INSPECTION STANDARD - Oceaneering
INSPECTION STANDARD - Oceaneering
INSPECTION STANDARD - Oceaneering
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August 2011<br />
CONTRACT NEWS<br />
Two new major contracts awarded<br />
www.oceaneering.com<br />
A VIEW FROM THE CASPIAN<br />
Insight into life working in the Caspian Region<br />
IN ANGOLA<br />
Apprentice scheme introduced in Angola<br />
THE<br />
<strong>INSPECTION</strong> <strong>STANDARD</strong><br />
The newsletter of <strong>Oceaneering</strong> Inspection<br />
www.oceaneering.com<br />
September 2011
THE <strong>INSPECTION</strong> <strong>STANDARD</strong><br />
Notes from the editor<br />
Many thanks go out to all Oceaneers who have contributed to this edition of the ‘Inspection<br />
Standard’. As always we are offering a meal for two up to the value of £75, at any restaurant of<br />
choice to the <strong>Oceaneering</strong> employee who submits the best article.<br />
This editions winner is Stuart Kenny for his article ‘Advanced inspection technology in the Swiss<br />
mountains’ which gives an interesting insight into life working in one of our busiest departments.<br />
For the opportunity to win the meal for two in our next edition of the Inspection Standard please send<br />
all articles to myself, Martin Hockley, mhockley@oceaneering.com<br />
Good luck!<br />
An holistic view<br />
It’s August and it’s 45 degrees Centigrade in<br />
the UAE, over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the<br />
Gulf of Mexico – in both cases with stifling<br />
humidity to add to the heat. Meanwhile, in<br />
the UK it’s been wet and windy most of the<br />
‘summer’. Nothing new about any of that,<br />
then.<br />
Still, business as usual continues in all of these<br />
areas, and also in the Caspian, Middle East, Asia<br />
and Australia, and other parts of the globe where<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong> Inspection conducts its business. Except<br />
that in our world nothing is exactly ‘usual’; new<br />
challenges emerge everywhere and amongst these<br />
we continue to have our successes.<br />
In this edition of the Inspection Standard we report<br />
on some new contract awards. Our Inspection and<br />
Integrity Management Group have picked up two<br />
new customers – Chevron in the UK and JV Gas in<br />
Algeria. We are delighted to have won this work<br />
and look forward to providing a high level of service<br />
to, and establishing strong relationships with, both<br />
companies. Equally we are especially pleased that<br />
BP have extended our contract for inspection and<br />
corrosion management services covering all BP’s<br />
offshore installations in the UK North Sea and all<br />
associated onshore terminals - this major contract<br />
employs in excess of 150 of highly qualified and<br />
experienced personnel alone. We are appreciative<br />
of the faith and confidence shown by our client in our<br />
continuing efforts to work with them to maintain and<br />
improve on the service. We were also very proud<br />
to have passed the two million man-hour milestone<br />
without a single injury or lost time incident on this<br />
contract.<br />
1<br />
We also report in this edition on other notable HSE<br />
achievements at Conoco Phillips Teesside crude oil<br />
reception facility and Eggborough Power Station<br />
in the UK, and achievement in the Caspian. My<br />
gratitude to all our personnel who have helped us<br />
reach these objectives.<br />
Performing the hazardous work we do in a<br />
safe manner is close to all our hearts. Not just<br />
in <strong>Oceaneering</strong> Inspection, but across all of<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s diverse businesses safety is our<br />
number one ethic. First and foremost we want all<br />
our people to return home from work safely. We<br />
endeavour to do this by having robust HSE processes,<br />
by providing training and importantly by inculcating<br />
safety awareness and the cultural expectations which<br />
underpin everything. We encourage the reporting of<br />
any unsafe working practices and near hits, and we<br />
look to share learning.<br />
Finally our successes are all down to the dedication<br />
and efforts of the people who work for <strong>Oceaneering</strong><br />
Inspection. I’d like to recognise Dave Close our Site<br />
Manager at ConocoPhillips Teesside for leading the<br />
team that delivered the safety goal and thank you to<br />
all our long serving employees who are mentioned<br />
in this newsletter and those previously. It always<br />
surprises me to see the numbers who are hitting these<br />
service milestones. To Dai Hughes in Swansea, who<br />
has just completed 45 years with the company, a very<br />
big thank you too for your contribution and probably<br />
also your endurance!<br />
Eric Johnston<br />
Vice President <strong>Oceaneering</strong> Inspection
<strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s Inspection and<br />
Integrity Management Department<br />
has secured a new 3-year contract<br />
providing integrity management<br />
support to joint ventures between<br />
three major oil and gas operators<br />
in two locations in central Algeria.<br />
The award further confirms<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s position as a<br />
leading provider of inspection and<br />
integrity services on the global<br />
stage.<br />
In Salah<br />
BP Exploration (El Djazair) Limited<br />
and its co-ventures, Société<br />
Nationale SONATRACH and<br />
Statoil North Africa Gas AS have<br />
together developed hydrocarbon<br />
reserves in the Sahara Desert<br />
region near the town of In Salah,<br />
Algeria. The facility has been<br />
on-stream since July 2004 and<br />
currently produces around 9<br />
billion cubic metres of gas per<br />
year. The dry gas is transported<br />
along a 500 kilometre pipeline<br />
to the major gas collection point<br />
at Hassi R’Mel from where it is<br />
exported to markets in Europe.<br />
In Amenas<br />
This association between BP<br />
Amoco Exploration (In Amenas)<br />
Limited (‘BP’) and its association<br />
partners, l’Entreprise Nationale<br />
Sonatrach and Statoil North Africa<br />
Oil AS is the largest wet gas<br />
project in Algeria and involves<br />
