Flotek Industries Inc.,
Houston, named Marc K. "Kevin" Fisher as executive vice-president of global business development. He will have a variety of responsibilities including coordination of the company's global sales force, oversight of product development and innovation, and a host of growth initiatives.
Fisher most recently was general manager of Halliburton Co.'s Pinnacle division, a premier oil field completion and consulting business. He previously was president and chief executive of Pinnacle Technologies and executive vice-president of the parent Carbo Ceramics, among other executive positions.
He also spent 7 years as director of sales at ProTechnics where he first worked with Flotek President John Chisholm in building the sales force and client base for ProTechnics' radioactive well tracing technologies. That company is now a division of Core Laboratories. Fisher began his oil field career in 1979 as a field engineer at Halliburton and had several positions with that company.
Fisher is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the American Petroleum Institute, and the Society of Petrophysicists and Well Log Analysts. He holds three US patents and is author of numerous professional monographs. He holds a bachelor's degree in natural sciences from Cameron University and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Executive Managers Program.
Baker Hughes Inc.,
Houston, named President Martin Craighead to the additional office of chief executive of the company, succeeding Chad Deaton, who will remain chairman of the board of directors.
He has a bachelor of science degree in petroleum and natural gas engineering from Pennsylvania State University and a master of business administration from Vanderbilt University. He was recipient of the 2010 C. Drew Stahl Distinguished Achievement Award at Penn State and serves in a variety of charitable organizations.
In other news, the Iraqi government said Baker Hughes received a 3-year, $640 million contract to drill 60 wells in the southern Zubair oil field. It's the company's second integrated drilling project in Iraq following a contract in August with Lukoil to drill 23 wells in the West Qurna field. "Management expects operations with the Lukoil project to ramp up in the first quarter; using the same timeframe, we expect the Zubair contract to positively impact financials in the third quarter," said analysts in the Houston office of Raymond James & Associates Inc. "It will likely enable Baker Hughes to gain addition scale in the region."
This is the most recent in a series of key international contracts Baker Hughes obtained in 2011. The company earlier announced awards for a major high-pressure, high-temperature project in Malaysia and a 2-year directional drilling project offshore Mexico.
Baker Hughes also announced a noncash impairment charge of $300 million, or 47¢/share, related to the value of the BJ Services trade name. The nonrecurring charge was recorded in the fourth quarter of 2011.
Cameron International Corp.,
Houston, announced in late December a new $500 million stock buyback program following its $250 million settlement with BP PLC over the Macondo blowout in 2010. Cameron constructed the blowout preventer that government investigators claimed played a role in that blowout and spill. Analysts with Barclays Capital Equity Research described the buyback move as a "positive catalyst" for Cameron's shares.
Qatar's minister of energy and Industry,
Doha, signed a heads of agreement with Royal Dutch Shell PLC setting the scope and commercial principles for development of a world-scale petrochemicals complex in Ras Laffan Industrial City, following a joint feasibility study by the partners, Qatar Petroleum and Shell.
The project includes a world-scale steam cracker with feedstock coming from natural gas projects in Qatar; a mono-ethylene glycol plant of up to 1.5 million tonnes/year using Shell's proprietary OMEGA technology; 300 kilotonnes/year of linear alpha olefins using Shell's proprietary Shell Higher Olefin Process; and another olefin derivative. The complex is to produce cost-competitive petrochemical products primarily for Asian growth markets. Qatar Petroleum will have an 80% equity interest in the project and Shell 20%.
Newpark Resources Inc.,
Houston, recently unveiled its Evolution water-based drilling fluids system for Haynesville Shale operators as "a clean, yet robust alternative" to diesel-based fluids historically required in that harsh drilling environment. Officials with the Newpark Drilling Fluids division said it provides improved penetration rates, wellbore protection, and lubricity and stands up to demanding requirements of temperature, containments, and drilled solids.
Newpark management claim the system's capabilities are unprecedented in previous water-based drilling fluids. Although conceived as a Haynesville-specific drilling fluid solution, its design concept offers advantages in many other unconventional shale gas applications worldwide, they said.
The Evolution system features a clay-free combination of two central components: EvoVis, a polymeric viscosifier; and EvoLube, a proprietary high-pressure, high-temperature lubricant that delivers coefficient of friction values similar to oil-based mud. Both components and the system itself have proven stable to wellbore temperatures of 400 degrees Fahrenheit even in the presence of CO2 common to Haynesville geology, said company officials. They credit the EvoLube lubricant for penetration rates exceeding those of offset wells where oil-based mud was used.
