Foster Marketing, a full service marketing communications firm serving the worldwide energy industry, has named Olivia Gautreau (left)and Edward DeClouet(right) as spring 2014 interns within the Lafayette, La., office.

Gautreau and DeClouet’s responsibilities include media monitoring, research and support to the marketing and public relations departments.

Gautreau is a senior at the University of Louisiana – Lafayette (UL) and will graduate in August 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and a minor in business. She has assisted with event coordination at Coccolare Spa for Lafayette Chamber of Commerce business networking events. Additionally, Gautreau holds communications experience writing and editing monthly newsletters at Coccolare Spa.

DeClouet is a senior at UL and will graduate in May 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and a minor in business. He has held communications roles in Chi Alpha, a student organization at UL, assisting with weekly event coordination, social media monitoring, website development and service projects.

“Foster Marketing is pleased to welcome Olivia and Edward to our team, and we look forward to utilizing and developing their individual strengths,” said Foster Marketing president, Tiffany Harris. “Both interns are eager to learn, and it’s apparent that their studies at UL have adequately prepared them for a communications role.” 

• GE's Site in Niteroi–Rio de Janeiro Increases Efficiency and Benefits Operations with NOC Petrobras

• Operation Creates 250 Jobs

• Base Hosts Largest Hammerhead Crane in the World, with 320-Ton Capacity

GE Oil & Gas (NYSE: GE) has announced the opening of the most modern logistics base for the Brazilian oil and gas sector. With an area of 590,000 square feet and investments that exceed $100 million, GE's base in Niteroi in the state of Rio de Janeiro was designed primarily to load and unload installer ships. These vessels carry heavy equipment, such as giant reels of flexible pipes, and target the mobilization and maintenance of oil wells.

"GE is proud to start the operations of this logistics base, a state-of-the-art structure that will enable a more efficient delivery of products and services for our client, Petrobras. This inauguration is an important step in strengthening GE's presence in the oil and gas sector and a significant contribution in terms of productivity gains for pre-salt fields exploration," said Marcelo Soares, global president and CEO of Wellstream, a GE Oil & Gas business.

 The base has a 320-ton capacity crane, the largest "hammerhead" in the world. The crane, which gets its name from its long arm and T-shape, required an investment of $7 million. It is 140 feet tall, equivalent to a 14-story building.

The operation of the logistics base creates 250 jobs. The project reinforces the company's innovation strategy in Brazil that has become a reference for GE worldwide. The new base will serve NOC Petrobras, a strategic client and partner of GE Oil & Gas in Brazil.

"The potential of the Brazilian oil market requires innovation. GE Oil & Gas will continue its historic partnership with the country to help promote new discoveries. It is of vital importance for us to be increasingly efficient in Brazil, strengthening our presence in the constantly growing local industry," said Joao Geraldo Ferreira, president and CEO for Latin America—GE Oil & Gas.

Facility Details
Aside from its offshore capabilities, the base also features advanced land transportation infrastructure. The facility has, for example, two straddle trucks, which sit high above the ground and carry cargo beneath their structure, and other equipment for moving large pipes on the ground with capacities of 300 and 350 tons each.
The site also has three warehouses that have a total area of 55,000 square feet for storage of accessories and parts.

The new logistics base is positioned close to a number of key components for Petrobras such as service providers and next to Wellstream's existing plant in Niteroi. This GE unit is a supplier to Petrobras and to other operators in Brazil with high-quality products and flexible pipes for oil and gas subsea transportation. The base also is strategically located nearby the Santos Basin in the Brazilian pre-salt area.

Hoover Container Solutions (Hoover), a subsidiary of Hoover Group, Inc., has announced the grand opening of its new distribution and service center in Scott, La. The opening of this facility will provide an increased ease of operation for Hoover products and services to the Gulf of Mexico and the southeastern United States.

The new distribution and service center sits on nine acres and is comprised of 25,000 square feet of warehouse and 3,000 square feet of office. Overseen by Robbie Monlezun, Hoover's regional operations manager, the new facility currently employs 11 individuals and is expected to more than double within the next six months.

