Project management. Overall definition, pre-study & activity plans. Definition of computer tools and standards. Will also be responsible for mathematical modelling and analysis of power generation and distribution systems.

ASEA BROWN BOVERI in NORWAY is, with a total of 12,000
employees and an annual revenue of 20.8 billion NOK, one of
the country's largest industrial corporations. The
corporation is part of the international ASEA BROWN BOVERI,
with an annual revenue of some 35 billion US$ and
approximately 215,000 employees. ASEA BROWN BOVERI in
NORWAY has the international responsibility of the business
areas of Petrochemicals, Oil and Gas within the ABB Group.
ABB INDUSTRI A/S is part of ASEA BROWN BOVERI in NORWAY.
In 1996 the company has 370 employees and an annual revenue
of 1.2 billion NOK.
ABB INDUSTRI is the global Product and Resource Centre of
Oil and Gas applications in the business area of Industrial
Automation & Drives. The Marine Division at ABB INDUSTRI
offers integrated solutions for power generation and
distribution, electric drive systems and automation and
positioning systems, with total responsibility through
every phase of each project and lifetime of vessels - from
design and engineering through to installation and
commissioning. Products include power plants, electric
propulsion systems, total automation systems, positioning
systems and electrotechnical products and drive systems for
the marine industry for all types of vessels: supply ships,
shuttle tankers, floating production vessels and rigs,
cruise liners and super-tankers.
ABB INDSTRI A/S has the worldwide responsibility of the
Business Unit (BU) and BU Oil and Gas and coordinates all
activities related to these areas. In addition, the Marine
Division has exclusive rights within the ABB Group to
deliver dynamic positioning systems (Dynpos, DP)
thruster-assisted positioning systems (Posmoor, PM),
electrical power generating equipment and propulsion
systems for the marine, oil and gas market.

Will provide know-how and define requirement specification for future solutions - delivery of complete installations. Will define common model formats/interfaces between the various subsystems in optimal MARINTRONICS design.

With its approximately 1,100 employees, the company
strengthened its posiiton in 1997 as one of the leading
suppliers to the Norwegian oil and gas market, not least as
a result of new deliveries of subsea technology to the
market. The company also achieved good results in terms of
health, safety and the environment. The bulk of this
company's business is concentrated in the Norwegian oil and
gas market, and operations include substantial engineering,
contracting, modification/maintenance and product/system
deliveries. One specialty is the supply of complete subsea
installations. ABB OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY A/S has delivered
products and services to most oil and offshore
installations in the Norwegian North Sea. The production
hall in Dusavik outside Stavanger was expanded and
modernised in 1997. As a result, the company has
consolidated all its production facilities under one roof.
The company is headquartered in Sandnes, with large
divisions in Oslo and Bergen.
ABB has the exclusive right to market TENTECH technology
for complete Floating Production Systems. The concept is
hased on a turret and mooring solution, where the turret
makes it possible to produce oil and gas independent of sea
and wind conditions. Another technology that keeps ships
steady regardless of weather is a dynamic positioning
system developed by ABB INDUSTRI. This new system can
reduce the fuel consumption of production vessels by up to
15%. These ABB designs have proved superior and have been
the preferred licence for newbuilds by operators in the
North Sea.
ABB OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY is responsible for ABB's subsea EPC
projects, in close cooperation with ABB VETCO GRAY and ABB
SEATEC. The company has won subsea contracts in the USA,
AUSTRALIA and BRAZIL. Based on successful deliveries to
ESSO's "Balder" project in NORWAY, ABB has signed a
worldwide subsea technology agreement with EXXON.
NORSK HYDRO awarded ABB OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY the world's
first contract to develop and deliver a subsea separation
system, which separates water from the wellstream and
re-injects the water into the reservoir. The facility,
named "Troll Pilot", is based on ABB's SUBSIS concept and
will be installed in the Troll field in the North Sea.
Another important event for the company was the contract
awarded by STATOIL for the tie-in system for flow-lines
and associated structures on Aasgard, where ABB OFFSHORE
TECHNOLOGY launched "Icarus", its new tie-in tool. In
partnership with HEEREMA, ABB OFFSHORE TECHNOLOGY won two
important contracts in 1997. The first was for the total
delivery and installation of a 7000 ton wellhead platform
for ESSO's Jotun field, and the second contract was for the
construction of a new compression module for the Valhall
field in the North Sea.

