Patricia Vega is the new president and CEO of GE Oil & Gas (NYSE: GE) for Latin America. She will be responsible to maintain the prominent position assumed by the company in the oil and gas market, contributing to the development of customized solutions that meet the specific demands of customers and partners in the region.

Patricia has 20 years of experience in the oil industry, including technical, operational and leadership positions in the United States, Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. Based in Rio de Janeiro, she will lead the 5,400 employees of GE Oil & Gas in Latin America and will be responsible for developing regional capabilities.

"The big challenge is to further increase GE Oil & Gas market share in the region. Today the company is the leading provider of solutions for the oil and gas industry and the goal is to keep the strong partnerships with our customers and to continue developing technologies that complement the portfolio and meet the market needs," said Patricia Vega. GE Oil & Gas provides solutions ranging from drilling to production, as well as power generation, transportation, storage, refining, processing systems and pipeline inspection.

Previously, Patricia held leadership positions at various companies in the oil and gas sector, including a role as vice president of operations and director of human resources for Latin America.

Patricia has a degree in Petroleum Engineering at University of Santander, a Master degree in Technology Development & Engineering Management at Oklahoma State University and an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Patricia will assume the role of João Geraldo Ferreira, who leaves the company after seven years. GE Oil & Gas is the world leader in advanced technology equipment and services for all segments of the oil and gas industry. The energy division is focused on technological innovation and, through strategic acquisitions, strengthening its local presence to continuously improve the performance of the oil sector and its productivity.

IKM Testing AS from Norway ordered a 1600 meters Thermoplastic Composite Pipe (TCP) from Airborne Oil The TCP Downline will be used for the pre-commissioning of risers and pipelines.

Odd Reidar Boye, Engineering Manager with IKM Testing explains the preference for the composite downline over steel coiled tubing and other downline solutions: "The TCP Downline has a superior fatigue life compared to other solutions we have looked at for execution of pre-commissioning operations in these water depths (1300 m). The light weight, ease of handling and the external pressure resistance capability makes it the preferred alternative for us, both technically and operationally".

With this order, Airborne solidifies its leading position in composite downlines and composite pipes for deepwater applications in general. "Having built a track record for a number of years, including a deepwater world record, this order is testament to the success of the composite pipes in these challenging deepwater applications" says Rogier Cornelisse, Sales Manager TCP Downlines and TCP Hoses.

Airborne Oil & Gas is the first and leading manufacturer of Thermoplastic Composite Pipes. Founded in 2007, Airborne manufactures flowlines, risers, downlines, hoses and jumpers for offshore application.

DeepWater Buoyancy Inc. announced this week that it has doubled both its facility and workforce during the first eight months of 2014. The new facility was opened in January after securing the rights to the Flotation Technologies syntactic foam-based, legacy oceanographic and oil/gas undersea product lines.

"We are so grateful for the loyal customer support we've seen since opening our doors in January," said DeepWater Buoyancy Co-President & Director of Business Development, David Capotosto. "Because of their trust in our team and products, we have already shipped thousands of buoys, systems and subsea components to a dozen different countries."

"One key to our rapid expansion," said Capotosto, "is that our customers have been able to make a seamless transition from Flotation Technologies to DeepWater Buoyancy. We're shipping new and replacement buoys and components daily." The company manufactures a full line of ADCP buoys, cable floats, instrument collars and custom syntactic solutions reliable at depths exceeding six thousand meters.
Key milestones in DeepWater Buoyancy's growth include:

January 2014
• Company begins to offer newly-acquired, legacy designs from Flotec.
• Ten-thousand square-foot facility designed, refurbished and opened.
• Launched with initial staff of former Flotec workers.
• Initial orders shipped.

August 2014
• Facility doubled to 20,000 square feet with option for significant further growth.
• Staff more than doubled.
• Shipped over 4,800 buoys, systems and components to twelve countries along with United States.
• Served key customers including Scripps, Subsea7, Fugro, FMC Technologies, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Oceaneering International, and PGS Geophysical AS.

