www.oceaneering.

com
August 2011

CONTRACT NEWS
Two new major contracts awarded

A VIEW FROM THE CASPIAN

Insight into life working in the Caspian Region

IN ANGOLA
Apprentice scheme introduced in Angola

THE

INSPECTION STANDARD
The newsletter of Oceaneering Inspection

September 2011

www.oceaneering.com

THE INSPECTION STANDARD

Notes from the editor

Many thanks go out to all Oceaneers who have contributed to this edition of the Inspection
Standard. As always we are offering a meal for two up to the value of 75, at any restaurant of
choice to the Oceaneering employee who submits the best article.
This editions winner is Stuart Kenny for his article Advanced inspection technology in the Swiss
mountains which gives an interesting insight into life working in one of our busiest departments.
For the opportunity to win the meal for two in our next edition of the Inspection Standard please send
all articles to myself, Martin Hockley, mhockley@oceaneering.com

Good luck!
An holistic view

We also report in this edition on other notable HSE

achievements at Conoco Phillips Teesside crude oil
reception facility and Eggborough Power Station
in the UK, and achievement in the Caspian. My
gratitude to all our personnel who have helped us
reach these objectives.

Its August and its 45 degrees Centigrade in

the UAE, over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the
Gulf of Mexico in both cases with stifling
humidity to add to the heat. Meanwhile, in
the UK its been wet and windy most of the
summer. Nothing new about any of that,
then.

Performing the hazardous work we do in a

safe manner is close to all our hearts. Not just
in Oceaneering Inspection, but across all of
Oceaneerings diverse businesses safety is our
number one ethic. First and foremost we want all
our people to return home from work safely. We
endeavour to do this by having robust HSE processes,
by providing training and importantly by inculcating
safety awareness and the cultural expectations which
underpin everything. We encourage the reporting of
any unsafe working practices and near hits, and we
look to share learning.

Still, business as usual continues in all of these

areas, and also in the Caspian, Middle East, Asia
and Australia, and other parts of the globe where
Oceaneering Inspection conducts its business. Except
that in our world nothing is exactly usual; new
challenges emerge everywhere and amongst these
we continue to have our successes.
In this edition of the Inspection Standard we report
on some new contract awards. Our Inspection and
Integrity Management Group have picked up two
new customers Chevron in the UK and JV Gas in
Algeria. We are delighted to have won this work
and look forward to providing a high level of service
to, and establishing strong relationships with, both
companies. Equally we are especially pleased that
BP have extended our contract for inspection and
corrosion management services covering all BPs
offshore installations in the UK North Sea and all
associated onshore terminals - this major contract
employs in excess of 150 of highly qualified and
experienced personnel alone. We are appreciative
of the faith and confidence shown by our client in our
continuing efforts to work with them to maintain and
improve on the service. We were also very proud
to have passed the two million man-hour milestone
without a single injury or lost time incident on this
contract.

Finally our successes are all down to the dedication

and efforts of the people who work for Oceaneering
Inspection. Id like to recognise Dave Close our Site
Manager at ConocoPhillips Teesside for leading the
team that delivered the safety goal and thank you to
all our long serving employees who are mentioned
in this newsletter and those previously. It always
surprises me to see the numbers who are hitting these
service milestones. To Dai Hughes in Swansea, who
has just completed 45 years with the company, a very
big thank you too for your contribution and probably
also your endurance!
Eric Johnston
Vice President Oceaneering Inspection

www.oceaneering.com/inspection/
www.oceaneering.com

Oceaneering secures Integrity Management Support

contract in Algeria
Oceaneerings Inspection and
Integrity Management Department
has secured a new 3-year contract
providing integrity management
support to joint ventures between
three major oil and gas operators
in two locations in central Algeria.
The award further confirms
Oceaneerings position as a
leading provider of inspection and
integrity services on the global
stage.

In Salah

BP Exploration (El Djazair) Limited

and its co-ventures, Socit
Nationale SONATRACH and
Statoil North Africa Gas AS have
together developed hydrocarbon
reserves in the Sahara Desert
region near the town of In Salah,
Algeria. The facility has been
on-stream since July 2004 and

currently produces around 9

billion cubic metres of gas per
year. The dry gas is transported
along a 500 kilometre pipeline
to the major gas collection point
at Hassi RMel from where it is
exported to markets in Europe.

