Foster Wheeler AG,
Zug, Switzerland, announced its global engineering and construction group signed a 5-year global enterprise framework agreement with Shell Global Solutions International B.V., under which Shell may request Foster Wheeler to provide support for Shell's distillation, hydrocracking, hydrotreating, thermal conversion, ethylene oxide, pyrolysis gas, fluid catalytic cracking, and sulfur dioxide scrubbing technologies. There is an option for Shell and Foster Wheeler to extend the agreement an additional 5 years. Foster Wheeler will record bookings as work orders are received from Shell.
Foster Wheeler has a 5-year Asian EFT initiated last year with Shell to provide engineering and project management services for Shell downstream and midstream projects in Asia and elsewhere.
CGG,
Paris-based geoscience company, appointed Sophie Zurquiyah as senior executive vice-president of its geology, geophysics, and reservoir division based in Houston. Zurquiyah is a graduate of the Ecole Centrale de Paris and holds graduate degrees in numerical analysis from the Pierre and Marie Curie University and in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado. She started her career with Schlumberger Ltd. in 1991 as a geophysics engineer and held a variety of engineering and manufacturing positions in France before moving to the US to head Schlumberger's technology center engineering and manufacturing oil field equipment. In 2003, she transferred to operations as general manager for Schlumberger's south Latin America region based in Rio de Janeiro. She subsequently served as human resources director for Schlumberger's oil field services in Paris before becoming the company's chief information officer. In 2009 she was appointed president of Schlumberger data and consulting services in Houston. In her last position from mid-2012 she was vice-president of sustaining engineering, supporting all Schlumberger commercial products and technologies.
Seatronics Ltd.,
Aberdeen, an Acteon company, appointed Adil Ali as international product sales manager. Based in the UK, Ali will be responsible for managing and coordinating the global sales of Seatronics Ltd.'s owned products and represented manufacturers' products. Ali has been employed with Seatronics 5 years. In his previous role as regional manager, he oversaw sales activities for the Middle East in Abu Dhabi. Before joining the company, he was sales manager with CodaOctopus Products Ltd. He has additional experience as a geophysicist with Racal Survey Ltd. in Perth, UK, and freelanced as a geologist and oceanographer. Ali has an undergraduate degree in geology from Manchester University, a graduate degree in oceanography from Southampton University, and a graduate business degree from Curtin University, Perth, Australia. In addition, he was chairman of the Hydrographic Society, Middle East, in 2007-2012.
IOS InterMoor AS,
Stavanger, another Acteon company, secured a 3-year contract from Eni Norge, part of Eni SPA, to provide two rig moorings with associated equipment and services for developmental drilling in the Goliat oil field off Norway, the first to be developed in the Barents Sea, officials said. The contract covers equipment rental, service, and repair, plus personnel for mooring operations. The company will make "a considerable investment" in new equipment, personnel, and facilities in Hammerfest, Norway, this spring to meet those requirements. It will provide two complete moorings spreads for pre-laying in the contract period to enhance safety and integrity as well as provide cost savings, particularly in rig moves by eliminating the dead time a rig is not drilling. Ultimately the reservoir drainage strategy will include water and gas injection employing a total of 8 well templates with 22 wells. Recoverable reserves for the Goliat field are estimated at 174 million bbl, and production is expected to plateau at 100,000 b/d.
UniversalPegasus International (UPI),
Houston, named Tom Davison senior vice-president of onshore operations and Martin Morrison as senior vice-president of offshore operations.
Davison is responsible for the overall management, performance, and growth of business for the company and also will provide technical leadership in project development and execution, including development of best practices and improving project delivery. He formerly was vice-president of upstream oil and gas at Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. He previously spent 16 years as director of onshore facilities at Mustang Engineering Inc. He has worked on major pipeline and international oil and gas production projects. In his 33 years of experience, he has managed projects in North and South America, Russia, Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. Davison is an alumnus of Southern Illinois University.
Morrison joined UPI from the INTECSEA segment of the WorleyParsons Group where he was vice-president of marine pipeline systems. He has more than 25 years in the resource sector and began his career in precious metals and oil and gas exploration before moving to the development side of the industry. He has worked on projects in many of the global offshore oil and gas development areas with a concentration on the Canadian East Coast, Gulf of Mexico, Eastern Mediterranean, and Australian basins. Morrison's key focus will be on expansion of business markets and strengthening the intra-company cross-discipline sharing of engineering resources. He received his undergraduate degree in geology and his associate degree in geophysics from the University of Saskatchewan.
