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HEROES

Secrets of the Deep Rare Renewables The First of its Kind Scientific Exploration in the ROV Industry

Working on NEMO and Hornsea

The Wisting Project in the Barents

How Recruiters are dealing with the Energy Transition

The Winds of Change:

AT THE FRONTIER OF ENERGY & MARINE

2016 EDITION, ISSUE 2

2016 has been the year for change in the energy and marine industries. The renewables market has led the industry into a new era of development and innovation, and has encouraged the giants of oil and gas to break into new markets.

Although the economic downturn still hovers over the offshore world the ramifications have resulted in industry leaders adapting to circumstance and developing new technologies to compete with the market. With Offshore Wind at the forefront of Renewables, the industry has learnt to use the strengths of the planet to generate new forms of energy, and with this comes the need for new skills and expertise.

Our professionals have been present for every modern innovation in the energy, marine and renewables industries. From Engineering to Marine Environmental, Drilling to Offshore Wind Atlas Professionals is proud to have these heroes representing us in the field.

In this edition, our heroes reveal their most challenging adventures; salvaging lost space capsules, surveying the seabed for the world’s biggest Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion power plant and an inside look on Atlas’ biggest projects around the globe. Welcome to the new age of the offshore industry.

Atlas Professionals

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263612Aidan FlintChallenging Geology on the “FAB” link Project

Table of Contents

Joao CondeGrowing as a Professional in thePlatforms and Jack Ups Industry

Yngve FrøylandThe First of its Kind: The

Wisting Project in the Barents

Lennart van der MeulenLife aboard Scaldis’

Heavy Lift Vessel Rambiz

Julia BrockbankThe Endless Possibilities

of going Green

Cristina Serra RuizDangerous Discoveries:

UXO Survey On Board the MONITA Project

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22Will Handley. Secrets of the Deep: Scientific Exploration in the ROV Industry

Kholoud Dardour. The Future of Engineering and Automation in Morocco

Mick Elmslie. The Fight for Survival in Australia’s Offshore Survey Market

Laura Smith. The Winds of Change: How Recruiters are dealing with the Energy Transition

Aidan Flint. Challenging Geology on the “FAB” link Project

Scott Hume. Experience is Key: An Offshore Manager during the Energy Transition

Cristina Serra Ruiz. Dangerous Discoveries: UXO Survey On Board the MONITA Project

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36George Mackintosh. Rare Renewables: Working on NEMO and Hornsea

Julia Brockbank. The Endless Possibilities of going Green

Fernando de la Garza. Venturing into the Arctic Circle: A Senior Surveyor on the Polarled Pipeline

Matthijs van der Moer. On Board the Prometheus

Joao Conde. Growing as a Professional in the Platforms and Jack Ups Industry

Lennart van der Meulen.Life aboard Scaldis’ Heavy Lift Vessel Rambiz

Yngve Frøyland. The First of its Kind: The Wisting Project in the Barents

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An Early Interest in Technology“I always had an interest to work offshore and when I left the Navy in 1983 I decided to progress into the industry. Over the years, I have found that the most challenging aspect of my job is keeping the ROV system running and making sure that the electronics don’t mix with salt water. Once I was working on a project where we had to observe glaciers on the Antarctic Peninsula, and we had to pour hot water over the pod on deck before the dive to get it warm enough to boot up the electronics. It’s on projects like this where you have to think on your feet and use your own initiative.”

Search for Liberty Bell 7In 1961, NASA launched their second human spaceflight, Project Mercury, which was piloted by Astronaut Gus Grissom. The flight only lasted 15 minutes, and was going according to plan, until after splashdown when the capsule’s hatch unexpectedly exploded and sunk the capsule to the bottom of the Atlantic.

After a 14 year search, Oceaneering International recovered the Liberty Bell 7 on July 20th 1999; the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. It took 7 hours for the salvage crew to hoist the capsule to the surface from a depth of 15,000ft. Will was a part of the survey & ROV team during the search for the spacecraft. “I was looking after the cameras and lights on the Magellan 725 ROV,” explains Will. “It was an eerie sight to see the space capsule loom out of the darkness and stood upright on the seabed.” The Liberty Bell 7 is now on display at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center.

In addition to the Liberty Bell 7, Will has also worked on the wreck surveys for the German battleship the Bismarck and the fishing vessel Gaul that sunk off the coast of Norway in 1974.

Working in the Current ClimateWith oil prices dominating the headlines, Will has seen first-hand how the downturn has affected the ROV industry. “I know a number

of my colleagues who haven’t worked since August 2014, in Aberdeen it’s like there are tumbleweeds blowing down the street,” says Will. “The industry has let go of so many good guys which is a real shame. You are only as good as your last job and in times like these just having a CV isn’t enough.

I don’t usually work through agencies but I have been very lucky working with Atlas Professionals as they have been keeping me busy. Although it’s hard to keep yourself appealing to clients during a downturn, it has been mentioned in the past that clients like the references that Atlas provide as it adds more credit to my CV. What my years in the business have taught me is that if you want to go into the ROV industry you need to have strong technical skills, be hard-working and always be prepared for the unpredictable.”

Atlas’ ROV Supervisor Will Handley has worked in the ROV industry for over 20 years and has been present for some of the greatest historical finds in ROV exploration.

Scientific Exploration in the ROV IndustrySecrets of the deep:WILL HANDLEY.

“It’s on projects like this where you have to think on your feet and use your own initiative.”

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Surveying the outbackIn 1998, Mick began his career as a land surveyor working on projects in the outback, “It was the prospect of travel that got me interested in the industry. In Australia you would mainly be working in the desert or out in the bush and I thought the offshore life would be a good way to see more of the world.”

In 2010, Mick joined UTEC Survey Australia as Project Manager. UTEC is part of the Acteon group, an organisation of market leaders that are committed in working together to define, shape and lead subsea services and provide the best survey solutions to their clients. For nearly a decade, UTEC has worked on a number of innovating projects with Atlas. “Last year we worked on the largest subsea pipeline installation in the southern Hemisphere. The pipeline starts in Darwin and goes across the Timor Sea to a new gas field; it’s approximately 900 km long and was installed by two large construction/pipe-lay barges. We used Atlas’ LBL specialists to assist with this operation.”

