Ranger Offshore, Inc., a leading global marine and subsea construction and support services contractor to the offshore oil and gas industry has closed the previously announced agreement to acquire Technip USA's diving assets.

Highlights:
• Strategic acquisition – supporting Ranger's next phase of growth, including:
◦ Multi-year preferred sub-contractor agreement to provide diving services to Technip USA
◦ Further capacity to deploy additional diving spreads and broaden its growing customer base in existing markets
◦ Expansion into key new markets in Africa and South East Asia

• Assets include:
◦ Two multi-service support vessels - The MSV Global Orion and The MSV Normand Commander
◦ Saturation diving systems, a hyperbaric receiving facility, surface compression chambers, launch and recovery systems, diving control systems and other ancillary diving equipment
◦ Staff, including divers, supervisors and shore based support and project management teams that have a strong track record of operational excellence

The assets have established accreditation and decades of proven performance, along with best-in-class diving procedures that meet the strict standards of major oil companies, large independents, and top tier contractors.

Bill Lam, CEO of Ranger commented,
"This acquisition gives Ranger additional critical capacity to enhance our service offerings, grow with and serve our existing customers, and capture new business opportunities. In particular, we are now well-positioned to execute our strategic plan to grow into key global regions such as Africa and Southeast Asia, where current market demand for our services far outpaces existing qualified capacity.

We have already made significant advances in preparing and managing the integration of these assets into the wider Ranger Group and, with the acquisition closing on schedule, we look forward to continuing with the next phases of our growth plan."

The Company was advised by Pareto Securities on this transaction. Pareto Securities is an independent full service investment bank headquartered in Oslo, with more than 350 employees located in offices throughout Scandinavia and in Houston, New York, London, Calgary, Singapore, Rio de Janeiro and Perth, Australia. Pareto Securities has a leading position within the international energy sectors and is actively providing M&A advice and capital markets services to companies globally.

Trond Rokholt and Torjus Berge, Managing Directors in the Houston office of Pareto Securities said, "We were delighted to support the team at Ranger in advising on this transaction and financing. The successful completion of the acquisition of assets from Technip will form the basis of the company's next stage of growth. In particular it will support development into new but known international markets, where an evident demand supply gap exists."

Teledyne Marine Systems group, leading providers of undersea vehicles and subsea infrastructure, has announced that SeaBotix, part of the recent Bolt Technology Corporation acquisition by parent company Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, will join the Marine Systems group of companies.

SeaBotix is a world leading manufacturer of innovative and diverse underwater observation class MiniROVs designed to perform a multitude of tasks that include maritime security, search and recovery, hull, pipeline and infrastructure inspection, hazardous environment intervention, aquaculture, sensor deployment, oceanographic research, nuclear applications and more. SeaBotix continues to deliver revolutionary advancements to its diverse portfolio of MiniROV systems that are responsive to demanding professional applications.

"We are excited to have SeaBotix join the Teledyne Marine Systems group of companies." said Vice President and Group General Manager, Thomas W. Altshuler. "We see strong synergy between their innovative remotely operated vehicles and the tethered and autonomous vehicles produced by our existing organization."

SeaBotix will operate under the name Teledyne SeaBotix from their current location in San Diego, California. To learn more about Teledyne SeaBotix visit www.SeaBotix.com.

Ensco plc (NYSE:ESV) announces that Carey Lowe has been promoted to Executive Vice President reporting directly to CEO and President Carl Trowell. He will be responsible for overseeing investor relations, public relations, employee communications and branding, led by Vice President Sean O'Neill, as well as strategy, headed by Vice President Michael Howe, and human resources, directed by Vice President Maria Silva.

Mr. Lowe was most recently Senior Vice President – Eastern Hemisphere where he led operations for Europe, Africa, Middle East and the Asia Pacific region. He will continue to be based in London. Mr. Lowe joined Ensco in 2008 as Senior Vice President and has led capital projects, engineering, strategic planning, the deepwater fleet, and safety, health and environmental management.

Steve Brady will succeed Mr. Lowe as Senior Vice President – Eastern Hemisphere and relocate to London. Mr. Brady was previously Senior Vice President – Western Hemisphere based in Houston.

Gilles Luca has been appointed Senior Vice President – Western Hemisphere. His prior roles include Vice President – Strategy, Vice President – Brazil and Vice President – Europe and Mediterranean. Mr. Brady and Mr. Luca will continue to report directly to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Burns.

"Ensco has a deep bench of talented senior managers," said CEO and President Carl Trowell. "These promotions highlight our commitment to career development and will further strengthen our company."

