Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said production has been shut off to Mariner Energy's Gulf of Mexico platform that caught fire this morning, according to reports from the state capitol.
Mariner Energy Inc. confirms that a fire has occurred at a production platform located on Vermilion block 380, in the Gulf of Mexico.
The U.S. Coast Guard says it is responding to a report of 13 people in the water following an oil platform explosion in block 380 approximately 90 mi (145 km)
More gas will be coming ashore from Western Australia when Santos and Apache complete the recently released Halyard and Spar field development plans.
Valiant Petroleum has spudded its latest operated well in the UK North Sea, on the Viola North prospect in license P1629, block 30/18b.
Allseas’ Solitaire has started laying the Gulf of Finland stretch of the Nord Stream gas line in the Baltic Sea.
The jackup Trident IX shortly will spud the Dambus-1 exploration well in the Kutai PSC offshore Indonesia for operator Serica Energy.
JSC KazMunaiGas Exploration Production (KMG EP) has agreed to farm into 35% of BG-operated license P1722 in the UK central North Sea, containing the White Bear prospect.
Offshore Installation Services (OIS) has completed a suspended well abandonment campaign in the UK North Sea for four operators.
BP and Talisman Energy have awarded contracts to ASCO Norway to provide integrated logistics services on the Norwegian shelf.
The Clough Curtain Joint Venture reports receipt of AU$560 million ($227.6 million) in firm work orders for the Papua New Guinea LNG project. The project development plan includes gas production and processing facilities, onshore and offshore pipelines, and liquefaction facilities.
COSCO has appointed Li Jian Xiong as alternate director and Liu Guo Yuan as chairman, non-independent, and non-executive director.
Atkins has completed a project supporting BP on a well rejuvenation exercise in the southern North Sea.
SBM Atlantia has contracted VWS Westgarth for sulfate reduction equipment for an FPSO on the Baleia Azul field, offshore Espirito Santo state, Brazil.
GDF Suez E&P Nederland has discovered gas in the Sierra prospect in the Dutch North Sea.
2H Offshore has opened a new regional base in Perth, Australia. The base will be headed by GM Elizabeth Tellier.
Expro has acquired Production Testers International business (PTI) from Production Testers International HK Ltd. and Production Testers International Ltd.
Otto Energy has appointed Paul Moore as MD and Ian Boserio as a non-executive director.
Cal Diver International Inc. has won a $56-million contract to remove a jetty and install a new platform and 11 pipelines in Freeport Bahamas.
Crude oil production now is under way at the BHP Billiton operated Ravensworth field, says INPEX Alpha Ltd.
ExxonMobil Canada Properties has awarded a topsides front-end engineering and design contract for the topsides on the Hebron project to WorleyParsons Ltd.
While the weather still puts a hold on the actual removal of the BOP stack from BP’s Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico, preparations are under way to make that removal as soon as the weather permits.
The Australian Department of Resources, Energy, and Tourism has released an amendment to the 2009 Acreage Release areas S09-2 and S09-3.
Schlumberger has closed its merger with Smith International Inc. at a transaction value of $11 billion.
Rowan Drilling Co. expects to send the second of four jackup drilling rigs to come from Keppel AmFELS to BP Trinidad and Tobago.
Stratos Global is deployment its new broadband service in the Gulf of Mexico.
IHC Merwede has contracts Alcoa to produce the first-ever aluminum alloy fallpipe for a dredge system. Tideway is the IHC customer.
Verdande Technology has appointed Bill McCall as chairman and Terje Eidsmo and Asle Jostein Hovda as directors.
TAQA Bratani is marking its first anniversary today as duty holder the Cormorant Alpha, North Cormorant, Tern, and Eider production centers in the UK northern North Sea.
The 2010 Annual Award Scheme of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Aberdeen Section has honored Senergy’s principal formation damage consultant Michael Byrne and technical head of geomechanics Phil McCurdy.
Norwegian Energy Co. (Noreco) has agreed to take a 20% interest from E.ON Ruhrgas Norge in license PL 434 in the Norwegian Sea.
Dockwise has won 12 contracts for heavy marine transport and engineering projects with a combined value of nearly $37 million.
Maersk Oil North Sea UK has appointed Martin Rune Pedersen as its new managing director, following the retirement of current MD Tom van Leenen.
Polarcus has taken delivery of its third purpose-built 3D seismic vessel, the Polarcus Asima .
Hoang Long Joint Operating Co. has discovered hydrocarbons in its latest appraisal well on the Te Giac Den prospect off southern Vietnam.
Shell UK and Esso Exploration and Production UK want to dispose of their interests in the Corvette gas field in the UK southern North Sea, according to brokers Indigo Pool, a division of Schlumberger.
Apache North Sea Ltd. has contracted a high-pressure marine riser system from Aquaterra Energy Ltd.
Halliburton’s Landmark Software and Services has released DecisionSpace Desktop software to manage upstream technology workflows.
The next MTS Houston Section luncheon will be held on September 23, 2010, and will feature a presentation by Michael Kologinczak, Senior Engineer with Williams on the Gulfstream Natural Gas System.
International Energy Skills & Training Alliance (IESTA) has appointed Gary Boyd as director of operations.
Statoil has signed a long-term frame agreement with Emerson Process Management.
Bayerngas UK is set to acquire interests in two gas field projects in the UK southern North Sea.
Development of the Chim Sáo field off southern Vietnam remains on schedule, according to Premier Oil.
Repsol could drill two exploration wells next year on the Tanger-Larache concession offshore Morocco, according to partner Dana Petroleum.
BP has awarded Wood Group a $115-million contract for the Andrew Area development in the central UK North Sea.
The Royal Lankhorst Euronete Group plans to build a new factory in Brazil to produce deepwater mooring ropes.
Cirrus Energy Nederland has confirmed a commercial-quality gas accumulation in the North Sea which could be developed from the M7-A production platform.
Iran has inaugurated the first phase of production from the Hengam oil field in the Persian Gulf.
RAK Petroleum has restored production at the Bukha oil and gas field offshore Oman.
Maritime Industrial Services has established MIS Production Services to provide gas compression equipment for offshore and onshore field developments.
Sterling Resources has proven further oil at the Cladhan discovery in the UK northern North Sea.
Reliance Industries has notched a fourth successive gas discovery in the KG-DWN-2003/1 (D3) exploration block in India’s Krishna Godavari basin off eastern India.
Tullow Oil expects to complete a new 3D seismic survey in its E quadrant acreage offshore the Netherlands next month.
Dana Petroleum says a new well will be drilled early next year on the Goosander field in the Greater Kittiwake Area of the UK central North Sea.
Statoil has contracted Aker Offshore Partner to manage the tie-in of the ENI-operated Marulk field in the Norwegian Sea to the Norne field FPSO.
Fugro has taken delivery on the seismic survey vessel M/V Geo Coral from Bergen Yards.
Delek Group has issued an update on the proposed drilling program for the deepwater Leviathan 1 well offshore Israel.
Power engineering group Wärtsilä has signed a long-term service agreement with Eidesvik Offshore to provide maintenance services for the seismic vessel Oceanic Vega.
Monitor Systems Scotland has introduced RPD M1000, a monitoring system to position three legs of a jackup rig accurately on the seabed.
The University of Houston’s Center for Public History and Centers for Energy Management and Policy will hold an oil spill symposium on September 23rd, at the Hilton Hotel on the university’s main campus.
OEG Offshore has won subsea contracts totaling $1.86 million.
Britain’s government has explained how it plans to license storage of carbon dioxide (C02) under the sea bed.
Norske Shell has completed an appraisal well on its Gro gas discovery in the Norwegian Sea, with disappointing results.
Mott MacDonald has advised Zakum Development Co. (ZADCO) Abu Dhabi on diesel generator replacement at the Arzanah Island facility.
Hurricane Exploration has started drilling Whirlwind, its second basement target in UK block 205/21a, west of Shetland.
Cairn Energy has discovered gas while drilling its first exploration well offshore Greenland.
Aker Solutions has contracted GE for more than 130 subsea wellhead sensors to install in the Goliat field in the Norwegian Barents Sea.
Norwegian gas distributor Gassco will include vessels when performing analyses of gas transport from the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).
Norwegian Energy Co. (Noreco) has contracted Senergy for project management of an exploration well in the Norwegian North Sea.
Wintershall Norge is on the lookout for more hydrocarbons off mid-Norway, following this summer’s Maria oil discovery on the Haltenbanken.
Statoil has identified 900 MMboe of recoverable volumes in the Snorre field in the North Sea following an extensive survey, suggesting a probable 30 more years of production.
Bowleven has completed its testing program on the IE-3 appraisal well on the Etinde permit, offshore Cameroon.
Siemens has completed the factory test program for its STC-ECO seal-less compressor system for subsea and “dirty” gas applications.
Rockhopper Exploration has plugged and abandoned its Ernest 26/6-1 exploration well in the offshore North Falklands basin as a dry hole, following completion of all logging runs.
Castrol Offshore has introduced a new testing service to analyze onboard a drilling platform lube oil or hydraulic oil for features such as wear, metals, contaminants, oil condition, and additives.
Total has won approval from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate for exploration drilling in the Norwegian North Sea, and Statoil also has clearance for two wildcats in the sector.
BW Offshore has commissioned Hamworthy to supply pumps and associated kit for the Papa Terra oil field FPSO offshore Brazil.
Irish independent San Leon Energy has named Dr John Buggenhagen as director of Exploration.
Roc Oil (China) and its partners in the Beibu Gulf project joint venture have signed a Supplemental Development Agreement (SDA) with CNOOC for an oilfield program offshore China.
Adira Energy has signed an agreement with Geo Global Resources and its subsidiary, Geo Global Resources (India) concerning activity offshore Israel.
Aker Process Systems Asia Pacific has won two subsea contracts from Petronas Carigali for subsea equipment offshore Malaysia.
BP is authorized to end the fishing procedure and to begin removing the capping stack followed by the BOP, under specific conditions set out by Admiral Thad Allen, National Incident commander for the BP Gulf of Mexico Macondo well.
STX Norway Offshore has contracted to supply Island Offshore with two LNG-powered platform supply vessels.
Ensco plc says it now has possession of the ENSCO 69 jackup drilling rig.
Emerson Process Management has added seismic visualization to the Roxar RMS program to improve decision-making and quality control.
Starting in 2012 and going for 10 years, Bristow Norway will fly three helicopters from Flesland in Bergan following the award of a contract from Statoil.
New Zealand is asking for comments on proposals to update, streamline, and “future proof” the Crown Minerals Act.
BP has selected KBR for the second stage concept selection of the export pipelines and terminal for the West Nile Delta Development in Egypt.
Petris Technology has appointed Jerry Martin as VP of Western Hemisphere, Greg Palmer and Stephan Dumothier as product managers, and Mike Zyglicki as account manager.
Maersk Oil plans to accelerate its E&P program offshore Norway, five years after gaining its first Norwegian license.
DONG Energy is looking at options for its Glenlivet gas discovery West of Shetland.
Development drilling is under way at Trym, the first Norwegian/Danish cross-border project. The production scheme involves subsea wells tied back to the Harald platform in the Danish North Sea.
Wood Group Kenny reports that it has been awarded the front end engineering design (FEED) and related project management support activities for the Jordbaer field project offshore Norway, being developed by BG Norge AS.
Norwegian Energy Company ASA (Noreco) reports that it has made a discovery on the Zidane-1 well in license PL435 in Norway, which is operated by RWE Dea Norge AS.
American actor and environmentalist Kevin Costner played a starring role at ONS 2010, speaking on the topic of “state of the art oil spill systems” at a press conference and lecture.
Some of the buzz in the Scottish Pavilion at ONS 2010 is coming from the Xodus Group’s £1-million ($1.54-million) contract for the detail design of Huntington in the UK Central North Sea.
Ejector technology specialist Transvac Systems has won a major contract from FMC Technologies to supply pressure boosting and flushing jet pumps for Petrobras’ Marlim subsea separation project.
Cargotec has signed a contract to deliver a range of advanced MacGregor offshore and subsea load handling systems to a deepsea research vessel.
Initial work on the pilot subsea compressor station for the Ormen Lange development is nearing completion, according to a presentation by Aker Solutions at ONS.
Hallin Marine Subsea International has opened a new multi-purpose facility in Singapore.
The ONS Board issued honorary awards to Erik Jølberg and Maury Devine for their special contribution to the energy sector and ONS in particular.
A joint report issued by Moduspec and the Athens Group at ONS 2010 provides new insights on the causes and consequences of non-productive time (NPT) on offshore oil and gas assets.
An industry body set up to ensure that businesses are ready to secure opportunities from decommissioning work over the coming years will soon launch a major mapping exercise to help the supply chain benefit from the £25-30 billion ($38.5-46 billion) of North Sea work forecast for the future.
Statoil is looking to halve development time of some of its Norwegian marginal discoveries, according to a presentation today at ONS.
Great Britain’s Health and Safety Executive released its safety records for 2009/2010 with a warning that the offshore industry is “not good enough”.
A water injection treatment unit that sits on the seabed was introduced today at ONS 2010 by Well Processing AS.
Kongsberg Maritime Engineering announced today at Offshore Northern Seas 2010 that it has won a $20-million contract with BW Offshore Singapore to supply an ACET package for the Kangean Energy Indonesia gas FPSO on an engineering, procurement, and construction basis.
Kongsberg Maritime has announced at ONS 2010 that it received a Letter of Intent from Statoil on a five-year frame agreement as one partner able to bid to supply safety and automation systems (SAS) for future Statoil Green Field Projects.
Solstad Offshore is showing ONS 2010 its concept of Climate Neutral Operations (CNO) as part of its environmental program on display at the show.
VNG Norge AS today told ONS 2010 attendees that it has decided to extend its activity to include the Danish shelf.
A new “hyper-duplex” material for deep, remote exploration is featured by Sandvik at the Offshore Northern Seas Conference this year.
Lundin Norway expects to bring three new projects onstream in the Norwegian sector between 2012-14.
Weatherford International Ltd. is using the Offshore Northern Seas Conference to introduce UniSlips, a new, all-in-one casing, tubing, and drill pipe handling tool.
Petrobras has signed a Letter of Intent with MODEC for the charter and operation of an FPSO at BM-S-9 offshore Brazil in the Santos basin.
STX Norway Offshore reports it has signed contracts to build two icebreaker tugboats for JSC Circle Marine Invest.
Craig International Supplies (CIS) has secured contract extensions with Nexen Petroleum UK Ltd, Transocean, Chevron North Sea, and Chevron USA Inc. totaling more than $35 million ($54.38 million) over the next five years.
Prosafe has awarded HB Rentals a long-term lease contract to supply four 20 ft x 8 ft (6 m x 2 m) A60 Zone II Norsok office modules for the Valhall platform.
GSP Offshore has completed offshore mating of a topsides and jacket for the latest phase of the Akcakoca gas development in the Turkish Black Sea.
San Leon Energy and partner Lundin Petroleum have completed a 300-sq km (116-sq mi) 3D seismic acquisition program over Slyne basin exploration license F4/06, offshore western Ireland.
HB Rentals has won a contract from Prosafe to supply four office modules for use in the Norwegian North Sea.
The Norwegian Energy Co. (Noreco) has agreed to acquire 10% interest in PL 392 in the Norwegian Sea from BG Norge.
Fabricator Lamprell says the number of stacked jackup drillings rigs has remained high throughout 2010, with drilling contractors uncertain as to when the market will pick up.
Polarcus has contracted Veripos a master services contract for high-precision positioning services and equipment. Polarcus says the contract covers all four of its vessels.
BP has gotten permission to conduct a BOP fishing procedure. National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen sent BP a directive authorizing the procedure over the weekend.
Among the challenges of shallow-water developments are tides, currents, significant wave height, and visibility.
FMC Technologies has won a $36-million call-off order from Total Exploration & Production Angola for the manufacture and supply of further subsea production equipment for the Block 17 development.
Statoil ASA is changing its organizational structure, effective Jan. 1, 2011.
GE Energy has appointed Joseph Ani s as VP of the Middle East.
