Offshore News

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

BSEE Reviewing Offshore Helideck Safety Standards

The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement is seeking public comments on a proposed rule aimed at improving safety of helideck and aviation fuel operations on fixed offshore facilities.

It specifically would like comments on whether to incorporate in its regulations certain industry and international standards for design, construction, and maintenance of offshore helidecks, as well as standards for aviation fuel quality, storage, and handling, BSEE said in an advanced notice of possible rulemaking.

BSEE also asked whether it should incorporate existing standards, with modifications, for helideck and aviation fuel systems, or develop new regulations. As an alternative, it is seeking comments on whether to require submissions on past accidents or other incidents involving helidecks, helicopters, or aviation fuel on or near fixed OCS facilities, it said.

“We know that transportation accidents account for the majority of fatalities on the OCS, and that helicopter-related accidents are a significant concern,” BSEE Director Brian Salerno said. “We are looking at our regulations to ensure that the aviation related areas over which we have jurisdiction have the benefit of rigorous safety standards.”

Comments on the proposals will be accepted for 60 days following their scheduled publication in the Sept. 24 Federal Register.

If you wish to offer feedback please contact Nick Snow at nicks@pennwell.com

http://www.ogj.com/articles/2014/09/...tforms.html

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Gulf Helicopters Take Delivery of First Two AW189's

Gulf Helicopters (GHC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gulf International Services, has taken delivery of the first two AW189 super medium helicopters in offshore configuration.

These are part of the 15 AW189's on order with the delivery of all aircraft scheduled for completion by 2017, a spokesman of GIS said in a communiqué to the Qatar Stock Exchange.

GHC, already a major AW139 operator, becomes the first customer in the Middle East to introduce the AW189 to operational service. GHC was also established as an AgustaWestland authorised training centre for the AW139 and AW189 in September 2013 and ordered the first AW189 Full Flight Simulator (FFS) in the region in February 2014.


GHC have taken delivery of their first two 189's

“Our recent acceptance of delivery of our first two AW 189s is based not only on our marketing strategy for the future of the company’s expansion, but also on our customers’ requests for such a helicopter size,” GHC CEO Mohamed al-Mohannadi said.

These two deliveries are in line with GHC’s expansion plans and specially cater to contracting with international oil companies outside of Qatar, which is expected to increase the company’s revenue and profitability, the spokesman said.

GHC, being one of the largest helicopter operators in the Middle East, is also building on training capabilities in general and is also developing further as an AgustaWestland Training Center and a Regional Hub, in particular.

The AW189 was designed in response to growing market demand for a versatile, affordable, multirole super medium class helicopter. The new 8.3-tonne, twin engine helicopter is optimised for long range offshore transport and SAR (search and rescue) missions and has already received over 130 orders, including options and framework agreements, in more than 10 countries from 15 customers, making it the outright market leader in its class.

The spacious cabin is configured with 16 seats as standard with the option for a high density 18 seat lay out or a long range 12 seat configuration. The cockpit design, incorporating the latest in advanced situational awareness technologies, reduces crew workload and enhances safety.

The AW189, which meets the very latest international regulatory safety requirements, is unique in having a 50 minute ‘run-dry’ capable main gear box, exceeding current certification standards and offering unmatched safety and reliability for long range offshore operations.

http://www.gulf-times.com/eco.-bus.%...helicopters

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Australian Firm Wins Innovation Award for Helicopter Buoyancy System

A Western Australian company has won a national science award for developing an emergency buoyancy system for helicopters that crash into water.

The Pegasus buoyancy system developed by Rockingham-based One Atmosphere won the Australia Museum Eureka Prize for Outstanding Science in Safeguarding Australia.

The Eureka Prizes—the so-called 'Oscars of Australian science'—were announced in Sydney on Wednesday night.

The Pegasus system was developed to save the lives of crew and passengers in helicopters that either crash or have to make emergency landings in the ocean.

It works by quickly generating large amounts of gas which inflate buoyancy bags that can help raise a stricken chopper to the surface.

The lightweight system is specifically designed to counter the rapid increase in sea pressure as the aircraft sinks.

"The way we generate our gas is virtually instantaneous and we're able to produce copious of high-pressure gas, so that pushing against an increasing sea pressure is not a problem for Pegasus," One Atmosphere managing director Tim Lyons says.

"This means it can fully inflate the full volume of the bags, even if the helicopter has started to sink, and that is how it is able to arrest the sinking and return it to the surface.

"It can be manually activated if the pilots need to conduct a controlled landing on water.

"However, if the helicopter crashes into water, the system will automatically activate."

Oil and gas sector beckons

The Pegasus system was developed in conjunction with the Australian Defence Forces for use with military helicopters. But an even bigger market involves civil applications.

"The (offshore) oil and gas market is likely to be our largest market," Lyons says.

He says safety is a major concern in the oil and gas sector and recent incidents in the North Sea have prompted UK authorities to introduce new safety regulations involving helicopters transporting people to and from offshore rigs.

"Four choppers crashed or [were] ditched in the past four to five years which have caused 20 fatalities in the North Sea off Scotland," he says.

The Pegasus system is currently undergoing airworthiness certification activities with the Australian Defence Forces and the Civil Aviation Authority.

"We hope to have it ready for market within the next 18 months," Lyons says.

