Hamworthy Opens New Service Center in Brazil

- Hamworthy Opens New Service Center in Brazil

Monday, August 22, 2011
Hamworthy plc

Hamworthy is to open a new dedicated service center in Brazil.

The new service center represents a direct investment in a market that has offered sustained growth for the company's oil and gas handling systems and pump systems businesses in recent years.

With offices in Rio and planned workshops and warehousing operations in Macae it will support customers through easy access to spare parts from a domestic warehouse and qualified service personnel for all Hamworthy products, as well as related products and equipment installed onboard. The service center will also offer assistance to domestic yards during the installation and commission stages of construction.

The move, which highlights the company's commitment to Brazil's growing marine and offshore sectors, supports a string of recent orders won by the company.

Hamworthy Oil & Gas Systems was recently awarded a major contract by Brazilian shipyard Estaleiro Promar SA for the design and supply of cargo handling systems for eight liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers destined for operation by Transpetro, a subsidiary of Petrobras. The vessels will be designed by Hamworthy's specialist naval architecture consultancy in Poland, Hamworthy Baltic Design Centre, along with the cargo tanks and cargo handling system.

Hamworthy Oil & Gas Systems recently completed installation of its VIEC (vessel internal electrostatic coealescer) system in the oil separator on Petrobras' Siri offshore installation. Hamworthy was also contracted to supply a complete VIEC system for Brazilian FPSO operator OSX for the OSX-1 FPSO, which will be chartered by owner OGX Petróleo e Gás Ltda for redeployment on Waimea (Block BM-C-41) in the Campos Basin.

Gusto BV (the design, engineering, procurement, project management and consultancy services arm of SBM Offshore,) recently specified seawater lift pumps and electric fire pumps from Hamworthy Pump Systems for installation onboard the Cidade de Paraty floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, due for delivery in Brazilian waters in 2013. Gusto will operate the FPSO on behalf of Petrobras in the Santos Basin pre-salt area.

Meanwhile, Hamworthy has received an order covering electrically-driven cargo pump systems for eight FPSOs from Brazilian shipyard Engevix Construcões Oceânicas S.A. The equipment will be delivered between 2012 and 2014. These vessels, each with capacity to store 1,600,000 barrels of oil, will be assigned to various field developments in the pre-salt area of Santos Basin.

Hamworthy's deepwell cargo offloading pumps and fire water pump systems were ordered recently by Teekay Operation for an FPSO to be constructed at Samsung Heavy Industries. With capacity to store 800,000 barrels of crude oil, the newbuilding FPSO will enter operation during the first quarter of 2014 in the North Sea's Knarr oil and gas field.

The run of contracts for Brazilian customers has also seen Hamworthy selected to supply equipment for the Papa Terra FPSO for BW Offshore. The company will deliver cargo pump room systems, seawater lift and firewater pumps for the FPSO, which is under conversion at COSCO Dalian, for delivery towards the end of 2011.

"Brazil is a key market for technology companies involved in marine and offshore," said Hans Jakob Buvarp, Managing Director, Hamworthy Brazil. "It is why we are extending our capabilities in terms of local service support and increasing local content supply."

Hamworthy has been present in Brazil since the 1970s, offering products and services through its local partner Tridente. Its new dedicated service centre will provide essential assistance to ship and offshore operators including the provision of spares and service to the growing Brazilian market.

Hamworthy continues to develop its technologies and solutions for offshore applications with its strong marine background, and many of its products are already operating in harsh conditions around the world in mission-critical upstream conditions.

Last year, Hamworthy delivered a fuel gas system to the Statoil operated field, Peregrino, also operating in Brazilian waters. The company said it was also experiencing increased interest from oil companies operating in Brazilian waters for its flare gas recovery and ignition systems that result in reduced emissions

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Tethys Opens Doris Facilities in Kazakhstan

- Tethys Opens Doris Facilities in Kazakhstan

Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Tethys Petroleum Ltd.

Tethys announced the opening of its Doris oil production facilities in Kazakhstan.

Oil is currently being trucked from this location at a rate of approximately 1,500 barrels of oil per day ("bopd"), which will increase to 2-2,500 bopd with the new production facilities. With the opening of the new rail-loading facility in 4Q of this year, which will reduce the trucking distance by half, it is planned to increase production to 4,000 bopd. The production facility and terminal are designed for potentially much greater production rates in the future.

