Australian megaprojects are providing a significant source of optimism amongst oil and gas professionals in the Asia Pacific region, according to research from industry technical advisor, GL Noble Denton.

Australia is listed as the world’s third most attractive investment destination by professionals questioned in the report, entitled Seismic Shifts: The outlook for the oil and gas industry in 2013. No other country in the Asia Pacific region appeared in the report’s shortlist of leading investment destinations for the oil and gas industry.

Seismic Shifts is an annual litmus test for industry sentiment in the year ahead. It was produced with input from a survey of more than 400 senior oil and gas professionals and in-depth interviews with 20 industry executives.

According to the study, multi-billion dollar projects in Australia are fuelling optimism in the oil and gas industry, with 72% of respondents in the Asia Pacific region saying they were highly or somewhat confident for the outlook of their business in 2013.

Among these ventures is Shell’s USD $12bn Prelude project, situated in offshore Australia, which is expected to be the first regional development to implement floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) technology. The facility is expected to begin operations in 2016.

With a raft of new technologies being developed to operate in increasingly challenging environments, it is not surprising that 37% of respondents to GL Noble Denton’s research expect to increase their spending in research and development (R&D) in 2013.

As Australia’s oil and gas projects become more complex and the levels of investment in them rise, the expectation of a viable return becomes more pronounced. More than half of all respondents (53%) from Asia Pacific believe that rising operating costs are the biggest barrier to growth, well above the global average of 38%.

Richard Bailey, GL Noble Denton’s Executive Vice President for Asia Pacific, said:

“Australia remains a robust market within the in the Asia Pacific region, despite challenges posed by the global operating climate. Our research reaffirms that the country’s megaprojects are drawing huge inward investment to the country.

“However, there are fears that as these projects grow, operational costs will increase substantially. As many Australian megaprojects reach a critical phase in their development, any change in costs could be crucial to future progress. Careful forward planning and effective implementation of work is now more important than ever to ensure these concerns are not realised.”

Download a complimentary copy of Seismic Shifts from: www.gl-nobledenton.com

GL Noble Denton will be exhibiting at the APPEA Conference

Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. (NYSE: DO) announced on Wednesday,  an agreement with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. to build a new Moss CS60E design harsh environment semisubmersible drilling rig. The 10,000’ dynamically positioned rig is expected to be delivered after November 2015. Projected capital cost of the unit including spares, commissioning and shipyard supervision is approximately $755 million.

The Company also announced that a three-year drilling contract has been entered into with a subsidiary of BP plc (NYSE: BP) to utilize the rig for initial operations off the coast of South Australia. The initial operating dayrate under the drilling contract is $585,000 per day and is subject to upward adjustment for certain increased operating costs and equipment modifications.

“We are pleased to have been selected by BP for this important work,” commented Larry Dickerson, Diamond Offshore’s CEO. “Our Company, and its predecessors, have been continuously active in Australia since 1982, drilling over 600 wells; far more than any other drilling contractor. We believe that this market-leading experience should enable Diamond Offshore to play a key role in our customer’s exploration efforts and we look forward to this opportunity.”

Wood Group PSN (WGPSN) will deliver operations & maintenance services to Hess Corporation's Baldpate production platform in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, under a new five-year contract.

WGPSN will also provide these services to Hess for the Tubular Bells and Stampede deepwater facilities in the Mississippi Canyon and Green Canyon regions of the Gulf of Mexico when they come on stream in the future. The contract will lead to the creation of up to 100 new jobs in the region.

WGPSN will develop a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) to track the maintenance and repair of rotating equipment and maintenance parts. They will also manage the inventory of engineering parts.

Derek Blackwood , WGPSN Americas president, said: "Hess is a valued customer to WGPSN. Since 1999, we have maintained contracts with Hess in the U.K. and in Equatorial Guinea, and we are pleased to have extended this relationship to the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. We will recruit new employees to service this contract and are committed to developing a skilled and talented local workforce."

WGPSN employs over 5,000 people in the US, working both offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and onshore servicing the conventional oil & gas sector and shale plays.

Baldpate is located in 1,650ft of water, in Garden Banks (GB) block 260, 120 miles off the Louisiana coast. Installed in 1998, it was the first freestanding offshore compliant tower and is one of the tallest freestanding structures in the world.

Gulfstream Services Inc (GSI), provider of cutting edge equipment to the international oil and gas industry, has successfully completed two six figure decommissioning contracts with major oil and gas service companies, Helix Well Ops UK and Dof Subsea.