Hercules Offshore, Inc. ("Hercules" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: HERO) announces that it has promoted ­­Troy L. Carson to Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective November 21, 2014. Mr. Carson­ replaces Stephen M. Butz, who resigned as the Company's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer effective November 21, 2014, to join Rowan Companies plc as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.

Mr. Carson is currently serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer. He joined the Company as Vice President and Corporate Controller in March 2007, was appointed to Principal Accounting Officer in July 2008, and was named Chief Accounting Officer in May 2010. At the same time, Craig M. Muirhead, currently serving as Vice President and Treasurer, has been appointed to Vice President of Investor Relations and Planning, while Son P. Vann, currently serving as Vice President of Investor Relations and Planning, will assume the role of Vice President Corporate Development and Treasurer.

John T. Rynd, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company, stated, "Stephen has been with Hercules since just after its founding, and over the past 10 years has been instrumental in our expansion to one of the leading shallow water service providers worldwide. He has successfully navigated the Company's finances through some extremely challenging conditions and leaves our Company with a solid balance sheet and ample liquidity. While we will miss his contributions at Hercules, we wish him all the best in his new role at Rowan. The Board of Directors and I are confident that Troy is well-equipped to assume the role of Chief Financial Officer. I look forward to working with Troy and our finance team to maintain the strong financial foundation that we have developed over the past several years and position our Company to capitalize on future opportunities."

As from January 1st 2015, the Exploration and Production Branch of Total will be restructured with five geographical divisions, an Exploration division and five functional divisions. Arnaud Breuillac, President Exploration & Production, stated: "These changes are made with the objective to improve efficiency and adapt to the challenges the Group is facing.

The new organization is as follows:

• Africa division headed by Guy Maurice 

• Americas division headed by Michel Hourcard 

• Asia Pacific division headed by Olivier de Langavant* 

• Europe and Central Asia division headed by Michael Borrell (merge of Northern Europe and Continental Europe – Central Asia divisions) 

• Middle East and North Africa division headed by Stéphane Michel 
• Exploration division headed by Kevin McLachlan 

• Quality Health Safety Societal Security Environment division headed by Pierre Bang ;

• Technical support to operations division and Development division headed by André Goffart 

• Strategy Growth Research division headed by Martin Deffontaines** 

• Corporate Affairs headed by Namita Shah.

Ladislas Paszkiewicz, currently Vice President of Americas division, will be appointed Senior Vice President Mergers & Acquisitions in the Finance Division.

* Until March 1st 2015, Jean-Marie Guillermou will remain Vice President for Asia Pacific division and Olivier de Langavant Vice President Strategy Growth Research division.
** Effective March 1st 2015

Click here to see the biographies 

Hoover Container Solutions ("Hoover"), a leading provider of chemical tanks, cargo carrying units and related products and services to the global energy, petrochemical and related industrial end markets, has entered into an agreement to partner with First Reserve, the largest global private equity firm exclusively focused on energy. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

One of the global industry leaders in oilfield fluids container solutions, Hoover operates worldwide through 15 facilities in North and South America, Europe, Australia, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The company has a rental fleet of approximately 40,000 stainless steel intermediate bulk containers ("IBCs"), 8,000 cargo carrying units and more than 15,000 slings, GPS asset tracking units and other peripheral equipment.

Hoover was the original manufacturer of stainless steel IBCs approximately 50 years ago and has a history of pioneering and innovating material handling solutions since 1911. Hoover has earned a reputation with its loyal customers for being a high-quality service provider.

Hoover provides customer-driven solutions through a vertically integrated model that includes design, manufacturing, maintenance, certification and cleaning services through the entire life cycle of their products. The company's products are critical to the energy and industrial value chain with a business model that is, in First Reserve's view, generally resilient to market cyclicality.

First Reserve believes Hoover's products are exposed to several favorable macro trends, including the continued demand for oilfield production chemicals, further development of offshore and deepwater oil and gas opportunities as well as the continued investment in North American petrochemical facilities.

Donald Young, CEO of Hoover, commented, "After a thoughtful process, we chose First Reserve as our partner to help support Hoover in its next stage of growth. We expect First Reserve will bolster Hoover's already strong financial position and allow us to accelerate our growth plan as well as continue to introduce innovative products and services to the market."

Neil Wizel, managing director of First Reserve, commented, "We are excited to partner with CEO Donnie Young and his management team to progress Hoover's growth strategy focused on providing the energy, petrochemical and general industrial markets with specialized fluid handling and container solutions. We believe Hoover has demonstrated a strong track record of providing its customers with high-quality products and services and that the company is well-positioned for continued expansion in North America and internationally."

