Richard Neilson News

UK Opens National Decommissioning Center

The National Decommissioning Centre (NDC) is opened by Lord Duncan, UK Government Minister for Scotland and Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Scottish Energy Minister, in Newburgh, in North-East Scotland’s Energetica Corridor.The Centre aims to work in partnership with companies to become the global leader in research and development (R&D) focused on reducing costs, extending field and asset life, and transforming the traditional approach to decommissioning.100 offshore platforms and 5,700km of pipeline are forecast to be decommissioned or reused over the next decade on the UK Continental Shelf. With the Oil and Gas Authority estimating the total cost of oil and gas decommissioning to be £58bn…

Ship Design and Construction Software Solutions

From the design loft to loftier designs and better-built ships, software has changed the face, and build, of nautical vessels. The far-reaching impact of ship design and construction software on the marine industry cannot be overstated, especially in an era of increasing regulation, bigger, sometimes more complex ships, and razor-thin margins. With shipyards and fleet owners alike, the end goal is the same – cutting costs without compromising safety and reliability. And to hear ship designers…

Ugly Ducklings & Steaming the Way to Victory in WWII

The design and construction of WWII Liberty cargo ships revolutionized shipbuilding by overhauling the blueprint process and standardizing on commonality of parts, welding, pre-fabrication and assembly line construction. Give me Liberty, or give me death!” a rallying cry of the Revolutionary War, got a second act in World War II. “Built by the mile and chopped off by the yard,” Roosevelt promised the no-frills Liberties would form a “bridge of ships” across the Atlantic. And they did. An exaggeration perhaps, but in truth, the Liberty wasn’t much to write home about.

Neilson NSRI’s Academic Research Director

The National Subsea Research Institute (NSRI) has appointed Dr. Richard Neilson as academic research director. Dr. Neilson has more than 20 years experience as a lecturer and researcher in a number of Scottish Universities. During this time he spent four years on secondment with oil service company, Rotech Drilling Services, where he was responsible for the design and analysis of downhole tools. Dr Neilson has a PhD and BSc in Mechanical Engineering and an MSc in Biomedical Engineering.