ROVOP has been awarded £3million worth of new contracts, which sees the company expanding into two new territories.

For the first time the company will complete projects in South East Asia and Mexico, signaling success for both its Aberdeen and Houston bases.

The company has also announced the appointment of Neil Francis as Vice President of Business Development in Houston.

Neil brings over 20-years of ROV experience to the role, having held various commercial and operational positions, and will drive and lead ROVOP’s business growth in the US.

Chief Executive, Steven Gray, said: “The market remains challenging but our ability to save operating costs for our customers, while using the best equipment and personnel on the market, means we continue to enjoy regular contract wins.

“These awards further encourage the successful establishment of our Houston office last year and build on the completion of several workscopes in the US Gulf of Mexico and Central and South America over the past three years.

“ROVOP has reduced its pricing to ensure we are competitive and meet our client’s requirements in this challenging market. The challenge the industry faces should not be underestimated but we are working to reduce costs for customers by reducing vessel time and increase efficiency.”

Commercial director, Euan Tait, explained the addition of Mr. Francis to the ROVOP team will be key:

“Neil’s appointment will act as a catalyst for our future ambitions. He has exceptional experience and knowledge of the industry. His role as Vice President of Business Development will further improve our reputation of providing excellence to our customers and is an important part of our plans to step into new territories to further strengthen our position.”

A new branch of the Fugro Academy Training Centre has been established in Abu Dhabi. The inauguration ceremony on 25th May was led by Mr. Samir Al Gharbi, GASOS General Manager, who was presented with a plaque of appreciation by Fugro management.

Located in the heart of the Middle East, the new Fugro Academy Training Center comprises three training suites, an engineering workshop, a simulation suite, a 7-function manipulator trainer and offices. It also has direct access to Fugro’s own quayside and equipment within the base area. Hundreds of Fugro staff from around the world, along with clients requiring specific training, are expected to visit the center each year.

Presentation of plaque by Massimo Brebbia, Fugro Subsea MD to Mr. Samir Al Gharbi, GASOS General Manager with Chris Blake, Director FS

The Fugro Academy was created in 2006 as a global group-wide standardized training initiative to develop staff and support recruitment. It provides office-based and field staff with both instructor-led practical courses and online hosted e-learning modules on a variety of technical, HSE and business-related topics. To date the Fugro Academy has presented over 1,500 trainer-led courses, training more than 12,000 staff from the many countries where Fugro has a presence. “Following the success of the Fugro Academy in Plymouth, which focuses on survey training, we decided to create a subsea training centre, to work in partnership with our UK colleagues,” explains Subsea Division Training Manager, Darren Walley. “Locating the facility alongside our highly successful ROV training centre here in Abu Dhabi builds on Fugro’s close ties with the United Arab Emirates and brings us the benefits associated with an abundance of local specialist personnel and equipment suppliers.”

Video available.

Intellian Technologies, a leading provider of stabilized maritime satellite antenna systems, has opted for knowledge and experience in its latest senior appointment, in a strategic move designed to assist ship-owners during a transformative period in maritime and offshore communications.

Ken Champagne, who has more than 25 years of experience in delivering electronic technologies to the Energy sector, becomes Intellian Senior Director, Americas Sales, overseeing Intellian’s sales activities in the Americas.

With a career path including offshore specialists Datacom, Stratos, CapRock, RigNet and Tampnet, Ken will bring vital client liaison and sales support expertise in complex connectivity issues, to maritime users as they undergo a communications revolution of its own.

“Ken’s appointment comes at a pioneering moment in maritime communications,” said Eric Sung, Intellian President and CEO. “As the largest global supplier of satellite communication terminals in the marine sector, and with our close ties to Inmarsat, Marlink and others, Intellian is set to consolidate and extend its lead in this market. Ken will be instrumental in this process.”

Baker Hughes Incorporated (BHI:NYSE) has announced changes to its organizational structure and senior leadership team. The changes follow the company’s May 2 announcement of its plans to capitalize on its leadership position as a product innovator by simplifying its business structure, reducing costs and enhancing its commercial strategy.

