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Tag: North America

North America Regional Meeting

IMCA’s North American Regional Meeting returns to Houston on Tuesday 15 October 2024. IMCA’s regular regional meetings bring our Members together to discuss industry issues, trends, and developments, explore the latest from IMCA’s technical teams, and offer a great opportunity to meet colleagues from across the industry. As with previous meetings, attendees will hear from our Technical team. From IMCA, Richard Purser, Technical Adviser – Marine, Margaret Fitzgerald, Head of Legal & Regulatory Affairs, David Slater, Technical Adviser – Diving and Dustin Varnell, Master Mariner. The Regional Meeting takes place at Norris Conference Centers – The ARK by Norris in Houston.

MTS DP Conference 2024

IMCA is once again heading to Houston for the MTS DP Conference on 8 to 9 October 2024. Offering a unique opportunity for Dynamic Positioning (DP) professionals based in North America to share their experiences and insight, the Conference explores the latest technical innovation and best-practice while offering an opportunity for professional networking and connection building. Richard Purser and Jennifer Evans from our DP team will be on hand to present the latest from IMCA and participate in the sessions. Delegates will also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of technical sessions and networking events. Topics will range from the latest

IMCA donates £10,000 to Jason’s Beacon providing free Personal Locator Beacons to offshore workers

IMCA has donated £10,000/US$12,500 to a charity providing free Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) to offshore professionals working in US waters. PLBs are emergency rescue service aids which emit a signal allowing rescue workers to use GPS coordinates to find workers who are stranded at sea. The donation will enable Jason’s Beacon, a Texas based non-profit, to provide 35 beacons free of charge to verified offshore personnel working with US based companies. The charity was founded in 2021 by the family of Jason Willis Krell who tragically lost his life at sea in the Seacor Power Disaster on April 13, 2021,

IMCA North America Regional Meeting

The next IMCA North America Regional Meeting takes place in Newport, Rhode Island on Tuesday March 26, 2024. You’ll hear from a range of industry speakers exploring topics such as Personal Locator Beacons (Fugro), eCMID and vessel assurance (Baker Marine Solutions), and safe personnel transfer (Boskalis). We’ll also be hosting an interactive Walk2Work group workshop. From IMCA, attendees will hear from Richard Purser, Technical Adviser – Marine, and Rhys Jones Technical Adviser – Marine Renewable Energy and Dustin Varnell, Master Mariner. Also in attendance will be Director of Client Engagement – North America, Bruce Gresham. View the agenda in full

Exploring Emergency Response for offshore wind in New England

IMCA, in partnership with Board member G+, hosted the Offshore Wind Emergency Response workshop at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in November. 80 delegates were in attendance including representatives from contractors, developers, the emergency services and regulators. Welcoming attendees to the event, Dustin Varnell of IMCA introduced New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell. Taking time out of his busy schedule, Mayor Mitchell addressed the workshop emphasising the importance of offshore wind as the next step in New Bedford’s long and proud maritime legacy. The workshop started with an introduction from Beate Hildenbrand (G+) and explored emergency response in North American offshore

Exploring alternative contracting models

We preview the upcoming IMCA Regional Meeting in North America on 2 November 2023. Book your place now. IMCA’s hybrid regional meeting brings together leading voices in the offshore oil and gas and wind industry to discuss how we can overcome the performance challenges we collectively face in North America, and how alternative contracting models can help us collectively meet the huge expectations placed on our sectors.  Challenging productivity, an adversarial and competitive working environment, and limited take-up of technology and innovation have impacted across the supply chain. Organising contracts around common goals with a focus on collaboration, cooperation, and

Regional Meetings: Bringing our members together

IMCA’s Regional Meetings bring Members together to explore the key issues facing the industry.  They are not only an opportunity to hear first-hand from our team of technical experts on recent industry developments, they also offer attendees the chance to build vital connections. With guest-speakers invited from the offshore sector sharing their expertise and insight, they are must-attend dates in the industry calendar. Book your place now for IMCA’s upcoming Regional Meetings in Q3 and Q4 2023 in the links below. Agenda details will be shared soon. Middle East & India – Dubai, UAE (12 October).  North America – Houston, USA (2 November). 

Contracting Principles for Offshore Wind at IPF 2023

Our campaign for sustainable contracting principles around offshore wind installation is heading to IPF 2023 in Baltimore, USA with IMCA taking part in an industry panel discussion on the topic of allocation of risk in offshore wind contracting.  IPF 2023 is the 10th anniversary of the International Offshore Wind Partnering Forum, organised by the Business Network for Offshore Wind. The event, which is the premier offshore wind energy conference in the Americas, welcomes more than 4,000 delegates across three days with global leaders and businesses in the supply chain discussing the latest technical and policy developments in this space.  Iain

IMCA launches NE USA Focal Group

Following IMCA’s seminar in Providence Rhode Island in November 2022, IMCA kicked off a new North East USA Focal Group at a two-hour seminar chaired by Dustin Varnell on 26 January 2023. Dustin is Osbit’s US Country Manager and IMCA’s Advisor – US Atlantic.The aim of the focal group is, “to influence and shape the safe and efficient operations on the NE Atlantic Coast of North America.”Its objectives are:Identify common matters of interest in the region. Identify the relevant guidance required to be able to be able to operate safely and effectively on the Atlantic Seaboard. Improve communications to increase

