Sparrows Group has been awarded a three-and-a-half-year extension to its inspection services contract for Stena Drilling’s global fleet of drilling vessels.

The award is part of Statoil’s Marine Wave 2 program and means that Ocean Installer will continue playing a key role in the Johan Sverdrup subsea works, initiated under the Marine Wave 1 umbrella. The complete work scope encompasses umbilical installation at Johan Sverdrup, Bauge and Utgard, as well as spools, cover, tie-in and manifold installation at Utgard.

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC), a part of Damen Shipyards Group, has announced the acquisition of the Keppel Verolme shipyard from Keppel Offshore & Marine.

Rig Count to Slow Further as Brent Falls Below $50/Bbl

The operation of drilling an offshore oil and gas well provides for economic development and supports as many as 450 new jobs. As Energy Week concludes, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement’s well permit approvals in 2017 total 69. Approval of a well permit paves the way for an offshore operator to begin the drilling activity and initiates a vast project supported by drilling crews and service and supply contractors.

Ampelmann has announced the launch of its latest gangway for personnel transfer: the A-type Enhanced Performace (A^EP). Now providing clients with 10% greater workability in sea states up to 4m significant wave height; the A^EP also has the ability to use smaller vessels to obtain similar performance (compared to current A-type).

With the global fuel sulphur limit of 0.5% entering into force in 2020, the interest towards LNG as a marine fuel is increasing. One of the main obstacles to the accelerated uptake of LNG, however, is the uncertainty regarding future market volumes for LNG.

At an Energy Week event hosted by Energy Secretary Rick Perry, President Donald J. Trump announced that Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke has taken action to open up the public comment period for a new 5-year National Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Program on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

Veolia and Peterson have accepted the first offshore structure into their Great Yarmouth decommissioning facility.

Statoil, along with its partner, Husky Energy, has finalized a two-well exploration drilling program in the Flemish Pass Basin offshore Newfoundland.

BP says that it continues to make progress in shifting its exploration portfolio toward natural gas and advantaged oil.

Saipem has been awarded a new E&C Offshore contract by Saudi Aramco for EPCI (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation) activities and T&I (Trunklines & Installation) works in Saudi Arabia, under the Long-Term Agreement in force, renewed in 2015 until 2021.

Purpose-designed for a range of roles including deep-water salvage operations, deep-water pipelay and construction as well as a saturation diving capability for up to 24 divers in two bells, Shanghai Salvage Bureau’s new ship is a testimonial to the demand for top-rated technology and equipment of the highest reliability.

Corvus Energy announces that it has been selected as the supplier of a lithium ion based energy storage system (ESS) for the hybridization of Farstad Shipping’s PSV Far Sun being integrated by Vard Electro, in the second half of 2017. The Orca Energy ESS from Corvus will supply electrical power to the PSV’s propulsion system electrical network to enable environmentally-friendly and lower cost operations.

Subsea equipment specialist Ashtead Technology has announced the appointment of Scott Stephen (photo) as its new Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) sales manager.

Statoil will soon commence a three-well exploration drilling campaign on the UK continental shelf. In early July, the Transocean Spitsbergen semi-submersible rig will spud the first well in the campaign.