GE Oil & Gas has appointed A. John Lammas as VP and engineering and technology leader.
Spectrum has agreed to reprocess 12,240 line km (7,606 mi) of 2D seismic data from the Trinidad and Tobago Deep Atlantic Area survey east of the islands.
The deepwater Gulf of Mexico remains a promising g exploration venue, according to Carl Scharpf, Gulf Coast Exploration & New Ventures manager for Apache Corp.
TI Africa, owner of the FSO Africa, has signed a new contract to provide Maersk Oil Qatar with FSO services on the Al Shaheen field offshore Qatar.
Allseas’ Solitaire has sailed out of Rotterdam following an equipment retrofit to install part of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Gulf of Finland.
Technip is forming a strategic collaboration with Petronas subsidiaries MISC Berhad and Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Holdings Berhad (MHB).
Total has clearance from Petroleum Safety Authority Norway to drill an exploration well in the Norwegian central North Sea.
Sky Petroleum has appointed Oliver J. Whittle to its board of directors.
Following its acquisition by InterMoor, IOS Offshore AS will now be known as IOS InterMoor AS.
The Offshore North Seas (ONS) jury has nominated six Aker Solutions technologies for ONS Innovation Awards.
The governmental science team and Admiral Thad Allen, the Deepwater Horizon Response commander, have authorized BP to replace the BOP on the Macondo well before completing the relief well.
Clough has appointed Keith Spence as chairman of the board, effective Oct. 26.
Kongsberg Gruppen has acquired Odfjell Consulting AS.
-- TAM International North Sea Ltd. is investing approximately $2.8 million to expand its Aberdeen operations.
Anadarko’s latest exploration well off Mozambique has found oil in the Ironclad structure.
Offshore fabricator SLP Engineering has been sold to Zefier UK III, a subsidiary of Dutch steel construction specialists Smulders Group.
The Grenland Group has a letter of intent from FMC Technologies for subsea facilities for the Kirinskoye field development offshore Russia’s Sakhalin Island.
Production from the PY-3 oil field in the Cauvery basin off eastern India will likely remain around 3,400 b/d for the rest of this year, according to operator Hardy Oil & Gas.
Hoang Long Joint Operating Co., the operator of block 16-1 in the Cuu Long basin off southern Vietnam, has spudded its first well in the Te Giac Trang (TGT) development/appraisal drilling program.
ADX Energy is persevering with its Lambouka exploration well offshore Tunisia, despite an initial disappointment.
Statoil Petroleum has proven further oil in the Gudrun field area in the Norwegian North Sea.
Fu Chengyu is to resign from his role of CEO of CNOOC, but will remain as chairman of the board.
Brazil’s OGX Petroleo e Gas has awarded Wellstream International an offshore installation contract.
Rockhopper Exploration’s latest well in the offshore North Falkland basin was dry.
Eni Norge has contracted Vicinay Cadenas for design and supply of anchor chains for the Goliat FPSO in the Barents Sea.
Talisman Energy’s Yme field platform is in transit from the construction yard in Abu Dhabi to the Norwegian North Sea, according to contractor SBM Offshore.
PA Resources (PAR) has submitted an application to Tunisia’s government to develop the offshore Didon North structure.
First Australian Resources says its exploration program offshore Guinea Bissau, northwest Africa, is under way.
Det norske oljeselskap is working on an updated development plan for the Frøy field re-development in the Norwegian North Sea.
Sevan Marine ASA and E.ON Ruhrgas UK E&P have agreed to extend a Letter of Intent (LoI) concerning an FPSO for the Huntington field development in the UK North Sea.
Talisman Energy’s Yme field platform is in transit from the construction yard in Abu Dhabi to the Norwegian North Sea, according to contractor SBM Offshore.
OSX Brazil has contracted Keppel Shipyard to modify the FPSO OSX-1, which will work for OGX in Brazil's Campos basin under a 20-year lease.
BP and TAQA each have awarded ASCO Group contracts that have a combined value estimated at $47 million over the next five years.
National Oilwell Varco (NOV) has awarded OEG Offshore (OEG) a $450,000 contract to design and supply 60, 40-ft (12-m) pipe bins that will be used to transport standard drillpipes.
Hayata has received a DNV Type Approval Certificate for its stainless steel cable tie line including rollerball, ladder, and releasable ties in both coated and uncoated versions.
INPEX Southeast Caspian Sea has increased its interest in the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli field in the Azeri sector of the Caspian Sea.
Woodside Petroleum has scored a second gas discovery in quick succession off Western Australia, this time in permit WA-404-P in the Carnarvon basin.
Antrim Energy is reviewing development options for the Fyne heavy oil field in the UK central North Sea.
Petroleum Safety Authority Norway has approved Norske Shell’s plan for exploration drilling on the Ormen Lange field in the Norwegian Sea.
Premier Oil’s 22/19c-6 exploration well on the Oates prospect in the UK central North Sea has reached target depth of 10,323 feet MD, according to partner Premier Oil.
Paradigm and Petrosys have agreed to develop connectors to integrate Paradigm's Epos repository data with Petrosys' mapping solutions.
The use of categorical exclusions for OCS exploration and drilling will be restricted pending a review of regulations, according to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement Director Michael R. Bromwich.
Woodside has discovered gas in the Alaric structure in permit WA-434-P off Western Australia.
BPZ Resources has secured an extended well testing (EWT) permit and associated gas flaring permit for its CX11-17D well in the Corvina field in Peru’s offshore block Z-1.
Enegi Oil has reached agreement with Dragon Lance Management Corp. (DLMC) to help develop its Newfoundland regional play based around the Port au Port peninsula
North Norfolk District Council has approved the onshore planning portion of the offshore Baird gas storage project.
EnQuest, the newly formed company combining Petrofac and Lundin Petroleum’s UK offshore interests, has issued a development bulletin.
Parker Drilling has selected UniversalPegasus International as its automation and electrical engineering provider for arctic projects.
South Oil Co. (SOC) has awarded Baker Hughes a three-year contract to provide technical services to its wireline logging department in Iraq.
Bengal Energy says it is progressing exploration and drilling of its prospects offshore India.
Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) is working with Maersk Tankers to developing next-generation liquefied C02 carriers, which should be available by 2015.
Coastal Energy has completed its latest well on the Bua Ban field development in the Gulf of Thailand.
Melrose Resources is preparing to bring onstream two new gas field developments in the Bulgarian sector of the Black Sea.
Faroe Petroleum is set to take on its first operatorship in the Norwegian sector. The company has reached agreement with Det norske oljeselskap, to acquire a further 20% of license PL440S in the North Sea.
Crossmar Inc. has completed 13 thruster replacements on semisubmersible rigs for various clients.
Enigma Oil & Gas Exploration has won approval from Namibia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy to continue its exploration program on three offshore blocks.
Completion of the relief well and subsequent bottom kill of BP’s Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico is pending a decision by the federal scientific team on the way to proceed.
The Acme-1 wildcat offshore Western Australia found 896 ft (273 m) of net gas pay according to Chevron.
Transocean has appointed J. Michael Talbert as non-executive vice chairman of the board; Arnaud A.Y. Bobillier as executive VP, asset and performance; and Ihab Toma as executive VP, global business, effective immediately.
Foster Marketing Communications has appointed Tiffany Harris as president.
Charles Woodburn has joined oilfield services provider Expro as CEO.
Norwegian E&P independent Noreco has appointed Rune Martinsen, currently COO, as vice president Strategy & Investor Relations.
Trudy Schoolenberg is the new vice president, Global R&D at power generation group Wärtsilä Industrial Operations.
Italy’s government has formally approved a new legislative decree that prohibits offshore oil and gas activity close to the company’s coastline. It will come into force on Aug. 26.
Talisman Energy has contracted Fabricom Offshore Services for front-end engineering design for the Claymore Compression Upgrade (CCU) project in the UK North Sea.
AWE and its partners have opted to plug and abandon the Tuatara-1 exploration well offshore New Zealand.
Maritime Industrial Services has received a payment of $25.79 million from First Energy Bank, following the successful load-out of the jackup MENAdrill Hercules II (Hull 110).
Seadrill subsidiary Scorpion Offshore Ltd. has contracted the Offshore Vigilant to drill two wells in Venezuela for Cardon IV S.A. for $37.2 million.
The board of directors for Seawell Ltd. and Allis-Chalmers Energy have unanimously approved a definitive merger agreement for Seawell to aquire Allis-Chalmers Energy for about $890 million.
With the passing of the storm in the Gulf of Mexico, work on the relief well at BP’s Macondo spill site is resuming.
Jet Edge and Chukar Waterjet have provided ultra-high pressure waterjet equipment and application expertise to remove hydrate ice crystals that formed and clogged a containment cap at BP’s Gulf of Mexico spill site.
BG International (CNS) has contracted Prosafe’s Safe Caledonia accommodation rig for Gaupe and other projects in the North Sea.
Saipem´s pipelay vessel Castoro Sei is resuming work on the Finnish offshore stretch of the Nordstream gas trunkline installation in the Baltic Sea.
Sevan Marine has agreed to acquire Centrica Energy Upstream’s 20% equity interest in the FPSO Sevan Hummingbird for $39 million.
WGP has completed mobilization of the M/V Stril Myster to start operations on the latest shot survey for BP’s Valhall Life of Field Seismic (LoF) project in the Norwegian North Sea.
Aker Solutions has established a 50-50 venture with Kazakh company KGNT Holding to service oil and gas field activity in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea.
Tap Oil has relinquished the SC-41 exploration block in the Sulu Sea off the southern Philippines.
Brunei Shell Petroleum (BSP) has awarded the Wood Group joint venture SKSWood a two-year extension to an integrated service contract.
Fairfield Energy has contracted Technip UK to provide subsea engineering, procurement, construction, and installation services for the Dunlin Fuel Gas pipeline project in the northern North Sea.
OGX Petróleo e Gás Participações S.A. reports hydrocarbon indications in 1-OGX-18-RJS on BM-C-40 in shallow Campos basin waters.
Gazprom Group Co. has signed a multi-year software license agreement with Paradigm.
The Tuatara-1 well in the Tasman Bay part of the Taranaki basin offshore New Zealand is drilling ahead at 1,796 m (5,892 ft).
The Offshore Marine Service Association has named James Adams as interim president and CEO.
Axon Energy has appointed Donna Adame as president of Axon Rig Concept and Design.
Matthew R. Simmons, founder of the Ocean Energy Research Institute in Rockland, Maine, passed away on Sunday.
Total has initiated development of the four-field CLOV project in Angola deepwater block 17.
HB Rentals has provided two MWD support cabins to Halliburton’s directional drilling facilities operating onboard the Trident 9 for Pearl Energy Indonesia.
Suncor Energy has completed a planned maintenance shutdown on the Terra Nova FPSO ahead of schedule.
Nautical Petroleum expects to resume drilling this month on the Kraken heavy oil accumulation in the UK northern North Sea.
Spectrum has re-processed 10,600 line km (6,586 mi) of new 2D seismic data taken off the Andaman Islands offshore eastern India.
Roc Oil (Tasman) says intermittent gas shows have come to light during drilling of the Tuatara-1 exploration well offshore New Zealand.
NorSkan Offshore has contracted STX Brazil Offshore for two anchor handling tug supply vessels for delivery during 2012-13.
Dragon Oil has issued an update on its facilities expansion program in the Cheleken Contract Area fields in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea.
Nexen Petroleum UK has completed flow testing its Blackbird field appraisal well in the UK central North Sea.
Dana Petroleum’s shareholders have approved the company’s offer for Petro-Canada Netherlands.
EnCore Oil plans to drill to four more exploration and appraisal wells close to its Catcher oil discovery in the UK North Sea, pending rig availability.
Reliance Industries has resumed drilling of the KGV-D3-W1 exploration well on the KG-DWN-2003/1 (D3) license in the Krishna Godavarai basin offshore eastern India.
Norway’s government has approved the development plan for the Marulk gas field in the Norwegian Sea, according to partner DON Energy.
Drilling of the relief well at BP’s Macondo spill site in the Gulf of Mexico is on hold for weather.
Israel’s government has approved Noble Energy’s development of the Tamar gas discovery in the deepwater sector of the Levantine basin in the Mediterranean Sea.
Santos has appointed Peter Cleary as VP of strategy and corporate development, Mark Macfarlane as CEO of GLNG Operations, James Baulderstone as VP of Eastern Australia, and David Lim as company secretary.
InterMoor has developed the Inter-M Swivel, a multi-purpose mooring swivel that connects directly into studless or common stud-link chains, enabling 360° rotational freedom while under tension.
VME Process has won a contract from BW Offshore to provide eight process modules for the FPSO to serve Kangean Energy’s Terang Sirasun Batur fields.
CGGVeritas has launched what it says is the largest, most powerful X-Bow design seismic vessel.
E.ON Ruhrgas has started gas production from the Babbage field in the southern UK North Sea.
Noble Corp. has signed contracts with STX Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. of South Korea and Huisman Equipment B.V. for construction of an ultra-deepwater dynamically positioned drillship.
CNOOC Ltd. says the Bozhong 19-4 oil field in Bohai Bay is on production.
Statoil ASA has contracted Technip for €23 million ($30.17 million) in subsea development work at Snorre field in the Norwegian North Sea.
Hughes Network Systems and Environmental & Safety Systems International will provide the Hughes Maritime Broadband service to Triton Diving Services’ vessel fleet.
King & Spalding has applied for government permission to open an office in Singapore to serve as the regional hub for its commercial arbitration and energy transactions.
ABB will supply $20-million in power systems, drilling drive, and propulsion systems for a new deepwater rig to be built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, South Korea.
The Petroleum Geo-Services’ Ramform Challenger has left Conakry to shoot a 3D seismic program for Hyperdynamics Corp.
Subsea 7 has won a $100-million contract for work in the UK sector of the North Sea for an unnamed client.
The Xodus Group has won a front-end engineering and design study from GDF Suez E&P UK for Juliet field in the southern North Sea.
Abu Dhabi Marine Operating co. has contracted McDermott International to upgrade and enhance a water injection system in Zakum field for about $350 million.
Seismic exploration offshore Alaska in the Chukchi Sea can proceed following a federal judge’s ruling that it does not fall under the offshore drilling ban.
Oil production from East Belumut field on PM 323 offshore Malaysia has resumed, reports Newfield Exploration Co.
The static kill of BP’s Macondo blow-out in the Gulf of Mexico is holding and there are no leaks, said Admiral Thad Allen, national incident commander, and completion of the relief well is the next step.
Clough has appointed Gary Bowtell as executive VP of engineering.
Axon Energy Products subsidiary company Church Energy Services has announced the results of its successful blowout preventer shear ram test conducted on June 7, 2010.
With permission from the Deepwater Horizon Incident Command, BP has completed pumping cement into the Macondo well through the containment cap and is holding pressure on the cement pending a final pressure test scheduled sometime today.
HB Rentals has supplied a DNV-certified, eight-man sleeper accommodation module for Murphy Oil Corp. on a platform offshore Labuan, Malaysia.
Interpetroleum Services has awarded Prosafe a bareboat contract for the accommodation support rig Safe Lancia, operating for Pemex offshore Mexico.
A floating storage and offloading vessel will shortly leave the Yulian shipyard in China for the Afren-operated Ebok field development off southeast Nigeria.
Champion Technologies and 3M have jointly developed filtration equipment to reduce the risk of blockage in an umbilical system newly installed in the North Sea.
Oil Search is stepping up its exploration activity in the Gulf of Papua, recently completing the first stage of an offshore 3D seismic survey.
ATP Oil & Gas (UK) has been awarded operatorship of the undeveloped Blythe gas discovery in the UK southern North Sea.
Cal Dive International has contracted Converteam to supply a dynamic positioning control system for the saturation diving vessel Uncle John.
ION Geophysical Corp. has contracted to outfit China’s BGP Inc.’s new 12-streamer 3D seismic vessel the Prospector with a DigiSTREAMER acquisition system.
Production from the Siri area fields in the Danish North Sea has fallen below expectations according to partner Noreco.