Dr. David Robson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tethys, who inaugurated the facilities together with the Deputy Governor of the Shalkar Region and the Governor of Bozoi, said, "This is an important step forward in the development of the Doris oilfield. The increase in production capacity and the ability to produce refinery grade crude oil is crucial to the further development of the Doris oilfield. In addition to the increased sales volumes Tethys will also realise better margins. Our Kazakh team have done a tremendous job in delivering this project on time and on budget, particularly in the remote location of Bozoi and I congratulate them on this important milestone. We would expect to see further production increases as we continue to expand the facilities and drill new wells on the Doris field. This is a great day for Tethys!"

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Momentive Opens New Facility in Arkansas

- Momentive Opens New Facility in Arkansas

Monday, August 01, 2011
Momentum Specialty Chemicals Inc.

The Oilfield Technology Group (OTG) of Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc., announced the startup of a new manufacturing plant in Batesville, Ark., to provide additional resin coated proppants to fracturing service companies and operators in the oil & gas industry.

"We continue to add needed capacity to satisfy our customers' demand for specialty proppants for the growing horizontal fracturing market. The addition of this facility to our current manufacturing grid will enable us to ensure an ongoing and secure supply of specialty proppants for the industry," said Jerry Borges, Vice President, Oilfield Technology Group.

The Batesville plant is the second addition to the OTG manufacturing grid in 2011. The business expanded its plant in Cleburne, Texas, earlier this year and has incremental expansions in process at other facilities. It now operates a total of six manufacturing plants with multiple production lines and fourteen transload facilities serving the U.S. and Canadian markets.

The new Batesville facility will manufacture OTG's newest addition to its product line, called Black Pro™ proppant, which offers next-generation resin bonding technology.

"We continue to develop new products to address the shale exploration requirements in North America," Borges said. "Black Pro proppant is another addition to our line of curable products that provides flowback control for our customers in the numerous frac treatments in the horizontal sections. The benefits of curable resin coated proppants have helped our customers maintain clean wellbores when producing these prolific wells," Borges said.

Resin coated proppants are used in the hydraulic fracturing process to help optimize production from oil and gas wells by maximizing fracture flow capacity from the reservoir to the wellbore. Technological innovations and Momentive's introduction of enhanced materials have expanded the use of resin coated proppants into unconventional reservoirs that feature complex and challenging geological formations.

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Expro Opens New Operating Base in Canada

- Expro Opens New Operating Base in Canada

Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Expro International Group

Expro announced the establishment of a new, purpose-built operating base in Newfoundland, Canada.

Ground was broken on the new base in April 2011 and construction is expected to be completed in October of this year. Upon completion of construction, Expro plans to open the facility for business in November.

The new operating base will support the provision of well testing, subsea and DHV services for offshore Newfoundland. These service and product offerings will be enhanced going forward as new opportunities present themselves in the ongoing exploration and development of the offshore fields in the area.

"Expro Canada has experienced strong growth in the past few years, and the Eastern Canadian offshore is a critical part of this success as well as its future growth," said Carl Cooper, Frontier Division Manager for North America.

"Enabling this expected growth requires a purpose-built home from which our team can continue to provide world class equipment and services to the expanding industry."

When complete, the base will accommodate a team of 30 people, the majority of whom are local employees.

The new Expro facility will be located in the new Paradise Industrial Park in Paradise, Newfoundland. It will consist of a four-bay workshop with 8400 sq. ft. of warehouse area, an office annex with 6000 ft. of office space on two levels, and an acre of paved and fenced yard.

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Flexlife Opens New Base in UK

- Flexlife Opens New Base in UK

Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Flexlife

Flexlife has opened a new base in Newcastle and plans to recruit 25 staff by the end of this year, rising to 50 within 18 months.

The award-winning company has appointed Andrew Lake as Director of Operations in Newcastle. He is a Chartered Engineer with more than 30 years experience, including senior roles at Soil Machine Dynamics, BPP Technical Services and Wellstream International. He holds a 1st class Mechanical Engineering degree and is a Member of both the Institute of Mechanical Engineers and the Association for Project Management.

