Share

Deepwater Drilling Specialist Wins New Work and Records 300% Annual Growth

Deepwater drilling and performance improvement specialist Exceed has recorded a 300% increase in business in the last year and created a second team of deepwater drilling experts to meet demand for the service it launched only 18 months ago.

The Aberdeen-based company surpassed targets to turn over £5million ($8million) in 2010/11 and has taken on a further 25 staff in the last six months to reach a headcount of 50. Turnover for 2011/12 is expected to be around £10million ($16million).

Exceed started as a performance improvement specialist and diversified late in 2009 to launch the industry’s first project management team to focus solely on drilling projects in deepwater. The deepwater division provides a full wells project capability from conceptual design, exploration and evaluation through to full field development.

Exceed is lined up to drill at least three frontier deepwater wells in total this year, with deepwater drilling projects underway with two clients.

The first project secured by Exceed is ongoing in the Black Sea while the most recent project for Canada-based GeoGlobal Resources involves an emerging deepwater basin off Israel. The GeoGlobal project represents an evolution for Exceed with the project scope broadened to include the full remit from logistical arrangements to contracting the Drilling Contractor and all third party service providers required to get the wells built.

Exceed founder and Director Ian Mills said: “This is a very exciting opportunity and an important step forward for Exceed as it has allowed us to achieve our year two goal of running at least two DW projects.''

“With two full project teams, Exceed’s deepwater division has amassed a wealth of offshore drilling experience working on a variety of rig types including the latest technology 5/6th generation dual-handling rigs.

“We have had an overwhelmingly positive response to our approach which provides consistency and continuity by having an Exceed team that remain with the rig. The team ensures best practice is transferred from client to client. Our new work is as a result of clients coming to us with a belief in our capabilities based on referrals.‘’

Exceed’s Performance Improvement division, has been equally successful and additional coaches have been taken on to work on a number of new projects. With a track record of helping clients including Talisman save millions of pounds by improving rig productive time and safety offshore, Exceed currently has four performance improvement projects underway with additional projects scheduled to start later in the year.

Mr Mills commented: “There is growing awareness among companies of the importance of the people factor and a realisation that tools are only as good as the people who use them. At Exceed, we focus all efforts on safety, efficiency and consistency. Experience tells us that typically an increase of 10%-15% in productive time can be achieved through design, a ‘fit for purpose’ contracting strategy and continuously improving the performance of the team.

“We have developed a unique approach, combining traditional process improvement with an Exceed-specific set of tools including a diagnostic assessment, learning and performance reporting software, Rig iVision™ visual learning, and a focus on rig team morale . We invest heavily in the development of our coaches and deliver our approach through a blended coaching model that combines traditional consulting experience with hands-on oilfield expertise.

“We also carry out a detailed gap analysis in advance and have a clearly defined exit strategy, focused on delivering genuine improvement, a return on investment and a sustainable capability within the client organisation. The result is a comprehensive approach that delivers clear, quantifiable benefits for our clients.

“We have recently recruited new team members to help us deliver on our deepwater and PI projects and are in the process of looking for further talented people to join our team.”

122 views