INTEC's four founding partners (Willem Timmermans, Jim Gillespie, Bert Schultz, and David McKeehan) constantly shared and increased their complementary knowledge of offshore industry technology, practices, and clients. Working closely, they carefully catalogued each major document they produced with key words (today's metadata) so it could be easily retrieved. Bert Schultz and David McKeehan talked at lunch almost every day and ran three miles together twice a week. "Knowledge sharing was almost visceral in those days," McKeehan says. "We'd have arguments and challenges in the middle of the woods - and some of them really improved our speed."

The company's growth from four people in one office to more than 550 people in 10 offices (plus numerous additional locations) around the globe has provided a lot more knowledge to share, and made sharing more complex than going for a run or shouting around the corner. Both formal and informal processes are in place and under development to ensure knowledge sharing and growth continue as the company's size increases.

INTEC's knowledge sharing and growth processes include exploiting resources such as AskINTEC to find and share knowledge for our clients' benefit. They also support a culture that rewards knowledge sharing and work processes that sustain knowledge creation and documentation.

Sharing knowledge is accomplished within the context of another cornerstone of INTEC's success: exhibiting the highest levels of honesty and ethical standards in all that we do. INTEC maintains the confidentiality of client information and controls access to confidential or sensitive information from multiple clients. INTEC project and document control procedures address these issues in specific circumstances and codify the values of integrity and ethical practice that underly all INTEC actions.

INTEC realizes that different knowledge items have different values (and the values can change over time). To address this issue, we've developed and are in the process of implementing INTEC's Knowledge Hierarchy so different levels of authority and trust can be assigned to different items.

As projects increasingly are executed by people in multiple locations around the world, global knowledge sharing has transitioned from optional to essential for basic project work. To meet project requirements, INTEC has invested considerably in beefing up its IT infrastructure for efficient global retrieval - providing the basis for secure, reliable, cost-effective access to INTEC electronic resources in any location from any location.

Share INTEC knowledge worldwide to meet project and client requirements

This means INTEC will have the:

• Right information (from anywhere), at the
• Right time (24x7), in the
• Right place (to anywhere), for the
• Right person (remote or local), at the
• Right cost, both
• Securely and reliably

At least one INTEC office is open at any time of the work week. Sharing IT knowledge and resources across INTEC locations allows for 24x7 global operations, a feature usually available only in much larger companies. INTEC's global approach to IT also allows global monitoring of and support for IT performance in all locations.

Central to INTEC's global IT infrastructure is an internet-based Virtual Private Network (VPN) that securely and effectively connects INTEC offices and personnel worldwide as though all resources and people were in one location. This feature enables knowledge sharing and truly global project execution.

The VPN also provides secure access and virus protection from two vendors at three levels: firewall, server, and workstation. INTEC does not allow e-mails with executables, thereby substantially reducing the risk of damaging worm-style viruses. These safeguards allow INTEC to operate securely, while facilitating knowledge sharing.

Project team members and other colleagues working in different INTEC offices can connect via NetMeeting to take advantage of simple videoconferencing, whiteboarding, and application sharing. International teleconferences and meetings can be scheduled via Exchange and Outlook. Traveling users can log into a networked computer in any office and have immediate access to their home office resources.

What's next? Plans include further exploiting the VPN technology for online conferencing, better data storage management, additional global redundancy, faster backup and recovery capability, more efficient use of bandwidth - all leading to better, faster, lower-cost projects for INTEC clients.

The buoy control system allows remote control of the field from the onshore processing facilities 65 km from the mainland. The subsea development is linked to the Disc Control Buoy which houses the power generation, electronics, fluids, pumps, hydraulic power, control system and communications packages. The normally unmanned facility provides full field control via the communications link from the onshore plant. The buoy equipment is of proven design and virtually everything on this facility can be interrogated or controlled remotely. To achieve the field availability of 97%, proven reliable components are combined with sufficient redundancy or backups to avoid total system failure.

