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ABS LAUNCHES
ENERGY PROJECT DEVELOPMENT GROUP
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Members
of the newly formed Energy Project Development
group, (from left) Manager Ian Simpson, Business
Analyst Steve Newell, Vice President Bill Sember,
Principal Surveyor Merih Unuvar and Proposal
Coordinator Christie Fleming provide coordination
of ABS services for gas and offshore sectors.
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ocused on providing an efficient, one-stop
point of contact for its gas and offshore |
customers requiring classification and technical guidance, ABS
has consolidated its energy-related services under a single
group called Energy Project Development.
The new group incorporates the established efforts of ABS’
Offshore Project Development group and its Gas Focus group,
explains William J. Sember,
ABS Vice President of Energy Development, while positioning
the organization to better serve the rapidly growing offshore
liquefied natural gas (LNG) market.
“Dwindling supplies of gas in both the United States
and Western Europe, combined with increased demand for gas
as a clean-burning fuel worldwide, finds industry looking
to significantly boost its LNG trade over the next 20 years,”
says Sember.
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ABS’ consolidation, he adds, addresses these impending needs
of prospective participants in the gas sector of the energy market
while continuing to remain attentive to the offshore business segment.
While ABS has supported a gas focus group for several years, Sember
advises that its Energy Project Development group now provides the
most effective coordination of ABS services for all gas and offshore
sectors under one umbrella. The new group provides a more effective,
coordinated way of considering innovative designs for technologies,
including LNG transportation and distribution, compressed natural
gas (CNG), gas-to-liquids (GTL), gas-to-wire (GTW) and cryogenic
transfer.
“We plan to further our recognition as the leading class
society for addressing emerging technologies while becoming the
industry’s leading provider
of class services for offshore LNG projects,” says Sember.
ABS already holds a majority share for the classification of the
world’s offshore fleet of jack-ups, drill ships, drill barges,
drill tenders, floating production/storage and offloading units,
spars, submersibles, tension leg platforms and semi submersibles.
“ABS has integrated its efforts to provide guidance with
industry investment in LNG terminals, gas carriers and related facilities,”
says Sember. With this newly formed organization ABS is poised to
assist customers with the technical and regulatory issues associated
with bringing emerging gas technologies to fruition.
ABS Names
William J. Sember, P.E., Vice President of Energy Development |
William J. Sember |
ABS has named William J. Sember,
P.E., Vice President of Energy Development, responsible for
the organization’s Energy Project Development group.
Based in Houston at ABS’ Worldwide Headquarters, Sember
previously served as Vice President of ABS’ Offshore
Project Development group.
Energy Project Development incorporates the
established efforts of Offshore Project Development and ABS’
Gas Focus group, thus providing customers with a one-stop
point of contact for energy-related services.
Sember’s 28-year career at ABS has
included a succession of progressively senior positions, including
head of the Offshore Engineering Department and vice president
of Operations for the Middle East, Eastern and Western Regions
of ABS Europe. |
Sember’s
professional associations include Offshore Mechanics and Arctic
Engineering (OMAE), where he was chairman of the Houston Chapter,
and the American Petroleum Institute (API), where he served
as chairman of the Subcommittee on Floating Systems. Sember
also was chairman of the International Association of Classification
Societies (IACS) Working Party on Drilling Units.
Sember holds a bachelor’s degree in
marine engineering from the United States Merchant Marine
Academy at Kings Point, N.Y. He also holds a U.S. Coast Guard
marine engineer's license and a professional engineer’s
license from the States of New York and Pennsylvania. |
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