Sorbwater Technology AS

Sorbwater is a Fluids Environmental Services company providing unique technology, processes, equipment and services to purify water and waste water from the oil and gas industry.

The company, backed by Sarsia Seed AS (www.sarsiaseed.com), a leading Norwegian early stage venture capital fund, has developed and patented the core technology and processes over the past 4 years. The team, led by Atle Ylikangas, Founder and COB and Torgeir Nærø, Managing Director, has built up an impressive technical and commercial track record, with many years of oil and gas industry experience.

The team is dedicated to bringing entirely green solutions to help its customers to reach real zero discharge.

Management Team

Torgeir Nærø, Managing Director

Torgeir has 10 years experience on management level in international technology companies like Nera ASA, Nera Networks and Nokia Networks Oy. He has 4 years expe­rience as CEO of Gexcon AS, an independent consultant company on technical safety and Risk Management with 40 employees, located in Norway, US and the UK.  Torgeir has worked extensively with product management, sales and marketing of advanced technology products and systems to clients in both the telecom as well as the energy sectors. He has an extensive track record with large cap oil companies, engineering and consulting companies internationally. Torgeir holds an engineering degree and a MSc in BA.  Torgeir is the founder of Xafe AS, a Technical Safety and Risk Manage­ment consultancy in Stavanger, and is the co-founder of Idevekst Energi AS in Bergen/Stavanger.

Atle M. Ylikangas, Director of Market Developement

Atle is the founder of Sorbwater Technology AS and inventor of the core technology.  Previously, from 2000 – 2005, Atle was Managing Director of Downstream Services AS, where he invented the novel IPR technology behind the company - Advanced Oxidation Process for Waste Water Treatment and Drinking Water Treatment – and led the company to cashflow positive.  An IADC Certified Driller and Rig Manager.  Atle also brings 11 years’ experience from the international oil & gas industry, holding senior management positions in Odfjell Drilling ASA, including Operations Manager/Rig Manager.

Stein Christensen, Process Manager

Stein has spent nearly 20 years with ChemLab Services AS, most recently as Managing Director from 2004 – 2007,  helping it to grow into the largest privately owned chemi­cal laboratory services company in Norway.   Stein began managing microbiological analyses in 1988 and ultimately led the company towards international NS-ISO 17025 accreditation in 1994, which governed all aspects of quality control within Chemlab.  Stein has worked with Atle since 2005 to develop, test, analyse and refine the ap­plication of Sorbfloc.

Asbjørn Havsgård, Senior Chemist

Asbjørn has worked for 25 years with analysis and design of water treatment processes, both as Process Engineer and Process Manager.  And Asbjørn has worked in partnership with Atle since 2002 as a process manager and senior chemist.  He has also worked as a chemical process engineer with Goodtech, Betex and Norsk Jernverk Strip Mill.   Asbjørn spent four years at NTNU engaged in post graduate work (Cand Scient) in Chemical Engineering and Membrane Filtration.

Atle M. Ylikangas, Chairman of Board

Atle is the founder of Sorbwater Technology AS and inventor of the core technology.  Previously, from 2000 – 2005, Atle was Managing Director of Downstream Services AS, where he invented the novel IPR technology behind the company - Advanced Oxidation Process for Waste Water Treatment and Drinking Water Treatment – and led the company to cashflow positive.  An IADC Certified Driller and Rig Manager.  Atle also brings 11 years’ experience from the international oil & gas industry, holding senior management positions in Odfjell Drilling ASA, including Operations Manager/Rig Manager.

Stein Christensen, Process Manager

Stein has spent nearly 20 years with ChemLab Services AS, most recently as Managing Director from 2004 – 2007,  helping it to grow into the largest privately owned chemi­cal laboratory services company in Norway.   Stein began managing microbiological analyses in 1988 and ultimately led the company towards international NS-ISO 17025 accreditation in 1994, which governed all aspects of quality control within Chemlab.  Stein has worked with Atle since 2005 to develop, test, analyse and refine the ap­plication of Sorbfloc.

Jon Trygve Berg, Partner, Sarsia Seed AS (Siv. Ing., MBA)

Jon leads Energy, Oil & Gas Investment at Sarsia Seed, with over 15 years of oil & gas technology experience, including  M & A and corporate finance execution experience at the executive and board levels.  Previous experience includes Det norske Veritas and GexCon AS (Christian Michelsen Research) and Petroleum Engineering & Consult­ing AS. He has also served as the CTO of IT/speech technology start-up NST.  Jon cur­rently sits on the board of Weyland, WindSim and EnSo.

Asle Lygre, Partner, Idevekst Energi AS

Asle brings 25 years experience from leading technology businesses like SINTEF, Chris­tian Michelsen Institute, Christian Michelsen Research, Aanderaa Instruments, Framo Engineering and Propure. He has 6 years experience as CEO of Prototech AS, a supplier of technical solutions, product design and manufacturing services to the international space industry as well as the energy sector. He has hands-on experience from R&D-based product development and subsequent commercialization and market introduc­tion of new solutions for/in  the oil & gas sector.

The Board of Directors at Sorbwater, together with the management team, target no harmful releases to the environment from the company’s operations and no absence or sickness due to working hour injuries or accidents. We plan our operations methodically to ensure we meet these targets – every day. Sorbwater has implemented a quality system compatible with ISO standards and qualified for the Achilles JQS and Sellicha registration, regarded mandatory for all suppliers in the oil and gas industry in Europe. We ensure our subcontractors are compatible with this standard.

Steps taken in preparing the QA system were:

Identification phase:

• Main processes for development, production and services
• Order of processes and ownership agreed

Preparation phase:

• Criteria and methods to assure correct use and process control

Allocation of resources phase:

• Operational criteria
• Development criteria
• Improvement criteria

Operations phase:

• Established goals and measures
• Relevant measurement points
• Feedback loops with correcting measures implemented
• Plan for distribution, access, use, updating and revisions

The managing director is directly responsible for maintaining and further developing the HSE-Q system in place.