More than 500 industry professionals came together for the sparkling 28th Offshore Achievement Awards ceremony in Aberdeen, 20 March.
The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Aberdeen Section organized and hosted the awards, known as “the indus- try Oscars” and supported by Offshore Engineer, for the third consecutive year.
Anthony Onukwu, chairman of SPE Aberdeen, said: “Since re-launching the OAAs three years ago, the awards have gone from strength to strength, attracting record-breaking audiences and increasing entries each year. SPE Aberdeen is proud to support innovation and recognize success across the UK energy industry.”
The winners:
• Significant achievement Brian Nixon As Decom North Sea’s CEO, Nixon has helped grow the organization to more than 230 members and is due to retire this year. Read more - OE, February 2014 - http://ow.ly/vWjS7
• Posthumous significant achievement award Steve Walton started at Wood Group in 1989, making him one of its longest- serving employees. He was a recognized expert in materials control in the core services team and served as a safety representative for more than 23 years, most recently on Step Change in Safety’s leadership team. He passed away last year.
• Inspiring leader Steve Nicol As Red Spider Technology’s first employee, Steve Nicol’s committment and leadership led him to be appointed CEO. He helped secure the investment required for the company’s growth, which led to its acquisition by Halliburton in 2012.
• Young professional Ray Mackenzie – Nexen Twenty-six- year-old subsea controls engineer Ray MacKenzie impressed senior man- agement with the trust he has gained and by showing commitment to company values, which he displayed while serving as Resident Engineer and Company Man on Nexen’s Golden Eagle development project.
• Great small company Coretrax Technology was formed in 2009 to develop tools and fluids for the wellbore clean-up and well abandonment markets. It has since increased its product offering and moved into markets in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, with international sales now accounting for 70% of its business. Coretrax plans to open facilities in Saudi Arabia and Iraq this year.
• Great large company Hydrasun provides integrated fluid trans- fer, power, and control solutions in more than 58 countries, with operational bases and facilities in UK, Holland, Caspian, Dubai, Brazil, and Angola, alongside sales offices and partnerships in the Gulf of Mexico, Trinidad, and Houston. Revenues are expected to grow to £130 million (US$2.15 million) this year.
• Emerging technology Guardian Global Technologies’ integrated Ballistics Delivery System is a new wireline perforating system, blend- ing new technologies with traditional tools in a single unit. On the surface, it has a logging panel, a control panel, and a perforating panel. It can incorporate a multitude of systems downhole, including depth control devices and digitally- controlled detonator select fire switches. The system is entering the commercialization phase.
• The innovator Tendeka’s FloSure autonomous inflow control device helps operators overcome the challenges of early water and gas breakthrough. It preferentially chokes unwanted produced fluids, while promoting production of oil from an entire horizontal well. More than 1000 units are manufactured each month, and there have been 5000 successful applications since early 2013.
• Safety innovations Stork’s Extended Reach Breathing Apparatus System (ERBAS) improves safety on deep, confined space operations, such as work in platform legs and FPSO tanks. Multiple refill stations are deployed throughout the exit route. Rather than changing cylinders, ERBAS can be refilled in less than 60 seconds while still worn by the operative.
• Export achievement EV designs and builds wellbore camera systems able to work 10,000m below surface in extreme environmental conditions, on electric line, slickline, coil tubing, or drill pipe. Covering 17 locations world- wide, EV does over 100 well interventions a month for more than 300 clients.
• Environmentalist TWMA’s TCC RotoMil and TCC RotoTruck handle and treat drill cuttings at source, reducing cost, environmental impact, and safety risks by using a process of thermal desorption, which separates drill cuttings and associated materials into oil, water, and solids for recycling and reuse.
• Working together The Underwater Centre collaborated with Skills Development Scotland to help workers transfer land-based engineering, fabrication, and construction skills into the subsea sector. In 2012, eight Scots were trained as commercial divers. In 2013, the figure exceeded 60.
pictured: L-R Young professional award winner Raymond Mckenzie, Brian Nixon, winner of the Significant Achievement award, and Inspiring Leader winner Steve Nicol.
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