The Helix contract was part of the BP North West Hutton decommissioning project where GSI tools were used to remove 10” and 20” pipelines from the seabed. GSI’s Hydraulic Shear was an effective engineering solution in the situation due to the quick boat to boat times.

Photo: Martin Blake, operator/workshop technician, GSI,  working on GSI product

GSI equipment was used by Dof Subsea for the cutting and recovering of items on a North Sea platform including a 6” pipeline, concrete mattresses, clump weights and various small steel structures. After the assignment it was reported that the performance of GSI equipment and personnel were above expectations and caused no downtime.

Both projects were carried out in the North Sea over a three and two week period respectively.

Caroline Grant, operations manager GSI, said: “It has been a busy few months for GSI. We are delighted to be involved in such high profile projects with Helix and Dof Subsea. The efficient delivery of the projects are a testament to the effectiveness and quality of our products and staff. This is further proof that we are at the forefront of the decommissioning market.

“Since we established the GSI hydraulic shear division in 2006 we have performed over 8000 cuts in worldwide locations using our specialised decommissioning equipment. Looking ahead, we will continue to endeavour to provide first class service to all our customers.”

GSI was established in the US in 1978 and now has four bases across the states. Gulfstream Services UK was set up in January 2010 in Aberdeen to serve the international oil and gas industry and growing demand from customers in UK, Norway, Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Around 6300 subsurface cuts have been carried out and 2000 land based cuts. The deepest cut completed by the firm was 3019ft, for major oil and gas projects in the Gulf of Mexico.

GSI aims to provide innovative and cost efficient solutions to industry challenges and all of its products have evolved in line with customer requirements.

Currently the GSI global hydraulic tooling fleet consists of 26 workable shears and grapples, which are used for numerous applications within the oil and gas industry including platform and pipeline removal, slot recovery, chain cutting, wire rope cutting, salvage work and well blow out intervention.

GSI recently increased its staff numbers in response to business growth – the company currently has 12 members of staff and plans to expand this by a further three in the coming months.

Leighton Offshore has been awarded a contract for the replacement of floating hoses on the SPM system operated by Qatar Gas.

Ras Laffan Terminal Operations, part of Qatargas Operating Company Ltd, operates and maintains two SPM CALM buoys approximately 54 Km offshore from Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar.

Leighton CEO Boyd Merrett said "We look forward to working with Qatar Gas to deliver this project. The Leighton Offshore O&M Team has more than 100 years cumulative experience in SPM related O&M works scopes with a strong focus on safe and environmentally sound operating practices."

"Last year Leighton operated and maintained the Iraq Offshore Crude Oil Export system, successfully managing the export of over 140 million barrels of oil. We have the people, systems and equipment to provide innovative solutions for our clients operations and maintenance needs", Mr Merrett added.

Leighton Offshores scope of work includes:

Water Flushing the existing SPM Floating Hoses to make them hydrocarbon free

The removal of existing Floating hoses along with the attachments and accessories,

Dis-assembly of existing Floating Hose Strings.

Inspection and Assembly of new Hose Strings prior to installation,

Installation of New Floating Hose Stings on SPM # 1

Testing and Commissioning of the new Floating Hose Strings

Commissioning support During Loading Operation

NOAA has presented to the U.S. Coast Guard a new report that finds that 36 sunken vessels scattered across the U.S. seafloor could pose an oil pollution threat to the nation’s coastal marine resources. Of those, 17 were recommended for further assessment and potential removal of both fuel oil and oil cargo.

The locations of the 17 wrecks NOAA is recommending be considered for in water assessment and pollution recovery if necessary.

The sunken vessels are a legacy of more than a century of U.S. commerce and warfare. They include a barge lost in rough seas in 1936; two motor-powered ships that sank in separate collisions in 1947 and 1952; and a tanker that exploded and sank in 1984. The remaining sites are 13 merchant marine ships lost during World War II, primarily along the Atlantic Seaboard and Gulf of Mexico. To see a list of the ships and their locations, visit: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/protect/ppw/.

The report, part of NOAA’s Remediation of Underwater Legacy Environmental Threats (RULET) project, identifies the location and nature of potential sources of oil pollution from sunken vessels. Knowing where these vessels are helps oil response planning efforts and may help in the investigation of reported mystery spills--sightings of oil where a source is not immediately known or suspected.