As well as attracting new recruits into the industry, Flexlife believes the location will be a draw to many workers who commute weekly to Aberdeen and other energy hubs at present. The office is at the newly developed Baltic Place on the quayside near to the Millenium Bridge.

Chief Operating Officer John Marsden said, "We know from our experience that there is a talented pool of highly-skilled staff in the Newcastle area and we are hoping to tap into that. We have the best team in the industry and are confident we will quickly attract the same caliber of staff for our Newcastle office. We are already off to a great start with Andy taking charge of our operations in Newcastle."

Mr. Lake said, "Flexlife is experiencing a period of significant growth and the new office will expand our capability to offer specialized support to our clients. The choice of Newcastle for this latest expansion recognizes the skills in the region and will be a new addition to the growing subsea sector in the North East of England."

Mr. Marsden added, "Flexlife has continued to build on its reputation for offering a full subsea integrity and project management package, assisting clients to cost-effectively manage all of their subsea assets and infrastructure. Looking ahead, the Newcastle office will provide us with the capability to expand our range of services to include front end engineering design to support the ongoing work for our clients."

Flexlife reported an increase in turnover of more than 50% for year ending 2010/11, with a rise from £4.8million to £7.5million. A further rise to £17.8million is predicted for 2011/12.

As well as the new office in Newcastle, Flexlife has moved into premises in Brazil and taken on a new global HQ in Aberdeen. The company also operates in Africa, the Far East and Mediterranean and staff numbers globally are expected to reach 120 by the end of this year.

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Datacom Opens Service Center in Eagle Ford Region

- Datacom Opens Service Center in Eagle Ford Region

Thursday, June 16, 2011
Datacom

Datacom has opened a service center in the Eagle Ford Shale region of South Texas.

According to a recent independent report, the surge in new wells in the region is an indicator that Eagle Ford could become the largest shale play in the US. To better serve this rapidly growing area, the new Datacom office in Corpus Christi will enable quicker response time by qualified experts at lower costs. All 22 counties in the formation will enjoy local support for broadband wireless, satellite, microwave, and other communications services.

"We have always maintained a core focus on world-class service," said John Poindexter, CEO of Datacom. "With that in mind, we felt opening this center was the logical next step, and the response from customers has been fantastic."

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Wartsila Opens New Workshop in Poland

- Wartsila Opens New Workshop in Poland

Friday, May 20, 2011
Wartsila Corp.

Wärtsilä Corporation opens a new workshop in Gdansk, Poland on May 20, 2011. Located close to Polish shipyards and ports, the workshop further strengthens Wärtsilä's presence in the Baltic area and its position as the leading services provider for shipping customers visiting Poland. The new facilities enable advanced servicing and repairs of engine components, as well as enhanced re-machining capabilities. Included among the new activities that will be undertaken are the overhaul of fuel pumps, fuel valves and air coolers, and overhauls of bow thruster units.

"Our customers will benefit from the increased range of services we now can provide," said Wojtek Wlodarczak, President and Service Manager, Wärtsilä Polska. "One of the advantages is that we now can handle very large engine assemblies. The new facilities also enable us to carry out engine repairs and overhauls using the very latest technologies, and to further expand into areas such as the supply of propulsion equipment and electrical and automation services."

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Senergy Opens Business Hub in Stavanger

Senergy Opens Business Hub in Stavanger

Friday, May 06, 2011
Senergy

Aberdeen-headquartered global energy services company Senergy has consolidated its rapid growth in Norway by officially opening major new business and training premises Friday in the region where the company's technical innovation and wells expertise have been pivotal to its success.

Senergy's new business hub in central Stavanger features extensive office accommodation and expanded training facilities to meet growth in its team and an increasing demand for its specialist services. These range from subsurface services, well engineering and well operations to specialised technical training courses and Senergy's proprietary industry leading software products.

The company, which works for the full spectrum of Norwegian oil and gas companies from independents such as Noreco to multi-national operators like Centrica, launched its new premises in Strandkaien by opening its doors to business leaders and demonstrating how Senergy's technical expertise and innovation is helping the region unlock its energy potential.

