BMT Group Ltd (BMT), the leading international design, engineering and risk management consultancy, has announced the appointment of Ray McGlynn (photo) as Sales Manager for Offshore Oil and Gas.

Ray will be responsible for European and African regional sales support and assisting Louise Ledgard, Offshore Oil and Gas Business Development Lead in supporting the co-ordination of ocean engineering sales across the BMT Group.

Ray has extensive experience within the oil and gas industry including marketing and sales activities, strategic planning and business development, as well as extensive project management skills; from initial tendering through to project completion.

BMT Group's Energy and Environment Director, Ralph Rayner commented "We are delighted that Ray has joined our offshore oil and gas team. His business acumen and engineering experience will be invaluable as we seek to further develop the scope of services to our clients in the offshore oil and gas sector."

Athens Group, a leading provider of independent, 3rd-party technology assurance and inspection services for oil and gas drilling and production assets, continues on pace for a record-breaking year of 70% growth. This growth can be attributed to the increased value rig owners and operators place on the systems-based quality assurance services provided by Athens Group, which measurably improve the safety and reliability of drilling and production assets.

The company's growth is also being fueled by its BOP and Rig Inspection services, which utilize comprehensive and automatically generated inspection checklists based on a proprietary database of international standards and regulations, in addition to increased demand for its industry-leading 3rd-party Hardware in the Loop (HIL) Verification services.

The company recently relocated its Houston operations to a larger office space in the Energy Corridor on South Dairy Ashford Street and launched a new website to showcase its expanded suite of quality assurance and inspection services at www.athensgroup.com. Athens Group has also extended its service delivery presence beyond Europe, Asia, and Africa into the Middle East and Latin America.

Ballast water treatment (BWT) specialist Optimarin has established itself as "the supplier of choice" for offshore vessels, with over 50% of its system orders now placed for PSVs, AHTS and associated, advanced service vessels. According to CEO Tore Andersen, the last six months alone have seen 16 new agreements signed, pushing the number of offshore system orders beyond the 160-unit mark.

Norway's Golden Energy Offshore is the latest firm to opt for Optimarin's market proven system, with units ordered for two ULSTEIN designed PX121H PSVs currently under construction at the Nantong Rainbow yard in China. This agreement mirrors recent contracts with Gulf Offshore (three vessels), EMAS (four vessels) and Island Offshore, for two advanced OSVs from Vard Braila in Romania.

"We secured our first offshore order in 2008 and carried out the market's first ever offshore retrofit in 2009, onboard the MV North Mariner" comments Andersen. "So we've spent years developing our expertise in a sector defined by its specialist vessels, high utilization rates, and intense competition.

"It's a unique environment, with unique demands," he continues, "and suppliers that don't appreciate that won't prosper. With this recent surge of orders I believe we're seeing our investment, experience and sector understanding really pay off."

Optimarin's simple, flexible and reliable BWT solution is favored by offshore operators and yards for its space saving nature and low maintenance requirements, minimizing operational downtime. Its modular nature ensures it can be installed within the tight constraints of any offshore vessel – with components housed in, for example, pump rooms or between cargo tanks – while the sole UV lamp most Optimarin offshore-optimized systems require compares favorably to the multiple lamps (sometimes up to 15) employed by competing solutions.

"In some ways it's a case of less is more in this market," Andersen explains. "The less components, the less replacement parts you need and the less that can go wrong. But, in addition, these vessels don't undertake regular ballasting and, when they do, their complex cargo offloading duties mean they have significant time to perform the procedure. So, they don't need large pumps and high capacity systems and we can downscale our solution to offer them optimal efficiency, price and performance.

"That solutions-orientated approach demonstrates our understanding of their requirements."

Alongside its BWT technology, Optimarin has put equal emphasis on building lasting relationships with key yards, both at home in Norway – such as Vard Langstein, Vard Brevik and Ulstein – and further afield, like Damen of the Netherlands, where eight units were supplied in 2012/2013 for state-of-the-art newbuild World Wide Supply PSVs.

"We get perhaps 90% of newbuild business through the yards," Andersen notes, "so it pays to have excellent working relationships. A recent collaboration with Vard epitomizes our approach, as we worked with their design office to make a new skid – very compact and sleek – for easy system installation. That shows how we'll go the extra mile to deliver optimum service and solutions."