Availability, reliability and localitySince last year, Atlas has built a strong presence in Western

Australia. With our main office based in Perth, Mick discusses the benefits of using a local agency with a global support network. “I have been dealing with Atlas for almost a decade. I use Atlas for a number of reasons; the first is the locality of candidates. In Australia it’s a lot harder for personnel to get visas to work in this country, so it’s ideal that the team in Perth can find local content before our deadline. It’s great having Ian Marshall (Atlas’ Business Manager) in Perth; he’s someone you can always call and go for a coffee with

to chat about candidates and the latest news in the industry. Also, I know that if I have any issues with invoicing or terms and conditions the operations team will get this sorted out quickly and efficiently.”

In addition to our survey teams in the APAC, Mick has also worked with Atlas’ specialist Offshore Survey & Construction office based in Newquay, UK. “Sometimes

when the Atlas teams in Perth or Singapore are unavailable, it’s good to know that you can call the team in the UK and they can help you out.”

UTEC’s goal to surviveFor the past few months, Mick has taken on the role of Business Development Manager for UTEC, with his breadth of industry

experience, Mick aims to bring UTEC to the forefront of the competitive market. “Since moving into my new role in Business Development I think the goal is firstly to help see the company through the challenging times we all face in the oil and gas sector. Part of that requires UTEC to diversify to a certain degree. UTEC’s core business is offshore construction, so it’s trying to diversify beyond that market now and look at more geophysical work, some land based operations and laser scanning.

At the moment the market in Australia is pretty quiet with a lot of projects being postponed to 2018-19 or even further. However, we are lucky that we’ve got a major construction contract that has us busy this year and well into 2017.”

With the offshore industry expanding into the renewables market, we asked Mick whether UTEC had any plans to work in wind energy. “In regards to offshore wind, we have already been working on a number of projects in Europe, but in Australia there are no plans for the wind energy market; there are more plans for tide and wave energy but that’s still in the early stages.”

Providing the talent for our client’s ambitions“Just the fact that Atlas have been around for a long time, reassures me of their depth of professionals. I had used other agencies before and they just use the same people over and over again, so I quite

like the fact that Atlas has a large pool of professionals that are available when you need them. I’m confident with Atlas because of their stability in the survey market with their UK, Singapore and Australian offices. The breadth of experience they can provide is second to none; providing candidates with secondary skills to their main discipline is vital to assure survival in the offshore survey market.”

For the last eight years, UTEC Survey Australia has been one of Atlas’ loyal clients based in the Asia-Pacific. In April 2016, UTEC announced management changes to further enhance the company’s client-focused approach. UTEC’s former Operations Manager Mick Elmslie recently took on the role of Business Development Manager. Mick spoke to Atlas about his current views on the market in Australia and his plans in expanding UTEC’s services in the industry.

MICK ELMSLIE.

“The breadth of experience Atlas can provide is second to none.”

The fight for survival in Australia’s Offshore Survey Market

(HVDC) electricity interconnector that will connect the French and British grids via the island of Alderney (hence FAB). Atlas’ Offshore Management & QC office, assigned Aidan to the role after receiving sole supplier status for the project. “This was a particularly interesting project,” says Aidan, “I was offshore for three months as a client representative and oversaw the entire geotechnical survey during which we investigated approx. 170 linear kilometres of shallow geology. This was particularly challenging for two reasons, the first being the overall scale of the project which made it difficult to select representative locations to obtain samples or perform in-situ testing. This was generally achieved by analysing results of a contemporary geophysical survey which allowed us to select strategic locations. Analysing the significant volume of geophysical data on a tight time schedule was a big challenge. The second and possibly most fascinating aspect was obtaining deep geotechnical data to assess the feasibility of employing Horizontal

Directional Drilling (HDD) construction techniques at several proposed cable landfall sites. Successful HDD construction is highly dependent upon geological conditions and represents a specialist field within the geotechnical industry. A structured decision-making framework was developed to allow practical site based assessments, and to see whether sufficient data had been obtained in light of the encountered ground conditions. This approach required a significant amount of engineering judgement and close co-operation between the site and office based teams.”

The FAB project has been noted as a “Project of Common Interest” by the European Union. The project’s maximum transmission of 1400MW will increase the capacity of energy trade between the two countries.

Academic research at the forefront of geologyOver his career, Aidan has found that the frontiers of the geotechnical industry are constantly expanding, “the offshore wind industry has contributed significantly to the advancement of geotechnical design and innovation. The completion of each project, whether it be a cable-lay or a turbine installation, provides additional experience and new data to fuel further academic research at the forefront of our discipline. As the offshore wind industry moves into deeper and more hostile marine environments, the industry must keep innovating to keep costs down. Although geotechnical engineering is a niche market, it will undoubtedly play a crucial role in helping the offshore construction sector realise long-term growth and sustainability; so for me, it’s an exciting time to be an engineering geologist.”

Finding the right career pathSince the age of 16, engineering geologist Aidan Flint has been studying his chosen subject and getting his hands dirty in the process. “There used to be a popular joke that geologists were people who just liked to walk around muddy fields with their friends; which is true in some respects,” laughs Aidan. “Working outdoors in all weathers definitely appealed to me, however, it wasn’t quite clear how one could progress onto this career path. When I was an undergraduate, most of the academic courses focussed on petroleum exploration rather than geotechnical applications.”

Solving great technical challenges20 years later, Aidan has gained a broad industry experience working in a variety

of geotechnical survey applications including infrastructure, oil & gas, wind farm and marine construction projects. Whether it’s an individual wind turbine foundation or large scale submarine cable burial assessment, Aidan still finds new challenges with every offshore project. “The role of an engineering geologist is to characterise the engineering behaviour of the subsurface via a ground model which ultimately provides input parameters for geotechnical design. The geotechnical ground model is effectively an engineering decision making tool. More complex ground conditions generally present a greater technical challenge, and also a good opportunity to demonstrate the value of high quality subsurface investigation to the wider engineering team. Such information

typically facilitates key decisions, which in the case of an offshore wind turbine could be selection of a suitable foundation type, or in the case of a subsea cable route a suitable construction technique to ensure the product is properly buried and protected from seabed or maritime hazards. The terminology and language can be daunting to non-specialists, so often my most important role is explaining the significance of key findings to the client team, so they can appreciate project risk in its various forms.”