BMT Group Ltd, the leading international maritime design, engineering and risk management consultancy, has been recognised in the Global Business Excellence Awards 2014.

The judging panel recognised BMT's continued focus on its staff and how effective communication, management and support was recognised as the cornerstones of the organisation's success. BMT's Employee Engagement Index of 80% compares very favourably with the 'good' industry benchmark of 50% and in the most recent staff survey, 84% of respondents were 'satisfied working for their operating company'.

BMT's Young Professionals Summit held in Bristol, November 2014. BMT's Young Professionals Society (YPS) has been developed to bring together young professionals from across all the BMT companies and provide a platform for them to communicate, collaborate and explore new ideas to further their careers within BMT.

The chairman of the judges said: "BMT Group has differentiated itself by offering its 1,400 employees exceptional benefits and staff initiatives. Its Profit Related Pay scheme is outstanding and to date it has paid out £40 million to staff members. It is also one of the few companies to be established as an Employee Benefit Trust, giving staff a stake in the company and a say in their future. The range of other incentives and benefits are second to none. Consequently, BMT has high levels of staff productivity and loyalty. BMT is an exceptional winner and a role model in its sector."

Peter French, Chief Executive of BMT Group comments: "We are extremely proud to receive this accolade. Engagement with all of our staff is something that we take very seriously because without them, we wouldn't be the successful company we are today."

For over 29 years BMT has gone from strength to strength, providing consultancy services to customers in the defence, energy and environment, government, mining, marine risk and insurance, maritime transport and ports and logistics sectors.

SpeedCast International Limited (SpeedCast), a leading global satellite telecommunications service provider, has announced, following the recruitment of Keith Johnson last month, the establishment of a new Energy Division and the opening of a new office in Houston, Texas, to meet customers' growing demand for services globally. The new Energy Division will consolidate all of SpeedCast's existing business activities for the energy sector into one streamlined operational unit. The new Houston office extends SpeedCast's global operations to serve the energy market and represents its commitment to addressing the needs of oil and gas and energy customers around the world.

With established offices across Australia, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, SpeedCast has over ten years' of experience in providing tailor-made communication solutions to many companies in the oil and gas sector. SpeedCast's solutions help companies manage their remote site requirements for real-time data, voice, video, M2M, and crew moral services.

The new Energy Division, strategically headquartered in Houston, Texas, will be headed by Keith Johnson, Senior Vice President / GM. Mr. Johnson will lead a global team to deliver solutions for energy customers who expect high reliability and uncompromising customer service. While leveraging SpeedCast resources in multiple global locations, a local team is being built in Houston to provide local sales, field service, engineering, and program management to support customers and their requirements, in the Americas and in particular in the critical Gulf of Mexico region.

"Our expansion into the North American market reinforces our commitment to deliver high-quality, reliable managed network services to our customers globally and to support them wherever they operate. With many of the largest global energy companies based in Houston, this was an obvious choice for us to open our Energy Division. This location will allow us to be closer to key decision makers and provide them with alternatives for their needs globally," said Pierre-Jean Beylier, CEO of SpeedCast. "Energy customers require exceptional uptime service and support. Our new Energy Division, led by Mr. Johnson, is being constructed to offer the best-in-class service and support to our customers," Beylier added.

"Energy customers operating in the Americas will realize tremendous benefits from our strong, focused team based in Houston, along with the support of our global teams throughout SpeedCast," said Keith Johnson, Senior Vice President / GM Energy Division, SpeedCast. "We will leverage our global strengths to deliver superior managed services to our energy customers throughout the world. This latest move by SpeedCast demonstrates our commitment to the global energy market and our customers," Johnson added.

BMT Asia Pacific, a subsidiary of BMT Group, the leading international maritime design, engineering and risk management consultancy, has appointed Joanne Tse as Head of Risk Management based in Hong Kong. The new appointment will help support the regional growth of risk consultancy services - principally in the transportation and construction sectors.

Joanne will be actively involved in developing and managing risk projects for our growing client base. She brings more than 15 years of experience in the rail industry specialising in risk assessment and management, safety assurance, and corporate/enterprise risk management.

Rejoining BMT after three years at Willis Insurance Brokers, Joanne's previous tenure focussed on rail engineering projects involving operational and construction project risks. She delivered insurance, risk management and technical services to 15 railway operators, across Asia and worldwide. Additionally, Joanne led underwriters in providing risk surveys to hotel, resort and casino clients and extended professional coverage to the oil refinery industry.