Will review requirement specifications and assist in gathering and evaluating experiences from engineering, installation, commissioning and operation of shuttle-tankers and FPSO installations with ABB equipment.

Part of the international ASEA BROWN BOVERI, in 1997 ABB
INDUSTRI OY had an order income of about 3 billion FIM.
It designs, manufactures and delivers products and systems
that improve the manageability, efficiency and energy
economy of processes. As a project supplier to industry,
they utilize the expertise of the factories involved in
the manufacture and product development of electric
machines and power electronics. ABB INDUSTRY OY is a world
leader in AC drive technology. The customer focus
philosophy concentrates on meeting even the most demanding
expectations of customers through solutions which provide
added value for better success.
The Marine Group at ABB INDUSTRY OY employs about 80 people
and is a supplier of marine electric propulsion and power
plants. This includes generators, electric main
switchboards, frequency converters, motors for propulsion
systems, thruster systems, pumps and compressors and
machinery automation systems. The future vision of the
Marine Group is to obtain a growing general acceptance of
electric propulsion systems as opposed to conventional
propulsion.

Will participate on Steering Committee and be responsible for identifying problems and computer requirements for the total simulator set-up, e.g. two timescales, varying system complexity, etc. Mathematic modelling. Control strategies.

Versatile research company specialising in R & D in central
areas of marine activities. Its objectives are to
strengthen the competitiveness of its clients, stimulate
industrial development and commercial activities in general
and promote industrial safety. The company is to generate
comprehensive approaches and new national and international
initiatives. It is part of the SINTEF Group. Its
operations are to be coordinated with similar activities
within the Group, in accordance with the objectives and
strategy of the SINTEF Group. MARINTEK is to collaborate
with the NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(NTNU) and support education and basic research in areas
related to the activities of the company. MARINTEK is to
operate in accordance with sound financial principles to
secure its future existence and maintain high professional
and scientific standards. The company pays no dividends on
invested capital. The resources are only to be used to
further the company's objectives and those of the SINTEF
Group.
The Offshore Structures Division carries out basic
research as well as applied research work within offshore
hydrodynamics and hydrodynamic-related problems. The
keywords are hydro-dynamics and environmental loading in
combination with statistics, structural analysis and
cybernetics. The services also include design verification
of structures and feasibility studies of offshore marine
operations. The Offshore Structures Division has an
experienced staff of research engineers and has the world's
largest Ocean Basin Laboratory operated by their
experienced staff of engineers and craftsmen. Tailor-made
computer programs developed by the staff are used in
analysis and new tools and also developed for the industry.
Over the last few years, the Division has been recognised
as one of the leaders in the field of mooring and
positioning of floating offshore systems, especially
systems intended for deep waters and ultra deep waters.
The Marine Vehicles Division has over 50 years of
experience in the development of cost-effective, high
performance ships, where model testing constitutes the
important element of experience. This Division is divided
into the following groups: Ship Model Testing, FOU
Resistance and Propulsion, Ship Structures and Loads,
Design and Manufacturing and Safety at Sea. They have the
most modern laboratories in Euorpe for the development and
testing of new ship designs. MARINTEK develops tools and
criteria for efficient design and shipbuilding.
The Division of Machinery's main area of research is energy
technology. The most important areas of work are
combustion engines, ship equipment, machinery systems and
fuel technology. To meet some of the criteria set in that
work, research has been done on diesel and gas engine R &
D, ship equipment analysis and development and energy
conservation and pollution control.

Will review requirement specifications. Participation in the Steering Committee. Will define requirement specifications for future floating concepts for drilling, oil production and transit. Will evaluate results at ABB test facilities.