The site hosts the most robust, state-of-the-art tank cleaning equipment in the Gulf Coast and will handle operations such as tank wash, recertification, reconditioning and transportation of intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) including the capability to perform NAS 6 & 8 cleaning of chemical tanks. In addition to the variety of services offered at this location, Hoover's new Louisiana facility will sell and rent stainless and poly IBCs, offshore chemical tanks, ISO tank containers, offshore baskets, cutting boxes and related products.

"Our new location allows us to more than double the capacity of our previous tank cleaning capabilities and significantly increase the available inventory of our products," said Paul Lewis, Hoover's president and chief operating officer. "We value our customer base in Louisiana, and Hoover's expansion is a reflection of our desire to provide a convenient location to better meet their needs."

As a result of the agreement, MOLTECH is granted rights and responsibilities as VIKING's sole agent and distributor in Japan for the sales of VIKING's marine life-saving and fire-fighting products to Japanese shipyards and owners.

Marine and fire safety equipment leader VIKING Life-Saving Equipment (VIKING) and MOL Techno-Trade Ltd. (MOLTECH) have entered a strategic alliance and sole agency agreement, establishing MOLTECH as the exclusive agent for VIKING in Japan.

MOLTECH will be offering the full range of VIKING's safety solutions including the industry leading Shipowner Agreements (SOA) - agreements that combine global product availability and servicing with financing in fixed price structures and the convenience of VIKING's management of the service schedules. The Shipowner Agreements are planned and monitored from a single point of contact and were an industry game-changer, when first introduced back in 2009.

VIKING has already enjoyed many years of representation on the Japanese market and the role of existing distributors remains unchanged, however, under the control of MOLTECH.

"The agreement is a tremendous milestone for VIKING and will ensure that our products and solutions are widely available to shipowners and shipyards in Japan", says Henrik Uhd Christensen, CEO of VIKING Life-Saving Equipment, and continues:

"MOLTECH has demonstrated a capability to drive bottom line results by bridging interests and finding solutions that satisfy both Japanese and non-Japanese interests and different cultural dimensions. Further, being part of the MOL family of companies MOLTECH has the inherent capability to execute the business level which VIKING targets in the Japanese market. This provides us with the foundation of a dynamic and enduring relationship."

New Industries, Inc. has announced the completion of the expansion of its Morgan City piping fabrication shop. The expansion adds an additional 10,000 square feet of useable space, two additional overhead cranes, and a new automatic Submerged Arc welding system. The piping fabrication shop is used for manufacturing subsea piping components and assemblies.

"The expansion of the pipe shop provides additional fabrication space and includes an indoor storage area for customer property and a climate-controlled storage for welding consumables," stated Bill New, company President. "This new addition is a part of our ongoing commitment to increasing our capacity and efficiency in the fabrication of subsea equipment."

The expansion oubles the Company's available capacity for piping fabrication and is the response of New Industries to a growing volume of customer orders for subsea piping components.

Founded in 1986, New Industries, Inc. is a Morgan City, Louisiana based specialty steel fabricator serving the offshore oil and gas and marine industries. The company specializes in large diameter ASME pressure vessels; subsea production hardware such as suction piles, jumpers, PLETs, PLEMs, and manifolds; and DNV type-approved portable buildings including blast resistant design and pressurization for hazardous locations. 

New Orleans based Harvey Gulf International Marine, announces the launching of its completely remodeled corporate website.   www.HARVEYGULF.com. The website has been updated to reflect the growth and presence of Harvey Gulf as one of the leaders in the US oil and gas industry as well as being the leader in LNG powered offshore support vessels. Visitors to the website will be able to access detailed specification sheets for the fleet, information regarding the LNG vessels and LNG facility, Alaskan operations as well as information about Harvey’s continued commitment to safety and quality.

CEO Shane Guidry commented:

"I am pleased to present my company’s new website as an extension of our commitment to our customers and their needs to have a clear understanding of the Harvey Gulf fleet and corporation. In particular the Go Green webpage provides important information for our customers regarding the LNG vessels under construction and the first LNG refueling facility to be located in Port Fourchon, LA.”