The Pegasus system is also a finalist in the 2014 Innovator of the Year Awards announced in November.

http://www.maritime-executive.com/ar...ies-2014-09-10

http://www.oneatmosphere.com.au/serv...n-pegasus.html

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

NTSB Highlights Methane Emission Risks

The National Transportation Safety Board has issued a series of recommendations for helicopter operators, specifically those flying to or near oil platforms. The recommendations came as a result of several incidents and accidents that resulted from complete and partial turbine engine failures that were attributed to the ingestion of gas discharges from oil rigs.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), Helicopter Safety Advisory Conference (HSAC), the American Petroleum Institute, PHI, an oil platform helicopter operator that experienced an accident in 2011, and others have issued safety alerts and recommended practices to help mitigate the risks associated with the ingestion of methane gas emitted from oil platforms. However, the NTSB has found these measures insufficient to help prevent an accident.


An ERA AW119 flies over rigs in the Gulf of Mexico

While several federal agencies regulate various aspects of the oil and natural gas industry no federal agency specifically oversees the safety of helicopter operations to and from offshore oil platforms, the NTSB said. Therefore, NTSB recommends that BSEE take on this responsibility. The agency also recommends that the BSEE, U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Department of the Interior work together to develop and implement systems and procedures for oil platform operators to mitigate the risks associated with the ingestion of gas discharges.

Furthermore, the NTSB has requested that API finalizes its revisions of Recommended Practice 2L, which addresses the venting of raw gases as it relates to helicopter operations.

http://www.flyingmag.com/aircraft/he...oil-rig-safety

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Shell Files Revised Arctic Offshore Drilling Plan

Royal Dutch Shell PLC has filed a revised Arctic offshore drilling plan with federal regulators but says the company hasn't decided whether to return to waters off the coast of northwest Alaska in 2015.

The revised exploration plan submitted to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in Anchorage calls for two drilling vessels to operate simultaneously in the Chukchi Sea rather than one in the Chukchi and one in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska's north Coast.

The presence of two vessels is required so one can drill a relief well in the event of damage from a blowout.

Shell Gulf of Mexico Inc.'s revised plan calls for the return of the Noble Discoverer, which performed top hole work at the company's Burger prospect in 2012. The second drilling vessel planned for the Chukchi is the Polar Pioneer, owned by Transocean Ltd., said Shell Alaska spokesman Curtis Smith.

"Today's filing is not a final decision to drill next summer, but it does preserve the option," he said by email.


The Polar Pioneer which could serve Shell off the coast of northwest Alaska next year

In 2012, Shell drilled pilot holes and dug mudline cellars in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. The company was not allowed to drill into oil-bearing deposits because required response equipment was not on hand.

The company experienced problems in the challenging Arctic conditions, culminating with the drill vessel Kulluk running aground off an island near Kodiak as it was being towed across the Gulf of Alaska in stormy weather.

Shell chose not to drill during the short open water drilling season in 2013 or 2014, and it faces regulatory hurdles if it wants to send its drill fleet north again.

Besides obtaining necessary permits, Smith said, there has to be a resolution to the legal cloud hanging over the 2008 Chukchi lease sale. A federal appeals court in January ruled that the federal government conducted a flawed environmental review before selling $2.7 billion in Chukchi leases. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is conducting supplemental environmental work.

In a statement, Greenpeace spokesman John Deans condemned future Shell drilling and said the company's Arctic bungling had put the region at risk.

Smith said Shell plans to fortify its fleet with more anchor handlers, new tugs, additional offshore supply vessels and an extra helicopter. The company is taking a methodical approach in making decisions, he said.

"We have to have total confidence we can execute a program safely," Smith said.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/s...-plan-25167691

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

NHV and Blueway To Merge

Ostend, August 28th 2014

NHV and Blueway are pleased to announce that they have signed a merger agreement to create a new top-tier player in the helicopter services industry. Following this transaction, NHV will buy Blueway’s stakes owned by Reiten & Co Capital Partners and Helicopter Transportation Group. The proposed transaction is conditional on receipt of required regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions.

NHV and Blueway have striking similarities in activities: strategic presence in the North Sea and West Africa with a focus on the offshore industry and a shared customer base.

Over the last few years, we have formed strategic alliances including: shared hangar facilities in Norwich and Den Helder. These joint efforts have proven to be valuable for both companies. The combination of the two helicopter operators will lead to a strategically better position in the market.

The new group will form a large European-owned helicopter company with approximately 650 employees in several countries across the globe with a combined turnover of more than USD 270 million in 2013.

Our focus for the near future is to maintain and extend our customer base around the North Sea (Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands, Belgium, UK), in France, as well in Africa, starting from our existing bases (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria).

Our group operates a diverse fleet of 59 helicopters in total (EC225, AS332L2, AS332C, AW139, EC155B1, AS365, EC145, MD Explorer, and AS350) with a solid order book of 19 helicopters (1 x EC225, 16 x EC175, 2 x AW139) over the next 3 years.

Eric Van Hal, CEO and co-shareholder of NHV, said: “We are very pleased to welcome the people of Blueway to our Group. We decided to partner with Blueway as we have been impressed by their commitment to the customers, industry knowledge and experience. We also share a common set of values and ambitions. Joining forces with Blueway provides us with a large and robust platform for our further expansion. Our goal is to serve our global customers in the safest, most reliable manner, and affording them the flexibility and human approach they deserve. This in combination with our order book of 16 next-generation EC175 will accelerate our plans to achieve our ambition of top tier player in our industry. Ardian’s support and expertise have been greatly beneficial to NHV and will help accelerate our plans to achieve our ambition of becoming a leader in our industry.”

http://www.nhv.be/Images/pdf/PR_NHV140828.pdf

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Demand for Heavy Helicopters Outstrips Supply

Future demand for large helicopters will outstrip supply, according to a leading global rotorcraft operator.

