Swathe Services has just purchased the newly launched Sonic 2020 multi-beam and ultra high resolution upgrade for the Sonic 2024 to add to its already expanding rental pool.

The image above shows raw data collected by the Sonic 2024 UHR system of the Margaret Smith shipwreck in Southampton

The Sonic 2020 is the most compact high performance wideband shallow water multi-beam echo sounder providing over 20x selectable operating frequencies to choose from within the 200 to 400 kHz band. In addition to selectable operating frequencies, the Sonic 2020 provides variable swath coverage selections from 10° to 130° as well as ability to rotate the swath port or starboard in real-time. The Sonic 2020 frequency agility, productive swath coverage and narrow focused 2° beam widths provide hydrographic professionals with quality data output for shallow water survey operations.

The Sonic 2024 can be upgraded to provide extremely narrow beam widths (0.3° x 0.6°) at 700kHz operation making this option invaluable for detailed offshore site surveys such as pipeline inspections, cable laying operations or other micro bathymetry applications. The raw data acquired from this option over the Margaret River Wreck in Southampton can be seen in the above picture.

With these recent purchases Swathe Services rental pool now includes a large number of R2SONIC multi-beam echo sounders including ultra high resolution and 3000m depth rated options, as well as an iXBlue HYDRINS and iXBlue ROVINS.

In response to the tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma this week, BP is donating $500,000 and emergency supplies to the Oklahoma Red Cross to support humanitarian assistance and recovery efforts.

BP America Inc. will donate $300,000 and the BP Foundation will donate an additional $200,000. The $500,000 will assist local Red Cross efforts to provide emergency meals, shelter, clothing, water and medical care in the affected areas. The $500,000 donation is in addition to donations made by the BP Foundation Employee Matching Program.

BP employees in eastern Oklahoma also today delivered a trailer of non-perishable relief items to a collection center near Moore for use by the Red Cross. BP employs about 600 staff and contractors engaged in natural gas and pipeline operations in Oklahoma.

Songa Offshore SE (OSE: SONG) has appointed Bjørnar Iversen as new CEO of Songa Offshore SE, effective as of June 1st. Iversen will relocate to Limassol and take up the position only weeks after he joined the company as president of Songa Rig AS.

Sometimes you are simply lucky enough to find gold in your own pocket. After a long search process and assessment of numerous candidates, we increasingly realised that we already had the ideal candidate within our own company. Bjørnar understands the industry after 17 years with Odfjell Drilling; he has extensive international and operational management experience and, importantly, a unique knowledge of the Category D project. My key task as interim CEO was to steer the company through a few critical short-term challenges and find a permanent successor. I am happy to now step down, knowing that both tasks have been successfully accomplished, says interim CEO and chairman of the board, Jens A Wilhelmsen.

Before signing with Songa in February this year, Bjørnar Iversen held a number of senior management positions and been member of the executive leadership team at Odfjell Drilling AS for the last 12 years. His latest position was President and CEO of Odfjell Galvao Ltda in Brazil. During his 17 year's tenure at Odfjell Drilling, he has been executive vice president for Corporate Business Development, Odfjell Drilling Technology and Odfjell Well Services.

Iversen holds a Master of Science in Business (siviløkonom) from the Norwegian School of Business and Economics (NHH), and various management courses from Harvard Business School.

The new company is to be called Gardline Marine Sciences do Brasil S.A, and is a 50/50 joint venture between Gardline Marine Sciences (South America) Ltd and OceanPact Serviços Marítimos Ltda. This strategic alliance will see the two companies sharing their marine expertise and resources in order to pursue marine survey projects in Brazilian waters.

Gardline Marine Sciences do Brasil S.A will focus on fully integrated survey packages including geophysical, hydrographic, environmental, oceanographic and geotechnical surveys.  The company will provide a wide range of integrated marine science services including: 2D seismic exploration, 2D/3D high resolution data acquisition and interpretation, shallow gas hazard analysis, seabed mapping, shallow to deep water soil investigation, near shore and coastal surveys, water flow measurement and water quality.  

 Gardline has been providing clients with a comprehensive set of offshore integrated survey services for over 40 years. By combining this expertise with the significant Brazilian market presence of OceanPact, the joint venture will provide clients with the global experience, knowledge and resources needed for any marine survey. 

