Oilfield Helping Hands (OHH), a nonprofit charitable organization comprised of volunteers devoted to providing financial assistance to oilfield workers in financial crisis, has been named the 2017 beneficiary of the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) Distinguished Achievement Awards Luncheon. OTC will host the Distinguished Achievement Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, 2 May 2017 at NRG Center in Houston. The event recognizes industry achievements, raises funds for a worthy cause and provides an excellent opportunity for industry leaders to network with colleagues from around the world.

A SCOTTISH-based company has become the 200th firm across the world to achieve OPITO approval after being successfully passed by the skills organisation for the oil and gas industry to roll out an essential induction programme to enhance the safety of offshore workers. Recently opened Clyde Training Solutions (CTS) is the only dedicated maritime and offshore training centre based in central and lowland Scotland. The business has achieved the OPITO standard for delivering the body’s Minimum Industry Training Standard (MIST). Holding the MIST certificate gives workers the confidence that all their peers share the same level of safety training offshore. OPITO, a not-for-profit organisation, is wholly owned by the oil and gas industry. Its aim is to deliver common standards to the global workforce which improve safety and competency. OPITO training standards and workforce development frameworks are currently used by employers in over 45 countries worldwide OPITO UK managing director John McDonald said: “This is very good news for the entire sector. Every worker has the right to go to work and return home safely. With there now being 200 training provider centres across the world able to deliver OPITO approved qualifications, we’ve turned a huge corner to ensuring the workforce receive the same high standard of training and in turn help build a sustainable and competent workforce for today and tomorrow.

Innova AS, a specialist subsea engineering and technology company based in Norway, has selected acoustic and inertial navigation technology from Sonardyne International Ltd., for two new in-field resident ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) being built in the country. Each ROV will be installed with a co-housed Sonardyne SPRINT Inertial Navigation System (INS) and Syrinx Doppler Velocity Log (DVLs) to provide tightly coupled navigation data that will support a wide variety of survey and inspection missions in water depths up to 4,000 metres. The contract was announced on the opening day of the Seabed Mapping and Inspection conference which is taking place this week in Geilo, Norway (8th-10th February). The two ROVs are being built by IKM Technology, this time for delivery to IKM Subsea, who has contracted Innova to supply various on-board sensors, including the navigation system, as part of the vehicle’s development programme.

"Are you allowed to paint the robot?" "How many crew members can control the robot?" "Can we attach a Go Pro?" These are just a few questions answered in Matt Gardner and Jill Zande's SCOUT Competition Class Props Demonstration Facebook LIVE broadcast.

Energy Sales, Inc. will unveil its newest, most cost efficient alkaline battery design for deep ocean applications at Oceanology International North America (February 14-16, San Diego). The Energy Sales Pressure-Tolerant Battery System (PTBS) is an alkaline battery solution specifically for the oceanographic community. The new design replaces the need for housings made of titanium or other costly advanced composite materials. Working with the University of Washington Applied Physics Lab (UW/APL), the company sought to develop a cost-efficient battery solution specific to the deep ocean – depths that range from 1800 to 3000 meters. “Collaborating with UW, we’ve been able to not only identify and design in better cost efficiency, but to demonstrate a remarkable cost/performance breakthrough with the PTBS,” said Jean-Michel Bourdon, CEO at Energy Sales.

Fugro has been awarded a framework contract in the Asia Pacific region for inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) services. Under this contract, IRM services can be called off as needed by the client. The total value of the contract is estimated at around EUR 80 million over the three year period.

Siem Offshore Contractors (SOC) is pleased to announce that all 73 inner array grid cables of the Veja Mate Offshore Wind Farm have been installed and trenched 10 weeks ahead of schedule. The submarine composite cables were successfully installed since 01-Oct-2016 using the “Siem Duo” consisting of the Cable Lay Vessel Siem Aimery and the Installation Support Vessel Siem Moxie. The Siem Duo demonstrated its advanced weather operability during the harsh winter season, whereby both the operations of the gangway on the Siem Moxie as well as post-lay trenching by the Siem Aimery were undertaken in significant wave heights of up to 3 m. The Siem Aimery loaded in excess of 95 km of copper core submarine composite cables directly into its two turntables in addition to the cable protection systems, which were loaded into a dedicated under-deck storage compartment. While the Siem Moxie assisted with the cable pull-in, termination and testing activities deploying SOC’s dedicated offshore support units (OSU) equipped with generators, pull-in winches, tools and equipment for personnel life support at the individual offshore work sites.

Subsea Technology & Rentals Ltd (STR); global specialists in the design, production and rental of advanced subsea technology for the offshore industry are pleased to announce the purchase of a 106G Series Submersible GPS from Applied Acoustic Engineering Limited. This recent purchase represents a further investment in advanced technology from STR as they continue to increase their equipment rental inventory. The 106G is an additional GPS receiver designed to survive immersion that complements the operation of a nearby standard subsea positioning beacon. This arrangement is suited to coastal construction tasks where submersible vehicles may periodically break the surface. Whilst submerged, positioning data is provided by a standard positioning beacon but once the vehicle breaks the surface the 106G takes over to provide the information required, typically cabled to the vessel based positioning system via the vehicle umbilical.

