Six ONS Innovation Awards Nominations for Aker Solutions


19 August 2010 - The ONS Innovation Awards is one of the oil industry's most prestigious accolades. This year, six of Aker Solutions' technologies have been nominated by the ONS (Offshore Northern Seas) jury.

"We provide solutions for the future with these six nominated technologies", says chief technology officer in Aker Solutions, Åsmund Bøe. "All of our innovation ability, technical knowledge and collaboration with clients, vendors and partners have been invested in developing these technologies. Ever since the oil and gas industry ventured offshore, Aker Solutions has been a major contributor of new technology, new knowledge and new methods for exploration and production of energy reserves."

The following are Aker Solutions' nominated technologies for the ONS Innovation Awards:

PowerTrac® Stroker ZIP
The PowerTrac® Stroker Zone Isolation Plug (ZIP) is a unique system designed to optimise well performance. It consists of an electrical surface-controlled setting tool and flexible plug which can be set or retrieved repeatedly in one run. The ZIP facilitates more accurate and reliable determination of the ultimate position of a flow control device (i.e. permanent plug) and thus effectively enhances oil production. It can be combined with other functions including production logging (PLT) and the setting of permanent plugs or perforation guns (whichever is the most expedient). The system reduces HSE risk, saves time and reduces the number of runs required.

PowerTrac® Stroker-KOT Service
Artificial gas lift will extend the lifetime of producing oil wells by several years, and the positioning of gas lift valves (GLVs) is key to their influence on extending lifetime of wells. During traditional slickline operations, the manipulation of GLVs is restricted by well deviation. Aker Solutions' innovative system for substituting valves permits such operations to be performed on wireline in highly deviated settings. Side Pocket Mandrels with GLVs can now be positioned in the zones most beneficial for oil recovery regardless of deviation, resulting in significantly higher production rates many additional years of production.

MH MDDM 1000 AC(TM)
Aker Solution's MH MDDM 1000 AC(TM) top drive is the first true modular derrick drilling machine that meets sixth generation drilling requirements. The machine is designed to meet the stringent specifications of 99.9 percent uptime. Its innovative modular concept enables easy access for the replacement of individual modules, significantly reducing both the critical path of the operation and repair time. In the event of component or module breakdown, the module in question can be replaced without interrupting other top drive systems. In addition to its modularity, the innovative design of the MH MDDM 1000 AC(TM) facilitates maximum uptime, performance, enhanced safety and efficiency. The nomination follows an OTC 2010 Spotlight on New Technology Award earlier this year.

Single Trip Multi-Purpose Tool
Aker Solution's wellheads team has recently qualified its next generation Single-Trip Multi-Purpose Tool. This completion tool is designed to run casing hangers and pack-offs in one single trip. It displays some of the highest operating parameters within the industry, and also incorporates several innovative features which improve safety, reliability and performance, while also reducing complexity. The tool is currently available for operational use and is scheduled to be run offshore for the first time in January 2011.

Slimline Rigid Lockdown Wellhead System
Aker Solutions' new Slimline Rigid Lockdown (SRLD) Wellhead System reflects the company's innovative approach to subsea wellhead supply. Products are built around a single universal wellhead, while other components are specified according to operational requirements. The total system is then quickly assembled from a stock list of building block components. Wellhead fatigue is at the heart of system design philosophy and fatigue life is estimated to be at least one order of magnitude greater than for traditional wellheads. The system has the potential greatly to increase the scope of field development intervention and work over packages, and will transform the tail-life of future assets.

Coabis(TM)
Aker Solutions' original Coabis(TM) integrity management tool facilitates the efficient management of subsea structures and functions as a datastore for recorded information. Recently, the company has upgraded the product to facilitate pipe work and vessel inspections in addition to topsides. It now also allows operators to manage subsea pipeline integrity data. This additional functionality enables inspection regime management for an operator's entire asset portfolio using a single product, thus eliminating the need to maintain a myriad of databases. It facilitates the easy storage of important integrity data, thus enabling faster and more efficient integrity management and more secure assets.

ONS jury hails applications
The jury has approved a total of 118 nominated companies or products for the ONS 2010 Innovation Awards. Aker Solutions holds the nominations for six key technologies.

"We have received many exciting applications for the Innovation Awards", says Siri Helle Friedemann, who is chair of the ONS Innovation Award jury, to www.ons.no. "In particular, there are several good applications nominated in the fields of drilling and well technology. If implemented, these products and services have the potential to result in major reductions in both costs and carbon footprints. There are also applications in the fields of safety and monitoring - issues that are of major current relevance".

Announcement of winners
The winners will be announced at a special Innovation Lunch at ONS on Wednesday 25 August. Aker Solutions' nominated teams and chief technology officer will attend.

"As a leading technology supplier across all phases of an oilfield's lifecycle, it is a testament to our long heritage of innovation to have six nominations for these awards. Whether they win or not, these technologies will help many of our customers' quests for hydrocarbons safer, quicker and more reliable," concludes chief technology officer in Aker Solutions, Åsmund Bøe.

Other new and exciting innovations from Aker Solutions will also be showcased at the stand exhibition area. Visit us at stand B248 at this years ONS in Stavanger, Norway from August 24th to 27th.

For further information, please contact:

Media:

Endre Johansen,

VP Communications,

Aker Solutions.

Tel: +47 22 94 58 91,

Mob: +47 41 61 06 05.

Email: endre.johansen@akersolutions.com

Aker Solutions ASA, through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("Aker Solutions"), is a leading global provider of engineering and construction services, technology products and integrated solutions. Aker Solutions' business serves several industries, including oil & gas, refining & chemicals, mining & metals and power generation. The Aker Solutions group is organised in a number of separate legal entities. Aker Solutions is used as the common brand/trademark for most of these entities.

Aker Solutions' parent company is Aker Solutions ASA. Aker Solutions has aggregated annual revenues of approximately NOK 54 billion and employs approximately 22 000 people in about 30 countries.

Aker Solutions is part of Aker (www.akerasa.com), a group of premier companies with a focus on energy, maritime and marine resource industries. The Aker companies share a common set of values and a long tradition of industrial innovation. As an industrial owner controlling 40.27 percent of the shares in Aker Solutions through Aker Holding AS, Aker ASA takes an active role in the development of Aker Solutions.

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