Returned at last

Well, as some of you may have guessed, I am now the proud father of a lovely baby boy called James, born on the 7th, 7lbs 14oz. He had a bit of a dramatic entrance, but mum and baby are fine now, and we're very happy.

Of course, only now am I getting back into the swing of things, and getting up to date with the recent developments in the market. Of course, the Horizon disaster is one of the main headlines at the moment, and is really tragic. I know all our thoughts are with the families of those killed and injured. It just shows how important proper safety and other procsdures are, and how much the industry needs to continue improving and updating these systems and processes.

It's not uncommon in what I do for me to speak to candidates who complain bitterly about the HSE systems on board a rig, and very often this will be the reason why they are looking to leave. Although things are a lot tighter than they used to be, and in the North Sea in particular, procedures are obviously extremely stringent, I still come across people working for Major contractors who tell me about situations where corners are cut, people aren't there when they have to be, and of horrible mistakes and accidents. Hopefully this horrible incident will encourage some companies once again to look at where they can increase safety rather than cut costs.


In other news, Vantage Drilling are profiled in Rigzone this week. A relatively new Contractor, they seem to have developed a good reputation for themselves, and are continuing to grow.

Maersk have a new rig which will be out later this year. My money would be it'll go to GOM or Brazil, but I am guessing slightly.

Also, Halliburton are to buy Boots and Coots. This came as abit of a surprise to me, but as usual, what do I know.. Article here

There was an interesting article on Reuters here about where things might be headed, and hinted at a combination of caution and slight optimism for the rig markets.

Jobs wise, I'm still getting into things again, but always on the lookout for solid people with good experience and in-date certification.