Page 61: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Mar/Apr 2015)

60 62

Jim Britton

Jim Britton is the founder and CEO of Houston-based

Deepwater Corrosion Services. He has worked in the off- shore corrosion and asset integrity ? eld since 1972. He was educated in the UK and began his offshore career in the UK

North Sea. Jim has published numerous technical papers on offshore corrosion-related issues and holds several patents for technology associated with corrosion and asset integ- rity management. For nearly 30 years, Jim has focused on developing methods, products and technologies for control- ling corrosion on virtually any type of offshore asset, from platforms and pipelines to FPSOs and wind farms. to be in a market like this. lose too much talent from see tremendous opportunity new ideas to offshore and as

These assets have got to be the industry because when particularly in deepwater and running primarily a product development company. Ninety- maintained or everyone loses they are needed, they aren’t ultra-deepwater segments.

out if these assets fail. going to be there. Also, many ? ve percent of what we sell is

There is a lot of talk about designed and built right here

You have to have a business companies are dealing with the near-term viability of the model that hedges Green? eld the knowledge gap where they in Houston. I’d like to known

North Sea. What do you say? and Brown? eld activity. We are lacking talent with 20 or as never giving up on the US as a manufacturing center. Texas have gone to great lengths to more years of experience. At The North Sea is a great area. structure our business to shift my company, we try to cre- It is like a phoenix as it keeps easily has some of the best tal- our emphasis in downturns ate a very structured career on coming up. Right now, it is ent in the world when it comes to engineering and manufactur- to the inspection and mainte- development program that challenged, but the UK gov- nance oriented business. We includes mentoring to address ernment has a vested interest ing. I’d like to think I’m doing what I can do to keep us in that have operated the company the knowledge gap. in keeping the offshore oil with that balance and it has Also, the oil and gas indus- and gas business viable by lead position and not sell these helped us weather the storms. try as a whole doesn’t force providing tax relief. job offshore. you into retirement. If you We’ve invested heavily in

In light of tighter budgets, are willing to work and your positioning ourselves there. Faces of the Industry will what advice do you have for brain is functioning, you can This is a major market but feature individuals who do companies in their overall work as long as you want in also a major source of innova- extraordinary things for the asset integrity strategy?

a consulting role. That’s what tive technology that really industry and outside the

I would recommend looking saved the industry when we compliments what is happen- industry. If you would like to at their assets very critically went through the drought ing here on the Gulf Coast. nominate someone, please and performing a risk assess- periods with a low number of The most successful compa- send an email to Kelli Lauletta. ment as there are limited petroleum engineers. nies work between the US funds. You have to appreci- and the UK. The compliment Kelli

What are some key ate that some assets are more between the European engi- Lauletta is opportunities for companies worthy of maintenance dol- neering style along with the an HR in the o