Jonathan Baliff, chief executive of Bristow Group – which has a fleet of 212 large- and medium-size helicopters – says supply “continues to be tight”, with manufacturers’ production lines “sold out” until 2016.

And, warns chief financial officer John Briscoe, “we continue to see an overall shortage in aircraft supply compared to future demand”.


Bristow need more heavy helicopters

The increasing need has been driven by growth in deep-water offshore oil and gas exploration, which requires larger rotorcraft to service the platforms.

Although oil services businesses are attempting to invest in a disciplined way, “what Bristow and our competitors see is continued growth in tenders in global helicopter demand. In fact, in certain markets, at record pace,” said Baliff, speaking on a 6 August call to discuss the company’s first-quarter earnings.

In the period to 30 June, Bristow took delivery of nine new helicopters, including its first pair of AgustaWestland AW189s.

Additionally, the company firmed three options during the quarter which, based on company documentation, appear to be for a pair of Sikorsky S-92s and an Airbus Helicopters EC225, giving a total of 37 firm orders.

Bristow also retains options covering a further 51 helicopters, according to its stock exchange filings. These, says chief operating officer Jeremy Akel, “allow us to short-circuit lead times” if additional rotorcraft are required urgently.

Preparations for the start of search and rescue operations under the UK’s Long SAR contract are continuing, adds Baliff. Lease financing will be completed on the helicopters for the requirement – 11 AW189s and 11 S-92s – this financial year, he adds.

Delivery of the first helicopters for the contract will take place “in the next few quarters”, adds Briscoe.

Construction on two new bases in Humberside and Inverness is proceeding, and the facilities will go live next year. Overall, the company’s preparations are “on schedule and on budget”, Baliff says.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art...ristow-402571/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

PHI Establishes Cyprus Base

A strategic agreement for the provision of helicopter support services has been signed between Cyprus Airways and PHI Air Europe Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of PHI Helicopters who are a leading provider of aviation services to the oil and gas industry.


PHI is a major offshore aviation provider

Cyprus Aiways CEO Aharon Karaoghlanian said that the agreement would provide new opportunities for the company in the rapidly expanding oil and gas sector.


PHI Senior Manager Mike Foley with Cyprus Airways Chairman Tony Antoniou

The agreement, signed by PHI Air Europe Senior Manager Mike Foley and Cyprus Airways Chairman Tony Antoniou, includes the use of Cyprus Airways facilities and mechanics and in the future may cover areas such as personnel training, flight operations management and cargo handling.

http://famagusta-gazette.com/cyprus-...-p24424-69.htm

http://www.financialmirror.com/news-....php?nid=32884

AN: It is likely that PHI's Cyprus base will also support their operations in Israeli coastal waters.

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Sikorsky Works to add Rig Approach System to S-76D

Sikorsky is working to add its automated Rig Approach system to the S-76D medium-class helicopter, following a successful introduction of the technology on the heavier S-92.

Carey Bond, president commercial systems and services at the US airframer, says: “What is good in the heavy market is good in the medium market.”

Key to the successful integration of Rig Approach is the processing power of the rotorcraft’s flight-control computers “and the one thing on the S-76D is that there is a lot of processing power”.


Sikorsky's S-76D

Sikorsky has been driving research into automated rotorcraft flight through its SARA flying test lab, which uses an S-76 airframe equipped with a suite of advanced systems, including fly-by-wire controls.

Technology derived from SARA is utilised in the Rig Approach system, which was introduced in the US with operator PHI in November 2013.

PHI will now retrofit its entire S-92 fleet with the system, says Bond, and he believes other operators will follow suit.

“I fully expect all major oil and gas operators to install it – all our big customers,” he says.

“We think about automation as the biggest change we can make to the aircraft to improve safety.”

EASA certification of the system is anticipated shortly, says Bond.

The 5.3t S-76D entered service earlier this year and the lead aircraft, which is operating in Trinidad with National Helicopter Services, has recently completed more than 500h of flight time, says Bond.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art...tem-to-401290/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

The Challenges of Automation in Offshore Flying

While the modern helicopter now offers various levels of automation to aid offshore oil and gas missions, industry is still mulling the regulatory, training and operational ramifications of the technology.

At a Royal Aeronautical Society conference in London looking at the introduction of automation to offshore operations, it was clear that uncertainty lingers over the use of the technology and how it should be taken forward.

The conference was followed by a new report by the UK Transport Committee, which expressed concerns about offshore helicopter safety standards in the UK.

Mark Swan, director of safety and airspace regulation at the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, compared the current medium/heavy helicopters in service with the offshore industry to a modern fighter jet.

‘When you look at the modern helicopter flight deck, this is a Typhoon with a fan on the top, that’s the kind of equivalence that I would ascribe to modern helicopters,’ Swan said.

‘The big question for us in this community is, if you accept that proposition that this is the equivalent of a modern military fighter, packed with all the goodies that allow you to do modern military fighter stuff, are we addressing the issues associated with that complexity of operation, including the training, perhaps even more complex engineering to deal with, and what does that mean in terms of moving forward in the future?’

In providing an oversight regime that covers the human factors, systems and technologies, and operational environment aspects, the CAA is placing greater focus on future risk rather than simply concentrating on compliance.

