InterMoor, an Acteon company, has enhanced its customer support, substantially added to its stock of mooring equipment in Asia Pacific and opened a new office at the Loyang Offshore Supply Base in Singapore.

The new office will accommodate InterMoor's Asia Pacific team, including engineering, offshore installation and commercial activities. Martin Kobiela, general manager, InterMoor Pte Ltd, said, "By increasing our physical presence in an Asia Pacific time zone, we are able to operate in synergy with our clients' needs."

The office was necessary to house a growing workforce and to provide additional capacity to serve customers' requirements. Kobiela explained, "We had outgrown our old office and needed to accommodate the new hires that have started this year and to provide space for our expansion. The move illustrates our continuing growth in, and our long-term commitment to, the Asia Pacific region."

The new mooring equipment, which is on order from the manufacturers, includes nine 10-te MK6 Stevpris anchors, 2700 m of 76-mm K4 chain and 9000 m of 83-mm wire.

"We will receive the new equipment over the next couple of months," said Simon Gatcliffe, commercial manager, InterMoor Pte Ltd. "This substantial investment significantly extends our rental inventory in the region and will enable us to offer an enhanced service to customers."

The new office address is:
Loyang Offshore Supply Base
25 Loyang Crescent Block 103, #06-02
TOPS Avenue 1, Mailbox No. 5078
Singapore 508988

Noble Corporation plc (NYSE: NE) has announced that Steven A. Manz has been appointed to the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Paragon Offshore Ltd., the standard specification offshore drilling company to be created upon separation from Noble. He will report to Randall "Randy" Stilley, who was named in February to serve as Chief Executive Officer and President of Paragon.

Manz has more than 25 years of experience in the offshore drilling and financial services industries. From 1995 to 2005, Manz served in a variety of management roles at Noble Corporation, including Managing Director, Noble Technology Services Division, Vice President of Strategic Planning, and Director of Accounting and Investor Relations. Most recently Manz served at Prospector Offshore Drilling S.A., Seahawk Drilling, Inc. and Hercules Offshore, Inc., where he held the position of Chief Financial Officer of each company. Manz holds a Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin.

In addition, Noble also announced the appointment of Luis A. Jimenez, who will serve as Vice President - Administration for Paragon, with responsibility for human resources, administration, learning and development, performance management, employee relations, recruiting and retention. Jimenez has a long and diverse human resources professional background, including 14 years of directly related experience in the energy services industry.

- Relocates its Norwegian oil & gas HQ to Stavanger, led by Marianne Hauso -

DNV GL, the leading technical adviser to the oil & gas industry, is relocating its oil & gas head office in Norway from Høvik to Stavanger in order to be even closer to its customers. Local delivery capacity will be expanded in Stavanger and Bergen and operations will continue in Høvik, Sandefjord, Trondheim and Harstad. DNV GL's operations in Norway are led by Regional Manager Marianne Hauso.

"The oil and gas industry is facing rapid changes, increasing costs and growing public scrutiny on its safety and environmental performance. Since the merger of DNV and GL, we have even more experts holding broad insight in all technical areas, which is critical in helping our customers have safe, reliable and efficient projects and operations. So it's very timely to expand our footprint in the West Coast of Norway," said Marianne Hauso, DNV GL Regional Manager, Norway.

"As the industry moves into increasingly challenging environments and the lifespan of mature assets is being extended, technological innovation is increasingly important to grow performance. Technology is clearly a huge enabler for the industry, but the price of getting new technology wrong can be huge. That's why we spend 5% of our revenue on innovation, running joint industry projects, providing technology qualification services and developing the world's most recognised standards."

The office in Stavanger delivers a broad range of services related to all development phases including exploration, development, operation and decommissioning. In these phases DNV GL delivers services and competences within the areas of Inspection and Maintenance management, Asset integrity, Structure integrity, Offshore crane integrity, Safety and Environmental Risk Management, Technology Qualification, Working Environment, Material selection and Pipeline installation.

