Alex Natale Geotechnical Consultant Elevate Offshore 1200x600 - Elevate Offshore Appoints Alex Natale, Geotechnical Engineering Specialist, Bolstering a New Era of Growth

Elevate Offshore Appoints Alex Natale, Geotechnical Engineering Specialist, Bolstering a New Era of Growth

Posted on 9th Nov 2023

Elevate Offshore, a prominent provider of survey, ROV, and inspection personnel serving the offshore oil and gas, renewable energy, telecoms, and power sectors, is pleased to announce the appointment of Alex Natale, an experienced Geotechnical Consultant in the offshore industry.

With a diverse career encompassing both onshore and offshore projects, Alex brings a distinctive combination of expertise and forward-thinking to Elevate Offshore’s geotechnical engineering discipline. His insights and passion for this specialised field are poised to enrich Elevate Offshore’s services and how it caters to the offshore industry.

Andrew Blears, Managing Director of Elevate Offshore, commented, “When we decided to expand our presence in the Geotechnical sector to complement our existing site characterisation business line, we recognised the importance of bringing in an industry expert to enhance our service offerings to our clients and offshore teams. In this regard, collaborating with Alex was a natural and straightforward decision. I had previously represented Alex years ago and was well-acquainted with his expertise and work approach, which seamlessly aligned with ours.

Together, we share a common vision: to bring value to our clients by ensuring that we possess the in-depth knowledge required for the successful and safe execution of projects, while also providing unwavering support to our offshore teams. With Alex’s invaluable expertise bolstering our efforts, we are poised to deliver personnel solutions our clients can always rely on, without fail. Our ambition is not to be the largest supplier in the industry; instead, we aim to be the one that consistently delivers outstanding results, without incident.”

 

Background

 

Alex’s journey in geotechnical engineering commenced with onshore and offshore geotechnical drilling projects, where he honed his skills in ground investigation and data collection. He then transitioned to vessel and office-based management roles, subsequently becoming the general manager of a survey company. His extensive experience was further boosted as he ventured into the oil and gas sector, serving as a site characterisation and package manager before working on a freelance basis as a geotechnical and foundation installation consultant.

This extensive and diverse experience has equipped Alex with a profound understanding of geotechnical requirements, underscored by a commitment to safety, operational efficiency, and technical precision in offshore projects. He remains firmly attuned to the latest advancements in the field through his active involvement in geotechnical client representation projects.

For Alex, the geotechnical industry isn’t just a job; it’s a community with a shared passion for tackling unique challenges. He notes, “Being part of such a niche and highly technical field feels like being a member of an extended family, where innovation and expertise thrive.”

 

The Vital Role of Geotechnical Engineering in Offshore Projects

 

Geotechnical engineering constitutes a pivotal phase preceding the initiation of any offshore project. It encompasses a series of rigorous processes designed to ensure that manmade structures positioned on the seabed are resilient against the formidable forces of nature throughout their intended design life and decommissioning. This discipline assumes an irreplaceable role in upholding the safety and longevity of offshore structures.

In today’s dynamic landscape, the field grapples with unique challenges, notably identifying and deploying suitably qualified and experienced personnel. As a specialised personnel agency, Elevate Offshore is dedicated to assembling a team comprising individuals with hands-on field experience, enhancing and differentiating the way we work compared to conventional recruitment efforts. Herein lies the significance of Alex’s first-hand expertise, which is instrumental in mitigating the challenges clients face when seeking experienced geotechnical professionals for their projects. Alex emphasises, “To excel as a Geotechnical Engineer in the offshore industry, effective one-to-one communication is paramount. Elevate Offshore ensures clients access these vital skills by investing in personalised interactions and cultivating a team culture that values transparent communication. Our approach to vetting geotechnical candidates is centred on individual meetings and collaborative conference calls. This meticulous selection process guarantees that only the most proficient and seasoned professionals become part of our team.”

To stay abreast of the latest industry standards, regulatory developments, and best practices, Alex participates in conferences hosted by renowned organisations such as the Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) and the Offshore Site Investigation and Geotechnics (OSIG). These gatherings serve as essential platforms for networking, knowledge exchange, and maintaining a competitive edge in a field characterised by rapid evolution.

 

A Glance into the Future

 

“As offshore projects grow in scale and complexity, dealing with various seabed conditions becomes an ongoing challenge. Ground conditions inherently carry risks that can often lead to project delays and increased costs when not managed effectively throughout the supply chain,’ Alex explains. To mitigate these challenges, Alex emphasises the importance of implementing correct scheduling, rigorous quality control and quality assurance processes at each project stage, and open contracts that account for all likely situations that can arise during a project.

In light of the difficulty in finding experienced geotechnical personnel capable of tackling these challenges, Alex underscores the significance of recruiting individuals who are not only highly skilled but also adaptable, ready to embrace challenges, and committed to continuous self-training and personal development.

In looking ahead to Elevate Offshore’s future, Managing Director Andrew Blears articulates the company’s strategic vision: ‘As we move forward, we are enthusiastic about expanding our offshore personnel services across various sectors, always with our collective expertise working behind the scenes to ensure the success of every endeavour.”

 

What Our Clients Say

Elevate Offshore provide on the job commitment and personnel services, always striving to support the contractor offshore throughout. Elevate is committed to ensuring a contractor remains in employment offshore and at times, Elevate personnel working round the clock, to either support the current assignment or to provide further assignments successfully. Elevate has provided me with an abundance of offshore projects tailored to my own personal offshore experience. A very well done to all those at Elevate.

As any freelance professional working offshore knows; expectations by the contractor from the agent are transparency, good communication & reliability. Elevate Offshore have these qualities in abundance. From the time of leaving the front door, onward travel, LOI’s and flight details pre-arranged, Elevate make travel to/from the work placement a breeze.

Elevate Offshore has provided excellent specialists for our project needs. With only a few brief discussions of scope and location they are consistently able to provide multiple qualified candidates for our offshore owners rep roles. Elevate has been highly adaptable and responsive to the challenges of the last two years. Andrew is my first call when I need a Freelance Specialist.

Elevate Offshore have provided invaluable support to our projects in Taiwan throughout 2021, and proven adept and agile at navigating the many challenges presented by COVID related rules and restrictions on a local and international level. Our sincere appreciation and thanks to the Elevate Offshore Team!

Since joining Elevate I have felt part of an offshore family. Nothing has ever been too much trouble for Elevate. Very professional in all aspects of being an offshore agency.

Safe

We promote safety at every stage of the process – it’s core to our culture. All certification will be authenticated, safety material and briefings available prior to mobilisation and we diligently run an improvement process, always wanting to evolve.

Reliable

We keep our promises and maintain open, honest communications with staff, clients and contractors. We prize our status as a trusted advisor, committed to transparency and accountability.

Competent

Competence is key to ensuring we run a safe and successful project and return home to our families happy and well. We not only check competence levels of the contractors, but also encourage growth through training and support.

Ethical

Our commitment to social responsibility includes conducting our business in accordance with high ethical standards and commitment to human rights based on integrity, reliability, fairness, mutual respect, and trust.