The “FAB” Link ProjectSince the end of last year, Aidan has been working on the preconstruction survey for the “FAB” link project; a 1000 to 1400MW High Voltage Direct Current

Challenging Geology on the “FAB” link Project

“The frontiers of the geotechnical industry are constantly expanding.”

Over the last 20 years, an increasing awareness of the field of geotechnical engineering has led to it becoming one of the more popular roles in the offshore industry. Atlas’ geologists have taken part in exciting projects around the world, exploring and investigating the oceans’ subterranean structures.

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AIDAN FLINT.

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Designing the project Kholoud received her diploma in Automation at the Moroccan School of Engineering Science and last year she was awarded her Master degree in Industrial and Management Systems at the INSA Lyon in France. Now, as a Metering Systems Engineer, Kholoud has been working in the oil & gas industry since she was 19 years old. “As an engineer I design various flow computer applications used to measure and control systems for custody transfer metering skids and proving systems for offshore and onshore platforms. My mission starts from the project definition to the engineering stage. I get to work with the latest technologies in line with the application and operational requirements in accordance with international standards to meet the needs of each measuring application.”

Seeking new adventures After leaving Morocco, Kholoud moved to the Netherlands to work at KROHNE oil and gas a world-leading manufacturer and supplier of solutions in industrial processes and instrumentation. “I decided to move to another country as I wanted to challenge myself and work in a company that had a good reputation for offshore engineering and Automation. I think that as a women working in a

male dominated industry, especially in engineering, I strive to be perfect at my job to make myself stand out in my role. That’s why I was really excited when I received a call from Atlas to see if I would like to work with KROHNE oil and gas.”

Best agency for offshore engineering Kholoud works through Atlas’ Engineering and Project Controls department based in Hoofddorp in the Netherlands. “I knew before I began working at Atlas Professionals that they were the best known agency for offshore engineering. When I got the offer from Account Manager Marvin van Dijk I was really happy because Atlas has a good reputation for sourcing highly-qualified personnel, so I was very happy to find out that I was going to be an employee of this company. Working with Marvin has been great, he’s been really helpful throughout the whole process and because I’m new to the Netherlands it’s like he’s my big brother.

As a Moroccan woman working in the engineering industry this role is very special to me. Someday I will definitely want to work offshore and follow in my father’s footsteps, and this path would undoubtedly enhance my technical skills and ambitions.”

The kingdom of Morocco is one country that is relativity un-known for its oil & gas market. Surrounded by the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, hydroelectric power and the importation of petroleum covers the bulk of the country’s energy needs. With its sole oil refinery set for liquidation, working in the oil & gas sector in Morocco is a rarity. Moroccan National and Atlas Professional Kholoud Dardour talks to Atlas about how she was introduced into the offshore world. “My father was an Operations Manager who worked offshore,” says kholoud, “when he’d return home he would talk about his adventures and the projects he was working on, he was a very influential person.”

“As a woman working in a male dominated industry, I strive to be perfect at my job to make myself stand out in my role.”

The future of Engineering and Automation in Morocco

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KHOLOUD DARDOUR.

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sector’s technology and innovation. The general positivity around the ‘transition’ is a nice change from the usual pessimistic view of the downturn, but what are the facts?

Although leaders are putting their trust in a new form of energy, their faith in experienced oil & gas personnel is still wavering, as they opt for the same professionals for their offshore wind operations. “This makes it really difficult for us recruiters,” says Laura, “we need to convince clients that newcomers have the right skills and knowledge to work on their projects.”

Companies are taking on new personnel, but this is happening sporadically, with leaders only enrolling small groups of professionals each time. “Although having the technical knowledge and skills are easily transferable, currently there is just not enough work to cater to everybody.”

The SolutionAs ‘green becomes the new black’ offshore recruiters are starting to diversify in their markets. From shifting their focus beyond the cable-laying industry, Atlas’ offshore wind team can now supply personnel to the entire life cycle of an offshore wind farm. “Our team has a

better structure now and we are able to offer a better service to our clients. In our office we have the dedicated Account Managers working with their assigned Personnel Coordinators who are backed up by our Admin & Operations Support teams.

By splitting our Account Managers into their specialism this allows our teams to cover more ground when recruiting new candidates. For example, we have a team of Account Managers that deal with Offshore Management and QC and have the expertise in providing clients with experienced candidates in people and operational

management, such as Client Representatives and Construction and Installation Managers, while another team of Account Managers have expertise in Crewing, where the ability to multi-task and prioritise crew changes and all associated travel and logistics is paramount.”

In March, the team took the next step in ensuring the progression of their business line by hiring their new Business Development Manager John Morse, a well-known figure in the renewables market. “Before John joined the team, we were providing our services at the lower levels of the supply chain, but with his experience, knowledge and connections in this field we are able to follow our ambitions to work with tier 1 developers and EPC contractors. Being so low in the supply chain often led us to work seasonally; and only working on projects when the weather was good. Providing work, onshore as well as offshore, has made an immediate impact on our growth and more importantly the opportunities we are able to offer our professionals.”

Standing out from the crowd“We stand out from our competitors by providing an excellent service. In our line of work we have two clients, the obvious ones that we invoice and our candidates, it’s just as important to provide a high standard of service to both parties and be on hand 24/7, 365 to assist them with whatever they need. Be personable, people buy from people, and it’s important that our teams make those relationships with the candidates and the clients to ensure that they have trust in us. Supplying the right person is ultimately so important; making sure that we are doing thorough CV checks, competency checks, and reference checks, to make sure that we provide the expertise our clients need.”

