Through water technology and survey company, Nautronix, has been awarded a 5 year frame contract - based on a non-exclusive agreement - by SURF and subsea contractor Ceona with an initial 1 year call-off for the supply of survey services to support their new build DP3 subsea construction vessel, the Polar Onyx.

The contract includes the initial survey support and mobilization of the vessel in Europe before the vessel commences a minimum of 1 year's work in Brazil as a PLSV for Petrobras. Nautronix will supply personnel and equipment to provide survey services on the vessel.

Sam Hanton, Director of Survey for Nautronix, says 'Since our Survey division was launched in 2012, we've seen significant growth and gained an excellent track record in ROV construction survey support. The award of this contract by Ceona is a significant step in our development, and recognises our commitment and ability to provide a high quality survey service.'

FMC Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: FTI) announces that it will be recognized at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) next week with the presentation of two Spotlight on New Technology Awards. The awards, which honor innovative technologies that significantly impact offshore exploration and production, are in recognition of FMC Technologies' ISOL-8 Pump and Offshore Loading Arm Footless.

"We are honored to again be recognized by OTC with these prestigious awards," said John Gremp, FMC Technologies' Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "The Spotlight on New Technology Awards highlight the important role that innovation and technology play in our industry. The two technologies recognized by these awards are examples of how advancements are solving the complex challenges our industry faces."

The ISOL-8 Pump, developed by FMC Technologies Schilling Robotics, enables secondary intervention for blowout preventers (BOPs) in compliance with API Standard 53. The ISOL-8 Pump is tightly integrated with FMC Technologies' UHD III Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), and uniquely meets the 45 second requirement for closing BOP shear rams.

The Offshore Loading Arm Footless (OLAF) has been developed for liquefied natural gas (LNG) transfer between large floating LNG (FLNG) vessels and conventional LNG carriers. The OLAF design is able to accommodate the large elevation differences between the FLNG deck, where it is based, and the LNG carrier piping connection at a lower level. OLAF features an advanced targeting system for connection assistance and a Constant Position Monitoring System, SIL3, to manage emergency disconnection.

The awards will be presented during a ceremony at 3:30 p.m. CDT on Monday, May 5 in the Rotunda area of the Reliant Center Lobby B in Houston, Texas.

As previously announced, Rowan Companies plc ("Rowan" or the "Company") (NYSE: RDC) confirmed today that on April 25, 2014, Dr. Thomas P. Burke was elected as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. In addition, Mr. H.E. Lentz retired as the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. W. Matt Ralls was appointed as the Executive Chairman of the Board and Sir Graham Hearne was appointed as the new Lead Director of the Board.

Mr. Ralls commented, "The Company could not be in better hands with Tom as Chief Executive Officer. He has proven his leadership skills, first as CEO of our manufacturing subsidiary and more recently as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company. Tom's keen business sense, in-depth knowledge of our company and industry, and clear vision for the future will serve the Company well in the years to come. I look forward to watching Rowan flourish under Tom's strong leadership."

Dr. Burke, age 46, most recently served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company. He became Chief Operating Officer in July 2011 and was promoted to President in March 2013. Dr. Burke initially joined the Company in December 2009 to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of LeTourneau Technologies, Inc. and served in such capacity until the sale of LeTourneau in June 2011. Prior to such time, he was employed by Complete Production Services, an oilfield services company, as a Division President from 2006 to 2009, and as Vice President Corporate Development from 2004 to 2006. Before joining Complete, Dr. Burke held various positions at Schlumberger and McKinsey & Company. He holds a DPhil (PhD) in Engineering Science from Trinity College, Oxford and an MBA with High Distinction from Harvard Business School.

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Deep Casing Tools has already exceeded the manufacturing output of 2013 within the first quarter of this year.

Deep Casing Tools provides a range of innovative tools designed to land casing and completions at target depth within oil or gas wells.

More than 70 tools have been dispatched worldwide this year to Canada, the USA, Middle East and Australia, beating the record 55 tools produced and sold during the previous year. Distribution between tools run remains the same with an equal split between casing and completions.

Lance Davis, CEO of Deep Casing Tools, said: "Successful tool runs with new clients in Canada and the United States have increased the demand from operators, which are applying the technology to improve the well construction process. New trial tests are also underway with operators in Mexico and the Middle East, which should lead to an excellent year for the company."

