Offshore Access System built by Offshore Solutions.

New heavy lift vessels

Despite these uncertain times, the decision of the Dutch oil and gas industry suppliers to specialise and concentrate efforts on innovation appears to be paying off, as orders continue to flow in even though 2009 is proving a difficult year for many.

Amsterdam-based BigLift Shipping, part of the Spliethoff group, announced that it has ordered five more heavy lift vessels, demonstrating its confidence in the future of the project and heavy lift market. Being built at Ohua shipyard near Shanghai, the five 17,500 dwt sister vessels are due for delivery between mid and late 2010. They are all 1A ice class and have two cranes with a capacity of 400 tonnes each and one with a 120-tonne capacity. The BigLift vessels are designed to cope with high deck loads for heavy cargoes and if visibility from the wheelhouse is hindered by large deck loads, the vessels can be manoeuvred from a second command station. Additional accommodation, a class-room and training bridge, is also incorporated for 10 cadets who will work on board as part of their maritime education. BigLift also has two

multi-purpose heavy lift vessels on order from Larsen & Toubro of India. These vessels are due to be delivered end-2009 and early 2010.Scheduled to arrive in the first quarter of 2010, the DPII ROV Survey Offshore Support Vessel, will become Noordhoek’s third vessel in operation and the first ROV Survey dedicated offshore vessel.

Adding the new survey vessel will give considerable operational flexibility and it will also increase the comfort of working conditions for operational staff. Being built at the Dutch shipyard De Hoop, the vessel will be 62 m long and equipped with Dynamic Positioning Grade 2 (DPII). With diesel electric drive, the new vessel will also have a moon pool and a 25-tonne offshore crane. Amsterdam-based BigLift Shipping, part of the Spliethoff group, announced that it has ordered five more heavy lift vessels, demonstrating its confidence in the future of the project and heavy lift market. Being built at Ohua shipyard near Shanghai, the five 17,500 dwt sister vessels are due for delivery between mid and late 2010. They are all 1A ice class and have two cranes with a capacity of 400 tonnes each and one with a 120-tonne capacity. Amsterdam-based BigLift Shipping, part of the Spliethoff group, announced that it has ordered five more heavy lift vessels, demonstrating its confidence in the future of the project and heavy lift market. Being built at Ohua shipyard near Shanghai, the five 17,500 dwt sister vessels are due for delivery between mid and late 2010. They are all 1A ice class and have two cranes with a capacity of 400 tonnes each and one with a 120-tonne capacity. Inspection, repair, maintenance, hydrography, geotechnical investigation and analogue/digital geophysical surveys will be the main work of the new ship. Set to enhance Noordhoek’s survey capabilities, the vessel brings the latest technology in pipeline and cable inspection, seabed mapping and sampling and construction support to the market. Noordhoek currently operates the DPII DSV Noordhoek Singapore in the North Sea and it has another vessel, the DPII Saturation DSV under construction and due for delivery in the fourth quarter 2009 n

NEWSletter 06ASSOCIATION OF DUTCH SUPPLIERS IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

OKTOBER 2009

For the updated membership list, please visit our website: www.iro.nl & www.iro-noc.nlIRO P.O. Box 7261, 2701 AG Zoetermeer, The Netherlands T +31 79 3411981 F +31 79 3419764 E info@iro.nl I www.iro.nl

PAGE 1 Biglift Shipping - New heavy lift vessels

PAGE 2 Noordhoek Survey - Seabed Survey

PAGE 3 Vroon Offshore Services - upply Vessels

PAGE 3 Royal Boskalis - Dredging

PAGE 4 AncoferWaldram Steelplates

PAGE 4 OAS - Innovation is rewarding

PAGE 5 IRO - News & Export promotion

Seabed Survey

Noordhoek Survey was yet another Dutch firm showing its faith in the oil and gas sector. Continuing its ambitious growth strategy, Noordhoek has ordered another ROV Survey dedica-ted offshore vessel.

Scheduled to arrive in the first quarter of 2010, the DPII ROV Survey Offshore Support Vessel, will become Noordhoek’s third vessel in operation and the first ROV Survey dedicated offshore vessel. Adding the new survey vessel will give considerable operational flexibility and it will also increase the comfort of working conditions for operational staff. Being built at the Dutch shipyard De Hoop, the vessel will be 62 m long and equipped with Dynamic Positioning Grade 2 (DPII). With diesel electric drive, the new vessel will also have a moon pool and a 25-tonne offshore crane.