Changes include:

Baker Hughes has consolidated its previous regional operations structure into one global organization with responsibility for driving outstanding operational performance, exceptional service and sales execution, as well as delivering strong operating profits. Belgacem Chariag, who was most recently the company’s Vice President and Chief Integration Officer, will serve as President, Global Operations.

Baker Hughes has combined its Technology and Global Products and Services (GPS) organizations to create one global organization responsible for strengthening the company’s technology commercialization and investment strategy. Art Soucy, previously President, Europe, Africa and Russia Caspian (EARC) region at Baker Hughes, will serve as President, Products and Technology. He also will be responsible for optimizing the company’s supply chain and procurement capabilities.

Derek Mathieson will serve as Chief Commercial Officer of the newly formed Commercial Strategy organization. In this role, Mathieson will lead the commercial growth strategy for the company with the responsibility of developing a broader range of sales channels for its products and technology. Mathieson, who previously served as Vice President, Chief Technology and Marketing Officer, also will lead future business incubation efforts as well as corporate development planning and implementation.

Richard Williams, formerly the President of the company’s North America region, will play a critical role in the organizational transitions outlined above. Serving as Senior Advisor to the company’s Executive Leadership Team, Williams will use his extensive operational experience to assist the company in implementing these changes without disruption to operational performance or customer commitments.

“These changes to our organizational design and leadership team demonstrate that we are moving quickly and decisively to execute on the strategy we outlined earlier this month,” said Martin Craighead, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Baker Hughes. “While we have more hard work ahead of us, the entire Baker Hughes team is committed to building on our strong foundation as a product innovator to deliver outstanding performance to our customers and significant value to our shareholders.”

All changes noted above were effective as of May 24, 2016.

Business acquisition of EMO Marine Technologies Ltd. (EMO Marine) consolidates MacArtney’s presence on the Canadian east coast. Acquiring the sound and well-established Canadian company ensures optimum positioning of the 6th regional operation in the North American market.

Canadian manufacturer of subsea communication systems, EMO Marine, is the latest acquisition of the MacArtney Group. EMO Marine is a technology company founded in 2012 specializing in engineering and manufacturing of a range of fiber optic video/data transmission systems appropriate for various marine and subsea applications.

MacArtney sees great potential in the ever growing marine sector on the east coast of Canada which is centered around Nova Scotia. The acquisition executes MacArtney’s commitment to being a global provider of underwater technology solutions with strong local presence.

Founder and President of EMO Marine, Tom Knox: EMO Marine and all of our EMO Marine team look forward to becoming part of the MacArtney Group. The company has a strong global reputation and history of providing best-in-class subsea products, technologies and integrated systems. We therefore all expect to be able to increase business in the Atlantic Canada territory.

Along with maintaining manufacturing of the current EMO Marine product line, MacArtney Canada Ltd. will be responsible for marketing and selling the entire MacArtney product and service portfolio, including some agency products.

International expansion is part of MacArtney’s expressed strategy. EMO Marine is a sound and well-run company which is well-established in our core activity field and fits in well with the rest of the MacArtney Group, says Niels Erik Hedeager, CEO of the MacArtney Group. We see many similarities between the two companies and considerable potential for creating synergies between EMO Marine and MacArtney’s other subsidiaries and activities.

In addition to enhancing the global presence of the MacArtney Group, EMO Marine/MacArtney Canada Ltd. will significantly boost the company’s product offerings in the various markets approached so far.

Being a privately owned corporation with group headquarters in Esbjerg on the west coast of Denmark, MacArtney has supplied underwater technology products and engineering solutions for almost four decades.

TWMA, a global leader in the provision of integrated drilling waste management and environmental services, has been awarded new contracts with a combined value of £500,000 for EfficientC^® skip and ship and onshore processing services.

