Aker Maritime, Inc. has formed a new Product Technology and Deepwater R&D group. This group will be headed by Dr. John Halkyard, formerly technical director of Deep Oil Technology, Inc. and is organized as a division of Aker Engineering - Houston. The new R&D group will help Aker achieve its goal "to be the source for deepwater solutions." Dr. Halkyard says the group is focusing on products which will "make a quantum improvement in deepwater field economics…that will change the way things are done." Immediate projects of high priority include some concepts initiated by Deep Oil Technology: a unique FPSO with dry trees and drilling capability called an "Oil Box", which can produce and store 2MM BBL or more of oil.
