FMC Technologies
Encyclopedia
FMC Technologies, Incorporated , is an American oil and gas equipment and services technology company. FMC Technologies was incorporated in 2000 when FMC Corporation divested its machinery businesses. FMC has its headquarters in northern Houston, Texas
.
FMC Technologies should not be confused with FMC Corp.
, which is a separate company, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In 1956, two brothers Paulo and Antonio Viana, both commanders in the Brazilian Navy
with experience in the Naval ship yard, went into private business together founding Mecanica CBV. CBV stood for the initials of their father’s name Carlos Barbosa Viana. Their first customer was the National Motor Factory (FNM) for whom they manufactured wheels, axles, and crossheads.
In 1957, FMC Corp (Food, Machinery, and Chemicals), a growing conglomerate with its roots in the manufacture of spray pumps for California’s orchards, acquired OCT. They had already added other brands like WECO and Chiksan to their growing portfolio of oil field related machinery businesses.
In 1961, the president of OCT, Al Wolf, was in Brazil looking for a company to manufacture OCT products under license for the Brazilian market. While visiting Petrobras
, he asked if they know of any potential candidates. CBV was among those recommended. He showed up at CBV unannounced around 7pm and found Commander Paulo and Antonio still at the plant. He showed the brothers an OCT product catalog (the first time they had seen a wellhead or Christmas tree) and signed a licensing agreement on the spot.
In 1967, Placid awarded OCT its first subsea project at Ship Shoals block 204 in the Gulf-of-Mexico. In 1971, OCT undertook for Placid what was then the world’s largest subsea development at Eugene Island
block 296 in the GoM. These early subsea projects were installed in shallow waters (EI296 was at 200 ft) using modified surface Christmas tree technology.
In 1973, OCT was renamed as FMC’s Wellhead Equipment Division.
In 1975, FMC's Wellhead Equipment division expanded internationally, establishing manufacturing facilities in Dunfermline
Scotland and Singapore
.
In 1974, CBV pioneered the development of deepwater oil field technology in the Garoupa field of the Campos Basin using dry Christmas trees inside Lockheed-supplied pressure chambers.
In 1977, CBV delivered their first wet deepwater Christmas tree. Soon, CBV was producing diverless wet Christmas trees for ultra deep applications.
In 1980, FMC Corp made its first investments in deepwater subsea oil field technology. Previously they had concentrated on surface and shallow water applications.
With the discovery of the Ekofisk oil field
in the early 1970’s in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, the Norwegian government sought to establish an undersea technology industry in Norway. In 1974, Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk
("Kongsberg weapons factory"—itself dating back to 1814) established an oil division in the city of Kongsberg ("Kings Mountain"), which had a long tradition of mine engineering, coin minting, and weapons manufacture for the Norwegian state. The first project for the oil division was begun in 1978 and delivered to Elf in 1980. In 1986 the oil division was renamed Kongsberg Offshore. In 1987, the Norwegian state divested itself of all Kongsberg industries not related to weapons manufacture, selling Kongsberg Offshore to Siemens
A.S. In 1993, FMC Corp purchased Kongsberg Offshore from Siemens, making FMC the world's largest subsea engineering, procurement, and construction company.
In 1998, FMC acquired a controlling interest in CBV.
In 2001, FMC Technologies was spun off from FMC Corp., taking with it the Energy Production, Food Tech, and Airport Systems divisions of FMC’s machinery business.
On April 30, 2008, FMC Technologies announced the spinoff of its airport and food equipment businesses into a separate company named John Bean Technologies Corporation, JBT Corporation
, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. JBT is named after the spray pump inventor whose business was the foundation of FMC Corp.
On October 20, 2009, the Company acquired Multi Phase Meters AS, and on November 2, 2009, acquired Direct Drive Systems, Inc.
In July 2010, the name of the employee credit union was finally changed from OCT Federal Credit Union to FMC Technologies Federal Credit Union.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
FMC Technologies should not be confused with FMC Corp.
FMC Corp.
FMC Corporation is a chemical manufacturing company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. FMC employs over 4,800 people world wide, and had gross revenues of US$3.115 billion in 2008.-The Bean Spray Pump Company:...
, which is a separate company, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
History
In August 1927, brothers Arthur and Kirby Pennick of Houston founded Oil Center Tool (O-C-T) to produce pump liners and rods for the oilfields of East Texas. In 1930, O-C-T introduced a new type of casing head and tubing head that was an immediate success. Shortly there after the company introduced the first factory-assembled and tested completion wellheads (a.k.a “Christmas trees” in oil field slang). At the time, Christmas trees were assembled and tested on-site: an expensive, time consuming, and dangerous practice.In 1956, two brothers Paulo and Antonio Viana, both commanders in the Brazilian Navy
Brazilian Navy
The Brazilian Navy is a branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations. It is the largest navy in Latin America...
with experience in the Naval ship yard, went into private business together founding Mecanica CBV. CBV stood for the initials of their father’s name Carlos Barbosa Viana. Their first customer was the National Motor Factory (FNM) for whom they manufactured wheels, axles, and crossheads.