Post Oak Energy Capital LP,
Houston, announced its partnership with privately held Refinery Specialties Inc. (RSI) through purchase of a majority stake in the company. Formed in 1989, RSI in Hempstead, Tex., evolved from a chemical company serving the refinery industry into an oil field service company providing well site services, including formulating, blending, selling, and technical support for customized specialty oil and gas chemicals as well as acidizing, remedial pumping, pressure pumping, and hot oiler services. It operates in the Eagle Ford Shale, Austin Chalk, East Texas, Barnett Shale, North Texas, Arkansas, and Southern Louisiana. As part of the transaction, both Post Oak and RSI management committed capital to strengthen and expand RSI's service offerings and geographic footprint.
Although details of the purchase were not revealed, Post Oak's majority interest purchase of RSI ended 2012 with more than $140 million in investment commitments by the company. Other Post Oak deals last year included a $40 million equity capital commitment to Core Minerals Management II LP and a $60 million commitment to Crown Oil Partners IV LP. Last April, Post Oak sold its portfolio company National Specialty Alloys LLC to Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.
Cathelco Ltd.,
Chesterfield, UK, received an order to supply a seawater pipework anti-fouling system for a new FPSO to be operated by Petrofac Malaysia for the Cendor oil field in 70 m of water off Malaysia. The system will be installed on the Onozo, an Aframax tanker being converted to an FPSO at the Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Holdings Berhad (MHB) yard in Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia. After modification the vessel will be renamed the FPSO Cendor and deployed off Terengganu in West Malaysia. Cathelco will supply the anti-fouling electrolysis tank system to protect sea water inlets and pipework against blockages caused by barnacles and mussels. The tank will be fitted with copper and ferrous anodes fed with an electrical current from a control panel. The electrolysis tank will be fabricated by the Cathelco S.E.A. Pte Ltd. subsidiary in Singapore.
Bell Geospace,
Houston, has a contract from the US Geological Survey to assist in a comprehensive, high-resolution airborne full tensor gravity (FTG) gradiometry survey of rock layers in northeastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota to help assess mineral and water resources in that region. USGS scientists plan to use state-of-the-art 3D subsurface maps in that study. Due to its ability to fly 100-500 ft above ground, Bell Geospace will use its BT67 turbo modified DC-3 aircraft to conduct a 3D-full tensor gravity gradient survey. The aircraft has been retrofitted with modern avionics, electronics, and gas turbine engines to eliminate any health risk to people or animals.
Privately held Geospace Bell was in 1994 the first to commercialize the use of FTG for resource exploration. Since then, it has flown more than 1 million km using this technology. The company has offices in North America and Europe.
Kværner ASA,
Oslo, completed front end engineering and design work for the Nyhamna expansion project and adjusted the NOK 11 billion framework agreement signed last April with A/S Norske Shell to include an additional NOK 5 billion. The original agreement was for engineering, procurement, construction, and management of modifications and projects at the Nyhamna treatment plant in Aukra, Norway, for natural gas from the Ormen Lange field on the Norwegian continental shelf.
Kværner subsidiary Kværner North American Construction Inc. with its joint venture partner Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. received a contract from Calpine Garrison LLC, a subsidiary of Calpine Corp., to build the Garrison Energy Center, a 309 Mw combined cycle gas-fired power plant in Dover, Del. The joint venture will perform engineering, procurement, and construction with a value to Kvaerner of $100-120 million. Kværner NAC will lead the joint venture as well as build the facility. Parsons Brinckerhoff will be responsible for design, procurement of the balance of plant equipment, and the commissioning. The project is expected to begin construction early this year with completion in summer 2015.
ConocoPhillips awarded Kværner an EPC contract on the topside for the Eldfisk 2/7 S platform with an estimated contract value of NOK 5.5 billion. ConocoPhillips confirmed options in the contract to perform offshore hook-up and commissioning assistance, which will add NOK 400 million to the contract value. The topside consists of one combined living quarter and utility module and a combined process and wellhead module, with a total weight of 15,500 tons. It also includes fabrication of two bridges, a bridge support module, and a flare. Hook-up of the bridges is planned this year with the topside modules scheduled in the second half of 2014 for the topside modules. The Eldfisk field in the Greater Ekofisk Area and has been in production since 1979. Contract partner for the work is Kværner 's subsidiary, Kværner Stord AS.
STW Resources Holding Co.,
Midland, Tex., a water and oil field services and construction company, announced three major projects company officials say will expand its footprint in and beyond the oil and gas business and widen its revenue base and business model. The firm executed an agreement with Tiburon Research Holdings to own and operate a 8,000 b/d produced water recycling plant to provide reusable water to oil producers near Midland. The companies are looking at two other sites to duplicate the plant. Projected revenue for the plant when it reaches full capacity is $6 million.