“This report is the most comprehensive assessment to date of the potential oil pollution threats from shipwrecks in U.S. waters,” said Lisa Symons, resource protection coordinator for NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. “Now that we have analyzed this data, the Coast Guard will be able to evaluate NOAA’s recommendations and determine the most appropriate response to potential threats.”

“The Coast Guard is pleased to receive these risk assessments from our partner agency NOAA and looks forward to our continued coordination on the matter of potential pollution associated with sunken vessels in U.S. waters,” said Capt. John Caplis, the Coast Guard’s chief of marine environmental response. “Coast Guard federal on-scene coordinators receiving the risk assessments will carefully review the data and incorporate it into their area contingency plans.”

In 2010, Congress appropriated $1 million for NOAA to develop a list of the most significant potentially polluting wrecks in U.S. waters, including the Great Lakes, specifically addressing ecological and socio-economic resources at risk. Those funds were not intended for oil or vessel removal.

NOAA maintains the internal Resources and UnderSea Threats (RUST) database of approximately 30,000 sites of sunken material, of which 20,000 are shipwrecks. The remaining items are munitions dumpsites, navigational obstructions, underwater archaeological sites, and other underwater resources.

Initial screening of these shipwrecks revealed 573 that could pose substantial pollution risks, based on the vessel’s age, type, and size. This includes vessels built after 1891, when U.S. vessels began using fuel oil; vessels built of steel; vessels over 1,000 gross tons, and any tank vessel.

Additional research about the circumstances of each vessel’s loss narrowed that number to 107 shipwrecks. Of those, some were deemed navigational hazards and demolished, and others were salvaged. Most of the 107 wrecks have not been directly surveyed for pollution potential, and in some cases little is known about their current condition.

To prioritize and determine which vessels are candidates for further evaluation, NOAA used a series of risk factors to assess the likelihood of substantial amounts of oil remaining onboard, and the potential ecological and environmental effects if that oil spills. Risk factors include the total oil volume onboard as cargo or fuel, the type of oil, and the nature of the sinking event. For example, a vessel that was struck by multiple torpedoes would likely contain less oil than a vessel that sank in bad weather.

After this third level of screening, 87 wrecks remained on the list developed for the Coast Guard’s area contingency plans. Among this group, NOAA determined that 36 shipwrecks are candidates for a “Worst Case” discharge event in which the shipwreck’s entire fuel oil and oil cargo would be released simultaneously, and recommended that 17 of these wrecks be considered for further assessment and feasibility of oil removal.

Six wrecks are potential candidates for a “Most Probable” discharge event, where a shipwreck could lose approximately 10 percent of its fuel oil or oil cargo. To date, known oil discharges from shipwrecks are typically in the “Most Probable” category or smaller.

The report, including 87 risk assessments, is not intended to direct Coast Guard activities, but rather provide the Coast Guard with NOAA’s scientific and technical assessment and guidance as a natural resource and cultural heritage trustee.

The Coast Guard, as the federal On-scene Coordinator for mitigating oil spills in the coastal marine environment, the Regional Response Teams, and local Area Committees, as established under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, will review and incorporate the assessments into regional and area marine environmental response contingency plans. The individual risk assessments not only highlight concerns about potential ecological and socio-economic impacts, but also characterize most of the vessels as historically significant and many of them as grave sites, both civilian and military.

Funding for any assessment or recovery operations determined to be necessary is dependent upon the unique circumstances of the wreck. If a wreck still has an identifiable owner, that owner is responsible for the cost of cleanup. Coast Guard officials say that if no responsible party exists, the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund would likely be accessed.

To view the report, 2012 Risk Assessment for Potentially Polluting Wrecks in U.S. Waters, visit http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/protect/ppw/.

As America’s maritime first responder, the Coast Guard protects those on the sea, protects our nation from threats delivered by sea, and protects the sea itself. By executing our marine environmental protection responsibilities, the Coast Guard reduces the risk of harm to the marine environment by developing and enforcing regulations to prevent and respond to maritime oil spills and hazardous substance releases.

UTEC Geomarine has announced the successful completion of its first ever geoROV^TM CPT survey campaign in North America.

The geotechnical survey in the Gulf of Mexico was in support of a major pipeline construction project and work comprised of situ testing, interpretation and production of the final reports.

The technology was perfectly suited to geotechnical survey operations in the Gulf of Mexico, where challenging and variable seabed conditions required precise geotechnical data for pipeline design purposes.

