Duncan Livingstone, David Stewart Join Ardyne

Duncan Livingstone and David Stewart have joined the technical support division of plug and abandonment provider Ardyne from Schlumberger.

Livingstone and Stewart have a combined work experience of more than 70 years in the global oil and gas industry, according to a news release. They will both work out of Ardyne’s offices in Aberdeen and Stavanger, Norway, and will be on a team of experienced field engineers handling international operations, and an R&D team developing new technologies and equipment modifications for specific operational needs.

Ardyne, which opened in early 2016, acquired Norwegian oil services company Wellbore AS and is already working on several projects in the U.K., Norway, Australia and the Americas.

BP Appoints New Production, Drilling Heads

BP has reshuffled its E&P division as the oil company readies for the biggest jump in output in its history.

The chief of the production, exploration and development unit or upstream division, Bernard Looney, has appointed several executives including a new head of production and a new head of drilling, BP told Reuters.

Gordon Birrell, who previously headed BP in Azerbaijan, will become COO for production, transformation and carbon in the BP upstream segment, reporting to Looney. Based in London, he will be responsible for global operations, global wells, global procurement, supply chain management and upstream engineering. He will also be accountable for upstream modernization and lead the development of the upstream approach to a low-carbon future, BP said.

Andy Krieger will become the new head of drilling. Krieger, previously vice president for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, will report to Birrell.

The previous head of drilling, Gary Jones, will lead operations in Azerbaijan. The country is a key global growth area where the company wants to expand the giant ACG oil fields and the Shah Deniz gas development. Jones will report to Andy Hopwood, COO for strategy and regions in BP's upstream segment.

The British firm is launching a record number of projects this year and plans steep growth in production through 2021. Key startups this year are the Zohr gas field in Egypt, Juniper in Trinidad, Khazzan in Oman, Quad 204 in Britain and Persephone in Australia, JP Morgan said.

Ecosse Subsea Systems Names New Managing Director

Mark Gillespie has been appointed managing director of Ecosse Subsea Systems, the company said in a news release.

With more than 25 years of oil and gas industry experience, Ecosse said Gillespie has held senior technical, commercial and contractual management roles in Technip, CSL, GE Oil & Gas, Centrica and Talisman. More recently, he was managing director of PDi Ltd., an Aberdeen-based engineering and project management consultancy.

The appointment aims to strengthen the management team and introduce new skills needed to accelerate the business through the next level of growth, according to Ecosse funder Mike Wilson. As chairman, Wilson will continue to have strategic oversight of ESS and will concentrate on business-to-business relationships, special projects and technology market penetration and adoption, the release said.

The appointment follows the arrival of Iain Middleton in the new role of commercial manager, which will allow commercial director Keith McDermott to pursue new business opportunities for Ecosse in the Asia, U.S. renewables and oil and gas sectors, the release said.

Aker Says Nothing New To Report On Aker Solutions Ownership

Norwegian investment firm Aker ASA does not plan to announce any news regarding its holdings in engineering firm Aker Solutions, where it is the top owner, an Aker spokesman said March 14.

Financial daily Finansavisen late on March 13 reported that U.S. oilfield services firm Halliburton was close to signing a deal to buy Aker Solutions or its key subsea unit.

“We’re a listed company with stakes in eight different companies. Many are contacting us, and a natural part of what we do is to talk to others, but we have nothing new to say at this point,” Aker spokesman Atle Kigen said.

“We have no plans to issue a stock exchange notice,” he added.

Statoil Scraps Plan For New Norway Head Office After Job Cuts

Statoil scrapped plans to build a futuristic-looking head office in Stavanger, Norway, after cutting the size of its workforce by almost 3,000 in recent years, a company spokesman said.

In early 2014 the company launched plans to construct an oval building with a sloping roof to accommodate some 3,500 employees, but the price of Brent crude has since fallen by half, forcing the company to reconsider the project.

“At that time we expected the need for office space to increase, but today the existing offices meet our needs,” Statoil’s spokesman Morten Eek said. “It became possible after workforce reductions and more efficient use of workspace.”

Statoil said on its website it has about 20,500 employees, down from 23,400 in 2013. In 2015, Statoil sold its head office building in Stavanger to Colony Capital Inc., signing a 15-year lease with a possible extension.

Chris Ong To Succeed Chow Yew Yuen As Keppel O&M CEO

Keppel Corp. Ltd. said March 20 that Chow Yew Yuen will step down as CEO after 36 years with the Singapore-based company.

Chris Ong, managing director of Keppel FELS Ltd., will be concurrently appointed as acting CEO of Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd., effective April 1. Ong joined Keppel FELS in 1999 and has held a range of key appointments, the release said.

Apart from his role in Keppel FELS, Ong is the chairman of Bennett Offshore LLC, Keppel LeTourneau USA Inc., Bintan Offshore Fabricators Pte Ltd. and Keppel SLP LLC and a director of various subsidiaries or associated companies of Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd.

Polarcus Names Duncan Eley As CEO

Duncan Eley became CEO of Polarcus Ltd. effective immediately, replacing Rod Starr, who resigned after the completion of the two-year restructuring, refinancing and reorganization, Polarcus said March 17.

Eley, who became the COO in May 2013, has more than 18 years’ experience in senior management in the seismic industry.

Polarcus said that for the near term, the COO position will be eliminated to better align with current market conditions.

Eley worked with Schlumberger for 10 years, supporting marine seismic operations in Europe, Africa and the Americas. Prior to joining Polarcus in 2009, Eley worked for a global strategy consultancy firm across the energy, transport and natural resources sectors.

Starr joined Polarcus in February 2015 and will continue working with the executive management team and Polarcus’ board of directors for a transition period during second-quarter 2017.

JDR, Proserv Form Subsea Alliance In West Africa

Subsea cables and umbilicals supplier JDR has teamed up with Proserv Instrumentation Nigeria Ltd. to offer combined subsea solutions and local content support for the West African market, according to a news release.

JDR will establish a service and maintenance base in Proserv’s operations facility in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, offering maintenance and offshore installation services, product termination and testing and technical training.

In recent years, JDR has supplied complex intervention, workover control systems to major developments including Egina, Kaombo and Moho Nord in Nigeria, Angola and Congo respectively, the release said.

—Staff & Reuters Reports