Wood Group Mustang names Bob Lindsay CEng MIMechE president of the Offshore Business Unit, leading its global strategic direction and development.

A native of Australia, Lindsay brings to the table 35 years of management experience in international offshore business operations, having held various senior and executive management roles. His expertise includes design, construction, project management and business development of oil & gas production facilities that have included assignments in the UK, Brazil, Korea, South Africa, US and Australia.

Lindsay holds a Master of Business Administration from The Open University in the UK, a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Western Australia Institute of Technology and an Associateship in mechanical engineering (Bachelor of Science equivalent) from Western Australia Institute of Technology. He is a member of the Institute of Petroleum, the Institute of Engineers (Australia) and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Wood Group Executive Vice President Michele McNichol shared, "Bob's personable and team-focused style, combined with his depth of offshore business operations, makes him a natural fit at Wood Group Mustang. It was of paramount importance to find a leader who not only has the technical and international business talent required for the job, but who also embodies our people-oriented culture."

Seatronics do Brazil, an Acteon company, announces the appointment of Thiago Montanari as sales manager.  Montanari is based in Rio de Janeiroand will report directly to Seatronics vice president, Fabio D’Agostino.

Montanari has six years of experience in the offshore industry, working extensively in the Caspian (Kasakhstan), Mediterranean, Adriatic and Caribbean (Cuba) seas, as well as in Angola, Patagonia and Libya.

Montanari will be responsible for maturing existing relationships while growing and developing global business opportunities with existing and potential clients.

Before joining Seatronics, Montanari worked at Ambipetro, where he was an operations supervisor and party chief for its offshore operations. Prior to this role, he spent four years at GASITALY as an offshore surveyor, responsible for MBES, Side Scan Sonar and Sub-bottom profiling data acquisition and positioning.

Montanari holds a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography from Vale do Itajai University in Brazil.

“This is a key role at Seatronics, and I am pleased to have Thiago join the team,” said vice president Fabio D’Agostino. “Thiago’s international expertise and industry knowledge will provide guidance and leadership to our Brazilian sales team while enhancing customer relations in the region.”

Coastal Energy Company (the "Company" or "Coastal Energy") (TSX:CEN) (AIM:CEO), an independent exploration and production company with assets in Southeast Asia, today announces an operations update.

Malaysia

Following completion of the current drilling program at Bua Ban North, expected in late July, the Manta drilling rig will mobilize to Malaysia to begin the development program at the Kapal field. All requisite permits to commence the Kapal field development have been received. The mobile offshore production unit ("MOPU") refurbishment is expected to be complete by September. Therefore, Coastal is well placed to commence development in Malaysia once the current program in Thailand is complete.

Bua Ban North

As announced previously, the two horizontal wells which were drilled and completed with the new swelling packer technology encountered production issues during the second quarter. Consequently, the Company elected to recomplete and reperforate these two wells using more conventional completion techniques.

The Company has recompleted the first of the two wellbores and the well is now producing approximately 1,500 bopd. The Company will drill one additional development well at Bua Ban North and recomplete the other horizontal swelling packer well before mobilizing the rig to Malaysia. 

Production Update 

Defense and security company Saab has signed a contract on delivery of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle systems, AUV62, in training configuration. The order has a total value of MSEK 148 and system deliveries will take place during 2014.

The order comprises the supply of AUV62, the latest version of the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle in a configuration as training target for Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) training.

“The AUV62 is a competent and advanced system that will enhance and strengthen the customer’s underwater capabilities. We are of course very satisfied to have been able to secure yet another order for the system,” says Görgen Johansson, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Area Dynamics.

The AUV62 is an advanced and highly modern Autonomous Underwater Vehicle available in several different configurations and already selected by a number of customers.

Equipped with an Acoustic payload it is an advanced and capable system for cost-efficient training of a navy’s ASW forces. The AUV62 is an artificial acoustic target that mimics a submarine in a way that is compatible with any torpedo- and sonar system on the market today. The AUV62 system fully replaces the use of a submarine in the role as a maneuvering training target.

Equipped with a Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS) payload it is an efficient system for Mine Search, Reconnaissance and Seabed Mapping. With the AUV62 Saab offers a state-of-the-art Autonomous Underwater System for demanding customers investing in the future.

