Three firms join forces to offer integrated marine ops

Aqualis Offshore, Aptomar, and Kolos Marine have entered into a cooperation that will provide oil companies and rig operators with an integrated offering of marine operations and field monitoring services on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

Under the cooperation agreement, marine and offshore engineering consultancy Aqualis Offshore will head up the three-party initiative.

Aqualis Offshore said on Tuesday that it will provide engineering services as well as mariners to manage marine operations such as rig moving and transportation and installation of offshore assets. The company will be in charge of project management for marine operations and assist clients with all aspects of the marine scope, from input to application for consent to recovering mooring spread after drilling campaign is completed.

Thomas Skog Rodal of Aqualis Offshore is leading the initiative and will act as a point of contact towards oil companies and rig operators.

Rodal said: “Instead of hiring three companies on three separate contracts to provide three different services, we will offer a one-stop-shop solution with a single point of contact. It is about reducing interfaces, time usage, documentation, administration and – ultimately – costs.”

Partner company Aptomar will support the marine operations through providing integrated field monitoring services, including 24/7 monitoring of offshore traffic and safety zones to detect and track vessels on a collision course with offshore assets, continuous monitoring and detection of unintended spills, as well as detection, counting, and documentation of species of birds and mammals.

Aptomar utilizes radar-based object tracking systems, vessel tracking, Aptomar’s TCMS – a Tactical Collaboration and Management System for oil spill detection and combating, search and rescue and firefighting – plus aerial and satellite radars and cameras, wind and weather data, on-site radars and VHF radio communication to secure a safe operating environment for ongoing marine operations.

Lars Solberg, founder and sales and marketing director at Aptomar, said: “We look forward to cooperating with Aqualis Offshore to offer clients an even more cost-efficient service. In addition to combining our specialist services, we will also integrate them technologically so that our clients can gather all relevant information in one place. This means further time and costs savings.”

As part of the cooperation agreement, Kolos will monitor and follow up mobilizations and demobilizations, provide offshore attendance and equipment recommendations.

Aqualis Offshore will manage the partnership out of its office in Kristiansund, Norway. Aptomar will operate out of its headquarter in Trondheim, Norway, while Kolos Marine will provide its services out of the Bergen area.