Thanks to industry demand for advanced vessels, and an increasing adoption of DNV GL's CLEAN DESIGN classification, which necessitates BWT system installation, newbuild business is booming. Retrofit activity currently only takes up around 15% of Optimarin's offshore orderbook, but, as Andersen stresses, this is set to change:

"So far we've completed retrofits for companies of the caliber of Technip, Bourbon, Gulf Offshore and PGS," he says, "with excellent results. But there's a huge global fleet that still requires systems, perhaps up to 3000 vessels, and closer to home, we estimate that there's maybe 550 offshore ships under Norwegian ownership that will need reliable BWT systems with proven operational success.

"With our specialism and experience – Optimarin now boasts 95 offshore systems installed and in operation – we believe we can offer the market something unique, building on our now established position as the offshore BWT supplier of choice."

Optimarin's environmentally friendly system, utilizing filtration and high doses of UV irradiation to inactive marine organisms, is fully IMO and USCG approved (AMS), with certification through DNV GL, BV, RMRS and CCS. The company has received over 300 system orders for vessels up to 60,000dwt, with 180 systems now installed worldwide.

Deep Sea Mooring (DSM), a leading provider of mooring solutions, is expanding its international footprint with the opening of a new office in Perth, Australia. The facility, which will officially open 8 October, will provide sales and technical support to customers across Australasia.

To support its mooring operations, the company has also secured a 13,000m² yard in Karratha, 1500km north of Perth, which is a main access point to major oil and gas developments offshore Western Australia.

DSM CEO, Åge Straume, says the company has confidence in Australia's future as a key global player in the offshore oil and gas industry.r and size of developments offshore Australia has created a steady market for drilling rigs," he explains, noting, "and with the local industry's increasingly stringent standards we believe there's now a strong foundation for long-term growth and success.

"Companies operating in Australia are very QHSE oriented," Straume adds, "so they understand the benefits of quality mooring equipment, smarter mooring solutions and performing pre-laying in order to maximize uptime. This fits our profile and our offer is tailored to meet that market demand head on."

Testament to this conviction is the 7000 tons of mooring equipment in transit to the Karratha yard. The company has already procured most of the equipment heading for Australia, which has a value of USD 30m, bringing the total value of its rental pool up to more than USD 125m. The equipment used in DSM's Australian operations will be optimized for local hard-rock geological formations.

"We will also bring our unique combination of planning tools, logistics systems and patented RFID electronic marking on all equipment," Straume states. "These proven innovative systems reduce operational time, impacting positively on safety and efficiency standards."

Expansion into the Australian market comes off the back of a track record of success on mooring projects around the world and in particular in the North Sea, where the company honed its advanced technology and harsh environment experience. Recent DSM developments of note include project wins with Repsol and Maersk Drilling.

The Australian subsidiary, Deep Sea Mooring Australia Pty Ltd., will initially employ nine people, led by Managing Director, Barry Silver, who brings over 16 years of experience in the mooring industry.

"Our regional contacts report that they see a real need for increased competition in the Australian market and welcome our arrival. We bring proven expertise, innovative technology and a fresh perspective to the industry here, and we believe that's a compelling business proposition for this exciting, dynamic marketplace," states Silver.

Greene's Energy Group, LLC (GEG), a leading provider of integrated testing, rentals and specialty services, has named Robert Fraser(photo) as regional business development manager.

Based in Dubai, Fraser will be responsible for business development initiatives within the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and countries surrounding the Caspian Sea.

Fraser has more than 35 years¬¬ of experience in the oil and gas industry, specifically within pipeline and process pre-commissioning and commissioning. For more than 20 years, Robert has worked with major service companies in a variety senior management roles throughout the Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia.

"Robert brings extensive knowledge of the industry, its clients and its requirements in both developed and developing countries," said John Johnston, managing director of Asia Pacific & Middle East at GEG. "He will strengthen our team and our presence in these regions for the benefit of new business opportunities for Greene's Energy Group."

Unique Maritime Group (UMG), one of the world's leading integrated turnkey subsea and offshore solutions provider has recently held its annual strategic board meeting in Dubai, UAE from the 8th to 10th of October. At the meeting, the Group has formally announced the joining of a new member to its family – Steve MacMillan (photo) as the Global Project Director for its Diving Division and the Global QHSE Director. He will be based at UMG's head office in Sharjah, UAE.

Steve's main responsibilities will focus on managing and coordinating large and complex Diving related projects through all phases of design, permitting and construction. He will also provide leadership for the regional site project management teams by managing, coordinating and developing UMG staff. Steve will also be responsible for developing and driving the companies QHSE culture in his role as Director of QHSE.