Founded in 1955, Harvey Gulf International Marine is a marine transportation company that specializes in towing drilling rigs and providing offshore supply and multi-purpose support vessels for deepwater operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. 

Flexible pipe specialist FlexTech has surpassed its first year turnover target of £500,000 just six months after start-up and anticipates reaching £1million by the end of the year.
Flexible pipe expert Craig Keyworth(photo) established the Aberdeen-based company in March of this year, after operating as a flexible pipe consultant for a number of years prior.

Mr Keyworth, who is also FlexTech's Engineering Director, said: "I'm very pleased with the company's initial progress. We are building a great track record of developing bespoke solutions to individual challenges, project managing complex design scopes, delivering on schedule and on budget."

FlexTech's core business is the successful delivery of flexible pipe and riser engineering projects, offloading systems and integrity management and inspection. It also has a range of innovative products designed to facilitate ease of installation, ensure operational integrity and prolong the life of the flexible in field.

The company moved to new premises in September 2013, representing a six-figure investment in a new office as well as specialist software and infrastructure. The company also has a half-acre research and development facility in Lincolnshire, with a further one acre to allow for future planned expansion.

Within its initial six months, FlexTech has completed work and supplied equipment globally for a range of companies from UK and international operators as well as installation contractors, with a number of high profile jobs scheduled for 2014.

Mr Keyworth continued: "The business has been a long-term plan and we have a wealth of internal practical experience and a team driven for success, both for the clients and for ourselves as an organisation. The ultimate aim is for a reputation as a company capable of delivering on all flexible pipe requirements. We are a highly skilled, dynamic company and pride ourselves on our solutions-based approach and ability to adapt quickly and professionally to our clients' needs whatever or wherever they may be."

FlexTech currently has a team of six subsea and marine specialists and aims to add a further eight employees within the next 12 months. It has recently recruited two new directors, who, along with Mr Keyworth, boast more than 50 years' experience in the oil and gas industry among them.

Mr Keyworth said: "The business isn't just about making money, it's about the team and how they work together and with our clients. We have recruited a team with an extensive knowledge and background in flexible pipes that is willing to go the extra mile to provide excellent service and results to our clients.

"Our experience in the industry and our innovative and practical approach which saves our clients time, effort and money, has been in high demand, and we are looking forward to a busy 2014 and beyond."

DOF Subsea, a leading provider of subsea services to the oil and gas industry, has appointed Colin Ferguson (photo) as country manager for Angola.

Colin, who started his career as a commercial diver, has more than 20 years' experience working on large scale engineering projects in the upstream oil and gas industry. He joins DOF Subsea from Superior Energy Services/Hallin Marine Services, where he was country manager for Angola.

Colin brings a wealth of experience to DOF Subsea, having worked in many countries in West Africa as well as in South Africa, the Persian Gulf, India and Thailand. His previous positions have been with oil and gas companies including Mermaid Offshore Services, Global Industries Limited and Stolt Comex Seaway.

Talking about his appointment, Colin said: "I am extremely excited to join DOF Subsea and support the company as it grows business in West Africa. Having been based in the sub-Saharan region for most of my career, I have a great deal of experience working in the area which I look forward to using in this role as we develop DOF Subsea Angola Lda."

As part of his position as General Manager at DOF Subsea Angola, Colin will focus on enhancing the company's profile and business potential in Angola. Training and development for personnel and monitoring the financial and health and safety performance will also be key aspects of Colin's role.

Colin continued: "DOF Subsea operates to an exceptionally high standard across each of its global projects and I will be working to ensure that this remains the case in Angola, with all personnel working to company policies and procedures whilst receiving appropriate training and development opportunities."

Jan–Kristian Haukeland, Executive Vice President for the Atlantic Region, said: "Colin's appointment is an important move for us as we expand operations in the West African region and we are delighted to welcome him to the company.

"Building upon our existing business relationships in the area will be one of Colin's main focuses, as well as seeking out new prospects. He will also be identifying opportunities for DOF Subsea to raise its profile in West Africa through increased involvement in CSR activities and projects in the community."

