From Aberdeen (IF): SERICA ENERGY has admitted that it remains ‘very tightly financed’ and is reviewing alternatives to strengthen its resources for the future.

Serica has assets in the UK, Norway and the Atlantic margins off Africa and Ireland.

Chairman Tony Craven Walker said, in its interim results, that the company was entering a period of significant activity. A drilling campaign kicks off next month with the spudding of a first well offshore Morocco and will be followed by a further well there in the first half of 2014 and a well in the UK (Doyle prospect).

In Ireland, efforts have begun to identify partners to accelerate drilling on the Boyne and Muckish prospects. In Namibia, wellplanning activities have started in preparation for drilling in late 2014-15.

Walker said that, although the decision by BG not to proceed with the bridge-linked platform at Lomond in the central North Sea had held up sanction for the Columbus development project (30/5), Serica had generally made good, positive progress during the first half of 2013. It is working to resolve the commercial issues relating to infrastructure access and hopes to achieve project sanction early in 2014.

He said financial markets remained difficult for exploration companies, but Serica had secured finance from major international oil companies on many of its assets, which both endorsed the quality of that acreage and helped it move its plans forward.

Its more Pac-man action - are you old enough to remind that? A few years back (2009), Germanischer Lloyd acquired Noble Denton. Scroll forward two years and DNV merges with - or really takes over - Kema.

Now competition authorities in the USA, the EU, China and South Korea have approved a merger to form DNV GL which it says will be the biggest clasification society covering both the maritime and offshore industries.

To be very honest, SEN did not remember this deal being announced last December. How did we miss it? It was announced on 20 December the day after our last issue before Christmas. Too much egg nog!

In another deal consummation, Harkand has now confirmed its takeover of VEOLIA MARINE SERVICES (30/5) based in the Gulf of Mexico. It will now be renamed Harkand North America. The deal included three multipurpose support vessels.

When SEN’s editor was still wet behind the ears in the offshore business, I met a female pipeline engineer in Norway. It was a pretty rare occurrence in those days - not quite so rare across the median line, but more so on the British side.

It was interesting then to read a survey of WOMAN ENGINEERS, carried out by Atkins, which revealed that the vast majority – what else can you call 98%? - felt that they had not been hindered in their career by their gender. That is a pretty powerful statement of equality in an industry that remains predominantly male and quite sexist on rigs
and platforms.

More remains to be done to encourage young woman - and men as well - to take up engineering as a career. Or else the ongoing concern about the skills shortage will only become exacerbated.

Acteon has its chequebook out again, this time acquiring PROBE OIL TOOLS, a specialist in pressure-control kit including wellheads, flanges, tension rings and surface risers...ArcelorMittal has signed a five year deal with Technip to supply SPECIALIST STEEL WIRE for use in the manufacture of flexible pipe sheaths...The Eide Marine Group
has formed its own construction arm dubbed EIDE MARINE CONTRACTORS to be led by Jason Bayne, ex-Stolt Offshore...DP SEALS has expanded its manufacturing unit to meet growing subsea demand for its custom rubber seals and mouldings...Keppel Offshore & Marine has set up a new shipyard, BAKU SHIPYARD, in joint venture with the Azeri state oil company SOCAR and a local investment group.

Come to the UK. US-based downhole equipment specialist AXON is setting up a new R&D technology centre in Gateshead on the Tyne, while pump manufacturer FLOWSERVE has set up a new quick response service centre in Aberdeen.

Industry veteran Ally MacDonald who has been with both Duco and Wellstream on Tyndeside is the new chairman of cable protection specialist Tekmar.