DNV GL will support the operator in assuring the project equipment transportation and installations are conducted to recognized guidelines, standards and internal requirements.

Shah Deniz stage 2, or Full Field Development (FFD) one of the largest gas developments in the world, will help increase European energy security by bringing Caspian gas resources to markets in Europe for the very first time. The project will add a further 16 billion cubic meters per year (bcma) of gas production to the approximately 9 bcma produced by Shah Deniz stage 1.

James Dingwall, DNV GL Project Manager, said: “The project requires a strong emphasis on the delivery of quality project management that is focused to support the operator in the safe delivery of this tight schedule project. We have developed comprehensive processes, systems and procedures that provide the foundation for us to deliver on project commitments, ultimately demonstrating capability, competence and continuity whilst developing client trust.”

Charles Henderson, DNV GL’s Marine Warranty Services (MWS) Team Leader added: “We were delighted to be advised of our success in the award of this project. The drive to ensure the project is conducted safely and efficiently is paramount, and DNV GL will be proactively supporting BP’s safety culture and ensuring the risks associated with “temporary works” and marine operations are adequately mitigated. Our MWS are supported by the in-depth knowledge of our practitioners and the delivery of this project will draw upon the support of personnel within the group’s marine, engineering, dynamic positioning, metocean and geotechnical teams.”

A key area of focus for DNV GL has been the development and training of local personnel to maintain skills and support long-term cost reduction and sustainability for the local industry and community.

DNV GL has been providing integrity management on Shah Deniz 1 for the past ten years.

Deep Down, Inc. (OTCQX: DPDW) ("Deep Down"), an oilfield services company specializing in complex deepwater and ultra-deepwater oil production distribution system support services announces it has received a large order for patented flying leads and unique UTA (Umbilical Termination Assembly), valued at approximately $2.5 million directly from an independent operator.

The flying leads and UTA will be delivered and deployed in the Gulf of Mexico in the first quarter of 2016.

Ron Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Deep Down, Inc. stated, "Despite the current environment of lower oil prices, this order from a new customer reinforces our strategy and ability to work directly for operators."

Wood Group has acquired Automated Technology Group (ATG), one of the UK’s largest independent suppliers of control and power solutions for industrial automation.

Established in 1996 and headquartered in Bedfordshire, ATG operates primarily in the UK automotive, food and beverage and airport sectors employing approximately 250 personnel. ATG generated sales of approximately £36 million in the year to March 2015. Andy Robinson, CEO and founder of ATG, will continue to lead the existing management team.

ATG will perform within Wood Group Mustang’s Automation and Control business unit, providing Wood Group Mustang the opportunity to enter into the manufacturing automation market, complementing its current process automation capabilities.

“ATG provides many opportunities for Wood Group Mustang, including growing our automation business to include manufacturing and expanding into the food and beverage and airport markets. With a culture focused on people and innovation, ATG is the right fit for Wood Group Mustang,” said Michele McNichol, Wood Group Mustang CEO.

“Wood Group Mustang’s global resources and diversified project experience will enable ATG to undertake larger projects and access key growth opportunities outside the UK, building upon our custom solutions for our clients,” commented Andy Robinson. “This will benefit ATG both as a systems integrator for automation projects (our Autotech brand) and as a supplier of low- and medium-voltage electrical switchgear and motor controls centers (our Igranic brand).”

Jee Ltd, a leading multi-disciple subsea engineering and training firm, has completed more than a thousand specialist span assessments already this year, delivering major cost-savings by avoiding remediation work.

Graham Wilson, Head of Late Life at Jee Limited, said: “Pipeline spans are formed due to an uneven seabed, scour or sandwaves, and can cause integrity issues with potential catastrophic and costly results. These spans can be susceptible to failure through fatigue and, as span length increases, the risk of fatigue damage due to direct wave loading or vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) also increases.”

Jee’s engineering team boasts a proven track-record for providing pipeline span assessment to the global oil and gas industry, with systems in place to run span analysis quickly and accurately.