the development and production<br />
of natural gas and gas liquids<br />
from four wet gas fields in the Illizi<br />
Basin of south-eastern Algeria. The<br />
project, which was commissioned<br />
in July 2006, produces around<br />
10 billion cubic metres of gas and<br />
In March of this year <strong>Oceaneering</strong> Inspection<br />
commenced a new contract for the provision of<br />
inspection and corrosion management services<br />
onshore and offshore for Chevron North Sea Limited.<br />
The Chevron Corporation is one of the world’s<br />
leading energy companies, operating in over 180<br />
countries across the globe. Chevron North Sea<br />
Limited currently operates three assets within the<br />
United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) all of which<br />
will form part of <strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s inspection scope.<br />
Alba Asset<br />
This is a heavy oil field, located 130 miles north<br />
east of Aberdeen in an Eocene horizon overlying<br />
the Britannia gas field. The field consists of a fixed<br />
installation, known as the Alba Northern Platform and<br />
a Floating Storage Unit both installed in July 1993.<br />
Captain Asset<br />
Located 68 miles north of Aberdeen, Captain<br />
comprises a Wellhead Protection Platform and a<br />
Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel.<br />
Erskine Asset<br />
This is the first high pressure/high temperature field to<br />
be developed on the UKCS and is located 150 miles<br />
east of Aberdeen.<br />
www.oceaneering.com/inspection/<br />
www.oceaneering.com<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong> secures ‘Integrity Management Support’<br />
contract in Algeria<br />
Chevron contract award<br />
2<br />
1.5 million cubic metres of liquids<br />
per year and<br />
In order to service the In Salah<br />
and In Amenas operations in<br />
and out of country a dedicated<br />
project team has been assembled<br />
and is based in <strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s<br />
Aberdeen office. With the<br />
support of specialist departments<br />
from within the organisation the<br />
team’s main responsibility is to<br />
provide a comprehensive integrity<br />
support service, which can be<br />
as diverse as producing a full<br />
failure risk assessment on a key<br />
part of the pressure/process plant<br />
system, to obtaining visas and<br />
mobilising specialist personnel<br />
and equipment from all parts of<br />
the globe.<br />
The offshore service includes five offshore Inspection<br />
Engineers providing management of inspection<br />
activities and an interface with Chevron North Sea<br />
Limited’s sub-contractors to carry out repair and<br />
maintenance activities.<br />
The onshore service includes personnel and facilities<br />
to support Chevron’s North Sea Limited’s offshore<br />
operations. Initially this will include inspection and<br />
integrity management personnel based in Chevron<br />
House, Chevron’s Aberdeen Office. In addition<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong> will provide specialist support such as<br />
corrosion engineering and pressure system support as<br />
required.<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong> look forward to forming a strong<br />
relationship with a new key customer - Chevron North<br />
Sea Limited.
THE <strong>INSPECTION</strong> <strong>STANDARD</strong><br />
BP extends <strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s ‘Inspection and<br />
Corrosion Management’ services contract<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong> are pleased to announce that BP have<br />
extended their current Inspection and Corrosion<br />
Management services contract for a further four<br />
years to a new completion date in 2015.<br />
The extension follows on from a successful 5-year<br />
contract relationship, during which time over 2<br />
million man-hours were worked without an injury<br />
or lost time incident. This major contract covers all<br />
of BP’s upstream oil and gas facilities in the UK,<br />
including offshore installations, onshore terminals<br />
and associated pipelines.<br />
The contract is managed from <strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s<br />
operational base in Aberdeen with strategic support<br />
provided by a network of UK branches supporting<br />
the worksites. Over 150 personnel are employed<br />
by <strong>Oceaneering</strong> on the contract, all dedicated to<br />
ACET backlog project success<br />
We are pleased to announce that the first phase of<br />
the Asset Condition Evaluation Tool (ACET) backlog<br />
project managed and resourced by <strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s<br />
Offshore Design Centre (ODC) in Chandigarh India<br />
has been successfully completed ahead of schedule.<br />
ACET is a software system supporting the<br />
management of corrosion, inspection and plant<br />
integrity processes and is an integral part of the<br />
corrosion management strategy. ACET presents<br />
the managers and engineers responsible for<br />
implementing, maintaining and improving the<br />
corrosion management strategy with knowledge and<br />
information on equipment condition.<br />
The ACET backlog project was set up initially for<br />
BP assets that, prior to 2006 when <strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s<br />
scope of supply was increased were inspected by<br />
different companies. As a result a large backlog of<br />
inspection data needed to be input into the system -<br />
an estimated, 87,000 man-hours of work. The ODC<br />
was set up to provide an effective and efficient way<br />
to input the large amount of data within a short time<br />
frame. The project involves the creation of AutoCAD<br />
drawings and the input of reports for vessels and<br />
pipe work. Phase One of the project related to,<br />
Bruce, Clair and Magnus assets while Phase Two<br />
addresses Andrew, ETAP, Harding, West Sole and<br />
Cleeton.<br />
Initial ACET training was carried out in July 2010<br />
by John Knott (CAD/Data Services Manager) and<br />
Graeme Taylor (CAD/Data Services Support) who<br />
spent a month in Chandigarh training twenty CAD<br />
3<br />
helping BP maintain and improve the integrity of their<br />
