The world's largest cargo barge – Heerema's H-851 – announced its arrival on the offshore scene in 1988 when installing the 44,785t jacket for Shell's Bullwinkle platform in a then daunting 412m of water in the Gulf of Mexico. Now, following…
Netherlands-based lightweight fibre specialist DSM Dyneema believes a recent ultra-deepwater recovery operation amply justifies its trademarked claim to have ‘the world's strongest fibre'.A salvage operation on a ship wreck in 3200m of water…
Investments in the region of NKr65 billion are on the cards over the next few years following ConocoPhillips' recent submission of its plans for the further development of the Ekofisk and Eldfisk fields to the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum & Energy…
Decommissioning and abandonment specialist Cutting Underwater Technologies (Cut) assisted Heerema's Thialf with the removal of the Norpipe 37/4A booster platform's eightlegged steel jacket as part of Norway's Ekofisk cessation project. The 5500t platform stood in 85m of water…
DNV expects shortly to issue the first ISDS (Integrated Software Dependent Systems) class certificate to Dolphin Drilling. This new state-of-the art class notation has been under development since 2008 and the class society says it is already in demand…
Following two years of development, Aberdeen Drilling Consultants recently launched its new ADC Virtual Academy division, offering what they believe is the world's first online course focused on drilling equipment for the oil & gas industry…
Once in a while I would like to look inward and discuss technical advances in the industry or how things have evolved. In the case of hydraulic fracturing, the process has emerged as the premier production enhancement technique in oil and gas…
OPITO, the Aberdeen-headquartered body serving as the focal point for skills, learning and workforce development in the UK energy sector, estimates that over 15,000 new posts will be required over the next five years to deliver UK offshore project plans…
Operator Perenco and its key subcontractors on January's Welland 53/4A gas production platform removal – Scaldis SMC, Overdick, Hoondert and Proserv Offshore – believe the project has set a new decommissioning performance benchmark for southern North Sea operators and service providers alike…
A resurgent UK offshore oil & gas sector is mired in fresh uncertainty following the coalition government's surprise imposition of what is, in all but name, a windfall tax on North Sea production. David Morgan reports.In his Budget speech last month…
Differing perspectives on the African exploration & production scene were offered during IP Week in London last month, with Tullow Oil and Afren describing their respective approaches to the continent and Equatorial Guinea's energy ministry updating the republic's offshore developments to date…
With several major LNG projects under way locally and rising demand in neighboring Asian countries, Western Australia's premier Colin Barnett is presiding over a pivotal moment in the state's history. He talks to Russell McCulley about the LNG…
The AP Moller-Maersk Group's Maersk Drilling has signed a contract with the Keppel Fels yard in Singapore for the construction of two ultra-harsh environment, high-capacity jackup drilling rigs. The new rigs are targeting operations in water…
Offshore disposal of untreated oil base mud (OBM) cuttings is not permitted anywhere in the world, and in several geographical areas the discharge limit is generally 1% oil on cuttings or less.--Norwegian firm Thermtech claims its TCC technology…
Worldwide, the mobile offshore drilling fleet has kept between 500 to 550 rigs under contract over the past two years. Recent overall utilization remains at a two-year low of 68% or 507 rigs working. However, tendering activity has been on the…