Environmental team strengthened following acquisition

Independent drilling fluid specialist FOCUS has strengthened its environmental team with the addition of two new staff members.

The Aberdeen-headquartered oil and gas service company has welcomed Ciara McGarry and Gavan Ward following its acquisition of environmental legislative and corporate compliance consultancy Trilogy Environmental Solutions.

FOCUS works with oil and gas operators and drilling contractors globally to manage and optimise drilling fluid systems. Delivered on and offshore over the whole life-cycle of a well, its services reduce costs and waste, eliminate surface spills, and ensure environmental and regulatory compliance.

Ciara McGarry joins FOCUS as principal environmental consultant after eight years as director and senior environmental consultant at Trilogy. Prior to that she held environmental advisory roles within the manufacturing industry, waste management companies and local government.

An environmental scientist with over 13 years’ oil and gas industry experience, Ciara is recognised by the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management as a chartered waste manager.

At FOCUS she will work with colleagues to deliver a broad range of environmental services to clients. This includes environmental permitting; developing and implementing environmental risk minimisation strategies for on and offshore; conducting legal compliance audits on and offshore; the implementation, maintenance and auditing of environmental management systems; waste management consultancy; and decommissioning support.

For the past three years, Ciara’s main responsibility has been as environmental specialist for the largest oil and gas decommissioning project currently underway in the North Sea. She will use this wealth of knowledge and experience to advise and assist FOCUS clients undertaking decommissioning projects.

Ciara said:

“FOCUS has extensive experience in the oil and gas industry, delivering services that make a positive impact over the life-cycle of clients’ wells. I am excited to be joining the team at FOCUS to help deliver this and I am looking forward to the new challenges and opportunities that this brings, both locally and internationally.”

Gavan Ward founded Trilogy Environmental Solutions in 2009 and joins FOCUS as environmental business development manager. He will work closely with the FOCUS business development and environmental teams to ensure the firm’s environmental services remain in line with the oil and gas industry’s increasingly stringent regulatory regime around the world.

Over the past 12 years, Gavan has worked in an environmental advisory capacity within the energy industry on a series of projects for major oil and gas exploration and production companies operating in the North Sea. He has also carried out environmental consultancy work for small independent production companies and tier two marine contractors and consultancies.

Commenting on his appointment, Gavan said:

“I am very pleased to join the team at such a defining time for the business. Even though the oil and gas industry is going through an extremely challenging time, FOCUS has ambitious plans for continued growth and I’m keen to deliver on my part.”

Ciara and Gavan will strengthen FOCUS’ environmental team which is led by environmental manager Dr Colin Patterson. Based at the firm’s Aberdeen headquarters, they will continue to deliver the same broad range of environmental services while supporting FOCUS’ three regional divisions, which cover the Americas; Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and Asia Pacific.

Colin Manderson, chairman of FOCUS, said:

“With an increasingly complex environmental legal framework being put in place by regulators around the world, a robust professional and comprehensive environmental service is viewed as core to the future of our business. Ciara and Gavan are highly valued additions to FOCUS and will bring an even greater level of support and service to our customers.”

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/hse/14072016/environmental-team-strengthened-following-acquisition/