By 2050 the renewable sector in Europe alone could produce up to 6.1 million jobs. However, will the lack of trust in experienced oil and gas personnel mean that professionals are stuck in limbo? Unable to transfer to green or go back to black, let’s hope people haven’t jumped the gun on the renewables sector.

Over the last 5 years the upsurge in offshore wind has encouraged the oil & gas market to go green; developing new business lines, vessels and technology to avoid the puppetry of the “boom and bust cycle.” With the ‘cycle’s’ latest casualty, Harkand Group, still raw from entering administration, the industry has recognised the importance of the renewables market and is doing its upmost in the fight for survival. However, with more leaders transitioning into the renewables market, what does this mean for oil & gas personnel and the future of this sector?

Inside Recruitment With more oil and gas personnel moving into the renewables sector, offshore recruiters have had to deal with a rapid growth of technical personnel. Atlas Professionals’ offshore wind team based in Bristol is one agency that has come to face these challenges head on, ensuring that their professionals, as well as newcomers,

have the opportunity to become a part of this market. “The influx of personnel during this transition has remained steady,” explains Atlas’ Business Manager for Offshore Wind, Laura Smith. “However, we are seeing more niche positions coming through. For instance a mechanical technician from the oil and gas market called us the other day wanting to transfer into offshore wind.”

Premature positivity?The energy transition has sparked discussions on the increase in opportunities for personnel, the similarities between technical skills and the potential of oil and gas professionals in the offshore wind sector. Surely this is good news! As the industry claims that with oil & gas personnel’s highly evolved experience and knowledge about energy developments, as well as a strong focus on QHSE matters, this will ensure a new revolution for the offshore wind market, its operation and production procedures and the advancement of the

Recently, it was announced that oil and gas giant Shell would unveil their ‘New Energies’ division, initiating their first move into the renewables market. With their latest bid already on the table with Eneco and Van Oord, if successful, the oil and gas corporation is set to build its first two offshore wind farms in the Dutch Borssele Zone, ensuring a future for the company during the current economic situation.

The Winds of Change:How Recruiters are dealing with the Energy Transition

LAURA SMITH.

“We stand out from our competitors by providing an excellent service.”

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it’s the best agency I’ve worked for. I’ve had no problems with this company whether it’s organising travel at short notice or dealing with any other urgent requirements. Agencies need to go the extra mile in a market such as this, and the ladies in the Offshore Wind office based in Bristol are absolutely fantastic to deal with. As one of my responsibilities is to arrange the travel for the entire crew at ABB the Bristol team are happy to help out.

During the day I also use Atlas’ planning tool via their software. We are constantly organising travel for guys, doing all the timesheets for them etc. I can use the online system to carry out these tasks and also monitor Atlas’ work in progress at the same time.”

Oil & Gas will always be thereWith renewables leading the way for 2017, Scott believes that the oil & gas market won’t get left behind, “I think renewable energy will always be at the forefront of the industry due to the political reasons behind it; its results are sustainable and it pays. However, I also think that oil & gas will come back, it may not come back as strong, but it will certainly come back, as long as there is oil in the ground this industry will never really go away.”

Establishing rootsFrom an early age, Scott was surrounded by the offshore industry, “my dad worked onshore and offshore as an electrical engineer at Saudi Aramco, so I have grown up around the offshore lifestyle. In the back of my mind I always wanted to go and try the offshore industry. I began my career working on platforms and I was lucky enough to move into the cable-laying industry, and this made all the difference when transferring into renewable energy.”

Knowing who’s whoIn conclusion of the United Nations Climate Change agreement, offshore recruiters are anxious to meet client’s expectations in providing fully qualified and competent personnel to keep the supply chain flowing. “The reason why I decided to transfer into the renewables sector was because of the ad-hoc situation of the oil & gas industry,” explains Scott. “Renewables is stable and more flexible when tailoring to the needs of its personnel. Definitely since the decrease in the oil price there have been a lot of people trying to get into offshore wind because it’s not a closed market. The problem is that renewables is still quite a small industry and everybody knows everybody. So for personnel who don’t have the

right cable-lay experience it’s very difficult for them to break into this industry as it’s not really something you can train for.”

Taking on new recruitsHowever, more industry leaders are beginning to face these challenges head on, “ABB has been very good, they’ve taken on four trainees in total that have a background in onshore work and we have taken them in as operators for the cable-lay industry. Experience is the main issue we are facing during this energy transition, until you’ve actually been on a cable-laying vessel, laying cable, then it’s very difficult to understand how it works, so people from oil & gas who have worked on platforms all their life haven’t got a clue how cable is actually laid or how it’s supposed to be. It’s vital for personnel to have on-the-job training. Some companies will take you on and train you up as an electrical tech, but not a lot of companies are doing this at the moment.”

The best agency to work forWith experience being the vital ingredient, it has become harder for recruitment agencies to stand out from their competitors, “I have been working through Atlas for seven years; I might be biased, but

With industry leaders impatient to announce their new investments within ‘green’ energy, industry personnel are trying to keep up with the demand, adapting to the circumstances and taking the next steps in the fight for survival. Over the last seven years, Atlas Professional Scott Hume has made the transition from fossil fuels into renewable energy. Starting out as an electrical technician on oil and gas platforms, Scott is now an Offshore Manager working for the world leader in power and automation technology ABB.

Experience is Key: An Offshore Manager during the Energy Transition

SCOTT HUME.

“Renewable energy will always be at the forefront of the industry due to the political reasons behind it.”

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Ocean artefacts“My background is in Marine Archaeology, I specialised in Marine Geophysics and the study of underwater sites,” explains Cristina. “I’m lucky that the techniques I learnt during my studies could be easily transferred into practice. I have always been fascinated with exploration and untouched discoveries; mapping a seabed that nobody has explored before to find lost artefacts is exciting. Using the research equipment fuelled my passion for engineering which eventually led me to work in the offshore industry.”

