BP Trinidad and Tobago LLC (bpTT) has announced that the Joe Douglas 240C jack up rig, owned and operated by Rowan Companies, has joined the bpTT rig fleet and has begun drilling at the bpTT Amherstia facility.
BPTT Regional President Norman Christie commented: “The Joe Douglas rig is a welcome addition to the bpTT rig fleet. It represents an opportunity to access more hydrocarbons from our existing acreage in the Columbus Basin, and is a demonstration of our continued commitment to Trinidad and Tobago.”
Photo courtesy: BP
The Joe Douglas rig previously worked for another operator in Trinidad and was moored in Chaguaramas for approximately 45 days where it underwent maintenance. After completion of the maintenance work, the rig was moved to the offshore location alongside the Amherstia platform located off the south east coast of Trinidad, where it commenced drilling operations in October.
This is the first time a jack-up rig will work alongside the Amherstia facility and will drill three new wells, with the potential for a fourth. The expected gas output from these three wells is approximately 235 million standard cubic feet a day (mmscfd).
The Rowan Joe Douglas rig joins the bpTT rig fleet of Rowan EXL II (currently alongside the Mango platform) and Diamond Ocean Victory (currently completing the Juniper wells).
About Rowan Joe Douglas rig
BPTT operates in 904,000 acres off Trinidad’s east coast. BPTT has 13 offshore platforms and two onshore processing facilities.
Petrobras and Total inform that Pedro Parente, CEO of Petrobras, and Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of Total, have signed, in Rio de Janeiro, a Memorandum of Understanding which sets the general framework for a Strategic Alliance covering Upstream and Downstream activities in Brazil as well as international potential opportunities.
Through this agreement, the companies undertake to join forces in some key areas of mutual interest and to evaluate opportunities in Brazil and abroad to jointly benefit from their internationally recognized expertise on all segments of the oil and gas value chain.
Petrobras CEO, Pedro Parente, and the CEO of Total, Patrick Pouyanne. Photo courtesy: Petrobras
As a first phase of implementation, the companies intend to focus on Upstream and on Gas and Power.
In Upstream, Petrobras will propose Total to partner in projects in Brazil and Total will propose Petrobras to partner in opportunities outside Brazil. This new partnership will allow both companies to combine their world class experience and expertise in deep water development to optimize the production and jointly develop this strategic area of activity in Brazil and in other high potential oil and gas provinces, as well as sharing costs and risks in projects with high investment and complexity.
In Downstream, the companies will be working to develop joint activities in the gas and power generation in Brazil.
The memorandum also states that the cooperation will be extended, in a second phase, to a broader cooperation in Brazil focused on all downstream segments.
Currently, Petrobras and Total are jointly participating in 15 consortiums worldwide in exploration and production, nine of which are in Brazil and six abroad. In Brazil, the companies are partners in the development of the giant Libra area which is the first production sharing contract in the Brazilian pre-salt in Santos basin. Outside Brazil, Petrobras and Total are partners on the Chinook field in the US Gulf of Mexico, on the deep-water Akpo field in Nigeria and on the gas fields of San Alberto and San Antonio/Itau in Bolivia, as well as in the Bolivia-Brazil gas pipeline.
Leading global energy services company entrusts SpeedCast to provide outsourced field engineering services to support their global development operations
SpeedCast has entered into a service agreement to provide field engineering and support services to a leading global energy services company across Europe, Africa, and Asia. Under the agreement, SpeedCast will provide field engineering services to support and maintain remote communications services over fiber, wireless and satellite networks, as well as IT and related technical services to ensure continuity in the company’s remote operations. SpeedCast will leverage its existing global Field Engineering Team throughout these regions to provide technical support expertise and agile field services wherever they are required, enabling the customer to focus on mission critical operations and driving profitability.
“This is an exciting award for us as it is one of several from this same customer over the last year and it validates their confidence in SpeedCast’s ability to provide global managed services and related technical support. With our expanded global team, SpeedCast is well positioned to provide expert support to our customers in key areas of operations for the oil and gas sector around the globe. Our proximity to our customers’ operations sites, the skillset of our engineers and our support and logistics process are all contributing to SpeedCast becoming a partner of choice for the most demanding customers”, said Keith Johnson, Senior Vice President, Energy of SpeedCast.