Forty crew can be comfortably accommodated on the vessel that will meet the latest environmental criteria, while ensuring acoustically quiet operations at survey speeds. Inspection, repair, maintenance, hydrography, geotechnical investigation and analogue/digital geophysical surveys will be the main work of the new ship. Set to enhance Noordhoek’s survey capabilities, the vessel brings the latest technology in pipeline and cable inspection, seabed mapping and sampling and construction support to the market. Noordhoek currently

operates the DPII DSV Noordhoek Singapore in the North Sea and it has another vessel, the DPII Saturation DSV under construction and due for delivery in the fourth quarter 2009. As well as the new orders on their way, IRO members have seen some recent new arrivals. Dutch shipyard De Hoop, the vessel will be 62 m long and equipped with Dynamic Positioning Grade 2 (DPII). With diesel electric drive, the new vessel will also have a moon pool and a 25-tonne offshore crane. Forty crew can be comfortably accommodated on the vessel that will meet the latest environmental criteria, while ensuring acoustically quiet operations at survey speeds. Forty crew can be comfortably accommodated on the vessel that will meet the latest environmental criteria, while ensuring acoustically quiet operations at survey speeds. Inspection, repair, maintenance, hydrography, geotechnical investigation and analogue/digital geophysical surveys will be the main work of the new ship. As well as the new orders on their way, IRO members have seen some recent new arrivals.

Set to enhance Noordhoek’s survey capabilities, the vessel brings the latest technology in pipeline and cable inspection, seabed mapping and sampling and construction support to the market. Noordhoek currently operates the DPII DSV Noordhoek Singapore in the North Sea and it has another vessel, the DPII Saturation DSV under construction and due for delivery in the fourth quarter 2009. As well as the new orders on their way, IRO members have seen some recent new arrivals n

2 IRO NEWSletter MARCH 2009

Tank arrangements have been made to allow the ship

Supply vessels

Vroon Offshore Services inaugurated the “Base Express”, a second Damen Platform Supply Vessel (PSV 7216).

Joining the previously delivered “Pool Express”, the vessel was built by Damen in Romania. Wasting no time, the vessel has already found employment in the Southern North Sea (SNS) Pool. With a fleet of 14 vessels, the SNS pool is under the management of Peterson SBS and provides services to eight oil companies active in the North Sea oil and gas exploration and production market. The PSV 7216 is a diesel electric, DP 1, double-bow vessel, driven with stern azimuth thrusters. At more than 3,200 dwt, Base Express has a deck space of 600 sq m and has a speed of over 13 knots. Tank arrangements have been made to allow the ship to carry potable and drill water, fuel, glycol, methanol and cement. Dutch oil and gas suppliers have also been working hard ensuring there is plenty of work for its expanding fleet. Joining the previously delivered “Pool Express”, the vessel was built by Damen in Romania. Wasting no time, the vessel has already found employment in the Southern North Sea (SNS) Pool. With a fleet of 14 vessels, the SNS pool is under the management of Peterson SBS and provides services to eight oil companies active in the North Sea oil and gas exploration and production market. The PSV 7216 is a diesel electric, DP 1, double-bow vessel, driven with stern azimuth thrusters. At more than 3,200 dwt, Base Express has a deck space of 600 sq m and has a speed of over 13 knots.

Tank arrangements have been made to allow the ship to carry potable and drill water, fuel, glycol, methanol and cement. Dutch oil and gas suppliers have also been working hard ensuring there is plenty of work for its expanding fleet. With a fleet of 14 vessels, the SNS pool is under the management of Peterson SBS and provides services to eight oil companies active in the North Sea oil and gas exploration and production market. The PSV 7216 is a diesel electric, DP 1, double-bow vessel, driven with stern azimuth thrusters. At more than 3,200 dwt, Base Express has a deck space of 600 sq m and has a speed of over 13 knots. Tank arrangements have been to allow the ship to carry potable and drill water, fuel, glycol and cementn

Dredging

The two Dutch dredging giants both had good news and won contracts for their expanding offshore and energy businesses.

Royal Boskalis Westminster acquired three oil and gas-related contracts for projects in Europe and the Middle East, worth around E100m. Two contracts are linked to the “Nord Stream” project which involves the construction of two 1,220 km gas pipelines from Russia to Northern Germany through the Baltic Sea. Boskalis will prepare the seabed for laying the pipelines and execute the shore approach of the pipelines in Germany. The project should be completed in 2010. The third contract comprises the infrastructure, including the shore approach, for an oil pipeline from the Safaniyah offshore field to the mainland of Saudi Arabia.

