The Man Behind the Conversion: VP for Commercial Engineering at Helix Well Ops Earlier this year Helix Energy Solutions Group announced it was acquiring a drillship to be converted into a well intervention vessel and re-named her the Helix 534 , referencing the vessel's length of 534 feet. The Helix 534 is expected to enter service mid-2013 and will be operated by our well intervention business unit, Helix Well Ops. Overseeing the conversion process is Helix ESG's Vice President for Commercial Engineering, Colin Johnston. Mr. Johnston has 10 years of experience in subsea well intervention operations with Helix ESG, including the launching of the Q4000 . Prior to joining Helix ESG, Mr. Johnston spent a decade working on other well intervention projects in the North Sea, Europe and in North America. Mr. Johnston has a BSC in Mining Engineering from the University of Newcastle and a master's degree in Subsea Engineering from Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland and an MBA in Finance from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. 1. What is your role and what are your day to day duties concerning one of Helix Energy Solutions Group's newest assets, the Helix 534? As Vice President for Commercial Engineering my role is to ensure that the requirements from operations are met in terms of the equipment delivery and applicability.  With regard to the Helix 534, the key elements of the vessel's conversion are the modifications to eliminate the obsolete drilling equipment and to ensure the vessel