Cameron (NYSE: CAM) has announced the retirement of John Carne as Chief Executive Officer of OneSubsea effective February 28, 2014. John has served as CEO of OneSubsea since the Cameron and Schlumberger joint venture was formed in June 30, 2013. Previously, John served Cameron for over 40 years in several senior level management positions, including Cameron's Chief Operating Officer. Scott Rowe, President, Production Systems for OneSubsea, will succeed John effective March 1.

Scott Rowe joined Cameron in 2002, and most recently served as Vice President of Cameron and President of the Company's Subsea Systems division, which later became part of OneSubsea. Prior to his Subsea Systems role, Scott served as President of Cameron's Engineered and Process Valves business in the Valves & Measurement Group and as Corporate Development Manager. While at Valves & Measurement, Scott played a leading role in the acquisition of the Dresser valve business. Before joining Cameron, Scott served in the US Army and worked for Varco International. He is an Engineering Management graduate from the US Military Academy at West Point and holds an MBA from Harvard University.

Jack Moore, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Cameron stated, "John has been instrumental to our success and has been a valued and respected member of my leadership team. His tremendous experience leading operations across our many business segments has been invaluable. He has shown a tireless commitment to our customers and has helped develop strong leaders that will support our business for many years to come." Moore went on to say, "We are very excited to have Scott succeed John in the top job at OneSubsea. Scott has an outstanding track record in each of his successive assignments at Cameron. His leadership and success in our Engineered and Process Valves business followed by his achievements in leading our Subsea Systems business make Scott highly qualified for his role in leading OneSubsea."
Cameron (NYSE: CAM) is a leading provider of flow equipment products, systems and services to worldwide oil, gas and process industries.

Forum Energy Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: FET) is pleased to announce the appointment of Prady Iyyanki to the position of Chief Operating Officer. In this newly created role, he will be responsible for leading Forum's global operations and driving growth and operational excellence across the organization. Prady will be based in Houston, Texas.

Cris Gaut, Forum's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Prady brings years of international business, process improvement and manufacturing industry experience to Forum. His leadership and depth of experience will be of great value to Forum as we continue to enhance our manufacturing excellence, supply chain efficiency, product quality, and innovation management processes."

Prior to joining Forum, Prady spent over sixteen years with General Electric (GE) in various senior management roles. Most recently Prady was President and CEO of the GE Oil and Gas Turbomachinery Equipment business segment, headquartered in Italy. He has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technology University, India and a Master of Science in Engineering from South Dakota State University.

Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) (SIX: RIGN) has announced that Mr. Lars Sjöbring has been appointed Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Transocean Ltd. He will join the company upon completion of the notice period with his current employer and will be based in Geneva, Switzerland. In the interim, Mr. Allen Katz will continue to serve as the company's Interim Senior Vice President and General Counsel.

Mr. Sjöbring's qualifications include over 15 years of law practice in international settings, and he received his education in both Europe and the United States. Mr. Sjöbring has been serving as the Vice President Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary of Autoliv, Inc., an automotive safety supplier, since 2007. Prior to joining Autoliv, Inc., from 2003 to 2007 Mr. Sjöbring was Senior Legal Counsel and subsequently Director Legal, M&A with Nokia Corporation.

Mr. Sjöbring earned Master of Law degrees from the University of Lund, Sweden, in 1994; Amsterdam University, Netherlands, in 1995; and Fordham University, United States, in 2003.
"Lars' background and experiences make him an outstanding addition to our management team and I look forward to his contributions," said Steven L. Newman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Transocean Ltd. "As we welcome Lars, I want to thank Allen Katz for his service as Interim General Counsel. His expertise and guidance has proven invaluable since he began advising the company in June 2010."

Acteon is pleased to announce the opening of its new Acteon Singapore Operations Center (ASOC) at the Offshore Marine Center in Singapore's Tuas industrial area. The Center is the first purpose-built Acteon facility and has been designed to accommodate multiple Acteon operating companies and support their offshore operations throughout South East Asia.

