.

IBM is teaming with Statoil, Kongsberg Group and DNV to develop an environmental monitoring system for oil and gas activities. This is an image of subsea operations at Statoil's Vega Field. (Photo: Statoil)

The monitoring system will apply advanced streaming analytics technology developed by IBM Research to rapidly measure, process and analyze vast amounts of live physical, biological and chemical data generated by sensors and cameras attached around an offshore installation, making it easier to predict and detect deviations.

IBM is teaming with Statoil, Kongsberg Group and DNV to develop an environmental monitoring system for oil and gas activities. From left: Karl Johnny Hersvik (Statoil), Jens Erik Ramstad (DNV), Morten Thorkildsen (IBM), Vidar Hepsø (Statoil), and Even Aas (Kongsberg Oil & Gas Technologies) on board M/K Simrad Echo. (Photo: Ole Jørgen Bratland/Statoil)

Combined with IBM’s advanced modeling techniques, the system will be able to move beyond simply monitoring, to predict and prevent issues before they occur, helping companies minimize the environmental risk associated with subsea oil and gas operations.  IBM will also provide the information integration technology that allows for enterprise-wide visibility and real-time monitoring and analysis of offshore operational systems.

Oil and gas companies currently employ different environmental monitoring methods, but there are no solutions available today that are integrated and enable physical, biological and chemical data to be measured during actual operations.  By transforming environmental monitoring from being a separate task into becoming an integrated part of day-to-day operations across the lifetime of an oil field, the system will make it possible for oil and gas companies to predict and more rapidly respond to anticipated conditions. These include a stop in drilling, shutting down production at an installation, or ceasing construction activity during environmentally sensitive periods.

“Environmental monitoring, as part of real-time integrated operations, is central to the oil and gas industry,” said John Brantley, general manager for IBM Global Chemicals and Petroleum Industries.  “This initiative, which draws on IBM’s research, industry knowledge and experience helping companies manage and gain valuable insight from the explosion of data, will assist oil and gas companies in achieving safer operations and minimizing their environmental impact.”

Statoil commissioned the three-year project as part of the company’s “New Energy and HSE” R&D program, which includes environmental monitoring.  Kongsberg will lead the project, as well as provide sensor and acoustic communication technology.  DNV will provide marine environmental analytics and risk management methodologies.  The solution will be demonstrated at Kongsberg Maritime Subsea on the seabed of the harbour basin in Horten, Norway, before it can be piloted and implemented at Statoil’s offshore operational facilities.

According to Statoil, environmental monitoring is essential for the oil & gas giant in order to achieve its target of zero harmful discharges.  This three-year research project will prove whether Statoil succeeds in taking environmental monitoring from being a separate task to become an integrated part of daily production, to achieve even safer operations and reduced costs. This will represent a quantum leap for offshore environmental monitoring.

For more information on IBM, visit http://ibm.com/chemicalspetroleum

SBM Offshore is pleased to announce it has been awarded a contract by the Ichthys LNG Project for the engineering, procurement, fabrication and supply of a Turret and Mooring system. This system will be integrated by the client into the Ichthys FPSO and installed  offshore NW Australia. The contract also includes assistance during the integration of the Turret into the FPSO as well as during installation on the field offshore. The value of this order is around US$ 0.5 billion.    

Large complex turret mooring systems for new-build FPSOs are one of the core products of the Company. Installation of the Turret and Mooring system in the field is anticipated in mid 2015.

The Ichthys LNG Project’s FPSO, a new build 335 meter-long vessel, will be mooored in water depths of 250 meters and located in the Browse Basin, off the north-west coast of Western Australia, 820 kilometers south-west of Darwin. 