Offshore drilling and oil services company, headquartered
in Stavanger, NORWAY, SMEDVIG provides innovative and
advanced well construction services and reservoir and well
technology services. The Group had revenues of
approximately 2.5 billion NOK (US$ 491 million) in 1996 and
has roughly 3,800 employees.
SMEDVIG owns and operates three modern semi-submersible
drilling rigs and one ultra-large jack-up rig outfitted for
operations in harsh environments. The company also has one
fifth generation rig and owns 50% of one drill ship, all of
which are under construction.
SMEDVIG also provides platform drilling, well services,
maintenance and plugging on fixed installations in the
North Sea.
With its fleet of nine self-erecting tender rigs and one
semi-tender, the company is a market leader in the tender
rig market in South East Asia.
The company is in the forefront of developing new
innovative drilling and well and reservoir technology and
also provides services in resource assessment, reservoir
management, well engineering and reservoir monitoring.
SMEDVIG's goal is to be a leader in the technologically
advanced harsh environment segments of the offshore
drilling and oil services industry worldwide, building on
its core position in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea
and South East Asian markets. The focus is on well
construction, maintenance and reservoir technology. Value
shall be added by offering individual products and services
as well as by combining experience, equipment, technology,
competence and services.
The company pursues a strong, earnings-driven growth
strategy by offering innovative and cost-efficient
solutions to the world's oil and natural gas markets. The
company seeks to achieve its profit and growth targets
through international competence development and generic
growth as well as targeted investments and acquisitions.
SMEDVIG OFFSHORE A/S is a part of SMEDVIG, and provides
innovative and technologically advanced well construction
services and well maintenance. It operates a fleet of high
specification drilling units equipped for harsh
environments. It has a regional office in Bergen. The
company has approximately 1,600 employees offshore and
onshore.
SMEDVIG OFFSHORE A/S operates in all phases of oil and gas
well construction and well maintenance, including planning,
drilling, completion, workovers, well interventions and
management. The company has continuously sought to develop
advanced practices, procedures and technology within the
industry in order to be considered a preferred contractor.
The company currently operates a fleet of one fourth
generation semi-submersible drilling rig, West Delta and
West Vanguard and one ultra-large jack-up rig, West
Epsilon, in the North Sea.

Will review requirement specifications and participate on Steering Committee. Will provide know-how on design of total vessel concepts for drilling and oil production including hull and installed equipment and define a common database.

The ULSTEIN Group is one of NORWAY's leading activities in
the shipbuilding and ship equipment industry. The Group
develops vessel design, builds ships, produces marine
equipment and related products as well as providing service
to an international market.
The ULSTEIN Group is a company, established in 1917. The
Group, which has its head office in Ulsteinvik in Sunnmoere,
consists of 37 companies in 16 countries with 3875
employees and had a turnover of 3.8 billion NOK in 1997.
Activities are organised if five business areas:
shipbuilding, engines, propulsion, design and ship systems,
deck machinery and steering gear.
* Ship Building: ULSTEIN builds advanced specialised
vessels, mainly for the offshore sector. The yards have so
far delivered 250 vessels, of which almost 80 are offshore
vessels. The business area is also active in the
electrical field and operates a comprehensive mobile
heavy-lifting and transport service.
* Engines: ULSTEIN produces engines for main propulsion and
the production of electricity for vessels for most types of
fossil fuel. Engines developed in-house to run on natural
and biogas are environmentally friendly products for
electricity production on land. As part of the program,
turnkey financed plants are supplied to a number of
markets. This product of the future already represents a
large part of our engine production.
* Propulsion: the business area is concerned with the
development, production and servicing of vessel equipment
with the emphasis on reduction gears, controllable pitch
propellers, compass and tunnel thrusters as well as
electronic remote controls. With production companies in
NORWAY, SCOTLAND and CANADA, ULSTEIN is one of the market's
three largest manufacturers of this type of equipment.
* Deck Machinery and Steering Gear: the business area deck
machinery is one of the world's leading suppliers of our
own developed winches for merchant vessels, fishing
vessels, specialised offshore vessels and offshore
production vessels and rigs. The steering gear companies
are the world's leading suppliers of our own developed
Rotary-vane steering gear for merchant vessels, fishing
vessels and specialised offshore vessels.
* Design and Ship Systems: ULSTEIN develops and markets a
range of ship design packages and marine consultancy
services. Developing new ship designs is one of the
cornerstones of the Group's operations. For instance, over
300 offshore service vessels in ULSTEIN's 700 series have
been ordered to date. ULSTEIN also designs other
specialised types of vessels. The Group's design packages
serve as completely integrated solutions for shipping lines
and shipyards the world over.