"We welcome DNV GL's expansion in Stavanger. The company's global presence and technical expertise makes the Stavanger region an ideal location. Stavanger is a great technology city with abundant talent, knowledge and experience and our growth ambitions for the energy capital of Norway and those of DNV GL are well matched," said the Mayor of Stavanger, Christine Sagen Helgø

DNV GL Oil & Gas, Norway in a nutshell:
• Will be headquartered in Stavanger, Western Norway
• Over 800 oil & gas employees in Norway: Stavanger (100), Bergen (90), Trondheim (50), Harstad (10), Sandefjord (20), Høvik (530)
• Plan to increase staff in Western Norway by 10% in 2014
• Deep industry expertise, particularly in challenging operating environments gained from experience working in North Sea and Arctic projects.
• Provides integrated services in technical and marine assurance and advisory, risk management advisory and offshore classification.
• Maintains and further develops its technology edge through launching new Joint Industry Projects (JIPs) in strategic areas

Marianne Hauso took on the role of regional manager in mid-September last year, prior to which she was regional manager for the oil & gas risk management services. Her area of responsibility includes all services provided by DNV GL to the Norwegian oil and gas industry, with the only exception of classification services for mobile offshore units.

Marianne has been with legacy DNV for 18 years; since she graduated from NTH in Trondheim as a Naval architect in 1995. Since then she has held several different positions, starting out as a safety risk management engineer and -consultant, and moved later into different manager positions in Norway.

Trelleborg's marine systems operation has opened a new sales and business development office in Houston.

Citing growth in the region as a strategic priority, Trelleborg Marine Systems' U.S. president, Faiyaz Kolsawala, will relocate to Houston as will a number of its global sales team. Among them will include a specialist docking and mooring representative and an oil and gas transfer and vessel technology salesperson to provide a closer relationship with customers in the area. Trelleborg will further strengthen its Houston-based sales team with several new appointments.

"At Trelleborg Marine Systems, our long-term strategy relies heavily on investment in markets with strong growth potential," said Richard Hepworth, business unit president of Trelleborg Marine Systems. "We will join colleagues from Trelleborg's offshore operation in its facility, enabling us to work more collaboratively across functions.

"As a global company, we strongly believe that it's important to have local 'feet on the ground' within the regions that our customers operate, said Hepworth. "In particular, we remain committed to growing our business in the fast-moving global Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry. Therefore, establishing a presence in Houston – the long-established capital of the global oil and gas industry – is essential."

Based within Trelleborg's Houston facility, the new office will enable both businesses to capitalize on the synergies their complementary product areas provide.

The regional sales office will serve the local U.S. and Mexican region across all five product areas of Trelleborg's marine operations: marine fender systems, oil and gas transfer technology, vessel technology, docking and mooring and marine products.

The new Houston office will be supported by the Americas' headquarters of Trelleborg's marine operation in Clear Brook, Va., which includes a polyurethane- and foam-based marine products manufacturing facility serving North American and global customers. Additionally the Houston office will be supported by Trelleborg's engineering and design center of excellence in Ahmedabad, India.

Leading subsea technology manufacturer Sonardyne International Ltd. is celebrating winning the Queen's Award for Enterprise in Innovation for its 6G® underwater product range. Announced on Monday 21st April, the Queen's Award for Enterprise recognizes and encourages commercial success resulting from outstanding innovative achievements by businesses in the UK. These are conferred by HM Queen Elizabeth II, on advice of the Prime Minister, and are the highest award a UK business can receive.

Headquartered in Yateley, Hampshire, UK, with regional offices in Aberdeen, Brazil, Houston, Plymouth and Singapore, Sonardyne is recognized as a pioneer in the design and manufacture of underwater acoustic positioning, inertial navigation, wireless communications and sonar technology. Users for the Company's technology are found within the offshore energy, ocean research and maritime security industries. The Company was founded in 1971 by John Partridge and today remains privately owned, employing 310 people worldwide, 265 of which are based in the UK.

Launched in 2010, Sonardyne's award winning 6G (Sixth Generation) technology platform was judged to have addressed users' needs for underwater technology that is low risk, versatile and easy to use. Its performance over the previous generation technology can be likened to the difference between analogue and digital mobile telecommunications. 6G products have made an impact on diverse subsea operations around the world and, in 2013/14, were exported to 55 different countries.

"We are immensely proud and honored to have won The Queen's Award for Enterprise in Innovation with our ground-breaking development of 6G," said John Ramsden, Sonardyne's Managing Director. "When we set out down the path towards 6G, we wanted to develop a family of products that would maximize operational efficiencies and, at the same time, simplify use and minimize costs for our clients. Four years of export success, culminating in this prestigious award, is recognition of our achievements. 6G has brought tangible benefits wherever it has been put to work and is helping to redefine the way in which we explore our oceans and realize our global energy needs."