SpeedCast CEO PJ Beylier added, “It is another important win for SpeedCast that showcases how we leverage our expanding global footprint to service our Energy customers. SpeedCast’s strong global field support capabilities built over the past several years through organic growth and acquisitions are enabling our customers to maximize their network’s uptime. This additional success demonstrates how SpeedCast is evolving as a global communication partner, becoming one of the very few service providers with credibility to support global networks. As the energy sector stabilizes, our strong global field presence is a major differentiator that will fuel our growth momentum.”
ODE, is a leading international Oil & Gas and Renewables Engineering Consultancy, and an integral part of the DORIS Group. The company provides technical services across the full asset life cycle; from conceptual to detailed engineering of greenfield and brownfield projects, and from asset management through to final decommissioning. ODE has continued and strengthened its excellent relationship with DONG Energy by securing an engineering services and consultancy framework agreement.
Siri Platform. Photo courtesy: DONG Energy
ODE will provide support to DONG Energy’s oil and gas assets across the Danish, Norwegian and UK continental shelves. The scope of work includes front-end engineering, maintenance and modifications, discipline engineering (specialist services), late life and decommissioning and procurement services. The contract will run until 2020 with the possibility to extend to 2022.
The work, which utilises ODE’s full range of consultancy, engineering and operations capabilities, will be carried out from the company’s offices in both London and Great Yarmouth as well as within DONG Energy’s offices and asset locations when required.
ODE Managing Director Peter Godfrey said: “This new contract builds on our six-year relationship with DONG Energy and will ensure that ODE continues to provide value- enhancing support to DONG across its assets”
ODE, an integral part of the DORIS Group, was created in 1978 to support the North Sea oil and gas industry. The company provides worldwide cost effective, technically robust, consulting, engineering, project management and operations support services to the upstream oil and gas, and marine renewables industries.
Hyperdynamics Corporation (OTCQX: HDYN) announces that it has signed a Letter of Award with drilling contractor Pacific Drilling to engage the Pacific Bora drillship to begin a drilling campaign offshore the Republic of Guinea in the second quarter of 2017.
"We are very pleased to be working with Pacific Drilling, which has a top-quality fleet of deepwater drilling vessels working in a variety of international basins," said Ray Leonard, Hyperdynamics President and Chief Executive Officer. "The Pacific Bora recently completed a long-term contract for a major American multinational energy company offshore Nigeria. The Pacific Bora is expected to arrive shortly before our target spud date for the Fatala 1 well, so the timing is perfect: The ship will come to us with a high-quality, experienced crew, and we will avoid a rig mobilization charge due to the close proximity of the ship's current location in West Africa. We have also negotiated a very attractive rate of $225,000 per day.
"The Pacific Bora is a 6th generation, double-hulled drillship constructed in 2010 with state-of-the art equipment that is capable of operating in 10,000 feet of water and drilling up to 35,000 feet below the mudline. The Pacific Bora has delivered an outstanding 99% revenue efficiency performance over the past 12 months in Nigeria," Leonard added.
The Letter of Award also enables Hyperdynamics to extend the contract to include as many as three additional follow-up wells at the same favorable terms and conditions. The agreement is subject to the two companies entering into a definitive contract to be signed no later than November 29.
Hyperdynamics is an emerging independent oil and gas exploration company that is exploring for oil and gas offshore the Republic of Guinea in West Africa.
Reflex Marine, a global leader in offshore access, showcased its new WAVE-4 marine personnel transfer carrier for the first time to the oil and gas industry at the Offshore Energy 16 exhibition and conference in Amsterdam.
Taking the conference’s theme of ‘entering a new era’ Reflex Marine believes the time is right for the industry to drive a new era in safe personnel transfer, and is urging operators to review their crew transport options, including an evaluation of risks.
WAVE-4 is the company’s latest innovation to support safe transfers and improve the efficiency of operations. WAVE-4 is the only transfer carrier for standing passengers to protect against the four major risks of personnel transfer: vertical impact, lateral impact, falling and immersion.
Other benefits include a small deck footprint, quick and easy entry and exit, buoyancy and self-righting in case of immersion and stretcher capacity for use in an emergency evacuation, with the casualty maintained above the water line. WAVE-4 also has a simple inspection and maintenance schedule, enabling reduced downtime with increased convenience and efficiency.