The 10,000 m2 port side facility offers Acteon companies both high grade office space and engineering capability in South East Asia. The ASOC provides Acteon operating companies with easy and unrestricted port mobilization and demobilization options for heavy equipment, which will be supported by a 128 te workshop crane capacity. Acteon's South East Asia customer base will now benefit from quicker response times on equipment supply and rapid turnaround rates.

Several Acteon companies, including Team Energy Resources, Menck, Claxton, Aquatic and LM Handling will utilize the ASOC for the following activities:
- Project Design and Engineering
- Equipment maintenance and servicing
- Equipment availability for rental and sales

Progressively, additional operating companies will be able to utilise the facility, as Acteon Group's position in South East Asia strengthens.

"There was a strong demand for Acteon companies having a dedicated facility from which to utilize and service the South East Asia region," said Acteon Group Ltd executive vice president Paul Alcock. "We are very committed to continuing our growth in South East Asia, and by investing heavily in establishing a dedicated local presence in Singapore, we have both secured easy and unrestricted port mobilization and demobilization options for heavy equipment in Teas, while vastly improving our access to customers in the region. They, in turn, will benefit from our enhanced and expedited service capabilities. This new center we hope will add significant value to our capabilities throughout South East Asia, and will add positively to the relationships we establish and develop in the region."

"We are delighted that Acteon has chosen to establish its regional service center at the Offshore Marine Centre to serve its customers in Asia better. The Offshore Marine Center, with its common waterfront area, is a strong testament to the collaboration between the government and industry to develop innovative solutions that optimize the use of resources," said Lim Kok Kiang, executive director, transport engineering, Singapore Economic Development Board.

Wood Group Mustang, delivering over 25 years of technical excellence in engineering, design and support services to the offshore industry, announces Christopher M. Barton as senior vice president, global offshore business development. He will lead and motivate the offshore division's global business development team in implementing the strategic growth plan.

Barton's 30+ years of industry expertise include business development, marketing and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) project execution and management. His roles have encompassed both onshore and offshore facilities, ranging from subsea systems, fixed platforms and deepwater floating production facilities.

Barton holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Texas A&M University and serves on a number of industry conference boards, including the executive committee of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) petroleum division.

Wood Group Executive Vice President Michele McNichol shared, "Chris is an industry veteran with a proven track record in business development, who is well suited to take our offshore business to the next level globally. I look forward to working with Chris and his team in developing new ventures."

The offshore division provides complete and independent global project solutions, from pre-concept studies through startup, with continuing support throughout the life of the field in water depths from 10 feet to more than 7,000 feet.

Wood Group Mustang announces John Etherington as general manager Malaysia, leading operations and strategic development in the Asia Pacific region. Kuala Lumpur is the hub of Wood Group Mustang's Malaysia operations, where Etherington will focus on an expanding presence in the offshore, onshore, chemicals, oil sands, process plants, industrial, and automation and control markets.

A native of the U.K., Etherington delivers 26 years of upstream and downstream oil and gas expertise, holding positions within engineering, project management, general management and operations. His scope of past projects include Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Saudi Arabia, India, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Australia, North Sea and Malaysia.

Etherington joins Wood Group Mustang after serving 19 years with WorleyParsons, most recently as chief operations officer for their joint venture in Kuala Lumpur, where he has resided for the past 16 years. He holds a Bachelor of Science in instrumentation and control engineering from the University of Teesside in the U.K. and is a chartered engineer with the Institute of Electrical Engineers in the U.K.

"John's proven track record and passion for the Asia Pacific region will allow Wood Group Mustang to build and deliver a project management and engineering capability recognized on a global scale serving our local and regional clients," shared Wood Group Mustang Executive Vice President John W. Dalton, Sr.

Wood Group Mustang's Kuala Lumpur office was established in late 2010 as the regional execution center for the upstream, automation, process plant and industrial sectors. The objective of the business is to serve and develop local industries by bringing Wood Group Mustang's technical excellence in project execution and delivery to the region. The office is located at The ICON Jalan Tun Razak, W-07-01, Level 7, West Wing, No.1 Jalan 1/68F off Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Statoil ASA (OSE:STL, NYSE:STO): Arne Sigve Nylund has been appointed executive vice president for Development and Production Norway.