Gauthiers', a Lafayette-based supplier of oil and gas industry containers and support equipment, officially opened the doors to its newly relocated and expanded Houma facility with a community crawfish boil on Friday, April 11.

Approximately 200 invited guests dug into more than 1,000 pounds of boiled crawfish, toured the new facility and learned about the company's newest products. By moving to a larger, 6-acre property and constructing a new facility on Highway 182, Gauthiers' will substantially expand its capacity, including $2 million of offshore containers and baskets in addition to its current fleet of offshore rental equipment.

The company has also hired two full-time employees as a result of this growth: Houma natives Kevin Pizzolato and Jamie Usie. "We're responding to the ever-rising demands of the Gulf of Mexico's offshore exploration, drilling and production industries," said Operations Manager Pizzolato. "We have and will continue to invest heavily in equipment to support their efforts to power the country."

Gauthiers' is a family company founded in Lafayette in 1979 that has evolved and grown over the years to include domestic rentals, international and domestic sales of offshore containers, baskets, workshops, storage containers and related equipment. In 2007, the company added a Houma location to allow them better serve customers working in and around southwestern Louisiana and Port Fourchon. The new facility is located at 4768 Highway 182.

Hoover Container Solutions ("Hoover" or the "Company"), a subsidiary of Hoover Group, Inc., has acquired Dolphin Energy Equipment LLC ("Dolphin"), a leading provider of cargo and waste management rental equipment and related consumables in the Gulf of Mexico region.

Headquartered in New Iberia, La., with a distribution and service center in Port Fourchon, La., Dolphin's assets include a diversified fleet of cargo carrying units ("CCUs") certified to the highest standards including DNV and API regulations. Dolphin is best known for its offshore baskets, trash compactors, food disposal units, pipe slings and related consumables and services.

The combined company will be a premier supplier of chemical, cargo and waste management tanks, baskets, containers and related accessories and services in the global energy marketplace. The acquisition of Dolphin complements the acquisition of Consult Supply A/S which was completed in 2012. Based in Stavanger, Norway, Consult Supply (soon to be Hoover Norway) provides an extensive range of products in the North Sea market including chemical tanks, cutting boxes, baskets and specialized workshops and containers all certified to DNV 2.7-1 standards.

As leaders in the Gulf of Mexico, the combined Hoover-Dolphin team will continue to provide a diverse product range and robust customer services to its customers across the region. Hoover will now provide its customer base with a full range of products including tote tanks (IBCs), offshore chemical tanks, transport frames and bottle racks, ISO Tanks, standard and specialized baskets, cutting boxes and waste skips, dry goods containers, slings, trash compactors, food disposal units and various other related products and services including tank cleaning, technology and transportation.

Hoover's Chief Executive Officer, Donald Young said, "With operations in Louisiana, Houston, Norway, Australia, Brazil, Malaysia and Abu Dhabi the Hoover footprint now covers nearly all the major oil and gas regions around the world. The combined Hoover-Dolphin fleet is one of the largest in the Gulf of Mexico region and makes Hoover one of the only worldwide companies to offer a full range of cargo carrying units including chemical, cargo and waste management products to the Gulf of Mexico market. This acquisition puts us in a stronger position to leverage the upturn in the offshore industry."

"The combination of Hoover and Dolphin will allow us to provide a more complete product and service offering to our customers." said Chad Vidrine, President of Dolphin Energy Equipment. "We are excited to work with the Hoover team because both teams share a similar commitment to high quality products and superior customer service."

MANAGEMENT TEAM
Donald Young, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Paul Lewis, President and Chief Operating Officer, of Hoover will continue in their roles in the combined entity. Chad Vidrine, President of Dolphin, will become General Manager of Hoover's new subsidiary, Hoover Offshore, LLC. Robbie Monlezun will continue in his role as Regional Operations Manager of Hoover's new distribution and service center in Scott, Louisiana. As part of the transaction, Cornelius Dupre II, Chairman of Dolphin, will become a shareholder of Hoover Group, Inc. and join the Company's board of directors.

The corporate headquarters of the combined companies will be located in Houston, Texas, with distribution and service centers in Scott, New Iberia and Port Fourchon, La.