Deep Casing Tools' reaming and unique drill through technology provides significant time and cost savings when compared to conventional methods. With the new ability to ream while running in, the casing can be run sooner while the hole is in best condition, eliminating wiper trips and open hole exposure time.

InterMoor, an Acteon company, is finalizing a joint venture agreement with Century Energy Services Ltd (Century) in Nigeria. This will be a locally registered company and fully compliant with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Bill, 2010. For InterMoor, securing a joint venture with an experienced and established partner like Century will ensure an effective local engagement with the Nigerian oil and gas market.

InterMoor has been working in West Africa for 10 years with bases in Luanda and Malongo in Angola. The company also has extensive experience with rig moves and mooring campaigns in Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

Philipp Stratmann, InterMoor's global development manager, said, "Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa. Expanding in Nigeria is a strategic move for us while we continue to focus on international growth and new ways to address our clients' needs. The joint venture will ensure compliance with Nigerian local content laws and enable us to participate in the increasing number of offshore projects being conducted in the region."

Derrick Douglas, InterMoor's new business development manager in Nigeria, and Osas Uwaifo, Century's managing director for the joint venture, will manage the InterMoor offices in Lagos. Douglas brings 10 years of experience with Shell Nigeria to the job and holds an MBA from Cranfield School of Management in the UK. Uwaifo is a petroleum engineer with more than 13 years' experience in business development and contract management in the oil and gas industry. She is currently in charge of business development and commercial activities for Century Group and has a BEng degree in petroleum engineering.

InterMoor currently has three permanent staff based in Lagos, including a local operations and a local commercial manager. It also offers shore-based support through its partner at Kidney Island and through the planned yard at the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL).

VIKING is ready with all the answers to a new hot topic for offshore infrastructure owners and operators at its stand at OTC 2014. The topic is single-source safety equipment servicing – and judging by industry reactions, VIKING seems to have uncovered – and solved – a significant hassle for its offshore customers.

Although its safety management offering, called the VIKING Offshore Safety Agreement, was released only last year, marine and fire safety equipment leader VIKING Life-Saving Equipment has already had a number of significant wins. Among these is a newly inked, multi-year servicing contract signed with Norwegian-based oil and gas giant Statoil for the maintenance of marine safety equipment on board 36 platforms in the North Sea.

Statoil's portfolio of marine safety equipment for its oil and gas activities is typical of similar-sized industry players. The company's rigs have been built at various times and were equipped with the best of what was available at the time of construction. Over the years, many of the products have been updated, but rarely or never as a complete installation upgrade. What's more, Statoil's platforms are designed for a variety of purposes and environments and can require, therefore, slightly different types and specifications of equipment.

The result is a mix of brands, models and vintages that demands significant time and resources to maintain. The challenges aren't Statoil's alone, but present a correspondingly difficult set of challenges for its suppliers, who are required to maintain spare parts inventories, accurate delivery times and consistent quality levels. The delivery logistics of it all are complicated, too. Unlike safety servicing for passenger or cargo ships, which can be carried out when the vessel is in port, offshore platform owners are often forced to choose between buying or renting a temporary set of liferafts to replace equipment being serviced, or to consider reducing onboard personnel for days while vital safety equipment is being maintained on shore.

The new VIKING Offshore Safety Agreement makes for significantly easier administration for Statoil's platforms and logistics staff. Previously, numerous emails and phone calls flowed between the various Statoil installations and a range of different safety equipment suppliers. And establishing and consolidating the various budgets at corporate level demanded many hours of work. VIKING now has full responsibility for its customer's liferafts and chute systems, and its offshore service planning department coordinates scheduled servicing, including coordination with supply vessel schedules.

InterMoor, an Acteon company, has enhanced its customer support, substantially added to its stock of mooring equipment in Asia Pacific and opened a new office at the Loyang Offshore Supply Base in Singapore.

The new office will accommodate InterMoor's Asia Pacific team, including engineering, offshore installation and commercial activities. Martin Kobiela, general manager, InterMoor Pte Ltd, said, "By increasing our physical presence in an Asia Pacific time zone, we are able to operate in synergy with our clients' needs."

The office was necessary to house a growing workforce and to provide additional capacity to serve customers' requirements. Kobiela explained, "We had outgrown our old office and needed to accommodate the new hires that have started this year and to provide space for our expansion. The move illustrates our continuing growth in, and our long-term commitment to, the Asia Pacific region."