Ithaca Energy has agreed to acquire a package of southern North Sea gas interests from GDF SUEZ E&P UK for $16.9 million.
FoundOcean has completed foundation pile grouting projects on three platforms in the Mediterranean Sea and the North Sea.
Cove Energy has drawn attention to Anadarko’s latest earnings conference call, which updated progress on the partnership’s latest exploration well off Mozambique.
RWE Dea has contracted Heerema Vlissingen in the Netherlands for a minimum facilities platform for its Breagh A gas development in the UK southern North Sea.
Oil & Gas UK has contracted Wood Group Kenny for engineering services to assess subsea capping and containment options for the UK continental shelf.
Exploration and development consultants RPS has established a new office in Abu Dhabi to add to its capability in the Middle East.
Structural/pipeline grouting services provider FoundOcean has entered into a strategic alliance in Australia.
Construction has started on the Sevan Driller II platform at the Cosco Shipyard in Oidong, China.
GL Noble Denton has opened its fourth Norwegian office, this one in Stavanger.
Subsea 7 and CRC-Evans have entered into a global technology partnership agreement to provide pipeline fabrication services to the subsea engineering and construction market.
Trelleborg Offshore has installed Elastopipe, a corrosion-free fire safety deluge system, on Maersk’s FPSO Ngujima-Yin off Western Australia.
Scanmudring UK has formed a strategic alliance with the Marin Group to expand global operations.
EFC Group has appointed Mike Coady as GM Americas, and Vance Williams as senior account executive Houston.
The Society of Exploration Geophysicists has appointed Steven H. Davis as executive director.
Hayata has appointed Steve Yap as sales manager for the Asia-Pacific region.
The “vast majority” of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico at the Macondo well is either evaporated, burned, skimmed, recovered, or dispersed says a government report.
The crew of Blue Dolphin and the HOS Centerline pump mud through lines to the Q4000
Stupp Corp. reports that it has successfully completed the manufacture, coating, shipment and delivery of 90 miles of 36-in. OD, X-70 API-5L PSL2 custom steel line pipe.
Schilling Robotics has received an order from TS Marine for two 4,000 m (13,000 ft) rated UltraHeavyDuty ROVs for delivery this summer.
IDC Energy Insights is predicting that one impact of the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico will be to increase IT spending.
Intergraph has interfaced Smart 3D design software with GexCon’s FLACS explosion analysis software to increase speed and accuracy of design safety analysis for plants handling explosive materials or pressurized liquids and gases.
The partners in the Sara and Myra licenses offshore Israel have completed acquisition and processing of 3D seismic.
Salamander Energy has revised its reserves estimates for Kambuna field offshore North Sumatra.
OMEL Exploration and Production Nigeria Ltd. has contracted Polarcus Ltd. with partner Sonar Ltd. to acquire 530 sq km (205 sq mi) of 3D seismic data over OPL279 offshore Nigeria.
Esso Exploration and Production Congo is seeking strategic alternatives for its 30% interest in the deepwater 3,818-sq km (1,474-sq mi) Mer Tres Profonde Sud block (MTPS).
Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) Norway has cleared Statoil to drill a well in frontier waters off northern Norway.
Serica Energy is lining up wells on two exploration prospects offshore East Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Core handling specialist Kirk Petrophysics has won a storage contract to support BP’s drilling campaign in deepwater block 31 off Angola.
VAALCO Energy has completed a second sidetrack of the Southeast Etame No. 1 (ETSEM-1) exploration well offshore Gabon.
The Macondo well has reached a static condition reports BP.
John O’Keefe, Hyperdynamics’ CFO and executive VP, is no longer with the company.
Bishop Lifting Products has completed construction of a 323 ft (98.5 m) long, 3.3 million pound (1,500 metric ton) proof tester.
HB Rentals has opened an office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to serve the Asia-Pacific region.
Fugro Chance Inc. has appointed Blaine Thibodeaux as VP of the Marine Group, and Larry Prewitt as GM of the Marine Group, and a member of the technical innovation team for the positioning business line.
The Craig Group has ordered four new emergency response and rescue vessels from Balenciaga Shipyard.
McMoRan Exploration Co. says its Blueberry Hill #9STK1 well in Louisiana State Lease 340 in 10 ft of water has hydrocarbon indications.
Ranger Offshore Inc. has ordered a saturation diving system from Unique System LLC.
After two rounds of testing, the US Environmental Protection Agency says the dispersant used at the Macondo oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico had no “biologically significant endocrine disrupting activity.”
Expro has signed a $100-million, multi-year contract for TS Marine Asia Pacific’s Havila Phoenix to deploy the AX-S subsea well intervention system.
The merger of Forum Oilfield Technologies, Triton Group, Subsea Services International, Global Flow Technologies, and Allied Technology has created Forum Energy Technologies.
Brazilian company QUIP has contracted Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies (VWS) for a water treatment package for the Papa Terra P63 project in the Campos basin offshore Brazil.
Craig Group is adding four new emergency response and rescue vessels (ERRVs) to the fleet operated by its North Star Shipping subsidiary.
ABB will supply a package of power systems, drilling drive, and propulsion systems for a new deepwater drilling rig to be built at the DSME shipyard in South Korea.
EnQuest PLC has agreed to acquire the entire issued share capital of Stratic Energy, increasing its North Sea proven and probable reserves by 7.27 MMboe.
OGX Brazil has contracted BW Offshore to complete the FPSO OSX-1, due to operate for OGX in Brazil’s Campos basin.
Wood Group has contracted Champion Technologies to provide production chemicals and chemical services for various North Sea installations.
Flex LNG has signed a memorandum of understanding with Saipem for a floating liquefaction project offshore Australia.
Keppel Philippines Marine is raising its interests in Subic Shipyard and Engineering Inc. (SSEI) and Consort Land Inc. (CLI) to support operations in the Philippines.
COSCO Corp. has appointed Wang Hai Min and Ma Zhi Hong as non-independent and non-executive directors.
Santos announced that CFO and executive VP Peter Wasow will retire at the end of 2010.
The Q4000 is in the process of turning around to pump materials downhole rather than receive production, said Admiral Thad Allen, national incident commander at the BP Macondo spill in the Gulf of Mexico, at a press conference this afternoon.
Work in the waters around the port of Dalia has succeeded in capturing any oil remaining from a release following a pipeline explosion last week, according to reports from China.
On the WA-399-P permit off Australia, new operator Apache Energy will start work on a new 3D seismic acquisition survey later this year.
Stanley Black & Decker has acquired CRC-Evans Pipeline International for $445 million in cash.
McDermott International is now a stand-alone engineering, procurement, construction, and installation company focused on the offshore upstream oil and gas market worldwide.
Aker Qserv has scored a 94.8% and received a five-star grading from an audit by the British Safety Council.
Occidental Petroleum has elected Stephen I. Chazen as president and COO, and James M. Lienert as executive VP and CFO.
Vessels group Renaissance Services has agreed on a syndicated term loan facility of Rial 19.25 million ($ 50 million).
Oil has started flowing from Statoil’s Morvin subsea development in the Norwegian Sea.
The jackup Ensco 100 has started drilling the Oates exploration well in UK central North Sea block 22/19c.
Petroleum Safety Authority Norway has given Statoil consent to use the Island Wellserver for well intervention activities on two fields offshore Norway.
Petrobras has awarded Acergy a four-year renewal of its contract for the installation vessel Acergy Condor.
Saipem’s new drillship Saipem 12000 is undergoing sea trials offshore Angola prior to starting operations for Total.
Hoover Materials Handling Group has named William Underwood sales manager for the western US region.
Around 40% of Iran’s gas consumption this winter will be provided by the Assaluyeh processing terminals handling of production from the South Pars gas/condensate field in the Persian Gulf.
Britain’s Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has introduced a new inspection program for offshore oil and gas installations on the UK continental shelf.
The editors of Offshore magazine have scoured the globe for the latest and greatest measurement-while-drilling (MWD) and logging-while-drilling (LWD) tools for 2010, and here is the result. The following pages also update the annual MWD/LWD services directory. The full survey is available for download at www.offshore-mag.com.
To extract oil and gas out of the Arctic basin, new tools are needed to model ice loads and their effect on offshore structures.
Fugro has added two new C-Class seismic vessels to its fleet. Both are designed for challenging offshore areas and both can tow up to 16 seismic streamers on dedicated streamer winches with a capacity of 8,000 m (26,246 ft) of cable.
Arctic offshore exploration must be carried out in the short summer (July/August to September), while there is sufficient open water for towed-streamer deployment. Maximum efficiency is essential to make full use of the available acquisition time. Exploring this area responsibly requires specialized equipment and methods, deployed by exceptional crews working closely with local agencies, to meet the environmental challenges.
An “overabundance of caution” was the phrase most often repeated by federal government and BP Plc spokesmen to describe phase testing of their newest subsea hardware innovation aimed to stem the flow of oil and gas from the wild Macondo well in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.
With a wider development of Arctic oil and gas reserves imminent, offshore operators and contracting companies have been busy planning for what some regard as the final frontier.
Arctic conditions challenge the engineering of hydrocarbon production facilities and force companies that pursue offshore oil and gas resources in cold regions to face unique risks, requirements, and challenges.
Bully I, the first of two new deepwater drillships under construction in the Far East, is set to be delivered to Noble Energy this fall.
Geology keeps pulling oil and gas explorers to Greenland. First there is the sheer size of the area. Secondly, there are catalogued seeps with all the promise they suggest. Third is the prospectivity carried in the seismic data collected to date. All that is missing is an actual oil well. There have been no commercial discoveries. A number of companies expect that to change in a relatively short period of time.
Holland’s offshore services sector is holding steady, despite the recent constraints on new upstream investments.
Last summer, Dockwise successfully delivered and installed the giant topsides for Carigali-Pttepi (CPOC)’s MUDA processing platform in the Gulf of Thailand.
Drillships are figuring increasingly in deepwater exploration in remote areas. Ulstein Sea of Solutions (USOS) is working on various designs which would be suited to operations in frontier regions of the Black Sea, Caspian Sea, and Arctic Circle.
Statoil is working on a solution for the Luva gas field in the Norwegian Sea offshore mid-Norway. The field lies in deep waters far from production infrastructure, and in a harsh environment.
GDF SUEZ is preparing to take over operatorship of the Gjøa field in the North Sea when it comes on stream in October. The project will be the making of the company in the Norwegian sector, according to GDF SUEZ E&P Norge managing director Terje Overvik.
CGGVeritas has its new seismic vessel Oceanic Vega in hand now. The vessel is co-owned with Eidesvik . CGGVeritas says initially it will have 16 Sercel solid Sentinel streamers onboard, and that it has the capacity to tow up to 20 streamers. It features Nautilus acoustic positioning and streamer steering in an Ulstein SX120 design, ice-class vessel.
Whatever else may emerge from the Macondo blowout, one thing is sure: the cost of drilling in the Gulf of Mexico is going to increase.
When the Norwegian government decided in 2006 to set up centers of expertise to promote the country’s business strengths in various areas, it chose Bergen as the centre of expertise for the subsea sector – and with good reason. In and around this attractive city on Norway’s west coast is a dense cluster of companies, from small to large, offering a wide range of subsea technology for the offshore oil and gas industry. The subsea cluster’s main focus is on aftermarket activities – maintenance, modification and operation.
Bergen-based Beerenberg has won two contracts in the Gulf of Mexico for its newly developed Green Turtle conductor cutting technology, which it developed with partner CalDive International.
For more than a year, the UK’s oil and gas business has been impacted by financial constraints as the continuing effects of the downturn make their mark, restricting the flow of funds available for those looking to drill-out prospectivity or advance discoveries.
Aker Solutions is one of the world’s top four providers of subsea production systems and related services, and has the broadest subsea portfolio in the market place.
Recent testing of the Badger Explorer drilling tool has successfully proved the concept. Developer Badger Explorer is now preparing to take the technology forward into a pre-commercial phase.
Aker Solutions’ pioneering decision to assemble a fleet of deepwater subsea construction and well intervention vessels is paying off. Work has already been secured for three of the four new vessels, two of which have so far been delivered.
Every pipeline operator is acutely aware of how important safe and efficient repairs are. When a pipeline operates at a billion cubic feet of gas throughput per day, and the flow is shut down for even one day, there is a significant loss in revenue.
Schilling Robotics LLC has launched its HD ROV. The 125 shp vehicle is completing sea trials and two of the systems are on order for delivery this year, says Schilling.
In a comparison between simulation and physical testing, finite element analysis could simulate accurately complex loading conditions involving multiple component contact and nonlinear material behavior. This validated simulation method can be used to perform optimization and other studies on a virtual prototype of an umbilical. With most umbilicals built for purpose, this provides engineering testing and design validation during front-end engineering without requiring physical tests.
BP has provided an update on developments in the response to the MC252 oil well incident in the Gulf of Mexico.
Average production from UK fields fell by 9% last year to 2.4 MMboe/d, according to Oil & Gas UK’s latest Economic Report. Overall output is set to dip by a further 6-8% to 2.2-2.3 MMboe/d this year, the association adds.
BP has launched the Vessels of Opportunity (VOO) program as part of its response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The program is designed to provide local boat operators with an opportunity to assist with response activities, including transporting supplies, assisting wildlife rescue, and deploying containment and sorbent boom.
Subsea systems are used increasingly as the primary field development solution for offshore oil and gas fields. Currently, there are around 3,300 producing subsea wells around the world, with an average age of almost seven years. The sizes of new offshore discoveries are getting smaller. These factors drive subsea operators to be increasingly aware of securing the integrity of the producing subsea infrastructure and of maximizing the recovery from the assets.
The prize of enlightening the reservoir using large-scale, high-fidelity, fiber-optics to provide timely, predictive information on reservoir performance is within our grasp. Fiber-optics revolutionized the telecommunications industry, enabled the World Wide Web, and can do the same for the instrumented oil field.
Cairn Energy has started drilling its first exploration well offshore Greenland. The Alpha prospect is in the Sigguk block, 175 km (109 mi) off Disko Island on the western side of the mainland. This is one of four wells the company hopes to drill this year on the Sigguk and Eqqua blocks, using the semisub Stena Don and the drillship Stena Forth. Greenland’s government has so far authorized the first two in the planned sequence, both of which were due to be drilled using a pilot hole through the initial tophole section.
Technology has been, and will continue to be, a key component in advancing offshore exploration and development. But how will technology be used to prevent and respond to another Macondo-type incident?
A high-profile North Sea discovery called for innovative engineering to enable representative formation fluid samples and critical measurements of H2S concentration.
With a cautious rise in drilling activity across the world, operators have to manage projects efficiently and effectively to maximize the potential return. In addition, operators are revisiting mature fields to extract marginal reserves in order to meet production quotas, and this comes with its own challenges.
Members of Congress are spending this month back in their home districts, listening to constituents and getting a fresh dose of “outside the beltway” plain speak. Hopefully that message includes a dire warning about rushing into a liability scheme that cripples or destroys many of the companies that strive to develop oil and natural gas off our shores.
Atlas Interactive has appointed Alan Pollock as VP of global sales to assist the company’s strategy to double its sales within the next four years. His responsibilities include harnessing the company’s global sales operations, and capitalizing on new opportunities and new services.
South Florida, the Keys, and the East Coast are not likely to see any effects of oil from the Deepwater Horizon/BP spill that remains on the Gulf of Mexico, says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
GSP’s jackup Jupiter has successfully drilled the Kavarna East No.1 well in the Bulgarian sector of the Black Sea as a gas find, according to operator Melrose Resources.
RWEA-DEA Norge has won clearance for an exploration well 12 km (7.5 mi) west of the Gjøa field in the Norwegian North Sea.
Noble Energy is set to assume operatorship of the deepwater Rhone Maritime concession offshore the Rhone delta in the French sector of the Mediterranean Sea.
ABB has won an order worth $20 million to provide complete power systems, drilling drive and propulsion systems for a new deepwater drilling rig to be built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) at its shipyard in South Korea.