GNSS positioning specialists Veripos has moved to new purpose-built headquarters in Dyce, Aberdeen. The new building incorporates a state-of-the-art network control centre, a research and development laboratory, workshops, a warehouse and dedicated training facilities in addition to an operations centre for the company's Europe, Africa and Middle East Region. The building also houses offices for all other Veripos global and corporate functions.

Commenting on the development, Veripos CEO Walter Steedman said the new premises had been specifically fitted out to meet the requirements of the company's growing client base while ensuring sufficient capacity for future expansion. As such, he added, the investment would enable the company to meet customer expectations for high quality services and superior support well into the future, helping them to work wherever and whenever they needed precise satellite positioning.

Tesla Offshore LLC, a leading survey service provider offering comprehensive Geophysical, Geoscience, Marine Construction and Marine Salvage support in offshore waters around the world, is celebrating its 10th year in business. In 2014, Tesla Offshore has also achieved a benchmark in its strategic plan for growth marked by the launch of its state- of-the-art Tesla Bluefin-21 AUV program (http://teslaoffshore.com/services/AUV-Systems) reaffirming the company's commitment to enhancing its depth capabilities while expanding its global reach.

Upon reaching the 10 year milestone, Randall P. Bergeron, President and CEO of Tesla Offshore LLC, stated that, "2014 marks a decade of exceptional growth for Tesla Offshore, while maintaining consistently high standards of excellence in customer service. This dual accomplishment can best be attributed to the skill, dedication and integrity of our employees. Going forward, our team of highly respected industry leaders, now equipped with cutting edge AUV technology, is uniquely positioned to undertake the most challenging deepwater survey operations of our clients, anywhere in the world."

Tesla Offshore was established in 2004 by Randall P. Bergeron, Rick Clemmons, Donald Spicer, C.D. Schempf and Richard Habiak. The company adheres to a simple, yet uncompromising, business philosophy: Demand integrity of yourself and your co-workers; Offer only the highest quality compliant products and services; and, Focus on customer satisfaction as the best measure of success. Creating the unique character of Tesla Offshore began long before 2004. The company's core leadership has worked together since 1976. This extensive history provides a wealth of industry expertise resulting in unmatched project efficiency while delivering quality- assured survey services to its customers.

About the Tesla Offshore Bluefin-21 AUV

Nothing more clearly symbolizes the development of Tesla Offshore in these past 10 years than the addition of deepwater AUV services to its list of offerings. The Tesla Bluefin-21 AUV is a highly efficient untethered solution that enables full sensor suite operations at depths up to 4,500
meters, while maintaining the portability and flexibility necessary for deployment from vessels of opportunity worldwide.

The unique sensor suite onboard Tesla Offshore's AUV has been chosen to exceed the data quality, resolution and swath width of what is typically made available to today's deepwater survey customers. The system is the first AUV in the industry to boast a state-of-the-art synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) produced by Raytheon Applied Signal Technology. The PROSAS® Surveyor provides decimetric imaging resolution across swath ranges up to 450 meters per side, leading to increased survey efficiency at depth. Also included are broadband multibeam echosounder, chirp sub-bottom profiler, and a very high definition digital still camera.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) has announced that the company has donated $1 million toward building a new home for Oklahoma State University's Spears School of Business. In appreciation for this gift, OSU is naming the building's social and collaborative area the ConocoPhillips Student Lounge.

This contribution is in addition to ConocoPhillips' ongoing annual support for scholarships, programs, faculty and facilities across the OSU system.

"Oklahoma State University is grateful for the continuing support of ConocoPhillips and its employees, including many OSU graduates," OSU President Burns Hargis said. "ConocoPhillips is OSU's largest corporate donor, giving nearly $40 million through the years along with hiring countless alumni. ConocoPhillips is an Oklahoma business pioneer and leader, so we are delighted and grateful the company is helping build the new home for our business school."

The new building will serve as the eastern anchor of the university's main quad. It will significantly increase the space for Spears School of Business' 5,000 students and faculty members, becoming a magnet for attracting the region's best minds to engage in dialogue about business, entrepreneurship, economics, law and policy issues.

The ConocoPhillips Student Lounge will be a gathering place for undergraduate and graduate students, providing a central and dynamic location for collaboration, studying and relaxation between classes. The space will be filled with natural light and include ample comfortable seating, computers, study tables and entertainment options to accommodate the needs and desires of today's busy students. Students will also help in the design process to ensure it is the most inviting and visible space for their peers.