Approximate dimensions of the Turret: diameter 20 meters; height 665 meters annd weight 7,0000 tons. The Turret can acccommodate up to 15 risers and will be designed for 40 years of operation without being disconnected.                                                                                   Photo source: INPEX

The Ichthys LNG Project is a joint venture between INPEX (76%, the operator) and Total (24%). Gas from the Ichthys Field, in the Browse Basin approximately 200 kilometres offshore of Westerrn Australia, will undergo preliminary processing offshore to remove water and extract condensate. The gas will then be exported to onshore processing facilities in Darwin via an 8889 kilometer subsea pipeline. The Ichthys Project is expected to produce 8.4 million tons of LNG and 1.6 million tons of LPG per annum, along with approximately 80,000 barrels of condensate per day at peak.

This release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are information of a non-historical nature and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are beyond the Company's ability to control. The Company cautions shareholders and prospective investors that actual results may differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. More information about the risks and uncertainties relating to the company’s forward-looking statements is found in the company’s SEC filings.

Highlights

- Acquisition of a 25% Working Interest in the Cosmopolitan project in Alaska

- Buccaneer will be Operator of the project

- Development project with successful drilling completed

- 79% increase in Buccaneer’s Alaskan 2P Reserves, by 13.8 MMBOE to 31.1 MMBOE

- Provides a winter drilling base in 2012 for Endeavour jack-up rig

Buccaneer Energy Limited (“Buccaneer” or “the Company”) reports that it has executed a Purchase and Sale Agreement for the acquisition of the two main productive leases in the former Cosmopolitan Unit (“Cosmo”) from Pioneer Natural Resources Alaska, Inc. (“Pioneer”). Cosmo is an undeveloped oil and gas field located in 50 feet of water in the Cook Inlet of Alaska and is in close proximity to the shoreline at Anchor Point on the Kenai Peninsula. Cosmo has regional proximity to Buccaneer’s other Alaskan assets and will utilize the capabilities of the Endeavour rig during the northern hemisphere winter.

The acquisition is being jointly made with privately owned Fort Worth, Texas based BlueCrest Energy II, LP (“BlueCrest”) with Buccaneer acquiring a 25% working interest and BlueCrest a 75% working interest, with Buccaneer to assume operatorship of the project. Settlement of the acquisition is due on 30 March 2012 with the commercial terms of the transaction remaining confidential.

The strong interest in the region, which contains the Cosmo project, is demonstrated by Apache Corporation acquiring leases surrounding and adjoining the leases near Cosmo during the last State lease sale conducted in June 2011.

Buccaneer Director Dean Gallegos said:

“The acquisition of our interest in the Cosmo project provides substantial benefits for the Company. Not only does it significantly increase Buccaneer’s oil and gas reserves but it also increases operational utilisation and revenue performance of the Endeavour jack-up rig, demonstrating the strength of our Alaskan strategy.

Further the Cosmo acquisition fits very well in our Alaskan portfolio. As a more advanced project with an existing well and some infrastructure already in place, Cosmo provides nearer term oil and gas production potential than our two other Cook Inlet offshore projects which will still be developed in parallel.”

Reserve Increase

As part of its due diligence on Cosmo, Buccaneer and BlueCrest engaged respected consulting firm Ralph E Davis to conduct an independent reserve estimate on the project. The 2P Reserves of Cosmo increase Buccaneer’s independently assessed Alaskan 2P Reserves from 17.5 million barrels of oil equivalent (“MMBOE”) to 31.3 MMBOE, a significant increase of 79%.

Preliminary Development Plans

Development of the Cosmo project involves two separate plans:

- A shallow gas development (3,000 – 4,000 feet) to be drilled with a jack-up rig; and

- A deeper oil development (6,000 – 8,000 feet) that can be exploited using directionally drilled wells from the shoreline.

An offshore well using the Endeavour jack-up rig is planned for late 2012 that will further quantify both the oil and gas zones of the project.

Development of the Cosmo project will begin in the northern hemisphere winter of 2012 and continue through to 2014. The preliminary development plan includes drilling and producing oil wells from the existing onshore production site and drilling offshore water injection wells for reservoir pressure maintenance.