Late next week the J.W.McLean should start appraisal drilling on the Cladhan prospect in the UK North Sea, according to partner EnCore Oil.
Seafox Group has entered into a joint venture and construction agreement with Keppel FELS in Singapore for the new installation jackup Seafox 5.
Eni has signed a strategic framework agreement with Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum.
Centrica says its Rough gas storage facility in the southern North Sea continues to perform well, making an important contribution to the UK gas supply network.
Casing is running into the relief well with cementing to follow, and that will set the stage for an attempted static kill at the Deepwater Horizon/BP blowout site in the Gulf of Mexico, according to Admiral Thad Allen, national incident commander.
The CGGVeritas board of directors has approved seating Denis Ranque as a representative of Fonds Strategique d’Investissement.
The Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA) is requesting proposals for projects to fund under its 2010 Small Producer Program.
Apache North Sea has awarded a £55-million ($85.76-million) contract to CHC Helicopter for crew change services.
Seadrill Ltd. says it has won a six-month extension on the semisubmersible drilling rig West Hercules from Husky Oil China Ltd.
Bruce Wood has retired as managing director of AWE Ltd.
BriarTek has introduced ORCA TX-103IS, a man overboard indicator for offshore personnel.
The 2011 Offshore Asia Conference has issued a call for abstracts.
Statoil, with a well established portfolio, continues to look for expansion opportunities to secure its place among the top exploration and production companies, Morten Ruud, project director Peregrino, said in an interview with Offshore in Singapore.
The 2011 Offshore West Africa Conference has issued a call for abstracts.
Royal Dutch Shell has appointed Guy Elliott as a non-executive director, and audit committee member, effective Sept. 1.
Installation of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea is making good progress, with the first of the two lines reaching the landfall point on the Russian shore.
Acergy SA reports receipt of a $1.3-billion contract to engineer, procure, fabricate, and install a deepwater development offshore West Africa.
GSP Offshore has completed load-out of the platform topsides for the second phase of TPAO’s Akcakoca field development in the Turkish Black Sea.
Deepwater exploration off Madagascar is being stalled by the country’s uncertain political situation, according to Sterling Energy.
Frontier drilling is picking up offshore Norway, according to the latest review by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD).
ClampOn has a Letter of Intent from FMC to supply 19 subsea sand and vibration monitors and pig detectors for Total’s Laggan-Tormore project west of Shetland.
The partners in the Nyuni joint venture offshore Tanzania have opted to drill the Nyuni 2 exploration well in December, according to Key Petroleum.
AWE has spudded the Tuatara-1 exploration well in PEP38524, offshore Taranaki, New Zealand.
Hurricane Exploration has completed production testing of its Lancaster oil discovery west of the Shetlands.
Noble Corp. has closed its acquisition of FDR Holdings Ltd., and now has a drilling fleet of 69 units.
Tidewater has elected Morris E. Foster to its board of directors for a term expiring in July 2011.
Construction group Lamprell has won a $317-million contract for two new jackup rigs from National Drilling Co., Abu Dhabi.
Halliburton has signed a strategic partnership agreement with the University of Aberdeen.
The topsides for Talisman Energy’s new Yme platform in the North Sea are complete and ready for load-out from the fabrication yard in Abu Dhabi.
Tyco Valves and Controls has invested in two hyperbaric chambers to test ultra-deepwater valves for its Flow Control Technologies (FCT) division.
Xodus Group has appointed Dr. Afshin Motarjemi to head a subsea advanced analysis team.
Cairn India has completed a 4D seismic campaign over the Ravva offshore field in Eastern India’s Krishna-Godavari basin.
The Court of Appeal in London has ruled in favor of Norwegian company Electromagnetic Geoservices (EMGS) in a patent dispute with Schlumberger.
FG International Holland BV has won a flare tip handling study for the FPSO for Total’s Pazflor deepwater development offshore Angola.
Ithaca Energy has raised C$158 million ($152 million) from its Canadian bought deal and UK private share placement.
Cove Energy has conditionally agreed to farm into five contiguous deepwater blocks offshore Kenya.
Coretech Resources has contracted Sub-Atlantic Asia Pacific (AP) for a free-swimming, Super Mohawk inspection class ROV.
Marathon Oil Co. has appointed Michael W. Tweedy as chief procurement officer, effective Aug. 23.
MS Industrial Services’ Group has established a subsidiary in Ghana.
Argos Resources is seeking to raise £22 million ($34.3 million) via a conditional share placement.
Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) has awarded University of Dundee two grants to research ways to optimize performance and reliability of ultra-deepwater tubular connections.
Bontan Corp. says the partners in the Offshore Israel Project covering the Sarah and Myra licenses have submitted 3D seismic data for these permits to Israel’s Ministry of National Infrastructure (MNI).
Northern Offshore has named Gary W. Casswell as president and CEO.
Keppel Singmarine has delivered its third multi-purpose platform supply and support vessel (MPSSV) to Greatship Global Offshore Services.
Bisso Marine has appointed John C. Baker as director of quality and compliance, and Joe Campbell as general manager of diving and subsea services.
Husky Energy has appointed Stephen Bradley, Frederick Ma, and George Magnus to its board of directors.
Baker Hughes has appointed Martin Craighead as president and COO.
Teledyne Impulse announced they achieved the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 9001:2008 certification from Intertek Testing Services NA, Inc.
The U.S. Department of Justice and the European Commission have cleared unconditionally the proposed merger of Schlumberger and Smith International.
CRC-Evans has integrated cold metal transfer technology with its P450 automatic welding machine.
BPZ Resources has re-opened the A-14XD well in the Albacora I, Tumbes basin offshore Peru, after receiving Extended Well Testing (EWT) and gas flaring permits.
Azerbaijan International Operating Co. has contracted drilling facilities designer RDS for the Chirag Oil Project (COP) “Execute” phase in the Caspian Sea.
Huisman has signed a Letter of Intent with Heerema Offshore Services for installation equipment on Heerema’s new deepwater construction vessel.
Oil production from the Basker-Manta-Gummy (BMG) fields off southeast Australia averaged just 1,513 b/d in Q2 2010, according to operator ROC.
GE Oil & Gas has signed a technology transfer and license agreement with Kazak engineering plant operator JSC ZKMK.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement has released offshore operator reports regarding the evacuation of platforms and rigs in the Gulf of Mexico due to tropical storm Bonnie.
With work resuming at BP’s Macondo oil spill site in the Gulf of Mexico, plans for the actual well kill are coming together.
Aqua-Chem Inc. has acquired SPECIFIC, a fluid-handling systems provider that includes the petroleum industry among its clients.
Cirrus Energy has successful drilled the deviated M07-07 appraisal well from the M07-A gas production platform in the Dutch North Sea.
Keppel FELS expects to deliver the KFELS B Class jackup rig West Callisto to Seadrill before the end of July.
PetroMarker has contracted to acquire electromagnetic data for exploration company Concedo on the Norwegian continental shelf.
Phases 15 and 16 of the South Pars gas field projects in the Persian Gulf are 47% complete, according to Iranian news service Shana.
Polarcus says the second 3D seismic acquisition project for Gassnova has received budgetary approval.
Expro has acquired Production Testers International, a well services business providing fasttrack production systems to the upstream oil and gas industry.
Eni Denmark has started drilling the latest deepwater exploration well off the Faroe Islands, according to partner Faroe Petroleum.
Tullow Oil has made another potentially major oil discovery in Ghana’s deepwater play fairway.
Petrobras has awarded Subsea 7’s i-Tech division, a five-year contract to provide ROV and underwater positioning survey services offshore Brazil.
Final field data has been compiled for a geophysical site survey over the Artemis-1 well location off northwest Australia, according to operator MEO.
Work has resumed on drilling the relief wells at BP’s Macondo spill site in the Gulf of Mexico.
Weather predominates the scene at the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico according to Admiral Thad Allen, national incident commander.
U.S. Silica Co. has appointed Frank Syfan as technical director.
HB Rentals has appointed Myron Manuel as refurbishing manager.
Production from the North West Shelf oil redevelopment project should start by end-March 2011, according to Woodside Energy.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has reopened 26,388 sq mi (68,345 sq km) of Gulf of Mexico waters to commercial and recreational fishing today.
The threat of Tropical Storm Bonnie in the Gulf of Mexico has pushed Admiral Thad Allen, national incident commander at BP’s Macondo well to halt operations and for the vessels onsite to prepare to move away.
The Tom Hum Xanh 1X exploration well in block 31, Vinh Chau graben system, offshore southern Vietnam now is P&A’d according to Salamander Energy Plc.
Eni is seeking an entrée into Azerbaijan’s upstream sector via the proposed CNG (compressed natural gas) project.
Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has approved the plan for development and operation for the Marulk gas condensate field in the Norwegian Sea.
The impact of possible new regulations governing oil and gas operation in the Gulf of Mexico that shut-out independent operators would mean a loss of more than 200,000 jobs and more than $10 billion in federal, state, and local revenues and royalty payments to 2020 in the Gulf region from Texas to Alabama, according to a study released today by IHS Global Insight and commissioned by Cobalt International Energy.
Offshore Solutions B.V. has won the GDF SUEZ Grand Prix de L’innovation award in the field operations category for its Offshore Access System.
COSCO Dalian Shipyard Co Ltd. has secured a $500-million turn-key contract from Dalian Deepwater Development Ltd. to engineer, procure, and construct a DP-3 deepwater drillship.
Vantage Drilling Co. has agreed to supervise and manage construction and marketing of the ultra-deepwater drillship/FPSO, Dalian Developer, formerly known as the MPF-01.
Wood Group has unveiled a hydrate liquefying tool designed to melt ice and paraffin blockages in production pipes of oil and gas wells.
Reservoir Group has acquired Enigma Data Solutions, an information management software and consultancy services provider to the oil and gas industry.
A plan to organize the non-profit Marine Well Containment Co., a rapid response system to capture and contain oil from a subsea blowout, is under way among Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Shell.
Diamond Offshore’s Ocean Guardian has transferred to the North Falklands basin to drill a second well for Rockhopper Exploration.
Keppel Offshore & Marine has won two contracts, one to convert an FPSO and the other to repair a semisubmersible rig for projects offshore Brazil.
Production from the Cheleken Contract Area fields in the Caspian Sea averaged 46,420 b/d of oil during the first half of 2010.
Hyundai Heavy Industries has contracted Dockwise to transport Eni Norge’s Goliat project platform from South Korea to the Norwegian Barents Sea.
Results from Ngaji-1, the first well ever drilled in Uganda’s Lake Edward graben were inconclusive, says operator Dominion Petroleum.
MEO Australia has secured the semisub Songa Venus to drill its giant Artemis prospect in permit WA-360-P off northwest Australia.
Eni Norge has contracted Aker Pusnes for design and supply of an on-vessel mooring system for the Goliat field FPSO in the Barents Sea.
Oil production has started from CNOOC’s BZ 29-4 field in the Bohai Bay offshore China.
Sterling Resources has updated progress on three current wells in the UK North Sea.
Wintershall Norge has discovered oil in the Maria prospect in Mid-Norway’s Halten Terrace region.
Hoang Long Joint Operating Co. has secured the jackup PV Drilling-1 for a program in block 16-1 in Vietnam’s Cuu Long basin.
Dana Petroleum has agreed to acquire a 50% interest from BG International in the El Manzala Offshore Area Concession in the Mediterranean Sea, offshore Egypt.
Marine Subsea (UK) has completed successfully a $1-million contract with Repsol for work offshore Spain near the Casablanca platform.
OGX Petróleo e Gás Participações S.A. reports finding an oil-bearing interval in the Albian section of well 1-OGX-15-RJS in the shallow waters of block BM-C-41 offshore Campos basin, Brazil.
Tim Cejka, president of ExxonMobil Exploration Co., and VP of ExxonMobil Corp., will retire on Aug. 31, 2010.
Hyperdynamics has appointed John O'Keefe as executive VP, and CFO.
Lundin Petroleum has spudded an exploration well on its Avaldsnes prospect in the Norwegian North Sea, using the semisubmersible drilling rig Transocean Winner.
Saipem has awarded Cybernetix a second contract for the Kashagan development in the North Caspian Sea.
Oil & Gas UK has welcomed a newly announced government inquiry into deepwater drilling in UK waters.
China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) has signed a framework agreement for the sale and purchase of natural gas to Zhejiang Natural Gas Development Co. (Zhejiang Gas) from the LS 36-1 gas field in the South China Sea.
Admiral Thad Allen, national incident commander, has directed BP to extend for another 24 hours the testing of the containment cap at the Macondo well.
CGGVeritas has opened a new Geology & Geophysics Center in Angola to join its existing Processing & Imaging Center.
Xcite Energy is committed to take the Ocean Nomad semisubmersible to drill the 9/3b-R appraisal well on the Bentley heavy oil field in the UK North Sea.
SOCO International is set to sell its subsidiary SOCO Exploration Thailand to Salamander Bualang, a division of Salamander Energy.
Front-end engineering design of Total’s deepwater Engina development off Nigeria is nearing completion.
Petroceltic Italia has lodged an application with Italy’s Ministry of Economic Development to suspend the current timing of its commitments on the B.R268.RG permit in the Adriatic Sea.
Talisman Energy Norge has completed drilling two productive delineation wells on its Grevling oil find in the Norwegian North Sea.
Energy XXI will realign its management team, effective July 23, 2010.
Statoil has awarded Aibel a NOK 2.7 billion ($427.8 million) contract to build the deck for the new Gudrun production platform in the Norwegian North Sea.
Dragon Oil has completed two more development wells and one sidetrack in its Cheleken Contract Area program in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea.
Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC) has issued a letter of intent to Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) to build a new deepwater construction vessel.
Statoil has awarded Wellstream manufacturing contracts for the latest phase of the Snorre development in the Norwegian North Sea.
SBM has awarded VME Process a contract to provide complete EPC services, and project management for a gas treatment module for the FPSO Espadarte.
Petrobel has started gas production from the Tuna field in the Temsah concession off Egypt’s Mediterranean coast.
Maersk Oil and Qatar Petroleum have achieved landmark production of 1 Bbbl of oil from the Al Shaheen field offshore Qatar.
Atwood Oceanics has appointed Mark L. Mey as senior VP and CFO, effective Aug. 11.
PA Resources (PAR) has completed its first 2D seismic campaign in western Greenland’s offshore block 8, 10 days ahead of schedule.
Nucoastal Ltd. has awarded a nine-month contract extension to the Vicksburg, an Atwood Oceanics Pacific Ltd. operated rig offshore Thailand.
The Rowan Co. board of directors has approved Rowan’s purchase of all of the ordinary shares in Skeie Drilling & Production ASA.
The deepwater Gulf of Mexico Droshky development is on production says Marathon Oil Corp.
Diving contractor Seatrax Singapore has commissioned Sub-Atlantic Asia to supply an electric work-class ROV to support its subsea operations in the Asia/Pacific region.
Ophir Energy has engaged the new deepwater semisubmersible Maersk Deliverer to drill the first exploration well on the AGC Profond PSC off northwest Africa.
AWE has decided to plug and abandon the Kahu-1 exploration well offshore New Zealand as a dry hole.
ONGC has contracted Indian construction company Larsen & Toubro (L&T) to refurbish an offshore drilling rig.
BP, RWE Dea, and EGPC have signed an agreement for a $9-billion gas field development project in two West Nile Delta concessions offshore northern Egypt.
Seadrill’s ultra-deepwater semisubmersible drilling rig West Orion has started drilling operations for Petrobras offshore Brazil.
Noreco has agreed to sell its 20% interest in Norwegian North Sea license PL378 to Talisman Energy Norge for $43 million.
Kangean Energy Indonesia has contracted BW Offshore for a gas FPSO for the Terang Sirasun Batur fields offshore Indonesia.
Sensidyne has released SensAlarm Plus, an all-in-one gas detection system for monitoring oxygen, toxic, and combustible gases.
Dril-Quip Inc. has landed a $100-million contract from FloaTEC de Mexico SA de CV to supply drilling and production equipment for the P-6 tension-leg wellhead platform at Papa Terra field offshore Brazil in the Campos basin.