Arne Sigve Nylund has been appointed executive vice president for Development and Production Norway. (Photo: Ivar Langvik)

Nylund will assume his new responsibilities on 1 January 2014 and report to Helge Lund, Chief Executive Officer. Nylund's office location will be Stavanger. He succeeds Øystein Michelsen, who has been appointed country manager in Tanzania.

Nylund is currently senior vice president, Processing and Manufacturing in Marketing, Processing and Renewable Energy (MPR), a role he has held since 2009.

He joined Statoil in 1987 with the transfer of the operatorship of Statfjord from Mobil. He has a background from a range of operational and leadership positions. He has been platform manager at Gullfaks, operations manager at Statfjord and senior vice president for Statfjord operations and Operations West in DPN.

"Arne Sigve Nylund is an experienced leader from both upstream and downstream operations in Statoil. His deep understanding of both the onshore and offshore parts of Statoil makes him a very strong fit for the challenging position as head of DPN," says Statoil CEO Helge Lund.

"Arne Sigve Nylund is recognised for his strong interpersonal skills. He works well with internal as well as external stakeholders. He has experience from driving challenging projects and change agendas, and has demonstrated ability to create trust and strong results. The Norwegian Continental Shelf is the backbone of Statoil's activities, and I look forward to having Arne Sigve as part of the team realising the full NCS potential over the years to come," Lund adds.

"DPN is a very important business area in Statoil. The years to come will be both exciting and demanding. Our ability to adapt, improve and change is a prerequisite for future success. I am really looking forward to again have the opportunity to work together with all the competent and dedicated people in DPN to deliver on our goals and contribute to Statoil's improvement agenda," says Arne Sigve Nylund.

Nylund has a BSc in engineering from the Stavanger Technical College, 1981, a BSc in operations management from University of Stavanger, 1988 and a business economist degree from Norwegian School of Economics, 1989.

Nylund's successor will be announced in the near future.

CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA) GeoSpatial Services (GS) business line is using remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to map shoreline sensitivity to oil spills in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) is a widely used system for ranking and classifying shoreline sensitivity based on characteristics such as degree of wave energy, potential penetration of oil into the substrate, and natural oil retention times of the shore type. This type of information is crucial to mitigate the potential impact of an oil spill.

With increased offshore energy exploration and development activities in the eastern Mediterranean, shorelines in this region are increasingly at risk of exposure to oil spills and other incidents. The challenges of security and accessibility in these countries makes traditional approaches of aerial and ground surveys difficult, particularly for the considerable length of these Mediterranean shorelines. CSA GS has developed a technique to acquire, examine, and interpret high-resolution, georeferenced satellite imagery and assign ESI Shore Types to digital shoreline segments in GIS. The technique can be applied to any shoreline in the world for which an understanding of coastal environments is of interest.

Because the work occurs within the spatial framework of GIS, it enables the integration of other layers of spatial data such as sensitive resources, oil spill model trajectories, environmental sampling designs, and response plans. Once integrated into GIS, the shoreline classifications can also be made available online through a secure, web-accessible GeoPortal that is designed and operated by CSA, without the need for third-party web publishing.

Keith Van Graafeiland, Director of the CSA GeoSpatial Services business line, offers, “CSA has previously completed ESI Shore Type mapping in the eastern Mediterranean as part of an Environmental Baseline Survey and Environmental Impact Assessment conducted for oil and gas interests. CSA GeoSpatial Services has plans to expand the analysis to benefit other countries in the region, and potentially in other parts of the world.”

This application is part of CSA’s Marine Environmental Services for Spill Response, in which CSA assists energy sector clients in preparing for and responding to oil and gas releases and associated damage assessments.

For more information on CSA’s capabilities and marine environmental services for spill response, please visit our website at www.csaocean.com or call 772-219-3000.

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

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