assets. The work consists of integrity and corrosion<br />
engineering support, the formulation of inspection<br />
strategies and schedules, and the execution of<br />
inspections including the utilisation of specialist and<br />
advanced NDT technology.<br />
John Watkinson, VP Inspection Europe stated “I<br />
am exceptionally pleased to be able to announce<br />
this award. For BP to have chosen to extend the<br />
agreement by 4-years is testament to the excellent<br />
quality of work we have done in support of our<br />
customer. The four year extension has specifically<br />
been agreed in order to give time for us to fully<br />
deliver value from our own ACET inspection software<br />
system and our industry leading Non Invasive<br />
Inspection (NII) technology”.<br />
Engineers. A further sixteen CAD Engineers joined<br />
the team in 2010 and were trained by Harmeek<br />
Singh, Design Engineer. Refresher training was<br />
carried out in February 2011 by Wallis Beattie (Data<br />
Management Project Manager) and Kirsty Taylor<br />
(Quality Assurance Co-ordinator) who during their<br />
visit took the opportunity to thank the team for their<br />
hard work in completing Phase One of the project<br />
by awarding gifts of a plaque and a laptop bag to<br />
each of the engineers. Engineering Managers Dileep<br />
Kumar and Harmeek Singh were also given gifts of<br />
appreciation for supervising the teams and ensuring<br />
the work was carried out to plan.<br />
Wallis Beattie and Kirsty Taylor with members of the project<br />
team during a recent visit to Chandigarh<br />
Work completed in 2010 exceeded expectations<br />
with over 36,000 reports and drawings entered<br />
in to ACET, significantly ahead of pedictions.<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong> would like to take this opportunity to<br />
thank the team and the managers for their efforts in<br />
making this project a real success.
In the pipeline<br />
The <strong>Oceaneering</strong>-O’Neill JV has<br />
successfully completed all four<br />
phases of the NMPP (New Multi<br />
Product Pipeline) project in South<br />
Africa for Transnet Limited. The<br />
main mechanical works were<br />
performed by a JV between Spie<br />
Capag-Group 5 and WK Welding.<br />
Phase 1<br />
Kendal to Waltloo, 16” diameter,<br />
89 km length, completed in<br />
December 2010.<br />
Phase 2<br />
Alrode to Langlaagte, 16”<br />
diameter, 31 km length, completed<br />
in January 2011.<br />
Phase 3<br />
Jameson Park to Alrode, 16”<br />
diameter, 42 km length, completed<br />
in January 2011.<br />
Phase 4<br />
Durban to Jameson Park, 24”<br />
diameter, 554 km length,<br />
completed in June 2011.<br />
The project started in July 2008<br />
on the line from Kendal to Waltloo<br />
and has progressed steadily until<br />
its recent completion. The pipeline<br />
is another project carried out with<br />
Spie Capag as the main contractor.<br />
The <strong>Oceaneering</strong>-O’Neill JV and<br />
Spie Capag relationship now<br />
dates back more than 25 years<br />
with many projects successfully<br />
completed around the world.<br />
The main welding works were once<br />
again serviced by the <strong>Oceaneering</strong><br />
X-ray crawler systems, with the<br />
daily production peaking at 220<br />
x 24ӯ welds, the day on day<br />
average being 160 welds. There<br />
were a maximum of 20 personnel<br />
employed on the project from<br />
Indonesia, South Africa and the<br />
UK performing crawler operation,<br />
directional X-ray tie in work,<br />
interpretation and supervisory<br />
duties.<br />
The NDT teams operated out of<br />
fivebases at the peak of production,<br />
spread over the whole length of<br />
the project, with a team being<br />
based in Durban to carry out<br />
the task of bringing the pipeline<br />
through the centre of Durban and<br />
the surrounding suburbs for 26 km.<br />
The pipeline is due to become fully<br />
operational in the last quarter of<br />
2011.<br />
West Africa<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong> continues to be<br />
awarded key contracts offshore<br />
West Africa through a long running<br />
and successful relationship with<br />
Subsea7, formerly Acergy. In the<br />
past <strong>Oceaneering</strong> has successfully<br />
completed offshore pipe lay<br />
projects onboard Acergy Polaris for<br />
Total Exploration and Production<br />
Angola, (TEPA), in Block 17 and<br />
Pazflor fields, offshore Angola.<br />
The Pazflor project was a deep<br />
water ‘J’ lay project, a first for<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong> in West Africa and<br />
consisted of 8” and 10” lines<br />
inspected by the PipeWIZARD®<br />
Automated Ultrasonic Testing<br />
system.<br />
Block 17 was an offshore<br />
continuation for TEPA of their part<br />
of the Angola LNG near shore and<br />
onshore pipeline system.<br />
Projects completed and currently<br />
ongoing offshore Nigeria include<br />
the OSO RE pipeline replacement<br />
for Mobil Producing Nigeria<br />
Unlimited and the EGP3B Phase<br />
2 Pipelines for Chevron Nigeria<br />
Limited. We are also engaged with<br />
Subsea7 on OSO RE, EGP3B and<br />
ECIP platform hook-ups providing<br />
each full NDT services during<br />
platform installations.<br />
4<br />
www.oceaneering.com/inspection/<br />
www.oceaneering.com<br />
Papua New Guinea<br />
We have recently commenced<br />
work on a major onshore pipeline<br />
construction project in the jungles<br />
of Papua New Guinea that is<br />
supported from <strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s<br />
South East Asia office located<br />
in Batam, Indonesia The project<br />
consists of 500 km of various<br />
diametre lines ranging from 2” to<br />
36”. Services being performed<br />
are AUT (automated ultrasonics)<br />
on the front end with Omniscan<br />
PA (phased array) / ToFD (time of<br />
flight diffraction) and radiography<br />
on special fabrications such as<br />
road and river crossings. The<br />
project will last for around two<br />
years and will involve many difficult<br />
sections through awkward terrain<br />
where special consideration for<br />
working and moving personnel<br />
and equipment safely will be<br />
paramount.
