Deepwater drilling and performance improvement specialist Exceed has secured several new contracts leading to 25 new staff being taken on in recent months to fulfil the work.

The Aberdeen-based company is currently working on Oil & Gas projects in three countries, with two additional projects starting in the near future. With a growing team of 35+ people, turnover is on track to rise by more than 300% in two years and is forecast to nudge $7 million for 2010/11 (year end February 2011).

Exceed started as a performance improvement specialist and diversified last year to launch the industry’s first project management team to focus solely on drilling projects in deepwater. The new division provides a full wells project capability from conceptual design, exploration and evaluation through to full field development.

Led by industry-renowned drilling experts Al Brockie and Stan Van de Capelle, the division rapidly secured its first deepwater drilling project management work and is about to take on additional work covering three wells for the same client in the Black Sea. Exceed is also in discussions for further international deepwater projects later this year.

Exceed founder and co-director Ian Mills said: "Exceed invested heavily in diversifying to create the opportunity for additional growth and in drawing together an exceptional team. We went from a discretionary offering to an essential one and now have work worth $6million stretching well into 2011 and beyond.

“Deepwater exploration and development plays an increasingly important role in meeting global energy demands. The key players in this field – National Oil Companies, operators and contractors, are faced with challenges such as increasing complexity, escalating cost of services, limited availability of deepwater rigs, and the shortage of and technically capable experts with the sector relevant experience.’’

He added: “Exceed’s deepwater team has amassed more than 500 years combined offshore drilling experience working on a variety of rig types including the latest technology 5/6th generation dual-handling rigs. Our mission is to be the world’s premier deepwater wells specialists who explore and develop deepwater prospects free of incidents and at the lowest possible cost of access. We aim to shorten the cycle from prospect to production while always delivering well integrity, well productivity and well quality.

“We have had an overwhelmingly positive response to our approach which provides consistency and continuity by having an Exceed team that remain with the rig. The team are committed to world-class health & safety and operational performance and to ensure best practice is transferred from client to client.’’

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