The geoROV^TM system is the innovative ROV-conveyed geotechnical testing and sampling system developed in-house by UTEC Geomarine to address industry requirements.  It is a quick and cost-effective way of gathering high precision geotechnical data which has an established track record in the North Sea and Asia-Pacific regions.

Following the acquisition of UK headquartered Geomarine by UTEC in 2012, UTEC Geomarine now provides a range of advanced geotechnical services from UTEC’s international office network.

Commenting on the project, UTEC Geomarine’s Dr. Peter Allan said: “A key factor in the selection of geoROV™ for this project was the ability to work close in to existing infrastructure and to very precisely investigate the geotechnical properties of features on the seabed.”

UTEC CEO Martin O’Carroll added: “Following our successful entry into the North American market we are actively pursuing additional opportunities for the technology.”

UTEC is one of the world’s largest independent offshore survey companies providing a wide range of services including offshore positioning, construction support, geophysical (conventional, towed and AUV) surveys, measurement technology (dimensional control including laser scanning and modeling), metocean surveys and geotechnical (consultancy & sampling) services.  UTEC has offices located around the world including: Australia, Brasil, Canada, Italy, Singapore, UAE, UK and USA.

Research is Part of a Long-Standing, Interagency Collaboration

Scientists have returned from a 15‑day research expedition in the northern Gulf of Mexico with the best high-resolution seismic data and imagery ever obtained of sediments with high gas hydrate saturations.

Map: The USGS Gas Hydrates Project integrates across USGS mission areas, programs, and regions. The stars indicate the locations of personnel involved in the Gas Hydrates Project. Within the US, much of the research focuses on the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska, which represent marine and permafrost-associated settings for gas hydrates, respectively.

The expedition and the data and imagery collected resulted from long-standing cooperation between the U.S. Department of the Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This collaboration aims to advance scientific understanding of gas hydrates, an important potential future energy resource.

Gas hydrates are ice-like substances formed when certain gases combine with water at specific pressures and temperatures. Deposits of gas hydrates are widespread in marine sediments beneath the ocean floor and in sediments within and beneath permafrost areas, where pressure-temperature conditions keep the gas trapped in the hydrate structure. Methane is the gas most often trapped in these deposits, making gas hydrates a potentially significant source for natural gas around the world.

“This expedition represents a significant milestone,” said USGS Energy Resources Program Coordinator Brenda Pierce. “The data and imagery provide insight into the entire petroleum system at each location, including the source of gas, the migration pathways for the gas, the distribution of hydrate-bearing sediments, and the traps that hold the hydrate and free gas in place. The USGS has a globally recognized research effort studying gas hydrates in settings around the world, and this project combines our unique expertise with that of other agencies to advance research on this potential future energy resource.”

The recently completed expedition was planned jointly by USGS, DOE, and BOEM, and was executed by USGS.  Using low-energy seismic sources, USGS scientists collected details about the nature of the gas hydrate reservoirs and about geologic features of the sediment between the reservoirs and the seafloor. The new data also provide information about how much gas hydrate exists in a much broader area than can be determined from using standard industry seismic data, which is typically designed to image much deeper geologic units.

“Understanding the nature and setting of deepwater gas hydrates is central to the National Methane Hydrates R&D Program, which is led by DOE and managed by Fossil Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory,” said Christopher Smith, DOE’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy. “Over the past 8 years, research carried out under this program has resulted in significant advances in our understanding of methane hydrates, their role in nature, and their potential as a future energy resource. This success is largely due to an unprecedented level of cooperation among federal agencies, industry, national laboratories, and academic institutions.”

“The high-resolution nature of the data acquired through this interagency project will uniquely inform the BOEM effort to assess the resource potential of gas hydrates on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf,” said Renee Orr, Chief, Strategic Resources Office, BOEM.

The data were collected at two locations in the Gulf of Mexico where the three federal agencies partnered with an industry consortium to conduct a drilling expedition in 2009. That expedition discovered gas hydrate filling between 50 and 90 percent of the available pore space between sediment grains in sandy layers in the subsurface. These reservoirs are expected to be representative of the 6,700 trillion cubic feet of gas that BOEM estimates is housed in gas hydrates in sand-rich reservoirs in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

The new data are being used to refine estimates of the nature, distribution, and concentration of gas hydrate in the vicinity of the 2009 drill sites. This will help assess how useful specialized seismic data may be to estimating hydrate saturations in deepwater sediments.

In coming years, the three agencies will continue their collaborative investigation of gas hydrates in the northern Gulf of Mexico and other locations across the world.

Learn more about USGS research on gas hydrates and energy at locations around the world.