Steve started his early career in the Diving industry in 1981 as an air diver, working out of Singapore. He then rapidly progressed on to becoming a saturation diver and onwards as a Saturation supervisor. In 1995, Steve joined McDermott as an operations manager and ultimately became the Director of International Diving for McDermott as well as Director of HSES for the Subsea Group. Steve's focus on Health & Safety has always been at the forefront of his leadership style.

Steve has played an active role in the Diving Industry; he is currently the IMCA Far East Chairman, the IMCA Diving Division Chairman and a Vice Chairman on the OGP Diving Industry Workgroup.

On this occasion, Harry Gandhi, CEO @ Unique Maritime Group commented, "We @ UMG are profoundly delighted to have Steve on board. Steve brings with him a wide array of experience, energy and knowledge of the diving industry. This move will further bring in significant amount of positive changes in UMG's diving division. We would now look at undertaking new, challenging and complex projects for customers across the globe. We also look forward to further develop the QHSE culture at all our offices under Steve's apt guidance."

Steve MacMillan affirmed, "I am very excited to take up my new role at Unique Maritime Group as it is a renowned name in the diving sector for offering world-class products and services to customers globally. I look forward to value add and contribute to the company's overall growth and strategic plans and achieve its objectives successfully."

Unique Maritime Group offers a wide range of diving equipments, some of these include commercial diving equipment, saturation diving systems, decompression chambers, daughter craft systems, breathing air compressors and Hyperbaric Rescue Facility.

The Miami-based ocean engineering and naval architecture firm of Henderson & Associates, Inc. has merged with Sea3 Systems, Inc. to form Henderson, Hanes & Associates, a full-service engineering firm that brings a groundbreaking, holistic approach to underwater intervention and project management services to the marine industry worldwide.

The new firm, headed by Shawn Henderson, P.E. and Dan Hanes, P.E., both of South Florida, draws on the deep experience base of its founders and specializes in quick turnaround refit and repair projects that may span multiple technical disciplines and trades.

Shawn Henderson, P.E., a former Navy Diver who served active duty during the Gulf War and with over 20 years of underwater experience, has spearheaded complex, multi-faceted industrial projects around the country. In January 2014, he served as Dive Superintendent on a 5-year overhaul of an ABS classed semi-submersible drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico oil field. Dan Hanes, P.E., a graduate of Duke University, also has extensive offshore oil and gas experience as well as a unique electrical and computer systems background that includes high-level work with private firms including Motorola and PPG Chemicals. Dan managed his own engineering business for over 20 years while creating technical solutions for superyachts, offshore oil, and government agencies including the U.S. Navy.

According to Henderson, "Dan and I see a tremendous demand for the expertise and skill set our entire team brings to the table. Our capabilities with electrical systems, underwater intervention, naval architecture and structural engineering combined with over 100 years of underwater experience mean that clients are guaranteed a complete suite of services for almost any marine project imaginable. This is an exciting time for our firm and we look forward to what the future holds."

Aberdeen-based wireline and well intervention technology specialist Wireline Engineering has further expanded its operations in South East Asia, initially investing over £150,000 in a new service base in Kuala Lumpur, and significantly increasing its personnel in the region.

The new 1600 square foot storage and maintenance facility will be managed by Jimmy Chong, who has joined the local team as Service Manager in Kuala Lumpur. Jimmy has a wealth of experience in well intervention equipment and services, as well as wireline field operations.

Wireline Engineering Chairman Bill Petrie said: "South East Asia is seen as a key development opportunity for the company and we are currently enjoying significant regional growth. The ongoing investment in new premises and personnel will greatly improve the support we are able to offer our customers as our activities expand.

"Having our own facility will also allow us to introduce and support new technologies that we have previously been unable to offer in Malaysia. That is good for us and good for our customers across the region.

"We have also been increasing our technical sales team based in Malaysia. We currently have five staff located in KL and, for the first time, we also have a sales manager based in Miri to provide closer support to our customers in East Malaysia."

Wireline Engineering has plans to increase its staff by three over the next year and is currently preparing to move into larger office premises in KL to facilitate this growth.

Wireline Engineering develops original well intervention and completion technologies for the oil and gas industry worldwide.

The company was established in 1998 and its headquarters are located in Aberdeen, Scotland. It has international offices in the Americas, Middle East and Far East and employs 40 people worldwide.