Joanne is actively involved in the wider risk community. She is currently Vice Chairperson of the IET Hong Kong Management Section Committee and has acted as facilitator for numerous risk identification workshops, as well as providing strategic risk management consultancy to the Hong Kong Government.

As a specialist qualified by The Institute of Risk Management (IRM) in business continuity and crisis management, Joanne is experienced in disaster recovery consulting work in the telecommunication and logistic industries.

Joanne is a Chartered Engineer. She holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and an MBA from the City University of Hong Kong.

AVEVA has announced the opening of its new office in Aberdeen, further strengthening its growing global network. The office will offer sales and support for all of AVEVA's solut'We have worked with our customers in Aberdeen for many decades,' said Richard Longdon, CEO, AVEVA (photo). 'This office represents our continued commitment to these strategic companies and the wider region. Aberdeen is, and will remain, a key location for the oil & gas industry with the expertise in Aberdeen exported throughout the world.'

The new premises is based at the prestigious Arnhall Business Park, which is home to some of the largest oil & gas companies in Aberdeen including Technip, Subsea 7 and TAQA.

'At AVEVA we put customer service first, recognizing that it's one of the things that gives us a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Having a presence where our clients are based creates stronger relationships and enables us to be more responsive to their requirements,' commented Helmut Schuller, Executive Vice President, Group Sales, AVEVA. 'Aberdeen is a key city servicing the North Sea oil & gas hub, which is estimated to be producing 1.5 million barrels of oil per day into 2020. Some 26% of the city's jobs are in the oil & gas Industry. We are delighted to be part of this vibrant ecosystem and our new office will ensure we are in the best possible position to serve our existing and future customers.'

Rowan Companies plc ("Rowan" or the "Company") (NYSE: RDC) announces the appointment of Stephen M. Butz (photo) as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, effective December 1, 2014.

Mr. Butz joins the Company from Hercules Offshore, Inc., where for the past nine years he has served in various corporate development, treasury and finance functions, most recently as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Butz also has more than 10 years' experience in commercial and investment banking.

Tom Burke, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "I am so pleased that Stephen will be joining Rowan. I believe his keen industry knowledge and vast experience will be instrumental as we complete our drillship newbuild program and consider our future capital allocation options. I am confident Stephen will quickly become a valued member of the Rowan team."

Mr. Butz will take over from Kevin Bartol, whose resignation was previously announced and is effective as of November 30, 2014.

Rowan Companies plc is a global provider of contract drilling services in the ultra-deepwater and shallow water jack-up market with a fleet of 34 offshore drilling units, including four ultra-deepwater drillships, two of which are currently under construction, and 30 jack-up rigs, 19 of which are rated high-specification.

FMC Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: FTI) announced the appointment of a new member to its Board of Directors.

The new director is Peter Oosterveer, Chief Operating Officer of Fluor Corporation. Fluor Corporation is a FORTUNE 500 company that delivers engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, and project management to governments and clients in diverse industries around the world.

A 25-year Fluor veteran, Mr. Oosterveer previously served as the group president of the company's Energy & Chemicals Business Segment, and senior vice president of its global chemicals and petrochemicals business.

Mr. Oosterveer has deep international client and project expertise in the energy and chemicals industries with previous executive stints managing Fluor's chemicals operations for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. His duties included business development and sales as well as direct profit-loss responsibility. Prior to that, he was managing director of the Dutch operations of Fluor, including the Haarlem office. He also previously managed Fluor's operations center in Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands.

He has a bachelor of science degree in Electronics from HTS Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, and is a graduate of the Thunderbird University International Management Program, Stanford's Executive Business School, and the Fluor Management Institute.

SeaRobotics Corp. announces that Scott Olson has been hired as a Project Engineer in the company's Stuart Florida office.

Olson joins SeaRobotics after serving as chief engineer for Chariot Robotics. He is a project and systems engineer with over 28 years of experience in ocean engineering, project management and marine operations including the design, operation, fabrication and maintenance of marine systems for oil & gas, salvage and scientific applications. He is qualified as a pilot of both manned and un-manned underwater vehicles.

Previously Mr. Olson served as a Project Engineer at Perry Slingsby Systems, an underwater vehicle manufacturer, from 2007 to 2010. Prior to that he was a Systems Engineer at Phoenix International, a deep-sea salvage company with the US Navy from 2002 to 2007, as well as a Systems Engineer/Pilot with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution from 1988 to 2002. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida Institute of Technology, Jensen Beach in 1986. He has also completed numerous graduate courses at the University of Maryland in Systems Engineering.

