Bourbon Makes Changes To Executive Team

Bourbon, a Paris-based offshore oil and gas services company, has changed its executive team lineup.

The company’s board of directors confirmed Jacques de Chateauvieux as executive chairman, named Astrid de Bréon as CFO and appointed Gaël Bodénès as the company’s CEO.

Bodénès will replace Christian Lefèvre, who has been named CEO of JACCAR Holdings effective Oct. 1, Bourbon said Sept. 8. Lefèvre will continue to serve as a board member for Bourbon, the company said.

Ashtead Appoints UK Regional Director

Brett Lestrange has been tapped to serve as U.K. regional director for Ashtead Technology as the subsea equipment specialist targets growth.

With more than 25 years of subsea experience, Lestrange joins Ashtead from HCS Control Systems where he served as CEO and developed the business as a service-led subsea manufacturing company, Ashtead said in a news release.

Lestrange, a founding partner of Frontrow Energy Partners, also has held several positions at Expro Group, including head of subsea.

UTEC Names Business Unit Directors

UTEC has chosen three of its employees to head of business units in the Americas, Europe and Africa.

Cory Goodyear, who previously headed up the Europe and Africa business unit, will move to Houston to take over the role of business unit director of Americas, as Dave Ross retires from the business, UTEC said in a news release. Goodyear has worked for UTEC for 10 years and previously served as general manager.

Mick Elmslie, who has worked with UTEC for seven years in projects, operations and business development, becomes the business unit director in Europe.

Jonathan Watt will serve as business unit director for the Africa business unit. Watt joined UTEC as a global commercial manager in December.

“The announcement follows the completion of a strategic review which also sees the UTEC corporate headquarters move from Houston to within the Acteon building in Aberdeen,” UTEC said.

Archer Lands Repsol Norge Contract For P&A Services

Archer has secured a four-year contract to deliver additional plug and abandonment (P&A) and related services on the Norwegian Continental Shelf for Repsol Norge AS, a news release stated.

As part of the contract, which has an extension option, Archer is providing perforating, washing and cementing services; wireline, slickline and e-line services; and downhole mechanical bridge plugs.

The contract followed one awarded with Repsol Norge earlier this year for drilling and maintenance services, engineering and downhole tool rental services.

Former BG Engineering Head Joins Alpha’s Cheviot Project Team

U.K.-based Alpha Petroleum Resources Ltd. said it has appointed Martin Freeman, former group head of engineering at BG Group, as project manager for the Cheviot Field development in the North Sea.

The appointment comes as the company moves toward a final investment decision for the development in November. First oil production is anticipated in 2019 with a rate of at least 30,000 bbl/d.

Having held senior project development, project execution and technical positions at several energy companies, Freeman brings more than 30 years of upstream oil and gas experience to the company.

Also joining the Cheviot team is Guy Sharman as SURF/SPS manager and Lawrence Ritchie as wells manager.

Sharman, also with 30-plus years of experience, has led subsea development for the second phase of the Buzzard Field for Nexen Petroleum and worked on the installation of subsea systems for the Golden Eagle and Ettrick fields, the release said.

Ritchie joins Alpha Petroleum from Glencore, where he was head of well engineering. There, he managed assets in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Chad.

NEL Starts Work On $21.7 Million Subsea Development Center

Flow measurement R&D specialist NEL is building a 1,600-sq-m Center of Excellence for subsea development in Scotland.

The new $21.7-million center features a new high pressure multiphase flow test facility, which aims to improve the industry’s understanding of higher pressures on measurement equipment in extreme subsea environments, a news release stated. The facility includes a single-phase, multiphase and dry gas, at operating pressures up to 150 bar. This is double the existing capabilities.

The new center will also include a full production scale separator, with an operating weight of 270 tonnes.

The CoE will facilitate company-led industrial projects and product development, SME support, hands-on industry training, and academic research.

Scottish Enterprise is supporting development of the center with about $6.6 million of R&D funding. Also contributing is NEL’s parent company, TÜV SÜD AG, which is investing about $15 million, alongside a grant from Scottish Enterprise, NEL said in the release.

Sparrows Group Names Director Of European Operations

Sparrows Group has appointed Matt Corbin as its regional operations director for the U.K. and Europe.

Corbin, who has more than 20 years’ experience working in the oil and gas industry, has held several leadership positions, Sparrows said. These have included U.K. managing director for the subsea division of Aker Solutions and U.K. regional general manger for GE Oil & Gas.

He most recently served as supply chain consultant for the Oil and Gas Authority and contributed to Oil & Gas UK’s Efficiency Task Force, Sparrows said.

—Staff Reports

Offshore