McDermott International Inc. and GE Oil & Gas have launched io oil & gas consulting to offer front-end offshore field development services ranging from portfolio evaluation to final investment decisions. Houston-based McDermott offers global upstream engineering, procurement, construction and installation services. Financial details were not disclosed. McDermott’s investment “aligns with the company’s strategy to become more client-focused and responsive to operators’ challenges,” it said. The business is being structured to provide “impartial advice…while benefiting from having on-demand access to specialist resources to assist in technical and commercial validation of its work.”