THE <strong>INSPECTION</strong> <strong>STANDARD</strong><br />
At last, successful inspection of plastic pipes<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong> have concluded an exclusive licensing<br />
agreement for the application of microwave<br />
inspection technology, and can now offer these<br />
services to customers.<br />
Microwave technology provides a unique method<br />
for imaging the internal structure of non-metallic<br />
materials. The substantial growth in the use<br />
of such non-metallic materials in recent years<br />
has necessitated the need for new inspection<br />
technologies as most conventional non-destructive<br />
testing techniques were developed to examine<br />
metallic materials. Inspection applications are varied<br />
and include Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) pipes<br />
in power station cooling towers and wind turbine<br />
blades.<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s initial focus is directed to the field<br />
joints applied to insulate subsea oil flow lines<br />
during assembly and to the welds in High-Density<br />
Polyethylene (HDPE) piping. In both applications<br />
the technology will provide an inspection technique<br />
that was previously unavailable. Both applications<br />
are related and involve the detection of a faulty<br />
bond between two pieces of plastic. To create the<br />
bonds, it is important that both sides are heated to<br />
ConocoPhillips, Teesside<br />
It has been celebrations all round<br />
for <strong>Oceaneering</strong> Inspection at<br />
ConocoPhillips Teesside crude<br />
oil reception facility as they<br />
exceeded 200,000 hours without<br />
any level of recordable accident<br />
or injury.<br />
Dave Close, <strong>Oceaneering</strong> Site<br />
Manager said “This is a fantastic<br />
achievement running from the<br />
start of the contract in April 2007<br />
to present day and is the result<br />
of the excellent safety awareness<br />
and behavioural attitude of the full<br />
team.”<br />
There has been a significant<br />
increase in workload over the<br />
period which has resulted in<br />
the manning levels more than<br />
doubling, but this has in no<br />
way affected the group’s safety<br />
performance.<br />
Mike Rae, the recently appointed<br />
HSEQ Manager at ConocoPhillips<br />
congratulated the group with the<br />
encouraging words “<strong>Oceaneering</strong><br />
are setting the standards on site<br />
with regards to safety and are<br />
achieving a level of performance<br />
that others should aspire to”<br />
The praise did not stop there,<br />
as ConocoPhillips Operation<br />
Support Manager Lee Murray<br />
added “<strong>Oceaneering</strong> are<br />
consistently surpassing on-site<br />
safety goals and initiatives”.<br />
Eric Johnston, Vice President of<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong> Inspection added<br />
his congratulations stating, “These<br />
things don’t happen by accident,<br />
but by hard work and attention to<br />
the details”.<br />
Whilst it is recognised by all that<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s safety performance<br />
is a truly team effort Dave’s<br />
leadership qualities have been<br />
recognised by <strong>Oceaneering</strong> who<br />
5<br />
the correct temperature - too cold and the molecules<br />
in the plastic will not join together; too hot and<br />
the molecules oxidize and will not join together.<br />
In both cases, there is no gap, reflector or other<br />
physical feature that can be detected by ultrasound<br />
or radiography, only a change in the microstructure.<br />
The new technology can detect this change and so<br />
provide us with an effective detection tool.<br />
A specific application that everyone is familiar with<br />
is in respect of the miles of bright yellow pipe being<br />
installed to carry natural gas to millions of homes.<br />
This technology is the only one that can provide<br />
an inspection that covers all of the known failure<br />
mechanisms for the welds between sections.<br />
recently presented him with a HSE<br />
award for displaying outstanding<br />
leadership and significant<br />
contributions to the improvement<br />
of our safety culture.<br />
It is the continued hard work<br />
and inspiring attitude that is<br />
shared amongst the group which<br />
has resulted in this fantastic<br />
achievement. Keep up the good<br />
work!<br />
John Watkinson Vice President (left)<br />
presents Dave Close with his award
www.oceaneering.com/inspection/<br />
www.oceaneering.com<br />
‘One <strong>Oceaneering</strong>’ at 2011 OTC Houston<br />
The many business units of <strong>Oceaneering</strong> International recently came together at the 2011 Offshore<br />
Technology Conference (OTC) held in Houston, Texas from 2nd to 5th May. A 29-year attendance record of<br />
78,150 was set with 40 countries represented among the 2,520 exhibiting companies from the major oil<br />
producing areas of the world.<br />
Sales personnel from all <strong>Oceaneering</strong> businesses met key customers, vendors and old friends in a well<br />
received and pleasant atmosphere suited to the conference’s intended technology exchange. Planning for<br />
2012 OTC has begun with technical paper abstracts due in September 2011 and dates of 30th April to 3rd<br />
May reserved at Reliant Park venue.<br />
Technology<br />
exhibition at Tata<br />
South Wales<br />
Tata Steel Strip Products UK (formerly<br />
CORUS) recently held a technology<br />
exhibition at its Port Talbot Works,<br />
South Wales. The company makes<br />
hot rolled, cold rolled and metallic<br />