Jee span monitoring kit

Mr. Wilson continued: “We have an in-depth understanding of the codes and standards and appreciate their limitations, allowing us to effectively challenge them without adversely affecting safety. By doing so we can remove conservatism and increase the allowable span length, minimising the remediation work required which can lead to expensive operations and potentially create new issues.

“When intervention work is necessary, we are pragmatic in our approach and ensure offshore vessel time and activities are optimized to maintain economical operations.”

In addition, Jee has developed an innovative span monitoring kit which monitors the motion of spans and the associated environmental conditions. The data collected can be used to prove that VIV isn’t occurring when predicted by the design codes, removing the need for costly corrective work. Alternatively, the kit allows the occurrence of VIV to be detected, providing supporting evidence of the need for intervention (the kit can also be used to provide assurance that remediation measures are having the desired effect).

“Jee has a long history of supporting subsea operations and is committed to providing quality engineering services in a technically advanced, secure and sustainable way. Our clients’ needs are always at the forefront of what we do, and we consistently aim to add-value to all projects and operations.” Mr. Wilson concluded.

Aquatic Engineering and Construction Ltd, an Acteon company, has been awarded a contract to lay power cables for the main provider of electricity in British Columbia, Canada. Aquatic will deliver a multi-reel solution making the operation faster and supporting its partners to manage costs and resources.

The shallow water project will commence later this week in the tidal estuary of the Strait of Georgia. Aquatic will be laying approximately 15 km of 87 mm diameter electrical power cable, and will be operating in a busy shipping lane between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia, close to the US border.

Aquatic’s multi-reel solution enables the project vessel to perform fewer of the 230 km trips between the quayside and the project site, and effectively reduces the barge transit distance by 2000 km. The solution will provide considerable time and craneage cost savings by having all four reels loaded on the vessel at the start of the project, rather than mobilised individually.

The equipment was mobilized from Aquatic’s US base at Morgan City, Louisiana. Having a full suite of equipment in North America enabled Aquatic to swiftly respond once the project date had been agreed.

Richard Charles, sales and business development manager, Aquatic, said, “Our recent successes, such as the umbilical installation project with Mermaid Subsea Services in the Middle East earlier this year1, have demonstrated our multi-reel capability and expertise in delivering an integrated managed service. Our people and equipment, once mobilised, will partner with the subcontractor’s teams effectively, within the agreed timescales (weather permitting) and to budget.”

Ashtead Technology’s Houston office has secured an industry seal of approval from ISNetworld (ISN) for maintaining the highest oil and gas safety and quality standards within the Gulf of Mexico.

ISNetworld is a global resource for connecting companies with safe, reliable contractors and suppliers. It measures key performance indicators among contractors in meeting industry needs and regulations.

Ashtead Technology is now a verified and compliant member of ISN following a rigorous six month due diligence and audit process.

Chris Echols, (photo) Vice President of Ashtead Technology in Houston said: “With increasing scrutiny on service and costs across our industry, this certification now independently verifies and certifies our commitment to the highest safety and quality standards within the sector.

“We offer customers more than just equipment rental; we supply technology that is specific to their needs as well as provide invaluable expertise through the global provision of qualified, highly-skilled personnel for both on and offshore operational project integration and support.”

ISNetworld provides companies with the tools required to measure their health and safety performance, identify strengths and weakness and assess how they can drive improvement across the business. It serves as a forum for sharing industry best practices and benchmarking resources, leading efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of contractor management systems.

Mr. Echols added: “This is great recognition of the outstanding work carried out by our team who are committed to delivering a first class service to our customers. It allows us to track our performance and validates our position as a market leader in providing integrated subsea technology solutions across the globe.”

Through the delivery of enhanced technical support services, Ashtead Technology is committed to delivering a range of value-added services which now include the supply of offshore personnel, equipment sales, complete asset management, calibration, repair and maintenance, custom engineering, cable moulding and training.

Formed in 1985, Ashtead Technology employs 84 people in Aberdeen, London, Houston and Singapore with agents in Abu Dhabi, Perth (Australia) and Stavanger.

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: APC) has announced the election of Dr. Sean Gourley to serve as an independent director of the company, effective Sept. 15, 2015.