‘That is a move that is a two-year programme – and we are about six months through it – but we want to end up being a performance-based regulator. That means focusing on risk, not on compliance – compliance still has its place – but we want to focus on risk to performance,’ Swan explained.

Steve O’Collard, chief technical pilot at CHC, noted that as oil and gas platforms moved further offshore in recent decades, advances such as GPS navigation, SATCOM, satellite navigation, and colour radar had been introduced.

‘But, lots of things have been happening, lots of regulatory changes, lots of operational changes and it has made the pilot’s life a little bit more difficult. So we have been using more and more automation. And we’ve gone from completely manual to analogue aircraft to fully digital aircraft,’ O’Collard said.

‘There’s lots going on behind the screens – automation, the auto-pilot – there is a lot going on there and the problem is that we don’t know in a number of cases what is going on. All we know is that we told it to do something and it seems to be doing it or in some cases it isn’t. We certainly don’t necessarily know how it is doing it.’

Simon Harlow, head of flight standards at Bond Helicopters UK, argued that the relationship between the pilot and cockpit display systems was essential to the control of the aircraft – but this was not always intuitive for a trained pilot.

‘That’s the key thing really – the modern helicopter is more complex, so the control laws are more complex for the pilots to learn. To know how his aircraft is going to react, he needs to understand these control laws. What’s intuitive to someone who has flown a Super Puma all his life, is not necessarily going to equip him to fly the S92 – as different companies have different philosophies.’

With the modern helicopter ‘able to outfly pilots on a good day’, Harlow also questioned whether a pilot can retake control of a helicopter that is flying beyond his capability.

He added that while the latest displays were very compelling, with realistic graphics, the danger is that it will suck the pilot in and he doesn’t doubt what he is seeing when things start to go wrong.

‘With all this information to monitor and to fly, do we actually have the capability to do it and if we do, do we train for it and do we understand what the limitations of those systems are? And I would ask, is putting more information in front of the pilot really the way forward?’

Debate also surrounds the human-machine interface (HMI), where the controls should be, and whether regulation is needed to be introduced that outlines HMI best practices.

http://www.shephardmedia.com/news/ro...ns-unsure-/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

CHC to Supply SAR Puma for Shell's Australian Operations

CHC Helicopter have established a new SAR service, with support from the Royal Dutch Shell company who have committed $30 million to underpin a dedicated SAR helicopter based at Broome Airport.

Shell, which is developing the pioneering Prelude floating LNG project, is committing the funds over an 18-month period.

It will enable CHC Group to keep a helicopter and medical and engineering team on round-the-clock stand-by at Broome International Airport. Medical Rescue Air Ambulance will provide the paramedic crew.


CHC are providing a SAR Puma based at Broome Airport

The helicopter will have a travel range of 300 nautical miles from Broome.

Shell would not disclose the value of its commitment, which industry sources have put as high as $30 million. It is thought other Browse players, including Woodside Petroleum and Inpex, may also sign deals with CHC for access to the search and rescue helicopter.

"As a result of the Prelude FLNG project, our activity offshore in the region is increasing," Shell Australia chairman Andrew Smith said.

"This combined medivac and search and rescue service ensures we are ready to respond to an incident quickly.

"Both Shell and CHC see this service as a key part of the growing oil and gas industry in this region and we hope to welcome new partners to the service soon."

Although the helicopter is a reflection of the heightened oil and gas activity off the coast of Broome, Shell and CHC say the service will be available to the broader Kimberley community when not used by the industry.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/...r-air-support/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Offshore Market Forecast

Douglas-Westwood (DW) forecasts $24 billion in expenditure on offshore helicopter services between 2014 and 2018, a 57% increase in comparison to the preceding five-year period. Western Europe will continue to account for the largest share of global expenditure, driven by both the extensive North Sea infrastructure and the preference towards using large helicopters.


An Era AW139

Although Western Europe will continue to underpin the market over the forecast period, DW expect faster growth rates in Africa, Asia, Australasia and Latin America. A preference for local providers in some of these markets means that there are many regional specialists. As a consequence, the major helicopter operators have lower levels of participa- tion in these regions, with the notable exceptions of Brazil and Australia.

A major driver for growth in the offshore helicopter services market is the field development lifecycle. In the drilling phase, helicopter requirements are short-term requiring flexibility from the helicopter operator. In the production phase, long-term crew transfer support is required. As production continues to ramp up, particularly in deepwater regions, the drivers for a larger fleet of modern helicopters strengthen.

On a global basis the medium-type helicopter class accounts for close to 60% of total offshore helicopter service expenditure. Western Europe and Aus tralasia are exceptions, as buyers in these markets favour larger helicopters with increased range and carrying capacity.

Bristow and CHC remain the dominant players in the global market with activities in all key operating regions. These companies are focused on securing high value, long-term production support contracts. As a consequence the mature North Sea region continues to be their core market.

The next five years will be an important time for the industry as a new generation of medium-class helicopters such as the EC175 and AW189 are in- troduced. These models are highly efficient with the most advanced safety systems and are expected to perform well in the offshore arena.

However, due to the natural conservatism in the industry, it may take time before a critical mass of orders is achieved.