The new mooring equipment, which is on order from the manufacturers, includes nine 10-te MK6 Stevpris anchors, 2700 m of 76-mm K4 chain and 9000 m of 83-mm wire.

"We will receive the new equipment over the next couple of months," said Simon Gatcliffe, commercial manager, InterMoor Pte Ltd. "This substantial investment significantly extends our rental inventory in the region and will enable us to offer an enhanced service to customers."

The new office address is:
Loyang Offshore Supply Base
25 Loyang Crescent Block 103, #06-02
TOPS Avenue 1, Mailbox No. 5078
Singapore 508988

Noble Corporation plc (NYSE: NE) has announced that Steven A. Manz has been appointed to the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Paragon Offshore Ltd., the standard specification offshore drilling company to be created upon separation from Noble. He will report to Randall "Randy" Stilley, who was named in February to serve as Chief Executive Officer and President of Paragon.

Manz has more than 25 years of experience in the offshore drilling and financial services industries. From 1995 to 2005, Manz served in a variety of management roles at Noble Corporation, including Managing Director, Noble Technology Services Division, Vice President of Strategic Planning, and Director of Accounting and Investor Relations. Most recently Manz served at Prospector Offshore Drilling S.A., Seahawk Drilling, Inc. and Hercules Offshore, Inc., where he held the position of Chief Financial Officer of each company. Manz holds a Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin.

In addition, Noble also announced the appointment of Luis A. Jimenez, who will serve as Vice President - Administration for Paragon, with responsibility for human resources, administration, learning and development, performance management, employee relations, recruiting and retention. Jimenez has a long and diverse human resources professional background, including 14 years of directly related experience in the energy services industry.

JDR, a leading provider of technology connecting the offshore energy industry, is increasing its global footprint with the opening of a new service and maintenance facility in Brazil.

The JDR facility will be the latest addition to the bustling port city of Macaé when it opens for business in Q3 of 2014. The city is seen as an ideal location to build the company's local presence and reputation, with more than 80% of the oil produced by Brazil being linked through the port in some way.

JDR specialises in the design and production of steel and thermoplastic subsea production umbilicals subsea power cables and Intervention Workover Control Systems (IWOCS) as well as offering offshore and field services for the global oil and gas industry.

The Brazilian market is seen by JDR as being critical to the globalisation of the business, which commands a 70% market share in IWOCS in all markets outside of the South American country.

Andrew Norman, CEO of JDR, said: "The addition of a Brazilian facility is a significant step toward achieving our global growth strategy and a significant milestone in the company's development.

"Our technologies have been at the heart of a number of significant subsea projects throughout the world and we believe that our expertise and our umbilical core competency lends itself to becoming a leading regional supplier of intervention and workover (IWOCS) products, production umbilicals and hydraulic flying leads (HFLs) that will be needed for pre-salt developments in Brazil.

"The country is home to the largest offshore, deepwater operation in the world, which is JDR's core expertise. Not only does this make it an attractive proposition, it is also the next logical step for us to service the growing global subsea sector."

Subsea projects are becoming increasingly important in the drive to access the world's remaining reserves – with many fields in more challenging environments than ever before. JDR's in-house engineering teams have been working with clients to ensure the infrastructure is designed and manufactured for each individual project.

Norman added: "Many of the challenges facing Brazil are similar to those we have overcome with clients in other parts of the world and as a result we feel confident that we can add real value to projects throughout the region."

BMT Group Ltd (BMT), the leading international maritime design, environmental and engineering consultancy, will showcase its portfolio of offshore technology support services on Booth #2441-E at this year's Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) exhibition, taking place next month in Houston, Texas. Building on more than twenty five years' experience, BMT supports the oil and gas industry in safe, reliable, cost effective and environmentally sound activities.

Providing products, services and solutions through all phases of offshore exploration, production and decommissioning, technical experts from a number of BMT's operating companies will be on hand to engage with visitors and discuss their specific challenges.

Dr Ralph Rayner, Sector Director for Energy and Environment at BMT Group Ltd explains: "The offshore oil and gas market continues to grow as major producers seek to explore and realize new production opportunities and this is driving demand for our products and services. We continue to invest time and money into better understanding the complex challenges our customers face, provide innovative solutions that draw on our specialist knowledge and expertise, and apply these efficiently, safely and cost effectively."

