Sharjah-based Unique Maritime Group (UMG), the integrated turnkey subsea and offshore solution providers, made strong strides in the UAE over the past year.

It began 2013 by expanding into a new business segment in the UAE – Onsite Machine Rental.

“With this, our ever expanding rental pool saw the addition of portable machines such as split frame clamshells, flange facing machines, boring bards, milling machines and many more,” said a UMG spokesperson.

The group also celebrated 20 years of ‘Strength in Depth’, relating to its fully-owned subsidiary Unique System in the UAE.

Unique System became an exclusive distributor in the Middle East for agencies such as Lamor, Wills Ridley and NKUA. Another group company Unique Wellube also saw the widening of its portfolio of services by signing exclusive agency and distribution agreements with Inpipe Products (UK), Weldfit Corporation (USA) and Mactech (USA).

The group saw a geographical expansion, opening offices in Nigeria and Qatar. Both these establishments aim to offer services offered by the group as a whole.

Unique System, along with The Geodesy and Hydrographic Survey Section of Dubai Municipality, established a permanent tidal station at Al Mamzaar. It also successfully handed over a hyperbaric treatment system for the Dubai Police.

Unique Hydrographic Systems was contracted by Leighton Welspun to supply Unique Seaflex air lift bags and also bagged an oil spill recovery contract from Cairn India.

Unique System’s office in the US completed the successful delivery of upgrade to the Ranger Offshore Inc’s DNV classed,  six-man 1000 Saturation Diving System to a 12-man system while Unique Hydra in South Africa received the largest air dive system order from its client Subtech Offshore Services. The order included six complete SL3.1 air diving controls and chamber systems as well as the relevant SL 3.6 machinery packages.

A single point mooring (SPM) buoy containing a monitoring system engineered and supplied by Unique System FZE for Abu Dhabi Oil Company Ltd Japan (Adoc) that provides meteorological and oceanic data

Meanwhile Unique System was contracted by Adnatco-NGSCO to deliver ship performance monitoring solutions that will help optimise vessel performance and subsequently aim to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions. The entire project will be carried out by Unique System, acting as agents for the Iceland-based energy management company Marorka ehf. Commissioning and technical support will be provided by Unique Marorka Support Services which is a joint venture set up by Marorka ehf and Unique System.

The company along with Dubai Municipality launched the first sandstorm forecasting system in the UAE. The system is based on the state-of-the-art 3D weather prediction model with which Dubai Municipality has several years of experience.

Unique System engineered and supplied a monitoring system that will provide the Abu Dhabi Oil Company Ltd (Japan) with meteorological and oceanographic data to aid operational decision-making.

Unique System also tied up with ALES to supply an Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) to Ras Al Khaimah International Airport. It installed the components and sensors that make the AWOS system.

The company joined hands with National Hyperbaric Centre to conduct a series of diving-related courses in the Middle East.

A Mactech Diamond wire cutter for subsea operations that UMG supplies

“This was in line with our strategy to offer quality training to our customers. Courses were conducted on various topics such as Air Diving Supervisor, Dive Technician, Diver Medic Technician and Diving Systems Auditing & Assurance among many others. We also conducted a one-of-its-kind Volumes Computation course by Hypack in November for our Survey customers,” said Ian Huggins, general manager at Unique System.

Another group company Unique Seaflex completed the manufacturing of its 30,000th bag in October. It was also contacted by Saipem in Portugal who were looking to urgently conduct a 550-tonne load test on a derrick barge located at Point Noire in the Congo.

Huggins further said: “UMG has built up an impressive reputation for quality, innovation, service and speed of response in its nearly two decades of existence and is always striving to improve its product and service enhancements via organic growth and strategic acquisitions.”

The company has invested significantly in the oil and gas division this year and is looking forward to further expand in the industry by not only targeting new clients but also offering a new range of services to the existing clients. In terms of geographical expansion it will be soon targeting Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and East Africa to offer its portfolio of products and services and it looks forward to achieving this in 2014.

“We are also investing in a new business of specialised offshore containers and units and have partnered with OEG to form a joint venture tentatively named OEG Unique. The objective is to provide customers in the Middle East region with DNV certified cargo carrying units and A60 modules on a sale or rental basis. The plan will come into implementation this year,” said Huggins.

“Our initiatives symbolise the hallmark of passion and compassion of UMG. Our way of giving back to society is our constant quest to alter lives for the better. It’s what makes us a company with a heart, and a group that is Unique,” he added.

Founded in 1993, the group is a specialist solutions and engineering services provider for the marine, diving, survey, NDT,  oil and gas and ROV industries.