 Both companies have a strong reputation for health and safety, ensuring that projects are delivered safely, without incident or impact on the environment, on time, on budget and to the highest industry standards. 

 Gardline & OceanPact already have a proven track record of working together to provide services to the Brazilian energy sector. The two companies undertook a pioneering project for Petrobras in 2012 in which for the first time, mini-CPT data and vibrocorer samples were acquired for pipeline route design instead of using traditional Piston Coring which has no efficiency in sand. 

The Petrobras project drew on the extensive industry experience of Gardline and OceanPact to successfully meet the needs of the client. The joint venture aims to continue upon this success by providing world-class services to more clients in Brazil. 

John Wenlock, Director of Gardline Marine Sciences (South America) Ltd said “As a leading service provider in the Brazilian energy sector, OceanPact is the ideal partner to help spearhead our expansion into the burgeoning Brazilian market

Wenlock added “We are very excited about the growth opportunity for Gardline in Brazil, and we are confident that this joint venture with OceanPact will bring important synergy and expand our service offering in the Brazilian market”. 

Flavio Andrade, CEO of OceanPact and of Gardline Marine Sciences do Brasil, also shared his vision: "OceanPact invests heavily in continuous innovation and improvement. This new joint venture is an important part of the growth strategy of OceanPact Group."

Okeanus Science and Technology, LLC (Okeanus) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Jacob Marcell as President as of 1 May 2013.  Based out of Houma, Louisiana, Okeanus is an international provider of oceanographic and marine scientific research equipment.  Mr. Marcell was appointed president due to his extensive experience and long track record in the U.S. subsea industry.  Prior to joining Okeanus, Marcell was president of Mako Technologies, and he has extensive senior experience, including ROV services and tooling and topside and subsea rental equipment and services.

Okeanus was recently established to cater to the Science and Technology rental and integration of equipment market.  Okeanus provides the latest technology as well as tried-and-true industry standards to all the regions of the globe to support and accomplish clients' goals.

Noble Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NBL) has announced that the company will donate $500,000 to support disaster-relief and recovery efforts for the communities affected by the devastating tornadoes that recently swept through central Oklahoma. The contribution includes a $500,000 cash donation to the American Red Cross Oklahoma Relief Fund and a commitment to match employee donations up to $1,000 per employee.

"From our founder's humble beginnings and the company's inception in Ardmore to the employees that live and work in the area, Oklahoma is a part of the fabric of Noble Energy," said Charles Davidson , chairman and CEO of Noble Energy. "We will stand with the communities of Oklahoma to help them recover from the damage and devastation caused by the tornadoes."

UTEC has announced the appointment of Ian Pownall as the General Manager of UTEC Survey JLT, based in Dubai, UAE.

The responsibilities of this role include development and delivery of the UTEC brand and business model in the Middle East region.

Ian, who was formerly with Corrintec in the UK and Unique Maritime Group in the UAE, brings a wealth of IMR experience to UTEC Survey JLT.

Commenting on his appointment, Ian said: “I am delighted to be joining UTEC at an exciting and busy time and I look forward to the opportunities and challenges which my new role will present.”

UTEC CEO Martin O’Carroll added: “UTEC is continually looking to add strength to our team through the addition of experienced managers, such as Ian. We feel Ian’s addition to the team reflects the success we are achieving globally.”

BP and federal and state Natural Resource Damages (NRD) Trustees have reached agreement in principle on two additional proposed early restoration projects in Louisiana that are expected to cost approximately $340 million. The projects are part of BP's unprecedented commitment to provide up to $1 billion in early restoration funding to expedite recovery of natural resources injured as a result of the Deepwater Horizon accident.

BP has been working diligently with the Trustees to develop additional projects to meet BP's commitment to early restoration. In fact, for several months now BP had an agreement in principle with the Trustees to proceed with a number of projects, including those announced today by Louisiana. The Trustees made a decision to hold such announcements until months after our agreement in principle.

“We are extremely pleased to have reached agreement with the Trustees on the new projects, which will provide significant long-term benefits to the environment and the people of Louisiana,” said Laura Folse, BP’s Executive Vice President for Response and Environmental Restoration. “With the help of the extensive cleanup efforts, early restoration projects, and natural recovery processes, the Gulf is returning to its baseline condition, which is the condition it would be in if the accident had not occurred.”