DeepWater Buoyancy has also aggressively expanded its network of international sales representatives, recently adding partners in Australia, Brazil, Denmark and South Africa to its sales team. Representatives are based in China, France, Spain, India, Japan, the Netherlands and additional countries across six continents.

Applus RTD, the global leader in the provision of integrity technology services, will open up a base in Straume, Bergen following the demand for its non-destructive testing (NDT) services in the region.

The new office and test facility, which will be operational in October this year, will serve the local market both onshore and offshore. It will provide in-house and on-site NDT, metallurgic field work and a range of inspection services including rig, paint, derrick and hull inspection.

The new base will staff up to 24 employees, as Applus RTD plans to recruit locally.

Eirik Bjorheim, Applus RTD Norway manager said: "It was an obvious step for us to create a strategic growth plan for Norway in order to meet the demand for our services and underline our commitment to the Norwegian energy sector. With the Bergen office due to open in the next few months, we will now be able to provide on-site support for our existing client base.

"The organic growth of the company will continue throughout next year as we also plan to open up a base in Hammerfest in February, followed by our head quarters in Stavanger next summer. The new head quarters will include a test facility and offshore department to support our operations in the Norwegian North Sea.

"Applus RTD's goal is to be the largest inspection company in Norway by 2017, with around 400 employees in total."

To date, the company has been involved in a number of Norwegian offshore projects, including the execution of vital NDT work at the Vigra Spoolbase with its radiographic pipeline inspection technology, the RTD Rayscan.

Applus RTD is currently developing a number of revolutionary technologies, including its RTD Rayscan, to drive improved reliability and efficiency throughout the testing process.

Rowan Companies plc ("Rowan" or the "Company") (NYSE: RDC) announces that J. Kevin Bartol, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer, has decided to leave the Company to pursue other opportunities. Mr. Bartol will continue to serve until a successor is chosen and a smooth transition is completed. The Company is conducting a search and intends to name Mr. Bartol's successor in short order.

"We greatly appreciate Kevin's dedication and many contributions to Rowan's success over the past seven years," said Thomas Burke, Rowan's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Kevin has been instrumental in shaping the Company's asset and capital markets strategy, from spearheading the sale of the Manufacturing and Land Drilling divisions and acquiring Skeie Drilling to positioning the Company for the future with our solid balance sheet, strong financial condition and investment grade ratings. We wish him well in his future endeavors."

The Company also announced today that Melanie M. Trent has been promoted to Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer and will assume responsibility for the Legal function, as well as retain responsibility for the Human Resources, Information Technology and Communications departments. Ms. Trent succeeds John L. Buvens, Jr. who is retiring from Rowan after more than 30 years with the Company.

"John has been an important contributor to Rowan's evolution over the past thirty years and we will miss his expertise and judgment. We wish him all the best in retirement," Mr. Burke stated.

Ms. Trent joined the Company in 2005, served as Senior Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and Company Secretary since 2011, and served as Vice President & Corporate Secretary prior to that time.

InterMoor UK Operations, part of Acteon's foundations and moorings business, has completedseven years and more than 2,300 projects without a single lost-time incident (LTI).

The safety record includes the companies comprising InterMoor UK Operations – InterMoor Ltd, InterMoor Marine Services Ltd and ChainCo – and operations at three bases, five storage yards and numerous quayside locations where operations have been both in the UK and globally.
Alan Duncan, managing director of InterMoor UK Operations, said, "Providing safe working environments and high-quality training for employees are vital for InterMoor. This milestone highlights the extent of our commitment to safety and the professionalism of our staff. It was achieved with the participation of the entire workforce, from quayside support personnel to senior management."

Throughout 2014, InterMoor UK Operations has renewed its focus on safety. Hazard identification, supervisory controls and management involvement have been top priorities.