coated strip steel. <strong>Oceaneering</strong> were<br />
invited along with a number of other<br />
key suppliers to demonstrate new<br />
technology available to industry.<br />
Tata Senior Plant Condition<br />
Monitoring Engineer Jason Chard<br />
(far right) is shown Guided Wave<br />
technology by Craig Nutty, Assistant<br />
SIS Manager. John Staff, Swansea<br />
Branch Manager (far left) and Richard<br />
Lobb, RA Manager England and<br />
Wales watch on.<br />
Australasian Oil and<br />
Gas exhibition<br />
As announced in the February 2011 edition of the newsletter<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong> have acquired the Global Technical Services<br />
Group based in Perth, Western Australia. The acquisition gives<br />
the Inspection Division a foothold into an exciting and rapidly<br />
expanding new geographical sector.<br />
To announce our arrival in the Australian market we joined<br />
forces with other <strong>Oceaneering</strong> business units to exhibit at<br />
the 2011 Australasian Oil and Gas (AOG) exhibition and<br />
conference. AOG attracts 10,000 visitors with more than<br />
450 exhibitors. The exhibition was the perfect opportunity<br />
for <strong>Oceaneering</strong> to showcase its latest products and services<br />
over three days to influential local interstate and international<br />
visitors.<br />
The Inspection team at the exhibition from left to right are<br />
Dave Bentley - Advanced NDT Applications Manager, Haroon<br />
Cajee - Manager-Asia Pacific, Eric Johnston - Vice President<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong> Inspection, Martin Hockley - Marketing Manager<br />
and Dave Ryan - Operations Manager.<br />
Visitors to the <strong>Oceaneering</strong> stand were shown the latest<br />
Phased Array technology and recent developments with 3D<br />
imaging by the ROV Division.<br />
6
THE <strong>INSPECTION</strong> <strong>STANDARD</strong><br />
Nuclear Stations<br />
vessel entry training<br />
A team of 20 <strong>Oceaneering</strong> technicians led by Chris<br />
Smith, NDT Inspection Engineer, have once again<br />
undergone training on boiler simulators located in<br />
Newcastle, England in preparation for completing<br />
inspection work in the most testing of conditions<br />
- boilers in close proximity to the reactor core on<br />
nuclear installations. This work has proved vital to<br />
the efficiency of the boilers in the past although the<br />
conditions encountered could not get much more<br />
challenging.<br />
Due to the heat and potential contamination in the<br />
boilers the inspectors wear air-fed suits and have<br />
to manoeuvre through a complex set of boiler<br />
tubes to get in the correct position to complete the<br />
testing. To apply the ALARP (As Low As Reasonably<br />
Practicable) principle requires practise in safe<br />
conditions. For this reason simulators create the<br />
conditions and work scopes are developed to<br />
allow the inspectors to become acclimatised and<br />
confident in the simulated conditions within a<br />
safe environment before the actual site work is<br />
performed. The inspectors are monitored by video<br />
and radio communications from a manned control<br />
room while completeing the tasks, while keeping<br />
the number of personnel allowed into the hazardous<br />
conditions to a minimum.<br />
Over the past years a vast amount of successful<br />
inspections have been completed on the boilers<br />
due to the diligent attitude of the inspectors and the<br />
professional training completed.<br />
7<br />
Eggborough Power<br />
Station safety award<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong> personnel are renowned for<br />
their vigilance and an eye for detail and this<br />
was proved again when a team of technicians<br />
identified a defect with the potential to cause a<br />
significant safety issue.<br />
During the 2011 shutdown, Dale Sutcliffe,<br />
Gary Cook and Carl McElvaney formed the<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong> inspection team tasked with carrying<br />
out a routine inspection of a high pressure<br />
pipework bend on Unit 3 Eggborough Power<br />
Station. The coal fired station has been generating<br />
electricity since 1967 and is located in East<br />
Yorkshire, England.<br />
Members of the team noticed a crack propagating<br />
from a ‘tapping point’ branch weld to an adjacent<br />
‘warming’ branch weld. The defect was in an<br />
area outside the area scheduled for inspection.<br />
Nevertheless the alert team immediately reported<br />
to the Station Engineer, an action which resulted in<br />
a change to the inspection scope for this and other<br />
station units.<br />
In recognition of their diligence the three men<br />
were proposed for a Safety Award which<br />
was presented to them by Paul Tomlinson, the<br />
Power Station’s Chief Operating Officer on the<br />
14th of June. <strong>Oceaneering</strong> also recognised<br />
this conscientious approach, by presenting<br />
each individual with a monetary voucher and<br />
expressing great thanks to all involved.<br />
Carl McElvaney - Left Gary Cook - Left
A view from the Caspian<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong> Inspection has contracts all over the<br />
world in often difficult, but occasionally exotic<br />
locations. Dr. Peter McClean Millar In-country<br />
Manager for <strong>Oceaneering</strong> works in one of the fastest<br />
growing areas of our business and offers insight into<br />
life working in the Caspian Region.<br />
“When people ask me where I work they usually take<br />
on a puzzled look and scratch their head when I say,<br />
‘Baku, Azerbaijan’. In recent weeks Azerbaijan won<br />