BP and the Trustees have now agreed to a total of four early restoration projects in Louisiana expected to cost approximately $370 million, including two projects that were approved in 2012 and are already underway. BP stepped up to make funds available, enabling restoration projects to begin before the ongoing NRD assessment is complete.

The new Louisiana projects will create a fish hatchery facility and will rebuild and restore beach, dune and marsh habitat on a number of coastal Louisiana islands.

The Agreement between BP and the Trustees is unique in that it makes it possible for restoration to begin at an earlier stage of the NRD process. NRD restoration projects are typically funded only after a final settlement has been reached or a final court judgment has been entered. The Agreement allows the parties to expedite projects to restore, replace or acquire the equivalent of injured natural resources in the Gulf soon after an injury is identified, reducing the time needed to achieve restoration of those resources.

Under the Agreement, BP provides the funding and the Trustees implement the projects. Funding is provided from the $20 billion trust BP established in 2010 to pay claims, final judgments in litigation and litigation settlements, state and local response costs and claims, and natural resource damages and related costs.

In addition to the early restoration projects, to meet its commitments in the Gulf, BP has spent more than $14 billion in operational response and clean-up costs; has paid $10.7 billion to individuals, businesses and government entities for claims, settlements and other payments; and has agreed to a settlement with the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee that will resolve the substantial majority of outstanding private economic loss, property damage and medical claims.

Louisiana early restoration projects announced April 30,  include:

• Louisiana Outer Coast Restoration Project will restore beach, dune and marsh habitat on Whiskey Island (Calliou Lake Headlands), Chenier Ronquille Island, the east and west lobes of Shell Island, and North Breton Island. Restoring these barrier islands will help protect Louisiana’s wetlands and slow coastal erosion. The project will create beaches, dunes and marshes; repair breaches in the shoreline; and revegetate the islands using appropriate native species. Estimated cost: $318,363,000

• Louisiana Fish Hatchery Project will build a hatchery facility for the production of three important species of recreational fish: speckled trout, red drum and southern flounder. The facility will be located on a 90-acre site and will include 3 one-half acre ponds; 14,000 square feet of building space; a reservoir and pumping station; and a youth fishing pond and kayak launch. The building space would include hatchery production as well as a lobby with educational displays, a classroom/conference room, and production touring areas for visitors. Estimated cost: $22,000,000

Projects approved in 2012 include:

• Louisiana Lake Hermitage Marsh Project will create 104 acres of marsh within the Barataria Hydrologic Basin in Plaquemines Parish. Sediment will be dredged from the Mississippi River and pumped via pipeline to the project area. This is designed to produce the desired elevation and the ability to plant native vegetation in the sediment. Base cost: $13,200,000 (final payment complete; Base cost + contingency cost: $14,400,000 (contingency cost pending)

• Louisiana Oyster Cultch Project will create productive oyster cultch areas on public oyster seed grounds in six locations across 850 acres throughout coastal Louisiana. In addition, improvements will be made to an existing oyster hatchery on Grand Isle, which will produce larvae to be released over the cultch material. Base cost: $14,874,300 (final payment complete); Base cost + contingency cost: $15,582,600 (contingency cost pending)

Aker Solutions has laid the foundation stone of a new plant in Paraná that will double the company's subsea production capacity in Brazil.

The plant in the city of São José dos Pinhais in the Paraná state in Brazil will be operational in 2015. It will replace Aker Solutions' current subsea manufacturing facility in Curitiba and double production capacity in the country.

Aker Solutions' Executive Chairman Øyvind Eriksen and Luis Araujo, president and country manager of the company's Brazilian operations,  took part in a ceremony laying the foundation stone at the new site.

Luis Carlos Setim, the mayor of São José dos Pinhais, attended together with other local government officials.

"Brazil is a very important market for Aker Solutions and this new plant will strengthen our subsea offering," says Araujo.

The new facility will have about 1,200 employees and generate work for an additional 5,000 people at suppliers. The plant will be built on a plot of land totaling 168,220 square meters.

Petrobras contract

Aker Solutions is expanding its manufacturing capacity after winning a contract in April to deliver subsea equipment to the Brazilian oil company Petrobras. The contract, worth NOK 4.6 billion (USD 800 million), is for 60 well-sets with vertical subsea trees, subsea control systems, tools and spares to be used at Petrobras' deepwater pre-salt field developments in Brazil.

"The forecasts for the Brazilian oil and gas industry are very promising and we are committed to developing our manufacturing capabilities and local content," says Araujo.

