The license partners of Gullfaks and Oseberg Area Unit have acquired two new category J jack-up rigs. The rigs will be owned by the licenses and will contribute to increased recovery and extended field life.

Image: Cat J rig illustration.

Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. and operator KCA Deutag Drilling Norway AS have been awarded the contracts for construction and operation of two category J rigs. Operation start is expected in 2016-2017.

First Application of FlexGuard Technology

Flexlife, a specialist provider of flexible pipe technologies and engineering services, has successfully used its new integrity monitoring technology at Chevron’s Captain field in the UK North Sea.

FlexGuard is an early detection system for possible riser integrity issues, designed to provide continuous real-time data on the condition of flexible risers. With more than 3000 risers in use globally, with this number forecast to rise to 5,000 by 2015, and 35% forecast to suffer some form of outer sheath damage, the cost savings and environmental benefits are immense.  

A HIGHLY-EXPERIENCED figure in the subsea sector has been appointed Managing Director of DOF Subsea UK.

Giovanni Corbetta (Photo), who was most recently Managing Director with Hallin Marine, will lead the company’s transformation from vessel operator to provider of integrated subsea solutions for the market from its headquarters in Aberdeen.  

Aberdeen-based Dana Petroleum has laid the keel for a new $400 million oil production vessel which will produce and store up to 40,000 barrels of oil a day from the North Sea by 2015.

The keel laying of the floating, production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) marks a major milestone for Dana’s Western Isles project.

Artist's impression of the FPSO

Recent state tax reform also spurs Prudhoe Bay working interest owners to evaluate additional $3 billion of development projects

BP has announced it is planning to add $1 billion in new investment and two drilling rigs to its Alaska North Slope fields over the next five years due to changes in the state’s oil tax policy signed into law this month by Gov. Sean Parnell.

These plans call for an increase in drilling and well-work activity, the upgrading of existing facilities and the addition of up to 200 new jobs in the state, giving a boost to both the company’s operations and the state’s economy.

General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), announces that it has entered into a contract with an affiliate of American Petroleum Tankers (APT), a company majority owned by funds managed by Blackstone on behalf of its investors, for the design and construction of four 50,000 deadweight ton LNG-conversion-ready product carriers with a 330,000 barrel cargo capacity. The contract includes options to build four additional ships.

Independent Body to Provide Collaborative Research, Shared Learning for Offshore Energy Exploration and Development; Fulfills Major Recommendation from Ocean Energy Safety Committee

As part of President Obama’s all-of-the-above approach to domestic energy development, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Director James Watson today announced the Bureau is taking steps to establish an independent Ocean Energy Safety Institute (Institute) to further enhance safe and responsible operations across the offshore oil and gas industry.

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

GE Oil & Gas (NYSE: GE) has signed an $84 million agreement with PEMEX Exploration and Production to supply and to install subsea wellheads for PEMEX’s deepwater and ultra-deepwater drilling projects in the Gulf of Mexico. This marks GE’s largest agreement with PEMEX for the supply of subsea high capacity wellheads.

GE’s Power Conversion business (NYSE: GE) announces it has been awarded a contract by the Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Panama City, Fla., to supply integrated diesel-electric power, propulsion and vessel control systems for two multipurpose supply vessels (MPSVs) with installed horsepower of 12,070 BHP (9,000 kW). Eastern will build the MPSVs for Hornbeck Offshore Services of Covington, La.

Statoil and its partners are in the process of concluding drilling operations in exploration well 25/11-27 in the Grane Unit. 

Drilled by the rig Songa Trym the well proved an oil column of 20 meters in the Heimdal Formation. The estimated volume of the discovery is in the range of 18-33 million barrels of recoverable oil.

Ferguson Group Singapore, specialists in the rental of containers, refrigeration/chiller containers, accommodation modules and engineering modules to the offshore energy industry, announces a new 6m accommodation module to its fleet at the 14th Asian Oil, Gas & Petrochemical Engineering (OGA) Exhibition and conference in Malaysia from June 5, 2013.

Ferguson Group Singapore is exhibiting at stand 7040 at the event taking place from June 5-7 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet with members from Ferguson Group Singapore to learn more about the new 6m accommodation module and gain an update on its existing range of offshore containers, tanks, baskets and reefers available throughout Asia Pacific.

Steven Ferguson, Chairman and CEO of the Ferguson Group, said: “Exhibiting at OGA 2013 will provide the opportunity for us to showcase our fleet and introduce the 6m accommodation module and recently launched dual zoned refrigeration container to delegates.”

Ferguson Group Singapore has grown its fleet size to include a range of new products. A new 6m accommodation module designed specifically for southern hemisphere conditions along with a 6m dual zone refrigerated/chiller container from IceBlue Refrigeration Offshore, a member of the Ferguson Group.

Simon de Koning, General Manager at Ferguson Group Singapore commented “The increase in our product range and the recent move to larger facilities in Singapore will further enable us to respond quickly to meet customer requirements. There has been a great deal of interest in Ferguson Group’s products and services in the Asia Pacific region. By exhibiting at this important Oil and Gas event we have the ideal opportunity to meet with clients to better understand their needs.

The Ferguson Group employs more than 185 people worldwide serving the offshore container rental and accommodation modules markets. The group, headquartered in Scotland, has operations in all major global oil and gas locations.

Mactech Offshore, a leading provider of subsea and offshore machining solutions, has recently received patent-pending status on its Articulating Diamond Wire Saw. The saw is designed for subsea and topside cutting of a variety of materials and projects in the offshore oil industry and utilizes an articulating cutting arm for minimal clearance during cuts.

Photo: Articulating Diamond Wire Saw Decommissioning Gulf Of Mexico Rig

Unique Hydrographic Systems has been contracted by Cairn India for an Oil Spill Recovery project. The first of its kind project for Unique Hydrographic Systems will run over a period of 3 years until April 2016.

Based in Navi Mumbai, Unique Hydrographic Systems provide a complete range of specialized engineering solutions and services for the Marine, Diving, and Survey industries within the region.

Cairn India is one of the largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in India. Cairn India and its JV partners account for more than 20 percent of India’s domestic crude oil production. The company has been operating in India for more than 15 years and has played an active role in developing the oil and gas resources.

ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, recently won a $12million order to supply electrical power and propulsion systems for a deepwater pipe laying vessel.

The vessel, tentatively named Derrick Lay Vessel 2000 (“DLV2000”), will be constructed at Keppel Singmarine in Singapore and delivered in 2015 to Hydro
Marine Services, Inc., a subsidiary of McDermott International, Inc.

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