With an excellent track record in working with operators in the Gulf of Mexico, offshore West Africa, Brazil and Malaysia, BMT Scientific Marine Services will showcase its marine integrity monitoring solutions, including a subsea riser integrity monitoring system which incorporates an ROV-Serviceable Strain Sensor Assembly. The team will also be on hand to highlight the benefits of real-time maintenance. Jeffrey Lewis, Vice President of Client Support Services at BMT Scientific Marine Services explains: "A real-time maintenance plan can identify and flag potential system problems before reduced performance or instrument failure occurs. This approach will help to reduce potential operational down time and thus, preserve the life of high value, offshore assets."
With over 200 years of oceanographic experience, BMT ARGOSS will demonstrate its extensive capabilities in providing metocean design and operating criteria, as well as weather forecasting services to oil majors who have to often deal with extremely harsh conditions. Accurate forecasting delivered in real-time is a prerequisite to planning and carrying out day to day operations, allowing customers to reduce operational risk and possible downtime.

Accidental loss of containment offshore is one of the biggest safety concerns facing operators. Technical experts from BMT Fluid Mechanics will be available to discuss how their advanced computational modelling and experience in HSE can help designers minimise the risk of these events happening and maximise safety. BMT Fluid Mechanics also has expertise in the fields of offshore helideck safety and operate large in-house wind tunnel facilities for supplying wind and current loads of offshore structures to very short timescales.

Having now successfully completed four projects in the Gulf of Mexico, BMT's REMBRANDT vessel simulator for inshore tow simulation of floating production systems has demonstrated its value as an effective training tool for marine installation personnel and also for assessing the manoeuvring risks associated with collision and grounding. BMT staff will be available to discuss how REMBRANDT can add value and improve safety.

Leading subsea technology manufacturer Sonardyne International Ltd. is celebrating winning the Queen's Award for Enterprise in Innovation for its 6G® underwater product range. Announced on Monday 21st April, the Queen's Award for Enterprise recognizes and encourages commercial success resulting from outstanding innovative achievements by businesses in the UK. These are conferred by HM Queen Elizabeth II, on advice of the Prime Minister, and are the highest award a UK business can receive.

Headquartered in Yateley, Hampshire, UK, with regional offices in Aberdeen, Brazil, Houston, Plymouth and Singapore, Sonardyne is recognized as a pioneer in the design and manufacture of underwater acoustic positioning, inertial navigation, wireless communications and sonar technology. Users for the Company's technology are found within the offshore energy, ocean research and maritime security industries. The Company was founded in 1971 by John Partridge and today remains privately owned, employing 310 people worldwide, 265 of which are based in the UK.

Launched in 2010, Sonardyne's award winning 6G (Sixth Generation) technology platform was judged to have addressed users' needs for underwater technology that is low risk, versatile and easy to use. Its performance over the previous generation technology can be likened to the difference between analogue and digital mobile telecommunications. 6G products have made an impact on diverse subsea operations around the world and, in 2013/14, were exported to 55 different countries.

"We are immensely proud and honored to have won The Queen's Award for Enterprise in Innovation with our ground-breaking development of 6G," said John Ramsden, Sonardyne's Managing Director. "When we set out down the path towards 6G, we wanted to develop a family of products that would maximize operational efficiencies and, at the same time, simplify use and minimize costs for our clients. Four years of export success, culminating in this prestigious award, is recognition of our achievements. 6G has brought tangible benefits wherever it has been put to work and is helping to redefine the way in which we explore our oceans and realize our global energy needs."

Gauthiers', a Lafayette-based supplier of oil and gas industry containers and support equipment, officially opened the doors to its newly relocated and expanded Houma facility with a community crawfish boil on Friday, April 11.

Approximately 200 invited guests dug into more than 1,000 pounds of boiled crawfish, toured the new facility and learned about the company's newest products. By moving to a larger, 6-acre property and constructing a new facility on Highway 182, Gauthiers' will substantially expand its capacity, including $2 million of offshore containers and baskets in addition to its current fleet of offshore rental equipment.

The company has also hired two full-time employees as a result of this growth: Houma natives Kevin Pizzolato and Jamie Usie. "We're responding to the ever-rising demands of the Gulf of Mexico's offshore exploration, drilling and production industries," said Operations Manager Pizzolato. "We have and will continue to invest heavily in equipment to support their efforts to power the country."

