AAL, one of the world’s leading multipurpose shipping operators, has announced the opening of a new office in Dubai, its third new office launch in the past two months following South Korea and Canada. ‘AAL Middle East’ will place the operator at the centre of an emerging and strategically important region for the project shipping sector, as government and private equity investment across the region brings exciting new infrastructure and energy developments into the fore.

AAL Middle East will offer Arabic and English language capabilities and provide local customers with tramp and project shipping solutions, featuring the highest level of technical expertise and competitiveness for all industry sectors and cargo types. The office will also draw upon AAL’s fleet of seven classes of multi-purpose heavy-lift vessels, ranging from 12,000dwt to 31,000dwt. As well as offering tailor-made solutions, AAL will harness the scalability of its operations and infrastructure, to potentially develop regular semi-liner services based on customer demand.

Commenting on the development, Namir Khanbabi, Managing Director of AAL’s global Tramp & Projects division, said: “The Middle East and Gulf market continues to experience significant capital expenditure and development in its infrastructure. It has also seen investment in construction and now growth in nuclear energy - as well as being a major hub for oil and gas projects. In conjunction with the changing geopolitical landscape, there is a real opportunity to work on-the-ground, to deliver competitive transportation solutions for complex and high value cargo in this important region.”

Consilium opens office in the Norwegian city of Stavanger as part of its focus on fire alarms for the offshore industry. Stavanger is a base for the Norwegian oil industry and proximity to customers therefore make the city a natural choice for Consilium to establish themselves in. The establishment will initially be supported by Consilium's offices in Oslo and Gothenburg. As operations in Stavanger develop, the idea is that it will include sales as well as project management, service and support.

- The offshore industry is an interesting market for Consilium to develop. Despite the temporary downturn in the offshore industry we see that Consiliums solutions, that are flexible and possible to escalate, can create value for the operators. Norway has some of the most stringent requirements in the world within the offshore sector. By establishing ourselves here, we demonstrate that we meet high quality and safety requirements, says Trygve Andersen, Managing Director of Consilium Norway A/S.

Fire alarm according to SIL2 standard

Consilium is one of the world's leading suppliers of fire alarm systems for marine environments. The company has spent several years developing a new fire alarm, CFD 5000, designed specifically for offshore applications, such as oil platforms, refineries and floating support units. The fire alarm is designed to meet high demands for reliability and quality. It is in the final phase of its SIL2 certification and hardware as well as software is developed in close cooperation with the certification body TÜV NORD.

In addition to high reliability and quality the fire alarm is designed to be cost effective in both the deployment and operational phases. This allows Consilium to support the oil industry's efforts to reduce its costs.

When installing our fire alarm, it is possible to use the existing cable installation in the object where the installation will take place, which could mean significant cost reductions. The high quality of our fire alarm system also makes it possible to extend the interval for the mandatory testing of the system that needs to be carried out regularly, which also means cost savings, says Trygve Anderse.

Fugro (Mexico) in conjunction with long-time associates, Diavaz, has been awarded an extension of the ongoing offshore geophysical and geotechnical campaign by the Mexican national oil company, PEMEX.

Geotechnical field operations, laboratory testing and Geoconsulting activities will support exploration drilling activities in the Bay of Campeche and deepwater locations in the Perdido area. The value of the contract extension is approximately USD 13 million. The field program is planned to start in October 2015, from the ultra-deepwater geotechnical and well services vessel Fugro Synergy, while the Geoconsulting program will continue through 2016. This contract extension represents a continuation of Fugro’s longstanding and successful relationship working with PEMEX and reinforces Fugro’s market leadership internationally as the preferred service provider for geotechnical, geophysical and geoconsulting services.

Fugro’s geotechnical soil data collection, lab testing and consultancy services are centered around onshore and offshore site investigation. The geotechnical information is used to design foundations for deepwater wells, offshore structures, on and offshore pipelines, ports, large buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure. Fugro is the largest global supplier of offshore geotechnical services.

Damen Marine Components (DMC), the oldest company in Damen Shipyards Group, has celebrated its 150th anniversary . DMC has grown from a very small shipyard established in Gorinchem in 1865, to become the largest nozzle builder in the world.