IMCA adds U.S. offshore wind expertise to Business Development team

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has appointed Dustin Varnell to its Business Development team. Based in Rhode Island, Dustin will focus on the U.S. offshore wind energy market, complementing the work of Bruce Gresham, IMCA’s Director of Client Engagement in the U.S. Allen Leatt, IMCA CEO stated: “As a Master Mariner on dynamic positioned (DP) vessels Dustin is very familiar with IMCA’s work in the field, which is very beneficial in representing the association to existing and new member companies in the U.S. wind industry. We look forward to closely engaging with industry in the Northeast U.S. and helping

IMCA signs MOU with Business Network Offshore Wind

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Business Network for Offshore Wind (the Network) a non-profit, educational organisation to develop the offshore wind renewable energy industry and its supply chain in the U.S. The purpose of the collaboration is to share knowledge concerning the industry’s safety and productivity that will promote investment and support its future growth.Allen Leatt, CEO, commented:“Both IMCA and the Network share the common goal of supporting the advancement of offshore wind energy in the U.S. in a safe and efficient way.“The Network is expertly placed in supporting the

IMCA Responds to Congressional Advancement of U.S. Crewing Legislation

On March 29, 2022 the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation – H.R. 6728 – that included a provision in Section 518 (as we have previously reported) that would impose burdensome new citizenship-based restrictions on crews of foreign flag vessels that work on offshore energy projects on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (“OCS”).  This provision would require mariners on foreign flagged vessels operating on the OCS be either U.S. citizens, permanent residents (green card holders), or citizens of the nation of the flag state of the vessel, in contravention of longstanding international principles that regulation and credentialing of crews are

Upcoming Regional Committee Elections

Do you want to be involved in IMCA’s committees? Elections for three of our regional committees will be taking place shortly:Middle East & India North America South AmericaIf you are a member and have a presence in these parts of the world look out for information about how to get involved with our committee work.Full details relating to timeline and process for these elections will be communicated direct to Members in the relevant region in due course.

IMCA forges N.American offshore wind contacts

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) is successfully expanding its reach in the North American offshore wind sector thanks to its membership in the Business Network for Offshore Wind (BNOW), the organisation dedicated to building a network designed to usher the U.S. into the offshore wind market. IMCA’s network will undoubtedly expand thanks to its participation in BNOW’s International Offshore Wind Partnering Forum (IPF2021) In Richmond, Virginia 24-26 August. IMCA member companies are very active in the offshore wind industry globally, working at all development stages from feasibility studies to offshore construction. The overwhelming majority of offshore installations have been

Consultation on IMCA’s Code of Practice on Environmental Sustainability

Please note that this consultation period is now closed – thank you for your support. Environmental sustainability and the energy transition are fundamental to long-term value creation for the offshore marine contracting industry. In recognition of this, and to help improve environmental performance, a dedicated workgroup was formed under the auspices of the Environmental Sustainability Committee, with oversight of the IMCA Board, to develop a Code of Practice on Environmental Sustainability. For the past four months, the workgroup consisting of international contractors, global contractors and contractors have held 6 workgroup, 20 subgroup meetings and multiple bilateral meetings and worked together

IMCA’s Global Reach: AWEA Offshore Windpower Virtual Summit

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) is presenting at the AWEA Offshore Windpower Virtual Summit on 13 October 2020.Captain Andy Goldsmith, Technical Adviser – Marine and Bruce Gresham, Director of Client Engagement, North America, will give a joint presentation on ‘Preparing the Workforce – Industry Education and Training’ (15:15 EST/20:15 GMT).“The material included in educational and familiarisation programmes is based on operational knowledge and experience. IMCA Members, like those involved in our Marine Renewable Energy Committee, share their experience and knowledge to produce industry accepted guidance documents. Prepared by the industry for the industry, IMCA Members are required to follow

IMCA Speaking at Underwater Intervention in New Orleans

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) is being represented by Peter Sieniewicz, IMCA Technical Adviser – Diving, at this year’s Underwater Intervention (UI) on 5 February 2020. UI, which takes place in New Orleans 4-6 February 2020, is the premier event for the entire underwater operations industry. Through compelling education and thought-provoking features, UI will draw the industry’s leaders from around the world to gather for three days of networking, thought sharing and relationship building. Looking forward to UI Peter Sieniewicz said: “It is an honour to represent IMCA at this conference given its relevance to a key section of

IMCA to Hold Topic-Rich IMCA North America Regional Meeting in Houston

Presentations on North American offshore wind; and ADCI and IMCA working together Workshop and panel discussion to help determine IMCA’s North America work programme The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) is holding its North America Regional meeting in Houston on Thursday October 25. This will provide an opportunity for IMCA members and guests to obtain an update on the Association’s activities; take part in a workshop that will contribute to IMCA’s work in the region; and receive presentations on offshore wind in North America and the ongoing work with the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI). The morning meeting will

IMCA makes North America appointment

The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has announced the appointment of Eric Roan as its regulatory representative in North America. “I am very pleased to welcome an experienced professional with the stature and credentials of Eric on to the IMCA bench,” says Allen Leatt. “He will play a key role in our dialogue with industry regulators and within our extensive network of members in the United States.” Based in Houston, Texas, Eric has worked in a variety of regulatory compliance and advocacy roles for several oil companies and drilling contractors in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.  He has over 20

IMCA publishes report on offshore construction vessel capacity in the US Gulf of Mexico

Following the bulletin published by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on 17 January proposing to revoke or modify a series of rulings relating to offshore activities and the Jones Act, IMCA has completed an analysis of fleet capacity in the US Gulf of Mexico (GoM) should the revocations go ahead. The report, Marine Construction Vessel Impacts of Proposed Modifications and Revocations of Jones Act Letters Related to Offshore Oil and Natural Gas Activities, is now available to read. The full report and its executive summary are available to read below:

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