One of the projects is for Zennor Pathway Limited (Zennor) and commenced in April 2016 with a duration of 90 days. This contract includes skip and ship services on the SEDCO 704 drilling rig in the North Sea.

Another project for LR Senergy on the Deep Sea Stavanger vessel, starts in April 2016 with a duration of 70 days.

Director of business development, Rob O’Neill, said: “We’re delighted to have been selected to support Zennor and LR Senergy on these projects. These awards complement our current North Sea operations and highlight our strengths and capabilities to provide integrated drilling waste solutions both on and offshore.”

Both contracts will utilise TWMA’s integrated waste management solutions for the provision of skip and ship services, which use the company’s EfficientC^® collection and distribution system to relocate drill cuttings and associated drilling wastes into bins. The bins are then transferred to TWMA’s central onshore processing facility for treatment, reuse or disposal.

Rob added: “The contract with Zennor is also testament to the hard work of our experienced, skilled team currently working on the SEDCO 704 rig, which has allowed us to continue our skip and ship service provision on this asset. We pride ourselves on our innovative technology and integrated solutions which allow us to provide the most effective drilling waste management services.”

Mermaid Maritime Public Company Limited (“Mermaid” or "Company") announces that Mermaid’s Western Hemisphere business unit (“MSSW”) has recently been awarded seven (7) different subsea projects in the Middle East with an estimated aggregate contract value of USD 11 million.

The various work scopes include subsea survey, inspection, repair and maintenance as well as light construction. The jobs will be performed in various offshore areas of Qatar and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia such as Manifa, Safaniya, Zuluf and Tanajib. Most projects will be completed by the end of August 2016.

In particular, Mermaid’s DP2 Dive Support Vessel ‘Mermaid Endurer’ has started working in Qatar on a light construction intervention with an estimated working period of circa 100 days commencing from 8 May 2016.

“Mermaid Endurer is the pride of the fleet of Mermaid, and we are pleased to have the ship deployed once again here in Qatar”, commented Mr. Chalermchai Mahagitsiri, Mermaid’s Chief Executive Officer. “Additionally, the chartered-in DP2 construction barge Mubarak Supporter has just completed a successful cable laying campaign, and will demobilise in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over the coming days.”

Mermaid also wishes to announce that Mermaid’s Eastern Hemisphere business unit (“MSSE”) has been awarded a one (1) year extension of its subsea construction support services contract with a major engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning (“EPCIC”) contractor in Thailand serving a major international upstream oil and gas operator.

The current existing contract was originally awarded for a two (2) year campaign ending in December 2016. The term extension expands work service to the end of December 2017. Total estimated value of the two-year contract for 2015 and 2016 is USD 51 million with an expected duration of approximately 325 days.The work scope for the one-year contract extension for 2017 will be similar to previous years although the duration has yet to be determined. The work will be completed using the DP2 Dive Support Vessel ‘Mermaid Commander’ along with diving systems, plus associated equipment and specialist personnel.

“This is the twelfth consecutive year Mermaid is awarded the work. The contract term has been extended for one more year to the end of December 2017”, said Mr. Chalermchai Mahagitsiri. “Our Experienced operational team, strategic local partnerships, strong financial discipline, and quality performance and safety record are key success factors that will ensure that we will survive and thrive in these challenging market conditions”.

Meanwhile, Mermaid’s associate company Asia Offshore Drilling Limited (“AOD”) has secured a three (3) month interim contract extension for its jack-up rig ‘AOD I’. The unit is now committed until July 2016 at a day rate of USD 125,000 effective from January 2016. The contracts for jack-ups ‘AOD II’ and ‘AOD III’ are still due to expire in July 2016 and October 2016 respectively, but with a day rate of USD 125,000 in effect from January 2016.