Senergy's chief executive officer James McCallum, who joined Senergy AS's managing director Oystein Roti at the Stavanger event, said: "Norway is a key region for Senergy and our relocation to larger business premises underlines our commitment to the market. By carving out a niche for ourselves in the delivery of specialist oil and gas technical services, we are well on track to double the size of our Norwegian operations by 2012 and create new employment opportunities for a second consecutive year.

"We have seen more than 20 projects initiated in the past three months alone from our Stavanger base, including providing support to a number of clients in the 21st licensing round, for example Centrica who have successfully secured licenses."

Roti, who was appointed managing director just under a year ago, said the strength of Senergy's wells services was integral to the business's significant growth and the recent appointment of Davide Gaggero as wells manager underpins the focus on the company's well engineering and well operations offering.

"Over the last year, we have invested in our business in Norway by ensuring we have the right people in place. Davide brings a valuable depth of knowledge and experience in drilling project management and complete well engineering and construction, and has been involved in major projects worldwide including Angola, Italy and Gabon.

"Having worked for ENI Norge for the past three years, he also has extensive knowledge and contacts in the Norwegian market and will play a fundamental role in further driving forward and reinforcing Senergy's wells business."

Senergy AS predominantly operates in the Norwegian Continental Shelf where the company's strength is underpinned by the experience that Senergy holds not only in North West Europe but globally. "It is important to remember that Senergy is a global company, which gives us access to a team of over 400 technical specialists, no matter where they sit in the world."

Among current projects that Senergy is involved with is Noreco's exploration activities in Denmark. Senergy is undertaking well planning for the Luna prospect exploration well in the Danish sector which is planned to be drilled in Q3 2011. This project follows on from Senergy delivering project management for the drilling of Noreco's Svanegle prospect in the Norwegian North Sea Continental Shelf which was successfully completed in February this year, and well planning support on the Tasta prospect, which was Noreco's first well as an operator in Norway.

Senergy, which has enjoyed a strong, four-year relationship with Noreco, is also conducting well planning for an exploration well that the independent operator plans to drill in the Barents Sea in Q1 2012.

Other projects include Senergy supporting Centrica with well planning for two drilling prospects in the Norwegian sector. The first is the Butch exploration prospect which will be drilled in Q3 2011 using the Maersk Guardian jack up drilling rig. The second is the Cooper HP/HT (high pressure/high temperature) well in the Haltenbanken sector which is scheduled to be drilled in Q1 2012 using the West Alpha semi submersible drilling rig.

Senergy AS was established in 2005 when the company supported Talisman Energy Norge on the Varg development. Senergy AS has since grown its client portfolio and now supports many of the region's operators including Statoil, OMV and GDF SUEZ with key services encompassing subsurface, well engineering, well operations, geohazard assessment, marine site survey, rig positioning, software design and engineering. Senergy also offers specialist training services with an extensive training programme which covers courses in petrophysics, core analysis, geomechanics (sand production and wellbore stability), reservoir seismic characterisation and geology. The training courses are delivered by Senergy specialists, many of whom are also SPE (Society of Petroleum Engineers) Distinguished Lecturers.

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Fuse 5 Opens New Shop

Fuse 5 Opens New Shop

Thursday, April 28, 2011
Fuse 5

Fuse 5 announced the opening of a new office in Pittsburgh, Pa., expanding the organization's scope of services and broadening its ability to serve companies in the energy industry.

Meredith Dugas, M.B.A., who has nearly a decade of experience in writing and strategy development and execution, has been hired to lead the new location and will serve as the agency's Vice President of Strategic Services.

"Over the last several years, we've dedicated a tremendous amount of resources to clients in the energy industry, from managing high-profile events to executing nationwide advertising campaigns," said Shari King, owner and CEO of Fuse 5. "Meredith has a strong background in nearly every aspect of marketing and communications, and her leadership skills – combined with her experience in community relations – will add a lot of value to companies both in and out of the energy sector."

"Moving into Pittsburgh is a natural step in the progression of our overall strategy to expand the services we provide to companies with interests in the major U.S. shale plays," said Doug Williams, President of Fuse 5. "With resources both in Houston and Pittsburgh, we are now uniquely positioned to meet virtually any requirement of organizations working in the Marcellus and Utica formations."

