Global Acquires Marine Construction Business

Global Industries, Ltd. has attained the offshore marine construction business of its Mexican joint venture CCC Fabricaciones y Construcciones, S.A. de C.V. and sold its interest in CCC to the other principal shareholder of CCC, Grupo Consorcio de Fabricaciones y Construcciones. Under these terms, Global is acquiring four marine vessels and the marine support base at Cuidad de Carmen, Mexico, in addition to the existing offshore marine construction contracts totaling more than $72 million. Another transaction in the works is a definitive purchase agreement that was signed for the attainment of ETPM, SA, an international offshore construction company. The combined company will be the largest offshore construction company in market capitalization with combined 1998 revenues of about $1.3 billion. Joining forces with Global’s current international operations, ETPM will work to create a new International Division, with Pierre Laborie, ETPM’s current president and CEO as head of the venture. From a construction standpoint, Global used its deepwater pipelay/heavy-lift barge Hercules to install 17.6 miles of 16-in. pipe for Dauphin Island Gathering Partners (DIGP) in the Gulf of Mexico this summer. Implemented between Main Pass Block 225 in water depths of 240 ft. (73.1 m) and Viosca Knoll Block 823 stationed in 1,130 ft. (344.4 m), Global’s vessel Pioneer assisted Hercules during pipelay as well as throughout installation of a pipeline skid at Viosca Knoll 823. Global Industries has added a new member to the company with the election of Russell J. Robicheaux as vice president and general counsel. Robicheaux, who previously served as assistant general counsel at J. Ray McDermott, holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from LSU and a J.D. from Loyola University.