The full report is available from Douglas-Westwood.

http://www.marinelink.com/news/helic...ore371483.aspx

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Offshore Future Looks Strong

* Barclays says oil and gas sector needs 300 helicopters over next five years

* Shares of Bristow, Era have room to grow - StarMine data, analysts

* Big oil spending cuts have depressed shares of helicopter operators

* Oil companies spending more on search-and-rescue

June 3 - A pickup in offshore drilling is swelling the orderbooks of the handful of helicopter operators that shuttle oil workers to and from remote rigs. Their stock prices, depressed after Big Oil's recent spending cuts, could also be readying for take-off.

Bristow Group Inc plans to invest $1 billion this year to procure just some of the 300 new helicopters that Barclays estimates will be needed by the oil and gas industry over the next five years.

"We will invest more in this one year than in the last two-and-a-half years combined," said Jonathan Baliff, the chief financial officer of Bristow who will take over as CEO on July 31.

"To invest a third of our market capitalization in one year is one way of saying we are optimistic of the future."

With a market value of $2.7 billion, Houston-based Bristow is the largest of the niche group of companies that supply helicopters to the oil and gas industry and, increasingly, for search-and-rescue missions.

As oil majors such as Exxon Mobil Corp and Royal Dutch Shell have announced spending cuts after years of double-digit percentage growth, investor appetite for auxiliary services has waned.

Bristow's stock has fallen 6 percent in the last six months. Shares of Era Group Inc, a competitor, have fallen 11 percent, while CHC Group Ltd has lost over a quarter of its value since its shares were floated in New York in January.

But these dips could make the stocks a shrewd buy, Thomson Reuters data shows. Analysts point to renewed appetite for drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, West Africa and the North Sea after a lull that followed the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010.

Bristow should be trading at $94.77, a 25 percent premium to Monday's close of $75.54, according to StarMine's Intrinsic Valuation model, which takes analysts' five-year estimates and models the growth trajectory over a longer period of time.

Anthony Walker, a vice-president at Ariel Investments, said Bristow's geographic reach and focus on deepwater drilling made the company "disproportionately" poised to benefit from the delivery of offshore rigs in the next three to five years.

Ariel, a Chicago-based investment firm, owns 9 percent of Bristow, making it one of the company's largest shareholders.

Technological advances are making offshore drilling more cost-efficient, reversing a decline in production and potentially rivaling shale hot spots such as Texas's Eagle Ford formation in terms of growth.

Gulf of Mexico oil production, which has fallen for four consecutive years, is expected to increase by 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2014 and by an additional 240,000 bpd in 2015, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

"A lot of the expected growth in global oil production over the next 10 to 20 years is expected to come from deepwater," said James West, oil services and drilling analyst at Barclays.

BIGGER FLEETS

Barclays forecasts a 6 percent rise in global oil and gas exploration and production spending this year. By 2016, it expects about 300 deepwater rigs to be in operation worldwide, 25 percent more than today.

Bristow's $1 billion investment this year, about triple its usual budget, will go toward the procurement of 47 helicopters, enough to boost the size of its fleet by 17 percent.

Derek Maupin, analyst at investment advisory Hodges Capital Management, which holds Bristow shares, said higher demand for helicopters was not contingent on more exploration. Existing production rigs would supply most of the revenue for Bristow, he said.

Helicopter operators are also winning business in the search-and-rescue field, picking up contracts as governments cut their coastguard budgets. Bristow, for example, last year won a 1.6 billion-pound ($2.7 billion) contract to run Britain's search-and-rescue helicopter services for a decade from 2015.

"We are seeing more and more interest, with oil and gas operators actually putting search-and-rescue portions into crew shuttling contracts," CHC Group CEO William Amelio told Reuters.

CHC has ordered 33 new helicopters and Era 20 from companies such as United Technologies Corp unit Sikorsky Aircraft, UK's AgustaWestland NV and Eurocopter. The orders will increase their fleets by 14 percent and 12 percent respectively.

Of nine analysts that cover both Bristow and CHC, most have a "buy" rating on both stocks and none recommend selling either, according to Thomson Reuters. All three analysts covering Era have a "buy" or higher rating on the stock.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...0NV6UY20140603

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Babcock Concludes Avincis Acquisition

Babcock International Group has completed the acquisition of Avincis, a provider of helicopter and fixed wing services in mission critical operations such as medical, search and rescue, fire-fighting and civil protection in Europe.

It is also a leading supplier of critical offshore crew-change helicopter services to the oil and gas industry in the UK sector of the North Sea, with an ambition to expand its operations in the growing Norwegian and Australian offshore oil and gas markets.

Babcock considers that the acquisition of Avincis will create a strong platform for future growth.

Peter Rogers, its chief executive, said: "The acquisition of Avincis meets Babcock's strategic objectives as it brings into the Babcock Group a market-leading business, delivering mission critical services and complex engineering support to blue-chip customers in multiple geographies.

"Avincis already has a strong growth platform and its combination with Babcock will generate even greater expansion opportunities and value creation for Babcock's shareholders."

http://www.stockmarketwire.com/artic...f-Avincis.html

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

New Deliveries for Omni Taxi Aéreo

The Synergy Group will deliver four AW139 and four S-76 helicopters to Portugal-based Omni Helicopters International (OHI) for lease to Petroleo Brasileiro. The helicopters will become part of the fleet operated by the Brazilian affiliate of OHI, Omni Taxi Aéreo (OTA).

The new aircraft will join OTA’s existing fleet of 10 AW139 and 11 S-76 helicopters. They will be based at Brazil’s offshore heliports of Jacarepaguá and Macaé.