Hallin Marine, a Superior Energy Services company, announces its return to the Natuna gas field off Indonesia. The project, for a major engineering procedure construction, installation and commissioning contractor, will be executed using the Ullswater subsea operations vessel. Total project value is approximately US$6 million.

“This latest Indonesian contract is scheduled to commence in June with an estimated duration of 30 days,” explains Hallin East Division managing director Rik Zwinkels. “It will centre on an offshore construction campaign to support the laying of 4,200 metres of flexible pipelines and the installation of rigid risers at the platform. The job scope includes  provision of project management and engineering services, saturation diving services, pre-lay survey using Hallin’s’ C-ROV work-class remotely operated vehicle and the pre-commissioning of the pipelines, using the subsea operations vessel Ullswater.

“Hallin has a proven track record in this type of flexible pipeline installation including a number of successful projects with our client. This has generated a positive relationship between the offshore personnel, project team and onshore staff of both organisations. Hallin is also an experienced and trusted partner in the Indonesian market.”

Photo: SOV Ullswater

Fully equipped for wellhead servicing, inspection and construction diving aswell as for remotely-operated vehicle support, the 78 metre long by 20.4 metre wide SOV Ullswater incorporates a 15-man saturation diving system capable of operating at 200 metres depth plus a three-man moonpool-launched diving bell. An integral 22 metre diameter helideck enables fast transfer of crew and operating staff. Up to 120 personnel can be accommodated on board.

Discovered in 1970 by Agip (Italy), the Natuna gas field is located approximately 1,100 kilometres north of Jakarta. It is the largest gas field in southeast Asia. Estimated recoverable reserves total around 46 trillion cubic feet.

Gov. Bobby Jindal and Danos President and CEO Hank Danos announced the company will retain its headquarters in Louisiana and that Danos & Curole Marine Contractors LLC has selected a site in Gray, La., for its new $10 million corporate headquarters facility. In addition, Danos announced it is evaluating multiple Louisiana port locations to select where it will build a new $20 million manufacturing and fabrication facility.

A strategic construction and services partner for major oil and gas companies, Danos will create 426 new jobs over the next five years as it leverages new deepwater oil and gas opportunities in the Gulf of Mexico, along with land-based and international energy growth opportunities. LED estimates the Louisiana projects, with their combined $30 million capital investment, will result in an additional 871 new indirect jobs, for a total of nearly 1,300 new jobs in the state. Of the 426 new direct jobs, 326 will be at the headquarters site with salaries averaging $75,000 per year, plus benefits. The remaining 100 new direct jobs will be created at the manufacturing site with salaries averaging $65,000 per year, plus benefits.

The company's expansion project will also retain 400 existing land-based jobs in Louisiana and create 200 construction jobs. Danos will retain fabrication operations at its current headquarters site in Larose, where the company has operated since its 1947 founding in Lafourche Parish.

Gov. Jindal said, "Today's announcement is great news for the Bayou Region and for our entire state. Danos is one of Louisiana's deeply rooted homegrown companies renowned for its technical expertise, performance and, above all, outstanding safety in the oil and gas business. The company has proudly called Louisiana home for decades, and it knows that our state is home to an incomparable workforce, a strong business climate and a tremendous energy infrastructure.

"Despite a challenging federal regulatory environment, Louisiana companies like Danos are rising to new heights in business performance and leading the way in solving our nation's energy challenges. This growth by Danos in south Louisiana will continue bringing great new career opportunities to Louisianians for generations to come."

Danos ultimately selected a Terrebonne Parish site for its new headquarters after an exhaustive search of potential locations along the Gulf Coast. Extensive site selection by Danos eliminated Alabama, Mississippi and Texas from consideration.

Construction of the headquarters facility will begin by late summer, with the manufacturing site to be selected within three months and construction of that facility to begin before the end of 2013. Both new facilities will be complete by the end of 2014. Hiring for positions at the new headquarters will begin later this year, with new manufacturing positions being filled beginning in 2014.

With 1,100 employees based in Louisiana or working in offshore Gulf of Mexico operations linked with the company's Louisiana base, Danos is one of the major economic drivers in Louisiana's Bayou Region and a key contributor to global energy solutions, with 1,600 employees worldwide.

Launching a modest crew boat company 66 years ago, Danos attracted Gulf Oil (now Chevron) in its first year of existence and still retains the company as a customer today. Danos has evolved into one of the largest oilfield service companies in the Gulf of Mexico region with a continual focus on safety and execution. The company works with all major energy producers in the Gulf today, aligning its services with operators from the pre-commissioning phase of major developments through the construction and operation phases.

