SOLUTIONS Conbit replace offshore flare tip in the Philippines. JOINING FORCES Page 2 EDUCATING THE EXPERTS CASE STUDY SPECIALIST

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1 Issue 01 Spring 2018 THE CONBIT NEWSLETTER - THE POWER OF PREPARATION JOINING FORCES Page 2 EDUCATING THE EXPERTS Page 2 CASE STUDY SPECIALIST SOLUTIONS Conbit replace offshore flare tip in the Philippines. IN THIS ISSUE: CONBIT NEWS DIVISION NEWS PROJECT UPDATE HSQE CONBIT PEOPLE

2 Prep-Talk 01 Conbit news Joining forces ALE STRENGTHENS SHARE IN OFFSHORE MARKET WITH CONBIT ACQUISITION ALE has increased their services and skills in the offshore sector with the acquisition of Conbit. Now Conbit are part of the ALE Group, ALE can offer a full solution to cover all scopes of work in the sector. This is an increasingly competitive market to enter; by acquiring one of the forerunners in offshore, we are able to strengthen our overall service and position as heavylift leaders within this sector, explained Mark Harries, Global Managing Director for ALE. We can now bridge our skills together and fill any gaps in our expertise to benefit our clients and the overall industry. Global expansion CONBIT EXPANDS SERVICES IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND SOUTH-EAST ASIA Conbit has expanded its geographical spread to provide specialist offshore services across the Middle East and South-East Asia regions. A dedicated sales representative, Jules Verlinden, is now based in ALE s office in Abu Dhabi, the regional head office for the ALE group, and will service clients in the Caspian, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. More recently, Jeremie Rotier moved to Jakata, the ALE Group s regional head office in South-East Asia, and will service clients in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Brunei. This decision was made as we have seen a demand for Conbit services across the Middle East and South-East Asia regions, explains Paul Staal, Managing Director. We wanted to maximise on this gap in the market by having a local contact for our clients to liaise with for face-to-face communication and a quicker response. We will continue to provide the same unique expertise and lifting solutions, with the opportunity to offer a localised service and building relationships with both new and existing clients in the region. For any enquiries please contact our Business Development Managers: Jules Verlinden: jv@conbit.nl Jeremie Rotier: jr@conbit.nl Paul Staal, Managing Director of Conbit, said: We have continued to develop our reputation in the industry and, by working together with ALE, we can now grow the business in a way that we never imagined with access to their extensive global resources, equipment and technologies. I m excited for Conbit to be working alongside a company that shares our values and vision of safety and quality, and look forward to the opportunities it brings. Educating the experts CONBIT EDUCATES TOTAL S LIFTING EXPERTS Conbit was invited to showcase its offshore lifting expertise at the Lifting and Handling Seminar of Total E&P. The seminar, which takes place every two years at the company s training complex in Paris, France, was attended by many of Total s clients, including CPLOs (Competent Person Lifting Operators) and SLS (Site Lifting Supervisors) from all over the world. Bram van Oirschot, Bart Steerneman and Joop de Fouw from Conbit gave a presentation on temporary offshore lifting solutions, as well as encouraging constructive discussions on the topic and coordinating a practical exercise to work on. As a lifting solutions provider worldwide, Conbit pulled on their experience of undertaking these projects in often harsh environments that require extensive engineering and project preparation, providing industry best practice and an insight into the world of temporary lifting. To be invited to present at the seminar is an indication of the confidence and trust Total has in our capabilities and lifting safety, explained Bram van Oirschot, Sales Manager for Conbit. The seminar was well-received and we hope that we contributed to an increased safety awareness for the global lifting teams that were present. 03