Macaé development

Aker Solutions last year started building a new multi-purpose service site for its drilling equipment business in Macaé, 180 kilometers northeast of Rio de Janeiro. The facility, set to open in 2014, will expand the company's capacity to serve the fast-growing drilling market in Brazil. Aker Solutions is also located in Rio de Janeiro and Rio das Ostras in Brazil.

Aker Solutions, established in Brazil since 1978, currently employs 1,400 people in the country. The company is a leading provider of subsea equipment and services in Brazil's offshore pre-salt market. It also delivers downstream and topside process technology, offshore mooring and loading systems, deepwater drilling systems and subsea intervention services.

After record breaking 2013 conference with 104,800 attendees, the Offshore Technology Conference Board of Directors has elected a new Chairman and Vice Chairman for 2014-2015. Edward (Ed) G. Stokes takes on the role of OTC Chairman and Dr. Joe R. Fowler will assume the Vice Chairman role.

Stokes has been a part of the OTC since 1995 and on the Board of Directors since 2008, representing the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers.  He has served as Vice Chairman since 2012 and as Program Committee Chairman in 2002.

In his career, Stokes has amassed a broad range of supervisory and managerial experience in his long career in the upstream and marine segments of the oil and gas industry. He currently serves as Project Coordination Manager – Offshore at ConocoPhillips. In his current role, he is responsible for the day-to-day management of the offshore portion of the marine segment of the Brass LNG project, a joint venture with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Total, and Eni International.

Prior to this, Stokes was the Manager of Business Development at ConocoPhillips Shipping where he was responsible for business development activities within the shipping company. He also provided marine project development support to worldwide business units.

He has an AS in engineering science from Eastern Oklahoma State College, BS in civil engineering from Oklahoma State University and an MBA from Houston Baptist University. He holds a Professional Engineer (PE) registration in Texas and is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Stokes has 15 technical publications, presented papers in 5 countries, and holds patents related to oilfield production and LNG ship design. He is a native of Okemah, Oklahoma.

Dr. Fowler is President and co-founder of Stress Engineering Services, Inc., (SES) a 375-person engineering consulting firm based in Houston with additional offices in Cincinnati, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Calgary.  SES is a world leader in floating systems design, fitness-for-service evaluations, consumer-product mechanical design, measurement and control systems, and third-party testing of full-scale systems and equipment.

Dr. Fowler received his BS with honors, MS, and PhD degrees in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas. He is a Fellow of ASME, and in 2000 he received the Outstanding Alumni Honor Award from the Dwight Look College of Engineering at Texas A&M University.

Petrobras will double in size by 2020. The statement was made by the Company's CEO, Maria das Graças Silva Foster, during the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), in Houston (USA). The CEO presented the lecture "The Future of Energy in Brazil: the role of Petrobras", during the panel called "Global Energy Outlook - Shaping the Future!", with more than 250 attendees.

The CEO highlighted that production in Brazil, which was 2.2 million barrels of oil equivalent (oil and natural gas) per day in 2012, will reach 5.7 million in 2020. And the pre-salt will be largely responsible for this increase. "We (Petrobras) have made 53 discoveries in Brazil during the last 14 months. In the pre-salt alone there were 15 discoveries", she emphasized. "Petrobras' reserves have the potential to double in size and reach 31.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent in the coming years," she added. For her, there is no doubt that the results are due to the Company's investments, which have increased at a rate of 21.5% per year since 2000 and reached US$ 42.9 billion in 2012.

Investments in Research and Development during the period were also significant and important in achieving the goals: over the last twelve years, investments in this area have grown 18.3% per year, and in 2012 they reached US$ 1.1 billion. Petrobras' investment plan for the 2013-2017 period amount to US$ 236.7 billion.

Graça Foster also highlighted the Brazilian market's growing demand, which has been well above the world average. Between 2000 and 2012, the demand for gasoline in Brazil increased by 73%, compared to 17% globally. In the same period, the demand for diesel in Brazil rose 52%, compared to 31% globally. "And when comparing aviation kerosene it is even more impressive: while demand in Brazil increased 58%, it decreased 3% globally", the CEO said.

The CEO also noted that the Company's investments, together with the local content valuation policy, encouraged foreign shipyards to go to Brazil and become technological partners of the shipyards that are being implemented in the country. Some of them include partners from Japan, China and Korea.