Discoveries on MONITADuring the 10 weeks that Cristina was on board the MONITA project, she was surprised by the extent of UXOs that were found embedded in the Adriatic, “it was a 24 hour operation and we were responsible for the data acquisition of the UXO survey. The large number of UXOs covered the seabed so greatly, in such a high density, that it was quite challenging and hard for the crew to find a safe path for the communication cable.” The Adriatic Sea is a historic dumping ground for UXOs from World War I and World War II. The crew had discovered over 20,000 individual UXOs within the 10 week timeframe. “The survey was even more challenging as our client had a no-touch policy in place, which

meant that we could not remove or detonate any UXOs that were present. In this case we had to find where the dumping stopped and carry the route on through.”

Connections to the energy and marine worldFor the last 4 years, Cristina has been working with Atlas’ specialist Offshore Survey team based in Newquay. “My experience with

Atlas has been excellent and because of their connections with major companies in the Energy and Marine industries I have been able to find work in a number of different sectors such as drilling, cable and pipe lay installation. My main contact person at Atlas is Mitchell Blakeway, he’s very good at his job, not only for finding me work, but also for accommodating to my needs, for example if I need a break from working offshore then he can always

find me some office work which is great.”

So far, the MONITA project has been a success and is predicted to be completed by September of this year, “the MONITA project was a world class project and was very well organised by Atlas and the client, which made my life a lot easier.”

In February 2016, Atlas’ Offshore Survey & Construction business line successfully secured one of its biggest contracts of the year, to supply the survey crew for the MONITA Project. The 500kv power cable interconnection is being constructed between Montenegro and Italy on board DP Class 2 vessel: the DP Cirrus. Atlas’ Offshore Survey team have provided the whole survey crew to undertake a large Geophysical, UXO and Geotechnical survey in support of the cable route design. Atlas Geophysicist, Cristina Serra Ruiz, was one of the crew members on board.

Dangerous Discoveries:UXO Survey On Board the MONITA Project

CRISTINA SERRA RUIZ.

“Mapping a seabed that nobody has explored before to find lost artefacts is exciting.”

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in its early stages, the world’s largest planned offshore wind farm. It is the first project I am working on as a client representative. I always wanted to go into repping but the transition is rarely easy. I attended Oceanology International in London and discussed this with the Atlas team, on my next job Atlas placed me on the Hornsea Project as a client rep for DONG Energy. Although I’m acting as a client rep I like to still be involved with the operations and data processing. Right now we are sweeping one of the main areas of the wind farm for UXOs. There are a lot of vessels involved with varying scopes of work such as export cable surveys, inter-array cable surveys, 3D UHR survey of turbine locations and geotechnical sampling. I have never been involved in a project with so many vessels working simultaneously. Lots of interesting technologies are being used during these early stages and it is a pleasure to be involved in such an ambitious project.”

Atlas’ UK networkGeorge has worked with multiple offices and teams within Atlas that have helped him to diversify in his career. “I was introduced to the

NEMO project through the Offshore Survey & Construction office based in Newquay through Account Managers Chris Girdlestone and Mitchell Blakeway. I find the team very supportive and friendly, they’re straightforward with the different types of projects I will be working on and are proactive in finding me new work. Chris and Mitchell are great to work with. In regards to the Hornsea Project,

I work with Ruth Coiley in the Bristol office, she is also very helpful with my logistics and keeping me informed of any changes to the project.”

Stepping into his new role as a client rep has opened more doors to George and the innovations of the renewable energy market. “For me, I think the most rewarding part of my career is being able to work with different people, learn from them and pick up on their skills and experiences as well as share mine. I’m happy that the industry is benefiting from the investment in renewables and I hope to have more opportunities working on these types of projects in the future; projects that really stand to make a positive difference to the environment.”

Mitigating hazards After university, George set up his own company in Barbados, “my friend and I wanted to set up a company that focussed on mitigating environmental hazards caused by industry. We conducted surveys for pollution threats to underground reservoir systems; in the Caribbean there weren’t many environmental controls, and introducing oils into the ecosystem was a common occurrence. Eventually I decided that I wanted to diversify and work in renewable energy. Luckily I had established strong connections at university and so I decided to go along this route.”

NEMO power plant Having worked through Atlas Professionals for many years, George was introduced to a project that was fairly unique to the offshore industry. The NEMO project is an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) power plant that uses the temperature difference between water at depth and at the surface to generate electricity. “Projects like these are rare,” explains George, “so having the opportunity to work on one was interesting. As far as I’m aware this plant will be the biggest one in operation and is scheduled for completion by 2020. I worked as a Senior Geophysicist on the project with MMT. I have always had good experiences with this company and I was keen to work with them again. The survey equipment for that project was relatively standard and involved an

ROV. The operations were more complex, as it was quite difficult to fly the ROV over a rugged seabed, low enough but not hitting anything. The geophysical team had challenges too as there was a massive amount of pyroclastic flow and volcanic debris, so it was also quite complicated to interpret the geology. Given the constraints, the survey was very successfully conducted.

The NEMO project was definitely the most unusual project I’ve worked on just because of the environmental difficulties and the type of installation planned. Surveying with an aggressive increase in water depth to about 1,650 metres near-shore was a challenge. The site was also interesting for its historical value. The volcano near the plant, Mount Pelée, erupted in 1902 and killed 30,000 people, one of the only two recorded survivors was a prisoner who was in a poorly ventilated cell at the time of the eruption.”

The power plant will aim to supply electricity to at least 35,000 homes and reduce the carbon footprint by over 80,000 tonnes a year.

Discovering HornseaAfter the NEMO project, George continued his career in the offshore wind sector, “I was lucky that one of the earlier contracts in my career was working on the Hornsea Offshore Wind Project

A professional’s dream to work offshore can come from anywhere; from family holidays by the sea through to exploration, an interest in the environment or travel, science and innovation. “I studied Physical Geography at University College London, I always had a strong interest in volcanicity and seismology,” explains Senior Geophysicist George Mackintosh. “While I was studying, some fellow students and I organised a trip to Montserrat in the West Indies for our dissertations. The Soufrière Hills volcano had erupted and destroyed the island’s Georgian era capital city of Plymouth. It was both a poignant and fascinating experience and strengthened my interest in volcanicity and geology.”

Rare Renewables: Working on NEMO and Hornsea

GEORGE MACKINTOSH.