"Oklahoma State University continues to provide ConocoPhillips with top talent," said Ken Seaman, ConocoPhillips' executive sponsor for OSU and a university alum. "We're proud to continue to support the university and the Spears School of Business through this investment."
Seaman, an assistant controller with ConocoPhillips, presented the $1 million check to OSU's Dr. Ken Eastman, interim dean and associate professor of management, Spears School of Business, during a special ceremony this morning on ConocoPhillips' downtown campus in Bartlesville, Okla.

"We are proud of the relationship we have forged with ConocoPhillips and are humbled by this gift to our new business building," says Eastman. "The Student Lounge is a perfect way to honor the many Spears School graduates that ConocoPhillips has hired over the years. We look forward to continuing our partnership with ConocoPhillips so that more of our students can build great careers there."

For more information on the nationally acclaimed Spears School of Business and its progress on the state-of-the-art new facility, visit spears.okstate.edu.

Driven by a major strategic expansion of its operations in Singapore, the MacArtney Group is significantly growing its presence and activities in all Asian markets for underwater technology.

Over the next few months, MacArtney Singapore is securing several new staff members, implementing a major expansion of stock and workshop facilities and opening a dedicated slip ring repair and service center. What is more, the MacArtney Singapore operations will be streamlined to provide direct local access to global MacArtney support for all Asian and Asia Pacific markets.

MacArtney in Asia
With experienced and long standing MacArtney sales professional, Steen Frejo, at the helm as Managing Director, the MacArtney Singapore area of operation has expanded to encompass the entire Asian and Asia Pacific region including major markets such China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and support for MacArtney's Australia based office.

In addition, MacArtney Singapore will actively manage the coordination of the entire Asian representative network. Empowered by local market expertise and access to clients, these MacArtney representatives comprise an invaluable asset to the regional success of MacArtney products and systems.

With the expanded MacArtney Singapore operations, MacArtney is able work even closer with its regional representative network which will also benefit from direct access to the Singapore based stock of MacArtney and SubConn® products.

Demand for local supply with global support
To local offshore oil and gas, marine renewable energy, oceanographic and defence industries, the expansion of MacArtney Singapore will mean shorter lead times and better local service for underwater technology systems and products. Further adding to the list of the advantages, direct MacArtney technical support is enabled through the limitation of time zone differences - and with local language proficient sales and technical staff in place at the Singapore office, MacArtney clients and representatives alike will have access to Asian as well as English language support. "The expansion of MacArtney Singapore will definitely bring us much closer to our Asian customers than what has been possible so far", says Steen Frejo and continues: "What started as a one-man regional sales outpost, has now become a fully fledged MacArtney location with local access to global support".

A good start
Since the official opening one year ago, MacArtney has received a warm welcome by all Asia Pacific marine technology markets and segments. Spearheaded by a surging interest in integrated MacArtney system solutions, this development is present across the entire MacArtney portfolio. A good example is the Asia based demand for MacArtney winch and handling solutions which has recently seen a MERMAC S winch system delivered to a defence client in Taiwan, a powerful Active Heave Compensation MERMAC R winch ordered by a Chinese scientific institute and a complete MERMAC research vessel winch solution ordered by a Japanese oceanographic institute.

UTEC Survey – one of the world's largest independent survey companies – has announced an exclusive, collaborative partnership.

UTEC StarNet, part of the UTEC group of companies, has announced the partnership with Sky Futures for 3D inspection and onshore and offshore asset management. The move further enhances both companies' positions as leaders in the oil and gas, renewable and telecommunications markets.

The relationship will provide clients with a total solution utilizing Sky Futures' advanced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection and measurement services combined with UTEC StarNet's IMDC and laser scan capabilities. These will be delivered through UTEC StarNet's market-leading i-Site™ integrated 3D web-based software package.

Commenting on the announcement, UTEC StarNet's Director of Operations & Business Development, Bill Miller, said: "This partnership reinforces UTEC StarNet and Sky Futures' focus on innovation and technology to enable knowledge-based decision making in complex and challenging environments."

James Harrison, Director, Sky Futures added: "By partnering with UTEC we are able to provide a unique, world-leading service that can be delivered directly to existing and new clients. We're very excited about this, and are looking forward to working with the UTEC family globally."