BG Group announced on Wednesday the appointment of Helge Lund (photo) as Chief Executive and as an Executive Director with effect from March 2, 2015.

Helge is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Statoil, a $77 billion1 international energy company, operating in 36 countries. Over the past 10 years, Helge has led the transformation of the business into one of the world's leading oil and gas companies. His decision to step down from Statoil to join BG Group was announced on October 15, 2014.

Prior to his 10 years as CEO of Statoil, Helge served as the CEO of Aker Kvaerner, an industrial conglomerate with operations in oil & gas and shipbuilding. He previously also served in the roles of Deputy CEO and Chief Financial Officer at the pharmaceutical division of Hafslund Nycomed, an industrial conglomerate.

Andrew Gould, Chairman of BG Group, commented: 
"Helge's track record speaks for itself. He has built a world-class exploration and production portfolio at Statoil, and the company is now widely admired for its technical expertise, financial performance and strong, values-based culture. Helge is ideally suited to lead BG Group in the next phase of its growth, and to accelerate the creation and delivery of value for our shareholders, while delivering the Group's business plans. The Board and I are delighted to have secured his appointment."

Helge Lund, incoming Chief Executive of BG Group said:
"BG Group is a Company with a strong set of assets and opportunities. I look forward to joining this organisation and working with BG's people to develop the Company's full potential."

Ahead of this appointment, the BG Group Board undertook an extensive global search, led by Andrew Gould. In light of that process, the Board has concluded that it is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders to secure the appointment of Helge as Chief Executive given his strong track record, skills and experience.

The Board has approved a remuneration package that is competitive in the international oil and gas industry. The package includes a conditional allocation of shares, along with salary, bonus, pension and long-term incentive awards.

The conditional allocation of shares is outside the Company's remuneration policy approved by shareholders at its Annual General Meeting in 2014. As such, it requires separate approval by shareholders. A specially convened general meeting will take place before the end of the year.

Andrew Gould commented further:
"BG Group has excellent prospects. We will have strong production growth and cash generation over the coming years from our projects in Brazil and Australia. To make the most of this potential, we need to build on our strengths in exploration and LNG and also become a world-class operator. The Company needs a proven leader from the oil and gas industry to deliver the exceptional opportunities available to it. We will be consulting with our shareholders and we are confident that they will be supportive."

Listing Rule 9.6.13
In accordance with paragraph 9.6.13 of the Listing Rules, BG Group confirms that, other than as set out in this announcement, there are no disclosures to be made.

The Louisiana Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense office, recently honored Danos with the Pro Patria Award in recognition of the company's extraordinary support of employees who serve in the Louisiana National Guard and Reserve.

The annual Pro Patria Award is the highest honor bestowed by a state ESGR committee to a civilian employer. According to Louisiana ESGR Vice Chair Larry Jones, the committee selected Danos to receive the Pro Patria Award because of the company's leadership practices, including adopting personnel policies that make it easier for employees to participate in the National Guard and Reserves.

Each year, guard and reserve employees, have the opportunity to nominate their employer for the Freedom Award. Danos was a semi-finalist on a national level and one of only three employers recognized from Louisiana.

"I am so proud to receive this award on behalf of Danos," said Hank Danos, president. "What makes this award so special is that we were nominated by one of our employees – Doug Kunkle, U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. I have tremendous respect for the men and women who serve in the armed forces, and Danos is honored to have veterans and reservists as part of our team."

In addition to the Pro Patria Award, Danos has also received the Department of Defense's Above and Beyond Award, Seven Seals Award, and was a finalist for the national Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, the highest recognition given by the U.S. Government to employers for their outstanding support of employees serving in the Guard and Reserve. In 2013, two Danos employees – Reed Pere, production services division manager, and Eric Danos, executive vice president –received the ESGR's Patriot Award.

The subsea sector is reportedly set to quadruple in size, with projected annual revenues of £85bn by 2020. Currently 45% of the UKCS (United Kingdom Continental Shelf) production comes from subsea wells and with an increased focus on maximising economic recovery, one of the key challenges is to increase the use of subsea tie-backs to existing installations.

To increase our ability to react to this growth a new DNV GL subsea team has been created. Martin Fowlie, Head of Section for the new unit, says: "DNV GL is very much looking to the future by bringing together the best of our technical expertise in this area. For many years, DNV GL in Aberdeen has been involved in the certification of subsea equipment and components. We have, over time, been privileged to call practically the entire procurement chain our customers, for certification or verification services. This puts us in a very strong position in understanding the challenges facing the subsea market."