In Amenas

This association between BP

Amoco Exploration (In Amenas)
Limited (BP) and its association
partners, lEntreprise Nationale
Sonatrach and Statoil North Africa
Oil AS is the largest wet gas
project in Algeria and involves
the development and production
of natural gas and gas liquids
from four wet gas fields in the Illizi
Basin of south-eastern Algeria. The
project, which was commissioned
in July 2006, produces around
10 billion cubic metres of gas and

1.5 million cubic metres of liquids

per year and
In order to service the In Salah
and In Amenas operations in
and out of country a dedicated
project team has been assembled
and is based in Oceaneerings
Aberdeen office. With the
support of specialist departments
from within the organisation the
teams main responsibility is to
provide a comprehensive integrity
support service, which can be
as diverse as producing a full
failure risk assessment on a key
part of the pressure/process plant
system, to obtaining visas and
mobilising specialist personnel
and equipment from all parts of
the globe.

The offshore service includes five offshore Inspection

Engineers providing management of inspection
activities and an interface with Chevron North Sea
Limiteds sub-contractors to carry out repair and
maintenance activities.

Chevron contract award

In March of this year Oceaneering Inspection
commenced a new contract for the provision of
inspection and corrosion management services
onshore and offshore for Chevron North Sea Limited.
The Chevron Corporation is one of the worlds
leading energy companies, operating in over 180
countries across the globe. Chevron North Sea
Limited currently operates three assets within the
United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) all of which
will form part of Oceaneerings inspection scope.

The onshore service includes personnel and facilities

to support Chevrons North Sea Limiteds offshore
operations. Initially this will include inspection and
integrity management personnel based in Chevron
House, Chevrons Aberdeen Office. In addition
Oceaneering will provide specialist support such as
corrosion engineering and pressure system support as
required.

Alba Asset

Oceaneering look forward to forming a strong

relationship with a new key customer - Chevron North
Sea Limited.

This is a heavy oil field, located 130 miles north

east of Aberdeen in an Eocene horizon overlying
the Britannia gas field. The field consists of a fixed
installation, known as the Alba Northern Platform and
a Floating Storage Unit both installed in July 1993.

Captain Asset

Located 68 miles north of Aberdeen, Captain

comprises a Wellhead Protection Platform and a
Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel.

Erskine Asset

This is the first high pressure/high temperature field to

be developed on the UKCS and is located 150 miles
east of Aberdeen.

THE INSPECTION STANDARD

BP extends Oceaneerings Inspection and

Corrosion Management services contract
helping BP maintain and improve the integrity of their
assets. The work consists of integrity and corrosion
engineering support, the formulation of inspection
strategies and schedules, and the execution of
inspections including the utilisation of specialist and
advanced NDT technology.

Oceaneering are pleased to announce that BP have

extended their current Inspection and Corrosion
Management services contract for a further four
years to a new completion date in 2015.
The extension follows on from a successful 5-year
contract relationship, during which time over 2
million man-hours were worked without an injury
or lost time incident. This major contract covers all
of BPs upstream oil and gas facilities in the UK,
including offshore installations, onshore terminals
and associated pipelines.

John Watkinson, VP Inspection Europe stated I

am exceptionally pleased to be able to announce
this award. For BP to have chosen to extend the
agreement by 4-years is testament to the excellent
quality of work we have done in support of our
customer. The four year extension has specifically
been agreed in order to give time for us to fully
deliver value from our own ACET inspection software
system and our industry leading Non Invasive
Inspection (NII) technology.

The contract is managed from Oceaneerings

operational base in Aberdeen with strategic support
provided by a network of UK branches supporting
the worksites. Over 150 personnel are employed
by Oceaneering on the contract, all dedicated to

ACET backlog project success

Engineers. A further sixteen CAD Engineers joined
the team in 2010 and were trained by Harmeek
Singh, Design Engineer. Refresher training was
carried out in February 2011 by Wallis Beattie (Data
Management Project Manager) and Kirsty Taylor
(Quality Assurance Co-ordinator) who during their
visit took the opportunity to thank the team for their
hard work in completing Phase One of the project
by awarding gifts of a plaque and a laptop bag to
each of the engineers. Engineering Managers Dileep
Kumar and Harmeek Singh were also given gifts of
appreciation for supervising the teams and ensuring
the work was carried out to plan.

