Three Alaskan Beaufort Sea developments – BP Exploration (Alaska)'s Northstar, Pioneer --Natural Resources' Oooguruk and now Eni Petroleum's Nikaitchuq – have helped establish baseline experience for future arctic frontier pipelines. As well as demonstrating technical strides…
High-modulus polyethylene ropes for deepwater mooring were first trialled 10 years ago, but despite promising early results subsequent problems with excessive creep stalled their application. A decade on, the situation has improved to the point…
Integrated approachIn the works for some time, Halliburton's Optimized Drilling Performance (ODP) approach is aimed at improving drilling efficiency and saving drilling time. ‘We've evolved this workflow over a few years,' said Jeremy ‘Jez' Greenwood…
Cheese may never be far from the thoughts of the French. But what concerns classification and verification group Bureau Veritas is the holes in cheese – and more precisely how to avoid them. OE hears from BV offshore projects manager Jose Esteve…
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…
While the Pluto and Browse LNG projects have dominated recent headlines, operator Woodside has also been busy expanding its North West Shelf infrastructure. Russell McCulley speaks to the company's North West Shelf executive vice president Kevin…
The current state of development of methane hydrate resources – ‘from Mallik to the Nankai Trough' – was examined by an international symposium in Japan late last year. Two of the participants, Professor Andrew Palmer and Simon Falser from the…
Mercon Steel Structures in Gorinchem started work at the beginning of February on its first riser access tower (RAT) under a framework agreement signed with Shell UK and NAM last autumn. The 800t structure, due for delivery mid- August, is for NAM's K/15 field…
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…
Technology and concerns about staffing took center stage at last month's SPE/IADC Drilling exhibition & conference in Amsterdam. Jennifer Pallanich listened in as companies discussed how to remain competitive. Hint: it's mostly the people.One…
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…
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…
As chief technology officer for Shell, Gerald Schotman oversees a research and development program with a budget that exceeds $1 billion. During a recent Houston visit, Schotman sat down with Russell McCulley to discuss how the company decides how to direct its R&D efforts…
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…