"The Danos family business has deep roots in South Louisiana: The heritage and culture of this area are important to who we are as a company," company CEO Hank Danos said. "We appreciate the commitment of our state's leadership. The Governor and the Secretary of Economic Development are shaping an environment that is beneficial to attracting and retaining companies who are creating good jobs in our state and region. We are thankful that our employees, customers and the state recognize the importance of our dedication to excellence in safety and job execution."

LED's Business Expansion and Retention Group, or BERG, worked with Danos to identify growth opportunities within Louisiana. To secure the headquarters and manufacturing project, the state offered Danos a customized incentives package that includes a performance-based, $1.5 million Economic Development Award Program grant to provide infrastructure improvements for the new manufacturing location. The state will also provide the comprehensive workforce solutions of LED FastStart ®, the nation's No. 1 state workforce development training program. In addition, Danos is expected to utilize Louisiana's Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs.

"We are honored that Danos has chosen Terrebonne Parish for their new facility," Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet said. "Terrebonne Parish is truly fortunate to receive this vote of confidence by one of the most respected and admired companies in Louisiana. We welcome Danos to Terrebonne Parish as we continue to build a community that is attractive to such great companies."

"The Danos family, now in its third generation of service to our community and region, has not only survived both the natural and manmade challenges of the world, it has been doggedly defiant in its resiliency to prosper and grow," said President and CEO Vic Lafont of the South Louisiana Economic Council.

"We're very excited anytime a major announcement comes to our region," said Steve Vassallo, CEO of the Terrebonne Economic Development Authority. "It's just a further indication of how our economy is improving dramatically and continues to stay strong. Creating new jobs just makes it that much easier when we're recruiting the next company that we're going after."

Qatar Petroleum International (QPI) and Total are pleased to announce the signing of a framework of Agreement whereby QPI will participate in Total E&P Congo through its subscription to a 15% share capital increase of this company. This participation reinforces Qatar’s commitment to invest in Africa and illustrates Congo’s willingness to welcome Qatar as a new partner. Furthermore, thanks to its subscription to the capital of Total E&P Congo, QPI will contribute to the company’s significant investment programmed in Congo, specifically the Moho North project.

His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry and Chairman of QPI, stated that this agreement is a further milestone in the implementation of QPI’s strategy to develop actively its presence abroad and especially in Africa.  He also welcomed the opportunity to reinforce relationships between Qatar and Congo and support Total E&P Congo in its development programmed.

Christophe de Margerie, Chairman and CEO of Total, expressed his satisfaction with this agreement which is a new step in the implementation of the MOU for a strategic cooperation in Africa entered between QPI and Total on 25 March 2010. It will further build-on the well-established partnership with QPI and will strengthen Total’s commitment to proceed with the development of the Congolese Petroleum Industry.

H.E. Jean-Jacques Bouya, Minister to the Presidency in charge of development and infrastructures of the Republic of Congo, attending the Doha 13th Forum and mandated by 
H.E. Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo, expressed his satisfaction with QPI’s partnering with Total in the Republic of Congo which will bring added value to the development of Congo’s petroleum resources. This new partnership is a clear milestone that will open a new era of cooperation between the Republic of Congo and the state of Qatar.

BP and partners Total, Petrobras and Petrogal were named winning bidders for eight deepwater blocks offshore Brazil in the Brazilian National Petroleum Agency’s (ANP’s) 11th bid round. BP will be operator in two of the blocks.

The companies have committed to explore concession blocks FZA-M-57, FZA-M-59, FZA-M-86, FZA-M-88, FZA-M-125, and FAZ-M-127 in the Foz do Amazonas basin, BAR-M-346 in the Barreirinhas basin, and POT-M-764 in the Potiguar basin, for oil and gas resources, with the right to develop any commercial discoveries under the Brazilian concession regime.

BP will be operator with a 70% stake in block FZA-M-59, and in block BAR-M-346, with a 50% stake.

“BP is delighted with this result. It will increase our frontier exploration exposure along Brazil’s equatorial margin and plays to our strengths in deepwater. We look forward to a successful exploration programme working with our partners Total, Petrobras and Petrogal,” said Mike Daly, BP’s Executive Vice President of Exploration.