FMC Technologies Inc.,
Houston, signed a global alliance agreement with Anadarko Petroleum Corp. to provide subsea systems and life-of-field services for their worldwide subsea development projects. In 1999, FMC supplied equipment for Anadarko's first subsea project, North Garnet, in the Gulf of Mexico. The companies since have collaborated on other projects including Independence Hub, the largest natural gas processing facility in the gulf. FMC also supplied Anadarko with the industry's first subsea wellhead qualified at a pressure rating of 20,000 psi. Anadarko has an extensive deepwater program.
FMC Technologies' Australian subsidiary signed a $325 million agreement with Chevron Australia Pty Ltd. for design, manufacture, and supply of subsea production systems to support the Wheatstone Project. The Chevron-operated Wheatstone Project comprises the Wheatstone and Iago gas fields off Western Australia in water depths of 330-850 ft. FMC's scope of supply includes 11 subsea production trees, 11 wellheads, three manifolds, subsea and topside controls, and well access systems. The equipment will be supplied from FMC's Asia-Pacific operations, with deliveries to commence in 2013.
Clean Harbors Inc.,
Expro,
Reading, UK, a division of Umbrellastream Ltd., signed a long-term frame agreement with Total E&P UK Ltd., Aberdeen, for further advancement of its trademarked AX-S subsea well intervention technology.
Company officials said the agreement enhances Expro's strategy and long-term commitment to its life-of-field vision for subsea developments in any water depth to 10,000 ft, which would enable the firm to service all existing subsea fields. The initial agreement allows Expro to work with clients to foster its subsea well intervention capabilities and ensure these meet industry requirements.
The AX-S system recently completed commissioning of the deployment system in 2,450 m of water in a trench north of Shetland. Preparation is under way for the final system commissioning in a Norwegian test well prior to its first commercial job.
Summit Energy Services,
Williston, ND, promoted Will Reedy to chief operating officer. Reedy joined Summit Energy in March. The service company is involved in pipeline construction, roustabout services and site maintenance, storm water and erosion management, scoria and water hauling, and reclamation services.
A native of Villa Park, Ill., Reedy holds a bachelor of science degree in Civil Engineering and is completing graduate studies in business administration at the University of Wyoming.
Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA (EMGS),
Trondheim, Norway, plans to mobilize the vessel EM Leader in response to increased market demand in Asia. EMGS received a letter of intent from what it identified only as a major international oil company for a 6-week 3D electromagnetic data acquisition project offshore Brunei. Surveying is expected to start in early February, following modifications of the EM Leader to accommodate EMGS's equipment and technology.
Schlumberger Ltd.,
Houston, and EMGS plan a cooperative agreement to market their combined expertise in the marine electromagnetic related fields of processing, advanced modeling, and earth model building. As part of that agreement, Schlumberger will immediately withdraw from on-going patent disputes in the UK, The Netherlands, and the European Patent Office. Schlumberger and EMGS have further entered into a cross-license of patents relevant to the controlled source electro-magnetic acquisition business. "Our combined service offerings will provide the global oil and gas industry with improved integration capabilities and accelerate the growing portfolio of EM applications," said Roar Bekker, EMGS chief executive.
Schlumberger acquired ThruBit LLC, a Shell Technology Ventures Fund portfolio company in Houston. Details of the deal were not available. ThruBit was formed in 2005 and provides openhole logging services with the smallest diameter tools available in the industry and a unique through-the-bit deployment technique. It operates in Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado.
ThruBit has run some of the longest horizontal operations in North America and in difficult hole conditions when it was not possible to acquire normal wireline logs. The company's unique technology allows slim formation evaluation logging tools to be efficiently deployed through the drill string out of the drill bit into open hole in memory mode, acquiring critical data in unconventional reservoirs with minimal rig time. Analysts said the acquisition will provide Schlumberger with new capabilities and technology and expand its scope of downhole offerings to customers.
Aker Solutions ASA,
Fornebu, Norway, will open early this year North America's most advanced drilling equipment simulator in Houston. The simulator will be available to rig operators with the objective of making offshore drilling operations safer and more cost effective. The company is investing $2.5 million in the state-of-the-art simulator, which will be available around the clock for North American rig operators and oil companies. It will double the capacity of its current training center in Katy near Houston.