In 1957, FMC Corp (Food, Machinery, and Chemicals), a growing conglomerate with its roots in the manufacture of spray pumps for California’s orchards, acquired OCT. They had already added other brands like WECO and Chiksan to their growing portfolio of oil field related machinery businesses.
In 1961, the president of OCT, Al Wolf, was in Brazil looking for a company to manufacture OCT products under license for the Brazilian market. While visiting Petrobras
Petrobras
Petróleo Brasileiro or Petrobras is a semi-public Brazilian multinational energy corporation headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the largest company in Latin America by market capitalization and revenue, and the largest company headquartered in the Southern Hemisphere by market...
, he asked if they know of any potential candidates. CBV was among those recommended. He showed up at CBV unannounced around 7pm and found Commander Paulo and Antonio still at the plant. He showed the brothers an OCT product catalog (the first time they had seen a wellhead or Christmas tree) and signed a licensing agreement on the spot.
In 1967, Placid awarded OCT its first subsea project at Ship Shoals block 204 in the Gulf-of-Mexico. In 1971, OCT undertook for Placid what was then the world’s largest subsea development at Eugene Island
Eugene Island
Eugene Island block 330 oil field is an oil field in the United States Exclusive Economic Zone in the Gulf of Mexico. It is located southwest of New Orleans, off the Louisiana coast comprising six and a half leased blocks: 313, 314 south, 330, 331, 332, 337 and 338.-History:In the outer...
block 296 in the GoM. These early subsea projects were installed in shallow waters (EI296 was at 200 ft) using modified surface Christmas tree technology.
In 1973, OCT was renamed as FMC’s Wellhead Equipment Division.
In 1975, FMC's Wellhead Equipment division expanded internationally, establishing manufacturing facilities in Dunfermline
Dunfermline
Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
Scotland and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
.
In 1974, CBV pioneered the development of deepwater oil field technology in the Garoupa field of the Campos Basin using dry Christmas trees inside Lockheed-supplied pressure chambers.
In 1977, CBV delivered their first wet deepwater Christmas tree. Soon, CBV was producing diverless wet Christmas trees for ultra deep applications.
In 1980, FMC Corp made its first investments in deepwater subsea oil field technology. Previously they had concentrated on surface and shallow water applications.
With the discovery of the Ekofisk oil field
Ekofisk oil field
Ekofisk is an oil field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea about southwest of Stavanger. Discovered in 1969, it remains one of the most important oil fields in the North Sea. Production began in 1971 after the construction of a series of off-shore platforms by Phillips Petroleum Company...
in the early 1970’s in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, the Norwegian government sought to establish an undersea technology industry in Norway. In 1974, Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk
Kongsberg Gruppen
Kongsberg Gruppen is Norway's major defence contractor and maritime automation supplier, located in Kongsberg, a former mining town....
("Kongsberg weapons factory"—itself dating back to 1814) established an oil division in the city of Kongsberg ("Kings Mountain"), which had a long tradition of mine engineering, coin minting, and weapons manufacture for the Norwegian state. The first project for the oil division was begun in 1978 and delivered to Elf in 1980. In 1986 the oil division was renamed Kongsberg Offshore. In 1987, the Norwegian state divested itself of all Kongsberg industries not related to weapons manufacture, selling Kongsberg Offshore to Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
A.S. In 1993, FMC Corp purchased Kongsberg Offshore from Siemens, making FMC the world's largest subsea engineering, procurement, and construction company.
In 1998, FMC acquired a controlling interest in CBV.
In 2001, FMC Technologies was spun off from FMC Corp., taking with it the Energy Production, Food Tech, and Airport Systems divisions of FMC’s machinery business.
On April 30, 2008, FMC Technologies announced the spinoff of its airport and food equipment businesses into a separate company named John Bean Technologies Corporation, JBT Corporation
JBT Corporation
JBT Corporation , is an American food processing machinery and airport equipment company. JBT Corporation was incorporated in 2008 when FMC Technologies divested its non-energy businesses. JBT Corporation is based in Chicago, Illinois...
, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. JBT is named after the spray pump inventor whose business was the foundation of FMC Corp.
On October 20, 2009, the Company acquired Multi Phase Meters AS, and on November 2, 2009, acquired Direct Drive Systems, Inc.
In July 2010, the name of the employee credit union was finally changed from OCT Federal Credit Union to FMC Technologies Federal Credit Union.