WAVE-4 is the latest addition to Reflex Marine’s established range of personnel transfer carriers, which includes the industry-leading FROG-XT four, six and 10 person range. Wherever personnel need to be transferred in the marine environment there is now a Reflex Marine carrier to suit the operations and environment, from extreme to calm seas states.
With over 20 years’ experience, Reflex Marine is involved in more than one million safe personnel transfers across the globe every year. All its products focus on reducing risk and improving safety for passengers while the company’s long-term aim is to encourage an increase in safety standards across multiple industries.
Catherine Allinson, Business Manager for Europe, who attended Offshore Energy, said: “The theme of the Offshore Energy conference is very much in line with our desire to see the industry enter a new era in safe personnel transfer. Verified data has shown that the chances of fatality in helicopter transfers are approximately 11 times higher than for crane transfers and we believe it is time for the industry to both act on these risks and consider all transport options.
“Our innovations and technology developments have led to safer methods of crew transfer across the globe, regardless of sea state, and have set new standards and expectations for the industry. Through changing the perspective of crew transfer from being seen as inherently high-risk, to being accepted as a manageable activity that can be performed safely and cost effectively, we can ensure continuity and safety in offshore operations. WAVE-4 is our latest development to support our mission of raising safety standards offshore.”
Statoil has decided to cancel the contract with Stena Drilling for the mobile rig Stena Don.
The rig has been on contract to Statoil since 7 February 2014, performing operations for the Troll and Fram licenses. The original contract termination date is 7 February 2017.
The Stena Don drilling rig. (Photo: Stena Drilling)
The cancellation will take effect after the plugging activity on the Troll field has been completed, in early November. After this, Stena Don was committed to the Fram license.
However, the license does not have any work program for the rig, nor does Statoil have any other activities where the available capacity can be used.
BRUNEI has become the first country in the world to commission International Minimum Industry Standard Training (IMIST), reaffirming its strong commitment towards ensuring the safety of its 20,000-strong oil and gas industry workforce.
Following the Bruneian government’s undertaking to put around 3,000 front line worksite supervisors through the OPITO global standard for health and safety training earlier this year, the country has now set a deadline of November 2017 to roll IMIST out to people in this role.
IMIST was launched by not-for-profit industry safety organis\zation OPITO in 2011 to enhance workforce safety and competence by providing a comprehensive and consistent level of training across the world. The standard ensures that workers – no matter where they are based or who they are employed by - have the necessary safety awareness and training to reduce risk and minimize the potential for incidents.
Used by oil and gas companies in almost 50 countries around the world, Brunei is the first in the region to introduce its use for workers engaged in exploration and production activities.
Steve England Head of HSSE at the Energy and Industry Department Prime Minister’s Office said: “The energy sector is a core driver of Brunei’s economy. It accounts for more than 60 percent of Brunei’s GDP. In line with our National Vision 2035 to have sustainable energy for Brunei Darussalam’s prosperity, we aim to boost the skills of Bruneians to achieve the vision’s goals. The introduction of this first phase of minimum HSE standards is the beginning of our (HSSE’s) commitment towards that vision.
“The Bruneian government has undertaken to put approximately 3,000 front line worksite supervisors through the OPITO global standard for health and safety training. We have set a deadline of November 2017 to roll IMIST out to its entire oil and gas front line worksite supervisor workforce.”
Delivered in classroom and digital learning format, three already approved invigilation centers will now provide the training to industry: Mahkota Maju Sdn Bhd, Brunei LNG and Megamas Training Company Sdn Bhd with more to follow.
David Doig, chief executive officer of OPITO Group said: “Every worker has the right to go to work and return safely at the end of the day. Our mission is to support the global oil and gas industry to build a sustainable, competent and safe workforce and to ensure that quality, innovation and partnership underpin everything that we do.
“IMIST provides uniformity in training and ensures that everyone, regardless of their employer, role or discipline, has the same basic safety understanding and can perform their role to the same standard. We have worked closely with the Brunei Government on the implementation of IMIST and firmly believe their commitment will set a precedent in terms of how energy-producing nations train their workforce.”
A unique, not-for-profit organization, OPITO is wholly owned by the oil and gas industry and is responsible for ensuring it has a safe, skilled and competent workforce. With operation centers in Aberdeen, Dubai, Cyprus, Kuala Lumpur and Houston, OPITO standards, qualifications and workforce development frameworks are currently used by employers in over 45 countries worldwide.
