Unique Maritime Group (UMG), one of the world’s leading integrated turnkey subsea and offshore solution providers, counts 2014 as a significant and exciting year for the group.

One of the gains it made was securing a strategic equity investment from Blue Water Energy (BWE).

Founded in 2011, BWE is a leading global middle market energy private equity firm based in London that primarily targets private equity investments in the upstream and midstream/downstream energy supply chain while partnering with best-in-class management teams and utilising a network of seasoned investment and operating professionals that drive value throughout all aspects of the investment process.

The new partnership is of strategic importance to the group as it will allow UMG to accelerate its growth plans through additions to its rental fleet, as well as through further acquisitions, to expand the product and service offering and geographic distribution. With expansion, strategic and investment plans backed by a loyal customer base and a partnership with BWE, the group is sure to scale its growth to new heights, said a group spokesman.

Another significant development for UMG was the opening up of a joint venture, OEG Unique, in the Middle East region. This was part of its growth plan in 2013 which came into picture in the first quarter of 2014. The joint venture was formed in association with OEG Offshore (OEG) in order to offer rental and sale of offshore equipment to customers in the Middle East region. OEG Unique is based in the UAE and Qatar.

The JV provides local access to OEG’s full range of over 200 individual certified designs of DNV 2.7-1 certified Cargo Carrying Units (CCUs) and A60 modules across the GCC countries. UMG and OEG Offshore have jointly invested over $1 million in new equipment including offshore containers, baskets, half heights, tanks and waste equipment rated to the leading international standards DNV 2.7-1 and EN 12079. The sales and rental fleet is located in bases at Sharjah, UAE and Doha, Qatar and is available for immediate mobilisation. The modern and diverse fleet is supported by OEG Unique’s customer and technical support resources from facilities in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.

KEY CONTRACT

Unique Wellube’s Uni-Test safety and relief valve testing system

One of the most important and recent contracts for UMG has come from Ultra Deep Solutions (UDS) to design, build and integrate the dive system for a multipurpose Diving Support Construction Vessel (DSCV). The new DSCV is equipped with a 300 HD 18-man twin-bell Saturation Diving System.

The dive system incorporates the latest mechanical and electrical design requirements. The feature-rich diving system offers a first in the drive towards reducing the complexity of shipyard integration and installation time frames. UDS has combined the high-tech factor, practicality and high safety standards to design and build this DP3 18-man twin bell diving support construction vessel. It is designed to operate up to 4000 m water depth in collaboration with Marin Teknikk Norway, the world’s renowned global ship designer of such highly-spec vessels.

The vessel is modelled on the proprietary ‘Red Class 6027’ MT design DSCV and is a DP3, 142 m state-of-the-art multipurpose subsea DSCV. The award of this project demonstrates its clients’ confidence in Unique Hydra’s in-depth technical capabilities, strength in project execution and the considerable financial capabilities established through UMG’s corporate partnership recently formed with Blue Water Energy.

UMG has increased its DSV solution capabilities over the last year and is globally positioned to handle multiple DSV contracts. UMG strongly believes that over the next few years its brand and product will become the diving system of choice.

Founded in 1993, UMG is one of the world’s leading integrated turnkey subsea and offshore solution providers. Via an expanding network of companies, UMG offers specialist solutions and engineering services for the marine, diving, survey, oil and gas, NDT and inspection industries. Some of these products and services include commercial diving equipment, saturation diving systems, breathing air compressors, decompression chambers and a hyperbaric rescue facility for the diving market sector; integrated vessel management, control and safety systems, power generation and propulsion systems, onboard energy management solutions for the marine market sector including the Unique Seaflex range of water weights, lift bags and pipeline buoyancy services; pipe clamps, on site machining, leak repair, hot tapping and online valve testing for the oil and gas market sector; environmental monitoring, hydrographic and geophysical survey equipment and a remote operated vehicle for the survey and inspection market sectors.