We are pleased to announce that the first phase of

the Asset Condition Evaluation Tool (ACET) backlog
project managed and resourced by Oceaneerings
Offshore Design Centre (ODC) in Chandigarh India
has been successfully completed ahead of schedule.
ACET is a software system supporting the
management of corrosion, inspection and plant
integrity processes and is an integral part of the
corrosion management strategy. ACET presents
the managers and engineers responsible for
implementing, maintaining and improving the
corrosion management strategy with knowledge and
information on equipment condition.
The ACET backlog project was set up initially for
BP assets that, prior to 2006 when Oceaneerings
scope of supply was increased were inspected by
different companies. As a result a large backlog of
inspection data needed to be input into the system an estimated, 87,000 man-hours of work. The ODC
was set up to provide an effective and efficient way
to input the large amount of data within a short time
frame. The project involves the creation of AutoCAD
drawings and the input of reports for vessels and
pipe work. Phase One of the project related to,
Bruce, Clair and Magnus assets while Phase Two
addresses Andrew, ETAP, Harding, West Sole and
Cleeton.

Wallis Beattie and Kirsty Taylor with members of the project

team during a recent visit to Chandigarh

Work completed in 2010 exceeded expectations

with over 36,000 reports and drawings entered
in to ACET, significantly ahead of pedictions.
Oceaneering would like to take this opportunity to
thank the team and the managers for their efforts in
making this project a real success.

Initial ACET training was carried out in July 2010

by John Knott (CAD/Data Services Manager) and
Graeme Taylor (CAD/Data Services Support) who
spent a month in Chandigarh training twenty CAD
3

www.oceaneering.com/inspection/
www.oceaneering.com

In the pipeline
The Oceaneering-ONeill JV has
successfully completed all four
phases of the NMPP (New Multi
Product Pipeline) project in South
Africa for Transnet Limited. The
main mechanical works were
performed by a JV between Spie
Capag-Group 5 and WK Welding.
Phase 1
Kendal to Waltloo, 16 diameter,
89 km length, completed in
December 2010.
Phase 2
Alrode to Langlaagte, 16
diameter, 31 km length, completed
in January 2011.
Phase 3
Jameson Park to Alrode, 16
diameter, 42 km length, completed
in January 2011.
Phase 4
Durban to Jameson Park, 24
diameter, 554 km length,
completed in June 2011.
The project started in July 2008
on the line from Kendal to Waltloo
and has progressed steadily until
its recent completion. The pipeline
is another project carried out with
Spie Capag as the main contractor.
The Oceaneering-ONeill JV and
Spie Capag relationship now
dates back more than 25 years
with many projects successfully
completed around the world.
The main welding works were once
again serviced by the Oceaneering
X-ray crawler systems, with the
daily production peaking at 220
x 24 welds, the day on day
average being 160 welds. There
were a maximum of 20 personnel
employed on the project from
Indonesia, South Africa and the
UK performing crawler operation,
directional X-ray tie in work,
interpretation and supervisory
duties.

The NDT teams operated out of

fivebases at the peak of production,
spread over the whole length of
the project, with a team being
based in Durban to carry out
the task of bringing the pipeline
through the centre of Durban and
the surrounding suburbs for 26 km.
The pipeline is due to become fully
operational in the last quarter of
2011.

West Africa

Oceaneering continues to be
awarded key contracts offshore
West Africa through a long running
and successful relationship with
Subsea7, formerly Acergy. In the
past Oceaneering has successfully
completed offshore pipe lay
projects onboard Acergy Polaris for
Total Exploration and Production
Angola, (TEPA), in Block 17 and
Pazflor fields, offshore Angola.
The Pazflor project was a deep
water J lay project, a first for
Oceaneering in West Africa and
consisted of 8 and 10 lines
inspected by the PipeWIZARD
Automated Ultrasonic Testing
system.
Block 17 was an offshore
continuation for TEPA of their part
of the Angola LNG near shore and
onshore pipeline system.
Projects completed and currently
ongoing offshore Nigeria include
the OSO RE pipeline replacement
for Mobil Producing Nigeria
Unlimited and the EGP3B Phase
2 Pipelines for Chevron Nigeria
Limited. We are also engaged with
Subsea7 on OSO RE, EGP3B and
ECIP platform hook-ups providing
each full NDT services during
platform installations.