OHI is a Lisbon-based financial holding company engaged in fleet management and investment in helicopter operators providing transportation services to the offshore energy sector. Its helicopter fleet is operated mainly by OTA in Brazil. OHI’s investment was supported by Stirling Square Capital Partners and affiliated co-investors.


New S-76's and AW139's will wing their way to Omni Taxi Aéreo in Brazil

Rui de Almeida, executive chairman and co-founder of OHI and OTA, said: ‘We are pleased to have made such a significant acquisition: it represents a natural consolidation step for OTA’s activities in Brazil and asset build-up is a critical component of OHI’s strategic development. The OHI team led by Richard Burman will be working closely with Roberto Coimbra, CEO of OTA, and his management team, to integrate the eight aircraft into the existing OTA fleet smoothly, so as to provide Petrobras with the high-quality, safe and reliable service it requires.’

Gregorio Napoleone, partner, Stirling Square, added: ‘We support the transformational change underway at OHI and OTA. This management team has maintained an excellent operating record in Brazil, as its managed fleet of helicopters has grown in size and diversity. The acquisition consolidates OTA as the largest operator of AW-139 helicopters in Brazil’s offshore energy sector at a time when the medium segment has reached maturity and the heavy segment anticipates above-average growth on the back of pre-salt developments.’

http://www.shephardmedia.com/news/ro...s-76-fleet/

http://www.omnibrasil.com.br/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

CHC Wins New S-92 Contract

Norway-based oil-and-gas company Statoil has awarded CHC Helicopters Canada Inc. a contract to provide helicopter transportation to Statoil's new exploration rig in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland. The 18-month contract calls for CHC to operate two Sikorsky S-92 aircraft on behalf of Statoil.

The helicopters will fly between St. John's, Newfoundland (where CHC are establishing a base) and Statoil's West Hercules rig. The service is anticipated to begin in the fall of 2014.


The West Hercules rig

Statoil and CHC have extensive experience working together in the North Sea, knowledge which CHC will employ in meeting Statoil's requirements off Newfoundland, where weather and sea conditions are similar.

http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-...05-904951.html

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Angola's SonAir Takes Delivery of New EC225

A handover ceremony on 5th May 2014 in Marignane, France has marked the delivery of another EC225 for Angola's SonAir who already operate eleven EC225s, four AS332 L2s and three AS365 N3s.

As a subsidiary of the Sonangol Group (a structured aviation service provider in Angola, and the largest African helicopter operator) SonAir will utilize the newly-delivered EC225 in oil and gas transport duties with an existing customer.



SonAir is in the process of adding five additional EC225s to its inventory, three of which will be leased from Milestone Aviation Group, while two others will be owned outright by SonAir, permitting the company to initiate heli-lift business with three new partners and two existing customers.

“The expansion of SonAir’s EC225 fleet underscores their confidence in this powerful helicopter for highly-demanding missions,” said Airbus Helicopters CEO Guillaume Faury. “It reinforces our long term relationship and our commitment to fully support their growing activity in Africa.”

Joining today’s EC225 delivery ceremony were executives that included SonAir CEO João Andrade.

“By growing our fleet, SonAir will benefit from the EC225’s performance, range and power,” Andrade explained. “We look forward to continuing to serve our customers with one of the best aircraft in oil and gas helicopter transportation.”

http://www.verticalmag.com/news/arti...U2fgqIGSwnk

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Motion Compensated Helideck Eases Offshore Landings

Two Netherlands companies are using this week's OTC event in Houston to unveil a solution that increases the window for offshore helicopter landings in severe weather conditions.

Bayards Aluminium of Nieuw-Lekkerland has teamed with Barge Master of Capelle an der IJssel to design the first aluminum Motion Compensated Helideck.


The motion compensated helideck

The new Motion Compensated Helideck (MCH) is driven by three actuators compensating two translations (sway and heave) and one rotation (roll) of the vessel on which it is installed.

This ensures that the platform stays in an earth-fixed steady position and that the influence of sea induced vessel motions will no longer be a limiting factor for offshore operations.

http://www.marinelog.com/index.php?o...ngs&Itemid=222

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Offshore Market Expected to Remain Buoyant

Douglas Westwood’s (DW) new World Offshore Oil & Gas Helicopter Market Report forecasts that US$ 24 billion will be spent on offshore helicopter services between 2014 and 2018. This represents a 57% increase over the preceding five-year period.

Report editor, Frank Wright, commented: “Long-term production support contracts in Western Europe continue to underpin the market, but we expect faster growth rates to be experienced in Africa, Asia, Australasia and Latin America over the forecast period. A preference for local providers in many of these markets means that regional specialists dominate and the major helicopter operators have lower levels of participation, with the notable exceptions of Brazil and Australia.

“On a global basis the medium-type helicopter class accounts for close to 60% of total offshore helicopter service expenditure. Western Europe and Australasia are exceptions, as buyers in these markets favour larger helicopters with increased range and carrying capacity.

“The next five years will be a critical time for the industry as a new generation of medium-class helicopters are introduced. These models are highly efficient with the most advanced safety systems and are expected to perform well in the offshore arena. However, due to the natural conservatism in the industry, it will take time before a critical mass of orders is achieved.”

http://www.energyglobal.com/news/exp...U16tJ1WSwnk

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

AgustaWestland and Heliconia Aero Solutions Sign Distributorship Agreement for Morocco

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, and Heliconia Aero Solutions, the flagship Company of Heliconia Group in Morocco, are pleased to announce the signing of a Distributorship Agreement for AgustaWestland helicopters models in Morocco.