Bruce Strachan, InterMoor UK Operations' quality assurance and health, safety and environment manager, said, "Seven years without an LTI places InterMoor UK at the forefront of worldwide safety performance. Very few businesses of a comparable size have conducted operations for this length of time without recorded incidents. Of course, the aim is to continue the trend. Our target is, and will always be, zero accidents or incidents.

"The statistics for 2014 are particularly impressive. In addition to everyday operations, InterMoor has completed two huge projects in China, which have brought the total number of exposure (working) hours to about 500,000 for the year to date."

Through water communication and positioning technology company, Nautronix, is pleased to announce a new appointment within the sales team.

Experienced Business Development Manager, Thomas McCudden has been appointed as the company's Global Sales Manager for NASNet® and will be responsible for developing awareness and worldwide sales of NASNet® positioning technology.

Prior to joining Nautronix, Thomas gained a wealth of experience within the Oil and Gas, Telecommunications and Finance industries through previous positions at IET, FreeAgent, BT and latterly Coda Octopus.

Donald Thomson VP Sales, Global Commercial Acoustics who has been with the company for a number of months, will continue to be responsible for sales in the global marketplace for Nautronix' product lines; NASCoM, NASDrill and NASDive.

Mark Patterson, CEO, comments, "Thomas brings over 15 years of experience with him to Nautronix and his experience is exactly what we need to increase our sales efforts for NASNet®. By focussing the efforts of Thomas and Donald on the opportunities we have for our product lines, it will enable us to continue to grow and develop the business further."

Bibby Offshore, a leading provider of subsea installation, inspection, repair and maintenance services to the offshore oil and gas industry, is pleased to announce its continued international expansion with the opening of an office in Stavanger, Norway. The Norwegian office for Bibby Offshore will be headed by Arne Lier.

Bibby Offshore has a leading subsea services position in the UK North Sea and the opening of the office in Norway further increases the company's growing international presence.

The company is currently participating in a number of tenders in the Norwegian Continental Shelf and is focusing on expanding its existing services to offshore operators in the region, benefiting from the depth of relationship that Bibby Offshore already has with the UKCS divisions of many operators.

Arne Lier, who joins the Company on 1 September 2014, is leading the recruitment of further key positions for the Norway office to increase the total headcount to approximately 30 during 2015.

Howard Woodcock, Chief Executive of Bibby Offshore, commented: "The opening of an office in Norway is in recognition of the size and opportunity of the offshore market in the North Sea and specifically in the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Norway is a very important marketplace for us to operate in as the Company looks to grow and expand our international presence."

Arne Lier, Managing Director of Bibby Offshore AS, commented: "The opportunity to lead Bibby Offshore into the Norwegian subsea market is one that excites me. The company has an outstanding track record in managing inspection, repair and maintenance and construction projects and I look forward to bringing much needed, alternative solutions and additional subsea capacity to the operators in Norway. We will aim to grow our capacity and presence in Norway by delivering the same outstanding service for clients that is currently provided in the UKCS, Asia and the Gulf of Mexico."

Arne Lier has extensive oil and gas experience from an international career focused on offshore inspection, repair and maintenance ("IRM"), construction and marine operations, including the role of Senior Subsea Engineer for Statoil early in his career. More recently, Arne has held several executive roles including Chief Executive Officer of Norfield AS and Managing Director of Gulfmark Norge AS. He is currently a non-executive director of Simon Møkster Shipping and has previously been a non-executive director for AGR Group. Arne is a civil engineer, QHSE qualified and a former saturation diver. He has an MBA from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Alex Imperial has taken over as DNV GL Oil & Gas's regional manager for South America just as the company is creating a dedicated research unit in Brazil.

Mr. Imperial recently left Singapore, where he was Director for DNV GL's Deepwater Technology Centre, to take over DNV GL's Oil & Gas Division in South America. Experience from his last position will benefit his new role as the new dedicated Research unit means that research will be one of the DNV GL's focus areas in Brazil.

"With the vast pre-salt offshore developments ongoing and planned in Brazil, and other opportunities in South America, I'm delighted to have taken on this role in what is a very exciting time for both the region and DNV GL. We have a total of 130 local technical experts, but also draw on the deep and broad expertise of our 5,500 employees globally," says Mr Imperial.