In the event, the Ministry of Mines and Energy also advocated lower payments of royalties for small and medium-sized onshore companiesA faster, simpler and standardized environmental licensing process, with electronic processes, is among the objectives of Ibama’s, Brazilian federal environmental regulator, Licensing Board. The new director, Rose Hofmann, said in a plenary session at Rio Oil & Gas, that the body will adopt terms of reference for similar situations, which eases and standardizes the licenses. There will also be investment in personnel qualification and adoption of control and management mechanisms.
"We will have an annual licensing plan [with projects planned for the period] and goals to pursue efficiency and agility," she said. IBP’s executive secretary of Exploration and Production, Antonio Guimaraes, cited the industry's efforts to help speed up the licensing processes, such as the cooperation agreement with Ibama for the preparation of terms of reference and the mapping of the Brazilian coastline and islands. For Guimarães, the slowness of the licenses jeopardizes the industry. He exemplified saying that no drilling license of the 13th Round, in 2015, has been granted yet.
In another panel, the Secretary of Oil, Natural Gas and Renewable Fuels of the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), Márcio Felix argued that small and medium-sized oil companies operating in the onshore segment should pay less royalties to the states, municipalities and to the Union. Currently, the transfer amounts to 10%, but Felix believes that 5% or a progressive percentage would be a better solution so that low-production projects are not negatively affected or rendered impossible due to the price drop in the international market.
Felix spoke to an audience of executives and experts of the oil industry during the Onshore Forum, a parallel event that was held during Rio Oil & Gas, in Rio de Janeiro. "We are in the threshold of economic feasibility in some areas and for that reason we need to think of a number of measures to help us open a new range of opportunities. We want to provide all the required support so the country may find in the onshore segment another source of development", the secretary explained.
Congressman Beto Rosado presented the draft bill 4663, which is being processed in the Lower House, which provides for a new regulatory framework for the onshore segment. The project provides for new rules regarding infrastructure, logistics, environment and credit policies for small and medium-sized companies of the onshore segment. "With the approval of the draft bill and the resumption of onshore exploration, we will have a new scenario that will generate more jobs and income for the country", he argued.
Currently, there are 329 exploration blocks in Brazil, according to the National Agency of Petroleum (ANP). Of these, 209 blocks belong to the onshore segment, which counts on 33 operators. Of the 403 fields under development or production in Brazil, 286 are onshore fields, operated by 23 companies. The onshore produces today 146 thousand oil barrels per day, about 6% of the 2.6 million barrels of oil produced daily in the country.
For the president of IBP, Jorge Camargo, the onshore segment can be an important vector of economic growth in Brazil. "Those are extremely rich areas with excellent development potential. Besides, they also drive the local market and diversify the oil industry", he said.
Another highlight today in Rio Oil & Gas was the Secretary of the Investment Partnership Program, Moreira Franco, saying that he hopes to see soon the approval of two points of the draft bill on the end of the single operator, which is being processed in the House of Representatives, with sanctions. According to him, one of the government's goals is to strengthen the oil and gas industry. "With the strengthening of the oil industry, Petrobras will revive", he said.
Moreira Franco also advocated the balance of revenues and expenditures in Brazil, which, according to him, has to maintain a budget surplus to pay debts, reduce the interest rate that is currently at 14% to control the inflation, stabilize public accounts and ensure legal safety in contracts, to become a competitive country. "The focus is on the economy and on the fiscal target. Without it, we will not balance the national accounts. Yesterday we approved in the second round in the Lower House a constitutional amendment that will help us to balance revenues and expenditure with the actual budget", he said.
The first day of Rio Oil & Gas, at Riocentro, was marked by the presence of president Michel Temer, by the appointment, made by the Minister of Mines and Energy, Fernando Coelho Filho, of the new Director General of the National Agency of Petroleum (ANP), Decio Oddone, who will replace Magda Chambriard, currently in office, and also by the signature of a memorandum of understanding between Petrobras and the French oil company Total, and by authorities and the industry recognizing the need for greater competitiveness of the oil industry in order to attract investments and generate employment and income.
An important step to increase competitiveness in the national oil industry was the approval by the Lower House of the draft bill that ends with the figure of Petrobras as the single operator of the pre-salt. That was acknowledged by President Temer himself, by Petrobras’ CEO, Pedro Parente, and by the president of the Brazilian Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Institute, Jorge Camargo during the opening of the largest oil and gas event in Latin America.