“The ‘AOD I’, ‘AOD II’ and ‘AOD III’ are high specification jack-up drilling rigs. Built to the popular MOD V B-Class model by Keppel FELS in Singapore, these rigs are on long term drilling contracts from 2013 to 2016 in Saudi Arabia with extension options”, said Mr. Chalermchai Mahagitsiri. “The rigs had undergone customization at client expense to suit working conditions and workplace configuration and have achieved high operational efficiency, safety and reliability since commencement of their respective drilling programs to date. We know that the customer is pleased with its excellent performance and negotiation for contract extensions for all three jack-up rigs is in progress”.

DeepOcean 1 UK Ltd., a subsidiary of DeepOcean Group Holding BV (DeepOcean), has announced that the company has been awarded a contract for the provision of post-lay trenching of a 42km power cable from the shore to offshore United Arabic Emirates. Work will be performed by DeepOcean’s recently upgraded T1 mechanical trencher.

Photo credit: Deep Ocean

The contract award recognizes DeepOcean’s extensive experience of delivering trenching operations world-wide and the company’s flexibility to modify its trenching fleet to meet project specific challenges.

The T1 is a 25 ton self-loading wheel cutter capable of trenching small diameter cables to 20” pipelines in water depths from 0-500m and in soil conditions from loose sands to 40MPa cemented calcarenite. DeepOcean has recently modified T1’s power and cooling system to deliver a cost efficient onshore, shallow and deep water trenching solution that boast an impressive track record having trenched over 1,650km of subsea product to date.

Modifications to T1 were performed in the UK and included trialing the trencher in various soil conditions up to 40MPa with trench depth of 1.2 meters achieved. The T1 was subsequently transported to Abu Dhabi were further successful onshore trials were conducted to test the T1’s cooling system in the regions extreme temperatures. The post-lay trenching works have now commenced offshore Abu Dhabi.

Tony Stokes, Managing Director of Asia Pacific & Middle East, states, “DeepOcean setup its Middle East branch in October 2015. We are extremely pleased to receive this award and it is a testament to the confidence our clients have in DeepOcean’s ability to provide innovative trenching solutions. This project highlights that novel solutions can be found when working closely with our clients that allow DeepOcean to deliver projects in the most cost effective way in a challenging global market. We look forward to a successful campaign and building our presence in the Middle East on the back of our front-end technology and ability to deliver.”

ACE Winches, a leading global deck machinery specialists, has been awarded a six-figure contract with an operator to support in connecting the Hebron gravity based structure (GBS) and topsides.

The project will see ACE Winches supply hydraulic drum winch packages for the deep-water Hebron oil field located off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, working at depths of 95m. The contract will include all winches, ancillary equipment and skilled personnel for the project.

ACE Winches will provide ACE 40 ton WLL hydraulic drum winches, two ACE 12.5 ton WLL hydraulic drum winches, a dedicated diesel hydraulic power unit for each winch and running line monitors to provide line and load monitoring.

Alfie Cheyne, CEO, ACE Winches said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded this contract and look forward to working closely with our client in the coming months. ACE Winches has a successful track-record of projects in the region and we look forward to building on this success with the Hebron project.

“We pride ourselves on the ability to provide cost-effective and bespoke winch packages for our clients and we are delighted to have created a solution specific to their needs.”

The contract marks further work on the Hebron project for the company; in 2014 the company supplied a range of winches for use in the dry dock to tension the installation as it transitioned from dry dock into open water. The winches were then used to keep the GBS in position during the manoeuvre process.

Ardyne, provider of specialised plug and abandonment and slot recovery technology and services to the global energy industry, has appointed Paul Warwick as a non-executive director and Adrian Bannister as chief financial officer.

In a move that underpins the company’s drive to challenge current models for decommissioning, both Mr. Warwick and Mr. Bannister will play crucial roles in Ardyne’s ambitious growth plans.

Paul Warwick, Adrian Bannister

Mr. Warwick has many years of successful experience in the international oil and gas industry. Spending more than 30 years at ConocoPhillips, he was a regional president for Europe, Africa and the Middle East, before moving to Talisman Energy Inc. where he was the Executive Vice President for Europe, South America, North Africa and the Middle East, as well as being responsible for the company’s corporate technical functions. He was also the Chairman and interim Managing Director of TalismanSinopec and co-chair of Oil and Gas UK.