Both companies are also pleased to announce that Heliconia has placed a first order for two AW139 intermediate twin helicopters, plus a number of options, to perform offshore transport missions in Morocco. Pending delivery of the two helicopters, set for June/July this year, Heliconia has meanwhile started its offshore transportation missions with two AW139s leased from Agusta Westland since end February 2014. The dual announcement was made during the Marrakesh Air Show today.

http://www.agustawestland.com/news/a...eement-morocco

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Saudi Aramco Signs for Additional AW139

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that Saudi Aramco has placed an order for an AW139 intermediate twin aircraft, further expanding its fleet of AW139 helicopters and confirming its confidence in the best selling model in its category. This latest AW139 will be used to perform offshore and VIP transport operations in Saudi Arabia.

http://www.agustawestland.com/news/s...139-helicopter

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Offshore Flights Boost Norwich Airport Movements by 19%

The 2014 financial year has ended on a high for Norwich International Airport with final passenger numbers reaching over 465,000, an increase of 10% on the previous year.

Such a positive rise is attributed to growth in several sectors. The biggest increase was seen in holiday traffic, driven by Thomson/First Choice who doubled their summer 2013 activity boosting holiday charter passengers by almost 47%. Thus over 108,000 people enjoyed the benefits of flying to the sun from their local airport in the year.

The booming offshore industry contributed 19% growth in offshore helicopter traffic which accounted for over 100,000 helicopter passengers using the airport in the year. This cements Norwich as the busiest Airport for offshore helicopter passengers in the UK after Aberdeen.

KLM’s hub feeder service to the award winning Amsterdam Schiphol Airport had another strong year as a result of the addition of the fourth daily flight throughout summer 2013 which saw passenger numbers grow by 10% on this route. The fourth daily flight has already been reintroduced for this summer and forward bookings are looking very strong.

http://www.traveldailynews.com/news/...st-increase

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

CHC Looking to Gulf of Mexico for New Business

Newly listed CHC Group Ltd , which provides helicopter services to offshore oil and gas sites, intends to enter the Gulf of Mexico as drillers venture further into deep and ultra-deep waters, its chief executive told Reuters.

The company, which operates about 240 aircraft in roughly 30 countries around the world, will enter the U.S. Gulf by either applying for an air operator certificate or through an acquisition, William Amelio said in an interview on Tuesday.

"It is clear that the Gulf of Mexico is a great opportunity and we will be there shortly," he said.

Recent technological advances and new discoveries are spurring renewed interest in the Gulf of Mexico, where activity tapered off following the Macondo oil spill in 2010.

Amelio estimated it would take about 18 months for the CHC Group to enter the U.S. Gulf "organically."

CHC Group, whose majority shareholder is private-equity firm First Reserve Corp, also offers search-and-rescue operations and helicopter maintenance services.

CHC Group shares closed at $7.24 on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday, valuing the company at about $561 million. The shares have slipped roughly 26 percent since their January debut.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busine...32914.story

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Bristow's Nigeria Facility Up in Flames

Bristow Helicopters, a major oil and gas offshore service provider, recently lost a Super Puma helicopter worth $18 million (N3 billion) and a hangar facility to fire at the Nigeria Air Force Base in Port Harcourt.

THISDAY learnt that the fire wreaked so much havoc at the facility because of the inability of the company to put it off in time and by the time it did, the Super Puma helicopter had already been destroyed while another was severely damaged.

Inside source told THISDAY that when the people on ground noticed the fire, they wanted to gain entry into the hangar but the person in charge of the keys to the hangar was away. Eventually when they forced their way into the hangar, the fire had already destroyed spread round the place.

The company’s in-house firefighting equipment could not put out the fire and the services of Shell was sought but response was late in coming. However, the Rivers State Fire Service came and put out the fire after much destruction has taken place.

An aviator who witnessed the incident said that it was surprising that the company did not have sufficient firefighting equipment at the facility to put off the fire immediately it started , noting that such equipment is a major criterion in a facility like that and it is the major requirement for safety audit in such operational hangar.
Acknowledging the incident, Bristow said that at about 2300 (11 pm local time) hours on the night of the 20th of March 2014, a fire was reported in one of its hangars at its Port Harcourt Nigerian Air Force (NAF) base facility.

“The fire is believed to have started from one of the stores housing aircraft spares and consumables. The fire was put out by the joint effort of the NAF fire service and the Rivers State fire service and other aircraft operators at the base. There was extensive damage to the store and its contents. In addition, two helicopters affected by the fire will be repaired soon.”

The company also said investigations had confirmed the source of the fire to be from an air-conditioner; disclosing that the CCTV cameras installed within the premises recorded the start and spread of the fire.

“Our insurers and agents of the aircraft manufacturer have visited the NAF base to assess the damage to the facility and the aircraft. The hangar, which was constructed last year and recently extended, had modern fire protection; detection and extinguishing systems. The systems worked as designed and also alerted the night security staff to the fire,” the company said.
Bristow said that it is committed to safety and has been operating safe operation in Nigeria for a very long time.

“We use this medium to reiterate to our clients, the authorities and the general public our commitment to safety. We also wish to state that no life was lost and there has been minimal disruption to our operations in Port Harcourt as a result of this incident. Our gratitude goes to all parties that assisted in helping to fight the fire, their intervention helped prevent the fire from causing further damage,” the company also said.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/...-ph/175538/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

CHC boss calls for real-time helicopter data monitoring

Helicopter manufacturers must develop and introduce real-time in-flight data monitoring systems on their aircraft if the industry is to make sustained improvements in safety.

