Bibby Offshore has become the first to deploy a pioneering diving safety system in the North Sea. The company, a leading subsea services provider to the oil and gas industry, provided its divers with the innovative Compact Bailout Rebreathing Apparatus (COBRA), during a recent contract with BP North Sea. Working at depths of up to 110 metres, the Bibby divers using the COBRA system to deliver electrical umbilical installation, subsea control module (SCM) changeout, and production and controls system integrity testing, deisolation and commissioning services. COBRA, developed by JFD, is a simple, highly reliable bailout system which offers divers up to 45 minutes of fully independent breathing

Global oil and gas solutions provider Tendeka has appointed Paul Guilfoyle as its Sales Engineer for Canada as the independent completions and production optimisation specialist grows its presence in the country. Paul started his career in the North Sea in 1996 with Schlumberger and progressed through a variety of downhole monitoring, sand control and completions positions, which included several years in Canada. Prior to joining Tendeka, he spent four years with BG Group as a Completions Engineer before the company was bought by Shell. Part of Paul’s role will be to meet existing and potential clients in Calgary to raise awareness of what differentiates Tendeka and its technology from other

An Aberdeen-based well engineering and project management company has appointed a Chief Operating Officer at its Australian base. Zenith Energy, which was established in 2012 and is headquartered in Aberdeen, established Zenith Energy Australia in the second half of 2017 and appointed Tom Terris as COO, to manage its Australian operations. Zenith Energy Australia, which also has an office in Abu Dhabi, provides specialist expertise for the complete well life cycle from the conceptual design phases through to field development planning, well operations, well intervention and well abandonments. During 2017, Zenith expanded its client base and successfully completed work in the UK, Egypt, Italy

Scientists have developed a reusable sponge-like polymer to efficiently soak up oil spills in the world’s oceans. The absorbent rubber polymer is made of waste cooking oil from fast food outlets and sulphur, a by-product of the petroleum industry. It could be commercially available by the end of this year. The international research team is headed up in South Australia by Flinders University’s Dr Justin Chalker. The product is hydrophobic – meaning that it separates from water and binds well to oil. The polymer absorbs oil much like a sponge, forming a gel that can be scooped out of the water. It is capable of absorbing 2-3 times its mass in oil or diesel and is reusable. The recovered oil c

Leading subsea technology company, STL, welcomed a visit from a north-east MSP to offer insight into its development of cutting-edge technology for the global energy sector. Based in Aberdeen, STL (Subsea Technologies Limited) provides pioneering subsea equipment and technical advisory services, ranging from concept development and design engineering to project management and operations support, to customers worldwide. Its products, including the innovative XR Connector, have been developed to overcome a number of challenges posed by maintaining efficient operations in the most demanding offshore environments. During the visit from Alexander Burnett MSP on Friday, April 6, STL’s Technical Di

Challenging conditions drives demand for new Churchill technology in Norwegian sector. Churchill Drilling Tools, a leading oilfield service company specializing in drilling innovation, has reported a sharp rise in demand (75%) for its technologies from Norwegian operators in 2017/18. In addition to the quality of its highly specialized tools and its focus on customer performance, Churchill attributed the growth to an increase in the volume of exploration campaigns and challenging environments in the Norwegian sector. For example, Norwegian operators ran Churchill’s award-winning DAV MX™, a multi function multi cycle CircSub, in record numbers last year thanks to its ability to perform in cha

Flexible conduit manufacturer Flexicon has extended its range of liquid tight conduit solutions with a range of fittings which are UL listed to UL514B. The LTP–CUL type fitting provides a liquid tight cable protection solution that offers IP ratings from IP66 through to IP69. When used with LTPUL conduit, it is ideal for applications requiring high levels of ingress protection and UL listing – for example, in machine tool, industrial , rail, marine, defence, construction and outdoor applications. This new range of fittings are also suitable for use in hazardous locations in the USA and Canada for NEC Article 501 (B)(2) Class 1 Div 2 , Article 502 (A)(2) & (B)(2) Class II Div 1&2 and Article

Oil Plus Ltd, a specialist global oil and gas consultancy has secured contracts worth more than $1.5m over the past three months and has significantly expanded its footprint in the Middle East. The company has also reported a strong start to the year with sales up by 285% compared to the last quarter of 2017. Due to the surge of new business, the Newbury-based company, which employs in excess of 30 people, plans to recruit another eight over the next 12 months. The contracts will see Oil Plus deliver reservoir souring modelling, production chemistry and iron sulfide studies for several international oil companies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Brazil, Thailand and Europe. Oil Plus has gone from st