Separately, offshore gas wells will be drilled and tied back to the existing onshore site which will be connected to ENSTAR’s recently completed gas transportation line.

The acquisition will allow the use of the Endeavour jack-up rig to provide a more efficient development plan than was previously available to Pioneer. Without access to a jack-up rig, all wells, including water injection wells needed to be drilled as long reach directional wells from onshore. Further, the shallower gas reserves could only be reached by an offshore drilling program that will utilise the Endeavour. Utilisation of the Endeavour jack-up rig materially improves the economic parameters of the overall project.

The Cosmo project is located in the southern part of the Cook Inlet which is free of ice flows during winter. Cosmo will provide a winter operational location for the Endeavour jack-up rig to utilise the rig when ice flows in the northern part of the Cook Inlet preclude drilling during the November – March period.

This provides several years of winter drilling business and is expected to materially improve the profitability of the Company’s offshore drilling division which was previously based on a 240 day drilling season.

Pacific Drilling S.A. (NYSE: PACD) (NOTC: PDSA) announced on Monday, that its ultra-deepwater drillship the Pacific Scirocco commenced operations in Nigeria on December 31, 2011. The drillship is contracted for an initial one-year term to a subsidiary of Total S.A. (NYSE: TOT). The contract further provides for options, to be exercised at the client’s discretion, which could result in up to four additional years of contract term.

The Pacific Scirocco is capable of operating in water depths of up to 12,000 feet and drilling wells 40,000 feet deep. 

With its best-in-class drillships and highly experienced team, Pacific Drilling is a fast growing company that is committed to becoming the industry’s preferred ultra-deepwater drilling contractor. Pacific Drilling’s fleet of six ultra-deepwater drillships will represent one of the youngest and most technologically advanced fleets in the world. The company currently operates four recently delivered drillships and has two additional drillships on order at Samsung.

This release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are information of a non-historical nature and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are beyond the Company's ability to control. The Company cautions shareholders and prospective investors that actual results may differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. More information about the risks and uncertainties relating to the company’s forward-looking statements is found in the company’s SEC filings.

Ensco plc (NYSE: ESV) announces that one of its subsidiaries has entered into a contract for ENSCO 8506 with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. The initial contract term is for two and one-half years in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico at a day rate of $530,000, plus cost adjustments. The contract adds more than $480 million to revenue backlog.

Delivery of ENSCO 8506 from Keppel FELS Limited shipyard in Singapore is scheduled for third quarter 2012 followed by contract commencement in fourth quarter 2012 once mobilization, sea trials and acceptance testing have been completed.

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Rabun commented, “We are very pleased that Anadarko has chosen to contract a third ENSCO 8500 Series^® rig for its drilling programs. Anadarko was an early advocate of the ENSCO 8500 Series^® design and contracted ENSCO 8500 back in 2005.”

ENSCO 8500 commenced operations in 2009, and soon thereafter, drilled Anadarko’s major Lucius Discovery in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. In October 2011, Anadarko contracted ENSCO 8505 as part of a rig sharing agreement with Apache and Noble Energy. ENSCO 8505 is scheduled to commence operations in the second quarter of this year.

ENSCO 8506 is the final of seven rigs in the ENSCO 8500 Series^®. For the first three quarters of 2011, these rigs that have operated in Asia, North America and South America achieved 97% utilization. Ensco is ranked #1 in overall customer satisfaction and #1 in deepwater drilling by EnergyPoint, an independent survey firm.

The proprietary design of the ENSCO 8500 Series^® rigs was developed with extensive input from customers to address the drilling requirements for virtually every deepwater field around the world. The design includes a 35,000’ nominal rated drilling depth, 2 million pounds of hoisting capacity, 8,000 tons of variable deck load and an open layout well suited for subsea completion activities. Improved visibility from the open deck configuration also enhances safety.