Papua New Guinea

We have recently commenced

work on a major onshore pipeline
construction project in the jungles
of Papua New Guinea that is
supported from Oceaneerings
South East Asia office located
in Batam, Indonesia The project
consists of 500 km of various
diametre lines ranging from 2 to
36. Services being performed
are AUT (automated ultrasonics)
on the front end with Omniscan
PA (phased array) / ToFD (time of
flight diffraction) and radiography
on special fabrications such as
road and river crossings. The
project will last for around two
years and will involve many difficult
sections through awkward terrain
where special consideration for
working and moving personnel
and equipment safely will be
paramount.

THE INSPECTION STANDARD

At last, successful inspection of plastic pipes

Oceaneering have concluded an exclusive licensing
agreement for the application of microwave
inspection technology, and can now offer these
services to customers.
Microwave technology provides a unique method
for imaging the internal structure of non-metallic
materials. The substantial growth in the use
of such non-metallic materials in recent years
has necessitated the need for new inspection
technologies as most conventional non-destructive
testing techniques were developed to examine
metallic materials. Inspection applications are varied
and include Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) pipes
in power station cooling towers and wind turbine
blades.

the correct temperature - too cold and the molecules

in the plastic will not join together; too hot and
the molecules oxidize and will not join together.
In both cases, there is no gap, reflector or other
physical feature that can be detected by ultrasound
or radiography, only a change in the microstructure.
The new technology can detect this change and so
provide us with an effective detection tool.

Oceaneerings initial focus is directed to the field

joints applied to insulate subsea oil flow lines
during assembly and to the welds in High-Density
Polyethylene (HDPE) piping. In both applications
the technology will provide an inspection technique
that was previously unavailable. Both applications
are related and involve the detection of a faulty
bond between two pieces of plastic. To create the
bonds, it is important that both sides are heated to

A specific application that everyone is familiar with

is in respect of the miles of bright yellow pipe being
installed to carry natural gas to millions of homes.
This technology is the only one that can provide
an inspection that covers all of the known failure
mechanisms for the welds between sections.

ConocoPhillips, Teesside
It has been celebrations all round
for Oceaneering Inspection at
ConocoPhillips Teesside crude
oil reception facility as they
exceeded 200,000 hours without
any level of recordable accident
or injury.

HSEQ Manager at ConocoPhillips

congratulated the group with the
encouraging words Oceaneering
are setting the standards on site
with regards to safety and are
achieving a level of performance
that others should aspire to

Dave Close, Oceaneering Site

Manager said This is a fantastic
achievement running from the
start of the contract in April 2007
to present day and is the result
of the excellent safety awareness
and behavioural attitude of the full
team.

The praise did not stop there,

as ConocoPhillips Operation
Support Manager Lee Murray
added Oceaneering are
consistently surpassing on-site
safety goals and initiatives.
Eric Johnston, Vice President of
Oceaneering Inspection added
his congratulations stating, These
things dont happen by accident,
but by hard work and attention to
the details.

There has been a significant

increase in workload over the
period which has resulted in
the manning levels more than
doubling, but this has in no
way affected the groups safety
performance.
Mike Rae, the recently appointed

Whilst it is recognised by all that

Oceaneerings safety performance
is a truly team effort Daves
leadership qualities have been
recognised by Oceaneering who
5

recently presented him with a HSE

award for displaying outstanding
leadership and significant
contributions to the improvement
of our safety culture.
It is the continued hard work
and inspiring attitude that is
shared amongst the group which
has resulted in this fantastic
achievement. Keep up the good
work!

John Watkinson Vice President (left)

presents Dave Close with his award

www.oceaneering.com/inspection/
www.oceaneering.com

One Oceaneering at 2011 OTC Houston

The many business units of Oceaneering International recently came together at the 2011 Offshore
Technology Conference (OTC) held in Houston, Texas from 2nd to 5th May. A 29-year attendance record of
78,150 was set with 40 countries represented among the 2,520 exhibiting companies from the major oil
producing areas of the world.
Sales personnel from all Oceaneering businesses met key customers, vendors and old friends in a well
received and pleasant atmosphere suited to the conferences intended technology exchange. Planning for
2012 OTC has begun with technical paper abstracts due in September 2011 and dates of 30th April to 3rd
May reserved at Reliant Park venue.