The event was also the venue for the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Petrobras and the French oil company Total, consolidating a strategic alliance for the Exploration, Production and Gas & Power branches. The announcement was made by Parente and by Total’s Global CEO, Patrick Pouyanné, at a press conference.
According to Parente, the memorandum started to be drafted earlier this year, but it does not imply any legal binding. However, it represents a very sound line of intentions and may include areas in which the partnership is already in force, or in future fields. The idea is that the companies shall remain close both for divestments and for new businesses. The state company shall set until the end of the year the projects in which it will partner up with the French oil company.
Total’s Global CEO, Patrick Pouyanné, highlighted that he appreciates the partnerships with Brazil, both here and abroad, stating that the company intends to extend the projects to other areas, such as exploration and production. "Brazil is a big market. There are many opportunities", he said.
Also at Rio Oil & Gas, Prumo Logística and GranEnergia announced the creation of a new company that will provide integrated logistics solutions and services for the oil and gas industry, which will start operating in November, at the Port of Açu. Dome was created with the purpose of contributing to greater efficiency and optimization of costs in projects and operations of the industry, focused also on integrity management and vessel and equipment modernization. The company will cover an area of 47,000 square meters in the Port of Açu, in a privileged location, at the entrance of the channel.
At a lunch-lecture that addressed Petrobras’ new paths, the executive director of Strategy, Organization and Management System of the company, Nelson Silva, explained that the company's new business plan is primarily driven by the new economic outlook that focuses on generating results. "The strategic plan was widely discussed and is linked to the company’s business plan. We are questioning where the company wants to be in 20 years. The company wants to be an integrated energy company focused on oil and gas that evolves along with society, adding value through its deep technical abilities", he stated.
Silva said that Petrobras considers two metrics with the same weight: to achieve the financial target, which is to reduce the leverage of the net debt (EBITDA) from 5.3 million in 2015 to 2.5 million in 2018 and to mitigate risks, reducing by 36% the rate of recorded casualties (TAR*) from 2.2 in 2015 to 1.4 in 2018. "A US $ 6.3-billion debt is equivalent, for example, to what we refrained from investing in a new production unit. That is the reason for our urgency to speed up the reduction of the debt so we can go back to re-invest in the company’s core business", explained the director.
At a plenary session, Andy Brown, Shell’s Global Vice-President of Exploration and Production, drew attention to the competition for investments in the world, highlighting the billion-dollar decrease in investments this year and the importance of stability and regulatory environments in such a competitive world. To illustrate opportunities in Brazil, he mentioned the work in partnership with Petrobras and the constructive dialogue with the government and regulating bodies.
The importance of Brazil’s global competitiveness was also highlighted by the president of Statoil in Brazil, Päl Eitrheim. The executive emphasized the size of the Brazilian market and the strength of its institutions.
Petrobras’ director of Exploration and Production, Solange Guedes, said the stage that the industry is going through requires cost optimization and she also reported that Petrobras was able to reduce by 28% its extraction costs in the pre-salt in the last two years. "The repetition of the learning cycle leaves a legacy, which is the base of a solid and robust knowledge that allows us to deliver an even more competitive industry to Brazil."
Petrobras’ director of Refining and Gas, Jorge Celestino, estimated supply prospects in the country, according to economic and regulatory aspects. According to Celestino, in recent years there has been a strong growth in fuel demand in Brazil, followed by the increase of import of derivatives. "Brazil has a vocation to export and can count on a privileged geographical position with access to the pre-salt layer, but it faces an external crisis and also the global competition, which renders unfeasible the construction of refineries for exporting”, he said.
Celestino pointed out that, right now, "the encouragement to the operation of other companies in the downstream branch and the partnership with third parties to expand its refining capacity are the milestones of Petrobras’ new approach."
Experts also concluded that Petrobras’ sale of assets paved the way for the development of the Brazilian gas market, which, in order to advance, will need to have its rules changed, in addition to a greater integration between the links of the chain.
Roberto Schloesser, coordinator of the Study Group on Natural Gas at IBP, said the new scenario requires regulation changes and the creation of a central agency to regulate the industry and to develop the foundations of a "true natural gas market in the country "- which should provide for access rules and have liquidity and stability.