Will be responsible for defining topics and supervising 6 Ph.D. and 30 M.Sc. students, assist in mathematical modelling and development of control strategies.

The NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (NTNU)
was established on 1st January, 1996. It replaced the
UNIVERSITY OF TRONDHEIM, which included the NORWEGIAN
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (NTH), the COLLEGE OF ARTS AND
SCIENCE and the distinguised MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY AND
ARCHAEOLOGY.
The University has 11 faculties with 72 departments. It has
a total of 18,500 students, of whom 10,100 take open studies
and 8,400 follow professional degree programmes. In 1997,
1,272 students graduated from professional degree programmes
(Masters level degrees in engineering, architecture,
medicine, art and music) and 360 received Masters level
degrees in open study subjects. The same year 182
doctorates were awarded, inlcude 134 Dr. Ing. degrees. The
academic and scientific staff totals 1,154 and the 1998
budget is 1.38 million NOK. An additional 400 million
NOK/year comes from research with external funding.
The three departments involved in MARINTRONICS are:
Engineering Cybernetics, Electrical Power Engineering and
Marine Hydrodynamics.
The Department of Engineering Cybernetics is one of five
departments at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and
Telecommunications whose main activities are:
* Motion Control: guidance, navigation and control,
robotics, motor control and servomechanisms
* Process Control: mathematical modelling, dynamic
optimization and structures in process control
* Industrial Computer Systems: real-time computing,
instrumentation systems, man-machine inteface (MMI) and
virtual reality
* Control Theory: mathematical foundation for control,
control systems for regulation and tracking and stability
analysis.
The Department of Marine Hydrodynamics is one of four
departments at the Faculty of Marine Technology whose
activities are research and education in marine
hydrodynamics. The Department cooperates closely with the
Department of Marine Structures and MARINTEK, and among the
department's main activities are:
* wave-induced motions and response on marine structures
* vortex shedding around marine structures. Viscous damping
* breaking waves, wave dynamics and stochastic analyses of
waves and wave-induced response variables
* resistance on ships, response on high-speed vessels,
thrusters and water jets.
The Department of Electrical Power Engineering is one of
five departments in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering
and Telecommunications. Its main activities are:
* Power Systems: analysis, optimization, control and
monitoring of electrical power systrems and technical/
economic planning of energy systems
* Energy Conversion and Electrical Installation: power
electronics, electromagnetic fields, drives and
transformers
* High Voltage: materials, monitoring and control.

Will provide know-how on commissioning and operation of shuttle-tankers, semi-submersibles and FPSO. Will define requirement specifications for future floating concepts for drilling, oil production and transit and provide data.