The group’s operations are spread across the Middle East, the US, the UK, South Africa, India and Singapore – all well positioned to manage all project requirements and a fast growing international customer base. The employee strength is over 500 people worldwide.

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

OEG equipment: UMG has formed a JV with OEG Offshore

Meanwhile, Unique System FZE, a UMG company has recently been appointed as the authorised service centre for Teledyne TSS’ Meridian Gyros in the Middle East region. In addition to this, Unique System FZE has also been appointed as the authorised service centre for Trimble’s TDL and Pacific Crest’s ADL Vantage Radios in the Middle East region.

At Adipec this year, Unique Wellube, a UMG company will be launching its range of oil and gas  products and services in new markets such as Saudi Arabia, India, the UK and West Africa.

The group has always been at the forefront of exploring new markets by investing heavily in them, according to the spokesman.

“Saudi Arabia is an integral part of the Middle East which offers some of the most beneficial opportunities for expanding the oil and gas business within the region. India and the UK are also growing rapidly in the oil and gas field with a vast majority of independent and government-run organisations competing to bring in the latest technologies and contributing to the overall economic growth,” he said.

West Africa is also considered to be a major investment hub for the industry due to increased production and growth plans there. A lot of medium-scale to large-scale pipeline projects are being undertaken in West Africa. UMG has taken a step forward with a major focus on strengthening its Oil and Gas Division this year with an investment of $2.5 million. This is also steered with massive expansion plans backed by strategic planning.

Unique Wellube offers specialist engineering services and associated products to a diverse range of industries. The services are focused on ensuring plant and pipeline operability and avoiding costly unplanned shutdowns by allowing intervention and plant critical maintenance work to be carried out in a safe and cost-effective manner.

Some of its products and services include: Hot Tapping and Line Stopping, on-site machining, under pressure leak sealing, ‘Uni-Test’ online valve testing, ‘UniSeal’ pipeline repair clamps, on-line valve maintenance, pipe freezing, composite wrapping, portable on site machining sales and rentals, custom pipeline fittings, pipeline pressure testers and platform decommissioning services.

Sahil Gandhi, managing director, Unique Wellube, reiterated UMG’s growth strategy by saying, “We are exhilarated to enter new markets with a commitment to offer our best and superior range of products and services to customers within these regions. We will adhere to the same standards of services as we have offered globally with an intention of making our clients happy by providing more efficient and cost-effective solutions in Saudi Arabia, India, the UK and West Africa.”

Some of the other achievements for the group this year include:

• Unique System (USA) completed the first mobilisation of its Unique Hydra purpose-built Hyperbaric Reception Facility (HRF) within the Gulf of
Mexico region.

• Unique System recently supported a significant hydrographic project that included the installation of Kongsberg’s EM 2040 multibeam echo sounder units for ‘Bayanat for Mapping and Surveying Services (Bayanat)’ in two different vessels in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

• The diving section of UMG expanded its line-up of products by offering the diving daughtercraft systems.

• Unique Seaflex assisted world-renowned Belfast shipyard Harland and Wolff with the largest load test ever carried out with the use of their WaterLoad range of bags over the course of the final days of May 2014.

• Unique System along with The Geodesy and Hydrographic Survey Section of Dubai Municipality (DM) successfully launched a mobile application that will enable users to know about an approaching sandstorm 48 hours in advance. The launch is in succession to the unveiling of UAE’s first Sandstorm Forecasting System at Gitex last year.

• Unique Wellube’s ‘Uni-Test Safety & Relief Valve Testing System’ has been certified by Bureau Veritas, one of the world’s leading independent testing, inspection and certification (TIC) bodies.

• Unique System introduced the DIVE MK2 underwater gauge from Cygnus Instruments in the Middle East region.

• Unique Seaflex facilitated one of the most complex underwater lift projects. The project was carried out for Lundin Tunisia BV in approximately 300 m of water.