Leading towage and salvage specialist Multraship has taken delivery of the first of two game-changing CARROUSEL RAVE TUGs (CRT) which will make it easier, safer and more environmentally friendly to work with seagoing vessels at much higher speeds than conventional tugs can safely achieve, and without the risk of capsizing under a tow-load.

On January 31st deep-water bid round for the Mexican Gulf of Mexico, Shell Exploración y Extracción de México, S.A. de C.V., ("Shell") won four exploration blocks on its own, one with its partner Pemex Exploración y Producción and four with its partner Qatar Petroleum International Limited. Shell will be the operator of all nine blocks.

Shell Integrated Gas Thailand Pte Ltd and Thai Energy Company Ltd, affiliates of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, have agreed to an asset sale of their 22.2222% interest in the Bongkot field and adjoining acreage offshore Thailand to PTT Exploration & Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP) and PTTEP International Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PTTEP, for a transaction value of $750 million.

The EU-funded FORESEA programme has approved funding for six developers of offshore renewable energy technologies to deploy technologies at the SmartBay Marine and Renewable Energy Test Site.

Floatover equipment from Trelleborg’s engineered products operation has contributed to the successful mating of Statoil’s landmark Aasta Hansteen gas field project’s 24,000 ton topside and the world’s largest Spar FPSO platform, off the coast of Norway at Stord.

Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) announced that Jim Umpleby has been elected to Chevron’s board of directors. Umpleby’s appointment is effective March 1, 2018, and he will serve on the Board Nominating and Governance Committee as well as the Management Compensation Committee.

Shell Offshore Inc. (“Shell”) announces one of its largest U.S. Gulf of Mexico exploration finds in the past decade from the Whale deep-water well. The well encountered more than 1,400 net feet (427 meters) of oil bearing pay. Evaluation of the discovery is ongoing, and appraisal drilling is underway to further delineate the discovery and define development options.

Noble Energy has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to divest a 7.5 percent working interest in the Tamar field, offshore Israel, to Tamar Petroleum Ltd for cash proceeds of approximately $560 million and 38.5 million shares of Tamar Petroleum.

The Danish software and hardware engineering company EIVA expands its activities in Latin America with a dedicated business development team located in São Paulo, Brazil.

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) announces a significant oil discovery at the Ballymore prospect in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

Ecolock is designed to protect offshore units for decades without the need for drydocking. Increasingly, floating production units such as FPSOs, FSOs, FLRSUs and others used for offshore oil and gas exploration, drilling, storage and transport need to stay out of drydock for 15, 25 even 40 years.

Simwave B.V. and Kongsberg Digital have successfully completed the Site Acceptance Test (SAT) of one of the largest, most advanced maritime simulation suites ever delivered. The successful SAT, which took place on Friday, 19th January, means that the brand new Simwave Maritime Center of Excellence in Barendrecht, Rotterdam is now fully operational.

BP announced on January 31, 2018, two new exploration discoveries in the North Sea.

Independent global completions service company Tendeka has successfully completed field testing of its wireless intelligent completions technology, PulseEight.

The Amercian owned fleet is worth $47 billion and currently ranks the 4th most valuable fleet in the world. US shipping interests are focused heavily on the offshore industry, tankers, and container industry.

Key figures from Maersk Group, Statoil and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development have signed up to discuss future ocean business opportunities, demands and strategies at Opening Oceans Conference 2018 (OOC).