Today’s winning bids follow BP’s re-entry into the Brazilian upstream in 2011 with the purchase of interests in 10 blocks from Devon Energy and the subsequent farm-in to four Petrobras-operated deepwater blocks in the Brazilian equatorial margin in 2012.

“This is an exciting outcome for BP. It reaffirms our long-term partnership with Brazil, expanding our upstream portfolio to 22 E&P concessions in seven different basins, in addition to our biofuels, lubricants, aviation and marine fuel businesses,” added Guillermo Quintero, BP Brazil Regional President.

BP and its partners now expect to work with the ANP to finalise the awards. The signing of the contracts, in which BP will participate through its Brazilian subsidiary BP Energy do Brasil Ltda., is expected to take place in August 2013.

Table of the awarded blocks:

Foz do Amazonas basin - SFZA-AP1

Barreirinhas basin - SBAR-AP2

Potiguar basin -

Wood Group Kenny (WGK) has been awarded a multi-million dollar engineering contract for a major new project in Australia.

GDF SUEZ Bonaparte Pty Ltd (GDF SUEZ), a subsidiary of French energy giant GDF SUEZ S.A., operator of Bonaparte LNG project has awarded WGK a contract for a (pre-FEED) subsea concept definition study for the Bonaparte LNG project.

This is GDF SUEZ’s first LNG project in Australia, which will give the company a further foothold in the gas markets of the Asia Pacific region. The Bonaparte LNG project is made up of the Petrel, Frigate and Tern fields, located in the Timor Sea, which were previously stranded gas fields, but recent technology advances and innovation mean these fields are now more economically viable to develop.

The key to unlocking this gas is floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG). This technology represents a new emerging market for the oil and gas industry, with the Asia Pacific region in the driving seat for the production.

Currently, there are no operational FLNG facilities in the world. However, in recent years a number of FLNG projects have been proposed and are now under development in Australia.

WGK is at the forefront of Australia’s latest subsea and pipeline projects and has been the engineering partner of choice for world-class developments such as Prelude, Equus, Pluto, Browse, Ichthys, Gorgon, Julimar, and Macedon projects, all of which are located on the Australian North West Shelf (NWS) and in the Timor Sea.

The Bonaparte LNG project represents a strategically important contract award for WGK as they are a new client developing their first FLNG project in Australian waters. The subsea concept definition study will be executed by WGK’s Australian team located in Perth, Western Australia.

Phil Brown, Australian Regional Director of Wood Group Kenny, said: "We are delighted to have been awarded this important contract to support GDF SUEZ’s  operations in Australia, which recognises our expertise in subsea engineering, and in particular, FLNG emerging technology.

"This is a new client for us and we hope to establish a long and successful business relationship with them. WGK has been based in Perth for nearly 30 years and in that time we have developed a very strong, local presence."

Noble Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NBL) announces  a natural gas discovery at the Karish prospect offshore Israel.  The discovery well was drilled to a total depth of 15,783 feet and encountered 184 feet of net natural gas pay in high-quality lower Miocene sands.  The Karish well, located in the Alon C license approximately 20 miles northeast of the Tamar field, is in 5,700 feet of water.  Discovered gross resources, combined with the de-risked resources in an adjacent fault block on the license, are estimated to range(1) between 1.6 and 2.0 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) with a gross mean of 1.8 Tcf.

The Karish discovery is the fifth discovered field with an estimated gross mean resource size over 1 Tcf.  It is also the seventh consecutive field discovery for Noble Energy and its partners in the Levant Basin.  With the addition of Karish and the recent increase in resource estimates at Tamar and Leviathan, total discovered gross mean resources in the Levant Basin are now estimated to be approximately 38 Tcf.

The Ensco 5006 rig drilled the Karish well and will relocate to Cyprus where it is scheduled to spud an appraisal well at the Cyprus A discovery next month.

Noble Energy is the operator of the Alon C license with a 47.06 percent interest. Co-owners are Avner Oil and Delek Drilling each with a 26.47 percent interest.

CGG announces that Robertson, a CGG company specializing in geology, geophysics and reservoir engineering, has completed the first phase of its MERLIN⁺ source and reservoir facies prediction project initiated in April 2012. Global subscribers can now gain a genuine commercial advantage from the project’s deliverables which are designed to improve exploration success in underexplored and frontier basins.

MERLIN⁺ provides a unique and proven means of reducing exploration risk by combining industry-leading plate tectonic reconstructions (Plate Wizard^TM), global databases and detailed palaeogeographic mapping with Earth systems modeling to predict key elements of the petroleum system.