“There are lots of interesting technologies being used at Hornsea and it’s a pleasure to be involved.”

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whether it was because I’m female? I talked to some colleagues and they said it was because there just wasn’t enough work for everybody. I think it’s brilliant that more women are breaking into the industry. On the recent projects I’ve worked on I’ve seen women come on board as Turbine Technicians and Project Engineers, I’ve never seen a divide between men and women working offshore, which sends a great message to the industry and beyond.”

Next step: offshore “I actually love working in renewables, I think I’m very lucky that I’ve gone from being a receptionist to a qualified Site Manager and I still learn something new every day. I’ve already paid for my GWO certificate so the next step for me is to go offshore. I would like to go and see the monopile and TP installations. I would also like to see the ROVs in operation. You are never too old to learn a new career.”Over the last year, Julia has been working through Atlas’ Offshore Wind team based in Bristol, “the team have been brilliant to work

with, and I can honestly say that if I need something whatever the time of day one of the team will answer and solve the problem. It’s a streamlined process for me and the Atlas crew on board as well, if they have an issue Atlas can sort it out, no problem.

I think the renewables market is an open-ended industry, it’s always adapting to ensure that there are even more processes to generate more clean energy. Right now I know they are working on a method that uses water currents on the wind farms to generate more energy. You just look out at all that water and think there are endless possibilities for being able to provide good green energy to the world and I’m sure Atlas will be with me on that journey.”

UK renewables In 2012, Julia Brockbank began her career in the renewables industry as a Project Coordinator. Since then she has moved up in the ranks to become Site Manager for a number of Offshore Wind farms across the UK. “Some members of my family are saturation divers so I wasn’t going into the offshore world completely blind. I was working as Assistant Site Manager at the London Array Offshore Wind farm when I got a call from my mum saying that she had terminal cancer. The wind farm was only 20 miles away from her so if I needed to go and see her at any point of the day the client was very understanding and they would let me go. This was one of the most poignant projects for me.”

Julia is currently working as a Site Manager on the Rampion and Dudgeon Offshore Wind farms, “so my day will start at 5:30am because you’ll have crew coming on at 6am,” explains Julia. “You have to make sure that all the crew have their PPE, paperwork

and certificates before boarding the transfer vessel. It’s a 2 ½ hour journey to get to the wind farm so we have to wait for the rest of the crew to come back so we can organise all of their taxis to the airport. After the crew have gone we have to transport 20 palettes of food to the site, we don’t want it to sit out in the sun for too long so we need to transport it as quickly as possible. Every day is different we may have to transport a crew member to hospital or a vessel breaks down and we need to find a new one to carry out the operation. The most challenging project I worked on was Gwynt y Môr. The weather was bad and UXOs were found. It was definitely a strenuous experience but also gave me the opportunity to work with some great people.”

Women in renewablesWith renewables leading the way in the offshore industry, Julia explains how the current market has affected her progression. “I did struggle to find work last year and at one point I did question

“I was asked to set up a refugee camp in a disused school and organise bedrooms, kitchens and medical centres. I was an administrator, and I spent most of my time sorting out tribunals and taking information on behalf of families. Unfortunately, sometimes I had to transfer bodies to medical checkpoints, it was a tough atmosphere to work in so I wasn’t worried when I starting working in the offshore industry, I was ready for the next challenge.”

The Endless Possibilities of going Green

“It was a challenging experience but it gave me the opportunity to work with some great people.”

JULIA BROCKBANK.

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The Polarled pipelineIn late 2015, Statoil and Allseas were the first offshore industry leaders to install a pipeline across the Arctic Circle. The Polarled pipeline stretches 480 kilometres from Nyhamna in the county of Møre og Romsdal to the Aasta Hansteen platform in the Norwegian Sea.

A change of sceneryIn 2012, surveyor Fernando de la Garza began working through Atlas Professionals Offshore Survey and Construction office based in Newquay. After eight years working as a land surveyor, Fernando decided to have a change of scenery. Through a family member, he learnt about the benefits of the offshore industry, travelling the world and gaining new opportunities in the survey market.

“I have never had any regrets in changing my career from onshore to offshore,” says Fernando, “I was looking for a change in my life and the offshore industry gave that to me. I studied Land Surveying and GIS at Texas State University. After working onshore I finally got my chance to work offshore with UTEC Offshore Survey.”

Allseas in the ArcticDue to its severe climate, the Arctic Circle is unexplored territory for the oil & gas industry. “I’ve been working with Allseas for the last two years, on their pipe-laying vessel, the Solitaire. There had been a lot of talk on the boat about Statoil and Allseas venturing into the Arctic Circle with the Polarled pipeline, and the known challenges that they would be facing going into the Arctic.”

As senior surveyor, Fernando’s task is to follow the engineering design route using the GPS and referencing systems to guide the pipeline along the route. “As part of the survey team our task is to oversee and maintain the ship’s positioning and reference systems when installing the pipeline. We also liaise with the support vessel

which is doing the touch down monitoring with the ROVs. This is an integral part of the construction support as this identifies the suitable locations for us to place the structures.”

As the pipeline extends further into the Arctic, in close proximity to the North Pole, the Solitaire has had to overcome some communication and software issues. “Sometimes our communications and systems can be affected by issues like solar events and magnetic effects. We have encountered a few issues with the GPS systems however; Allseas have fail safes in place to ensure that the progress of production is not affected.”

A sensitive environmentWith the Arctic summer temperature at -10 °C, Allseas have taken into consideration all the risks that may occur while working in

this environment, especially the mitigation of harm to the environment and marine wildlife in the Arctic. “The Arctic is obviously a very sensitive environment, both Statoil and Allseas cautioned off the marine and coral sensitive areas identified in pre-lay surveys and we did everything in our power to ensure that no harm would come to the environment.

Undoubtedly, pipelines are going to go further into the Arctic. We’ve seen Shell doing exploratory work around the Arctic. I believe that any company who decides to go into production here will put all the research and systems in place to ensure that there is no negative harm to the environment.”