Sky Futures is a UK-based company providing UAV inspection services to clients globally in the oil and gas, renewable and utilities sectors with world-leading expertise in engineering inspection and reporting using HD video and thermal camera imagery. They have also recently developed proprietary DTL-VU software that is used to measure defects and corrosion.

UTEC StarNet is part of the UTEC group of companies which provides a wide range of survey services including offshore positioning and construction support, metocean, geophysical and AUV surveys, geotechnical sampling and consulting services to the oil, gas and energy industries. With a focus on people, performance, excellence and ethics, the company also offers dimensional control surveys, laser scanning, 3D modeling and the iSITE™ asset management software. UTEC has offices located around the world including: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Italy, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States.

Deep Casing Tools has already exceeded the manufacturing output of 2013 within the first quarter of this year.

Deep Casing Tools provides a range of innovative tools designed to land casing and completions at target depth within oil or gas wells.

More than 70 tools have been dispatched worldwide this year to Canada, the USA, Middle East and Australia, beating the record 55 tools produced and sold during the previous year. Distribution between tools run remains the same with an equal split between casing and completions.

Lance Davis, CEO of Deep Casing Tools, said: "Successful tool runs with new clients in Canada and the United States have increased the demand from operators, which are applying the technology to improve the well construction process. New trial tests are also underway with operators in Mexico and the Middle East, which should lead to an excellent year for the company."

Deep Casing Tools' reaming and unique drill through technology provides significant time and cost savings when compared to conventional methods. With the new ability to ream while running in, the casing can be run sooner while the hole is in best condition, eliminating wiper trips and open hole exposure time.

Noble Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NBL) has announced that Charles D. Davidson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, plans to retire May 1, 2015, and that he will leave the Board of Directors at that time. Mr. Davidson, age 64, has served as Chief Executive Officer and Director since joining the Company in 2000. The Board announced that it will propose the election of David L. Stover as a Director at its April 22, 2014 organizational meeting following the Annual Meeting, and that it intends to appoint Mr. Stover as Chief Executive Officer in October 2014. Mr. Davidson will serve as the Company's Chairman until the 2015 Annual Meeting. Mr. Stover, age 56, currently serves as the Company's President and Chief Operating Officer.

"Noble Energy has an exciting future that has been created over many years by an incredibly deep and talented organization," said Davidson. "I am announcing my plans to retire next year with full confidence that the team led by Dave Stover will successfully deliver our exceptionally strong growth plan over the coming years. Dave has played a key role in Noble Energy's success in recent years and has all the necessary skills to lead the Company to even greater performance in the future. While it will be extremely difficult for me to leave my fellow employees at Noble Energy, I will leave knowing that the time is right and that the Board has thoroughly planned for this leadership transition and succession."

"Under Chuck's leadership Noble Energy has been transformed into a highly successful global exploration and production company," said Michael Cawley, Noble Energy's Lead Independent Director. "He will be greatly missed when he retires, but executive succession planning has been a focus of Noble Energy's Board of Directors for many years. Today's announcement that Dave Stover will become Noble Energy's next CEO reflects the Board's extensive planning and confidence that Dave is the right leader for the future Noble Energy. With implementation of the succession plan stretching over 12 months, we anticipate this to be a smooth and seamless transition."

Mr. Stover was elected President and Chief Operating Officer of Noble Energy in April 2009. Prior to that, he served in several other executive positions following his joining the Company in 2002. Before joining Noble Energy, he was employed by BP America, Inc., Vastar Resources and Atlantic Richfield. He holds a bachelor's degree in petroleum and natural gas engineering from Pennsylvania State University and has approximately 35 years of industry experience.
Noble Energy is a leading independent energy company engaged in worldwide oil and gas exploration and production. The Company has core operations onshore in the U.S., primarily in the DJ Basin and Marcellus Shale, in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, offshore Eastern Mediterranean, and offshore West Africa. Noble Energy is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is traded under the ticker symbol NBL.

CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA) and Seiche Measurements are offering a 5-day Protected Species Observer (PSO) and Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) course for individuals seeking professional certification and training for visual and acoustic monitoring of protected species.  The course offered by the Seiche/CSA team adheres to current Bureau of Ocean Energy Management/Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BOEM/BSEE) mitigation requirements and standards. 