the European Song Contest so friends and family back<br />
in Ireland probably won’t be so confused, but for my<br />
American friends back in Chicago, where I live, it will<br />
still be, go to Iran and Iraq and head north to Russia<br />
and you will find it”.<br />
Azerbaijan is a former Russian state which sits on the<br />
western side of the Caspian Sea. It has roughly the<br />
same land area as Ireland with a total population of<br />
just over eight million of which more than two million<br />
live in Baku, the capital city. Like many large cities,<br />
Baku is noisy and confined; however, the Azerbaijan<br />
government is committed to modernising the city and<br />
opening up the tourism sector. They are able to do<br />
this because of the vast oil wealth buried under the<br />
Caspian Sea. It is because of this that <strong>Oceaneering</strong> is<br />
here.<br />
In 2009 <strong>Oceaneering</strong> secured the Inspection and<br />
Integrity Management contract for BP’s assets in<br />
the Caspian Region. These assets consist of eight<br />
offshore platforms, the Sangachal terminal and the<br />
export pipelines. Covering an area of 500 hectares,<br />
Sangachal has a processing capacity of over one<br />
million barrels per day and a total storage capacity<br />
of three million barrels of oil. It is one of the largest oil<br />
and gas facilities in the world.<br />
The oil is exported through three major lines running<br />
through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey to the<br />
Mediterranean and Black Seas. The three pipelines<br />
include the Baku-Tiblisi-Ceyhan line which at 1,094<br />
miles is the second longest oil pipeline in the world<br />
and runs through mountainous areas which are only<br />
accessible for inspection seven months of the year.<br />
The Caspian operation forms part of <strong>Oceaneering</strong><br />
Inspection’s Africa, Middle East, FSU and Asia<br />
Pacific (AMFA) Region, which has its management<br />
team based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, but is<br />
supported by our specialist services from the United<br />
Kingdom.<br />
During the last two years we have seen continuous<br />
growth in the work being done with and the size of<br />
the workforce. We are also working closely with BP<br />
8<br />
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on a number of new projects including the Chirag<br />
Oil Project (new platform 120km east of Baku) and<br />
the pilot of an inspection regime at Sangachal using<br />
3D models. This is a truly exciting project which has<br />
the potential to be a real game changer in the field<br />
of inspection and monitoring of onshore and offshore<br />
assets.<br />
But it is not all work in Baku. Recently we had a team<br />
building weekend at the Atlant resort in Nabran in the<br />
northern part of Azerbaijan. While the area around<br />
Baku tends to be a dry and dusty terrain, Nabran was<br />
very reminiscent of Normandy in France. It was great<br />
to see a different aspect of Azerbaijan and spend<br />
some quality time with the families of our local staff.<br />
The Caspian Integrity Management operation employs<br />
over 100 people of which in excess of 30 are<br />
Azerbaijan nationals. The following image shows the<br />
Management Team, (from left to right) Peter McClean<br />
Millar - In Country Manager, Lawrence Slowik –<br />
Exports Delivery Manager, Ali Still – NDT Inspection<br />
– Coordinator , Gavin McConaghie – HSE Advisor,<br />
Derek McNaughtan – Offshore Delivery Manager,<br />
Adriaan Volschenk – NDT Rope Access Supervisor.<br />
(Missing from photograph: Tim Preston – Sangachal<br />
Delivery Manager and Babek Tahirov – Chief<br />
Representative).<br />
Caspian Management Team<br />
Working in the Caspian is demanding but it is also<br />
rewarding because everyone knows that they can<br />
make a difference by endeavouring to keep BP’s<br />
operation here safe and efficient. Recently we passed<br />
250,000 hours without a Lost Time Incident. People<br />
may not know where Baku is but it is certainly a very<br />
important part of <strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s global operation.<br />
Dr. Peter McClean Millar – June 2011
THE <strong>INSPECTION</strong> <strong>STANDARD</strong><br />
Advanced inspection technology in the Swiss mountains<br />
The ever increasing demand for <strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s<br />
Specialist Inspection Services recently provided the<br />
opportunity to complete an inspection campaign<br />
within the Swiss mountains.<br />
On the Dixence River at the head of the alpine valley<br />
Val d’Hérens, stands the concrete gravity dam Le<br />
Grand Dixence. At 285 metres (935 ft) high, it is<br />
the tallest gravity dam in the world and is part of the<br />
Cleuson-Dixence complex.<br />
This colossus structure provides water for four<br />
hydroelectricity stations, including the Fionnay<br />
power plant which generates a combined maximum<br />
capacity of 290 MW over its six turbines.<br />
In order to turbine the water from Le Grand Dixence<br />
dam, it was necessary to build and install a nine<br />
kilometre long underground gallery, including a<br />
large section running from Louvie to Fionnay.<br />
This particular project relates to installations of the<br />
central water stations of Fionnay (in Fionnay) and<br />
Nendaz (in Riddes). The pipelines have been divided<br />
into nine distinct lots and an extensive maintenance<br />
program is to be held over the next three years to<br />
help improve the in-service life of the lines.<br />
The main purpose of the operation was to re-instate<br />