Danny Hard, General Manager of Anadarko for Brazil and the Gulf of Mexico, mentioned the project that integrated the fields of the Independent Hub, which brings together 12 offshore areas in the US Gulf of Mexico. "We managed to develop these reserves and start production in an integrated manner, in just 4 years and a half."
Rio Oil & Gas also presented the first edition of the Technology Arena. "For four days, we will have lectures about the fascinating world of technology, startups, strong-base companies, etc. May innovation remain as the fuel for work in the companies", summed up the Secretary General of IBP, Milton Costa Filho. He also pointed out that IBP has collaborated with Lloyd's Register Energy to develop a research focused in Brazil in order to develop enhanced policies for the country.
With the subject "Prospects and Challenges for the Oil and Gas Industry", the Knowledge Arena was opened addressing one of the main current issues of the oil industry worldwide: changes in the energy matrix and its impact on the industry. IBP’s economic analysis manager, Luciana Nunes, opened the debate noting that energy consumption has doubled in the last 30 years, but the discussion today revolves around how the global consumption trends may affect these figures.
It is true fact that the oil industry – which in 2015 accounted for 46% of all investments in energy in the world, while renewable energy were ranked second, with only 17% of the market share - needs to adapt to the new era, warns Luciana. An industry that has been following technological changes that will also affect the demand for energy in the world, as is the case of electric cars. The figures show, however, that even if the world car fleet remains the same, in 2030 electric cars will only account for 11% of the world fleet. Today this share does not even reach 0.2%.
With the expected market opening, experts debated two important issues in the Financial Forum: the arrival of new companies that will demand services and a possible change in the way that projects are funded. "Both the country and the industry must have a reform agenda. However, such reforms have no use if the players are not aware of them. Brazil must absolutely implement a communication program for its players", said Fernanda Custodio, EDC’s manager for Latin America.
The traditional Sustainability Arena - formerly known as Social Responsibility Arena - aimed to show that the oil and gas industry is in line with the sustainability discourse. The event addressed the 17 sustainable development objectives proposed by the United Nations as a replacement to the "Millennium Development Goals", a legacy of Rio + 20, as well as the initiatives proposed by the oil industry to mitigate the impacts.
Aker Solutions has been awarded the contract for upgrading the Mongstad terminal for Johan Sverdrup oil from late 2019.
The Mongstad terminal near Bergen. (Photo: Øyvind Hagen)
Its value estimated at NOK 350 million, the contract includes engineering, procurement and the construction of a pig receiver for the oil export pipeline from Johan Sverdrup.
In addition, the scope of work includes connecting the Johan Sverdrup oil pipeline to the existing storage caverns at the Mongstad terminal.
The engineering work will be performed at Aker Solutions’ office in Bergen. The pre-fabrication of pipes and steel structures will take place at Aker Solutions’ yard in Egersund, whereas the bulk of the construction work will take place at the Mongstad terminal.
"Starting in early 2017 the work at Mongstad will provide opportunities for local suppliers in the Mongstad area," says Kjetel Digre, project director for Johan Sverdrup.
"It is also gratifying that we can include Egersund as a location and contributor delivering on the enormous jig-saw puzzle that the Johan Sverdrup project represents. In Norway all of the big yards along the entire coast are now involved in developing one of the biggest industrial projects in Norway in recent years," says Digre.
Contracts at a value of more than NOK 60 billion have been awarded for Johan Sverdrup, more than 70 % of this won by Norwegian suppliers.
Click HERE to see the map of Johan Sverdrup contracts.
Eni announces that the naming ceremony of the “Armada Olombendo” floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel was held this week in Singapore. The FPSO shall operate in Block 15/06, offshore Angola, for the East Hub Development Project. The vessel will soon be ready to sail to its final destination where, once in position, will commence mooring and hook-up operations.
Eni and its partners have reached a key milestone towards achieving the first oil from East Hub Development Project, which is planned by the first half of 2017. This follows the successful stream of start-ups in the West Hub Project, in the same Block 15/06, which is the only Block of those awarded in the 2006 bid round that has achieved production.
The East Hub Development Project encompasses 9 subsea wells, of which 5 are producers and 4 are water injectors, in water depth ranging between 450 and 550 metres. The hydrocarbons which are produced from these wells will be transported via a pipeline system to the FPSO to be treated and stored prior to export.