The Buoy layout and orientation were driven largely by the following factors:

• The need to segregate the equipment into a minimum of three areas:
  • Subsea controls, general controls and communications
  • Power generation with diesel generators and batteries–this area is relatively noisy due to the diesel generators and has a battery room requiring particular ventilation
  • Chemical injection–this area is subject to potential chemical spills and must be segregated from other areas
• Nine external compartments 1.5 m wide to accommodate ship impact at the waterline
• Motion reduction measures, namely a 'step' above the external compartments to entrain water and bilge keels to increase drag at the edges of the buoy

An accelerated project schedule identified that the Disc Control Buoy can be executed in about a 54-week period. Detailed design of the buoy, including detailed specifications for procurement, is expected to take about 28 weeks with fabrication and outfitting estimated at 40 weeks (with about a 12 week overlap between design and fabrication).

Significant cost savings, compared to the umbilical, are obtained during installation of the Disc Control Buoy due to the simple installation methods, analogous to that of a SBM (or CALM buoy).

The buoy consists of the following:

• Three access towers at 120 degrees, one of which also supports the vents and mast for the telecommunications, navigation aids and weather monitoring equipment
• Acommunication mast on the northeast tower which has a clear communication path to the onshore facilities to the northwest
• Ajib on each tower that a chain block can be attached to for lifting equipment when necessary. It is assumed that equipment will be lifted on and off by a support vessel crane
• An access ladder from the sea at each tower with fenders to protect personnel climbing the ladder
• The buoy structure consisting of an outer circular shell and an inner ring 1.5 m inside the outer shell which is sectioned into small compartments. This compartmentalized outer section provides strength and protection in case of collision by a vessel
• Entry to the buoy main compartments via the tower with a water tight bulkhead door providing access to the inner main compartments

• Establishing the overall buoy size and general arrangement
• Establishing the motions of the buoy in conditions when personnel are expected to board and work in the buoy and during extreme storms
• Confirming that telecommunications between the buoy and the onshore gas plant has 97% availability
• Ensuring that the buoy will survive a 50 year return cyclonic storm
• Establishing the buoy capital cost (CAPEX) and the annual operating costs (OPEX)

his note is written on the road in Australia, a country which is energy independent because of vast quantities of coal, oil and gas, and a lot of sunshine, while mountainous Tasmania also has hydropower. Nevertheless the country has an energy policy that promotes energy conservation and environmental responsibility. Although there are a lot of unpaved roads across the very thinly populated interior, one sees few off-road vehicles, or SUV's as they are called in the US.

This situation is in contrast to the US where the opposite appears to be happening. A lack of a sensible policy that emphasizes judicious use and conservation of energy has resulted in faster growing energy demand while the country's own resources are declining. The reliance on imports cannot be reversed, and the suggestion that the US could ever become energy independent again is unrealistic as long as fossil fuels are the main source. The problem is that these imports are coming more and more from regions that are not known for their political stability or social equality. The US is not alone in this situation as most of Western Europe and some Asian countries are even more reliant on imports, but there these challenges are partly met by a serious conservation culture.

Automobiles consume a large part of the energy used in the US, and there has been a successful effort at improving the energy efficiency of cars over the years, with one notable exception, the above-mentioned SUV. Since for some strange reason these are classed as light trucks, and are thus exempt from fuel efficiency rules, there has been a boom in the sale of these vehicles with their ever bigger engines, negating much of the energy conservation effort. American historian Barbara Tuchman once wrote a book on famous historical follies, which she defined as disastrous actions by those in power while the information about the circumstances and likely effects of such actions were obvious. I believe

One would think that energy conservation would be counter to the interest of the oil industry, and that in this business we should be pleased with increased demand. After all, that's what keeps creating new development projects for INTEC to take on. As I said, even with conservation energy use would grow, and alternatives to fossil fuels will take much time to develop, even if there were a serious effort to that effect. In other words, the need for new deepwater developments and INTEC's expertise therein will continue for many years. What the energy industry values more than increases in demand or prices is price stability. Threats to the political and economic status quo in the Middle East, West Africa and Latin America disturb this stability, and will result in sudden variations in supply and thereby price fluctuations. While the oil industry has always been cyclical, that is not the desired state. Government policies that support energy conservation and increase supply options will help stability; unbridled growth and inefficient energy use, combined with political moves that upset the balance will cause instability.

We better get ready to roll with the next series of punches; the future isn't what it used to be. Meanwhile, I suggest you start a new trend and consider a hybrid electrical car instead of an SUV for your next vehicle.

