Rowan Cos. Inc.,
Houston, has named W. Matt Ralls CEO, president, and a director. He succeeds D.F. McNease, who announced his retirement in late October. Ralls most recently served as executive vice-president and COO of GlobalSantaFe Corp. from June 2005 until the completion of the merger of GlobalSantaFe with Transocean Inc. in November 2007. Prior to that, he was senior vice-president and CFO of GlobalSantaFe. He joined Global Marine Inc. in 1997 as vice-president and treasurer and was senior vice-president, CFO, and treasurer prior to the November 2001 merger that created GlobalSantaFe. Ralls previously held executive positions at two publicly traded oil and gas companies and various management positions in commercial banking. He has been a director of GP of El Paso Pipeline Partners since January 2008 and a director of Complete Production Services since 1995. Ralls has a degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.
Rowan’s board also elected Jack Lentz as chairman, effective Jan. 1, 2009. Lentz has held a position on Rowan’s board since 1990. He is an advisory director of Barclays Capital and was formerly managing director of Lehman Bros. Lentz also serves on the boards of Peabody Energy Corp. and CARBO Ceramics Inc.
Rowan is a worldwide provider of contract drilling services, utilizing a fleet of 22 high-spec jack ups and 30 deep-well land rigs. The company also owns and operates a manufacturing division that produces equipment for the drilling, mining, and timber industries.
PinnacleAIS,
Houston, has announced that Pasadena Refining System Inc. (PRSI) will implement PinnacleAIS’s UltraPIPE inspection data management system platform at its 120,000 b/d refinery on the Houston Ship Channel at Pasadena, Tex. The UltraPIPE platform provides the advanced mechanical integrity functionality needed to address a wide variety of refining or petrochemical facility requirements. All inspection activities, resulting data, statistical analysis, and future inspection planning are implemented into the software.
PinnacleAIS is a leading technology and services provider, specializing in wholesale improvements in asset integrity for the petroleum and chemical processing industry.
PRSI is a 50-50 joint venture of Brazilian state oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA and Astra Holding USA.
American Electric Technologies Inc.,
Houston, has entered into an alliance agreement with Five Star Services Ltda., Macae, Brazil, and Lifting Services Ltda., Niteroi, Brazil. The newly formed AETI Alliance Group will provide full power distribution and control system design, manufacturing, and offshore services to the Brazilian offshore drilling and marine markets. To become the leading turnkey provider to the Brazilian market, the three companies have agreed to integrate their offerings and to begin the process to create a joint venture entity. AETI has allied with Lifting and Five Star Services to manufacture electrical switchgear and drives, and provide electrical services in Brazil. These products and services will be provided for oil and gas drilling, production, and service vessels. With the support of technology and manufacturing processes from AETI, the alliance will fabricate, assemble and test products in Brazil and deliver to local customers. These products will be commissioned and supported by local Brazilian technical service staff. Construction and installation services will also be available on a local basis. In addition, the alliance has the capability to fabricate steel modules and completely outfit drilling and marine electrical systems for cost-effective installations.
Lifting Services provides maintenance, repair, installation, and fabrication services for electrical and electronic equipment for the offshore drilling and marine markets in Brazil.
Five Star Services provides offshore services such as rig operations and drilling crew and manning services; maintenance, repairs, and modifications to drilling equipment; load-carrying components and well-control equipment; and engineering and construction of prefabricated solutions ranging from deck extensions and flare-booms to accommodation modules.
American Electric supplies power delivery solutions to the traditional and alternative energy industries.
Roxar ASA,
Stavanger, has appointed Ana Fonseca Nordang marketing manager for Roxar’s Software Solutions division and Anne-Lisbet Hatlem Lindal marketing manager for Roxar’s Flow Measurement division. Both have been tasked with leading the company’s marketing and business development activities to increase Roxar’s market share and bringing a series of innovative new software and instrumentation solutions to market. Prior to joining Roxar, Nordang held senior positions in Washington, DC, and London for the Corporate Executive Board, a publicly traded research and management consulting company headquartered in Virginia. She has an MBA from George Washington University. Previously, Lindal held a senior marketing position and was part of the management team with an international nonprofit organization. Lindal is a graduate of the Norwegian School of Management and is a European Board member of Sat-7, an Arabic TV channel.
Roxar is a leading international technology solutions provider to the upstream oil and gas industry, providing solutions in reservoir interpretation, modeling, and simulation; well and completion services; production and process solutions; and consultancy services.