This level of rigor was chosen as the training standard because BOEM/BSEE requirements are some of the most stringent and include all forms of mitigation measures that are required globally of the seismic industry.  Thus, the certifications and training achieved by this course can be applied internationally with localized or job-specific modifications.  

Both CSA and Seiche Measurements are recognized training leaders of mitigation and monitoring personnel for the offshore seismic industry and other ocean-resource users.  This teaming aims to address the complex needs and requirements of global regulatory bodies as well as the practical needs of the industry.  While each has conducted PSO and PAM training courses individually, their combined expertise allows trainees to obtain unparalleled hands-on experience from experts in the field.  Uniquely suited for this training, CSA and Seiche Measurement bring together expertise from the UK and the United States to ensure trainees are well prepared and fully qualified to perform a comprehensive suite of seismic mitigation duties throughout the world. 

Seismic observer training is a requirement for many regulatory entities to ensure that all mitigation personnel have received correct information concerning permit requirements and methodologies.  Standardized training ensures that industry-hired mitigation personnel have the required training and certifications to perform these important duties.  While regulations vary throughout the world and vessels may use other best practices in unregulated waters, most seismic mitigation protocols require some variation of key methods that include, at a minimum, a specified monitoring zone, a pre-shooting watch, ramp-up or soft-start monitoring, delays or shutdowns of sound sources for species within a given distance, and standardized recording and reporting.  In many regions, PAM is used to supplement visual observation and species identification.  The calibration and efficacy evaluation of each PAM system is unique to the vessel and operational area.  Therefore, the skills required to conduct valid acoustic monitoring are of great importance for both the industry and affected species. 

The training is conducted in both the classroom and in the field with specific training for real-world troubleshooting.  This extensive and practical effort benefits the trainee as well as the industry by providing mitigation personnel with the most comprehensive training experience available today.  The Seiche/CSA team believes that knowledgeable, prepared, and tested personnel is vital for mitigation requiring visual and acoustic observation offshore and provides for reliable data that are crucial in future rule-making and planning.

The course will be held at the CSA headquarters in Stuart, Florida on 17-21 April 2014, with more courses planned for Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Africa later in the year.  For more information about the course and registration, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.csaocean.com.

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26th March 2014 marked the 25th anniversary of Veripos with its continuing success and growth under new owners, Hexagon AB. From humble beginnings, the Aberdeen-based company has become a strong, widely-respected and truly global provider of precise satellite positioning services.

Veripos started in March 1989 as a joint venture between Brown & Root Survey and Ormston Technology, a specialist marine electronics company based in Hull, UK. Initially, it provided a Differential Global Positioning Service (DGPS) for users in the North Sea based on HF radio transmitters and subsequently extended the partnership to include Osiris, a subsidiary of Boskalis in the Netherlands and TopNav, a subsidiary of CGG in France.

In 1994, Veripos formed an alliance with its Dutch and French partners under the auspices of its then parent organisation, Subsea Offshore, introducing a much broader satellite-based DGPS service which was extended to cover the Gulf of Mexico followed by a progressive expansion of the network and coverage for Brazil, West Africa, the Mediterranean and the Caspian Sea.

Following acquisition of its alliance partners by a competitor in 2002, Veripos subsequently became wholly-owned by its then parent group, Subsea 7, who authorised major expansion plans in late 2004. These led to full global coverage of services in early 2005 that rapidly established the company as the world's second largest supplier of precise satellite positioning services within the globalised marine industry.

In July 2012, Veripos was subsequently spun-out of its parent group and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange and its later continuing success was formally recognised in November 2013 with the honour of "Rising Star" accorded at the European Stock Exchange Awards. At the same time, the company began a major diversification initiative with the launch of its TerraStar service to address the land and nearshore business sectors.

With leading exploration seismic, construction, survey, OSV and drilling contractors among its many clients, Veripos now has over 130 specialist personnel based in eleven sites around the world. Commenting on this milestone, Chief Executive Officer Walter Steedman says "We are immensely proud of our long history in the exciting and quickly- developing industry in which we operate. We look forward to the next 25 years under the guidance of new owners, Hexagon, who have demonstrated their strong commitment to technology and world-leading R&D efforts. The Veripos journey is a remarkable success story which is based on quality products and the superior support services provided by our staff."