In its drive to improve and align safety and competence standards in the global oil and gas industry, Opito International has commissioned new research to discover how companies are assuring the workforce is competent, rather than simply compliant…
Two Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) initiatives have been launched in the UK for offshore companies looking to address the skills gap through the reskilling of adult trainees. The first 16 learners recently completed their training…
One-trip solutionBaker Hughes last summer deployed a drilling system featuring a TORXS expandable liner hanger package with an EZCase casing bit system to assist an operator bedeviled by a problem zone. The unidentified operator was unable to…
Mindful of Offshore Europe in Aberdeen this month, Andrew McBarnet explains why seismic companies keep coming back to the mainly mature offshore hydrocarbon province of northwest Europe.It's not the most elegant of sayings but 'there's life…
Serial offshore innovator Fraser Innes, a familiar face from early North Sea days through his stewardship of Petroline, is continuing his technology-stretching ways today as CEO of the Dutch-based Paradigm Group and chairman of its two UK offshoots…
When it comes to smart, or wise, ways to carry out subsea interventions, Wright's Well Control Services founder David Wright is a man of many ideas. Jennifer Pallanich catches up with him to discuss his company's latest kit and some of its recently completed projects…
Integrating several imaging and modeling technologies can reduce exploration risk. Ian Bryant (Schlumberger) and Paul Xu (formerly of Ipex) present an integrated basin and petroleum system study that predicted many oil and gas accumulations in a relatively unexplored region offshore Brazil…
The accurate application of torque in both installation and maintenance of pipeline and wellhead assets is vital to ensuring equipment is fully operational in remote and hostile subsea locations. Norbar Torque Tools' technical manager Mark Woodward discusses recent advances in this sector…
National Oilwell Varco is acquiring California-based fiberglass pipe manufacturer Ameron International in a deal valued at approximately $772 million. Subject to Ameron shareholder approval, the transaction could close as early as the fourth quarter…
Ever-alert to the need to hone its competitive edge, the drilling technologies business unit of Aker Solutions is looking to take its service offering to an unrivalled level of sophistication with the new drawworks extended test facility in Erkelenz…
Time is running short for a collaborative and cost-efficient approach to decommissioning, believes Optimus consultant Stuart Heggie.Perhaps understandably, governments and operators have put off decommissioning as much as possible. However,…
The Industry Technology Facilitator (ITF) has gone from strength to strength in the past year or two, with some of the new technologies it has supported making a real difference in the field and its global expansion progressing well. Managing…
The focus on Latin American deepwater activity naturally gravitates to the headline-grabbing pre-salt region offshore Brazil. But other areas in Latin American deep waters are worth noting, as Jennifer Pallanich explains.Petrobras' discovery…
Andrew McBarnet detects a rebuilding of industry confidence in marine controlled source electromagnetic surveys after a troubled period for the operators of the technology.It is now almost exactly 10 years since a somewhat historic scientific…
Seeking to establish itself as the national strategic centre of excellence for subsea research, the National Subsea Research Institute (NSRI) recently unveiled the future focus for its ground-breaking research – and the accent will be very much…