OGX Petróleo e Gás Participações S.A. says it has revised upwards its net pay estimate for the Albian section of well 1-OGX-14-RJS.
Suncor Energy has started its planned maintenance shutdown on the Terra Nova FPSO, located 350 km (217 mi) southeast of St. John’s.
As of this morning, the newly installed cap at BP’s Macondo well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico is holding pressure, according to reports from the National Incident Command.
Premier Oil has entered into an agreement to back into Chrysaor’s Solan field development west of Shetland.
BP Norge’s new Valhall main deck has set sail from the Netherlands for the Norwegian North Sea.
Dana Petroleum expects to participate in a record 20 exploration and appraisal wells this year.
The iStore has launched Digital Oilfield Express (DOX).
BP Exploration Operating Co. has awarded Duco a €14 million ($18 million) subsea equipment contra for the Andrew field development in the North Sea.
Britain’s Department of Energy and Climate Change and Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum & Energy have approved Total’s Islay gas field development in the North Sea.
A valve failure on the Forties pipeline system has forced Nexen to shut-in production from its Scott platform in the UK central North Sea.
HB Rentals has agreed to provide a three-building accommodations package worth over $1.2 million for a spar platform in the Gulf of Mexico.
With the flip of a switch earlier this week, Statoil’s Gjøa platform on the Norwegian continental shelf became the first floating platform to get its electrical power from shore.
Smith International Inc. says that its stockholders will consider and vote on the plan of merger between Smith and Schlumberger at its Aug. 24 annual meeting.
The FPSO Cidade de Santos in the Uruguá field of Brazil’s Santos basin has entered into operation according to Petróleo Brasileiro SA.
A new Roxar chemical injection valve from Emerson Process Management hits the market to target hydrate inhibition.
Wellstream has appointed David Mullen as CEO, effective Sept. 1.
Petrobras Netherlands has contracted GE Oil & Gas for gas turbine and compressor equipment for use on the FPSOs P-58 and P-62 offshore Brazil.
Total has agreed to acquire Chevron’s 45.9% interest in block 1 in the Joint Development Zone (JDZ) in the Gulf of Guinea.
Ascent Resources Netherlands (ARN) has increased its interest in the M10/11 block in the Dutch North Sea.
Premier Oil says its Chim Sáo development project offshore southern Vietnam is on schedule for start-up in July 2011.
Premier Oil has entered into an agreement to back into Chrysaor’s Solan field development west of Shetland.
Statoil has re-started production through the Gullfaks C platform in the Norwegian North Sea, after a shut-down on May 19 caused by problems with well C-06.
Bowleven’s IE-3 appraisal well offshore Cameroon has reached a final subsurface depth of 3,048 m (10,000 ft).
SSP Offshore has received an arbitration award of $2,672,313 from South Riding Point Holding.
BPZ Resources has completed one well and started another for its Corvina field development offshore Peru.
Reflex Marine is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its FROG crew transfer device.
The National Ocean Industries Association says the Department of the Interior’s drilling suspensions do not lessen the confusion and uncertainty surrounding offshore energy exploration in the Gulf of Mexico.
Field trials of a wireless system to communicate through ice succeeded, say WFS Technologies and Kongsberg Marine Subsea.
A review of the protocols for well integrity tests at BP’s Macondo blowout in the Gulf of Mexico will has delayed implementation of the process outlined yesterday for proving the sealing cap function.
Proved and probable gas reserves at Kupe field now are higher than originally estimated as result of a detailed reserves review, says Origin Energy as operator for the Kupe Joint Venture.
Nexen has successful appraised its Blackbird oil field discovery in the UK Central North Sea.
Statoil has issued a letter of intent to Aker Solutions concerning a framework agreement for studies and modifications related to offshore installations in the Sleipner area of the North Sea.
DONG Energy has approved the development plan for the Marulk gas field in the Norwegian Sea, in which the company has a 30% interest.
Chevron North America has awarded Cortec Manifold Systems (CMS) the supply of compact ball and check valves for its Tahiti II project.
TGS has started a new multi-client 3D survey in partnership with PGS over the East Shetland basin, west of the UK’s maritime border with Norway.
Maersk Oil has awarded Total Waste Management Alliance (TWMA), a three-year, $22.9-million contract to provide drill cuttings process and handling services offshore in the North Sea.
OEG Offshore has launched OEG Offshore LLC (OEG US), a subsidiary in Houston, to expand its operations in the Americas.
T&T Marine Salvage, a leading provider of maritime support services, says it has been responding with manpower and equipment to help clean the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Oilfield service group Expro has won a four-year extension to its well testing/data acquisition contract with Statoil offshore Norway.
Foster Wheeler’s Global Engineering and Construction Group will provide project management consultancy services for Iraq’s Crude Oil Export Expansion Project.
Statoil has contracted Grenland Group to modify the water injection module on its Gullfaks B platform in the Norwegian North Sea.
HB Rentals has named Divalmir “Jimmy” De Souza regional director for Brazil.
Chevron Corp. reports that its Sappho-1 exploration well off Western Australia is a natural gas discovery.
With completion of the capping stack installation on the Macondo well possible today, the ensuing well integrity test will lead to determination of the next step to be taken at BP’s Gulf of Mexico spill site, according to Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, national incident commander.
Cortec Manifold Systems (CMS) has been awarded the supply of compact manifold valves for the Shell Offshore Inc. Mars B production platform in the Gulf of Mexico.
COSCO Corp.’s board of directors has appointed Wang Xing Ru and Liu De Tian as members of the Enterprise Risk Management Committee.
Hyperdynamics Corp. has contracted PGS Geophysical to process data from a 3D seismic survey that is to be conducted offshore Republic of Guinea.
Offshore Iwaki Petroleum Co. Ltd. says work is complete on decommissioning the Iwaki platform 40 km (25 mi) offshore Naraha, Fukushima prefecture.
BP says that with the installation of the three-ram capping stack, the new sealing cap is in place and integrity testing is in progress.
Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc. has agreed to suspend a Gulf of Mexico contract on the deepwater Ocean Confidence and will take up a contract for the rig offshore Congo.
Coastal Energy has updated information regarding its development and exploration drilling operations in the Gulf of Thailand.
BP Azerbaijan has awarded the AMEC Tekfen Azfen (ATA) consortium a five-year Master Services Agreement.
MEO Australia has agreed to acquire Gascorp Australia’s 15% equity share of the WA-361-P exploration permit offshore Western Australia.
Apache Oil’s Laurel-1 well in Australia’s offshore Carnarvon basin has reached total depth without significant commercial discovery.
Providence Resources has completed processing of 3D seismic acquired last summer over the Spanish Point gas/condensate discovery in Ireland’s offshore Porcupine basin.
The BP-led Clair Ridge Joint Venture has contracted Aker Solutions for two steel jackets for the project, west of Shetland.
An oil pipeline offshore peninsular Malaysia has been damaged by an unidentified vessel, according to operator Newfield Exploration.
Eni and Sonangol say their latest oil discovery in block 15/06, offshore Angola exceeded expectations.
Jurong Shipyard has agreed to sell its CJ-70 harsh environment jackup to Seadrill subsidiary JSPL for S$356 million ($257 million).
Simmons & Company International has appointed Anthony Cooke as an associate within its industry & technology team.
Faroe Petroleum has appointed Hanne Harlem to the board as an independent non-executive director.
Azerbaijan International Operating Co. (AIOC) has awarded $814 million in contracts for development of the Chirag Oil Project (COP) in the Caspian Sea.
Maersk Oil Norway plans to start procuring drilling equipment and services for an exploration well in the mid Norwegian license PL431, expected to spud date late this year or early next.
ADX Energy has started drilling the Lambouka-1 well on the Lambouka Prospect on the Tunisian side of the Sicily Channel.
Pan Pacific Petroleum Vietnam (PPPV) is clear to take a 5% interest in the block 07/03 Production Sharing Contract in the southern Nam Con Son basin from Premier Oil Vietnam South (POVS).
TGS has chartered Fugro's Geo-Caribbean seismic vessel to perform multi-client programs off West Africa.
Dockwise has completed the first of two float-overs for the new Vyborg semisubmersible drilling rigs project.
Falklands Oil & Gas (FOGL) is disappointed with the latest exploration well offshore the Falkland Islands.
With the weather in the Gulf of Mexico near the Macondo well site improving, Admiral Thad Allen, national incident commander, says the hookup of the Helix Producer is under way and production into that vessel could come as soon as Sunday.
Dynamic Offshore Resources, LLC says it has acquired additional Gulf of Mexico Shelf properties from a private seller.
A federal appeals court has rejected the federal government's effort to restore an offshore deepwater drilling moratorium, opening the door to resumed drilling in the Gulf while the legal fight continues.
Exploration and appraisal well numbers across the UK shelf rose by 86% in the second quarter of 2010 compared with the same period in 2009, according to Deloitte’s latest survey.
GSP Offshore has installed the steel platform jacket for the latest phase of TPAO’s Akcakoca development in the Turkish Black Sea.
Spectraseis has released RioGrande, a data management and visualization program for low-frequency seismic data.
In a letter to BP yesterday, National Incident Commander Thad Allen called on BP to provide information on the following for a meeting of the Federal Scientific Technical Team today:
New Zealand’s Crown Minerals is making available 2,375 km (1,476 mi) of 2D seismic data collected over the Campbell Plateau and Bounty Trough.
Burullus Gas Co has contracted Diamond Offshore Drilling’s semisubmersible Ocean Endeavor to work offshore Egypt.
Bourbon Offshore has ordered four MacGregor anchor-handling systems from Cargotec for new anchor-handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels under construction by Sinopacific Group in China.
Dana Petroleum (E&P) has joined the list of companies exploring offshore the Faroe Islands.
Aker Solutions is to supply a 2,500-ft (762-m) riser extension to the Dragonquest rig (ex-Titanium Explorer), owned by Valenica Drilling.
The Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB) has issued two Calls for Bids in the Flemish Pass/Central Ridge region of the Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area.
Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) has approved Statoil Petroleum’s request to drill the Soleie prospect in license 269 in the Norwegian North Sea.
The Obama administration is seeking to reverse a recent court ruling that overturned its six-month ban on offshore oil drilling following the Deepwater Horizon incident.
AGC has appointed Martin Edwards as executive general manager of operations.
McMoRan Exploration Co. has issued an update on its shallow-water Gulf of Mexico exploration activities, including indications of potential hydrocarbon-bearing zones at the Blueberry Hill deep gas sidetrack location and in-progress drilling at the Davy Jones and Blackbeard East ultra-deep prospects.
The Oil Spill Prevention and Response Advisory Group (OSPRAG) has initiated an engineering study to develop new design concepts for well capping and containment.
Saipem has won new offshore contracts in various locations worth over €1 billion ($1.267 billion) in total.
Framo Engineering has approved Castrol’s Brayco Micronic SBF (Subsea Barrier Fluid) for use in its subsea multiphase booster pumps.
GDF Suez has achieved further drilling success with its second appraisal well in the southwestern part of the Cygnus gas field in the UK southern North Sea.
Eidesvik has entered into a contract to build its fourth platform supply vessel (PSV) powered by natural gas.
Ensco has agreed to acquire for $186 million a high-spec jackup (KFELS MOD V - Super B Class design) suited for drilling deep gas wells.
Statoil Petroleum has confirmed partner approval to contract Floatel International’s DP-3 accommodation and construction support vessel Floatel Superior.
National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen went out to the Discoverer Enterprise yesterday to assess “on-scene conditions” following Hurricane Alex and the weather front that entered the Gulf after transiting the Yucatan Peninsula.
CGGVeritas has taken delivery of the new seismic vessel Oceanic Vega.
Hallin Marine Subsea International has won a five-year, $25-million contract from Marine Subsea to provide ROV services for the new subsea intervention/construction support vessel Karianne.
Gazprom Dobycha Shelf LLC has awarded FMC Technologies Inc. a $190-million contract for subsea production equipment to use at Kirinskoye field.
Production from the Siri area fields in the Danish North Sea in June averaged 13,875 boe/d, says partner Noreco.
Iran could export gas to India via a new long-distance seabed pipeline, according to the Iranian Petroleum Ministry.
Ithaca Energy seeks to raise $150 million from a Bought Deal Offering and a Private Placement.
TGS says a five-year charter for its 2D vessel M/V Northern Genesis has been terminated early.
Sevan Marine has secured a commitment from ING Bank to underwrite a $230-million Senior Secured Credit Facility for the FPSO Sevan Voyageur.
Total E & P has appointed Michael Borrell as senior VP of continental Europe and central Asia, Arnaud Breuillac as senior VP of Middle East, Ladislas Paszkiewicz as senior VP of Americas, and Michel Seguin as special advisor to Yves-Louis Darricarrère.
Red Spider Technology has appointed John O’Hara as sales manager for North America.
China’s Ministry of Commerce has ratified the Supplemental Development Agreement (SDA) for the LS 36-1 gas field in the South China Sea.
MacDermid Offshore Solutions has signed a frame agreement with Woodside Energy thereby consolidating its subsea production control fluids.
HB Rentals has teamed up with Datacom to provide onsite communications equipment and broadband services for HB Rentals’ customers.
Diamond Offshore Drilling has sold the Ocean Shield, a 350-ft. high-specification jackup rig, to Ensco for $186 million.
Rowan Co.s has entered into a share purchase agreement with Skeie Technology AS, Skeie Tech Invest AS, and Wideluck Enterprises Ltd., to purchase Skeie Drilling & Production ASA.
Doug Suttles, Chief Operating Officer of BP Exploration and Production, recently met with Vessels of Opportunity (VoO) participants to review operations and discuss a number of enhancements made to the VoO program.
Hitec Vision has agreed to acquire Tampnet AS from Statoil.
TGS and PGS have started a new multi-client 3D survey in the Norwegian North Sea.
PEMEX has signed a multi-year contract with Electromagnetic Geoservices (EMGS) for deepwater 3D electromagnetic surveys in the Mexican sector of the Gulf of Mexico.
San Leon has contracted PGS Ventures for a 300-sq km (116 sq mi) seismic survey over its acreage in the Slyne basin, offshore western Ireland.
FMC Technologies has contracted with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro to build a technology center in Brazil.
Operator Hess Denmark has formed an alliance with Danish engineering contractors Semco Maritime and Ramboll Oil & Gas for its South Arne Brownfield Modification project in the Danish North Sea.
The FPSO Kwame Nkrumah is moored above the deepwater Jubilee field, having arrived in Ghana last month.
Zachary Miller, Camille Pagniello, Robert Lister, and Zachary Harris have been selected as recipients of the Marine Technology Society’s 2010 ROV Committee scholarships.
Atlas Interactive has appointed Alan Pollock as VP of global sales to assist the company’s strategy to double its sales within the next four years.
W. Reid Lea has resigned as executive VP and manager of corporate development for W&T Offshore.
Melrose Resources and Petromar Resources have jointly won two shallow water exploration blocks in the Romanian Black Sea.
Ithaca Energy has lifted oil production from the Beatrice complex in the Moray Firth off northeast Scotland to an average of 10,678 b/d.
Tullow Oil has provided an update on its exploration plans off the north coast of South America.
Envoi Ltd. is seeking a drilling partner for First Australian Resources’ deepwater exploration license offshore Senegal.
The Clio-3 well offshore Western Australia in the Carnarvon basin is a gas discovery according to Chevron Corp.
Baker Hughes Inc. has agreed to sell two stimulation vessels to Superior Energy Services Inc.
Connection of the third production vessel, the Helix Producer, via a floating riser is under way and the successful completion timeframe depends upon the sea states at the site.
The BGP Challenger seismic survey vessel is acquitting long-offset, 2D seismic data for multi-client US GoM Big Wave project, says Spectrum.
Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has unveiled the country’s 21st Licensing Round, all in frontier northern offshore areas.
Chariot Oil & Gas has received processed 3D seismic data in both time and depth related to its licenses offshore Namibia.
Site survey operations are under way on the Dunquin license (FEL 3/04) in the Porcupine basin off western Ireland.