Via a live satellite link, around a 1,000 customers, employees, suppliers and colleagues, at its three main locations in Hardinxveld (the Netherlands), Jiangyin (China) and Gdańsk (Poland), will toast this historic occasion simultaneously.

Although DMC’s own roots were established in 1865 when Jan van de Giessen set up a business from a small wharf in the ‘Kalkhaven’, the history of shipbuilding in the area actually dates back to the 14th century. DMC itself was officially founded 10 years ago, when two Damen Group members were merged - Van de Giessen and Gdansk Engineering Works. GEW was actually the first company Damen Shipyards ever acquired outside of the Netherlands.

Looking back over the years, DMC Managing Director, Steef Staal told the audience how, above all, he believes DMC’s success is because it ‘has become a partner to its clients, rather than just a supplier’. “We help our clients and work together with them.”

Just in the last decade alone, DMC has nearly tripled its turnover to €36m and this has been possible due to Damen Shipyards’ willingness to invest in cutting-edge equipment and innovative production processes.

DMC has three large spinning machines, which are able to manufacture nozzles up 7.5 m in diameter. “Perhaps there is another builder out there able to make these spectacular nozzles but I am not aware of it!” He adds that it is not just about the spinning machines alone but crucially, the novel manufacturing technique deployed, which means that nozzles are made with only a single weld on the inner side.

As well as the vast range of top quality nozzles and rudders, DMC also manufactures shipbuilding constructions such as tailor-made stern sections for thrusters, crane foundations and crane arms.

Following on from the celebrations surrounding the 150th anniversary, DMC is also set to celebrate again, as it opens a second major production site in China in Jiangyin on November 27.

Damen has built this new production plant from scratch. At 11,000 sq m, the facility is nearly double its existing site at Suzhou. The facility will have its own spinning machine and state-of-the-art equipment including grinding and sanding robots and will see employee numbers grow to 120. The facility services Asia and the Middle East and US west coast.

“And as an employer in China, I would also like to stress that nearly all of our people have been with us from the early days. Damen takes care of our employees so we don’t see the rapid turnover of staff other companies do.”

Aart Vogelaar, General manager, Damen Marine Components Jiangyin Co., Ltd, comments: “At Suzhou we could not expand anymore so we decided to seek out another production plant. Jiangyin gives us expansion possibilities and it is also very close to our major customers, which have facilities in this area. This makes it very cost effective as we can deliver right on their doorstep.

“The new site will of course, be the usual Damen high quality and have quick delivery times. The new facility also allows us to broaden our offering with other products such as winches and thruster tunnels.

“Just as we did 10 years ago, Damen has again invested millions in China. This is not the easiest time here and I think this move shows the courage of Damen and how it takes the long-term view.”

Over the next few years, the Gdańsk site is also set to see a further 4,000 sq m added. In October, another, larger spinning machine is set to be operational. DMC Gdańsk already has a spinning machine able to manufacture nozzles of a diameter of 4.3 m, but the new one can handle nozzles up to 7.5 m. “Based on numerical data, we can programme any shape or profile required. Clients have found that such quality nozzles are not possible through traditional building methods. This is unique technology and I think it is reflective of Damen - the best ideas to get the quality required and the best technical solution.”

Steef concludes: “Jiangyin and the new, larger spinning machine in Gdańsk are just some of the latest investments of Damen, but DMC is continuously developing new equipment and fine-tuning its production methods. We continually aim to lower the number of labour hours and make processes as efficient as possible. We are making sure we are ready for the future.

“In the meantime on this very special occasion, I would like to thank all our customers, suppliers, partners and all our other relations for their cooperation, loyalty, faith and adherence during all these years. Without the fantastic colleagues in Jiangyin and Suzhou, Gdansk and Elblag and of course, Hardinxveld and Gorinchem, life would be dull and DMC unknown to you all. They are the spirit of our company. Together with our customers and suppliers we form one big Damen family!”