This project will be executed during 2009 for Saudi Aramco.Royal Boskalis Westminster acquired three oil and gas-related contracts for projects in Europe and the Middle East, worth around E100m. Two contracts are linked to the “Nord Stream” project which involves the construction of two 1,220 km gas pipelines from Russia to Northern Germany through the Baltic Sea. Boskalis will prepare the seabed for laying the pipelines and execute the shore approach of the pipelines in Germany. The project should be completed in 2010. The third contract comprises the infrastructure, including the shore approach, for an oil pipeline from the Safaniyah offshore field to the mainland of Saudi Arabia. This project will be executed during 2009 for Saudi Aramco.

Van Oord Offshore signed the Subcontract for the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline Project (ADCOP) - Offshore Pipeline and Facility. ADCOP will originate from Habshan in Abu Dhabi and terminate in Fujairah and has been designed to transport 1.5 million barrels of crude oil per day. Van Oord’s works include the offshore installation of three pipelines with a total length of around 13 km and three Single Point Mooring Systems. Work will take place in 2009 and should be completed by the second quarter of 2010 n

Van Oord’s works include the offshore installation of three pipelines

3© IRO 2009

Pipelaying and stonedumping

Continuing the pipe-laying theme, SAS Gouda and SAS Winches have been awarded a contract from Grup Servicci Petroliere (GSP) of Romania for the supply of a complete Pipe Lay System, including the eight-point Mooring System.

The new pipelay barge will be equipped with 2 x 30mt Pipe Tensioning Systems, including a 60mt A&R Winch and the Pipe Handling equipment for handling the pipe joints on deck. The barge will have an 8 x 100mt electrical Mooring Winch System, which will be integrated with the Pipe Tensioning System. SAS Winches has been contracted to design, manufacture and supply the complete Mooring System. The delivery of the complete package is scheduled for the end of 2009. SAS has also been awarded a contract from ZPMC of China for the design and supply of four complete Pipe Handling Systems. The new pipelay barge will be equipped with 2 x 30mt ncluding a 60mt A&R Winch and the Pipe Handling equipment for handling the pipe joints on deck. The barge will have an 8 x 100mt electrical Mooring Winch System, which will be integrated with the Pipe Tensioning System. SAS manufacture and supply the complete Mooring System. The delivery of the complete package is scheduled for the end of 2009. SAS has also been awarded a of China for the design and supply of four complete Pipe Handling Systems.

Meanwhile, Huisman, a specialist in lifting, drilling and subsea solutions has been awarded two new contracts for the design, build and commissioning of two stone-dumping systems from Tideway, a subsidiary of Belgium’s DEME and from Royal Boskalis Westminster. The new pipelay barge will be equipped with 2 x 30mt Pipe Tensioning Systems, including a 60mt A&R Winch and the Pipe Handling equipment for handling the pipe joints on deck. The barge will have an 8 x 100mt electrical Mooring Winch System, which will be integrated with the Pipe Tensioning System. These fast, highly-automated systems are the first capable of accurately dumping stones at up to a 2,000 m draught. Delivery is planned for the second half of 2010 and the start of 2011n

The new pipelay barge will be equipped

Dutch oil and gas suppliers have also been working hard

Innovation is rewarding

With innovation being a key theme at the heart of the Dutch supply industry, a recent award to Offshore Solutions is no different.

Offshore Solutions has been issued a Letter of Award from Qa-tar Shell for the provision of its unique product, the “Offshore Access System”. The Offshore Access System (OAS) facilitates the safe transfer of personnel from a vessel to an offshore installation. It will be used for the Pearl Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) project being built in Ras Laffan Industrial City in Qatar. Due to be delivered in the second quarter 2010, the OAS is a heave compensated, telescopic gangway designed to connect and disconnect in 2.5 m Hs sea states speed of over 13 knots. Tank arrangements have been made to allow the ship to carry potable and drill water, fuel, glycol, methanol and cement. Dutch oil and gas suppliers have also been working hard ensuring there is plenty of work for its expanding fleet. Joining the previously delivered “Pool Express”, This has been working on a daily basis the vessel was built by Damen in Romania. Wasting no time, the vessel has already found employment in the Southern North Sea (SNS) Pool. heave compensated, telescopic gangway designed to connect and disconnect in 2.5 m Hs sea states. Offshore Solutions said the award was a direct result of the success of the first OAS leased by Shell. This has been working on a daily basis in the Southern North Sea for over two and a half years. Offshore Solutions said the award was a direct result of the success of the first OAS leased by Shell.