Technology
exhibition at Tata
South Wales
Tata Steel Strip Products UK (formerly
CORUS) recently held a technology
exhibition at its Port Talbot Works,
South Wales. The company makes
hot rolled, cold rolled and metallic
coated strip steel. Oceaneering were
invited along with a number of other
key suppliers to demonstrate new
technology available to industry.
Tata Senior Plant Condition
Monitoring Engineer Jason Chard
(far right) is shown Guided Wave
technology by Craig Nutty, Assistant
SIS Manager. John Staff, Swansea
Branch Manager (far left) and Richard
Lobb, RA Manager England and
Wales watch on.

Australasian Oil and

Gas exhibition
As announced in the February 2011 edition of the newsletter
Oceaneering have acquired the Global Technical Services
Group based in Perth, Western Australia. The acquisition gives
the Inspection Division a foothold into an exciting and rapidly
expanding new geographical sector.
To announce our arrival in the Australian market we joined
forces with other Oceaneering business units to exhibit at
the 2011 Australasian Oil and Gas (AOG) exhibition and
conference. AOG attracts 10,000 visitors with more than
450 exhibitors. The exhibition was the perfect opportunity
for Oceaneering to showcase its latest products and services
over three days to influential local interstate and international
visitors.
The Inspection team at the exhibition from left to right are
Dave Bentley - Advanced NDT Applications Manager, Haroon
Cajee - Manager-Asia Pacific, Eric Johnston - Vice President
Oceaneering Inspection, Martin Hockley - Marketing Manager
and Dave Ryan - Operations Manager.
Visitors to the Oceaneering stand were shown the latest
Phased Array technology and recent developments with 3D
imaging by the ROV Division.

THE INSPECTION STANDARD

Nuclear Stations
vessel entry training

Eggborough Power
Station safety award
Oceaneering personnel are renowned for
their vigilance and an eye for detail and this
was proved again when a team of technicians
identified a defect with the potential to cause a
significant safety issue.
During the 2011 shutdown, Dale Sutcliffe,
Gary Cook and Carl McElvaney formed the
Oceaneering inspection team tasked with carrying
out a routine inspection of a high pressure
pipework bend on Unit 3 Eggborough Power
Station. The coal fired station has been generating
electricity since 1967 and is located in East
Yorkshire, England.

A team of 20 Oceaneering technicians led by Chris

Smith, NDT Inspection Engineer, have once again
undergone training on boiler simulators located in
Newcastle, England in preparation for completing
inspection work in the most testing of conditions
- boilers in close proximity to the reactor core on
nuclear installations. This work has proved vital to
the efficiency of the boilers in the past although the
conditions encountered could not get much more
challenging.

Members of the team noticed a crack propagating

from a tapping point branch weld to an adjacent
warming branch weld. The defect was in an
area outside the area scheduled for inspection.
Nevertheless the alert team immediately reported
to the Station Engineer, an action which resulted in
a change to the inspection scope for this and other
station units.

Due to the heat and potential contamination in the

boilers the inspectors wear air-fed suits and have
to manoeuvre through a complex set of boiler
tubes to get in the correct position to complete the
testing. To apply the ALARP (As Low As Reasonably
Practicable) principle requires practise in safe
conditions. For this reason simulators create the
conditions and work scopes are developed to
allow the inspectors to become acclimatised and
confident in the simulated conditions within a
safe environment before the actual site work is
performed. The inspectors are monitored by video
and radio communications from a manned control
room while completeing the tasks, while keeping
the number of personnel allowed into the hazardous
conditions to a minimum.

In recognition of their diligence the three men

were proposed for a Safety Award which
was presented to them by Paul Tomlinson, the
Power Stations Chief Operating Officer on the
14th of June. Oceaneering also recognised
this conscientious approach, by presenting
each individual with a monetary voucher and
expressing great thanks to all involved.

Over the past years a vast amount of successful

inspections have been completed on the boilers
due to the diligent attitude of the inspectors and the
professional training completed.

Carl McElvaney - Left

7

Gary Cook - Left

www.oceaneering.com/inspection/
www.oceaneering.com

A view from the Caspian

on a number of new projects including the Chirag
Oil Project (new platform 120km east of Baku) and
the pilot of an inspection regime at Sangachal using
3D models. This is a truly exciting project which has
the potential to be a real game changer in the field
of inspection and monitoring of onshore and offshore
assets.