One of the largest seagrass mitigation projects undertaken in the U.S. created over 17 acres of seagrass habitat in Biscayne Bay

CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA) has successfully completed the transplantation of over 115,000 seagrass plants into a newly filled dredge hole north of the Julia Tuttle Causeway in Miami, Florida as part of the overall environmental mitigation requirements for the deepening and widening of Miami Harbor. CSA was part of the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock LLC (GLDD) team that was awarded the prime contract by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The “deep dredge” project took two years to complete and is the first federal navigation project in the southeast built to accommodate post-Panamax vessels.

During August and September 2015, CSA staff systematically planted 14.3 acres of the 17-acre mitigation site using donor manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme) harvested from a nearby healthy seagrass community in Biscayne Bay. CSA utilized proven methods developed and published by Dr. Mark Fonseca, a world-renowned marine ecologist and Vice President of Science at CSA. Regular coordination with the GLDD team and federal and state agencies was necessary during the planning and implementation phases due to the location of the mitigation site (situated in a state Aquatic Preserve), the high-profile nature of the project, and low success rates associated with prior large-scale seagrass restoration projects.

Sensitive to desiccation and temperature extremes, seagrass plants were carefully extracted from the sediments of an approved seagrass bed, sorted, and assembled into 29,000 individual bare root “planting units” while ensuring they remained bathed in ambient seawater using a custom-made on-board circulating system. Scientific divers meticulously planted each planting unit by hand to ensure the growing tips of the plant were buried to the appropriate depth below the sediment surface. To provide passive fertilization to the plants through the introduction of coastal bird feces, over 1,150 bird roosting stakes were installed within the planted areas of the mitigation site.

In early October, CSA conducted the first monitoring survey to assess the success of planting and verify that the planting units remained firmly anchored in the sediment. A comprehensive evaluation of the entire planted area and all planting units was conducted and, despite frequent feeding by manatees on the planted seagrass, the percent survival was documented at 97.6%—much higher than the mandated 70% survival. Dr. Fonseca noted that “barring any unforeseen disturbances, this is on course to be one of the largest and most successful actively planted, commercial (seagrass mitigation) projects to date.”

CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. specializes in consulting services for federal, state, and private industry clients in multidisciplinary projects, integrating science and technology to evaluate environmental activities throughout the world. CSA offers a wide variety of services related to environmental management, geospatial data utilization and community planning to support clients working in marine, estuarine, wetland, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats throughout the United States and overseas.

The acquisition of Imtech Marine by Pon Holdings and Parcom Capital has been finalized. The European Commission has approved the takeover of the leading maritime service provider. Imtech Marine will continue to operate independently and will, in the coming period, further focus on its growth ambitions.

René ten Brinke, CEO of Imtech Marine: ‘’Now that the acquisition is completed, a new era arises for Imtech Marine. The coming years, our aim will be to further strengthen our leading position in the maritime sector, with dedicated focus on our customers, employees and suppliers. With this new start comes a new company name, which we will announce on November 5th at the maritime Europort exhibition in Rotterdam.’’

Imtech Marine is a leading company in the global maritime market, operating as a full-service provider and system integrator of tailor-made, innovative and sustainable technology solutions covering the whole ship. The company employs almost 2,500 staff, of which over 900 employees are based in The Netherlands. More than 85 offices are positioned in 30 countries along strategic shipping routes and close to shipbuilding centers.

About Pon Holdings

Pon, one of the largest Dutch family businesses, is an international trading and servicing company, with a great variety of activities. With approximately 13,000 employees spread over 450 branches, Pon is active in 32 countries. The company realized a turnover of close to 6 billion euro in 2014. For more information www.pon.com.

About Parcom Capital

Parcom Capital is a leading mid-market private equity firm and was founded in 1982 as one of the first buy-out and expansion capital providers in the Dutch market. It manages over 1 billion euro’s in investments divided over multiple sectors, including the offshore and maritime sector. For more information www.parcomcapital.com.

Jee Ltd, a leading independent multi-discipline subsea engineering and training firm, has secured a contract extension with BP for the provision of integrity management services and in-line inspection engineering support in the North Sea.

The contract involves project coordination, risk and corrosion management, span assessment, intelligent and operational pigging support and ad hoc engineering studies.