Downhole technology specialist, Well-SENSE, has been awarded the prestigious Intervention Technology Award from the Intervention and Coiled Tubing Association (ICoTA) for its pioneering FiberLine Intervention (FLI) Technology. This highly-sought after accolade recognises outstanding technical innovation or application of well intervention technology which reduces risk, increases production, improves safety and minimises environmental impact. The Aberdeen-based company was also awarded the ICoTA Europe Innovation Award in November 2017. Receiving the award, Tad Bostick, Well-SENSE Inc. Western Hemisphere Commercial Director, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to receive the prestigious Interve

The Bifold Circuit Designer allows you to design a bespoke modular solution or tubed valve circuit comprising a series of valves in any order or orientation (where applicable) using a schematic drag and drop system. The completed system can then be bought as a modular solution or as a list of separate valves from Bifold. Design a circuit using drag and drop (new schematics added regularly). Organise and manage your projects in the project centre View the modular solution code and description or a list of separate valves and fittings. Create a PDF schematic diagram and description for sending with a quote. View and print the Modular Solution Bill of Materials (BOM) or separate valves (BOM). F

RUD Chains offers over 600 different tested and certified lifting and lashing points which cover a working load capacity range of 0.6 to 250 tonne. RUD’s lifting equipment is used across a wide range of working environments from Heavy Lifting, Engineering, Materials Handling, Offshore, Construction, Rail, MOD and many more. The VRBG load ring on plate for bolting offers a range of advantages and lifting options for the user. Firstly it can be supplied with 4 bolts offering a working load capacity of 10-16 tonnes or it can be supplied with 6/8 bolts with an impressive working load capacity of 31.5-50 tonnes. It can be loaded at 90° to the vertical with a full working load limit, the suspensio

Background Flooded Member Detection is an inspection regime designed to screen subsea platform structural members for defects. A cracked weld, for example, can allow the ingress of sea water into the member which may create a point of failure for the structure. Operators therefore inspect these members on a regular basis to gain confidence that there has been no sea water ingress. Techniques There are two recognised non-destructive testing techniques that allow for Flooded Member Inspection; the use of a radioactive source (commonly referred to as the Gamma Technique), or using Ultrasound. Inspection using a radioactive source is effective and can be fast – as the source does not need to phy

Downhole pressure is a key variable in the operation of oil wells. Drilling operators need to measure pressure and temperature to optimise drilling processes and ensure safety. Once drilling is complete and production begins, these measurements are then required to optimise throughput, maximise uptime and again, ensure safety. Downhole pressure measurement requires rugged components with increased pressures and temperatures as holes become deeper. Maintaining and replacing downhole sensors is a challenging task so high reliability is paramount. Space is also at a premium in narrow boreholes. NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT Over the years, ESI Technology Ltd has honed the skill and expertise to engin

William Hackett has developed a second generation range of manual hoists to deliver performance ratios and functional enhancements which include new safety features and enhanced corrosion protection. These developments will provide operational benefits and extend the economic life expectancy of the equipment. William Hackett is committed to continuous improvement of its products. Recent development work has focussed on its specialist range of manual lever hoists and chain blocks for use in the offshore sector, including the SS-L5 subsea lever hoist, ROV SSC4 subsea chain blocks and SS-C4 chain block for surface applications. These products have been developed for use in harsh environmental c

Advanced Parex 100 Newton Grout AW high strength grout for the offshore sector has gained important accreditation following exhaustive independent testing, mock up trials, a factory audit and technical review. Already proven in use for the major Humber Gateway OWF and Culzean Offshore projects 100 Newton Grout AW supplied in bulk tanker format has been accredited to the standard DNV-OS-C502 “Offshore Concrete Structures.” This makes Parex one of only two manufacturers able to supply bulk material that meets the criteria. The accreditation is a prequalification for many wind farm projects and should allow Parex to build further on the two successful offshore projects previously supplied with

Bahco’s reputation for quality, spanning more than 135 years, has always been strongly linked with safety. The top priority for their designers and production engineers is to ensure that any hand tool, or equipment designed for working at height, which bears the Bahco name is absolutely safe to use. “Your safety is our concern,” says Alan Rankin, UK Sales Manager - Industrial at Bahco. “Our aim has always been to develop ergonomic tools which not only make work safer and less demanding but also protect users’ hands from muscle strain or injury.” Electricians’ tools All Bahco insulated screwdrivers, pliers and other tools designed for working on electrical equipment are rigorously tested at 1

UK headquartered OEM HTL Group have appointed Bob Fogerty as Group Technical Director. Formerly Group Training Director at HTL, Bob’s new role was a natural progression; Bob has decades of experience in the industry and is a well-respected technical authority in bolting on a global scale. Since starting working life as an Apprentice Mechanical Fitter, Bob joined the bolting industry as a Field Service Engineer with Hedley Purvis in 1990. From then, career developments in various Senior Management Positions led Bob to utilise his 28 years industry expertise at HTL Group. The new role of Group Technical Director will allow Bob to extend a technical support platform two fold; internally to help