Throughout her career, Dugas has worked with a range of companies spanning multiple industries – from oil and gas, healthcare, and legal to wealth management, education, and technology. She has held positions in an agency setting and most recently worked as the Manager of Internal Communications for the renowned Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center Campus located in Houston.

In that role, she served as editor of six major publications, three of which were produced monthly. She established, managed and executed communication plans in support of organizational goals and collaborated with executive-level leadership to resolve specific communication challenges, including position eliminations, corporate restructures, and the impact of healthcare reform at the hospital, local, and national levels.

Dugas is a graduate of the University of Houston, earning both a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and a Master of Business Administration.

Expro Opens New Facility in Ghana

Expro Opens New Facility in Ghana

Friday, April 22, 2011
Expro International Group

Expro has officially opened its new custom-built facility in Ghana, West Africa.

Expro has made a significant financial investment to create a world-class base for its experienced team in Ghana, highlighting its commitment to the area and demonstrating a determination to meet the needs of the market.

Expro currently operates in Takoradi with teams working on the Tullow Oil Jubilee contract, supplying deepwater electro-hydraulic subsea services, well testing and a range of other services. Expro has been involved with Tullow in Ghana from the exploration & appraisal phase of Jubilee through to the fast-track development phase.

The new site allows all project activity, including deepwater subsea tools, well testing, clean-up, sampling and PVT (pressure, volume, temperature) services, to be coordinated and monitored from a fully integrated facility. The bespoke 8,000m2 facility, which houses extensive workshop and office space, has been developed around 'modular concepts' which provide efficient work areas and can expand with greater ease, as future operations in the region dictate. This impressive site has also been designed with minimizing the potential impact on the environment in mind.

West Africa has been a major focus for Expro in recent years with a number of significant contracts secured. Almost 700 people are currently working across Expro's Southern & West Africa region, and the company is continuing to invest in people, technology and infrastructure to position itself for growth opportunities.

SWA Region Director Brett Lestrange commented, "Having a permanent operational base in Ghana will ensure we can offer the most efficient and effective service, as well as continuing to develop our presence in the challenging subsea deepwater environments. The Jubilee contract is an important part of our future plans in the region, and Expro's capabilities in all aspects of well flow management mean we are well positioned as Ghana develops through 2011 and beyond."

Recruiting and developing a local workforce plays an important part in Expro's business in Ghana, with the company taking pride in its approach to continuing to develop a nationalized workforce. The new operational base incorporates training facilities to ensure the workforce receive the training they need to benefit them personally as well as benefiting the business.

Mr. Lestrange said, "We have high expectations for the new facility. Its opening, combined with the expertise of our people and our latest technology developments, will allow us to continue to deliver to the highest standards for our customers at this exciting period for the region."

Internet Registry Opens for Hydraulic Fracturing Chemicals

Internet Registry Opens for Hydraulic Fracturing Chemicals

Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Rigzone Staff
by Karen Boman

The Ground Water Protection Council and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission on Monday launched a new website that allows oil and gas companies to disclose the chemical additives used in the hydraulic fracturing process on a well-by-well basis.

Chesapeake Energy has announced its active participation in the site, which is receiving funding support from the U.S. Department of Energy. The website will cover information on wells drilled starting with 2011.

Hydraulic fracturing fluid is used in developing deep shale horizontal wells, and is comprised of a mix of water and sand with small amounts of chemical additives to enhance production from otherwise inaccessible oil and gas reserves. Water and sand generally comprise about 98 percent of hydraulic fracturing fluid volume.

Chesapeake reports that it began loading well completion data onto the registry on Feb. 15, 2011, for wells where completion reports have been filed with the appropriate state agencies. Information has been uploaded covering 94 wells in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wyoming.

"Providing further information about our drilling, completing and producing operations in today's environment is more critical than ever, and we believe this new public registry provides an immediate, workable and accurate way to present information about the additives of our hydraulic fracturing operations to all of our stakeholders," said Chesapeake CEO Aubrey K. McClendon.

Twenty-four companies have registered as participants on the website, and 11 of these companies, including Chesapeake, have begun using the website to provide detailed information about the additives in their hydraulic fracturing operations.

The website, www.fracfocus.org, includes information about how hydraulic fracturing works, about the chemicals used and how fresh ground water is protected. The website may also be used by the public.