Problem solving is the number one skill“My advice to a trainee would be to absorb as much as possible and ask as many questions as possible; even if you’re working in a different department on the vessel ask questions whilst you’re on board. Problem solving is the number one skill in this industry, if you can think on your feet you can become a dependable and crucial team player.”

“I was looking for a change in my life and the offshore industry gave that to me.”

A Senior Surveyor on the Polarled PipelineVenturing into the Arctic Circle:

FERNANDO DE LA GARZA.

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For the past three years, the Prometheus has been anchored in the Campos Basin in Brazil on an offshore heavy lift/ logistics support project for the country’s leader in oil well exploration Petrobras. OOS Captain of the Prometheus, Matthijs van der Moer recently caught up with Atlas to discuss life onboard.

Life on the Prometheus “I’ve been Captain of the Prometheus for just over a year now,” explains Matthijs, “The unit is working alongside six of Petrobras’ fixed platforms. We provide them with logistical means, helicopter operations and accommodation for their workers.”

The Prometheus can accommodate up to 500 POB and includes food communal areas, meeting rooms and a 1,100 ton deck crane. Although every day is different in the offshore world, Matthijs explains his basic routine, “I start my day around 6am and I will then go to the bridge and look at the data that was collected overnight. After this we have a briefing on what happened during the night and all of

the operations that are happening that day such as the transfer of cargo, vessels that are coming and going and the maintenance that needs to be done. After this I’ll put my coveralls on and go and do my rounds on deck.”

Sourcing a competent workforce worldwide Approximately 70% of the marine crew is provided by Atlas. The crew consists of a diverse range of nationalities such as Dutch,

English, American, Ukrainian, Russian, Mexican, Polish, Ghanaian, Filipino, Latvian and Brazilian personnel. “Atlas had a difficult task in providing personnel to the Prometheus within a short time frame. This is the first time I have worked with Atlas and with the current market as it is, I was a bit sceptical, as I knew that agencies have been struggling

to find competent personnel. Some agencies just look for a cheap workforce rather than a qualified one.

However, Atlas is an organised agency, they send me regular

updates on crew rotas, the status of certificates and other relevant information. Their crewing management is handled meticulously and it’s easy to profile, process and archive all information provided. I am confident that Atlas will always supply someone who is competent and qualified to work offshore. I can say that Atlas have accomplished this to a good standard. When you have an urgent request, you ask them for the best solution and they provide it, simple.”

To ensure a close collaboration between crewing departments Atlas’ Administrators and Operations support, Patricia Ernesto and Márcia Carvalho are currently working on the OOS premises in Macaé and in Atlas’ office in Rio. They are responsible for all the documentation for local content which includes logistics, accommodation, visa registration, Brazilian medicals, training, vaccinations and tax registration. “Atlas’ Brazil office has played a supporting role in providing certifications and helping to deal with other administrative tasks,” says Matthijs. “I have been mainly working through Atlas’ Odessa team.”

Atlas’ teams in Odessa, Cyprus, the Netherlands and Brazil have also worked together on the commercial, logistical and

administrative tasks for the project. “Atlas’ offices have helped to source the majority of the crew for the Prometheus and the Gretha. My main point of contact is Dmitry Yerofeyev, he actually visited us recently. He really knows his business and has been a great communicator throughout the whole process.” Atlas’ teams have been in close contact with the crewing department of OOS from the beginning and together they’ve made this project a big success.

Standing at the frontier of energy & marineThe crewing for the Prometheus is just another example of how Atlas Professionals is standing at the frontier of energy & marine. “What makes the offshore industry a frontier to me is that it is a dynamic one,” says Matthijs, “its constantly moving, adapting, improving, developing new technologies and challenging its workers on a daily basis.”

“What makes the offshore industry a frontier to me is that it is a dynamic one.”

On Board the Prometheus

In 2013, OOS International received the first members of their fleet, the OOS Gretha and the OOS Prometheus. Since day one, Atlas Professionals has been involved in the recruitment for both platforms. The scale of the project has enabled four of Atlas’ teams to work together and provide the entire marine crew for the floatel and platform. This has become Atlas’ biggest project to date.

MATTHIJS VAN DER MOER.

“All the work you do offshore gives you a chance to grow personally and professionally.”

Growing as a Professional in the Platforms and Jack Ups Industry

A change of heartRigger Joao Conde was born in Portugal and had been working in the construction industry for most of his life however, 2 years ago he had a change of heart, “my brother-in-law had been working offshore for 18 years and when work in Portugal started to dry up he suggested to go and look for a job in the industry. Although the market was down I was still able to find work as a Roustabout. In

the beginning I did find it a little strange due to the rotation and being away from my family for so long, but now I have gotten used to it and I’m very pleased with the decision I made.”

Future ambitions Since he began his career offshore in 2013 Joao has wanted to develop his career as a Crane Operator, “I’ve always been interested in working on heavy lift operations and using the cranes offshore. First you need to become an Assistant Crane Operator before you get to operate the machines. I decided I wanted to follow this path when I was placed on a project in Abu Dhabi, where the project was focused on the construction and extension of satellite platforms. On some of the platforms we had to replace the boat landing; a single piece that weighed about 45 tonnes this manoeuvre also involved working with divers as well. It was our job to lift the construction pieces and hold them in place, it was quite challenging as the platforms were very small and we had to do 70 tonne lifts. I also got to bank the crane and replace the Deck Foreman so I could guide the manoeuvre during the lift.

“I haven’t worked in the industry for very long but I have been fortunate to work on some interesting projects. Recently I was a part of the salvage team for the Troll Solution rig in the Gulf of Mexico. Last year the rig collapsed due to a fault in one of its legs and we were asked to recover some of its parts.”

Before working in Abu Dhabi I was working in the North Sea on an accommodation rig but I didn’t find it that interesting. That’s why I want to go back onto the project in Mexico as this involves major crane operations.”

Growing up with AtlasAfter leaving the project in Abu Dhabi, Joao transferred to Atlas to follow his ambitions on Platforms and Jack Ups, “I have been working with Atlas since May of this year and this is definitely the best agency I have worked for. I work through the office in Hoofddorp with Account Manager Désirée van der Sluis, she’s a really great person to work with and she is very responsive if I have any questions or problems that need to be solved.