Oceaneering Inspection has contracts all over the

world in often difficult, but occasionally exotic
locations. Dr. Peter McClean Millar In-country
Manager for Oceaneering works in one of the fastest
growing areas of our business and offers insight into
life working in the Caspian Region.
When people ask me where I work they usually take
on a puzzled look and scratch their head when I say,
Baku, Azerbaijan. In recent weeks Azerbaijan won
the European Song Contest so friends and family back
in Ireland probably wont be so confused, but for my
American friends back in Chicago, where I live, it will
still be, go to Iran and Iraq and head north to Russia
and you will find it.

But it is not all work in Baku. Recently we had a team

building weekend at the Atlant resort in Nabran in the
northern part of Azerbaijan. While the area around
Baku tends to be a dry and dusty terrain, Nabran was
very reminiscent of Normandy in France. It was great
to see a different aspect of Azerbaijan and spend
some quality time with the families of our local staff.
The Caspian Integrity Management operation employs
over 100 people of which in excess of 30 are
Azerbaijan nationals. The following image shows the
Management Team, (from left to right) Peter McClean
Millar - In Country Manager, Lawrence Slowik
Exports Delivery Manager, Ali Still NDT Inspection
Coordinator , Gavin McConaghie HSE Advisor,
Derek McNaughtan Offshore Delivery Manager,
Adriaan Volschenk NDT Rope Access Supervisor.
(Missing from photograph: Tim Preston Sangachal
Delivery Manager and Babek Tahirov Chief
Representative).

Azerbaijan is a former Russian state which sits on the

western side of the Caspian Sea. It has roughly the
same land area as Ireland with a total population of
just over eight million of which more than two million
live in Baku, the capital city. Like many large cities,
Baku is noisy and confined; however, the Azerbaijan
government is committed to modernising the city and
opening up the tourism sector. They are able to do
this because of the vast oil wealth buried under the
Caspian Sea. It is because of this that Oceaneering is
here.
In 2009 Oceaneering secured the Inspection and
Integrity Management contract for BPs assets in
the Caspian Region. These assets consist of eight
offshore platforms, the Sangachal terminal and the
export pipelines. Covering an area of 500 hectares,
Sangachal has a processing capacity of over one
million barrels per day and a total storage capacity
of three million barrels of oil. It is one of the largest oil
and gas facilities in the world.
The oil is exported through three major lines running
through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey to the
Mediterranean and Black Seas. The three pipelines
include the Baku-Tiblisi-Ceyhan line which at 1,094
miles is the second longest oil pipeline in the world
and runs through mountainous areas which are only
accessible for inspection seven months of the year.

Caspian Management Team

Working in the Caspian is demanding but it is also
rewarding because everyone knows that they can
make a difference by endeavouring to keep BPs
operation here safe and efficient. Recently we passed
250,000 hours without a Lost Time Incident. People
may not know where Baku is but it is certainly a very
important part of Oceaneerings global operation.

The Caspian operation forms part of Oceaneering

Inspections Africa, Middle East, FSU and Asia
Pacific (AMFA) Region, which has its management
team based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, but is
supported by our specialist services from the United
Kingdom.

Dr. Peter McClean Millar June 2011

During the last two years we have seen continuous

growth in the work being done with and the size of
the workforce. We are also working closely with BP

THE INSPECTION STANDARD

Advanced inspection technology in the Swiss mountains

The inspection campaign (that required site access
by a mountain climbing cable car) was led by
Stuart Kenny, Principal Engineer and proved to be
extremely challenging. The second member of the
team Principal Technician, Huw Lewis describing the
works as the most demanding environment I have
ever worked in.

The ever increasing demand for Oceaneerings

Specialist Inspection Services recently provided the
opportunity to complete an inspection campaign
within the Swiss mountains.
On the Dixence River at the head of the alpine valley
Val dHrens, stands the concrete gravity dam Le
Grand Dixence. At 285 metres (935 ft) high, it is
the tallest gravity dam in the world and is part of the
Cleuson-Dixence complex.
This colossus structure provides water for four
hydroelectricity stations, including the Fionnay
power plant which generates a combined maximum
capacity of 290 MW over its six turbines.
In order to turbine the water from Le Grand Dixence
dam, it was necessary to build and install a nine
kilometre long underground gallery, including a
large section running from Louvie to Fionnay.
This particular project relates to installations of the
central water stations of Fionnay (in Fionnay) and
Nendaz (in Riddes). The pipelines have been divided
into nine distinct lots and an extensive maintenance
program is to be held over the next three years to
help improve the in-service life of the lines.