3 PrepTalk 01 DIVISION NEWS Lifting Equipment Re-usable sea-fastening CONBIT DESIGN RE-USABLE SEA-FASTENING SOLUTION FOR MONOPILES Integrated projects Frames partnership CONBIT AND FRAMES PARTNERSHIP ENHANCES COST-EFFECTIVENESS Conbit and Frames have established a partnership to enhance cost-effectiveness in offshore projects for brownfield oil and gas clients. Frames will provide the design and supply of separation systems, with Conbit complementing this with the structural engineering, lifting and installation. The Conbit-Frames collaboration has provided a cost efficient EPCIC solution by early involvement in offshore modification projects, making offshore assets more economical. It also saves project lead time, as the parties work together to complete the project without interface delays. Furthermore, the collaboration allows the client to establish one project team, which is in contact with one project team on the supplier side. This method of resource alignment results in cost and risk reduction by the careful co-ordination between project partners. Bram van Oirschot, Business Unit Manager - Integrated Projects said: Conbit believes in the future of offshore power generation and recognises the need for efficient use of resources. As offshore projects are often complex endeavours, involving many different suppliers, we believe in vertical collaboration in the supply chain and sharing of experience in project teams: what we call our Integrated Project approach. Conbit and ALE can benefit from this integrated approach and the network of Frames so we can be involved in offshore modification projects from an early stage. This collaboration means that we can serve our construction clients globally and extend our reach to potential, new clients. Geert Willemse, Product Specialist Separators & Treaters at Frames is very pleased with the collaboration between Conbit and Frames: With this partnership we will take our client s ageing process equipment to a new level. Conbit s team of technical experts have designed a unique piece of equipment for optimising EU energy objectives and monopile installation. To avoid the huge amount of seafastening scrap remaining after each monopile installation project, the Conbit engineers came up with a solution: Vickas. Joop de Fouw, Technical Director for Conbit, commented: Conbit believes this system will bring cost benefits to the transport and installation contractor and ultimately to the offshore wind farm developer. Furthermore, the deck crew on the installation vessel will enjoy working with Vickas, because of its flexibility and efficiency. To reach the EU s energy production objectives it is estimated that more than 6,000 new offshore wind turbines are required. At least six large projects per year need to be commissioned until The system enables safe sea-fastening of monopiles with a large variety of diameters, without changing the sea fastening configuration. Vickas is designed to carry monopiles weighing up to 1,350t. This innovative solution is designed in such a way that it can be used on many different type of vessels and barges, it allows for stacking monopiles, facilitates skidding and critical components can easily be replaced. Its flexibility, cost-effectiveness and operational speed make Vickas a valuable contribution to any monopile transport and installation project. Towers and Stacks New division success Since launching the Towers and Stacks division in mid-2016, Conbit has already noticed the success of the new division. We wanted to restructure our successful existing capabilities into this new division. In light of our track records and experience in onshore and offshore markets, we could see the benefit of giving more focus to the specific onshore services separately. Clients value our full-service approach we are offering, explains Deniz Him, Towers and Stacks Manager. Despite the competitive onshore marketplace, we decided to extend our expertise and over the last year we have completed the engineering and maintenance scopes for flare stacks and vent stacks for several sites. Some of the recent projects we have successfully completed include guy wire maintenance in Vietnam and flare system maintenance in Thailand. Similarly, we are reaching out to current and new clients at partner events, such as CR Asia in Thailand, where we showcased a lifting boom typically used in offshore and onshore flare tip replacement projects. 05

4 PrepTalk 01 PROJECT UPDATES Agbami flare works and flare tip replacement, Nigeria The replacement of a flare tip on the Agbami FPSO of Chevron Nigeria Limited showcased the successful combination of engineering, preparation and on-site construction. Agbami FPSO scheduled a maintenance shutdown after approximately eight years of non-stop production. Critical aspects of the maintenance project were various repairs and replacements in the flare boom and on the flare tip access platform. Offshore flare tip replacement, the Philippines Shell Philippines contracted Conbit to replace the flare tip on their Malampaya offshore facility, in the West Philippine Sea. The flare tip, weighing 4.16t, was replaced during the plant s shutdown. Conbit s highly experienced rope-access technicians and riggers proved themselves to be readily adaptable to the changing situations and weather conditions offshore. Conbit s mechanical flare tip replacement method, using their lightweight temporary lifting equipment, was a safer, more reliable and less costly alternative to a flare tip replacement using a helicopter. Because flare tip replacement is such a critical activity during a shutdown, the Conbit team was well-prepared and the handling systems were thoroughly tested in advance. better controlled because Conbit s method consisted of a series of small, easily manageable steps. Furthermore, bringing in mechanical handling tools is relatively easy, and the team required is smaller than with helicopter lifting. The existing lifting davit on the flare tip platform, which was originally installed for flare tip exchange, was so severely melted that it could no longer be used. Conbit suggested applying one of its own temporary modular lifting solutions, which could also be used to remove the damaged davit. Conbit replaced both the HP and the LP flare tips. The governing flare tip weighed 3t, measured 5m wide and approximately 3m high. It was mounted on an inclined flare boom of the Agbami vessel. Conbit directly lifted the old and the new flare tips to and from a supply vessel positioned under the boom. Conbit installed tug winches to prevent the load from swinging due to FPSO vessel motions. The winches were operated from deck level. The project included replacing a 4-inch diameter seawater cooling line from the FPSO deck all the way up to the flare tip. Over that length approximately 100m Conbit installed piping components weighing up to 80kg and supports weighing up to 38kg. Conbit used winches to move these parts. In addition to replacing the flare tip, the lifting davit and the seawater cooling line, the scope of Conbit s work included other maintenance activities. Conbit replaced the safety line along the stairs, repaired CO2 vent snuffing lines and heat detectors, replaced the flame arrestors and repaired the flare tip ignition system. This project is an excellent example of Conbit s capabilities in taking on a wide scope of work. By designing smart solutions, selecting appropriate supply materials and equipment, providing all services in a disciplined way and effectively managing all the activities on a day-to-day basis, Conbit met all the deadlines and even completed additional activities. In short, Conbit s mechanical flare tip replacement method was safer, more reliable and less costly. The client s management was delighted with Conbit s execution of this project, because this highly critical activity was completed on time, within budget and safely. The client complimented the Conbit team not only on their excellent safety measures and good safety observations during the project, but also on their thorough equipment preparation at the Conbit warehouse and the load test execution. Conbit s mechanical flare tip replacement method had several advantages over the helicopter lifting method. The risks are 07