Gauthiers' is a family company founded in Lafayette in 1979 that has evolved and grown over the years to include domestic rentals, international and domestic sales of offshore containers, baskets, workshops, storage containers and related equipment. In 2007, the company added a Houma location to allow them better serve customers working in and around southwestern Louisiana and Port Fourchon. The new facility is located at 4768 Highway 182.

Churchill Drilling Tools, the provider of reliable and easy to use drilling systems, is celebrating a successful first year for its dedicated service base in Houston, with a number of key milestones achieved.

Through its Houston base, the company has:

·       Completed successful projects for a number of super-majors in the region

·       Developed a range of excellent high performance case histories both on the Gulf of Mexico shelf and in deepwater

·       Generated a high demand for advanced drifting and circulating technologies in the Gulf

Churchill Drilling Tools recently announced the successful deployment of its dart activated DAV MX™ circulating valve at a record measured depth of 26,012ft in a development well off Louisiana. Enabling rapid and assured reamer bypass in a sidetrack operation, the application exploited the deepwater capability of the company’s Smart Dart™http://www.circsub.com/august20011/ to withstand both rapid delivery speeds and high temperature and pressure variations.

Using its multi-cycle capability, bypass deactivation was equally simple and assured as the assembly was pulled from hole. This proved the capability of the system to give the operator total control over both the fluid path directions and the drilling equipment whilst maintaining the well control flow-rate objectives set out in the program. 

The DAV MX™ is used globally across a range of drilling environments including deepwater, high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) and high-angle extended reach drilling. The Mechanical Extrusion system is significantly more reliable, faster and more cost effective than polymer extrusion, the process used for traditional ball-activated systems. The system’s previous record deployment exceeded 16,000ft in a well offshore UK.

The establishment of the Churchill Drilling Tools’ advanced technologies in the Gulf of Mexico has attracted significant interest from experts in the drilling field.

In April, Churchill Drilling Tools was delighted to announce the appointment Mark Elliott, one of the most experienced advisors on circulating tools in the region, as business development manager.

Mark, who has more than seven years’ experience in the sector, said: “Dart activation is a step forward in valve technology that will enable this product category to keep up with operator expectations for performance and reliability. I am excited to be involved with the roll-out of this technology, which is so clearly needed”.

Looking forward in 2014 and 2015, Churchill Drilling Tools is planning to roll-out some of its more recent new products in the region and there are also a number of exciting research and development projects nearing completion.

 “Although present in the region for a number of years, the establishment of our own service base in Houston has given our business a real boost. All the operators In the Gulf of Mexico are pushing into new performance areas which makes it an exciting place for Churchill to be focused,” said Churchill Drilling Tools’ managing director Andy Churchill. “It gives us a great opportunity to track what the leading operators are doing and to come up with innovative drilling tools that will assist them.”

Jee Ltd, a leading independent multi-discipline subsea engineering and training firm, has been awarded a contract in support of a US$14,000M seven-year development. The contract, with a major offshore pipelay and subsea construction company, is as a result of recent oil field operations in Canada.

Jee will fulfil the detailed design scope of the company's engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract for the subsea pipelines, as part of the offshore loading system (OLS) for the development.

Jee will provide engineering services, including detailed design and stress analysis on three 24-inch offshore loading lines, which will be installed in 90m of water, as part of a piggable loop.

The scope of work includes Jee engineers reviewing survey information to define and finalise multiple pipeline routes and reviewing all pipeline FEED documentation. In addition the contract involves Jee executing operational stress analysis and pipeline walking analysis, as well as performing any necessary engineering for extra protection of the pipelines to mitigate damage or external disturbance.

Michael Green (photo), business development manager at Jee said: "This contract is a direct result of Jee's engineering capabilities, as well as the quality of our work. With a history of expertise in subsea design, we are looking forward to working on the project, as well as continuing to expand our subsea projects within this developing region."

Engineering and project management will begin immediately from Jee's offices in London and Tonbridge as well as work in the client company's offices.

Tesla Offshore LLC, a leading survey service provider offering comprehensive Geophysical, Geoscience, Marine Construction and Marine Salvage support in offshore waters around the world, is celebrating its 10th year in business. In 2014, Tesla Offshore has also achieved a benchmark in its strategic plan for growth marked by the launch of its state- of-the-art Tesla Bluefin-21 AUV program (http://teslaoffshore.com/services/AUV-Systems) reaffirming the company's commitment to enhancing its depth capabilities while expanding its global reach.

