Subsea connector specialist, First Subsea Ltd has appointed John Shaw as managing director. Previously First Subsea’s global operations director, he will be responsible for the on-going development and growth of the company’s ball and taper connector business in the oil and gas and renewable energy markets.
Before joining First Subsea in 2011, Mr Shaw was head of Engineered Products Group at Trelleborg Offshore, and closely involved with the development of First Subsea’s range of market-leading, intervention-less connectors for risers and umbilicals.
A Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, John welcomes the opportunity to head up the company, and bring new connector and handling technology to bear on the challenges facing the offshore industry. “With the drive towards more efficient deepwater mooring, riser and drill pipe handling operations offshore, my aim is to ensure that First Subsea sets the standard for excellence in engineering design and deployment of ball and taper connectors,” he said.
In addition to riser and umbilical connectors, First Subsea’s ball and taper has been successfully used for deepwater mooring connectors, under the brand name ‘Ballgrab’, pipeline recovery and decommissioning tools, pipeline repair, hose connectors, heavy lift and buoy mooring and retrieval.
The connector technology has also been applied to pipe handling during on-shore drilling operations in the award winning Canrig Drilling Technology’s SureGrip Automated Casing Running Tool. Offshore, the SureGrip technology is being trialled by Blohm & Voss Oil Tools for a new generation of floor slip power tools using First Subsea’s ball and taper gripping technology to provide improved drill pipe handling.
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Offshore WIND staff, July 25, 2012