The uniform design of the ENSCO 8500 Series^® streamlines construction, operations, inventory management, training, regulatory compliance, repairs and maintenance. It also provides flexibility for customer specific enhancements: in particular, the 8500 Series may be modified to drill and complete wells in water depths up to 10,000’.

This release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are information of a non-historical nature and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are beyond the Company's ability to control. The Company cautions shareholders and prospective investors that actual results may differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. More information about the risks and uncertainties relating to the company’s forward-looking statements is found in the company’s SEC filings.

Deep Down, Inc. (OTCQB: DPDW), an oilfield services company specializing in complex deepwater and ultra-deepwater oil production distribution system support services, today announced it has been awarded multiple contracts for subsea hardware and deployment equipment orders worth in excess of $2.6 million.  Two orders were placed by a major controls OEM and the third order placed by an international installation contractor.

Deep Down, Inc. will be manufacturing Umbilical Termination Assemblies (UTA), Flying Leads, Umbilical Termination Heads (UTH), Rapid Deployment Cartridges, Moray® and Flying Lead Deployment Frames; the majority of the work is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter 2012, with the remainder completed in the beginning of the second quarter 2012.  The products and equipment will be used on three international projects in the Far East and Mediterranean and one project in the Gulf of Mexico.

The patent-pending Moray® Termination System contains a light-weight and compact termination head and very flexible steel tube bundle allowing for easy make up of the heads by the ROV on the ocean floor.

Ron Smith, Chief Executive Officer stated, "These awards continue to build upon Deep Down's expansion into the international oil and gas market. Deep Down continues to gain recognition outside of the Gulf of Mexico as a solution provider. By working with our customers, we are able to provide them with innovative cost effective solutions for their offshore projects."

About Deep Down, Inc.

This release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are information of a non-historical nature and are subject to risks and uncertainties that are beyond the Company's ability to control. The Company cautions shareholders and prospective investors that actual results may differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. More information about the risks and uncertainties relating to the company’s forward-looking statements is found in the company’s SEC filings.

TAM International Inc., an independent oilfield services company providing inflatable and swellable packers, has announced a new TAM manufacturing facility to be built in the Houston area.

The expansion will allow TAM to support growth in the production of existing TAM products and improve capacity for manufacturing large offshore products for oil and gas production. Plans for the state-of-the-art facility include 126,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 17,000 square feet of office space. The 26-acre site is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 290 and Pinemont in Northwest Houston. The facility will house up to 300 employees directly involved in the manufacturing process.

“This move will support TAM’s plan to increase capacity for the production of packers in excess of 40 feet long and 26-inch diameter,” said John Robinson, TAM International’s Director of Manufacturing.

The new facility is designed with the goal of obtaining a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification. LEED certification provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

“LEED certification demonstrates TAM’s commitment to conserve energy and resources where possible,” Robinson said. “This rigorous certification ensures we are conscientious of the environment as we consider processes such as recycling, using efficient and natural lighting, and indoor and outdoor water reduction.”

Robinson, the manager of the new manufacturing facility, has more than 35 years of experience managing manufacturing operations in the oil and gas industry.

Kingham, Dalton, Wilson, Ltd. (KDW) were contracted to design and build the new Houston manufacturing facility.

Niche Products are proud to announce the launch of Pelagic CLEO, a super high temperature subsea control fluid, breaking new barriers for high temperature use in subsea production wells.

Pelagic CLEO was carefully developed to bridge the technology gap between water based fluids and the extreme high temperature and high pressure developments of the future. This new fluid is unique, as it offers excellent stability at high temperatures and is capable of maintaining temperatures in excess of 250°C for a project lifetime.

In addition, with the potential future requirements for closed loop systems in some sectors, this environmental oil is acceptable for direct discharge to sea. What’s more, it is designed to offer all the technical properties of traditional oil based fluids in closed loop systems.