He will play a wide role in Ardyne addressing issues affecting the growing decommissioning market including guiding the company as it grows to meet the needs of both government and operators.

Mr. Warwick said: “Ardyne is a focused technology and development company that will operate in the important sub-surface decommissioning area of the global oil and gas sector. As global decommissioning activities increase, those involved are facing ongoing technical challenges to deliver the service. Lower cost and more effective solutions are needed and we believe that Ardyne’s technology and approach can offer our customers real possibilities to be more efficient and effective in areas such as slot recovery and full well bore decommissioning.”

Mr. Bannister has more than 20 years’ experience in oilfield services. Working at senior levels with a number of private equity backed companies, including Sparrows and Viking SeaTech, he brings a wealth of knowledge in M&A, change management, and internationalisation.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Bannister added: “Ardyne is all about delivery and its ethos of faster, simpler, better is absolutely aligned to what our customers want and need. The market potential of this organisation is matched with very ambitious growth plans and a team with the experience, knowledge and commitment to redefine the current thinking around plug and abandonment and slot recovery.”

“There is a real focus on delivery and project execution at the heart of this organization,” continued Mr. Warwick. “Add to this its commitment to technology advancement and we offer a material value adding proposition. This is an organisation that has been established in the hard times currently affecting our industry so its dynamism, flexibility and absolute focus on reducing rig time, in my view, fits the demands of these times and the pressures facing all industry stakeholders.”

Having launched in early 2016 and quickly acquiring Norwegian oil services company Wellbore AS, Aberdeen-headquartered Ardyne is already working on a number of projects in the UK and Norwegian North Sea.

Ardyne chief executive officer, Alan Fairweather said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Paul and Adrian to Ardyne. Paul brings the operator perspective to our business, which complements the service-driven mentality and background of our management team. Adrian’s vast experience in successfully growing international organizations, plus a proven track record in delivering exceptional performance and shareholder returns gives our team considerable strength.

“Together, we will deliver on our promise to bring our customers the new technology and service approach they need to optimize operations, cut costs, reclaim rig time and unlock the long-term value of brownfield resources.”

Ardyne develops and supplies specialised technology and services to the global energy industry, focusing on reducing rig time spent on downhole casing removal in Slot Recovery and Plug & Abandonment operations. Technology advancement lies at the core of Ardyne, combined with decades of operational experience and responsive, client-focused delivery.

SeaRobotics Corporation (SeaRobotics) announced the delivery of two USV 4.0, bathymetric, autonomous 4 meter unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) to the Chinese market. The systems were sold and delivered through LinkOcean Technologies Ltd., SeaRobotics’ exclusive representative in China. The units will be used by two prestigious oceanographic institutions, The First Institute of Oceanography in Qingdao, and The Second Institute of Oceanography in Hangzhou to perform bathymetric surveys.

These recent orders leverage SeaRobotics extensive expertise and history delivering USVs for high precision bathymetry, water quality analysis, and hydrographic survey, as well as mine countermeasures, surveillance, targeting, and many other applications. The vehicles were delivered with fully integrated R2Sonic multi-beam echo-sounders, motion reference units, GPS systems, and sound velocity probes, with software from HYPACK to provide a complete autonomous unmanned, high precision, bathymetric survey system.

“The USVs will be used in estuaries and in the coastal zone for bathymetric survey. Dr. Ju Jun from The First Institute of Oceanography, and Dr. Lai Xianghua at the Second Institute of Oceanography, have declared they are very pleased with the performance of the systems,” stated Shuren Qin, President of Link Ocean Technologies.

“We couldn’t be happier with the performance of the systems, as well as the support we have received from Shuren and his team at LinkOcean Technologies who helped develop the initial specification, and supported us during the delivery, training and early operational phases of these systems,” stated Don Darling, President of SeaRobotics.