the anti-corrosive coating that lines the inside of the<br />
pipework. However, before the coating was to be<br />
re-applied, it was a requirement to non-destructively<br />
test the welded joints to identify potential in-service<br />
defects.<br />
Due to the restriction to test from one side only<br />
and the requirement for fully recordable data, the<br />
client had specifically requested Phased Array (PA)<br />
ultrasonics as the primary method of inspection. PA<br />
ultrasonics has the benefit of volumetrically inspecting<br />
the weld at an approximate scan speed of 75mm/<br />
second. All PA ultrasonics information is recordable<br />
which allows for off-site analysis and provides fully<br />
auditable data.<br />
9<br />
The inspection campaign (that required site access<br />
by a mountain climbing cable car) was led by<br />
Stuart Kenny, Principal Engineer and proved to be<br />
extremely challenging. The second member of the<br />
team Principal Technician, Huw Lewis describing the<br />
works as “the most demanding environment I have<br />
ever worked in”.<br />
Huw Lewis looks a little nervous as he travels to<br />
work in the mountain cable car.<br />
After gaining access to the pipe entry point both SIS<br />
engineers descended down the pipeline aboard a<br />
cable driven cart. The cart was controlled by two<br />
local operators who spoke as much English as the<br />
Oceaneers spoke French….very little.<br />
The pipeline was limited to three metres in diameter<br />
and as the light of the pipe entrance quickly<br />
disappeared, the only source of illumination was<br />
provided by a battery operated torch. In addition to<br />
the limited light source, as the cable cart travelled<br />
towards its 1500 metre drop, the temperature began<br />
to fall dramatically. These conditions were extremely<br />
testing and both operators had to remain vigilant<br />
to ensure the <strong>Oceaneering</strong> high standards of safety<br />
were adhered to.<br />
The primary survey included testing 19 selected<br />
weld sections of approximately two metres in<br />
length. The welds were approximately 50 years old<br />
and due to the age many fabrication indications<br />
were anticipated. The sentencing was based on<br />
requirements shown in BS EN 7910:2005, which<br />
outlines the acceptance limits for flaws in metallic<br />
structures.<br />
The campaign included entry into pipe sections of<br />
diameters of less than 1.5 metres. In-service defects<br />
had been detected visually. PA ultrasonics was<br />
used to quantify the damage under the surface. The<br />
inspection involved crawling 40 metres along the<br />
pipe to access the defective areas.
The whole campaign proved to be a success with<br />
the client providing extremely positive feedback<br />
following report submittal. This puts <strong>Oceaneering</strong><br />
in a strong position to be involved in the remaining<br />
maintenance works that continue into 2013.<br />
In Angola<br />
Congratulations to Lemuel Abela who has<br />
recently received a safety award for submitting<br />
the ‘best quality’, safety observation card. The<br />
award was presented by <strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s client<br />
Sonamet, during a morning’s site ‘Toolbox<br />
Talk’ for his contribution to Sonatmet’s safety<br />
observation programme. Sonamet Construction<br />
Manager Kirsten Glesne is seen presenting the<br />
award.<br />
Lemuel is employed by <strong>Oceaneering</strong> as an NDT<br />
technician on the Congo River Crossing currently<br />
under construction in Angola. The Congo River<br />
Crossing is an enabling project for the Angola<br />
LNG project in the Southern Africa Business Unit<br />
and involves the installation of a gas supply<br />
pipeline from Block 0/14 to the Angola LNG<br />
Plant, requiring the crossing of the technically<br />
challenging Congo River subsea canyon.<br />
10<br />
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www.oceaneering.com<br />
After the exertions of the inspection activities there<br />
was the welcome opportunity to take in the sites<br />
of Switzerland including an amazing mountain<br />
bike ride around the surrounding mountains of the<br />
popular ski resort of Verbier. Maybe NDT isn’t all<br />
bad after all…<br />
Apprentice scheme introduced in Angola<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong> Inspection Angola has introduced<br />
an apprenticeship scheme to formalise the<br />
training program that will assist with the<br />
development of local people. The scheme<br />
has been designed to give trainees the<br />
comprehensive training required to becoming<br />
<strong>Oceaneering</strong> Inspection technicians of the future.<br />
Angolan operations will fill eight trainee<br />
positions in 2011, two of which have already<br />
been identified and employed. The additional<br />
trainees will be recruited from local universities<br />
and colleges with <strong>Oceaneering</strong> attending<br />
recruitment events to ensure the highest calibre<br />
people are given the opportunity to enter an<br />
exciting career with a respected organisation.<br />
The scheme involves a combination of on-site<br />
and formal training at our AMFA training school<br />
in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The training is designed to<br />
ensure the trainees achieve their full potential<br />
and formal qualifications by internationally<br />
recognised certification schemes.<br />
It is the intention that the scheme will offer the<br />
opportunity to local people on a continuous<br />
basis with around six new places offered each<br />
year.