Jamie Burrows, Business Development Manager at Jee Ltd, said: “We pride ourselves on our collaborative approach when working with clients and aim to become a seamless extension of their team. We are delighted with the renewal of the contract with BP, as it demonstrates our robust relationship.

Jamie Burrows, Business Development Manager at Jee Ltd

“We are committed to providing quality engineering services in a technically advanced, secure and sustainable way. Our clients’ needs are always at the forefront of what we do, and it has become evident in the current climate that there is a strong focus on efficiency and cost reduction throughout the industry.”

Jee recently implemented a new business structure to strengthen its capabilities and champion the delivery of projects. The restructure underpins Jee’s core services including design, integrity management, pigging and late life, working to support current and future opportunities, and help ensure Jee is responding to its clients’ needs effectively and efficiently.

Mr Burrows continued: “We define the inspection interval that is required for our clients’ pipelines using a risk-based approach for cost optimisation. Our effective planning methods, combined with our in-depth experience of integrity management and in-line inspection, ensure each scope of work is examined and any potential challenges are identified and addressed early on, eliminating the need for costly changes. In addition, this ensures delays to the schedule of inspections are avoided, providing further cost savings.”

Jee has worked with BP for more than two decades on ad hoc global operations and project support in locations including Aberdeen, Grangemouth and London in the UK, and Angola, Azerbaijan, Norway and Trinidad internationally.

Jee is an independent subsea engineering and training company with offices in Aberdeen, London and Tonbridge. Jee’s multi-disciplined capabilities and integrated services include pipeline integrity management, pigging, third party verification, plugging analysis and verification, and cover the spectrum of subsea engineering for the whole of life-of-field.

Aqueos Corporation, a premier subsea service provider for the offshore oil and gas sectors of the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific West Coast, receives a prestigious safety award from a major Offshore Oil & Gas operator.

This distinguished award was presented to Aqueos President and CEO, Ted Roche, during a recent Safety forum and recognizes Aqueos Corporation for “Safety Excellence” for working over 505,592 hours without a recordable injury. “This is evidence of the hard work and commitment of our offshore personnel, a supportive and talented project management and administrative staff, and steadfast senior management all working as a focused team,” comments Ted Roche.

Roche further commented, “We attribute a large part of our success to continuous improvement, communication, and remaining focused on our core value of safety. Even in these difficult market conditions, the team at Aqueos looks forward to continued managed growth without sacrificing our core values.”

Aqueos Corporation, with offices in Broussard, LA and Ventura, CA, provides marine construction and specialty subsea services, including a complete range of commercial diving, remotely operated vehicles (ROV’s) and vessel-related services primarily to the offshore oil and gas markets.

Subsea 7 S.A. announces the award of a sizeable(1) contract to Subsea 7 by Pharaonic Petroleum Company S.A.E. for the development of the East Nile Delta Phase 3 Project (END-3). This award was the result of a competitive tender process.

The project scope includes installation engineering, procurement and fabrication of rigid spools, and installation of pipeline, umbilical and subsea structures to develop the resources from two wells including 8 kilometers of umbilicals and pipeline. The field development will be at depths of approximately 80 to 90 meters.

Fabrication of spools will be carried out at Petrojet's yard in Egypt. Offshore installation is scheduled to commence in the fourth quarter of 2015 using the Subsea 7 vessels Rockwater 2 (photo)and Seven Borealis.

Gilles Lafaye, Vice President Africa, said: "Subsea 7 is pleased to once again provide services for the Taurt and Ha'py field developments. This important award recognizes our technical expertise and strong track record of good execution for Pharaonic Petroleum Company and reinforces our presence in Egypt."

(1) Subsea 7 defines a sizeable contract as being between USD 50 million and USD 150 million.

Global shipping, logistics and marine services provider GAC is strengthening its strategic focus on the Asian Pacific energy sector with the appointment of Lailah Soon as Regional Business Development Manager, Oil & Gas.

Soon has more than a decade of experience in the oil & gas logistics sector in Singapore, New Zealand and Dubai. She is now drawing on that experience to drive GAC’s business offering a wide range of integrated solutions to support oil & gas operations at established and new locations for exploration and extraction throughout the region.