The Society for Underwater Technology’s (SUT’s) eighth Offshore Site Investigation & Geotechnics (OSIG) International Conference has received substantial support from Fugro, with the company becoming the principal sponsor for the 2017 event.

The conference titled ‘Smarter Solutions for Future Offshore Developments’, takes place from 12-14 September 2017 at the historic Royal Geographical Society in London. The event is attracting a lot of interest with more than 200 abstracts already submitted from potential speakers.

The conference offers an opportunity for geotechnical engineers, geoscientists and academics specialising in offshore topics to share their knowledge and experience. The 2017 conference will focus on new research and developments in site investigation data acquisition, evaluation and integration, geotechnical analysis and design as well as field operational experience.

Tim Dunne, Global Business Line Director for Marine Site Characterisation at Fugro said: “As a leading global supplier of marine geotechnical site characterisation services, Fugro is delighted to continue its support of OSIG. This major conference event provides an unparalleled platform to exchange knowledge and experience with other experts and we are very pleased to be principal sponsor in 2017.”

Dr Bob Allwood, CEO of SUT added: “We enjoy a strong relationship with Fugro and I’d like to express my sincere thanks for their support. Delegates will hear from a range of high profile speakers on new research findings and innovative ideas as to how we can improve efficiency, develop more collaborative approaches and offer innovation towards ‘Smarter Solutions for Future Offshore Developments’.”

OSIG 2017 will look into the challenges currently faced by the offshore oil and gas industry and call for innovative approaches to improve efficiency and rigour in practice. The event will also discuss what the offshore renewable energy industry has identified and addressed, through major research programmes, on key technical issues that must be solved to support its growing strength.

The conference will host the fourth Bramlette McClelland Lecture and a special issue of the EAGE Near Surface Geophysics journal will be published preceding the conference with selected papers to be presented in a dedicated session. A conference dinner will also be held at the Natural History Museum.

A number of sponsorship opportunities remain available. Details can also be found at: http://www.sut.org/event/osig2017/

Aker Solutions is making good progress in reaching a goal of boosting cost-efficiency in all areas of the company by at least 30 percent as part of a broader effort to strengthen its competitiveness amid current market challenges.

A quarter of the targeted improvement will be achieved this year, helping to achieve potential annualized cost-savings of at least NOK 9 billion by the end of 2017, based on the 2015 cost base and work volumes. The improvements are expected to speed up next year as longer-term processes take hold.

"We're simplifying how we work and standardizing our products and services to drive through savings and become more competitive," Chief Executive Officer Luis Araujo said in a presentation Tuesday to investors in Fornebu, outside Oslo. "These efforts are supporting our margins and we are winning new work through increased collaboration with customers and industry participants on key projects and technology."

Aker Solutions over the past two years formed alliances with peers including Baker Hughes, ABB, MAN Diesel & Turbo and Saipem. They span the entire subsea value chain from the reservoir, to the seabed and up to the topside. These are partnerships with leaders in their fields whose competence and technology complement Aker Solutions' subsea capabilities.

The company on Monday announced a contract valued at more than NOK 1 billion to deliver its longest-ever umbilicals system at the Zohr gas field offshore Egypt. Today it announced a three-year contract extension from Total to provide maintenance and operations services at the Elgin and Franklin fields in the UK North Sea. This work is valued at more than NOK 400 million.

"We have a healthy order backlog and solid financial position underpinned by our continuous improvement efforts and consistently strong execution on major projects worldwide," said Araujo. "We are building on all of this with key collaborations that boost our competitiveness, particularly in the subsea area."

CORTEC, a leading manufacturer of high quality API compact ball valves and manifolds, has expanded its CORTEC Manifold Systems (CMS) Lafayette manufacturing facility and relocated to new premises in Port Allen, Louisiana.

According to Stephen Corte, vice president of CORTEC, the move was necessitated to support the company’s growth initiatives and increase in customer demand. The facility now supports a full range of CORTEC’s service operations, including: sales, engineering, quality, machining, product assembly and testing, inventory and coating.