5 PrepTalk 01 Lowering of retractable flares, Thailand PTT Public Company Limited planned to do maintenance on their flare system on the Gas Separation Plant in Map Ta Phut, Thailand. The main contractor CR Asia requested Conbit s expertise to assist with lowering the riser pipes, so they would be accessible for maintenance. Besides supervision, Conbit was also responsible for the procurement of lifting equipment. In a retractable flare, one flare stack can be lowered while the others remain in operation. This enables maintenance activities to be performed at ground level without needing to decrease the flare capacity too drastically. Because of the weight and size of such retractable flare risers, an experienced crew is required to perform this lifting service. In addition, local circumstances and the condition of the flare meant adjustments were required throughout the project and Conbit was able to adapt to changing situations. The project was executed safely and on time, and was a great team effort with CR Asia. 06 Offshore cooler replacement, Dutch North Sea Centrica awarded Conbit a contract for lifting and project management services that were necessary in replacing four coolers on their J6A platform, located in the Dutch section of the North Sea. The old coolers that needed to be replaced were located inside the platform at extremely challenging locations. Centrica wanted to ensure that they were replaced safely and on time. For that reason, they entrusted Conbit with the critical project management and the lifting and rigging operations. The four coolers are integral to the platform s operating processes. Therefore, Centrica did not want any piping to be cut, neither for (dis)connecting the coolers nor for making space to rig them out. Centrica contracted several parties for different aspects of this project, including disciplines such as scaffolding, mechanical engineering, E&I, and rigging and lifting. Centrica asked Conbit to manage this integrated preparation process because of their previous track record in project preparation. Conbit was responsible for the on-site lifting and rigging aspects of the project. Our experienced lifting and rigging crew successfully manoeuvred the old coolers out of, and the new coolers into, the platform. All steps had been well prepared for by the Conbit engineers during the engineering phase of the project. The most challenging phase involved the in-air hand-over of the coolers, from the deck crane directly into the rigging equipment. The project preparation included a detailed Microsoft Project schedule. Conbit integrated all the procedures of the various disciplines into one detailed overall schedule. This schedule also incorporated the project preparation of each discipline. Furthermore, it enabled all of Centrica s stakeholders to share opinions on the procedures and thus further optimised the project. Conbit completed the project without any incidents and ahead of time. As a result, they could reduce their staff numbers towards the end of the project, solving the potential problem of a shortage of bed-space which was required for other works. 09

