OTC Raises the Bar for Compliance Provider with OTC Solutions

Offshore Technical Compliance’s recent acquisition of Northwest Technical Solutions will mean a new level of efficiency for offshore operations through the creation of OTC Solutions; and it has the potential of being a game-changer for the offshore industry.

OTC Solutions adds third-party verification of compliance for well control equipment by a registered professional engineering firm to OTC’s portfolio of service offerings, enabling its customers to access a full spectrum of compliance-related services from a single provider. This new approach to compliance service delivery has the potential to reduce costs and improve service quality for all operators in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond, said Mike Bethea, CEO, OTC.

“Compliance inspection, predictive digital pressure testing services through OTC GREENLIGHT and third-party verification of compliance can be provided by our integrated team of inspectors and surveyors. On a deepwater project, these services typically require four or five people; now we will be able to provide these services with two or three,” Bethea said. “By creating OTC Solutions, we can now provide clients more offshore services with a smaller footprint – while offering cost savings that the oil and gas industry is always on the lookout for.”

Providing a full range of compliance services through the lifecycle of a project – including well planning, pre-mobilization and operations – from a single source, offers efficiencies in time and costs, as well as raising the level of quality by incorporating our experts in each stage of a project. For example, a potential compliance issue can be identified and corrected before the cost of mobilization, which can also help avoid delays and unexpected costs due to potential incidents of non-compliance.

OTC’s IADC-accredited drilling compliance training program and its digital pressure testing capabilities, training programs and experience has already become a huge benefit to many in the industry. Now, adding third-party verification of compliance experience into the mix creates an unmatched combination like the industry has never before seen.

“This kind of innovation is exactly what the industry is looking for to reduce costs while improving value and service quality,” Bethea said.

The Value of Experience

Hundreds of combined years of engineering and technical expertise is a major asset to offshore industry clients.

As a registered professional engineering firm providing regulatory verification and engineering services to the upstream oil and gas market, OTC Solutions has experienced engineers, surveyors and support staff ready to deliver the right solutions for specific operational or project needs.

Third-party Verification

The 2016 Well Control Rule has changed verification requirements for many offshore operations. As a Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement independent third-party provider, OTC Solutions can provide:

• Shear verification and calculation services
• BOP equipment verification
• High-pressure high-temperature design verification
• Five-year maintenance witnessing and reporting
• Repair reporting during operations
• Mechanical integrity assessments
• Failure reporting management
• Equipment installation date verification

Our BOP group is comprised of specialists in surface and subsea blowout preventers, intervention systems and all BSEE-designated ancillary equipment. Our engineering team has experience in both mechanical and electrical subsea systems and is dedicated to engineering first principles.

OTC Solutions’ professional engineers perform a careful review of BOP shearing capabilities as part of the BSEE-required shear verification requirements in the new well control standards.

Engineering Services

With design experience in BOP control systems, reliability programs and component development, OTC Solutions’ engineering services include reliability analysis services, maintenance system assessments and system design.

With engineering expertise in mechanical, electrical, software and aerospace projects, we are ready to help you determine the best engineered solutions to stay in compliance – including BSEE’s real-time monitoring requirement ahead. By early 2019, BSEE is requiring real-time monitoring on all subsea BOPs and BOPs on floating platforms. That means the time to prepare is now to ensure you have the right equipment, technologies and processes in place to comply.

With 155 years of offshore verification experience, in addition to more than a decade of training experience and more than 141 years of engineering experience, OTC Solutions understands the changing needs of the offshore industry and its role as a reliable provider to help you stay in compliance.

“Through our extensive cross-training and ongoing educational efforts for all our team members, our on-site experts can provide support in multiple areas, meaning less trips to a rig and more efficiency for our clients in meeting their operational needs,” Bethea said. “As a leader in offshore compliance, OTC’s mission is to provide a full range of support – especially as regulations change.”

With recent standard changes in the industry and an ever-increasing demand for efficiency, OTC Solutions is an innovative opportunity for offshore operations to ensure compliance and keep pace with standards while reaping time- and cost-savings benefits.