In the company's annual industry outlook published in 2014, in which 430 senior oil and gas professionals were asked about the prospects for the near future, Brazil was ranked as the second most attractive investment destination for 2014. Yet the year has brought challenges for the industry, "We have experienced a slowdown in the industry, with rising costs, tough competition and signs of weaker performance in the Brazilian economy," he explains.

"In this environment, I believe DNV GL has a valuable role to play as an independent partner, combining deep industry expertise in challenging operating conditions with a focus on how to work smarter. This is also one of our reasons for investing 5% of our revenue in research and development - our ultimate goal is to develop solutions that enable the industry to become safer, smarter and greener. The establishment of the new Research unit is one step towards this goal and in line with the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) research scheme in Brazil," says Mr Imperial.

"The new unit allows us to focus on joint industry projects (JIPs) where we work closely with oil companies and suppliers to address concrete and pressing challenges by finding innovative cutting-edge solutions with a focus on deepwater operations. And, equally important, we share the results and our experience with the industry. We have many ongoing JIPs, but just to mention one - Petrobras, Repsol, and Vallourec have signed up as potential partners for our Collapse JIP. In this, we will work on a standard for pipelines in ultra-deep waters," he continues. He adds that the combination of cooperating with local partners and DNV GL's existing global network of labs and technology centres creates a truly "global execution, local delivery" R&D model.

Alex Imperial started as an intern in DNV GL 23 years ago, and has since gained extensive experience from a variety of roles in Brazil and Asia within the Maritime and Oil & Gas divisions, as both a technical expert and leader. He started his management career as a Station Manager in Macaé while also being rig coordinator for Petrobas. He has also served as the global Key Account Manager for Petrobas as well as driving business development in South America and South East Asia Pacific.

Mr. Imperial has an academic background as a Mechanical Engineer from the Universidade Gama Filho in Rio de Janeiro, supplemented by postgraduate training in Safety Engineering from Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro and Environmental Engineering from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.

Aberdeen-based subsea IMR provider, N-Sea Offshore Ltd is to move into new premises as business continues to grow.

The company has outgrown its current offices in Dyce and is adding additional office space to accommodate an increase in staff numbers as it expands operations both in the UK and internationally.

The new office facility at Salvesen Tower will not only accommodate N-Sea's significant expansion of Aberdeen-based staff, but has also been chosen to house an enlarged project management and engineering department. Since early 2014, N-Sea has added 15 UK staff allowing the company to expand its service offering.

Explaining the strategic relevance of the move, N-Sea's chief operating officer, Roddy James said (photo) : "N-Sea has evolved considerably in the short time since we established our presence within the UK. We are currently in the process of articulating our plans for expansion through investment in people, equipment and vessels to ensure we continue to deliver effective and cost efficient solutions to our clients.

"Our new premises will house our ever-increasing personnel and its professional capabilities, which are fundamental to our drive to become a leading subsea IMR company in the North Sea and beyond."

N-Sea is known for its innovative work as an independent offshore subsea contractor, specialising in IMR services for the international oil and gas, renewable and telecom/utility industries, as well as for civil contracting communities. With particular focus on North Sea activity, N-Sea provides near shore, offshore and survey services to major operators and service companies alike.

Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) announces that it has reached an agreement to settle a substantial majority of the plaintiffs' class claims asserted against the company as a result of the April 20, 2010 Macondo well incident in the Gulf of Mexico. The approximately $1.1 billion settlement, which includes legal fees, is subject to approval by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and will be paid into a trust until all appeals have been resolved in three installments over the next two years. The company's previously accrued loss contingency provision relating to the multi-district litigation proceedings is currently $1.3 billion.

The agreement includes the following:

• Claims against Halliburton that BP assigned to the settlement class in BP's April 2012 settlement,
• Punitive damages claims against Halliburton by a class of plaintiffs who allege damages to property or associated with the commercial fishing industry arising from the Deepwater Horizon Incident, and
• Affirmation that Halliburton has no liability for compensatory damages to the members of the settlement class in the BP April 2012 settlement.