Iran has discovered a new gas/liquids field in its sector of the Persian Gulf.
Lukoil and Vanco International have won a tender to explore and develop the Est Rapsodia and Trident blocks in the Romanian sector of the Black Sea.
Orders to manufacture the recently approved Heavy Oil Recovery Device (HORD) have reached eight to 10 per day in shipyards at Bayou La Batre, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida, says the Incident Joint Information Center.
Petris Technology Inc. says PetrisWINDS ZEH Plot Express now supports ISys’ iTerra TL1290 multiple width log printer.
Twenty-six oil and gas industry professionals from 20 countries have participated in the GE Oil & Gas University graduation ceremony held at the company’s headquarters in Florence, Italy.
ITS Group’s Aberdeen machine shop facility has received the Fearnley Procter NS-1 Approved Service Centre status by Fearnley Procter Group, a global company focused on the provision of knowledgeable solutions to prevent drilling incidents occurring downhole.
Carnarvon (NZ) Pty has farmed into license PEP38524 in New Zealand’s offshore Taranaki basin, taking a 10% equity interest from AWE New Zealand.
Keppel Shipyard is close to completing the conversion of an FPSO for Statoil’s Peregrino field offshore Brazil.
EnCore Oil has encountered further success with its ongoing exploratory program on the Catcher oil prospect in the UK central North Sea.
Drydocks World’s shipyard in Dubai has performed the naming ceremony for the newly built seismic vessel WG Cook.
Topaz Energy and Marine has added an 84-m (275-ft) long Multipurpose Support Vessel (MPSV) to its fleet servicing the offshore oil and gas industry.
BP Exploration (Caspian Sea) has awarded EnerMech an £8.2-million ($12-million) crane operation, maintenance, and inspection contract for offshore Azerbaijan.
SMD has won a contract from Subsea 7 division i-Tech to supply 20 QX-Ultra work class ROVs, with options for up to a further 10.
BG Group’s Egyptian subsidiary says that it plans to invest $2 billion to install a pipeline and drill new wells off Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, according to a Reuters report.
Northern Offshore’s drillship Energy Searcher has returned to Vietnamese waters to resume drilling operations for Vietgazprom, the joint venture between Petrovietnam and Gazprom.
Electromagnetic Geoservices (EMGS) has won a $1-million contract to provide marine EM services for EnQuest.
With the threat of Hurricane Alex past, the Deepwater Horizon incident commander, Admiral Thad Allen, says work will restart to connect the flexible riser with the third collection vessel, the Helix Producer.
Statoil has contracted Aker Offshore Partner for inspection services on 11 platforms on the Norwegian shelf.
Xcite Energy has entered into an agreement for the semisub Ocean Nomad to drill the 9/3b-R well on the heavy oil Bentley field in the UK North Sea.
Statoil has awarded Aker Solutions a significant part of the frame agreement for inspection services on all of its offshore installations and onshore plants in Norway.
C-MAC MicroTechnology has enhanced its test house facility in Great Yarmouth, UK.
The Southern Cross semisubmersible drilling rig has reached the Lambouka-1 well site offshore Tunisia, says ADX Energy Ltd.
Mediterranean Oil & Gas (MOG) says a proposed amendment to Italy’s Environmental Code could impact its Ombrina Mare development project in the Adriatic Sea.
SBM Offshore has agreed to contract extensions with Total for two floating storage units in service off West Africa.
It has often been commented that the offshore hydrocarbon industry is particularly bad at sharing lessons learned – both with respect to successful solutions and what has proven to be more problematic. However, re-inventing the wheel is expensive. For safety critical systems, not learning from experience can repeatedly place personnel and infrastructure at risk. To avoid this, there is a need to improve knowledge transfer and distribution throughout the industry.
Simen Lieungh has stepped down as president and CEO of Aker Solutions.
Tranter International faced an unusual challenge when asked to supply heat exchangers for Eni’s field FPSO offshore Nigeria.
John L. Whitmire has resigned from Transocean’s board of directors because of health reasons.
ABB has won a contract to supply subsea power cables for Eni Norge’s Goliat development in the Barents Sea. The NOK 676-million ($104 million) assignment covers design, manufacture, and installation, the latter scheduled for summer 2013.
The first subsea horizontal electrical submersible pumping booster system is scheduled for installation later this year in the Gulf of Mexico. The installation will be the first use of a horizontal ESP-based booster system in ultra deepwater.
Subsea 7 did the pipeline installation for the Parque das Conchas (BC-10) development, offshore Brazil. Parque das Conchas is operated by Shell on behalf of the BC-10 Joint Venture (Shell 50%, Petrobras 35%, ONGC 15%).
Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico are beginning to re-board platforms and rigs, and restore production following Hurricane Alex, according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement’s (BOEMRE) Continuity of Operations Plan team.
Oil and gas companies are extending their operational domain to deep and ultra deepwater; which challenge the performance and operational integrity of conventional subsea technology, jeopardizing the value proposition of the enterprise and increasing the downside risk to stakeholders.
Driven by global demand for energy, subsea exploration and well construction has boomed in the past decade. According to consultants Infield Systems and Douglas Westwood, the total number of subsea wells will balloon to more than 5,500 by the end of this year. While some projects may be delayed due to financing issues related to the global economic downturn, the rapid construction of new wells is likely to continue, if not accelerate, in the years to come.
Gushers may look great in films like 2007’s There Will Be Blood, but like many of Hollywood’s ideas, they are far better on the screen than in real life. Fortunately, drilling is much safer since 1922 when James Smither Abercrombie walked into Harry Cameron’s machine shop in Humble, Texas, and explained his idea for a ram-type blowout preventer. Cameron was dead within six years, but Cameron International Corp, now a $5-billion Houston-based international flow equipment firm, still makes BOPs. The designs, of course, have advanced considerably over the years, and Cameron offers dozens of models designed to prevent surface and subsea blowouts on different sizes of drill pipes. That company has been joined by a dozen or more BOP manufacturers such as Hydril and National Oilwell Varco/Shaffer.
More than 1,100 installations worldwide in myriad conditions – including over 115 in deepwater – demonstrate the effectiveness of solid expandable systems in offshore programs. Expandable systems can be an advantage in challenging wells where lack of offset data and unknown formations can disrupt the planned drilling program. When these conditions necessitate setting casing higher than planned, expandable technology may mitigate wellbore diameter reduction and enable the operator to return to the original casing program to complete the well, meeting hole size and depth objectives.
Antycip Simulation and CMLabs have teamed to develop offshore crane training simulators for the PNI Training Centre in Norway. The simulators, installed at PNI’s Stavanger base in June, will help the company address increasing demands for the training of personnel in offshore lifting operations.
The worldwide deepwater (4,000 ft [1,219 m] water depth and greater) rig fleet has grown significantly since 2008 when Offshore last presented its Worldwide Survey of Deepwater Drilling Rigs. The deepwater rig survey is conducted every other year, with a jackup survey published in alternate years. The deepwater rig survey was conducted during May and represents a snapshot of the existing operational deepwater fleet capable of drilling in 4,000 ft of water and greater. Rigs under construction are not included in the survey. New rigs with a construction date in 2010 are included if they are delivered from the shipyard, or expected to be delivered from the shipyard, by the end of June.
New mobile offshore drilling rigs are being delivered into a market ill-suited at present to absorb new capacity, and some rigs are being delivered with no work prospects in hand. In conjunction, new rig orders have fallen dramatically over the past year, according to data compiled by ODS-Petrodata.
The world of volume interpretation and visualization is evolving with the advent of a new parameter that exceeds the capabilities of traditional systems. While it has been possible to visualize pre-stack data for some time with some ingenious adaptations of a full multi-attribute 3D viewer, the azimuth component demands specific viewing techniques, as well as the support of tools such as illumination ray path features and attributes volumes. Together, they deliver a better view of a reservoir under a complex anisotropic overburden.
An increasing catalogue of case studies demonstrates that the dual-sensor Geo Streamer enables more accurate reservoir description, and, reduces the dependence on well log data. This goes beyond the well-known survey efficiency, signal penetration, and resolution improvements.
Hurricane Alex has slowed the hook-up of the third production containment vessel Helix Producer says retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the national incident commander for the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Prestack depth migration (PSDM) projects of regional lines and 3D surveys have a major impact on exploration and development projects offshore India because the technique can reduce risks. PSDM can handle complex structures and rapid vertical and lateral changes in the velocity field, so the resulting images can enhance interpretations compared to those based on the time processing results alone.
ESAB Welding & Cutting Products has introduced the Aristo Feed 3004 with U82 Plus remote pendant, a new arc welder designed for MIG, TIG or Stick welding.
Available data today, mostly provided by 3D seismic, oil and source rock geochemistry, and 3D basin modeling reveals a close match between the South American and West African margin basins with respect to their pre-salt depositional sequences, including reservoir and source facies of the pre-salt tectono-sedimentary sequences.
The waters of Latin America drive the region’s upstream oil and gas business, and the potential for more success suggests the area will continue to draw attention. How the area will develop depends upon the national oil companies. The NOCs in Brazil, Venezuela, and Mexico hold about 90% of all reserves and account for 90% of all production. Even in the smaller arenas of Colombia and Ecuador, the NOCs produce more than half the oil. This reliance on NOCs remains a barrier to operations in Venezuela and Mexico, and to some degree Brazil which is considering new legislation to restrict some areas of operation to Petrobras.
Oil and gas resource estimates for Tullow Oil’s acreage offshore Ghana are moving up, according to Raymond James & Associates.
The European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers (EAGE) annual meeting has generated more than the usual number of new product introductions. Some of them were equipment oriented such as CGGVeritas’ BroadSeis streamer system and Spectraseis borehole receiver. Most of the introductions were computer oriented. The following takes a quick look at some of these exploration aids, and starts with the equipment side.
At this writing, the efforts to stop the flow of oil and gas at BP’s Macando well in the Gulf of Mexico show no signs of ending. The relief wells, one main well and one contingency well, are drilling ahead and estimates are that the first well, from the Development Driller II may make contact this month (July). The second well, from the Development Driller III, is about 4,500 ft (1,372 m) behind the first well.
Oilex Ltd. says the interpretation of 3D seismic data from WA-388-P offshore northwest Australia has identified seven leads ranging in size from 0.3 to 2.8 tcf.
National Petroleum Construction Co. (NPCC) has contracted the Chinese shipyard Zhenhua Heavy Industries to build the DLS 4200 derrick laybarge.
At press time, BP had outline a detailed plan for building additional capacity and redundancy for the containment of oil from the Deepwater Horizon incident. This was in response to pressure from US authorities to step up containment efforts amid reports of increasing estimated rates of oil flow from the damaged well.
Norway will move ahead with its 21st offshore licensing round, but will not sanction drilling on any deepwater permits until a clearer picture emerges over events leading up to the Deepwater Horizon incident in the US Gulf. “The precautionary principle combined with a predictable framework have to be the foundation for our petroleum politics,” said Petroleum and Energy Minister Terje Riis-Johansen.
Eni has contracted Technip to install subsea equipment at Kitan field in the Timor Sea in 350 m (1,148 ft) water depth. The area, jointly administered by Timor-Leste and Australia, is 500 km (310 mi) from the northern Australian coast and 250 km (155 mi) south of the Timor-Leste capital, Dili.
Worldwide spending on floating production systems will total $44.8 billion over the next five years, according to a new study by analysts Douglas-Westwood. The World Floating Production Report 2010-2014 suggests that the sector is set for strong long-term growth, reflecting the continuing expansion into deeper waters, the need to exploit marginal fields, and increased demand for fast-track and phased developments. Latin America will account for almost a third of global capex in the forecast period, the analysts say, followed by Africa and Western Europe.
This month’s issue marks the beginning of some editorial changes at Offshore.
Eni Norge and Statoil have contracted APL to supply an offloading station for installation on the Goliat field FPSO in the Barents Sea.
Shell is considering divesting its interests various central North Sea interests, according to brokers Indigo Pool.
Petroceltic International is concerned that new legislation could frustrate its plans to appraise the Elsa field in the Adriatic Sea.
Reliance Industries Ltd. reports its seventh discovery in block CB-ONN-2003/1 offshore India in the Cambay basin.
Interpetroleum Services has awarded Prosafe an extension of the bareboat contract for Safe Lancia operating for Pemex offshore Mexico.
dGB Earth Sciences has donated $ 4.8 million in licenses of its OpendTect software and corresponding commercial plug-ins to 20 universities in Nigeria.
Atlas Copco has opened Atlas Copco DRC Sprl., a fully-owned legal entity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Alderley Systems has appointed Eddie McCusker as regional sales director.
Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) has vetoed Premier Oil Norge’s request to drill a wildcat on the Gardrofa prospect in offshore license, using the Mærsk Guardian.
India’s government has awarded Bengal Energy International a production-sharing contract for block CY-OSN-2009/1, 7-16 km (4.3-9.9 mi) offshore southeast India.
Salamander Energy has spudded the Tom Hum Xanh-1X exploration well offshore Vietnam, according to Origin Energy Ltd.
Cairn Energy has started drilling its first well offshore Greenland on the Alpha prospect in the Sigguk block, around 175 km (109 mi) offshore Disko Island on the western side of the mainland.
BP has awarded Technip a subsea engineering and installation contract for the Devenick field gas/condensate development in the UK northern North Sea, 234 km (145 mi) north east of Aberdeen.
Sevan Marine and E.ON Ruhrgas UK E&P have agreed to extend an exclusivity period for negotiations over use of the Sevan Voyageur FPSO on the Huntington field in the UK North Sea.
OGX Petroleo e Gas has contracted Wellstream to supply flexible risers and flowlines, mid-water arches, umbilicals, and other associated equipment and services.
ConocoPhillips Norge has awarded Aibel an EPCI contract for work on the Ekofisk field expansion program in the southern Norwegian North Sea.
Acteon has completed its acquisition of mooring equipment and services supplier IOS Holding AS and its subsidiary IOS Offshore AS from Norse Cutting & Abandonment.
Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico are evacuating platforms and rigs in the path of Tropical Storm Alex.
Aker Solutions has secured a three-year contract extension for engineering and construction work with client Nexen Petroleum UK Ltd. in the UK sector of the North Sea.
Total says it has acquired from Shell a 20% interest in Brazil’s BM-S-54 license in Santos basin.
Seadrill has taken delivery of the deepwater drillship West Gemini from Samsung in South Korea.
CARBO has introduced CARBONRT, a non-radioactive and environmentally responsible proppant that incorporates a taggant allowing downhole, near-wellbore detection of ceramic proppant.
Maven Capital Partners has invested more than £2 million ($3 million) in XPD8 Solutions Ltd.
The Coast Guard Captain of the Port of New Orleans has established a 100 m (328 ft) safety zone around the Deepwater Horizon-related oil containment booming operations.
Burullus Gas Co. has awarded Technip a $300 million-plus engineering, procurement, installation, and construction (EPIC) contract for the West Delta Deep Marine (WDDM) Phase VIIIa development.
Apache North Sea has contracted Subsea 7 for a pipeline bundle for its newly launched Bacchus subsea development project in the UK central North Sea.
Statoil is arranging long-term equipment supply (frame) agreements with five companies for maintenance and modification work on all its Norwegian shelf facilities, both offshore and onshore.
Dolphin Drilling has agreed to adjust the terms of its contract for the semisubmersible Borgsten Dolphin with Hurricane Exploration.
Output from the newly launched Phase 19 development of the South Pars field in the Persian Gulf will be 50 MMcf/d, according to Gholamreza Manouchehri, Petropars managing director.
A new flow-channel hydraulic fracturing technique called HiWAY from Schlumberger is designed to maximize production by creating open flow channels within the propped fracture.
Perry Slingsby reports that it has recently carried out the integration and demonstration of SeeTrack CoPilot with a Triton XLX ROV equipped with a BlueView P900 sonar.
Woodside Energy Ltd. has extended its rigless intervention services contract with TSmarine for a year starting on July 1, 2010.
