The editors ofOffshore have made their choices for the top five offshore field development projects for 2006. The projects are selected on the basis of best use of innovation in production method, application of technology, and resolution of challenges, along with safety and project completion time. In no particular order, the top five offshore field development projects for 2006 are:

• Benguela/Belize/Lobito/Tombocco (BBLT) -- Chevron completed the $2.3-billion BBLT compliant tower offshore Angola ahead of schedule and within budget on Jan. 24, 2006. The BBLT structure, a compliant piled tower (CPT) with topsides weighing over 40,000 tons, is situated in 396 m (1,300 ft) of water in block 14.(Page 30)
• Shah Deniz -- The Shah Deniz development in the Caspian Sea off Azerbaijan took its place among the giant producing oil and gas fields of the world in 2006 boasting the largest reserves found since Prudhoe Bay. Gas production reached the market via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline from the Caspian to Turkey.(Page 32)
• Dolphin Deep -- The BG Group, operator and partner with ChevronTexaco Trinidad and Tobago Resources, delivered the first natural gas on July 21, 2006, from the Dolphin Deep development to the Atlantic LNG (ALNG) Train 3 and Train 4 processing facility in Point Fortin, Trinidad.(Page 34)
• Buzzard -- the largest new UK oilfield development of recent years, is due to start up by the end of this year. Operator Nexen Petroleum and its partners Petro-Canada, BG Group, and Edinburgh Oil and Gas invested $2.87 billion (£1.5 billion) in the project, with the aim of recovering over 550 MMbbl. In place oil is estimated at 1.2 Bbbl, making it the UK’s largest oilfield development of recent times.(Page 36)
• Gomez -- With limited infrastructure in the vicinity and an aggressive schedule to first production, ATP elected to develop its Gomez field in the Gulf of Mexico with a converted semisubmersible rig, a solution that hadn’t been used in the Gulf since 1995.(Page 38)

More growth in Asia

This month, theOffshore editors examined the offshore Asia scene and discovered a thriving and growing industry moving ahead at breakneck speed.

AsInternational Editor Judy Maksoud points out in her lead-off article in our Offshore Asia Special Report, the Asia-Pacific region leads the world in offshore exploration.

Billions of dollars are being spent on exploration and production in the Asia-Pacific region. Expanding economies in Malaysia, India, China, and all of Southeast Asia are creating enormous demand for oil and gas. As a result, offshore exploration and development activity in the Asia-Pacific arena is rapidly increasing beyond all historical levels. Her report begins onpage 40.

Meanwhile, China is confident it can overtake Asian vessel-building rivals Korea and Japan by the year 2015, and current activity indicates the country’s determination to reach that goal.

As strong as growth in China’s shipbuilding has been (almost three-fold since 2003), it will pale in comparison to the planned increase. China’s major shipyard groups, the China State Shipbuilding Corp. and China Shipbuilding Industry Corp., have moved to add FPSOs, LNG tankers, and VLCCs, as well as large containerships and ro-ro vessels to their list of builds. The report begins onpage 49.

Eldon Ball, Houston