Eni is the Operator of Block 15/06 with a 36.84% stake. The other partners in the joint venture are Sonangol Pesquisa e Produção (36.84%) and SSI Fifteen Limited (26.32%).
Eni has been present in Angola since 1980 with net current production of 135,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Tugboat companies complying with Subchapter M regulations are required to have man overboard (MOB) procedures in place, including a way of retrieving crew who have fallen overboard. C-HERO has put together a package to help tug and barge workers fulfill this mandate, the MOB Total Solution. The system includes the C-HERO Lift™ Portable MOB Davit, C-HERO Reach™ Attachment Pole, and Emerald Marine Products' ALERT2 Man-Overboard Alarm System.
The pioneering ALERT2 system consists of a water-activated transmitter and receiver. When the unit is immersed in water, a piercing wheelhouse alarm alerts crew to the fall. It can be wired to set a waypoint, sound external speakers and/or stop engines. Unlike AIS, the audible response is instantaneous. When every second matters, ALERT2 provides the critical extra time needed for a successful rescue.
Once crew is alerted to a fall overboard, the next step is to pull the victim out of the water. This is the connection that formed the business relationship between Emerald Marine Products and C-HERO. Sharing the same customer base, the companies are working together to provide the commercial marine industry quality lifesaving solutions.
The C-HERO Reach Attachment Pole is designed to attach a lifting strap to an alert or unconscious person in the water (PIW). Connected by the 10mm Samson Warp Speed line to the davit, the strap is cinched and the PIW is lifted.
Weighing only 30 lbs. and deploying in less than 20 seconds, the C-HERO Lift Portable MOB Davit quickly attaches to a quarter bitt and reaches out 5.5'. Built of durable marine-grade aluminum and stainless steel, it features a Harken 20:1 winch, Antal line clutch and Wichard Snap Hook. It's so rugged and easy to use, one person can hoist and bring back on board over 400 lbs.
"The products our companies manufacture are a perfect match with one another," said Robert Linder, Emerald Marine Products president. "Combined, the complete MOB solution will make a significant contribution to helping deckhands stay safe and survive a fall-overboard situation."
Subsea 7 S.A. has announced the award of a substantial* contract, offshore Egypt, by Pharaonic Petroleum Company to be executed at water depths of over 900 meters in the Atoll field.
The contract scope includes the engineering, procurement, construction and installation of more than 40 kilometers of rigid pipelines and associated structures for the new Atoll field, tying into the existing Taurt field at a water depth of 100 meters. A 105 kilometer umbilical will also be installed linking the Atoll field to shore.
Seven Borealis. Photo courtesy: Subsea 7
Engineering and procurement services have already commenced. Offshore campaigns will take place in the second half of 2017 and the early months of 2018, using the Subsea 7 vessels Seven Borealis, Seven Eagle, and Seven Arctic.
Subsea 7's Region Vice President for Africa, Gilles Lafaye, said: "We are delighted to strengthen our presence in Egypt. This substantial contract award recognizes our technical expertise and track record of strong execution for Pharaonic Petroleum Company".
* Subsea 7 defines a substantial contract as being between USD 150 million and USD 300 million.
The world’s leading manufacturer and supplier of Anti-Pollution and Safety Marine Breakaway Couplings (MBCs) has launched a series of new service packages that will allow end users of MBCs to maintain top level operational performance.
Offering four options, Gall Thomson will now provide customers of its field verified MBCs a flexible range of global service choices based on the customer’s operational requirements and logistics.
Regarded as a vital component for the safe transfer of crude oil and refined products, Gall Thomson MBCs successfully saved nine countries from catastrophic oil spills during 2015 following 14 activations.
Called ‘MBC4’, the new packages are seen as a further step to improved and safer transfer of oil and refined products, as well as achieving minimum down time and offering peace of mind for operators.
The four new packages include In-Field Service, GTAC* Engineer Visit, GT Approved Regional Service Centre and Return to GT UK Technology Centre. All four can be called upon for inspection, refurbishment or resetting of Gall Thomson MBCs.
Max Virgin, MD of Gall Thomson sees this new range of services as a way to consolidate the company’s reputation as the global leader in its field, with the ability to better service their customers’ needs and also feedback information into the continual product development process.
Max said: “Key to this approach is to support customers with a range of inspection and maintenance services to preserve the integrity of the MBC. As Gall Thomson is considered the industry standard with almost 2000 MBCs in service, MBC4 is complimentary to this strategy.