Huw Lewis looks a little nervous as he travels to

work in the mountain cable car.
After gaining access to the pipe entry point both SIS
engineers descended down the pipeline aboard a
cable driven cart. The cart was controlled by two
local operators who spoke as much English as the
Oceaneers spoke French.very little.

The main purpose of the operation was to re-instate

the anti-corrosive coating that lines the inside of the
pipework. However, before the coating was to be
re-applied, it was a requirement to non-destructively
test the welded joints to identify potential in-service
defects.

The pipeline was limited to three metres in diameter

and as the light of the pipe entrance quickly
disappeared, the only source of illumination was
provided by a battery operated torch. In addition to
the limited light source, as the cable cart travelled
towards its 1500 metre drop, the temperature began
to fall dramatically. These conditions were extremely
testing and both operators had to remain vigilant
to ensure the Oceaneering high standards of safety
were adhered to.

Due to the restriction to test from one side only

and the requirement for fully recordable data, the
client had specifically requested Phased Array (PA)
ultrasonics as the primary method of inspection. PA
ultrasonics has the benefit of volumetrically inspecting
the weld at an approximate scan speed of 75mm/
second. All PA ultrasonics information is recordable
which allows for off-site analysis and provides fully
auditable data.

The primary survey included testing 19 selected

weld sections of approximately two metres in
length. The welds were approximately 50 years old
and due to the age many fabrication indications
were anticipated. The sentencing was based on
requirements shown in BS EN 7910:2005, which
outlines the acceptance limits for flaws in metallic
structures.
The campaign included entry into pipe sections of
diameters of less than 1.5 metres. In-service defects
had been detected visually. PA ultrasonics was
used to quantify the damage under the surface. The
inspection involved crawling 40 metres along the
pipe to access the defective areas.
9

www.oceaneering.com/inspection/
www.oceaneering.com
The whole campaign proved to be a success with
the client providing extremely positive feedback
following report submittal. This puts Oceaneering
in a strong position to be involved in the remaining
maintenance works that continue into 2013.

After the exertions of the inspection activities there

was the welcome opportunity to take in the sites
of Switzerland including an amazing mountain
bike ride around the surrounding mountains of the
popular ski resort of Verbier. Maybe NDT isnt all
bad after all

In Angola
Congratulations to Lemuel Abela who has
recently received a safety award for submitting
the best quality, safety observation card. The
award was presented by Oceaneerings client
Sonamet, during a mornings site Toolbox
Talk for his contribution to Sonatmets safety
observation programme. Sonamet Construction
Manager Kirsten Glesne is seen presenting the
award.

Apprentice scheme introduced in Angola

Oceaneering Inspection Angola has introduced

an apprenticeship scheme to formalise the
training program that will assist with the
development of local people. The scheme
has been designed to give trainees the
comprehensive training required to becoming
Oceaneering Inspection technicians of the future.
Angolan operations will fill eight trainee
positions in 2011, two of which have already
been identified and employed. The additional
trainees will be recruited from local universities
and colleges with Oceaneering attending
recruitment events to ensure the highest calibre
people are given the opportunity to enter an
exciting career with a respected organisation.

Lemuel is employed by Oceaneering as an NDT

technician on the Congo River Crossing currently
under construction in Angola. The Congo River
Crossing is an enabling project for the Angola
LNG project in the Southern Africa Business Unit
and involves the installation of a gas supply
pipeline from Block 0/14 to the Angola LNG
Plant, requiring the crossing of the technically
challenging Congo River subsea canyon.

The scheme involves a combination of on-site

and formal training at our AMFA training school
in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The training is designed to
ensure the trainees achieve their full potential
and formal qualifications by internationally
recognised certification schemes.
It is the intention that the scheme will offer the
opportunity to local people on a continuous
basis with around six new places offered each
year.