“This expansion is a testament to CORTEC’s product quality and customer service,” said Corte. “The enhancements we have made to this manufacturing facility are a direct result of our commitment to improving customer support, increasing product quality, expanding product capacity and extending market share.”

The 55,000 square-foot facility is equipped with specialized machinery capable of manufacturing high pressure metal-seated ball valves and testing equipment designed for severe service applications. The location has capacity for 35 employees, but additional acreage and building plans are in place to expand and accommodate four times that number, which will support continued growth and expansion over the next several years.

Cyberhawk Innovations, a world leader in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and drone inspection and survey, has bolstered its international presence by signing a partnership agreement with Nordic Unmanned, Norway’s leading UAV operator.

The agreement means that customers in Norway will be able to take advantage of Cyberhawk’s industry leading cloud based asset management software, iHawk, which will be combined with Nordic Unmanned’s detailed local knowledge and UAV experience.

Drones are able to capture close up images of many onshore and offshore assets, including flares. Credit: Cyberhawk Innovations

The partnership reinforces Cyberhawk’s growing global reputation and maintains Nordic Unmanned’s position as the leading UAV company in Norway. Cyberhawk completed the first ever drone inspection on the Norwegian continental shelf in 2013 with a flare inspection on an FPSO (Floating, Production Storage and Offloading), and together the two companies have already successfully completed a number of projects in Norway with major oil and utility asset operators.

Established in Norway as an expert in UAVs, Nordic Unmanned has a highly experienced team which has more than 50 years’ experience in remotely operated technology, and over 30 years’ experience in on and offshore oil and gas competencies.

Since its inception in 2008, Cyberhawk has led the development of the drone/ UAV inspection and survey industry and has achieved more than 25 world firsts, delivering its services in more than 20 countries across Europe, Africa, North America, Middle East and Asia.

The company has also spearheaded the conversion of UAV captured imagery into powerful asset management information in the cloud with its industry-leading iHawk software. iHawk allows intuitive access to inspection data using a simple map-based interface, clearly shows the asset status using a traffic light system and allows the user to ‘drill’ into further engineering commentary and evidence.

Cyberhawk’s CEO, Craig Roberts, said: “This collaboration enables us to effectively address the increasing inspection needs in Norway’s oil and gas and utility sectors, providing both onshore and offshore clients with a local, reliable and proven UAV inspection and survey solution, wrapped up in cutting-edge cloud based asset management software.

“This partnership is a significant step forward in further delivering safe, cost effective UAV and asset management solutions and we are pleased to team up with Nordic Unmanned, a company which shares our approach to innovation and customer service.”

Knut Roar Wiig, CEO at Nordic Unmanned said: “This agreement is a key part of Nordic Unmanned’s strategy to play a major role in the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Together with Cyberhawk, we can provide a high quality, professional service for our customers.”

Chet Morrison Contractors is now certified as a Licensed Inspection & Repair Service Provider for GE Oil and Gas. Specifically, the company’s Deepwater Riser Services’ facility in Houma is qualified for disassembly, inspection and repair of GE Oil & Gas marine drilling risers. It is one of only two such facilities in the state of Louisiana.

“As an approved GE Channel Partner, Chet Morrison Contractors is qualified to perform a variety of inspection and repair services for marine drilling risers on behalf of GE Oil & Gas,” said John DeBlieux, vice president of Deepwater Riser Services. “This certification allows us to issue Original Equipment Manufacturer Certifications of Compliance (OEM COC), enhancing customer confidence in the high quality of our work.”

Chet Morrison Contractors offers a variety of services throughout the riser life cycle, including transportation and maintenance. With an API Q1 Registered Quality Management System, Chet Morrison Contractors’ in-house team of quality and NDT inspectors completes all work on-site under the strictest protocols for quality and safety. The Houma Riser facility is OEM-certified for GE Oil & Gas as well as Trelleborg repair work.