Press release

Ezra launches S$10m training & simulator centre to raise proficiency in offshore support sector

Today, EMAS, which is part of Ezra Holdings Limited (Ezra, the Group or 以斯拉控股), saw a long-standing ambition realised – the launch of EMAS Academy, a S$10 million maritime training institute dedicated to advancing safety and operational standards in the industry and equipping crews with all the specialised skills they need to handle intricate offshore operations.

The state-of-the-art training and simulator centre was officially opened today by Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Singapore’s Second Minister for Finance and Transport. Through its rigorously developed programmes that incorporate cutting-edge simulation technology, the centre is primed to help the industry address what has been widely acknowledged as an important issue – the shortage of skilled maritime professionals, especially crews, who will be essential in ensuring the industry’s continued growth.

As a leading provider of integrated offshore support and marine services to energy companies across the globe, Ezra recognised early on that the industry would need to groom strong teams of personnel adept in operating sophisticated offshore support vessels safely and efficiently as exploration & production (E&P) activities evolved and became increasingly complex. In line with its strategy of always “planning today for tomorrow”, the Group thus decided the time was ripe to establish a training facility that could keep pace with the industry as energy players headed into ever-deeper waters, charting new frontiers in the race to maximise the world’s dwindling energy resources.

Located within the 18-hectare Ubi Techpark, EMAS Academy offers offshore and marine professionals a meticulously structured curriculum that will increase their operational efficiency while enhancing their ability to safeguard lives, assets and the environment. Using the very latest in simulation technology, it will give crews the chance to hone their skills in a large array of operational environments and prepare them to handle even the most trying conditions at sea, minimising the risk of mishaps and expediting the successful conclusion of offshore projects. These facilities will also enable EMAS to simulate live projects for clients, increasing their confidence in the ability of Ezra’s crews to complete every task safely, swiftly and efficiently.

Mr Lionel Lee (黎才德), Ezra’s Managing Director, said: “The launch of EMAS Academy underlines Ezra’s commitment to raising benchmarks industrywide in terms of safety and operational excellence. Realising several years back that deepwater E&P activities would become increasingly prevalent in the oil and gas (O&G) sector, Ezra saw a compelling need to equip offshore staff with the right skills and knowledge to respond rapidly and efficiently to harsh operating environments and the ever more complex demands of deepwater projects.”

As a result, the Group moved decisively to enlist renowned industry names such as Kongsberg Maritime, a world leader in breakthrough simulation technology, and the Maersk Training Centre, an acclaimed innovator in offshore training, as pioneer partners in developing the curriculum for the Academy. Designed to keep crews up to date with the latest technologies and operational requirements, the training programmes will groom personnel to meet the highest international standards. In particular, the dynamic positioning (DP) courses have been fully certified by the Nautical Institute in the UK, while that for maritime crew resource management has been accredited by the Oxford Aviation Academy.

Global energy major Statoil has also been instrumental in helping the Academy to ensure that the training programmes will measure up to even the toughest yardsticks. The Academy will initially offer the DP, ship navigation and handling, engine room and resource management courses, and add other new relevant programmes in future, such as training in ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) operations.

Noted Mr Robin Kirkpatrick, the Chief Operating Officer of EMAS Offshore Services: “Statoil was one of the first operating companies in the offshore marine sector to invest time, effort and funds to publish a set of ‘best practice’ guidelines on the various aspects of anchor handling and towing aimed at fostering and promoting operating standards and procedures that the whole industry would profit from. We saw this as an ideal building block to structure our training courses and were delighted when Statoil agreed that we could use the materials. To them and our other partners, we express our gratitude for their untiring support and innumerable contributions which have made it possible for EMAS Academy to develop such comprehensive and realistic training programmes.”

Ezra’s own crews will be the first to enjoy the many benefits afforded by these assiduously tailored courses and the specially commissioned technologies, which include a full mission bridge simulator fitted with anchor handling (AH), towing, engine room and DP functionality. With the aid of the very latest in advanced simulators, which includes simultaneous operations capability across three vessels, the Academy’s veteran instructors will be able to take crews through true-to-life team scenarios, allowing them to perfect complex and sometimes hazardous procedures in controlled environments. The AH vessel simulator has been accredited by Norway’s Stiftelsen Det Norske Veritas (DNV), a major classification society widely respected in the international maritime world.

Having undergone this stringent training and armed with new specialised skills, Ezra’s crews will return to their vessels thoroughly prepared to handle the challenging conditions likely to confront many operators moving into the deepwater segment. This will considerably strengthen the Group’s capabilities across the board and allow its core offshore support, marine and deepwater subsea divisions to better service their clients.

By helping the Group to lay strong new foundations for the future, the EMAS Academy will propel Ezra forward in its ambition to become a leading global offshore and subsea solutions provider.

About The Company

Specialising in offshore support and marine services, Ezra (以斯拉控股) is unique in the offshore oil and gas (O&G) industry as it offers integrated solutions across a wide spectrum of the support supply chain, over the entire life cycle of an oilfield and in all types of environments. Under the EMAS branding, the Group operates globally with offices in the UK, the US, Norway, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia, Brunei and Singapore.Specialising in offshore support and marine services, Ezra (以斯拉控股) is unique in the offshore oil and gas (O&G) industry as it offers integrated solutions across a wide spectrum of the support supply chain, over the entire life cycle of an oilfield and in all types of environments. Under the EMAS branding, the Group operates globally with offices in the UK, the US, Norway, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia, Brunei and Singapore.

Since its founding in 1992, Ezra has earned many accolades for excellence in operations and growth. In the latest milestone achievement, it was certified in business continuity management (BCM) for two internationally recognised benchmarks – the Singapore BCM Standard SS540 and the British BCM Standard BS 25999 – by Lloyd’s Register in October 2010. Ezra is the first organisation in the offshore marine industry and the second in the world to win such a certification.

Ezra offers transport and support services through its offshore support division, which manages and operates a young fleet of anchor handling, towing & supply vessels, anchor handling tugs and fast crew utility boats.

The deepwater subsea division offers installation of subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines (SURF); subsea inspection, maintenance and repair works; and well intervention, well stimulation, hydraulic workover and coil tubing services. This division is well-positioned to become another major growth driver with the Group’s recent proposed US$250 million acquisition of Aker Marine Contractors (AMC), a successful and established SURF and floater installation company with a strong presence in the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea, Latin America and Africa. With AMC, Ezra will be able to provide EPIC (engineering, procurement, installation and construction) and SURF solutions to the global O&G industry.

The construction and production arm, under approximately 47.3%-owned EOC Limited, offers offshore transport, installation, construction and floating production services for offshore oil and gas production. It manages two heavy lift accommodation crane barges, a pipelay vessel and a floating production, storage & offloading (FPSO) vessel.

Ezra’s marine services division provides support and fabrication services, with logistics and fabrication engineering services offered out of Vietnam through HCM Logistics and marine lifting equipment from Houston. The Group has the design and engineering capabilities to support offshore heavy lift installations. It is also able to perform inspection, maintenance and repair work for FPSO vessels as well as offshore installations.

For investors or analysts enquiries, please contact
Mr Tay Chin Kwang chinkwang@ezraholdings.com
or Ms Nora Cheng noracheng@oaktreeadvisers.com

For Media Enquiries, please contact
Mr Alex Tan alex.tan@ezraholdings.com
or Ms Carol Chong carolchong@oaktreeadvisers.com