All the work you do offshore gives you a chance to grow personally and professionally,” explains Joao. “My experience in construction allowed me to work in the offshore industry and my work as a Rigger has allowed me to grow in crane ops, I’m looking forward to what the future will bring.”

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JOAO CONDE.

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The fact is that you either really like working offshore or you absolutely hate it. I do my work with lots of love and never get bored.” After completing his Maritime Officer’s degree at the Maritime Institute Willem Barentsz in 2004, Lennart went on to sail on several merchant vessels, from chemical tankers to container vessels. He also gained experience in the offshore dredging and the installation of wind turbine foundations.

On the Rambiz he focuses on his daily routine, “Every day I learn more about the Rambiz. What I like about my job is the diversity. I sail, manoeuvre, anchor, operate cranes, and carry out on board maintenance and occasionally I get to assist the engineers in maintaining the technical installation. After all, being a Chief Officer is a very responsible position.”

A phenomenon in itself“Rambiz is a phenomenon in itself,” continues Lennart, “it actually consists of three pontoons, two identical crane pontoons, the Ram and the Bizon. One pontoon, the Buffel, is transversely positioned below where the bridge is located. The pontoons have been in operation since 1970, but the vessel in its current form has been in operation since 1999. In terms of size, the Rambiz is 85 metres long and 44 metres wide. The lifting capacity is 3,300 tons. During a job the vessel is held in position by four anchors like a spider in the web. Vessel owner, Scaldis, has its origins in salvaging, the company is an effective organisation with a clear vision for the future.” The vessel can facilitate 75 POB. Lennart explains that the Rambiz always has had a diverse crew, not only in culture but also in terms of freelancers and contractors. “The atmosphere on board is good. We work incredibly hard, but there is certainly room for some fun.”

Do your best!“Why do I like working for Atlas Professionals? From the moment I started working for this agency it felt very trustworthy and I knew that they would support me 100%. We maintain a professional relationship in which everything is negotiable. I can highly recommend working in the offshore industry. It is important to know that the offshore world works differently than you might be used to. You’ll have to work hard and you should produce excellent results, do not let a single disappointing experience daunt you. It is a world of possibilities and if you do your best, then it will not go unnoticed. Besides, a good tip is to use your network. Maintain professional contact with people you like to work with, there is always a chance that they can do something for you in the future. In the offshore industry, all different types of jobs exist – nautical as well as technical. Make sure you make the most of your job from the beginning. My future in the offshore world is promising thanks to Atlas Professionals, Scaldis and of course my team aboard the Rambiz.”

“My future in the offshore world is promising thanks to Atlas Professionals.”

Life aboard Scaldis’ Heavy Lift Vessel Rambiz On a very sunny day in Vlissingen Atlas met with Lennart van der Meulen aboard the Rambiz. The heavy lift vessel is currently moored in preparation for a new project; major maintenance has been carried out on the vessel’s two cranes. “We’re getting ready for a project in the North Sea,” explains Lennart. “Should weather permit, we will start with decommission and removal works on an abandoned gas production platform.

HEROES 35

LENNART VAN DER MEULEN.

The Wisting ProjectIn his last assignment for OMV Norway, Yngve got the opportunity to board the Wisting project in the Barents Sea. The Wisting field is the Northernmost oil discovery in Norway, “that was a very exciting project to be a part of,” explains Yngve. “This is the first horizontal drilling operation for an appraisal well in the Barents Sea and it was the first operation of its kind in the offshore industry.”

The discovery well in 2013 proved that the reservoir was only 250 metres below the seabed and several vertical appraisal wells were already drilled prior to the horizontal approach. To be able to drill a horizontal well the drilling team had to start building the angle already from just below the seabed. “We are used to working with wells that are aiming for a reservoir at 1500-2000 metres vertical depth,” says Yngve. “It was quite a challenge with this shallow reservoir because we had to build the angle 3-4 times as fast as a normal deviated well to be able to be horizontal within the 250 metre interval. A DLS (dog leg severity) of up to 12 degrees/30 metres was achieved and luckily the casing strings were run without any significant challenges.”

The purpose of the project was not only to find a presence of hydrocarbons in the undrilled Wisting Central South and Central West segments, but also to prove the concept of horizontal drilling of shallow reservoirs in the Barents Sea.

Opportunity for discovery Yngve has been working through Atlas’ team based in Stavanger and now works as a senior drilling consultant, “It’s my responsibility to plan wells and follow up both onshore and offshore in the execution phase. It’s the daily dynamic that gets me out of bed every day, this industry is unpredictable and it’s never boring carrying out an offshore drilling operation. Quite often you will have to adjust the drilling plan and adapt to potential problems. There is so much variety in both exploration and production drilling and you have the opportunity to be a part of so many great opportunities and discoveries.”

“There are so many opportunities in both exploration and production drilling.”

With over 15 years of experience in the drilling industry Senior Drilling Engineer Yngve Frøyland has worked on a variety of projects on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, “I studied Petroleum Engineering, specialized in drilling, at University in Stavanger. My father has worked offshore for all of his life, 25 years as a drilling supervisor, and he inspired me to go and work in the oil business. When I started working in 1999 I was always working on production drilling projects both onshore and offshore on fixed platforms, but in 2009 I decided to work in exploration drilling because I needed new challenges.”

The First of its Kind: The Wisting Project in the Barents

YNGVE FRØYLAND.

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Atlas Professionals is an international leading recruitment company. Since 1982, Atlas has played a major role in the provision of professionals to the Energy, Marine & Renewables industries worldwide. If quality and reliability are key for your business, Atlas Professionals is the partner you need to deliver highly qualified personnel.

We create custom-made, comprehensive HR packages, which allows you to focus on the project without any concerns about your workforce. Over the years, Atlas Professionals has grown to become a no-nonsense, dependable HR service provider in the Offshore industries with a mission to turn complex personnel challenges into transparent and secure solutions.

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