He continues: "We have a great local team and a strong network within the new DNV GL organisation to really support the customer regardless of the size of the development, or the novelty of the technology."

The creation of the new subsea section comes on the back of the announcement earlier this month by DNV GL at Offshore North Seas (ONS) when a new 'Standard for certification of subsea equipment and components' was launched. It is thought that major efficiencies will be the resultant benefit of the standard, by means of streamlined quality control and manufacturing processes.

The new standard is complementary to the verification documents already in existence, and is a welcome addition to the portfolio for the subsea sector. DNV GL also has a number of Joint Industry Projects (JIPs) underway to standardise and streamline efficiency issues in the subsea industry. A recent cooperation project related to subsea documentation seeks to present a minimum unified set of documentation requirements for all major subsea components. Another current project addresses common specifications for steel forgings.

Bert Droy, Business Development Lead for Subsea and Floaters in Aberdeen concludes: "Having a dedicated section for subsea, with clear guidelines from which they can draw, is good news. Meetings are planned with our DNV GL peers globally, and the outcome will reinforce how we drive this forward. Of course, the most important task is to ensure that we communicate the content to the various subsea stakeholders, so we will be engaging with the industry to communicate the content of the standard in the near future."

To meet the growing demand in the region, DNV GL has now opened a new office in Malaysia. The official opening of the office coincided with the company's celebration of a double milestone: 150 years of proud history as a world leader in classification and technical assurance services and its first year as a newly merged company.

"According to the OECD, growth in the Emerging Asian economies (South East Asia, China and India) is expected to be a robust 6.9% for the 2014-18 period. Registering a 6.4% growth in Q2 of 2014, Malaysia has a well-diversified economy, with major contributors coming from export-driven service and manufacturing industries as well as the mining and agricultural sectors. The country is a key driver of offshore investments and is building substantial offshore infrastructure. Adopting strategies for sustainable development, the Malaysian government plans to develop an energy-efficient, diversified and sustainable energy mix for the future. All of which offers a very positive outlook for DNV GL.

We've been in Malaysia for over 30 years and our commitment stays firm," said Elisabeth Tørstad, CEO DNV GL Oil & Gas.
DNV GL Malaysia's move of its merged entities into its new Malaysian headquarters is evidence of this commitment. The new eco-friendly office over three floors will house DNV GL's four core business areas – Maritime, Oil & Gas, Energy and Business Assurance - under one roof. This will create greater synergies and provide more integrated service offerings to customers. The new location in Menara Prestige, at the heart of Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle, accommodates 250 employees from both legacy DNV and legacy GL.

As part of the 150th anniversary celebrations and the official opening of its office, DNV GL held a dialogue with key industry players on the technologies that are transforming Malaysia's energy landscape.

"One important industry trend is the drive towards a sustainable energy future. DNV GL has always been at the forefront of technology. We're constantly working with our partners in joint industry projects, gathering industry stakeholders to work together and support the industry in transforming technology into solutions for a safe and sustainable future," Tørstad said at the event.

Harvey Gulf International Marine, LLC have announced its continued strategic business growth by establishing Harvey Gulf International Marine de Mexico S.A.P.I. de C.V. With a presence in Mexico, Harvey Gulf is now able to fully service the needs of its clients currently operating in the offshore oil and gas segment of Mexico, and position itself to fully service the needs of future clients that will enter the market. Recently approved changes in Mexican law allow foreign ownership in hydrocarbons which facilitates this growth.

Shane Guidry, CEO of Harvey Gulf International Marine, says "We recognize the growth potential in the Mexican market for our business. The establishment of Harvey Gulf International Marine de Mexico will allow us to fully deliver our services direct to our clients in Mexico. Harvey Gulf's professionalism, new generation of assets, superior performance and safer operations will provide our customers value and address their significant needs in Mexico. This is what Harvey Gulf has built its reputation on. We will grow our business by continuing our high standard of operational excellence through incident free operations and with the deployment of assets which will strategically position Harvey Gulf to support Mexican operations. The initial area of operation will primarily be in Ciudad del Carmen, Mexico; however we will be able to operate in any other port facility locations along the Mexican coast to support operations.