"Our industry and company will increasingly use big data and artificial intelligence to improve exploration, development and production success, and to do it more safely and efficiently," said Anadarko Chairman, President and CEO Al Walker. "As a highly successful executive and entrepreneur in the tech sector, Sean brings a unique and valuable perspective to Anadarko's Board of Directors. Our company is continuously expanding its use of leading-edge technology to develop oil and natural gas resources, and having a Board member with Sean's expertise will complement and enhance our ability to leverage technology as a competitive advantage."

Additionally, Anadarko announced Amanda M. McMillian, formerly Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer, has been promoted to Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer. Anadarko's Robert K. (Bobby) Reeves, formerly Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer, will assume the new title of Executive Vice President, Law and Chief Administrative Officer, and will continue to serve as a member of the company's executive committee.

"Amanda has been an outstanding contributor to the success of Anadarko," said Walker. "Since joining Anadarko in 2004, she has been a trusted voice advancing the company's legal and compliance requirements, while demonstrating tremendous leadership throughout our organization. This move also will enable Bobby to devote more time to the management of Anadarko globally and, in particular, to enhancing our approach to domestic and international government relations. Bobby is uniquely capable of further strengthening the positive relationships we've developed with various governments and NGOs, as energy policy in all countries continues to evolve."

DR. SEAN GOURLEY

Dr. Gourley, 36, is the founder and CEO of Primer, an early-stage, venture-backed company building software to power artificial intelligence applications. Prior to founding Primer, he was the founder and Chief Technology Officer of Quid, a San Francisco-based augmented intelligence company building software for strategic decision-making. Quid was a finalist for Innovative Company in Big Data by Fast Company magazine in 2013. Born in New Zealand, Dr. Gourley studied at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar where he received a Ph.D. in physics, and he received both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in physics from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. He was additionally a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Said Business School at Oxford University and is currently an Equity Partner with Data Collective Venture Capital Fund, investing in key data and algorithmic technologies.

AMANDA M. McMILLIAN

During McMillian's tenure at Anadarko, she also served as Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Western Gas Holdings, LLC, a subsidiary of Anadarko and general partner of Western Gas Partners, LP (NYSE: WES) from January 2008 to August 2012. McMillian, 42, began her career at the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, where she represented a variety of clients in a wide range of transactional, corporate governance and securities matters. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Southwestern University and received both a Master of Arts and a Juris Doctor from Duke University.

Aberdeen-based behavioral change consultancy Optimus Seventh Generation, has reinforced its commitment to safety by securing a new agreement with Apache North Sea to deliver a series of unique training workshops in 2015 and 2016.

Statoil has, on behalf of the Johan Sverdrup partnership, awarded a contract to ABB AB in Sweden for fabrication and installation of two high-voltage cables supplying power from shore to the Johan Sverdrup field.

The contract is an EPCI contract covering engineering, procurement, fabrication, installation and testing of two high-voltage power cables and a fiber-optic communication cable to the Johan Sverdrup field centre from shore.

The high-voltage cables are 200 kilometers long and designed for a supply capacity of 100 MW/80 kV. This will cover the power need for the first phase of the Johan Sverdrup field development, which is scheduled for start-up late in 2019.

The contract also covers options for delivering high-voltage cables from shore to the Johan Sverdrup field to meet the power requirement of a full development of the Johan Sverdrup field as well as the Edvard Grieg, Ivar Aasen and Gina Krog fields on the Utsira High.

The total contract value is NOK 700 million, plus options.

Fabricated at ABB AB’s plant in Karlskrona, the high-voltage cables will be laid from Haugsneset in Tysvær municipality north of Stavanger to the Johan Sverdrup field centre on the Utsira High. The power cables will be pulled up to the riser platform at the Johan Sverdrup field centre. The cables will be buried into the seabed or covered by rocks, as required.

This contract is one of the three major contracts covering the land-based power supply project. The first contract has already been awarded to ABB in Norway for delivery of high-voltage direct current transformer equipment to the riser platform at Johan Sverdrup and at Haugsneset. The last contract covers all construction work related to the alternating current cable to be laid from Kårstø to Haugsneset and the entire onshore converter station. The contract for the onshore construction work is being evaluated and is expected to be awarded this autumn.