6 PrepTalk 01 PROJECT UPDATES FROM THE ALE GROUP Installation of a pump skid on an offshore platform, North Sea, UK ALE has successfully completed the installation of a pump skid, weighing 43.6t, on an offshore platform in the North Sea, off the coast of the UK. The pump skid was lifted from a crane vessel using the vessel s 250t crane. Once placed on a landing platform, the pump skid was moved onto a skid system. ALE then skidded it inside with a slight curve. Next, the skidding system was relocated and ALE skidded the pump to its final location where it was jacked-down. ALE used two 20t capacity jacks. Prior to the installation of the pump skid, an inlet and outlet pipe had been hoisted and secured to the platform roof. Once the pump skid was in place, the pipe could be installed on top of the pump skid. The operation was completed over six days in total, including mobilisation and demobilisation. HSQE SYSTEMS INTEGRATION ENABLES BEST PRACTICE Conbit People - Q&A JULES VERLINDEN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER - MIDDLE EAST Q: When did you join Conbit? A: I joined the team on 1st December I travelled to the Netherlands a little earlier to get acquainted with colleagues and kickstart things beforehand. They are a friendly, open and eager team, curious to bring their services into the Middle East, and it was a warm welcome. Q: Describe your role and what it involves? A: Mainly, I m focused on business development, establishing market awareness, creating opportunities and winning jobs. We are bringing a special service to a new market; with the back-up of a great team we are starting from scratch in a new region so my role feels very entrepreneurial. As ALE already has a well-established base in the UAE, it has a smooth start; Our primary focus is on the Conbit service portfolio, although we will also look to optimise any of the ALE Group s services. We have now had the first container of equipment delivered, firmly establishing Conbit s presence in the Middle East. I am mainly involved in seeking new clients, establishing a network with parties and suppliers, and making the market aware of Conbit s presence in the Middle East. We have done our first job in Oman, so it s a fantastic start. I m also trying to get acquainted with the Conbit focus for the market. While ALE is typically involved in the larger, heavier moves utilising hydraulic equipment, Conbit s expertise is with smaller, mechanical jobs. Hence, the service scope is a little different. In light of my two and a half years with ALE, I m in the ideal position to bridge any differences and create synergies between us. Q: What is a typical day like? A: It s dynamic. I am often on the phone to clients or on the road visiting them. I check-in with Project Managers to obtain relevant feedback. I visit suppliers and exhibitions in search for new ideas. Part of my role involves preparing and working on the strategic plan for this region, so I ensure I am keeping it up to date with the market along with our CRM system, on a continuous basis. I regularly communicate with the Netherlands office to discuss our approach to clients and scopes of work, and I also speak regularly with our technical team. It s very easy to communicate with them, as we share a similar can do philosophy. Plus, being very Dutch, everyone speaks their mind, which makes our discussions very interesting and efficient. Q: What do you enjoy most about working for Conbit? A: I enjoy getting acquainted with a new work field and have interaction with both commercial and technical teams. The combination of a new subject, plus being able to bring value to the team through my daily activities, is great. The communication style is so open. Due to the Europe/Middle East working patterns we only have four days per week to communicate so it s important that it s effective. I can speak openly, making it easier to bring new ideas and approaches to the table. Being part of a small team is really valued. I feel my judgement is trusted due to my experience in the region and my background in the marine and offshore industries. I can decide what I think is best for the company and my efforts are quickly visible. Even though I am physically quite far away, I feel very much part of the team. I know what is expected of me, the support has been amazing and I am confident that we can bring Conbit s value-added services to the market. SAFETY PERFORMANCE RECOGNITION Conbit were awarded the Certificate of Appreciation from PTTEP, a client of CR Asia who subcontracted Conbit for the Greater Bongkot project, south Thailand. The job involved the permanent flare tip replacement. During the project, Conbit executed the flare tip replacement ahead The Conbit team are currently in the process of integrating the systems with the ALE Group. The systems include Synergi Life and Cofano which will enable them to further solidify their grasp on the processes that safeguard their quality, environmental and health and safety standards. By adopting these new systems and processes it will optimise knowledge sharing and enable of schedule in a safe manner, using rope access techniques and load control mitigations. The certificate was awarded in honour of the Excellent SSHE performance and dedicated service to the 2017 GBS Full Shutdown Campaign by Mr Kittitat Moolasart. the Conbit team and wider ALE Group to profit from each other s experience, explains HSQE Co-ordinator Dennis van Lamoen. As we prepare ourselves for the ISO and OHSAS certification audits in 2018, these new systems will be fundamental in our work towards these accreditations. DAVE MONTFORTS MANAGER PROJECTS Q: When did you join Conbit? A: I started working for Conbit in August 1998 and have been working across several markets and different functions since then. Q: Describe your role and what it involves? A: As Manager Projects, I am responsible for the projects department. All projects within the company are handled by our department and, depending on the scope we require, have the input and expertise of the other departments like engineering and construction. We regularly draw on the expertise of our finance and legal teams. In this role, I try to have my sensors throughout the organisation so I can pick up on issues in order to address them, identify risk items to be managed and to constantly develop the knowledge and skills of our teams. I am also a Project Manager, where I am in contact with the client as well as the internal teams to complete the scope as per each contract. Q: What is a typical day like? A: One of the things I am currently busy with is the integration of Conbit within the ALE Group - in relation to the projects. This includes the integration of IFS, working in close collaboration with Finance. For this, we are greatly supported by the finance team from ALE s Breda branch. Besides IFS, we are also integrating Cofano into Conbit. Although this process is being led by the QHSE department, we are reviewing the processes and facilitating input for that. Q: What do you enjoy most about working for Conbit? A: As a company we are developing; we are adapting to new situations and markets every few years and we are facing challenges in this process. This is one of the things I enjoy most. Besides that, I also enjoy the team I am blessed to work with. They work hard, are flexible and do whatever it takes to get the job done. As well as the professional part, the personal side of it is also important at Conbit, and is the basis for the strong, professional relationship and commitment we have towards each other. 11

7 Issue 01 Spring