The industry’s nature is such that depending on circumstances concerning the product and customer, information regarding the customer will not be announced.

Saab serves the global market with world-leading products, services and solutions ranging from military defense to civil security. Saab has operations and employees on all continents and constantly develops, adopts and improves new technology to meet customers’ changing needs.

Jon Holvik has taken over as President of the Houston headquartered Kongsberg Maritime Inc.; the US subsidiary of the world’s leading supplier of Dynamic Positioning (DP) and Automation/Control systems for offshore vessels, rigs and merchant shipping.

Norwegian born Jon, an electronics graduate from the Technical College in Kongsberg, Norway has been a Kongsberg Maritime employee since the late eighties. Starting his career as a Service Engineer he became part of Kongsberg Maritime when it acquired his then employer, Shipmate Norway. Jon became a DP Hardware and Software Engineer in 1990, and in 1993 through 1995 served as Service Manager for KONGSBERG in Singapore, responsible for service of all KONGSBERG products in SE Asia.

 He moved into sales in 1996 upon returning to Norway. As Sales Manager for Kongsberg Maritime his responsibility was for Scandinavia,  Middle East and Brazil from 1996 to 1998. In 1998, Jon moved to Houston to become, Vice President of Sales for Kongsberg Maritime Inc.. After 10 years, he had an 18 month guest appearance as VP Rig Broker for RS Platou in Houston from July 2008 until February 2010 but returned to Kongsberg Maritime Inc. as Vice President of Sales in February 2010. As of June 24, 2013, he became President of Kongsberg Maritime Inc. in Houston.

“I’m delighted to takes the reigns at Kongsberg Maritime Inc. during an exciting period of industry growth,” comments Jon. “Kongsberg Maritime’s Integrated DP and Automation/Control Systems, Safety Systems and Navigation Systems feature on over 90% of all deepwater MODUs ordered over the past 3 years and are a mainstay of critical exploration and production operations throughout the Gulf of Mexico. We are key partner to a large number of operators in the region and I am keen to strengthen and expand on our existing customer relationships.”

In addition to managing sales of the diverse and highly regarded KONGSBERG portfolio of technology for offshore applications, the Kongsberg Maritime Inc. Houston HQ is also home to the largest Dynamic Positioning and Automation Training center in the USA. Over 1400 students took courses in 2012, and with new instructors on board, this number is expected to increase in 2013.

“Through our position as a leading Dynamic Positioning training organization in North America, Kongsberg Maritime Inc. in Houston is providing a vital service to the offshore industry, where demand for skilled DP operators is higher than it has ever been,” continues Jon.

As company President, Jon also takes responsibility for the US Customer Support and project office, located in the Kongsberg Maritime Inc. New Orleans office, which celebrates its 10 year anniversary in August 2013.

The office is positioned to support Kongsberg Maritime customers in the burgeoning offshore industry in GoM and Mexico and has recently become part of a world-wide Customer Support revamp that has made it a major point in a new Kongsberg Maritime follow-the-sun approach to global support.

Follow-the-sun means that whilst supporting customers in the region, support staff at the Kongsberg Maritime Inc. New Orleans office also handle global customer requests, ensuring they have a human to deal with even if it is out of office hours in their location.

CSA Ocean Sciences, Inc. are currently seeking an Applications Developer and a Database Administrator for the GIS group, a Marketing Associate, and a Ph.D. Marine Biologist/Biological Oceanographer. Check out the postings on the www.csaocean.com careers page.

The Board of Royal Dutch Shell plc has announced that Ben van Beurden will succeed Peter Voser as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 January 2014.

Peter Voser will leave Shell at the end of March 2014, marking the end of 29 years with the Company.

Van Beurden, 55, has been Downstream Director since January 2013.

“I am delighted to announce Ben van Beurden as the next Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell,” said Chairman Jorma Ollila. “Ben has deep knowledge of the industry and proven executive experience across a range of Shell businesses. Ben will continue to drive and further develop the strategic agenda that we have set out, to generate competitive returns for our shareholders.” 

“Van Beurden’s selection came after a comprehensive assessment and review of internal and external candidates led by the Board Nomination and Succession Committee,” Ollila added.