The centerpiece of the 9,800 sq ft training center is the simulator with a 240-degree dome-shaped screen. Combined with drilling control systems software, it creates a realistic rig environment. Company officials said each specific rig is meticulously recreated as a virtual asset, including all rig equipment and control systems. This offers the possibility of onshore training and detailed operational planning in virtual environments identical to those that will be experienced offshore.
Aker Solutions, a top provider of drilling equipment packages and technologies for deepwater drilling operations, developed market-leading drilling simulators using advanced 3D visualization technology. It has simulators already in operation in Brazil, Singapore, Norway, and South Korea and is preparing a new facility in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Aker Subsea AS was awarded by Statoil a 400 million NOK contract for engineering, procurement, and construction of a subsea production system for the Svalin project on the Norwegian continental shelf. The project will include two subsea trees, a four-slot integrated template structure with process distribution manifold, subsea and topside production control systems, wellhead systems, and remote connection systems. Management, engineering, and procurement will be performed primarily at Aker Solutions' headquarters. Fabrication and manufacturing will take place in Tranby and Egersund, Norway; and in Aberdeen. Final deliveries will be made in the third quarter of 2013.
Svalin is a fast-track oil field project located in the middle of the North Sea, about 8 km southwest of the Grane field and 185 km west of Haugesund, in a water depth of 120 m.
Bourbon Marine Services,
Paris, expanded its operations in Russia by opening a new affiliate, Bourbon Baltic, in Saint Petersburg to recruit crews and provide ship management for offshore oil and gas clients. It complements Bourbon's operations in Sakhalin. Bourbon Marine provides a variety of services for the offshore oil industry including supply, installation, anchor handling, towage, positioning, salvage, and pollution remediation. Northwestern Russia around Saint Petersburg has a long-standing tradition of maritime activity and many experienced seamen. Bourbon has worked 3 years in Russia for Gazflot LLC, supporting the large Sakhalin-2 project and using Russian and Ukrainian crews aboard its vessels. Its network of affiliates spans 26 countries.
Pace Global Energy Services LLC,
London, named Krish Chettur as director in its global gas and power consulting practice. Chettur has more than 15 years' experience in the energy industry, including project management, corporate strategy, strategic and commercial analysis, scenario planning, financial modeling, business venture valuation, risk analysis, and report writing. He previously held senior positions at Wood Mackenzie, CRA International, and IHS CERA. At Pace Global, Chettur will be working with the financial and asset development sectors, primarily in Europe and the Middle East, with a focus on strategy development, energy asset development, commercial energy market transactions, financial feasibility studies, and energy asset project valuations.
Exterran Holdings Inc.,
Houston, appointed Bradley Childers president and chief executive officer of both the parent company and Exterran Partners LP. Childers, previously senior vice-president of the parent firm, had served as interim CEO of Exterran Partners since the departure of Ernie Danner earlier last year. Other executive appointments at Exterran Holdings include Mark Sotir, executive vice-chairman; Bill Austin, executive vice-president and chief financial officer; and Rob Rice, president of North American operations.
Imaging Systems Group Inc. (iSys),
Calgary, is marketing the iTerra Mi875, a continuous four-color inkjet printer that the company describes as the world's fastest continuous rack-mountable well logging printer developed for the oil and gas market. Powered by Memjet Technologies and using one print head with five channels, it prints "blistering-fast" color on-demand while cutting operating costs nearly in half. It is the first printer to print center speed and quality in the field for mud and well logging needs, said company officials.
Solomon Associates LLC,
Dallas, an operational performance improvement consultant for the global energy industry, announced Paul Kennedy joined its Asia operations in Singapore as vice-president. Michael Hileman, who has served as vice-president of Asia operations since June 2010, will return to Solomon Associates' Dallas office.
Kennedy brings more than 25 years of experience in the oil refining and consulting industries. He has spent more than 14 years working in Asia, with a particular focus on Southeast Asia, Japan, and China and an expertise in refinery performance analysis and business development in the region. Most recently, he served as senior vice-president for Asia consulting for KBC. Previously, he managed and executed numerous consultancy assignments, including on-site opportunity implementation and continuing improvement projects.
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