This is an extraordinary breakthrough for the industry and offers a positive and very real assistance in the quest to access new oil reserves and to produce oil at hotter and hotter temperatures.

Niche Products Technical Director Tom McKechnie said: “Pelagic CLEO is an absolutely extraordinary product, which combines high temperature capability and environmental acceptability. This product will assist the production of oil in subsea control systems at temperatures never seen before, all while causing minimal environmental impact”.

Niche Products, having recently celebrated its 10^th anniversary, has been involved in the subsea hydraulics fluid market since 2001, when it first launched its pioneering Pelagic range of environmentally superior subsea control fluids. As worldwide environmental regulations have become tighter over the past decade, the Pelagic product range remains the obvious choice for both drilling and production companies looking for environmentally superior technology with no compromise on technical performance.

Rosneft has obtained licenses for geological survey, exploration and production of oil and gas at three blocks of federal significance on the Barents Sea shelf. The blocks are Tsentralno-Barentsevsky, Fedynsky and Perseevsky.

Estimated total resources at the blocks stand at 3.3 billion tonnes of crude oil and gas condensate and up to 2,800 bcm of gas.

Exploration of the blocks envisages 11,000 linear kilometres of 2D seismic studies, 3D seismic studies covering 3.5 square kilometres and the drilling of five wildcat wells.

Monday’s ruling, together with last week's decision on Transocean's financial obligations stemming from its conduct at the Macondo well, is a strong signal that contractors involved in critical well operations will be held accountable for their actions under the law. All official investigations have concluded that Halliburton played a causal role in the accident, and following this ruling, Halliburton is, at a minimum, responsible for any punitive damages as well as civil penalties to the extent that they may apply under the Clean Water Act. Moreover, the court determined that if Halliburton is found to have committed fraud, then the indemnity could be void.

BP has acknowledged its role in the accident and has paid more than $7.8 billion in claims, advances and other payments to individuals, businesses and governments, regardless of whether third parties ultimately would be responsible for any of that sum or additional liabilities. Our charges and provisions never assumed any recovery from Transocean or Halliburton for pollution-related damages. These two decisions should put an end to the attempts by Transocean and Halliburton to avoid their obligations.

Glynn Rhinehart has been named President of Fugro Chance Inc., which has 400 employees in Lafayette, LA and Houston, TX. Rhinehart has been with Fugro for 17 years, most recently as president of John Chance Land Surveys, Inc. which provides land surveying and aerial LiDAR mapping services to the oil and gas, railroad, and electric transmission industries throughout the U.S. He is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in Civil Engineering (Lafayette, LA). He earned a Master’s Degree in Water Resources Development from Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO). He has 40 years experience in civil engineering, surveying, and data management related to the oil and gas industry and is a registered Land Surveyor and Civil Engineer in Louisiana.

Rhinehart replaces Phil Stutes who has been promoted to Regional Director of Fugro’s Survey Division, overseeing survey companies in North, Central, and South America.

Stutes has been president of Fugro Chance for 12 years. He joined Fugro (originally John E. Chance & Associates) 42 years ago. Stutes is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in Civil Engineering and earned a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering, Geodesy at Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana). In the early 1980s Stutes was actively involved in the implementation of the company’s proprietary satellite positioning system called STARFIX® which is now used worldwide. He is a registered Professional Land Surveyor for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Clariant Oil & Mining Services has named  Graham Gammack Head of Marketing for the Oil Services business line.  Gammack has been with the company for nearly two years, previously serving as Director of Business Development.

Prior to joining Clariant, Gammack served as the Manager of Process and Capability Improvement at Baker Hughes.  He has a Ph.D. in Microbiology and 25 years of domestic and international oil and gas experience.  During his career he has held a number of positions in technical sales, operations support and P&L management.

Gammack is replacing Nick Phillips who was recently named Head of Marketing, Technology and Key Accounts for Clariant Oil Services.