She is based in Singapore, and reports direct to Group Vice President – Asia Pacific, Fredrik Nystrom, who says: “Despite the prices fluctuations of recent years, the oil & gas industry remains a key component in our long-term plans.

“Lailah’s appointment to this new dedicated role demonstrates our belief in Asia’s increasingly important contribution to the world economy and the GAC Group’s long-term commitment and global focus on oil & gas. She will serve an important role in the Asia region, steering our efforts to deliver world-class support and achieve even greater engagement with the sector.”

GMC has received an award from DeepStar (www.deepstar.org) as part of DeepStar Phase XII-B funding. The project titled ‘Testing of High-Strength Mechanically Connected Steel Riser’ will demonstrate the strength and fatigue resistance of high-strength mechanically connected and friction welded pipe for steel catenary riser applications. Full-scale testing will be performed to Industry Standards for risers and pipelines and will include mechanical testing of friction joints, as well as full-scale fatigue testing friction joints and the connector rated for 15Ksi pressure service.

“This project award underscores the urgent requirement in the offshore oil & gas industry to develop cost effective technical solutions for developing deepwater and ultra-deepwater prospects. Completion of this testing will significantly advance the technology readiness level of GMC’s Intelligently Connected Pipe (ICP™). GMC appreciates the support of the DeepStar organization who play a key role in advancing new technologies to solve offshore challenges,” said Glen Viau, Chief Operating Officer of GMC Limited.

About DeepStar

DeepStar is an innovative, joint-industry technology development project that has established itself as upstream’s longest-running and most successful research consortium. DeepStar is committed to advancing the technologies of its members deepwater business needs in order to increase production and reserves. DeepStar consortium provides a forum to execute deepwater technology development projects and to leverage the financial and technical resources of the deepwater industry. DeepStar Phase XII commenced in January 2014 with twelve Oil Company Participants. DeepStar participants represent a strong mix of large and mid-size operators, USA and non-USA based, drawing in a rich array of diverse expertise to address common deepwater challenges.

The renaming completes the integration of key UK specialists - Fugro Seacore, Fugro Engineering Services, EM Drilling, Fugro Loadtest, Fugro Instrumentation & Monitoring and Fugro Aperio.

Renamed to reflect the depth and diversity of its offering, Fugro GeoServices Ltd employs close to 600 staff and undertakes seven key activities: nearshore geotechnical, offshore geotechnical, marine installation, onshore ground investigation, cone penetration testing, geophysics and instrumentation and monitoring. The company also has geotechnical laboratories and carries out a range of built environment surveys and testing.

Fugro GeoServices works worldwide undertaking site investigation and marine construction support projects-in challenging conditions.

The restructure is in line with Fugro’s continued integration of its global capabilities ‘without boundaries’ to deliver world class multi-service projects more efficiently in challenging market conditions.

The company works offshore and on land providing engineering and geotechnical services for clients in the energy, infrastructure and mining sectors worldwide. Projects include the Kribi port development (Cameroon), BP’s Azeri oilfield (Azerbaijan) and Flamanville nuclear power plant (France). Significant UK projects include Hinkley Point nuclear power station, Gwynt y Môr and Walney offshore wind farms, HS2, as well as the Garden Bridge, Shard and Thames Tideway projects in London.

Marcus Rampley, MD of Fugro GeoServices, said: “Our group delivers an amazing range of services to many sectors; we drill some of the biggest diameter holes in the ocean floor and test the foundations of the world’s tallest buildings, we inform the designers of offshore wind projects, tunnels and pipelines and we measure, test and monitor existing infrastructure throughout its lifecycle. We are making it easier for clients to contact us and work with us, and believe that restructuring as Fugro GeoServices makes us better able to deliver the complex multi-disciplinary projects that we are respected for.”

Aberdeen-based, Reftrade UK has seen record growth this year within the rental market for its fleet of refrigerated containers and temperature controlled units. The market leading specialist has seen rental sales increasing 33% from July 2014 to July 2015.

Based in Westhill Aberdeen, Reftrade UK is the only locally owned and operated supplier of refrigerated and temperature controlled containers which supply both the onshore and offshore energy sector with quality, bespoke Zoned and Safe Area units. The company’s Aberdeen location allows for rapid and efficient dispatch of its refrigeration containers to clients operating in the North Sea.