This has been working on a daily basis in the Southern North Sea for over two and a half years. Realising that these challenging times will pass, IRO members recognise that this is a long-term industry. They are continuing to invest in upgrading and modernising their fleets with a succession of newbuilds due to join in the coming years. Dutch suppliers have chosen to stay at the quality, specialist end of the market and this means they are still being chosen for projects even when times are more difficult. Nevertheless, they are still looking ahead to a positive future n

4

Dutch service groups

Despite the general uncertainty over investments in offshore projects, the service sector in the Netherlands remains in good shape.

“In general, the industry here is still doing very well,” says Hans de Boer, managing director of the Dutch oil and gas suppliers association, IRO. “Offshore and onshore, there is quite a lot of activity, and most of our members have full order books going into next year. “There is concern that the intake of new orders for the long term is slowing down. Small to mid-size operators have had problems financing projects, and some of the big boys have been delaying awards of new contracts, extending negotiations in an attempt to drive down costs. “Others, though, like Shell and BP, have announced investment programs for the year ahead, and will stick to them. In the end, the industry will have to act to produce new reserves. So in general, I’m quite positive about the outlook. I predict that a year from now, we’ll be in the same position we were in a year back.”

So far there have been two bankruptcies among IRO members, but this is a normal figure, according to de Boer. “We started the year with 349 members, now we are at 365 and still growing. All the big Dutch contractors are members already. The new recruits are mainly SMEs: some are joining for the networking opportunities, but others have been active in industries outside the oil and gas sector which currently are not doing so well. They see ours as providing better opportunities.” Like other national trade associations, IRO organizes pavilions for its members at major oil and gas events. The Dutch group regularly provides the largest overseas contingent at OTC, this year occupying the maximum space allowable of 935 sq m (10,064 sq ft). The IRO pavilion at Offshore Europe in Aberdeen next month will be somewhat smaller, at 365 sq m (3,929 sq ft). As in 2007, 24 IRO members will have their own stands, with seven represented on the combined IRO booth. IRO has organized pavilions this year also at Offshore Brazil in Macae, and KIOGE in Kazakhstan and Rio Oil & Gas all on the line-up for 2010.

One of the participants will be Vryhof Anchors, returning to Aberdeen after a gap of several years. Interest in the North Sea remains strong. In the Dutch offshore sector, there have been no new entrants or operators so far this year, unlike previous years. But the government is considering new incentives in response to the credit crisis, some as a result of lobbying by IRO and the Dutch operators’ association, NOGEPA. Last December, for instance, the regulation concerning Depreciation at Will was amended temporarily, allowing companies to claim relief on new capital assets during 2009-10. Around the same time, the Ministry of Economic Affairs proposed an amendment to the Dutch Mining Act, allowing an extra 25% of capital costs to be deducted from profits for exploration and production of certain marginal fields. This proposal still is under discussion, says de Boer. n

IRO Export promotion

Every year IRO organises Dutch group participations at successful international oil and gas exhibitions throughout the world. The association also organises outgoing trade missions, programmes for incoming trade missions and matchmaking programmes.

These activities prove to be of great importance for promoting trade and export and are well attended.

Below you find an overview of the export promotional events planned for 2009 so far.

Please visit www.iro.nl for up-to-date information.

ExhibitionsOTC 2009Houston, USA, 4 - 7 May Gastech 2009Abu Dhabi, VAE, 25 - 28 MayOil & Gas AsiaKuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 10 - 12 JuneBrasil OffshoreMacaé, Brasil, 16 - 19 JuneOffshore EuropeAberdeen, UK, 8 - 11 SeptemberEuroportRotterdam, The Netherlands, 3 - 6 November

Trade missionsIranTeheran, 20 - 24 April MexicoVillahermosa & Ciudad del Carmen, 10 - 13 MayNorwayStavanger & Tromsø, 28 September - 1 October Please visit www.iro.nl for up-to-date information.

Since its foundation in 1971 IRO has promoted the interests of Dutch supply and service companies in the upstream oil and gas industry.

Members cover all activities involved in the supply industry, such as engineering, field development, pipeline installation, maintenance, manufacturing and material & equipment supply, onshore as well as offshore.

To promote the qualities of Dutch suppliers in the oil and gas industry, IRO cooperates with national and international organisations with similar interests and spreads information via publications, internet and meetings.

5 IRO NEWSletter MARCH 2009