Pemex Exploración y Producción has awarded a completion engineering, procurement, construction, load-out, and sea fastening contract to J. Ray McDermott for the Kuil-A wellhead platform in the Bay of Campeche.
InterMoor has named David Cobb as business development VP.
The Production Sharing Agreement for block 5 in the Albertine graben area of the Democratic Republic of Congo has received the Presidential Decree.
Dominion Petroleum’s Alpha prospect in Tanzania’s deep offshore block 7 is a potential oil or gas giant, according to a new competent persons report (CPR) prepared by Energy Resource Consultants (ERC).
Deepwater has relocated its fabrication operations in the US to a facility in Houston's energy corridor.
Cutting & Wear has named Siân Jones as sales and marketing assistant.
Fluor Corp. has elected Rosemary T. Berkery and H. Paulett Eberhart to its board of directors.
OGX Petróleo e Gás Participações S.A. reports finding an oil-bearing interval in the Albian section of well 1-OGX-14-RJS in block BM-C-40 of shallow Campos basin waters.
Salamander Energy has plugged and abandoned its Tom Su Lua-1X exploratory well off southern Vietnam as a dry hole.
DNV has issued an optional Integrated Software Dependent Systems class, OS-203.
Saipem’s pipelay vessel Castoro Sei has arrived in the Finnish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to continue construction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea.
Nexen Petroleum has awarded Aker Offshore Partner a three-year contract extension for engineering and construction work in the UK North Sea.
Hardy Exploration and Production India has appointed William Satterfield as technical director, and Robert White as drilling manager.
Oilfield Material Management has announced a seven-figure investment deal with Dubai-based oil and gas services group COR International.
Petrobras has awarded a $300-million frame agreement to FMC Technologies Inc. for subsea manifolds and control systems.
Foster Wheeler’s Global Engineering and Construction Group is to perform pre-FEED for a new gas development offshore Cameroon.
Marine Subsea UK is preparing a campaign of multi-client well abandonments in the North Sea.
Apache North Sea has brought onstream its Maule oil field via the Forties field production facilities in the UK sector, at a rate of around 11,750 b/d.
Ophir Energy has contracted Odfjell Drilling’s new ultra-deepwater semi Deepsea Stavanger for Tanzania’s first deepwater drilling campaign.
Australia’s Foreign Investment Review has waived through Petrobras’ farm-in to the WA-360-P offshore exploration permit.
Det norske oljeselskap is cleared to drill an exploratory well in license 341 in the central Norwegian North Sea.
Statoil has taken the semisub Stena Don on a three-year hire from Stena Drilling for various programs on the Norwegian shelf.
ONGC has commissioned pipeline inspection services offshore Mumbai from Fugro Survey (India).
UK Energy Minister Charles Hendry has approved Apache North Sea’s development plan for the 18 MMboe Bacchus oil and gas field.
Noble Corp. has agreed to acquire Frontier Drilling Inc. for $2.16 billion.
EnCore Oil believes the area around its Catcher discovery in the UK central North Sea could contain in-place oil of up to 300 MMbbl.
Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has approved BG Norge’s development plan for the Gaupe oil and gas field.
In his most recent update over the weekend, US Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said those at the containment and remediation operation in the Gulf of Mexico addressing the BP oil spill at its Mocando well are watching the progress of Tropical Storm Alex in the southern Gulf.
Saudi Aramco proved new reserves close to at least three of its offshore fields last year, according to the company’s 2009 annual report.
Oilex has completed interpretation of the Rose 3D seismic data in the WA-388-P permit off northwest Australia.
Afren’s Ebok Deep exploration well off southeast Nigeria has encountered oil shows.
GDF Suez’s latest exploration well in Egypt’s offshore Nile Delta region has encountered gas shows, according to partner Dana Petroleum.
BP continues moving toward the next step in regaining control of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico’s Mississippi Canyon 252.
BP has contracted Isleburn to fabricate various structures for two new subsea developments in the UK North Sea.
Norwegian Energy Co. (Noreco) will farm into license 02/05 offshore Denmark as operator.
BG Norge has drawn a blank with its latest exploration well in the Norwegian North Sea.
A trio of oil companies has contracted the semisub Atwood Beacon for a program of wells offshore Suriname and Guyana.
Granherne has appointed John M. Vitucci as field development manager for the Americas.
One common and potentially detrimental flow assurance challenge to offshore production is formation of gas hydrates.
PGNiG Norway has acquired a 10% interest from Statoil in the Gro license in the Vøring basin in the Norwegian Sea.
Hoover Materials Handling Group has appointed Dean Freeman to lead business development in Latin America.
UniversalPegasus International has named John M. Jameson as CEO.
Sander Geophysics has acquired a de Havilland DHC-6 300 Twin Otter survey aircraft from the Geological Survey of Finland, and the British Geological Survey.
Baker Hughes has opened its Eco-Centre waste management facility in Peterhead, Scotland.
The lower marine riser package (LMRP) cap is back in place and again sending oil and gas to the Discoverer Enterprise at the BP spill site in the Gulf of Mexico.
Total reports discovery of shallow gas in a shallow-water concession offshore western Nigeria.
Irish energy minister Conor Lenihan invites bids for offshore exploration under Ireland’s 2011 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round.
Claxton, the Acteon Group drilling services company, is to offer further equipment for rental from its base in Dubai.
Ireland has unveiled a new corroboration exercise involving research institutes in Ireland and Newfoundland-Labrador and private enterprise that aims to further interest in frontier offshore exploration.
In a joint venture, Kongsberg Maritime and Unique Systems have established Kongsberg Maritime Middle East.
InterMoor has won the 2010 Best of Amelia Award in the Drilling Oil & Gas Wells category from the United States Commerce Association.
Stena Drilling has ordered a Loading Computer software package from Onboard-Napa for use on the deepwater drillship Stena DrillMAX.
Modiin Energy Limited Partnership and Modiin Energy General Partners (collectively `Modiin’) have fulfilled an initial obligation on the Gabriella license offshore Israel.
Petrobras has proven further oil with its seventh well on the pre-salt Tupi structure in the Santos basin.
Dockwise has won a series of heavy offshore transport assignments.
The Tui SW-2 exploration well in the Taranki basin offshore New Zealand has been suspended for use as a future gas injector, according to partner New Zealand Oil & Gas.
Eni has encountered further gas while appraising its Jangkrik discovery in the Muara Bakau PSC, in the Kutei basin offshore East Kalimantan.
Petrobras has discovered further oil in pre-salt reservoirs in the Campos basin offshore Brazil.
Teekay Corp. has signed an agreement with Petrobras to extend the operating contract for the FPSO Cidade de Rio das Ostras through 2018.
Pulse Structural Monitoring has appointed Richard Kluth as managing director.
Two of the UK’s new Oil Spill Prevention and Response Advisory Group (OSPRAG) review groups have formalized their work plans.
Petroleum Safety Authority Norway has approved the production facilities for Statoil’s Morvin subsea development in the Norwegian Sea, due on stream in August.
Industry and analysts have given positive reactions to the first `emergency’ budget of Britain’s new coalition government.
TGS has started work on a 1,650-sq km (637-sq mi) high density multi-client 3D seismic survey in the outer Moray Firth off northeast Scotland.
Saipem’s shallow water pipelay barge Castoro Dieci (C10) is preparing to start work on the near-shore section of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea.
US District Court Judge Martin Feldman granted a preliminary injunction today blocking the US Department of Interior's moratorium on deepwater drilling.
The American Petroleum Institute has agreed to offer Urgent Technology Ltd.’s electronic maintenance system in the United States.
Polarcus has received a letter of intent from OMV (Norge) for a 3D seismic acquisition project in the Norwegian Barents Sea.
BG Group has awarded Technip a four-year contract to provide pre-FEED, FEED, full EPIC, and IRM services on the UK and Norwegian continental shelves.
GE Oil & Gas has opened a $6-million facility south of Baku to serve the Caspian region.
FMC Technologies has won a $70-million contract to supply Statoil with subsea production equipment for the Pan Pandora oil and gas field in the Norwegian North Sea.
Gas yield from the Ferdowsi and Golshan offshore fields in the North Pars region of the Persian Gulf could reach 60 tcf, according to a report by Iranian news service Shana.
Ferguson Modular has appointed Bjarte Andreassen as business development manager for Norway.
Sembcorp Marine broke ground on Singapore’s first integrated yard facility at the company’s Tuas View Extension.
C & C Technologies has opened a West Coast division, and appointed Richard McGee as manager.
Hess has exercised its right to pre-empt Total's sale to BP of its interests in the Valhall and Hod fields in the Norwegian North Sea.
BP Exploration Operating Co. has contracted the accommodation semisubmersible Borgholm Dolphin to support development operations on the Andrew field in the UK North Sea.
AGR Drilling Services (AGR DS) is providing excavation services to Van Oord Australia for Chevron’s Gorgon project.
Wellstream has established an Integrity Management Division based at its global headquarters in north-east England.
The logs on three Bua Ban development wells in the Gulf of Thailand are encouraging, says Coastal Energy Co. Bua Ban A-01, A-02, and A-05 each indicated pay in the Oligocene.
Electromagnetic Geoservices has won a $150-million, multi-year contract to supply one of its purpose-built 3D electromagnetic survey vessels on a continuing basis to an operating company.
Kongsberg Maritime reports that the new Haugesund Simulatorcenter has ordered a range of offshore simulators for delivery next year.
Circle Oil has issued a tender for a 2D marine seismic survey in block 52 offshore Oman, the aim being to acquire a further 5,000 km (3,107 mi) of 2D data.
GDF Suez has become the fifth participant in the Nord Stream consortium constructing the 1,224-km (760-mi) subsea pipeline taking gas from Russia through the Baltic Sea to western Europe.
Statoil and Marathon Petroleum Norge have agreed a swap of interests in the Norwegian North Sea.
Gazprom and Statoil have signed a scientific and technical cooperation agreement that will lead to joint programs and studies.
The boards of Acergy and Subsea 7 have agreed to combine the two companies, creating a combined global organization.
Halliburton has added Abdallah S. Jum’ah to its board of directors, effective July 14.
A consortium fronted by Adira Energy has been awarded the “Samuel” petroleum license offshore Israel.
Castrol Offshore is supplying Transaqua HT2, a water-based hydraulic control fluid, for use with the Aseng project surface and subsea production control systems off Equatorial Guinea.
Companhia Brasileira e Diques has signed a 20-year lease agreement with Petrobras for the Inhaúma Shipyard, otherwise known as the Ishibras yard.
Devon Energy has completed the $515 million sale of its Panyu field offshore China to China National Offshore Oil Corp.
Valiant Petroleum has tested its second exploration well on the Tybalt structure in the UK North Sea (well 211/8c-4Z).
MODEC has contracted VWS Westgarth and VWS Brazil for a seawater treatment package for a development project offshore Brazil.
The volume of oil taken at the wellhead of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico should recover 28,000 b/d by early next week, says Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, national incident commander.
Ciaran Dreelan, director of Aker Qserv, was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2010 Grampian Awards for Business Enterprise.
Noble Energy Inc. has awarded Aker Solutions a NOK $150 million ($23.58 million) contract for subsea control equipment.
AWE Ltd. says work is under way at the Liyun-1 wildcat in the Bulu PSC of East Java basin offshore Indonesia.
Simmons & Company International’s chairman emeritus, Matthew R. Simmons, announced his retirement, effective June 30.
The Coast Guard says it will allow Louisiana vacuum barges to rejoin the containment work in the Gulf of Mexico to clean the BP oil spill.
INTECSEA reports it has won the front-end engineering design contract for the IGI Poseidon subsea pipeline project.
Wood Group Surface Pumps has hired Ryan Ballard as an applications engineer.
ADX Energy Ltd. says Atwood’s Southern Cross semisubmersible drilling rig is headed to drill the Lambouka-1 offshore Tunisia in the Kerkouane license.
A joint operation between Polarcus Ltd. and JSC Dalmorneftegeophysica (DMNG) has received a Letter of Intent from Rosneft for a 1,030 sq km (398 sq mi) 3D seismic acquisition project in the Black Sea.
Rosneft and Chevron have agreed to jointly explore the Val Shatsky (West Chernomrsky) license area in the Black Sea.
Gazprom and Siemens have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate in LNG technology projects, which will lead to various joint development programs.
DSME and Russian United Shipbuilding Corp. will jointly construct a new shipyard in Zvezda, northern Russia.
Standby vessel operator Esvagt has ordered a new Ulstein SX123 design standby/rescue vessel to use at Eni Norge’s Goliat development in the Barents Sea.
Weatherford International has contracted DE Hydraulics to supply and service BOP control units.
Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) has approached the Norwegian Oil Industry Association (OLF) to discuss emergency preparedness measures on the Norwegian continental shelf.
LLOG Deepwater Development Co. LLC has agreed in principle to acquire the OPTI-EX semisubmersible production platform from EXMAR for use in the Gulf of Mexico.
Norway’s parliament has approved Statoil’s development plan for the Gudrun field in the North Sea.
RWE Dea has started drilling the Zidane prospect in the Norwegian Sea, according to partner Noreco.
Seismic surveys have been completed over parts of the JPDA 06-101 (A) production sharing contract offshore Timor-Leste, according to FLEX LNG.
Vaalco Energy’s Etame No. 1 (ETSEM-1) exploration well offshore Gabon has intersected around 16 ft (5 m) of Gamba sandstone section which logged oil full to base.
Bowleven has completed a farm-out with Vitol E&P concerning the Etinde permit offshore Cameroon.
Oil and gas is now flowing from BP’s Deepwater Horizon spill site in the Gulf of Mexico into a second containment system.
Simen Lieungh has stepped down as president and CEO of Aker Solutions.
CGGVeritas says it has signed a technology cooperation agreement with Petrobras to collaborate on development and implementation of new geophysical technologies.
Cairn Energy Plc. has received formal approval to drill the first two wells in its 2010 exploration program in the Disko West area offshore western Greenland.
The BP oil spill Unified Area Command contingent is moving from Robert, Louisiana, to New Orleans.
Neon Energy has completed a 2D seismic survey in block 120 and block 105-110/04 offshore Vietnam.
Blue Dolphin Energy Co. will acquire a 70% working interest in Blue Sky Langsa Ltd.’s technical assistance contract for the Langsa area offshore Indonesia.
Former Justice Department inspector general, Michael Bromwich, reportedly will be the next head of the Mineral Management Service.
The US Coast Guard is reporting that a small fire in the derrick of the Discoverer Enterprise shut down the LMRP containment operations this morning.
National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen instructed the Coast Guard federal on-scene coordinator, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Maritime Administration to ensure any Jones Act waiver requests regarding the BP oil spill response receive accelerated processing.
China’s worldwide supply of crude oil through its national oil companies should reach a record level of 1 MM boe/d this year, says Wood Mackenzie.
CGGVeritas has launched BroadSeis, an integrated high-resolution marine seismic system.
EnCore Oil has concluded well test operations on the Catcher oil discovery in the UK central North Sea.
Solomon Associates has named Felicitas Global its India and Southeast Asia representative, and Michael Hileman VP for Asia.
Petris Technology Inc. reports it has joined the OpenSpirit Business Partner Program and that the move will result in the addition of a range of adaptors for workflow integration.
The extended well test at Tindalo-1 in permit SC54A offshore the Philippines from the end of May to mid-June produced 56,708 bbl of oil, according to Nido Petroleum Ltd. reports to partner Kairiki Energy Ltd.
Lasse Amundsen, Statoil’s chief researcher, has won the Conrad Schlumberger Award 2010 for outstanding petroleum geophysics research.
Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has issued its first offshore exploration license connected with carbon dioxide (CO2) storage.
BP says it continues to prepare for a more permanent containment system using floating risers at the Deepwater Horizon oil spill site in the Gulf of Mexico.
Edison International has contracted the Atwood Beacon from Atwood Oceanics Pacific to drill a well offshore Cote d’Ivoire at a day rate of around $115,000.
Noble Energy has contracted Fugro Survey Caribbean for rig positioning services to assist a drilling program on the Tamar deepwater gas development project offshore Israel.