By the way, while visiting our new Perth office Steve Hindmarsh invited me to participate in the ultimate energy efficient activity: sailing a race. As the accompanying photograph demonstrates, this pleasure can be combined with business!

W. J. Timmermans
President

Delft has the oldest, largest and most comprehensive technical university in The Netherlands (founded in 1862) and well known worldwide. With over 13,000 students and 2,100 scientists (including 200 professors), it is an establishment of both national importance and significant international standing. The University has been providing technical education for nearly 160 years. Renowned for its high standard of education and research, the University collaborates with other educational establishments and research institutes, both in The Netherlands and overseas. It also enjoys partnerships with governments, branched organizations, numerous consultancies, the engineering industry, and companies from both small and medium business sectors.

Delft has a wide-spread reputation as "The Knowledge City". Every day, people all over the world make use of inventions made in Delft. Some of the many examples include the ANWB (comparable to AAA) emergency telephones along the motorway. The ice-skating suit used to achieve record times on the ice is also an idea born in Delft. The design on the Dutch side of the Euro was also conceived in Delft. Delft takes knowledge seriously and applies it practically in the fields of water and soil, architecture and design, environmental technology, information technology and innovative transport systems.

Specifically to INTEC Delft office, the most noticeable contribution from the university is a majority of our engineering staff. Most of us have been closely tied to the university, either as students, or as faculty members. We permanently maintain one or two MSc thesis students on our team, who naturally link us with the Offshore Technology Group of the university and form a reliable stream of INTEC new blood. Another university facility within a stone's throw from our office that we make frequent use of is the library, which also functions as the national technical archive.

There are at least 21 famous historic buildings in the city of Delft. These include the 15th century "Prinsenhof" (or "Princes Court", the site of the murder of William of Orange in 1584), the Town Hall, also from the 15th century and the Old Church, the official burial place of the royal family since the death of William of Orange. For a virtual tour of the most prominent historical buildings of Delft, you can visit the following web site: www.monument.delft.nl.

On top of all that, Delft offers a variety of museums that can often be found in monumental buildings. You'll find a wide variety of museum collections. For example, in the Army Museum you will see how Holland was defended in earlier times. In the Tools Museum are many examples of the types of tools were used in former days and in the 'Prinsenhof", the residence of the late William of Orange, you will experience history on the exact spot where 'The Father of our Fatherland' was murdered by Balthazar Gerards. As you can see, there are plenty of interesting places to visit during your stay in Delft. They all are easily accessible by foot from the center of town.

And last but not least, in Delft you are within 15 minutes by car to the centers of Rotterdam (and Rotterdam Airport) and The Hague and 30 minutes to the center of Amsterdam (and Amsterdam Airport).

Also, as INTEC EAME (Delft and London) are to cover quite a large operational area, Delft provides an excellent exit base for the European main land, Middle East and Russia. During its six years of existence, the Delft office has been involved in a variety of interesting projects in many locations, from Sakhalin to Madeira and from Norway to Nigeria. Of these projects, BlueStream (two 24-inch pipelines across the Black Sea at 2,150 m water depth) has been the most challenging one.

Finally, when you want to take a break and contemplate all the impressions, the best way to do that is in a typical Dutch pub. There are plenty...

As an employee of BP, Graham helped develop standardization in subsea equipment and led many industry initiatives to define systematic and consistent specifications for analysis and operation of wellheads, trees, risers and control systems. Beginning in 1995, Graham helped take the innovative ETAP development in the North Sea from conceptual evaluation to first oil. This development had many new technologies and novel commercial arrangements. Graham was also responsible for the subsea engineering efforts, which included subsea metering, multiphase pumping and subsea-deployed pigs. More recently, Graham was heavily involved in the conceptual development strategies, technology planning and execution of BP's deepwater GoM fields. Graham has led many teams in Houston, including his last position at BP as the facilities project manager of the spar-based Mad Dog development in the Gulf of Mexico deepwater developments business unit.

Now firmly based in Houston with his wife and three children, Graham joins INTEC Houston under Chris Tam, Vice President Operations, as the manager accountable for establishing the company's growth into capital project management. The Marine Installation Management business unit will extend INTEC's engineering scope of services into the execution phase of offshore projects, including procurement and construction. The new BU will build on INTEC's project execution experiences of West Delta Deep, Canyon Express, Horn Mountain, and Mardi Gras.