Van Beurden joined the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies in 1983 and has held a number of technical and commercial roles in both the Upstream and Downstream businesses. He has worked in The Netherlands, Africa, Malaysia, USA and, most recently, the UK.

Van Beurden, a Dutch national, graduated with a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands. He is married and has four children.

Petrotechnics,a global leader of software solutions to improve frontline operational performance and risk management in hazardous industries, today announces the completion of £6 million investment from Business Growth Fund (BGF).

The investment will help fuel the next stage in the company’s aggressive global growth strategy in new geographies, new talent acquisition and ongoing innovation, including the continued global roll out of its enterprise operational performance and predictive risk software platform, Proscient.

Based in Aberdeen and with offices in Houston, Saudi Arabia and Singapore, Petrotechnics was founded in 1990 and since then has pioneered proven solutions and successfully helped organizations in hazardous industries increase operational performance and improve risk management in the riskiest part of their operations.

Petrotechnics’ software solutions are used on a daily basis by more than 50,000 personnel from some of the biggest businesses in the oil and gas industry, including the three largest independent Oil & Gas Companies. Petrotechnics software is used in frontline operations to help manage operations safely and efficiently across 385 sites on 6 continents including 80% of North Sea and 40% of Gulf of Mexico assets.

Petrotechnics’ leading enterprise software platform, Proscient provides an easier and more dynamic approach for senior management to proactively manage the organization to optimize performance reduce risk.  Proscient manages the execution of frontline work safely and efficiently to help companies maintain asset integrity, workforce safety and the achievement of production targets.

Unlike the older generation of inflexible and static tools such as paper based Permit to Work and Electronic Permit to Work/ISSoW systems, Proscient provides an organization with the capabilities to consistently manage workload against risk according to policies across the organization whether it’s one plant or a global enterprise.

Proscient is designed from the ground up as a robust and flexible off the shelf enterprise application enabling streamlined deployment and ease of use. It delivers hard ROI within months, specifically with a reduction in the number and length of unplanned shutdowns, a decrease in permit and contractor wait times, significant improvements in plan accuracy and plan attainment and most importantly with a positive change in the strength of the organization’s ‘at the plant face’ safety culture.  As an enterprise platform Proscient provides further business value through its integration with other leading enterprise systems used by hazardous industries including IBM Maximo, SAP, Oracle Primavera and Microsoft Project.

It also leverages strategic big data to drive continuous improvement of operational performance. With data on every aspect of work that has occurred and more importantly with what is to come across frontline operations, senior management can use Proscient’s integrated actionable analytics for the insight and enhanced decision making to move the organization from reactive to proactive management.  This consistent generation of data provides the capability to generate role specific metrics that are informative, actionable and improve decision making from the frontline to the boardroom.

“We firmly believe that with BGF’s guidance and contributions we can truly take our organisation to the next level of growth,” said Phil Murray, CEO Petrotechnics.  “We believe there is great potential for oil and gas operators worldwide to significantly improve their operational performance and enhance how they manage operational risk.  A system such as Proscient empowers all levels of management to proactively achieve operational excellence.”

Mike Sibson, BGF Investment Director commented, “Our investment in Petrotechnics is a very exciting opportunity for BGF. Petrotechnics has demonstrated its ability to deliver complex software solutions to major oil and gas companies throughout the world. There is an increased priority on the management of operational risk and safety in hazardous industries, with several major incidents over the last decade demonstrating the potential consequences of poor control of work.

“The company’s large installed base, the new software product Proscient, and the excellent reputation of Petrotechnics is an exciting combination. The investment is a great fit for BGF, which was established to invest growth capital in the UK’s ambitious SMEs. We are also delighted to be backing Phil and the team, who are genuine experts in their field, and who have built the business with no external funding over the last twenty years.” 

BGF was established to provide growth capital to the UK’s ambitious and growing small and medium sized businesses. Petrotechnics represents its fifth investment in the oil and gas sector and brings the total invested by BGF in Scottish SMEs to date to £30m.

Prior to founding Petrotechnics, CEO Phil Murray worked internationally for BP for 10 years in a variety of technical, operational and managerial roles. The business has won a number of industry awards from organisations including the Energy Institute and the Institution of Chemical Engineers, is regularly selected by the Society of Petroleum Engineers to present conference papers.