BG International will perform front-end engineering and design for a new platform in the UK central North Sea linking two third-party discoveries with the Lomond field facilities.
BP plans added storage capacity, system redundancies to its Gulf of Mexico oil spill response.
J. Ray McDermott has completed handover to Qatargas of the first of three offshore gas production platforms, designated ‘QW8’.
EMS Energy Ltd.’s subsidiary Oilfield Services & Supplies Pte Ltd and Tianhe Oil Group Co. Ltd. have established Tianhe Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd, a Singapore incorporated joint venture.
Greene’s Energy Group has named Frank Mathews president of its subsidiary Devin International, and VP of the Devin Business Group.
Xodus Group has appointed Steve Jewell as subsurface director.
McMoRan Exploration Co. has appointed A. Peyton Bush III and William P. Carmichael to its board of directors.
Devon Energy has appointed John Richels as CEO. He will remain the company’s president.
Total Marine Technologies has contracted Perry Slingsby Systems to supply a 3,000m Triton XLX ROV system.
EMS Energy has secured a turnkey contract worth about $17 million to build a modular mobile workover unit from Vietsovpetro.
National Iranian Oil Co. (NIOC) plans to award further contracts for the South Pars development in the Persian Gulf this week.
Hallin Marine has named its new subsea operations vessel Windermere.
National Petroleum Construction Co. (NPCC) has contracted the Chinese shipyard Zhenhua Heavy Industries to build the DLS 4200 derrick laybarge.
Dana Petroleum has agreed to acquire Petro Canada Netherlands for around $393 million.
Petrobras has contracted PGS to install a permanent seismic monitoring system in the Jubarte field in the North Campos basin, offshore Brazil’s Espirito Santo province.
Analysis to date suggests that AWE’s Tui SW-2 oil discovery offshore New Zealand is not commercially significant, according to partner New Zealand Oil & Gas.
Lundin Norway plans to drill an exploration well in production license 501 in the Norwegian North Sea, following approval from Petroleum Safety Authority Norway.
Storm Ventures International’s Fuchsia-1 well offshore Tunisia could be a discovery, according to partner Cooper Energy.
TGS is preparing another season of long-offset data acquisition offshore northwest Europe in collaboration with Fugro.
The semisubmersible platform for the Gjøa field has left the Aker Solutions yard and is being towed towards its offshore destination.
Offshore Hydrocarbon Mapping plc (OHM) has won a $1 million-plus controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) survey contract for the North Sea from Bridge Energy UK.
The main effect of the Minerals Management Service moratorium on some Gulf of Mexico operations is uncertainty, says Andrew Gould, Schlumberger chairman and CEO.
PGS says it recently completed the Crystal II Survey in western Gulf of Mexico waters and that the data quality is good.
Well A-11 ST#1 on North Padre block 975 in the Gulf of Mexico flowed gas at 4.44 MMcf/d on a 16/64-in choke, reports Entek Energy Ltd.
Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) in Korea will build Allseas’ new multi-purpose construction vessel Pieter Schelte.
Petrobras has chartered four anchor handling tug supply vessels from Siem Offshore and two platform supply vessels from Deep Sea Supply.
Hyperdynamics Corp. says it has contracted PGS Geophysical to acquire a 3D seismic survey offshore Republic of Guinea.
Statoil has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China’s Sinochem group to promote cooperation between the companies.
Statoil has contracted Grenland Group to modify the water injection module on the Gullfaks B platform in the North Sea.
Petrobras has taken delivery of Sevan Marine’s new drilling platform the Sevan Driller.
Dragon Oil has completed and tested Dzheitune (Lam) B/145, the second development well to be drilled from the new Dzheitune (Lam) B platform offshore Turkmenistan.
BP Norge has contracted Odfjell Well Services for tubular running services at Valhall and Skarv field developments on the Norwegian shelf.
BP Norge has contracted WGP and Thalassa Energy Services respectively to operate and procure/supply the seismic source equipment for the Valhall Life of Field Seismic (LoFS) project in the North Sea.
Gazprom has completed engineering and reconnaissance surveys in the Black Sea for the South Stream pipeline project to take gas from Russia to central and southeastern Europe.
NOF Energy has linked with Decom North Sea to promote opportunities in offshore oil and gas decommissioning.
Dockwise has a memorandum of agreement with the China Offshore Oil Engineering Co. (COOEC) to manage a newbuild, 50,000-metric ton (55,115-ton) dwt heavy-lift vessel.
Subsea 7 has won a $135-million-plus EPC contract from BP for the Andrew Area development project in the UK central North Sea.
Ashtead Technology has ordered $1 million of CDL subsea positioning equipment.
Subsea 7 Inc. and Otto Candies LLC now have an agreement to cooperate for access to the newbuild Ross Candies for Life-of-Field services.
Relief well drilling at the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is progressing, said Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, national incident commander for the event.
Statoil says the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding earlier this week between Azerbaijan and Turkey will help advance the next development phase of the Shah Deniz project in the Caspian Sea.
AWE reports hydrocarbon shows in target sands reached while drilling the Tui South West prospect off New Zealand.
The PVD-1 jackup has spudded an exploration well in block DBSCL-01 in the Vinh Chau Graben system off southern Vietnam for operator Salamander Energy.
North West Shelf Exploration (NWSE) is set to acquire a further 5% equity in the WA-360-P exploration permit off Western Australia.
PT NuTech Dinamika Semesta has contracted Clough for pipelay and subsea installations for the East Udang development project in the Indonesian Natuna Sea.
Ithaca Energy has upgraded reserves at the Stella gas condensate field in the UK central North Sea.
BP has proved further gas reserves close to the Skarv field in the Norwegian Sea.
No oil has leaked from the Diamond Offshore rig Ocean Saratoga, the company says in response to a mistaken interpretation of operations at the site made by an unidentified aircraft.
The BOS Arctic seismic vessel is scheduled to acquire 3D data for Euroil in Cameroon.
Nexus Energy and partner AWE Exploration are inviting farm-in offers to the WA-368-P permit offshore Western Australia, according to licensing broker Indigo Pool.
Tullow Oil has completed its appraisal drilling program in the southeast Jubilee area offshore Ghana.
Research released by energy business analysts, Douglas-Westwood predicts worldwide FPS expenditures will total $44.8 billion between 2010 and 2014.
Sevan has agreed a secured bank facility of $230 million with ING Bank for work on the FPSO Sevan Voyageur, replacing existing 1st line financing of $150 million.
A letter urging issuance of guidance following the Minerals Management Service rescissions of Applications for Permit to Drill in less than 500 ft of water in the Gulf of Mexico was sent yesterday to the acting MMS director Bob Abbey by the National Ocean Industries Association.
Stingray Geophysical and Ikon Science will develop new time-lapse technology and services together.
Buccaneer Alaska has agreed to acquire working interests in four Cook Inlet, Alaska, leases.
Reports from Washington indicate the Obama administration plans to move to release new safety requirements for shallow-water Gulf of Mexico drilling.
Production from the Zhao Dong oil field in Bohai Bay offshore China currently averages over 24,000 b/d, according to operator Roc Oil.
Desire Petroleum plans to use its next available rig slot to drill the Rachel structure in the North Falkland basin campaign.
Maersk Oil has completed drilling a first appraisal well on its deepwater Chissonga discovery offshore Angola.
Production has re-started from the BZ25-1/BZ25-1 South oilfields in the southeast part of Bohai Bay offshore China, according to operator CNOOC.
Apache North Sea has contracted RBG for riser replacement work on the Forties production complex in the UK sector.
A drillstem test at the Tindalo-1 hit a flow rate of 18,689 b/d of oil, reports Kairiki Energy Ltd.
Ranger Offshore Inc. says it has completed acquisition of Tiburon Divers Inc.
While BP continues to refine its ability to capture oil spilling at the Deepwater Horizon site in the Gulf of Mexico, there are additional plans in the making for future production.
The UK plans to step up inspection of drilling rigs and the monitoring of offshore compliance on the UK continental shelf.
Offshore fabricator Lamprell says it is experiencing a higher level of rig refurbishment than in recent years, although average expenditure for this type of work remains low, on a par with last year’s levels.
The containment cap on BP’s leaking well in the Gulf of Mexico is taking in about 11,000 b/d of oil, said Admiral Thad Allen, national incident commander, at a news conference this morning at the Whitehouse.
Solstad Rederi has contracted STX Europe to build an LNG-powered platform supply vessel.
Petrom has completed a campaign to improve recovery from its Lebada Est and Lebada Vest fields in the Histria block in the Romanian sector of the Black Sea.
IFC is loaning $35 million to shipping, logistics, and marine services provider GAC Group to finance the purchase of six offshore supply vessels.
Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Co. (ADMA-OPCO) has awarded National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) a $350-million EPC contract for a field enhancement program offshore Abu Dhabi.
Cargotec has won a $24-million contract to install MacGregor subsea loading and module handling systems on Hallin Marine’s new compact semisubmersible offshore vessel.
Signal International has appointed Carl F. Wegener as VP of strategic planning, and Joe Mayhall as director of sales and marketing for the company’s signal ship repair division.
ASCO Group has appointed John Jordan as the CEO of the company’s operations in the Americas.
Lincoln Electric has appointed Peter Pletcher as director of global consumable development, and Ferry Naber as director of the global machine development.
Origin Energy Ltd. has appointed Helen Hardy as company secretary.
Det Norske Veritas has awarded ATEX certification to the final portion of TDW Offshore Services’ remote pig tracking and pressure-monitoring system.
ONGC contracts DPS (Bristol) Ltd. to act as its consultant for a proposed FPSO in the D-1 field, currently producing through a jackup converted into a MOPU.
Ulstein Design & Solutions has appointed Frode Sollid as design manager for offshore support vessels.
AWE Ltd. says it is preparing to run the Tui SW-2 BOP now that the repairs which were delayed due to bad weather are complete.
Andhra deepwater block KG-DWN-2003/1, or the D-3 block, management committee has approved a $40 million budget for simultaneous processing and interpretation of 210 sq km (81 sq mi) of previously shot 3D seismic data.
Bridge Energy has been awarded license P 1738 in the UK North Sea. This is a “promote” license with an initial two-year term.
Another presalt light oil find in Campos basin is in the news.
The effects of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico are reaching further into the upstream oil and gas industry.
As work continues to install the LMRP cap, this video animation illustrates how it will be connected to the drillship riser, prepped, maneuvered into position, and installed on top of the BOP stack.
Rockhopper Exploration has updated the analysis of its Sea Lion oil discovery in the offshore North Falkland basin.
The containment cap system that aims to capture and produce the oil and gas coming from the damaged well is in place and in the process of coming to full function according to Adm.
Barclays Private Equity has taken a minority stake in the Wilton Group, a provider of project management services in the UK.
Maritime Industrial Services Co. (MIS) has settled a contract dispute with Mosvold Middle East Jackup (MEJU).
Installation is complete for the mooring line connectors at the Peregrino field submerged turret production (STP) buoy offshore Brazil, according to supplier First Subsea.
Delek Drilling and partner Avner Oil & Gas Exploration have issued a statement concerning results from a 3D survey by operator Noble Energy Mediterranean over various licenses offshore Israel.
IHC Engineering Business (EB) has shipped out the J-lay system for the new Saipem FDS2 (Field Development Ship).
Maersk Oil has acquired from Wintershall a 20% interest in license PL435 in the Norwegian Sea.
The following map updates the activities surrounding the Deepwater Horizon containment and clean-up operations.
Orca Exploration Group has agreed to farm into the B.R268.RG permit in the Adriatic Sea off central Italy.
Eni Norge has awarded Bureau Veritas a Third Party Verification Authority (TVPA) contract for its Goliat development project in the Barents Sea.
Spectrum Geo Ltd. has another East Coast US seismic data reprocessing project under way.
Husky Oil China is encouraged by results from its first appraisal well at the Liuhua 29-1 gas discovery in the South China Sea.
Primeline Energy Holdings has completed a drillstem test program for its LS 35-3-1 discovery in East China Sea block 25/34.
EnCore Oil has discovered oil with an exploration well on the Catcher prospect in UK central North Sea block 28/9.
Repsol Exploration is to take a 40% in license PL 356 on the Norwegian Shelf from operator Det norske oljeselskap.
Fairstar Heavy Transport has contracted Guangzhou Shipyards International Co (GSI) for two new 50,000 DWT open stern, semisubmersible vessels at a cost of $101.9 million each.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has cleared Talisman Energy to drill a sidetrack in production license 038 D in the Norwegian North Sea.
The UK’s new Oil Spill Prevention and Response Advisory Group (OSPRAG) has met for the first time to review the sector’s readiness to respond to a major incident, in light of current events in the Gulf of Mexico.
Songa Offshore’s drilling rig Songa Venus is off duty due to ongoing repairs to its BOP.
Centrica Resources has completed its latest wildcat in the Norwegian sector as a dry well, according to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate.
Seadrill confirms that its semisubmersible drilling rig West Sirius will start operations for BP in the Gulf of Mexico.
NOAA has expanded the extent of its closed fishing area in the Gulf of Mexico as a result of the movement of the Deepwater Horizon incident oil spill.
Statoil has issued a letter of intent to Grenland Group for modification work on the Åsgard field FPSO in the Norwegian Sea.
The semisub Ocean Guardian has spudded the third in its current campaign of exploration wells offshore the Falkland Islands.
A sidetrack in the Tybalt exploration well 211/8c-4z in the UK northern North Sea (License P1632) has discovered light oil in the four-way dip 'T1' structure, according to operator Valiant Petroleum.
The Dynamic Positioning Centre has celebrated its tenth anniversary.
Reliance Industries has suspended the KGV-D3-W1 exploration well in the Krishna-Godavari basin off eastern India, due to concerns over the BOP of the drilling rig Deepwater Expedition.
The WGP Group has won a third extension to its Chirag Azeri Reservoir Seismic Project (CARSP) Life of Field Seismic (LoFS) survey in the Azeri sector of the Caspian Sea.
FMC Technologies has won the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s 2009 award for improved oil recovery.
Seadrill says it has acquired further shares in Scorpion Offshore, taking its total holding in the drilling contractor to 50.11%.
Half of the cost overruns and delays in offshore projects could be mitigated through improvements in early risk reviews, technology qualification programs, and classification schemes, according to Norwegian classification society DNV.
Lundin Petroleum plans to drill an exploration well on the Apollo structure in the Norwegian North Sea, 5 km (3.1 mi) northwest of and down-dip of the Luno field in license PL 338.
The following map updates the activities surrounding the Deepwater Horizon containment and clean-up operations.
Norwegian Energy Co. (Noreco) has agreed to farm into the 02/05 license in the Danish North Sea.
The US is the largest consumer of oil in the world, with the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) expecting demand to be approximately 20 MMb/d in 2010.
A study is under way into the suitability of sandstones beneath the Moray Firth, 30 mi (48 km) offshore northeast Scotland, for storing emitted carbon dioxide (CO2).
Gassco has assumed operatorship of the North Sea trunkline which will transport gas from the Gjøa and Vega fields to the FLAGS pipeline system in the UK North Sea.
A 3D seismic campaign offshore western Sicily using Petroleum GeoServices Asia Pacific Pte Ltd.’s Atlantic Explorer is complete according to Northern Petroleum Plc. The survey covered 1,520 sq km (587 sq mi) of four thrust belt licenses – G.R17.NP, G.R20.NP, G.R21.NP, and G.R22.NP – and was funded by Shell Italia E&P SpA under a farm-in agreement. The acquisition purpose is to get a better quality, more complete definition of drilling prospects on structures identified by earlier 2D surveys.
|
PetrisWINDS OneTouch™ Portal for Upstream Operations
Turning data into information that can be used to make the right decisions at the right time is central to oil and gas upstream operations. While that statement ... Sponsored By:
Wipro Technologies
|
|
Unleashing the Full Potential of Technology Initiatives
Over the last ten years, an unprecedented array of technologies has become available to oil and gas enterprises. There has been, and continues to be, a steady flow ... Sponsored By:
Wipro Technologies
|