The Johan Sverdrup oil field will be operated by land-based power from production start in late 2019. The first phase of the Johan Sverdrup field development will also include all the preparations needed for land-based power supply for a full Johan Sverdrup development as well as other fields on the Utsira High by 2022.

The Johan Sverdrup field partners: Statoil 40.0267% (operator), Lundin Norway 22.6%, Petoro 17.36%, Det norske oljeselskap 11.5733% and Maersk Oil 8.44%.

Fugro has formed a strategic alliance with Coremar, a Colombian turnkey port, marine services, and logistics provider. The objective is to provide life-of-field solutions to the oil and gas industry in Colombia and the Caribbean, particularly in the delivery of geophysical, geoconsulting, geotechnical, metocean and other core Fugro services.

The alliance enables Fugro to offer unique turnkey solutions. Combining its scientific know-how, technical and geological expertise with Colombian flagged DP2 vessels, port infrastructure and the operational excellence that characterizes Coremar, creates a local integral solution for Colombia and the Latin America region. Together, Fugro and Coremar will offer the region’s first dedicated geophysical survey and geotechnical sampling Colombian flagged vessels.

The agreement was signed on August 27th 2015 at a ceremony with clients during the recent XVI Congreso Colombiano Petróleo y Gas.

Kvaerner will sign the final contract for delivery of the drilling platform jacket to the Johan Sverdrup field. This is number 45 in a series of steel substructures from Kvaerner in the past 45 years.

On 26 June 2014 Kvaerner entered into a frame agreement for delivery of steel jacket substructures for future Statoil projects. At the same time Letter of Intent were signed for the steel jackets for the Johan Sverdrup riser platform and drilling platform.

Kvaerner is known in the business to always deliver demanding projects at the agreed time and quality. With the two contracts for delivery of steel jackets to Johan Sverdrup in order backlog, Kvaerner Verdal has a solid and predictable foundation as basis for continuous improvement and long-term planning in connection with further development of Kvaerner in Verdal, says Jan Arve Haugan, Kvaerner's President & CEO.

The new contract reinforces Kvaerner's position as the market leader for large steel jacket substructures to the North Sea region. The drilling platform jacket is scheduled to be delivered in the spring of 2018. The engineering has now started at Kvaerner's offices in Oslo. Kvaerner Verdal is the contract party, and the project management will be based at the company's specialized jacket facility in Verdal in Mid-Norway, where fabrication will be executed. Prefabrication will start in the summer of 2016, and assembly will take place from the spring of 2017.

At peak manning, around 250 Kvaerner employees will be working on the drilling platform jacket. Together with the delivery of the riser platform jacket, this will engage around 500 Kvaerner employees when the two projects are at their most hectic. Additionally, it is expected that as spin-off effects of the two deliveries work will be created for another 1 500 people in Kvaerner's sub-suppliers and from regional service providers in private and public sector. Johan

Sverdrup jackets fact sheet

Subsea IMR provider, N-Sea Offshore Ltd, has successfully completed a fully integrated and managed service for Maersk Oil UK’s 2015 Subsea Inspection Program.

The work scope involved four field locations in the North Sea and utilized N-Sea’s IMR and subsea capabilities for a duration of 135 days. The four locations were combined within one scope which commenced on 1 March this year, thus achieving optimum levels of efficiency and productivity.

The Siem N-Sea was utilized for the scope, to combine ROV inspection services with IMR diving works. The vessel is part of N-Sea’s fleet of dive, multi-support and construction vessels designed to deliver a range of subsea services for offshore assets, platforms, FPSOs and renewables operations.

Roddy James, N-Sea chief operating officer

N-Sea’s chief operating officer, Roddy James, said: “The successful completion of this contract further consolidates our excellent relationship with Maersk Oil, which has always been based upon trust and transparency. The project was completed efficiently and safely with no incidents, and reflected our ability to always provide ‘safe, sound and swift’ solutions.

