Andy Pettitt, the Global Business Development Director of SPEX Services, is to serve on the American Petroleum (API) Perforating Committee.

Andy will join two sub committees, one which will undertake a review and update of the API RP67 (Recommended Practice for Oilfield Explosives Safety), and secondly a task group which evaluates and quantifies the behaviour and performance of explosive systems at high temperature, which is very relevant and applicable for today's high pressure/high temperature projects, not only in the North Sea region but across the oil and gas industry as a whole.

Andy commented "I'm delighted to have been invited to support the API and feel honoured and privileged to do so." Andy explained "A standard procedure has evolved throughout the years for evaluating the performance of various explosive perforating charges available to the oil and gas industry. Charges used today are tested and certified according to the API standard, and these standards quantify the exact characteristics and capabilities of each charge under various controlled conditions so that the end user can both understand what is being provided and how a particular system might perform".

Andy continued "In 1962 a subcommittee of the Committee on Drilling and Production Practices of the API first set out recommendations, standards and procedures for evaluating perforating charges. These recommendations and procedures were reviewed and revised in depth in 1971 and have evolved since with various amendments and modifications to cater for technology changes and a better understanding of explosive charge behaviour. A current major review is ongoing so that a new generation of Procedures and Practices can be issued, and this will include the findings from the two work groups with which I'm involved".

Andy is a Chartered Engineer and has worked professionally with explosives for over 30 years, in both the commercial and military arenas. He was educated at the Camborne School of Mines and The Royal Military College of Science, and more recently at St Andrews University, School of Political Violence and Terrorism. He has a BSc (Hons) in Mining Engineering, an MSc in Explosives and Weapons Engineering and carried out his PhD research into an explosives related subject matter at the UK Defence Academy.

Until 1998 Andy worked in various senior technical, operational and managerial positions for Schlumberger before becoming an independent explosives consultant working on a worldwide basis. He has published and co-authored numerous industry papers, procedures and recommended Codes of Practice for the improvement and development of professional standards across all areas of the explosives fraternity.

He is a Past President of The Institute of Explosives Engineers and was made a Fellow of the Institute in 2000. He is a subject matter expert for a number of UK government agencies and an explosives and demolition Instructor for some specialist military units. Andy is also a Member of the Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators.

Andy joined SPEX in 2009 and has overall responsibility for the development of each business sectors covered by SPEX.

I'm delighted to have been invited to support the API and feel honoured and privileged to do so"

SPEX Global Business Development Director, Andy Pettitt