The firm also acquired an interest in Black Wolf Enterprises LLC that expands its business into a vertically integrated oil and gas services company in West Texas, eastern New Mexico, and eventually South Texas. Black Wolf provides services and maintenance for drill sites, reserve pits, frac ponds, roads, pit closings, liners, leak detection systems, and evaporation covers. The company also offers turnkey services for permitted ponds, including surveys, engineering, and design, as well as permitting for storage of produced and brine waters. It also uses Lone Wolf's proprietary technologies in reclamation of hydrocarbon-impacted soils. It is estimated Black Wolf's revenue will exceed $3 million/month by yearend. Estimated revenue for 2014 is $40 million.
In its first major water reclamation project outside the oil and gas industry, STW Resources adapted its proprietary technology water reclamation from oil and gas fields to deliver a water reclamation unit to the Midland Hills Golf Club to convert 700,000 gal/day of brackish well water into rain-equivalent water for the maintenance of greens and fairways.
Bechtel Corp.,
San Francisco, was selected by the Atlantic Wind Connection as engineering, procurement, and construction contractor for the first phase of its New Jersey Energy Link, an offshore electrical transmission cable buried under the ocean floor that will link energy resources and users. The project is the "first offshore backbone electricity transmission system proposed in the US," said AWC officials. Bechtel is to engineer, design, and install onshore transmission lines and substations, two onshore convertor stations, and one offshore converter station.
Transocean Ltd.,
Zug, Switzerland, said Allen M. Katz joined the company as interim senior vice-president and general counsel through June. Subject to mutual agreement, Katz's employment with Transocean can be extended through the rest of 2013. He has served as advisor to the company since June 2010. Prior to Transocean, Katz was managing partner at Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, having joined the firm in 1974. He earned his law degree from Stanford Law School in 1972 and received his undergraduate degree from Brandeis University in 1969, graduating cum laude. He is admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court.
Transocean also named Ihab Toma executive vice-president and chief of staff. While continuing to oversee the company's worldwide marketing effort, Toma assumed responsibility for human resources, global supply, and information technology. He also provides strategic direction and helps coordinate implementation of company strategy.
John Stobart was named executive vice-president and chief operating officer for Transocean. Before joining the company, Stobart was worldwide drilling manager for BHP Billiton Petroleum in Australia, the UK, and most recently in Houston. He previously served in various positions with BHP Billiton beginning in 1988. Stobart earlier worked for Husky Oil and Dome Petroleum Ltd. He started his career with Vibrox Exploration Ltd. in 1976. Stobart received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Calgary and completed the accelerated development program at the London Business School.
J&J Technical Services LLC,
Shreveport, La., said its onshore distributor in Mexico, Servicios Integrales Gama, took delivery of two trademarked T8045 Ultra-Flo permanent production systems for purchase by Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX). The system features the company's patented jet pump and diaphragm surface pump process that recovers frac fluid as rapidly and as economically as possible while immediately conveying production to market. It delivers cutting-edge artificial lift technology that provides dependable, cost-efficient solutions for a number of production issues, said company officials. JJ Tech has eight international and US distributors and several new international distributors pending.
THE INTERSTATE NATURAL GAS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA,
Washington, elected C. Gregory Harper chairman of its board of directors for 2013. Harper is senior vice-president and group president of CenterPoint Energy's pipelines and field services businesses. He succeeds Spectra Energy President and Chief Executive Gregory L. Ebel as NGAA chairman.
CLOUGH LTD.,
Perth, promoted Rick Robinson to executive vice-president of projects. Robinson has more than 35 years of international engineering, procurement, and project execution experience for large energy and resource projects. He joined Clough in 2007 and was project director for infrastructure on the Gorgon Downstream LNG project for the past 5 years. In his new role, Robinson will be responsible for Clough's existing capital projects and jetties and near-shore marine project portfolio while winning new work and driving strong earnings growth, officials said. Prior to joining Clough, Robinson held senior executive positions in project and general management at Fluor, including president of Fluor Constructors. He is a qualified civil engineer with an undergraduate degree in engineering from the University of Southern California and a graduate degree in engineering from Stanford University.
UOP LLC,
Des Plaines, Ill., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., completed its previously announced acquisition of 70% of Thomas Russell Co.—a privately held provider of technology and equipment for natural gas processing and treating—for $525 million cash. The agreement gives Honeywell's UOP the right to acquire the remaining 30% and Thomas Russell the right to sell that 30% to UOP at a price based on operating income performance. Founded in 2002, Tulsa-based Thomas Russell specializes in the design, engineering, fabrication, and start-up of skid-mounted modular packaged plants for recovery and upgrading of NGLs.