Hydrocarbon production from the ‘Golden Triangle’ – incorporating the deepwater (>500 m water depth) plays of Brazil, the US Gulf of Mexico and West Africa – will peak in 2019 due to the lack of projects sanctioned in recent years. Production data from Douglas-Westwood’s (DW) new online analysis tool, SECTORS, shows combined oil & gas production will reach its crux in two years’ time at some 7.1 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (mmboe/d) before declining into the 2020s. This is largely due to Petrobras’ continuing financial and tendering problems in addition to significant delays to large developments in West Africa – notably Bonga South-West (Shell) and Zabazaba (Eni).

Borets, a global leader in the engineering, manufacturing, sales and service of electric submersible pump (ESP) systems, has named Obren Lekic as CEO of Borets U.S., located in Houston. With more than 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, Lekic will lead the executive team by spearheading strategic market growth through new product development, implementing strategic sales and marketing tactics and leading regular assessments of existing and potential sales channels and products.

ENPRO Subsea’s managing director Ian Donald has been recognised by his peers for his outstanding contribution to the sector at the prestigious Subsea UK Awards 2017. Mr Donald was commended for his pioneering work, which has seen innovative solutions redefine key sections of the marketplace, during a black-tie dinner attended by around 600 industry leaders in Aberdeen (Thursday 2nd February 2017). He was chosen to receive the accolade in light of his leadership, creativity and commitment to delivering results in both enhanced recovery and subsea decommissioning arenas.

Over 4,500 unique visitors made their way to Europe’s largest subsea event, Subsea Expo, held in Aberdeen this week. Delegates flew in from all corners of the world, including Brazil, China, Japan and Mozambique. The largest wholly-focused subsea event in Europe, Subsea Expo is organised by industry body Subsea UK. Neil Gordon, chief executive of Subsea UK, said: "The worst of the pain appears to be behind us and there are promising signs of recovery. The subsea opex market should remain relatively robust and there are signals that delayed projects may be getting back on track.

The Hydro Group was named subsea company of the year at the Subsea UK’s annual awards while Enpro’s Ian Donald was recognised for his outstanding contribution to the industry. The awards, which celebrate the achievements of companies and individuals in the UK subsea industry, were presented at a gala dinner in Aberdeen during Subsea Expo - Europe’s largest subsea-focused exhibition and conference. The awards were presented in front of over 500 leaders from the subsea sector. Neil Gordon, chief executive of Subsea UK hosted the ceremony with former England rugby captain Matt Dawson as guest speaker. The top award, Company of the Year, was presented to The Hydro Group. With over 100 employees, the company is at the forefront in the development and innovation of subsea product technologies. In a period of tough external dynamics, The Hydro Group has focused on market diversification, while delivering profitable and steady growth based on its people and technology.

Ocean Installer has recently completed the very first permanent subsea installation at the Johan Sverdrup field, marking the kick-off of the Johan Sverdrup offshore work. The offshore campaign took place late January in line with project plans and schedule and involved the installation of a subsea template for water injection. The template weighed 290 ton and was installed making use of the CSV Normand Vision.

Ocean Business 2017, which takes place in Southampton at the National Oceanography Centre on 4-6 April 2017, is shaping up to be a vibrant international event for the ocean technology industry. Now larger than ever before, the team are delighted to be welcoming over 340 exhibitors; of these, almost 50 are first time exhibitors at the show, and from 26 countries around the globe.

THE newly merged Aberdeenshire-based Underwater Engineering Services (UES) and Houston headquartered Seanic Oceans Systems has secured its first contract in Tunisia, a region which neither firm had previously operated in. As part of the merger between their parent companies ATR Group and Centurion Group last year, the newly formed business of UES Seanic will support Oceana Subsea on a decommissioning campaign in Tunisia, North Africa.

SBG Systems releases a new version of the Ellipse Series, its popular product line of miniature inertial sensors. The Ellipse has been greatly improved, showing unmatched performance in attitude and heave measurement while adding Galileo constellation to its GNSS receiver. After thousands of Ellipse miniature inertial sensors operational on the field, SBG Systems proves again its capability of continuous innovation. With major improvements, the Ellipse line of miniature inertial sensors strengthens its position as “best combination of innovation, performance, and reliability” while keeping the same form factor and price level.

Subsea 7, a global leader in seabed-to-surface engineering, construction and services, has taken delivery of Seven Arctic and Seven Kestrel, successfully completing a substantial and targeted fleet investment programme that has added six new-build vessels to the Subsea 7 fleet since 2014. Seven Arctic is a heavy construction flex-lay vessel designed to meet the demands of deep water and harsh environments. Capable of working at depths of 3,000 metres, the vessel features a 1,000t offshore crane and a 600t top tension (tiltable) lay system.