Greg Spence, Managing Director of ReftradeUK

Greg Spence, managing director of Reftrade UK said: “We are particularly pleased with the success and growth we have had in the rental market this year given the difficulties facing the oil and gas industry. I feel our team’s belief in hard work, high operational standards, striving to exceed expectations and going the extra mile is working.

“With a focus on quality and reliability, our product range has been developed to withstand the harshest environments which has been proven time and time again through servicing North Sea and Arctic insulations for over 15 years.”

To sustain future growth the company has effectively diversified into the pharmaceutical market and the transportation of temperature controlled medicines and equipment.

Mr. Spence continued; “The success we have had this year has presented new opportunities for diversification into new markets such as the pharmaceutical industry. Reftrade is already well positioned within these markets throughout Europe and we hope to do the same here in the UK. Our existing capabilities and position are a perfect fit for these markets, and it is the next step for phased growth for the company.”

James Fisher and Sons plc has announced the launch of James Fisher Subsea Excavation, the new trading name and brand of the sole dedicated MFE service provider worldwide.

The launch follows an exciting period of growth and development in James Fisher’s MFE business over the last 15 months that commenced with the combination of the assets and knowledge of KDM Marine with James Fisher’s HydroDigger fleet, as well as the assets of X-Subsea being acquired in May 2015, to deliver the current JFSE capability. JFSE is now able to deploy a significant range of MFE tooling and other assets from within the wider James Fisher group to support subsea projects globally.

“The launch of JFSE reflects our continued commitment to deliver the very best mass flow excavation services to our global client base. It also demonstrates the company’s strength in the marketplace and reassures our customers of our global reach, financial stability and position of strength for future growth” explained Kenneth Mackie, managing director of James Fisher Subsea Excavation.

James Fisher Subsea Excavation, led by a team with unrivalled experience, will support its customers from principal locations in Aberdeen, North America, Mexico, Dubai and Singapore with access to James Fisher’s facilities in more than forty countries to fully support customer operations globally.

“JFSE now has the world’s largest subsea mass flow excavation capability, meaning we can provide a comprehensive and value added service, with access to new regions and opportunities by leveraging the footprint and capabilities of the wider James Fisher Group. Our aim is to provide clarity and confidence to our customers, while developing our position in the global marketplace.” Concluded Aidan Douglas, group operations director at James Fisher and Sons plc.

The American Heart Association has recognized Danos for its commitment to employee health and wellness. The company was named a Gold-level Fit Friendly Worksite for offering employees physical activity support, healthy eating options and promoting a wellness culture.

Danos employees benefit from a variety of health and wellness initiatives, including an on-site gym that can be accessed by employees 24/7. The gym offers treadmills, elliptical trainers, stationary bikes and free weights, along with men’s and women’s locker rooms with shower facilities. The company’s new 61,000-square-foot facility also includes the Bayou Market, which offers healthy, affordable options for busy workers like soups, salads and sandwiches prepared fresh daily.

Danos also sponsors a number of local events, like half-marathons, 5K races and triathlons, and even pays the entry fee for employees who participate. Company-wide fitness challenges build teamwork and improve employee health.

“Danos is a family company, so we believe in putting our employees and their health first,” said Paul Danos, executive vice president. “We’re proud to offer a workplace that supports a healthy lifestyle.”

Dynamic Industries, Inc., a leading fabrication and service provider to the global Oil, Gas and Energy industries, announced that its specialty craft division, Dynamic Construction Services (DCS), has been awarded a key contract to provide fabrication, topsides installation and hookup services for a deepwater subsea tie-back in the Gulf of Mexico. Dynamic’s Harvey facility will be responsible for the fabrication scope as well as mobilization and management of offshore crews.

Matt Oubre, President of DCS said, “Dynamic is very excited about being awarded this high visibility project. We are confident that the focus on our Core Values – Safety, Quality, and Productivity – will allow us to successfully complete this project and pave the way for similar projects in the near future.”

West Africa, Mexico, Caribbean, South America and the Middle East.