THE <strong>INSPECTION</strong> <strong>STANDARD</strong><br />
Long Service Awards<br />
The Swansea, South Wales office recently had reason for a<br />
joint celebration. David (‘Dai’) Hughes reached the remarkable<br />
milestone of 45 years continuous service ‘not out’. Congratulations<br />
Dai, you must have been a mere boy when you started. Carole<br />
Hollingworth, the young looking one in the picture, reached the<br />
30 years milestone (Surely not?).<br />
From left to right: John Staff, Dai, Carole and Alan Parker<br />
45 years<br />
Dai Hughes<br />
15 years<br />
30 years<br />
Steven Chessell, Carole Hollingworth,<br />
Nigel Jones, Derek Bromby<br />
Derek Marriott, Richard Greenslade,<br />
Paul Evans, Paul Dutton, John Boyle,<br />
Darren Owen, Kenneth Matheson, Alan<br />
Jackson, John Robson, Richard Denmead,<br />
Derek Skelton, Sarbini Karim<br />
5 years<br />
10 years<br />
20 years<br />
David Gunn, Ian Morgan, Melchor Mabutas, John Scannell,<br />
David Dallard, Alan Blackburn, Brian Lornie<br />
Monzar Najami,Bruce Jurgens, Stewart Hepburn, Sharon Paterson,<br />
Simeon Marasigan, Paul Hood, Richard Harris, Thomas Ballesteros, David<br />
McKinven, Jill Good, James Foley, Philip Espejo, James Murphy, Simon<br />
Mason, John Cockburn, Lee Balfour, Coy PoPay, Katherine Broussard,<br />
Jason Hebert, Wesley Montgomery, Jason Shevlin<br />
Scott MacKenzie, Alfie Gardner, Brian Campbell, Jennifer Gallighan,Sarah Jane McCoubrey, Mark Torres, Ashley<br />
Burgess, Gareth Evans, Widya Indrajaya, Joseph Kwiatkowski, Lionel Hadley, Taylor Foret, Joshua Meza, Shervin Fox,<br />
Amanda Orrick, Ford Innes, Paul Newstead, Stuart Gallacher, Alistair Bakie,Peter Smith, Paul Lafferty, Maria Barata,<br />
Gareth Steele, Andrew Hughes, Julie Bushby, Ken Walker, Robert Evans, John Quinn, Raghunathan Venkataraman, Roy<br />
Winter, John Bender, Johannes Briedenhann, Abraham Panman, David Davidson, Alasdair Smith, Michelle Morgan,<br />
Chad Harding, Pritvish Francis, Pallathukudy Shaju, David Harris, Pallathukudy Shaju, David Harris, Genevieve Davis,<br />
Andrew Wilson, Hin Fai Shek, Louise Freeman, Clyde Botha, Simon Bradley, John Smith, Russell Edwards, James<br />
McCluskey, William McGrane, Ian Blackburn, Gareth Mugford, Babek Tahirov, Barry McCulloch<br />
Americas:<br />
Station #1 Box 10267<br />
227 Clendenning Road<br />
Houma,<br />
LA 70363,<br />
USA<br />
Tel: +1 985 868 5097<br />
Fax: +1 985 868 4871<br />
Angola:<br />
Rua Kima Kyenda 309<br />
Boavista,<br />
Lunda,<br />
Angola<br />
Tel: +244 2311 367<br />
+244 2311 071<br />
Fax: +244 2310 082<br />
Asia Pacific:<br />
No1 Kwong Min Road,<br />
Jurong 628704<br />
Singapore<br />
Tel: +65 62613211<br />
Australia:<br />
Perth Office,<br />
12 McKinnon Street,<br />
Jandakot,<br />
WA 6164<br />
Tel: (+66) 8 9414 9122<br />
Fax: (+61) 9 9414 9133<br />
England and Wales:<br />
109 Bowesfield Lane,<br />
Stockton-on-Tees,<br />
Cleveland,<br />
TS18 3YH,<br />
UK<br />
Tel: +44 (0) 1642 604661<br />
Fax: +44 (0) 1642 670300<br />
Middle East:<br />
PO Box 4074,<br />
Abu Dhabi,<br />
United Arab Emirates<br />
Tel: +9712 5555 855<br />
Fax: +9712 5552 392<br />
PO Box 115215<br />
Al Moosa Tower 2, Floor<br />
15,<br />
Sheikh Zayed Road,<br />
Dubai<br />
United Arab Emirates<br />
Tel: +971 43117500<br />
Fax: +971 43310800<br />
Statements in this newsletter that express belief, expectation or intention, as well as those that are no historical fact, are forward looking. The forward-looking statements include the<br />
statements concerning <strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s expected contract revenue and anticipation average annual revenue. These forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor<br />
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are based on current information and expectations of <strong>Oceaneering</strong> that involve a number of risks, uncertainties, and<br />
assumptions. Among the factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements are risks and uncertainties related to: industry<br />
conditions; prices of crude oil and natural gas; <strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s ability to obtain and the timing of new projects; and changes in competitive factors. Should one or more of these risks or<br />
uncertainties materialize, or should the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual outcomes could vary materially from those indicated. These and other<br />
risks are more fully described in <strong>Oceaneering</strong>’s latest annual report on Form 10-K and is other periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.<br />
11<br />
Nigeria:<br />
216 Port Harcourt-Aba Road,<br />
Opposte Shell Residential<br />
Area,<br />
Port Harcourt,<br />
Rivers State,<br />
Nigeria<br />
Tel: +234 846 10070<br />
Fax: +234 846 10070<br />
Scotland:<br />
Pitmedden Road,<br />
Dyce,<br />
Aberdeen,<br />
AB21 0DP,<br />
UK<br />
Tel: +44 (0) 1224 758500<br />
Fax: +44 (0) 1224 758519<br />
For enquires contact either your local office<br />
or inspection@oceaneering.com