Fugro Chance Inc. recently performed non-typical acoustic metrologies on four proposed jumpers in the Gulf of Mexico. By industry standards the measurements were completed in a substantially short time frame.

A typical metrology takes approximately 12 hours for one measurement, resulting in an anticipated operational time of around 48 hours in total. However, these non-typical acoustic metrologies were completed with accurate results in just 33 hours.

Two standard Sonardyne Compatt 6 transponders and two Sonardyne Lodestar GyroCompatts (LGCs) were used to acquire tilt magnitude and direction from manifold pressure caps to wellhead casings. Four Compatts were used to ensure repeatable results.

The LGC technology integrates acoustic positioning, attitude and heading reference, and sound velocity technologies all in one instrument. It provides wireless updates and extremely accurate measurements of attitude, heading, heave, surge, sway, pressure and acoustic positioning of any subsea object. By utilizing these LGCs, Fugro saved the client both time and money while providing highly accurate data.

Acteon has completed the acquisition of J2 Engineering Services Ltd, which is based in Aberdeen, UK.

J2 Engineering is involved in the rental, maintenance and repair of ROV manipulator arms and associated tooling and equipment. Over the past five years, the company has forged a reputation within the ROV and underwater survey industries for outstanding service quality, fast turnaround times and the ability to deliver highly reliable customized engineering solutions.

J2 Engineering’s service offering runs along very similar lines to that of well-established Acteon company Seatronics, a world leader in the provision of subsea electronic equipment to the offshore and ocean industries. Indeed, J2 Engineering and Seatronics have already collaborated successfully on a number of projects. Bringing these two companies together will benefit Acteon and enhance their combined ability to add value to customers’ operations.

The J2 Engineering team will continue to operate from its premises in Torry, Aberdeen, and will take advantage of Seatronics’ established distribution and service network covering Europe, North America, Brazil, South East Asia and the Middle East.

Acteon’s legal advisor for the J2 Engineering Services acquisition was Burness Paull & Williamsons.

A HIGHLY-EXPERIENCED figure in the subsea sector has been appointed Managing Director of DOF Subsea UK.

Giovanni Corbetta (Photo), who was most recently Managing Director with Hallin Marine, will lead the company’s transformation from vessel operator to provider of integrated subsea solutions for the market from its headquarters in Aberdeen.  

First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, officially opened subsea installation contractor Bibby Offshore’s brand new purpose-built headquarters, Atmosphere One,  on Tuesday 28 May 2013.

The company recently relocated from Aberdeen Harbor to the new office facility at Prospect Park, Westhill, to provide Bibby Offshore with the additional capacity necessary to support its significant increase in staff numbers and services, as Bibby Offshore’s operations expand both in the UK and internationally.

Bibby Offshore is on track to achieve a turnover of £220million by the end of 2013 and plans to increase this to £650million by 2017, creating more than 100 onshore jobs in the north east.

Photo: First Minister Alex Salmond and Howard Woodcock, chief executive of Bibby Offshore officially open Bibby Offshore’s brand new purpose-built headquarters, Atmosphere One in Westhill.

 Bibby Offshore’s Chief Executive Howard Woodcock said: “Continued investment in the development of the energy industry is exceptionally important and we are delighted to have had the opportunity to welcome the First Minister to officially open our new premises.

“The move was essential due to the speed at which we are expanding, the impressive demand for the company’s expertise, and our growth strategy to triple the size of our business around the world in the next four years. We have a number of key initiatives in place to ensure we recruit and train the most talented people in order to ensure the business can continue to grow.”

Earlier this month, Alex Salmond was in the Granite City to unveil plans for an oil and gas training initiative, which will be based in the city, as part of an energy skills initiative designed to take advantage of growth in demand for key skill across the key energy sectors of oil and gas, renewables and transmission systems.

First Minister Alex Salmond said: “Scotland’s energy industry is one of our economic success stories and it is therefore vital that we ensure there is a steady stream of professionals equipped with the skills to keep pace with our potential. That is why companies such as Bibby Offshore, whose parent company has such a long and distinguished maritime heritage, are essential in developing the workforce to keep our energy industry evolving, thriving and contributing to Scotland’s economic success.

