National Service News

National Energy Services Reunited (NESR), a provider of integrated energy services in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Asia Pacific regions, has been awarded contracts worth US$660 million by Saudi Aramco for coiled tubing, stimulation and cementing services for a five year period.The contract is with the National Petroleum Technology Company, a subsidiary of NESR, for coiled tubing and N2, stimulation services and cementing services for a period of five years with possible extensions of up to two years.Mohammed Y. Al-Qahtani, senior vice president for upstream, Saudi Aramco, said: “NESR is a key partner for Saudi Aramco, and we are very pleased to see National Petroleum Technology Company…

Despite being in the thick of action on many occasions, Bathurst class corvette HMAS Colac ended the Second World War with only two members of her ship’s company killed and two wounded, another amazing ship and crew being remembered 75 years on. The casualties occurred on 26 May 1945, when the ship was hit twice by Japanese artillery fire from Choiseul Island, part of the Solomon Islands group. Jim Paizis (retd), 94, of Melbourne, was a gunnery officer in Colac, which had finished a three-week operation bombarding Wewak and off-shore islands with other ships when she was sent to Choiseul Island. “Our task was to assist the Army by shelling Japanese landing barges which were transferring troops to Bougainville, where our Army was operating,” he said.

Singapore has launched an initiative to attract more locals to take up a career as a marine engineer. The joint venture between unions, government and industry aims to address an acute shortage. A new S$1.2 million Tripartite Engineering Training Award (TETA) Programme was launched by Lim Swee Say, the Minister for Manpower. According to a press release, TETA is a joint initiative by Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union (SMOU), Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), National Trades Union Congress’ Employment and Employability Institute (e2i). Speaking at the Devan Nair Institute,  Lim said: "Seafarers form a key segment of our maritime workforce...

Ross Glendinning was appointed Senior Vice President, Service Division of Alfa Laval Inc. in January 2016. Glendinning is charged with driving consistent profitable growth, and developing new sales opportunities for the service business of Alfa Laval in the U.S. His responsibilities include leading parts sales, reconditioning services, field services and technical support activities. Glendinning joined Alfa Laval in 1982 as Marine Engineer for the company’s military products group.

U.K. inland container service operator Pentalver opened a new five-acre site at the U.K.’s newest deep sea container port, DP World London Gateway, the London Port Authority announced. Plans for the site – which will be built in two phases – were revealed in January and position Pentalver as the largest container service operator at the port. The new yard, located adjacent to the port’s main gate, can be expanded to nine acres over the coming years. Pentalver has been providing empty storage, dry repair and reefer services at its temporary premises at DP World London Gateway since April 2014.

Petter Sundet, Captain of Edda Fortis, discusses with Maritime Reporter & Engineering News the evolution of top-notch accommodation in the offshore environment. Please provide a brief bio. Specifically, how did you come to a career in the marine industry, and ascend to your current position? I first went to sea when I was 16 years old, to see the world. The first years I sailed as a deck hand, then as an ordinary seaman and then became an Able Seaman which was as far as you could go without any formal education. During this time I worked on general cargo ships, oil tankers, and OBO carriers.

Imtech Marine has appointed Fergus Campbell as the new Director of Imtech Marine USA. Fergus has worked for the Imtech Martine company previously (Radio Holland USA) from 2000 to 2010 as respectively Branch Manager Florida, National Service Manager and National Sales manager. Before Radio Holland, Fergus worked amongst others at Consilium Marine as sales and service manager and at Caledonian MacBrayne as superintendent. In 2010, he pursued his career as General Manager at C-MAR America Inc. in Houston, a leading global marine offshore and DP services provider. Fergus holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering and amongst others studied at the Glasgow College of Nautical Studies. André Meijer: “We are happy that Fergus returns to our company.

Leaders from key sectors of the Greater New Orleans region will meet on Tuesday, December 3, 2013 to address gaps in national domestic response capability by including regional best practices as part of a template to be shared by America's strategic military base and port communities. The symposium will include National Service Awards presentations, with special guest LTG Russel L. Honore’ (U.S. Army, ret.) as the keynote speaker. The symposium will be attended by leaders from area ports, U.S. Coast Guard, police and responders, National Guard, private and community sector leaders including Capt. Peter Gautier, Commander of the US Coast Guard Sector New Orleans…

Alan Olivier was elected Chairman and President of the UK P&I Club at their board meeting in Bermuda on October 28. He succeeds Dino Caroussis who has retired from the board. Mr. Olivier, 53, Chief Executive Officer of Grindrod Limited, became a Director of the UK Club in 2000 and a Deputy Chairman in 2006. Mr. Caroussis, 61, of Chios Navigation, had been the Club’s Chairman for the past five years, having joined the board in 1996 in the shipping division. He held senior treasury and financial positions before his appointment as chief executive of Unicorn Shipping in 1995.

In a speech at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, Acting Maritime Administrator Paul "Chip" Jaenichen reminded students that "logistics matter." The business of moving, supplying, and maintaining our joint forces is critical to their success. Acting Administrator Jaenichen also made it clear to students that, when it comes to logistics, MARAD has their backs. He explained that MARAD works with the U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) and the Military Sealift Command…

OSX, an EBX Group company focused on offshore naval industry, signed a partnership with SENAI (National Service for Industrial Apprenticeship) from Rio de Janeiro to train 3,100 people for its Shipbuilding Unit (UCN Açu), to be built in the Açu Superport Industrial Complex, in the northern part of Rio de Janeiro state. The goal is to train skilled manpower that may work at the Shipbuilding Unit. The initiative, which has an investment of $13 million, will primarily benefit residents of Campos dos Goytacazes and São João da Barra, where the Superport is being installed. The agreement with SENAI, considered the leading institution for professional education in Brazil…

William N. “Norb” Whitlock and Kenneth A. Wheeler received the prestigious National Rivers Hall of Fame Achievement Award at the Waterways Council, Inc. Annual Meeting in Houston on October 1. This award is the highest honor presented by the National Rivers Hall of Fame to those people who are making significant contributions to America’s waterways. The National Rivers Hall of Fame with members in 36 states is the national museum telling the stories of the people of America’s rivers. The Hall of Fame is a part of the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium located on the banks of the Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa. William “Norb”…

Patricia Bradshaw, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy (CPP), addressed more than 150 employees at the Naval Sea Systems Command’s celebration of Women’s History Month Wednesday. “Today we celebrate and give thanks for the community of Department of Defense women who have and are forging paths and accomplished firsts for us and for our daughters to come,” said Bradshaw. Bradshaw has served 27 years with the Department of Defense and Department of Navy in a variety of senior level positions, including serving as the Senior executive director of human resources for NAVSEA. In this position, she played a significant role in the design and implementation of personnel demonstration programs within DoD laboratories.