“The operational performance of Gall Thomson MBCs in 2015 speaks for itself. Making sure an MBC is in top working order is vital so that should an offshore accident take place the device will activate as intended when called upon and mitigate the risk of equipment damage and pollution.
“Having four options is the ideal solution for inspection, refurbishment, resetting, repair and upgrade where applicable, and gives our customers total flexibility.”
For those wanting to conduct an In-Field Service, work can be carried out by the operator's own maintenance staff using standard tools and equipment and a Gall Thomson spares kits/maintenance manual. No specialist tools are required and no additional equipment is needed such as assembly frames or complicated apparatus.
There are thee further options available to customers which carry the Gall Thomson Warranty and GTAC certification.
For GTAC Engineer Visit a qualified Gall Thomson engineer will conduct a site visit to carry out the work and is ideal for inspection, refurbishment or resetting.
The GT Regional Service Centre and Return to GT Technology Centre options will see the MBC serviced at one of Gall Thomson’s nine strategically located centers. Both are ideal for inspection, refurbishment, resetting and repair work.
Max added: “Our technology is proven in the field with more than 37 years of field experience and over 270 successful activations to date.
“Constant interaction with terminal operators and with hundreds of MBCs serviced both at home and abroad, has allowed Gall Thomson to amass an unrivalled knowledge bank on operational performance and best practice, providing our customers tailored servicing, MBC handling and operational procedures.
“The culmination of this lends itself to the reliability of the Gall Thomson MBC which has prevented millions of pounds worth of damage to offshore systems and protected the environment from oil spill.”
Launched on Monday, October 17, 2016, the powerful EV2 decision support platform enables oil and gas clients to determine the value of undrilled exploration acreage in the world’s most prospective basins. Combining the geological expertise of CGG Robertson with the commercial insight of Wood Mackenzie, EV2 represents an industry first in terms of coupling a flexible valuation tool with a rigorous and detailed geological knowledge base in an intuitive environment. Wood Mackenzie is a Verisk Analytics (Nasdaq:VRSK) business.
EV2 global coverage map, indicating the 100 priority basins now available in light blue and the additional 80 basins to be released by 1H17 in dark blue.
EV2 differentiates volume and value potential at basin, play, and block scales and combines this analysis with unique functionality, such as the ability to change underlying subsurface modeling assumptions. Users can incorporate proprietary knowledge from seismic, geologic data and in-house expertise to calibrate yet-to-find reserve assumptions, subsurface risk maps, and oil price assumptions. Custom scenarios allow quick comparison of farm-ins, license rounds, and new deal opportunities for new ventures teams, petroleum economists, and financial analysts.
The platform now covers 100 priority basins around the world in areas with leading exploration potential, upcoming license rounds, and high-profile prospects to help clients secure the best value return on their investment. A further 80 basins will be released between now and March 2017, resulting in a comprehensive global data set. EV2 allows users to value corporate acreage portfolios in an objective, comparable, and consistent manner, helping to fill a critical gap in the market.
The EV2 platform is prepopulated with detailed basin, play, and block data, distinguishing it from other offerings that simply provide modeling software. The solution delivers baseline geologic assessments, including play-level maps of combined common risk segment (CCRS), lead density, and hydrocarbon phase. Statistical yet-to-find (YTF) analysis, field development scenarios, and block-specific fiscal terms are also transparently presented in EV2. This data provides trusted insight to expedite the new ventures workflow.
Sophie Zurquiyah, chief operating officer, Geology, Geophysics & Reservoir, CGG, said: “Following industry interest in the prerelease EV2 ten-basin analysis multi-client product in 2014, we are delighted to be delivering the EV2 valuation platform. With our strategic ally Wood Mackenzie, we will continue to expand and update this offering to ensure it brings our clients accurate and reliable insight to increase their chances of success. At a time of continued low oil prices and reduced exploration spending, we believe EV2 will provide crucial input to explorers that will reduce the risks and increase the value of their decisions.”
Neal Anderson, president of Wood Mackenzie, said: “The unmatched alliance of Wood Mackenzie and CGG has created a completely unique offering for our clients. EV2 is timely, easy to use, and adds objectivity to decision-making. This is the first tool that provides an independent, transparent, and consistent view of volume and value potential for undrilled acreage. The ability to value corporate acreage portfolios will help explorers invest wisely.”
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