Also taking part in the panel was Angolan Oil Minister, José de Vasconcelos, Canadian Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, David Ramsey, and Pemex's Director of Exploration and Production, Carlos Morales-Gil. The panel was mediated by Gamal Hassan, the person responsible for OTC's schedule.

Deep Down, Inc. (OTCQX: DPDW) ("Deep Down"), an oilfield services company specializing in complex deepwater and ultra-deepwater oil production distribution system support services is pleased to announce the formation of Deep Down Brasil, Ltda., confirming their interest in supporting the dynamic offshore oil and gas industry in Brazil.  Deep Down Brasil will offer the full range of innovative subsea products and services currently offered by Deep Down Inc., expanding our efforts already underway in Brazil.

Ron Smith , Chief Executive Officer of Deep Down, Inc. stated, "We are very excited about the opportunities available to us in Brazil and, by forming Deep Down Brasil, have made a serious commitment to this market.  Our experience in providing technical solutions to virtually every worldwide oil and gas venue situates us well to support the ever increasing challenges in the deep waters of Brazil. Our expertise, in conjunction with local, strategic partners, will position Deep Down for long term success in this important market."

Oceaneering International, Inc. (NYSE: OII) has announced that it has secured a contract from Saipem to supply umbilicals for the Burullus West Delta Deep Marine Phase IXa development located offshore Egypt.

The order consists of ten subsea production control umbilicals totaling approximately 84 kilometers (52.2 miles) in length and two electrical power cables totaling approximately 55 kilometers (34.2 miles) in length.  Product manufacturing is planned to be performed at Oceaneering's facility in Rosyth, Scotland and is expected to commence in the second quarter of 2013 and be completed in the third quarter 2014.

Megan Bel has joined the staff of the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) as Senior Director, Government & Political Affairs. She comes to NOIA from the Office of Congressman Steve Scalise (R-LA) where she served as Legislative Director since 2008. She also recently served as Deputy Director of the Republican Study Committee.

“Megan is a great addition to the NOIA staff and its members. Her Hill and legislative experience is unparalleled. In addition, her long time association with the Gulf of Mexico and the offshore energy industry will serve the members of NOIA well. I am excited to have her aboard,” said NOIA President Randall Luthi.

Bel staffed Congressman Scalise’s House Energy and Commerce Committee work from 2009-2013 and his House Natural Resources Committee work in 2008.  She also advised the Congressman in his roles on the Gulf Coast Caucus, Western Caucus, House Energy Action Team and the Natural Gas Caucus.  During and after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, Bel led briefings for congressional staff and assisted House Republican leadership with messaging on the harmful effects of post spill regulations, permitting delays and the deepwater drilling moratorium.  In 2008 Bel was a field director and policy advisor on the Scalise for Congress Congressional Campaign.

Earlier in her career, Bel was Legislative Assistant and Press Secretary for Congressman Richard Baker (R-LA) (2006-2008) and a policy analyst in the office of Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco (2004-2006). 
 
Bel earned a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge.

The global leader in life saving equipment, Viking Life-Saving Equipment is now open for business in Webster, Texas. The facility provides Viking customers with a direct sales presence in the Houston area.

The new office and warehouse facility will allow the company to cater to the needs of its offshore oil and commercial cargo clients. For over 50 years, Viking has produced a high quality line of life rafts, evacuation chutes and slide systems for the passenger and offshore industries, as well as personal protection equipment such as life jackets, immersion suits, and fire suits.

The new Texas office is located at 16920 N. Texas Ave, Suite C-14, Webster, Texas 77598. It can be contacted by phone at 281-724-0934 and by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Deep Down, Inc. (OTCQX: DPDW) ("Deep Down"), an oilfield services company specializing in complex deepwater and ultra-deepwater oil production distribution system support services has announced it has received a contract from a major international controls manufacturer for the manufacture of Loose Steel Tube Flying Leads (LSFL) worth in excess of $1.7 million.  Additionally, there is an option to purchase additional distribution and installation equipment worth in excess of $2 million.  The contract is for the first phase of a large gas project on the Northwest coast of Australia; delivery is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2013.

Ron Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Deep Down, Inc. stated, "This award reaffirms the significant engineering and capital investments we have made in our core steel flying leads product line.  Customers have realized that our steel flying leads are superior to those offered by the competition with respect to quality, cost, reliability and ease of installation."