By establishing Harvey Gulf International Marine de Mexico, it shows our commitment and continued journey to become the dominant player in our field which specializes in providing Offshore Supply and Multi–Purpose Support Vessels for Deepwater Operations Worldwide"

In order to more effectively align and leverage CGG's strength in potential field and electromagnetic geophysical methods, effective January 1st, 2015, a Business Line named Multi-Physics will be established in the Acquisition Division. This Business Line will combine all of the current Airborne Business Line with the GravMag Solutions business that is presently in the Marine Business Line. The Multi-Physics Business Line will be led by Gregory Paleolog.

The distinct brand identities of GravMag Solutions and Airborne will be retained with each of these business units continuing to trade under these names. Emily Farquhar will continue to lead GravMag Solutions, now reporting to Greg, and the Airborne management structure and reporting relationships will be unaffected.

The term Multi-Physics is commonly used in both the scientific community and the marketplace to describe solutions derived from the integration of multiple physical parameter measurements or datasets. In CGG, the use of the descriptive term Multi-Physics will replace the informal term "Non-Seismics", previously used to describe alternative geophysical and remote sensing techniques. The two specialized teams also performing non-seismic techniques in Massy (General Geophysics) and Rio de Janeiro (Ground Geophysics Brasil) will remain in the Land Business Line due to their tight integration with the commercial and operational teams in Land. However, processes will be developed to ensure effective commercial coordination as we strive to increase the awareness and acceptance of a Multi-Physics solutions approach towards answering our customers' geological questions.

CGG has world-leading positions in the application of potential fields methods to oil & gas exploration and in the ability to provide geoscience solutions utilizing a combination of geological and geophysical techniques. The Multi-Physics Business Line will reinforce the market understanding of these capabilities and allow us to further develop in these areas by concentrating our similar resources and expertise.

As part of its ongoing growth and development strategy, flexible pipe specialist FlexTech has invested £500,000 into a new manufacturing and fabrication base in Lincolnshire.

Since its inception in March 2013, the Aberdeen based company has achieved turnover of £1milllion, and it is on track to reach £2.5million by the end of year two.

With existing research and development and manufacturing premises in Aberdeen, and an R&D facility in Lincolnshire, FlexTech's new Grimsby base will help to expand its presence across the UK, with plans to extend its capabilities and offerings into the renewables sector.

FlexTech Engineering Director, Craig Keyworth, said: "Since start-up, the company has been performing successfully within the oil and gas industry. The new investment in Grimsby is strategic due to the region emerging as a key player in the renewable energy industry, with potential to become the UK capital of the offshore wind industry.

"With such clear synergies between our services and equipment offerings within the oil and gas and renewables sectors, and the renewables developing at such a significant rate, the placement of our R&D facility in the region positions us well for an advance into the sector."

The newly acquired one and a half acre facility, with 3,000 sq. ft. office and workshop, currently employs seven skilled personnel, with a further five to be recruited over the next 12 months. It will provide FlexTech with an excellent base in the region both now, and as it increases staff numbers and service offerings in the future.

Mr Keyworth continued: "The companies that we have worked with in the region to develop the new base have been fantastic, and incredibly thorough, responsive and reliable, helping the development to progress in a smooth and successful manner."
The new facility will support the delivery of projects worldwide, with the team in Grimsby supporting FlexTech's increased presence in the region. With direct access to the world's biggest offshore wind farms, and Quayside access to the UK's largest port, it will also allow FlexTech to offer its range of products and services to a wider market and breadth of companies operating within the area.

FlexTech's core business is the successful delivery of flexible pipe and riser engineering projects, marine 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.

FlexTech currently has a team of 12 subsea and marine specialists. Its management team boast more than 50 years' experience in the oil and gas industry among them.

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.

Day 1 (classroom)
Introduction to Marine Mammals & Sea Turtles
Legislation within the Gulf of Mexico & Global Oceans
Introduction to Seismic Surveys
Permitting Requirements
Role of the PSO
Data Collection & Reporting

Day 2 (classroom)
Clues & Search Methods for Marine Mammals & Sea Turtles
Species Identification
Testing & Certification

Day 3 (classroom)
Sound In Water
Marine Mammals
Anthropogenic Noise in the Sea
Effects of Anthropogenic Noise on Marine Mammals
Local Mitigation Guidelines
PAM Principles and the Role of the PAM Operator

Day 4 (classroom)
PAM Hardware & Operations
PAM Software
PAMGuard Workshop

Day 5 (on a vessel)
Set up and deployment of PAM systems and visual observer stations
Troubleshooting
Real-time mitigation and reporting

For more details, please contact Sarah Hancock at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..