Payments will be held in the trust, pending the finalization of this settlement which is contingent on final Court approval, including any appeals of:

• The BP 2012 settlement with the settlement class,
• The District Court's earlier determination that the contractual indemnity provided by BP to Halliburton is valid and enforceable, and
• The District Court's earlier dismissal of economic damage claims against Halliburton.

Additionally, the settlement is subject to an agreed-upon level of participation by the current claimants which, if not achieved, allows Halliburton to terminate the agreement.

Ocean Specialists, Inc (OSI) announces the addition of Anne LeBoutillier as Director of Global Marketing and Business Development for the firm. Anne is a business expansion professional with extensive strategic marketing and lead generation expertise and broad experience in subsea cable solutions across both telecommunications and oil & gas industries.

Anne joins OSI following her most recent assignment directing marketing and lead generation initiatives for Global Marine Systems, where she helped the company to establish and improve global recognition for their subsea cable installation capabilities in the oil and gas sector. In the commercial telecom sector, she was previously Asia Pacific Director of Business Development for Tyco Submarine Systems (now TE Subcom) and held management positions in business development, strategic marketing and product management with AT&T Submarine Systems. Anne also directed the Asia Pacific regional office for T Soja & Associates, a company that merged with OSI in 2008.

"Anne's extensive success in marketing and business development, coupled with over 20 years' experience in subsea cables for the telecommunications and oil and gas industries make her an excellent addition to the OSI team," stated Jim Byous, President of OSI.

OSI provides subsea network project development, project management and full project delivery to customers in telecommunications, oil & gas and energy industries, and to governments around the world. OSI's project development delivery includes a broad range of services, including network demand analyses, feasibility studies, business opportunity modelling, network design, procurement and construction management and full-service subsea network development and implementation.

PMI Energy Services, a Superior Energy Services company, has opened a shorebase in Morgan City, Louisiana, focused on supporting shelf, coastal and inland waters production and drilling activities.

PMI's shorebase is centrally located on the Louisiana coast and provides better protection from weather events than ports located directly on the Louisiana coastline. It maintains a close proximity to established fuel docks, mud docks, 29-B waste transfer stations, rental and supply companies, fabrication yards, shipyards, repurpose facilities and other industry and civil infrastructure to support offshore or inland oil and gas properties.

The 12.5 acre site with a 600 foot bulkhead dock can easily accommodate the necessary services expected for a first class shorebase facility. It includes ample acreage for material handling and temporary storage, both open and enclosed, for dry goods and sensitive equipment; secure short-term and long-term parking; marine and aviation crew changes; meeting rooms; a safety training facility; customer office space; and satellite offices for logistics coordinators.

"As the demand for resources in Louisiana's deepwater port has increased with projections for deepwater drilling activities continuing that upward trend, PMI is providing an alternative solution for operators that are experiencing inefficiencies supporting their operations," said Don Mehrtens, PMI vice president. "The lower demand on resources at our new base will create value to operators with more efficient uses of their marine assets, lower equipment and personnel transportation costs into and out of this port."

Jamie Holt, general manager of PMI's Gulf of Mexico business unit, said, "We will focus on safe material handling and minimizing marine vessel port time to lower an operator's LOE and AFE expenses. We have created a first class facility in the birthplace of the offshore oil and gas industry to provide shorebase support for production facilities, drilling programs and well work, as well as construction projects and decommissioning activities."

Apache Corporation (NYSE, Nasdaq: APA) has launched its 2014 Sustainability Report website.

The online report features expanded disclosure of Apache's performance in governance, economics, environmental stewardship, health and safety in the workplace and community outreach. The report is available at http://www.apachecorp.com/Sustainability/index.aspx.