Upon reaching the 10 year milestone, Randall P. Bergeron, President and CEO of Tesla Offshore LLC, stated that, "2014 marks a decade of exceptional growth for Tesla Offshore, while maintaining consistently high standards of excellence in customer service. This dual accomplishment can best be attributed to the skill, dedication and integrity of our employees. Going forward, our team of highly respected industry leaders, now equipped with cutting edge AUV technology, is uniquely positioned to undertake the most challenging deepwater survey operations of our clients, anywhere in the world."

Tesla Offshore was established in 2004 by Randall P. Bergeron, Rick Clemmons, Donald Spicer, C.D. Schempf and Richard Habiak. The company adheres to a simple, yet uncompromising, business philosophy: Demand integrity of yourself and your co-workers; Offer only the highest quality compliant products and services; and, Focus on customer satisfaction as the best measure of success. Creating the unique character of Tesla Offshore began long before 2004. The company's core leadership has worked together since 1976. This extensive history provides a wealth of industry expertise resulting in unmatched project efficiency while delivering quality- assured survey services to its customers.

About the Tesla Offshore Bluefin-21 AUV

Nothing more clearly symbolizes the development of Tesla Offshore in these past 10 years than the addition of deepwater AUV services to its list of offerings. The Tesla Bluefin-21 AUV is a highly efficient untethered solution that enables full sensor suite operations at depths up to 4,500
meters, while maintaining the portability and flexibility necessary for deployment from vessels of opportunity worldwide.

The unique sensor suite onboard Tesla Offshore's AUV has been chosen to exceed the data quality, resolution and swath width of what is typically made available to today's deepwater survey customers. The system is the first AUV in the industry to boast a state-of-the-art synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) produced by Raytheon Applied Signal Technology. The PROSAS® Surveyor provides decimetric imaging resolution across swath ranges up to 450 meters per side, leading to increased survey efficiency at depth. Also included are broadband multibeam echosounder, chirp sub-bottom profiler, and a very high definition digital still camera.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) has announced that the company has donated $1 million toward building a new home for Oklahoma State University's Spears School of Business. In appreciation for this gift, OSU is naming the building's social and collaborative area the ConocoPhillips Student Lounge.

This contribution is in addition to ConocoPhillips' ongoing annual support for scholarships, programs, faculty and facilities across the OSU system.

"Oklahoma State University is grateful for the continuing support of ConocoPhillips and its employees, including many OSU graduates," OSU President Burns Hargis said. "ConocoPhillips is OSU's largest corporate donor, giving nearly $40 million through the years along with hiring countless alumni. ConocoPhillips is an Oklahoma business pioneer and leader, so we are delighted and grateful the company is helping build the new home for our business school."

The new building will serve as the eastern anchor of the university's main quad. It will significantly increase the space for Spears School of Business' 5,000 students and faculty members, becoming a magnet for attracting the region's best minds to engage in dialogue about business, entrepreneurship, economics, law and policy issues.

The ConocoPhillips Student Lounge will be a gathering place for undergraduate and graduate students, providing a central and dynamic location for collaboration, studying and relaxation between classes. The space will be filled with natural light and include ample comfortable seating, computers, study tables and entertainment options to accommodate the needs and desires of today's busy students. Students will also help in the design process to ensure it is the most inviting and visible space for their peers.

"Oklahoma State University continues to provide ConocoPhillips with top talent," said Ken Seaman, ConocoPhillips' executive sponsor for OSU and a university alum. "We're proud to continue to support the university and the Spears School of Business through this investment."
Seaman, an assistant controller with ConocoPhillips, presented the $1 million check to OSU's Dr. Ken Eastman, interim dean and associate professor of management, Spears School of Business, during a special ceremony this morning on ConocoPhillips' downtown campus in Bartlesville, Okla.

"We are proud of the relationship we have forged with ConocoPhillips and are humbled by this gift to our new business building," says Eastman. "The Student Lounge is a perfect way to honor the many Spears School graduates that ConocoPhillips has hired over the years. We look forward to continuing our partnership with ConocoPhillips so that more of our students can build great careers there."

For more information on the nationally acclaimed Spears School of Business and its progress on the state-of-the-art new facility, visit spears.okstate.edu.