10

THE INSPECTION STANDARD

Long Service Awards

The Swansea, South Wales office recently had reason for a
joint celebration. David (Dai) Hughes reached the remarkable
milestone of 45 years continuous service not out. Congratulations
Dai, you must have been a mere boy when you started. Carole
Hollingworth, the young looking one in the picture, reached the
30 years milestone (Surely not?).
From left to right: John Staff, Dai, Carole and Alan Parker

45 years

30 years

20 years

Dai Hughes

Steven Chessell, Carole Hollingworth,

Nigel Jones, Derek Bromby

David Gunn, Ian Morgan, Melchor Mabutas, John Scannell,

David Dallard, Alan Blackburn, Brian Lornie

15 years

10 years

Derek Marriott, Richard Greenslade,

Paul Evans, Paul Dutton, John Boyle,
Darren Owen, Kenneth Matheson, Alan
Jackson, John Robson, Richard Denmead,
Derek Skelton, Sarbini Karim

Monzar Najami,Bruce Jurgens, Stewart Hepburn, Sharon Paterson,

Simeon Marasigan, Paul Hood, Richard Harris, Thomas Ballesteros, David
McKinven, Jill Good, James Foley, Philip Espejo, James Murphy, Simon
Mason, John Cockburn, Lee Balfour, Coy PoPay, Katherine Broussard,
Jason Hebert, Wesley Montgomery, Jason Shevlin

5 years
Scott MacKenzie, Alfie Gardner, Brian Campbell, Jennifer Gallighan,Sarah Jane McCoubrey, Mark Torres, Ashley
Burgess, Gareth Evans, Widya Indrajaya, Joseph Kwiatkowski, Lionel Hadley, Taylor Foret, Joshua Meza, Shervin Fox,
Amanda Orrick, Ford Innes, Paul Newstead, Stuart Gallacher, Alistair Bakie,Peter Smith, Paul Lafferty, Maria Barata,
Gareth Steele, Andrew Hughes, Julie Bushby, Ken Walker, Robert Evans, John Quinn, Raghunathan Venkataraman, Roy
Winter, John Bender, Johannes Briedenhann, Abraham Panman, David Davidson, Alasdair Smith, Michelle Morgan,
Chad Harding, Pritvish Francis, Pallathukudy Shaju, David Harris, Pallathukudy Shaju, David Harris, Genevieve Davis,
Andrew Wilson, Hin Fai Shek, Louise Freeman, Clyde Botha, Simon Bradley, John Smith, Russell Edwards, James
McCluskey, William McGrane, Ian Blackburn, Gareth Mugford, Babek Tahirov, Barry McCulloch
Americas:
Station #1 Box 10267
227 Clendenning Road
Houma,
LA 70363,
USA
Tel: +1 985 868 5097
Fax: +1 985 868 4871
Angola:
Rua Kima Kyenda 309
Boavista,
Lunda,
Angola
Tel: +244 2311 367
+244 2311 071
Fax: +244 2310 082
Asia Pacific:
No1 Kwong Min Road,
Jurong 628704
Singapore
Tel: +65 62613211

Australia:
Perth Office,
12 McKinnon Street,
Jandakot,
WA 6164
Tel: (+66) 8 9414 9122
Fax: (+61) 9 9414 9133
England and Wales:
109 Bowesfield Lane,
Stockton-on-Tees,
Cleveland,
TS18 3YH,
UK

Middle East:
PO Box 4074,
Abu Dhabi,
United Arab Emirates
Tel: +9712 5555 855
Fax: +9712 5552 392
PO Box 115215
Al Moosa Tower 2, Floor
15,
Sheikh Zayed Road,
Dubai
United Arab Emirates

Tel: +971 43117500

Tel: +44 (0) 1642 604661 Fax: +971 43310800
Fax: +44 (0) 1642 670300

Nigeria:
216 Port Harcourt-Aba Road,
Opposte Shell Residential
Area,
Port Harcourt,
Rivers State,
Nigeria
Tel: +234 846 10070
Fax: +234 846 10070
Scotland:
Pitmedden Road,
Dyce,
Aberdeen,
AB21 0DP,
UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1224 758500
Fax: +44 (0) 1224 758519

For enquires contact either your local office

or inspection@oceaneering.com

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
statements concerning Oceaneerings expected contract revenue and anticipation average annual revenue. These forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are based on current information and expectations of Oceaneering that involve a number of risks, uncertainties, and
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
conditions; prices of crude oil and natural gas; Oceaneerings ability to obtain and the timing of new projects; and changes in competitive factors. Should one or more of these risks or
uncertainties materialize, or should the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual outcomes could vary materially from those indicated. These and other
risks are more fully described in Oceaneerings latest annual report on Form 10-K and is other periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

11