In his new position, Olson will work with new and existing product lines at SeaRobotics including the HullBUG cleaning vehicle as well as projects associated with the design and deployment of subsea fiber optic networks. "We are very excited to have Scott join SeaRobotics," said SeaRobotics president Don Darling, "and we look forward to working with Scott and putting his extensive hands-on engineering experience to work in this very important role."

2H Offshore, an Acteon company, has invested in improved office facilities in Malaysia and Australia, to support ongoing growth in the Asia Pacific region.

"The subsea oil and gas industry in Asia Pacific continues to grow rapidly," said Hugh Howells, principal director at 2H Offshore. "Expanding our offices in the region will help us to support existing clients and enable us to meet the increasing demand for our specialist, riser and conductor engineering services."

Perth Office

Both offices have improved facilities, additional meeting rooms and enhanced conference facilities and maintain a close proximity to a large number of 2H's major clients, to underpin ongoing progress in the Asia Pacific region.

Hugh Howells, principal director of 2H, commented, "We are very pleased with the growth that 2H has achieved in Perth and Malaysia over the past four and six years respectively, and anticipate further strengthening of our team with additional engineering professionals over the next few years. Our new facilities provide an improved environment for our team and increased capacity that will allow us to take on a greater number of projects for our clients."

The two new office addresses are as follows:

2H Offshore
Suite 31-1
31st Floor
Wisma UOA 2
21 Jalan Pinang
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2H Offshore
Level 8
1008 Hay Street
Perth, 6000, Australia

Applus RTD, a global leader in the provision of integrity technology services, has appointed Phillip Morrison (photo) as its new regional director for the United States.

Phillip will be responsible for all Applus RTD operations in the US and brings a wealth of experience to the company, having over 30 years' experience working in the oil and gas industry.

Working with well-known companies such as TD Williamson and Cameron International, Phillip has completed international assignments and held global responsibility for a strategic pipeline integrity business unit securing sustainable market positions for the business in each role.

Commenting on his appointment, Phillip said: "Joining Applus RTD is an exciting opportunity for me professionally and personally. I am honored to be joining the company in its pursuit of generational market opportunities within the oil and gas, aerospace and other major sectors in the United States.

"The focus and scale of Applus RTD will enable us to become a strategic partner in our customers' plans to ensure the integrity of their assets and grow public confidence in their ability to safely build and operate infrastructure with great predictability."

Iain Light, Applus RTD's executive vice president said: "The US market is one of our core regions which has grown significantly in recent years. This is primarily due to several acquisitions, including X-Ray Industries and the US portion of N-Ray Services, which we announced last week. Both organizations are world-class suppliers of non-destructive testing (NDT) to the aerospace market and gas turbine industry.

"With these acquisitions we are diversifying into a new market space, reflective of a major business strategy for the US region. There are high expectations for the business and the US division and Phillip will lead the path forward to success."

CAN Group, has been awarded a £4 million contract to provide asset integrity services in the North Sea as the firm also announces international growth. The Aberdeen-headquartered company has secured work with Fairfield Energy aboard the Dunlin platform, UK Continental Shelf (UKCS).

Image: CAN Group’s latest contract win will see them providing ultrasonic inspections as part of structural survey work.

The three year contract with Fairfield Energy will be led by ENGTEQ, the group's integrity engineering business stream, that will provide services such as inspection management and data analysis with CAN's operations division providing inspection execution and ancillary services on the pressure systems and structures in support of the asset integrity program.

In addition to domestic success, CAN has also been successful in securing scopes in North Africa. The work covers the provision of specialist inspection services and integrity engineering support and will see CAN carry out a variety of structural inspection services including flare and jacket structure inspections and a comprehensive range of advanced NDT inspection techniques at pressure plants on and offshore.

Adam Byrne, operations director at CAN Group, said: "These latest contract awards are a great boost to the company and underline the need for asset integrity services worldwide.

"We have enjoyed a sustained period of demand in the North Sea and, as part of our strategic growth plans, we are increasingly rolling out our services across other geographic markets. The internationalisation of our business has seen CAN move into West Africa, Asia Pacific and North America and we are well placed to make the most of these opportunities."

The latest contract awards come shortly after CAN Group announced it had secured two major contract renewals safe-guarding 150 plus jobs.

Formed in 1986, when it pioneered industrial rope access techniques offshore, CAN Group is now a diversified market leader with four distinct business streams: ENGTEQ, VENTEQ and their inspection and trades businesses which trade under the CAN name. Together these businesses provide a comprehensive asset integrity service, with ENGTEQ providing the integrity engineering services, and the quality assurance and quality control services from VENTEQ.