HYDRO has more than 30,000 employees around the world. In
1997, the company had operating revenues of 96 billion NOK
and an operating income of 10.7 billion NOK. HYDRO is in a
strong growth phase and is aiming to double business volume
between 1966 and 2005, the company's 100th anniversary year.
HYDRO uses its expertise and global standing to serve
customers as a local partner. Efficient production and
distribution solutions, and employees and partners with
strong local roots, combine to give us a springboard to
further growth.
NORSK HYDRO has Europe as its home market, and the growth
in Central and South America has been primarily related to
agriculture and aluminium, and the prospects for metal
production in this area are being evaluated. Major oil
discoveries have been made in Africa, where agriculture and
aluminium have also become more prominent. HYDRO and
TEMASEK of SINGAPORE are developing projects in Asia. Work
is done to establish alumina production in INDIA, and they
have established new shares in Asian markets for
fertilizers, aluminium, petrochemicals and industrial
gases. Similarly, in Central Europe we are developing
activities in aluminium, fertilisers, industrial chemicals
and petrochemicals.
Oil & Gas employs 2,400 people and is involved in exploring
for, producing, transporting, refining and marketing
petroleum and petroleum products. Concentrated primarily
on the Norwegian continental shelf and the Scandinavian
countries, this business is now also expanding outside this
region. The Oil and Gas business area embraces three
divisions: Exploration and Production NORWAY, Exploration
and Production International and Refining and Marketing.
In 1997, Oil and Gas has an operating income of 6,739
million NOK on operating revenues of 18,204 million NOK.
Total investments were 5,295 million NOK. Exploration
activity amounted to 1,114 million NOK.
HYDRO plans to double its annual oil and gas production
from 1995 to 2005, to 500,000 barrels of oil equivalents
per day, through a strong increase in international
activity as well as further development of its
technological expertise and position on the Norwegian
continental shelf. Several major discoveries were made
last year in ANGOLA and NORWAY and the recovery rate for
fields in production is increasing. These factors,
combined with the progress being made on projects under
development, indicate that our goal is within reach. The
HYDRO TEXACO joint venture in DENMARK and NORWAY is
achieving economies of scale in retail gasoline marketing.
HYDRO was one of the pioneers when the Norwegian oil saga
began more than 30 years ago. Since that time, we have
established an impressive technological base, developed in
part through the exchange of knowledge between our oil
operations and other industrial activities.

Responsible for gathering/evaluating experience from engineering, etc. of AZIPOD installations on coastal tankers icebreakers and cruise vessels. Will perform a market analysis for its installations on marine/offshore vessels.

Established in October 1997 to carry out the business
activities of the AZIPOD system, the company is
responsible for the sales, design, development, production
and testing of electric azimuthing podded AZIPOD propulsion
units.
The AZIPOD propulsion unit azimuths through 360 degrees and
incorporates an electric AC motor located inside the
propeller pod. The drive provides many technical and
economic benefits for a wide range of ships. The AZIPOD
system was developed jointly by KVAERNER MASA-YARDS and ABB
INDUSTRY OY. KVAERNER MASA-YARDS applied the AZIPOD in
several ship products during the 1990s.
A major breakthrough for the AZIPOD propulsion unit was the
decision by CARNIVAL CRUISE LINES INC. to select azipod
propulsion for two 70,400 GT Fantasy class cruise liners.
The cruise liners, due for delivery in 1998, will each be
fitted with two MW AZIPOD units which will result in useful
space and weight savings onboard and will improve the
ship's fuel efficiency.
The AZIPOD propulsion system offers several advantages:
* the need for long shaftlines, rudders, sterm thrusters,
CP-propellers and reduction gears are eliminated - space
and weight saving installation
* reduced engine room size due to flexible machinery
arrangement - new possibilities in ship concept design
* increased cargo capacity - added revenue
* high propulsion efficiency - fewer fuel costs
* excellent manoeuvring characteristics and dynamic
performance
* low noise and vibrations
* available in units up to 20-25 MW.
Formerly KVAERNER MASA-AZIPOD.

Will review requirement specifications, participating on Steering Committee. Will perform a gap analysis between state-of-the-art and future solutions and organise workshops Will develop a data acquisition, analysis/recording system.

This is ABB NORWAY's R & D Centre, which plays a key role
in technically advanced projects. As one of the ABB
Group's nine R & D Centres throughout the world, ABB
CORPORATE RESEARCH NORWAY is part of ABB's global R & D
network, giving it access to the results of some 20 billion
NOK in annual R & D investment. ABB CORPORATE RESEARCH's
Oil & Gas Group is located in NORWAY. The company has
approximately 70 employees.
In 1997, ABB CORPORATE RESEARCH's highest priorities were
to develop core technologies for:
* efficient oil and gas production. The focus has been on
subsea and downhole production as well as production
control ssytems
* intelligent low and medium voltage products and systems
* automation for power distribution networks
* robot control systems
* increasing process efficiency, process re-engineering.
ABB CORPORATE RESEARCH enjoys close and friendly
cooperation with specialists in University and Research
Institutes, in which ABB also invested substantial sums in
1997.