Speaking at the annual CHC Safety and Quality Summit in Vancouver on 31 March, Bill Amelio, chief executive of CHC Helicopter, said that "manufacturers must play a key part in advancing flight safety".

"They must take huge steps forward in developing and introducing advanced flight data monitoring," he says. This must be available "on demand, in real-time including in-flight", he says, similar to the wealth of safety data transmitted by Formula 1 cars back to their teams.

He additionally calls for better better "tools and technology" to analyse the vast quantities of flight data helicopters already generate.

Although noting that the offshore transportation sector has made "tremendous advances" in safety in recent years, Amelio says that "even one accident is one accident too many" and points to the five serious incidents that have occurred in the North Sea over the last four years, two of which involved CHC-operated helicopters.

"I perceive that some people within our industry think that commercial helicopter services are as safe as they are ever going to be. It's a mindset that causes us to overlook the reality of our reality," he says.

However, Amelio says he is "proud" the industry has taken "a big step" through the establishment of the joint operator review (JOR) in the wake of the fatal 22 August 2013 crash involving one of the company's Airbus Helicopters AS332 L2s.

The JOR – which is principally being driven by CHC, Bristow Group and Avinics – aims to standardise and share best practice throughout the industry, including with unions, customers and other interested parties.

It will lead to "sustained gains around the world in rotary-wing safety", says Amelio.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/art...ing-397851/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

'Bears' Boycott Flight

Flights to and from the Hibernia Platform were cancelled yesterday due to weather conditions, after offshore workers (sometimes known as 'bears') refused to board a scheduled helicopter flight for the offshore yesterday morning. HMDC confirms that a helicopter flight scheduled to leave yesterday for the Hibernia Platform did not depart because of concerns raised by workers. The workers were concerned about high sea states, caused by the remnants of a huge storm that roared through the area, bringing with it hurricane-force winds.


The Hibernia platform

A spokesperson from HMDC says safety is their first priority and flights to and from the Hibernia Platform are conducted according to established protocols and systems, including the assessment of sea states around the platform. The company says individuals do have a right to refuse work that they feel is unsafe.

http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?...62&latest=1

[HeliHub News]

Weststar in Morocco

Malaysian based Weststar Aviation continues their international expansion with operations just starting in Morroco. This country represents their third country and the first outside their Far East home region.



Weststar Aviation have leased in two AW139s from AgustaWestland, with one either bought back or leased in from CHC and being flown in their basic colours. The second aircraft has more recently been in the manufacturer's training fleet. Both are operating on the French register.

The two helicopters are based at Agadir, and operating for Kosmos Energy. Weststar declined to state in an email response to HeliHub.com how long the contract was for. Kosmos has extensive drilling rights of approximately 22,000 square miles in the Atlantic off Morocco.

[HeliHub News]

AW189 starts demo tour among US Oil & Gas operators on the Gulf of Mexico

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the new generation medium twin helicopter AW189 will depart for a demo tour among US Oil & Gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico region, from March 4th to the 7th.



After been showcased at Heli Expo in Anaheim, California and a few days after the issuing with type certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the AW189 will demonstrate its outstanding capabilities to major companies in Texas and Lousiana.

The AW189 was designed in response to the growing market demand for a versatile, affordable, multirole medium twin engine helicopter. The new 8.3 tonne AW189 is optimized for long range offshore transport and SAR missions and has already received orders for 130 helicopters, including options and framework contracts, making it the outright market leader in its class. Customers in the OGP market include many of the world’s leading large fleet operators such as Bristow Group, Era Group, Gulf Helicopters and Weststar Aviation Services. Additionally major helicopter leasing companies such as Lease Corporation International, Milestone Aviation Group and Waypoint Leasing have signed agreements for AW189 helicopters.

[HeliHub News]

Bell delivers two 412EPs to Petroleum Air Services

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT), announced today the delivery of two Bell 412EP helicopters to Egypt’s Petroleum Air Services (PAS), both configured and fully equipped to meet oil and gas producers requirements (OGP) recommended by the leading international oil companies working in Egypt.



Based in Cairo, PAS specializes in offering oil industry support services to some of the world’s largest petroleum companies, as well as commercial passenger services. Committed to ensuring the highest standard of quality and safety along with the latest advanced technology in the aviation business, PAS reached out to Bell Helicopter when ready to increase its fleet.

“We value the customer support and services we’ve received from Bell Helicopter over these 32 years and wanted to make sure we continued to invest in Bell products,” said Petroleum Air Services Chairman and Managing Director Gen. Yehia Hussein. “We look forward to continuing this relationship in the years to come.”

PAS and Bell Helicopter have enjoyed a long relationship since 1982, when PAS received its first two Bell 206s. Since then, the company has added 31 Bell helicopters, including the eight Bell 206s, 10 Bell 212s and 15 Bell 412s.

“The Bell 412EP remains a daily workhorse for Petroleum Air Services and operators around the world,” said Steve Suttles, Bell Helicopter’s vice president for Middle East and Africa. “Excellent hot and high performance and multi-mission flexibility, combined with Bell’s recognition by the industry as the leader in customer service, make the 412EP an easy choice for serious operators.”

[HeliHub News]

S-76D First Revenue Flight