"The relentless pursuit of operational excellence has been a hallmark of Apache since its founding in 1954," said Apache Chairman, CEO and President G. Steven Farris. "Our commitment to the environment, good governance, health and safety and the communities where we live and work is no less emphatic."

Among the highlights, the report:
• Discusses in the Governance Section how governance hit a high-water mark in 2013 when members of Apache's Board of Directors had individual meetings with nearly 60 percent of its shareholder base, addressing compensation and other issues and resulting in many state-of-the-art additions to the company's governance profile.
• Describes how Apache has developed a unique system using brackish and recycled produced water to maintain an aggressive drilling program without competing for freshwater supplies in drought-stricken West Texas in the Environment Section.
• Outlines the new Operational Excellence program, which introduces a common framework across regions for improving performance in seven key areas of operation, including asset integrity, safety and environmental responsibility in the Workplace Section.
• Describes in the Society Section how employees and their families donate their time, effort and money to hundreds of charitable causes each year, with matching gift funds totaling $2.4 million worldwide.

The 2014 report was prepared using the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. GRI is a non-profit organization that promotes economic, environmental and social sustainability. Its comprehensive sustainability reporting framework is widely used around the world.

Also used as a reference was the Oil and Gas Industry Guidance on Voluntary Sustainability Reporting by the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA), the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (OGP).

Another reference was Extracting the Facts: An Investor Guide to Disclosing Risks from Hydraulic Fracturing Operations published by the Investor Environmental Health Network (IEHN) and the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR).

A summary version of the 2014 Sustainability Report, published in print format, is available at http://www.apachecorp.com/Sustainability/Sustainability_Report/index.aspx. The summary report was printed on paper made from recycled material and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, an independent, nonprofit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world's forests.

Wild Well Control, Inc., a Superior Energy Services company and a global leader in firefighting and well control, will hold an event to unveil its new subsea capping stack which is available for response to a global deepwater well control incident. The unveiling will be followed by an informational session on the new capping stack to be staged in Singapore, and its predecessor, located Aberdeen.

The event will include presentations, one-on-one interview opportunities and a cocktail hour.

EVENT: Wild Well's capping stack presentations

DATE: Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2014

TIME: 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.

LOCATION: Sheraton Galleria
2400 West Loop South, Houston, TX 77027

INTERVIEWS: The following Wild Well executives will be available for interviews:

Freddy Gebhardt, president
Joe Dean Thompson, senior vice president
Martial Burguieres, vice president marine well services
John Wright, global relief well advisor

Leading Hazardous Area Provider Expands Service Portfolio to Include Drilling/ Tapping and

Assembly Solutions

EUTEX International, Houston's leading provider of IEC cables and electrical products, has officially announced its expansion of services with the introduction of EUTEX Connect, in connection with Abtech / A.B. Controls, manufacturer of full line enclosures. The agreement has been formulated for the North American and Gulf of Mexico markets.

"We are proud to expand our turn-key offerings to include this new service to cut lead times by up to 80%,
which has been customer driven"

The complete EUTEX Connect program offers full service, turn-key assembly solutions which include cable and gland termination, custom cable assemblies and the drilling, tapping and component population of ATEX and IEC Ex approved boxes and enclosures.

"We are proud to expand our turn-key offerings to include this new service to cut lead times by up to 80%, which has been customer driven," says EUTEX Vice-President, Nick Mair. "This new service expands our offerings from our head-quarter facility in Houston, which includes full line electrical products, the Hazardous Area Training Institute, Inspection Center and Certification Services. For more than 16 years we have been committed to meeting and exceeding client demand and EUTEX Connect continues to address what our clients expect from us."

EUTEX leads the industry as an internationally certified cable and hazardous area product provider, and this agreement for North America will ensure faster on-time delivery and larger stock holdings to meet demand.

"EUTEX has a strong market presence and successful track record, and with this 'Connect' relationship, we are structurally expanding our manufacturing presence in the USA. This 'connection' gives us a chance to broaden our reputable distribution network while continuing to focus on manufacturing," says Ian Wilson of A.B. Controls.