Artificial intelligence, energy diversification and the transformation of the workforce will be amongst the major talking points at SPE Offshore Europe 2019.

Aker BP have selected Optime Subsea as a provider of well access system and -services on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) for the next 2 years, with extension options.

ExxonMobil has begun drilling the Haimara-1 exploration well offshore Guyana, the first of two planned wells in January. The Stena Carron drillship is drilling the well, which is located 19 miles (31 kilometers) east of the Pluma-1 discovery in the southeast Stabroek Block.

Subsea operations are special in that they frequently require customized solutions to meet very specific needs.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the National Oil and Gas Authority of the Kingdom of Bahrain (NOGA) and Eni with the aim to pursue petroleum exploration of Block 1, an offshore area of over 2,800 km2 still largely unexplored, located in the northern territorial waters of the Kingdom of Bahrain with water depth ranging from 10m up to 70m.

The National Decommissioning Centre (NDC), a global technology R&D hub, was opened by Lord Duncan, UK Government Minister for Scotland and Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Scottish Energy Minister, in Newburgh, in North-East Scotland’s Energetica Corridor on Friday, January 11, 2019.

Kosmos Energy and its partners have announced that a Final Investment Decision (FID) for Phase 1 of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project has been agreed. The decision was made by Kosmos, BP, Petrosen and SMHPM following a meeting to agree final elements held inNouakchott between President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania and President Macky Sall of Senegal.

Total has started up production on December 29, 2018 from the Egina field, located in around 1,600 meters of water depths, 150 kilometers off the coast of Nigeria. At plateau, the Egina field will produce 200,000 barrels of oil per day, which represents about 10% of Nigeria’s production.

Aker Energy, as the operator of the Deepwater Tano Cape Three Points (DWT/CTP) block, announces that it is about to complete a successful drilling operation of the Pecan-4A appraisal well offshore Ghana.

Rowan Companies plc announces that the Rowan Norway, an N-Class ultra-harsh environment jack-up rig, has been awarded a contract in Norway by ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS ("COPSAS") for an estimated duration of seven months that is expected to commence in the second quarter of 2019. The contract award is subject to partner approval.

Eni has entered into agreement to acquire 70% and operatorship of the Oooguruk oil field in Alaska from Caelus Natural Resources Alaska LLC. Eni already owns the remaining 30% working interest. The agreement is subject to the approval of the authorities and to certain closing conditions.

Transocean Ltd. has announced that it has signed a rig design and construction management contract, as well as a five-year drilling contract, with Chevron USA, Inc. (“Chevron”) for one of its two dynamically positioned ultra-deepwater drillships (“the drillship”) currently under construction at the Jurong shipyard in Singapore.

Subsea Innovation Ltd, part of Tekmar Group plc, has announced that it has been awarded DNV GL type approval for its SIClamp structural pipeline repair clamp technology. In doing so, Subsea Innovation is the first manufacturer in the world to achieve this certification.

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s forecasts show that, after a minor decline in 2019, oil and gas production will increase from 2020 and up to 2023. Overall production will then approach the record year of 2004.

Ensco plc (NYSE: ESV) has announced its Continuous Tripping Technology™, a new proprietary solution that provides more efficient and safer pipe tripping and helps to lower customers’ offshore project costs.

Subsea 7 S.A. has announced the award of a sizeable(1) SURF (subsea umbilicals, risers and flowlines) contract by BP for the Manuel project in the US Gulf of Mexico.