“At a time when identifying streamlined and cost effective solutions is crucial, combining ROV inspection services and IMR diving works into one work scope ensured this project delivered significant cost savings and achieved optimum efficiencies for the client.”

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

Assystem, a leading innovation and engineering consultancy secures multi-million Euro contract with Fusion for Energy (F4E) - the EU organization responsible for Europe’s contribution to ITER. The five-year contract sees Assystem working on the world’s biggest international energy project, currently under construction in the South of France.

Assystem, which delivers specialist engineering services to the Oil and Gas, Energy, Aerospace, Automotive, Defence and Nuclear industries has started work on the ITER fusion energy project – an unprecedented international effort by China, the EU, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United States to pool financial and scientific resources to build the biggest fusion reactor in history.

Construction is underway in Cadarache and sees Assystem using advanced and innovative techniques suitable for subsea operations and space exploration, focusing on the ITER Divertor Remote Handling system and confirms the company’s position as a key engineering partner within the ITER project.

The Divertor is a key component of the ITER machine. Located at the bottom of the vacuum vessel, its function is to extract impurities from the plasma, in effect acting like a giant exhaust system. The Divertor Remote Handling systems include the equipment required to safely and reliably position as well as extract each of the 54 removable cassettes within the Divertor.

Remote handling is widely used in space exploration missions, subsea or ground operations. The system brings together high tech robotics, advanced technological tools, powerful computers and virtual reality platforms. A high level of intuition and intelligence are inbuilt within the system which is handled by a human operator with extreme dexterity because of the degree of millimetric precision that is required.

Speaking from the company’s North Sea Oil and Gas engineering base, Andrew Mills, Head of Business Unit said: “We are very pleased to have been selected for this prestigious project. The extensive engineering experience our highly-skilled team has developed across the Energy sector means Assystem can add value across the oil and gas life cycle. Remote handling technology and systems have clear benefits for the harsh North Sea environment from exploration and production, increasingly, to decommissioning.

“Oil and gas producers require more efficient and innovative services than ever before from suppliers and Assystem’s ability to use the expertise developed in the course of this work will be of benefit in demanding North Sea oil and gas operations. “

Since 2009, Assystem has been heavily involved in the concept design phase of the various types of remote handling equipment that will be required to install, maintain, and recover the diverse components of the ITER Tokamak during its operational life.

For Assystem, the contract confirms the Group’s dedication and commitment to the international fusion energy project. It also demonstrates the company’s leading edge competencies and its capacity to bring together the best-in class skills and partners for a specific project.

Assystem and its partners have successfully collaborated to offer a wealth of expert fusion energy knowledge that will drive innovation and meet the uniquely challenging requirements of the ITER project.

The Assystem-led team brings a distinctive combination of skills and experience which provides F4E access to the extensive nuclear remote handling capability available from within Assystem. These skills and knowledge are now available to the UK oil and gas market.

Assystem is an international Engineering and Innovation Consultancy. Assystem supports its customers in developing their products and managing their capital expenditure throughout the product life cycle. Assystem employs more than 12,000 people worldwide and reported $960 million in revenue in 2014.

Hoover Container Solutions (“Hoover”), a leading provider of chemical tanks, cargo carrying units and related products and services to the global energy, petrochemical and related industrial end markets, has acquired Tech Oil Products, Inc. (“Tech Oil”).

Founded in 1980 and headquartered in New Iberia, Louisiana, Tech Oil has become an integral part of the Gulf Coast business community, and a market leader for waste processing and handling equipment to the oil & gas and marine sectors globally. The company designs, manufactures, sells and rents a line of waste compacting, processing and recycling products, as well as offshore cargo equipment. Best known for their ENVIRO-PAK®, SafeSub®, Windchiller® and TOP Offshore Basket brands; the full product line includes over 60 products known worldwide for their reliable and safe operation. Recycle the Gulf® - a partnership between producers and operators, Tech Oil and the Arc of Acadiana - was launched in 2001 with the goal of reducing and recycling the volume of wasted generated offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. The program provides a valuable service and has made Tech Oil a trusted pillar of the Gulf Community and a responsible warden for the environment.