MERLIN⁺ builds on the data and methodologies brought together by Robertson within the original MERLIN project launched in 2007 that have enabled the prediction of source facies globally. Comparison of predictions to known source rock data shows greater than 80% accuracy, giving confidence to the prediction of source facies for both conventional and unconventional plays.

MERLIN⁺ will be completed in a number of phases over an initial four-year period and global subscribers are invited to guide and participate in its continued improvements. MERLIN⁺ incorporates the results of the Earth systems modeling into an innovative predictive methodology to deliver valuable source facies and clastic sediment flux predictions.

Sophie Zurquiyah, Senior Executive Vice President, Geology, Geophysics & Reservoir, CGG, said:  “As it becomes increasingly difficult to identify viable new exploration opportunities, innovative solutions such as MERLIN⁺ are essential to maintain a competitive edge. The addition of its unique predictive capabilities to Robertson’s broad portfolio of global and regional multi-client geological products opens the door to addressing the key challenges of frontier exploration and, combined with CGG’s other products and services, helps to position us as the partner of choice for delivering the key geoscience solutions required by the industry today.”

Statoil was the highest bidder on 6 licenses in Brazil's 11th licensing round, the first licensing round in the country since December 2008. With the new licenses, Statoil has strengthened its position in the Espirito Santo basin.

The award in Brazil's 11th licensing round reflects Statoil's extensive application and ambition of long-term growth in Brazil. Out of the six licenses awarded in Espirito Santo, Statoil is the operator for four and partner in two of the licenses.

"We are very pleased with the outcome," says Tim Dodson, executive vice president for Exploration in Statoil.

 "The award of the blocks in the Espirito Santo basin is in line with Statoil's exploration strategy to build on core positions in prolific and proven basins."

Statoil's application for exploration licenses in the basin is based on established and new geological play models.

"The new positions underscore our ambition to grow in Brazil, which we see as a region for long-term growth.

"Access to new quality acreage is an essential prerequisite for further value creation through exploration activities and for increasing Statoil's international production level from key clusters such as Brazil," says Thore E. Kristiansen, senior vice president South America and president for Statoil Brazil.

In December 2012 Statoil acquired a 25% participating interest from Vale SA in BM-ES-22A in the Espirito Santo Basin. Petrobras is the operator with 75%.

The farm-in is pending Brazil National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuel (ANP) approval. BM-ES-22A is adjacent to the BM-ES-32 license where Statoil is partner and which holds the Indra discovery.

"These new licenses in the Espirito Santo basin give us a significant acreage position in a proven hydrocarbon basin. They have the potential to provide large-scale additional resources close to our existing discoveries, which with success will result in Statoil building a new core position," says Dodson. 

Statoil operates the Peregrino field in Brazil, which came on stream in April 2011, and Statoil is currently the largest international operator in the country. Statoil is also operator of some of the world's largest oil and gas discoveries over the last couple of years and has a strong safety and environmental record.

The 11th bidding round on 14 May was conducted by the ANP. The concession agreements from the 11th licensing round are scheduled to be signed in August 2013.

In the 11th licensing round in Brazil Statoil has been awarded:

Six exploration licenses in the Espirito Santo basin, of which four as operator and two as partner.

The licenses are located in the deepwater sector of the Espirito Santo basin, close to the licenses BM

ES-32 and BM-ES-22A which are operated by Petrobras and in which Statoil is already a partner.

The blocks have an exploration phase of seven years, divided in to two periods of five years and two

years, and the total well commitment for the six licenses is 10 wells.

Consortium:

ES-M-596: Petróleo Brasileiro S.A.* (50%), Statoil Brasil Óleo e Gás Ltda. (50%)

ES-M-598: Statoil Brasil Óleo e Gás Ltda.* (40%), Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (40%), Queiroz Galvão Exploração e Produção S.A. (20%)

ES-M-669: Petróleo Brasileiro S.A.* (40%), Total E&P do Brasil Ltda. (25%), Statoil Brasil Óleo e Gás Ltda. (35%)

ES-M-671: Statoil Brasil Óleo e Gás Ltda.* (35%), Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (40%), Total E&P do Brasil Ltda. (25%)

ES-M-673: Statoil Brasil Óleo e Gás Ltda.* (40%), Queiroz Galvão Exploração e Produção S.A. (20%), Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (40%)

ES-M-743: Statoil Brasil Óleo e Gás Ltda.* (35%), Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (40%), Total E&P do Brasil Ltda. (25%)