“In this, the company’s 10th year in Aberdeen, it is only fitting that they have expanded into new premises and continue to be well positioned to deliver significantly enhanced capabilities for the sector in the future.” 

As part of the official launch of the new building and in line with the company’s 10^th Anniversary celebrations, Bibby Offshore extended the invite to the opening of its 53,427 sq.ft, multi-million pound facilities to ‘Bibby Offshore Schools Ambassadors’ from  schools across the UK including Aberdeen, Lerwick, Liverpool and Glasgow.

The visit will allow them to learn about the wealth of career opportunities at Bibby Offshore, throughout Aberdeen city and shire, and in the oil and gas industry as a whole 

The students, between the ages of 11 and 17, will share their experiences with other schools in their areas through producing a report about their visit Bibby Offshore also donated £1000 to each school to be utilised in skills development programs.

Mr Woodcock continued: “Our industry is dependent on attracting talented, skilled people and to meet global demand, it’s essential that young people are aware of the excellent opportunities which are available in the North East and within the energy sector as a whole.

“All of the schools were thrilled to get involved and have been really enthusiastic throughout the whole process. We targeted schools from across the country, with Liverpool and Aberdeen being obvious choices due to the significant presence Bibby Offshore has in these cities.

One of Bibby Offshore’s core values is to realise the talent of its people, having introduced schemes that encourage individuals to meet their potential including the Engineer Conversion Course, Graduate Training Scheme, Future Managers Programme and Bibby Academy. Since starting the Conversion Course in September 2012, the company has added an additional 12 engineers to its staff and is planning another intake of eight in September 2013. Fourteen students have had the chance to experience the Graduate Training Programme and Bibby Offshore has plans to recruit a further eight this September. The Future Managers Programme has also been a great success – with 65% of those who have completed the programme having gone onto be promoted into managerial or lead roles.   .

Mr Woodcock continued: “Aberdeen City and shire is the Global Centre of excellence within the subsea sector and the innovation which is present here is setting the benchmark for the rest of the world. To ensure it continues to prosper, it’s important that there is continued investment in the industry, through training and skills development.

“Over the last decade, Bibby Offshore has grown considerably and we have successfully created jobs for over 1,300 people, within the UK and internationally. Our business needs good people, and by introducing  these young people to the industry we hope to make  sure that, from a young age, they are aware of the abundance of opportunities there are available within it..”

The training and development schemes Bibby Offshore has introduced have helped to provide a high quality pool of workers who are encouraged to meet their potential and help give Bibby Offshore the skills boost it needs. Bibby Offshore currently has more than 1,300 people working onshore and offshore worldwide, with offices in Aberdeen, Liverpool, Singapore and Trinidad. It recently added two new vessels to the fleet and continues to expand its subsea construction, engineering and project delivery services.

BMT Group Ltd, a leading international design, engineering and risk management consultancy, is pleased to announce that Wendy Barnes has joined the Board of Directors as a Non-executive Director.

Wendy is presently a Non-executive Member of the main Board of OFWAT, the economic regulator of the water industry in England and Wales, a Non-executive Director of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office Services and a Non-executive Director at the Met Office.

She was Interim Chief Operating Officer for the UK Government’s Department of Energy & Climate Change with responsibility for corporate services and nuclear decommissioning and security policy until December 2012.  Wendy was also previously a member of the main Board of the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Equipment and Support organisation (DE&S) and a Non-executive Director of two Government security departments.  Prior to this, Wendy spent eleven years with United Utilities and previously ten years with British Nuclear Fuels in a wide range of roles including customer service, marketing and business development.

On her appointment, Wendy commented: “I am delighted to be joining BMT at a time when the business is enjoying significant success and growth.  I am looking forward to the challenge of contributing to a group that is diverse in both its geographical spread and in its markets.  Having served on a number of boards, I am keen to use my past experience to the benefit of the group.”

Neil Cross, Chairman of BMT Group said: “I am very pleased to welcome Wendy to the Board of BMT.  She will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the company and will help drive our continued growth and development.”

Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations, LLC, an independent oil & gas company, has teamed up with Bright Light Foundation to host a second special tribute sporting clay shoot called the West Delta 32 Fall Fundraiser. The event will be held on September 26th at American Shooting Centers in Houston, TX and includes a sporting clay tournament, BBQ cook-off, live auction, music, games and more. Proceeds will assist the families affected by the incident that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico on November 16, 2012.

"We are excited to work with the Bright Light Foundation for our Fall event", says John Hoffman, President and CEO of Black Elk Energy. "We held our first West Delta 32 Fundraiser in March with Oilfield Helping Hands and had a tremendous response. I am confident with the help of Bright Light this event will be another success. Please join us on September 26th in Houston to honor the victims of this tragic incident. We deeply appreciate any and all support."

"We are extremely happy to team up with Black Elk on this meaningful event", says Kirk Trascher, President of the Bright Light Foundation. "We know how important it is to assist those in need and how impactful contributions are for these families. We are honored to be a part of this event for the families of West Delta". Those interested in offering their support should visit:  http://www.brightlightfoundation.org/west_delta_clays.cfm or contact Leslie Hoffman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Ferguson Group Singapore, specialists in the rental of containers, refrigeration/chiller containers, accommodation modules and engineering modules to the offshore energy industry, announces a new 6m accommodation module to its fleet at the 14th Asian Oil, Gas & Petrochemical Engineering (OGA) Exhibition and conference in Malaysia from June 5, 2013.

Ferguson Group Singapore is exhibiting at stand 7040 at the event taking place from June 5-7 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with members from Ferguson Group Singapore to learn more about the new 6m accommodation module and gain an update on its existing range of offshore containers, tanks, baskets and reefers available throughout Asia Pacific.

Steven Ferguson, Chairman and CEO of the Ferguson Group, said: “Exhibiting at OGA 2013 will provide the opportunity for us to showcase our fleet and introduce the 6m accommodation module and recently launched dual zoned refrigeration container to delegates.”

Ferguson Group Singapore has grown its fleet size to include a range of new products. A new 6m accommodation module designed specifically for southern hemisphere conditions along with a 6m dual zone refrigerated/chiller container from IceBlue Refrigeration Offshore, a member of the Ferguson Group.

Simon de Koning, General Manager at Ferguson Group Singapore commented “The increase in our product range and the recent move to larger facilities in Singapore will further enable us to respond quickly to meet customer requirements. There has been a great deal of interest in Ferguson Group’s products and services in the Asia Pacific region. By exhibiting at this important Oil and Gas event we have the ideal opportunity to meet with clients to better understand their needs.

The Ferguson Group employs more than 185 people worldwide serving the offshore container rental and accommodation modules markets. The group, headquartered in Scotland, has operations in all major global oil and gas locations.

Following the devastation caused by recent deadly tornadoes in Moore, Okla., Apache Corp. announced it has pledged $500,000 toward providing storm shelters and safe rooms for Oklahoma schools.

The funds will go toward seeding a new 501(c)(3) organization created by Oklahoma State Reps. Jon Echols and Mark McBride to build storm shelters and safe rooms in existing Oklahoma schools.

"Our hearts go out to those who have suffered due to this horrific storm," said Rob Johnston, Apache Central Region vice president. "While the stories of bravery that have emerged in the days since the storm have been uplifting and even inspirational, the stories about the children of Moore who perished have been among the most difficult to comprehend. We hope this pledge of $500,000 will not only help to provide safety for children of Moore but also lend some comfort to families when they send their children off to school."

Moore was devastated by a deadly tornado on Monday that killed at least 24 and sent hundreds to the hospital. Among those killed were 10 children, eight of whom were elementary school students.

Oklahoma has been home to Apache employees since the company's first well was drilled there more than 50 years ago. Apache, which bases its Central Region operations in Tulsa, has 369 employees throughout Oklahoma. Many Apache employees have close ties to family, friends and schools in the Moore area.

"Apache has had a long history in Oklahoma and is a big part of many communities here," said Rep. Echols, R-Oklahoma City. "Their pledge will go a long way in helping keep our children safe."

"We will be mourning the loss of the elementary school children for some time," said Rep. McBride, R-Moore. "With the help of Apache and others we can provide our schools with shelters that can withstand these powerful and dangerous storms."