The acquisition of Tech-Oil will firmly establish Hoover as a premier supplier of waste processing and handling equipment, offshore recycling equipment, chemical, cargo and waste management tanks, baskets, containers and related accessories and services. Together they will continue to provide a diverse product range and robust services to their customers across the region and in the global energy marketplace.

Hoover’s Chief Executive Officer, Donald Young said, “Hoover is always working to introduce innovative products and services to the market and expand operations to best meet our customer needs. The combined Hoover-Tech Oil offerings are one of the largest and most diverse in the Gulf of Mexico region and makes Hoover one of the only worldwide companies to offer a full range of cargo carrying units including chemical, cargo and waste management products to the global energy market. This acquisition follows our partnership with First Reserve last January and supports our growth plan.”

“The partnership of Hoover and Tech Oil will allow us to provide a more complete product and service offering to our customers Worldwide.” said John Zimmer, President of Tech Oil Products. “We are excited to work with the Hoover because both teams share a similar commitment to high quality products and superior customer service.”

Fugro has secured a contract for the installation and burial of array cables at the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm being built in the English Channel, 13 kilometers off the Sussex coast, by E.ON alongside partners, the UK Green Investment Bank plc.

The engineering and planning will start immediately with installation being carried out in two phases in 2016 and 2017. Fugro will lay and bury the cables with its construction and installation vessels Fugro Symphony and Fugro Saltire using one of its two Q1400 trenching systems to bury the cables. The array cables will be pulled in and laid between the wind turbines and the offshore substation, where the power is then transmitted onshore.

“The award of this contract has strengthened Fugro’s successful working relationship with E.ON and comes soon after finishing cable-lay and burial on E.ON’s recently completed Humber Gateway Wind Farm,” said Derek Cruickshank, Managing Director, Fugro Subsea Services Ltd. “Subsea installation and trenching systems are amongst Fugro Subsea’s specialist services and our focus on offshore energy is supported by a team of highly experienced onshore and offshore personnel.”

The Rampion Offshore Wind Farm will consist of 116 turbines, each with a generating capacity of 3.45 MW. Construction is expected to be completed in 2018.

Sparrows Group, a global leader in offshore lifting related engineered products and services, has won a five-year deal with Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (ADMA-OPCO) in the Middle East.

The successful retender through the company’s local partner, Abu Dhabi Oilfield Services, will see Sparrows Group providing the operations and maintenance support to all cranes and lifting equipment aboard offshore platforms and the Al Hyleh Barge in the UAE and Zirku Islands. The agreement which covers ADMA-OPCO’s offshore installations – the Umm Shaif Super Complex, Zakum West Super Complex and the Zakum Central Super Complex – is initially a three year contract with the option for two one year extensions.

Sparrows Group will provide operations and maintenance support for cranes and lifting equipment to ADMA-OPCO

Stewart Mitchell, Sparrows Group chief executive officer, said: “We have established a strong and successful relationship with ADMA-OPCO since we began working together approximately 16 years ago. The work we have been contracted to do involves providing the total integrated management of cranes and other lifting equipment which optimizes the performance and reliability of all safety critical lifting operations.

“As well as providing offshore personnel who are supported by our onshore staff in Abu Dhabi and worldwide we will be supplying preventative maintenance, repair and refurbishment, spare parts, and comprehensive technical support.”

“We have placed an emphasis on growing our presence in the Middle East and an important part of this involves building upon our existing contracts. Our strong reputation for quality and a client focused delivery is proving to be particularly appealing to operators in the region.”

In addition to being experts in lifting and handling, Sparrows Group is a specialist in the provision of engineered products and services in cable and pipe lay and fluid power to the energy industry.

The firm has been expanding in the Middle East with bases in Abu Dhabi and Al Khor (Qatar), and recently opened new regional headquarters in Dubai. Sparrows Group has also formed a strategic partnership with the Zamil Group in Saudi Arabia recently.

Established originally in 1946, the Sparrows Group moved into the oil and gas market in 1975 and celebrates 40 years working offshore this year. They are one of the most well-known and trusted names in the oil and gas industry.