North Sea News


Wood Group, Amec Foster Wheeler to combine

Mar 13, 2017

Engineering house Wood Group has made a US$2.72 billion (£2.22 billion) offer for rival Amec Foster Wheeler in a move that could spark further consolidation in the market. The takeover bid comes just three years after Amec's 2014, $3…

DOF inks UKCS mooring gig

Mar 10, 2017

DOF Subsea has been awarded a contract in the Atlantic region for the mooring installation of a floating production and storage offloading (FPSO) unit on the UKCS (North Sea).    DOF Subsea will deploy the Skandi Skansen along with a…

Sir Ian promotes OE & Me, ahead of SPE Offshore Europe 2017

Mar 10, 2017

Industry doyen Sir Ian Wood has kicked-off a new campaign ahead of SPE Offshore Europe 2017 to encourage previous and future visitors, exhibitors and speakers to share their experiences of the event and what they are looking forward to seeing at September’s conference and exhibition…

Premier sets 2017 global plans

Mar 09, 2017

Premier Oil has revealed plans to drill offshore Mexico; the next phase of growth at Tolmount off the UK; and for the sanctioning of its BIGP project offshore Indonesia. Map of Block 2, Block 7 offshore Mexico…

Capital investment could rise on UKCS

Mar 07, 2017

Overall spending on the UK Continental Shelf is expected to fall 3% compared to last year, to £17 billion, as projects continue to struggle, while exploration remains at a record low, according to a new report.   But, new capital investment…

Lundin spuds wells at Ghota, Edvard Grieg

Mar 06, 2017

Lundin Petroleum started appraisal drilling at Gohta in the Barents Sea, and on the Edvard Grieg field in the North Sea. At Gohta, appraisal well 7120/1-5 in PL492, is being drilled by the Leiv Eiriksson semisubmersible drilling rig. The…

75% of UKCS projects late, 35% over schedule

Mar 03, 2017

A review of UK North Sea projects between 2011-16 has found that fewer than 25% were on time and 35% were over their original estimated budget, at field development plan submission. The review, carried out by the UK regulator, the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA)…

Nexen uses Plexus for HPHT well

Mar 03, 2017

North Sea producer Nexen Petroleum has awarded Plexus Holdings a one-well order for the high-pressure Glengorm exploration well in the Central North Sea.   Nexen, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China's CNOOC, is due to drill the well after 1 July 2017…

Aker BP to drill at Volund with Transocean Arctic

Mar 02, 2017

Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) has given Aker BP consent to drill exploration well 24/9-11S on the Volund field with the Transocean Arctic in the North Sea. Aker BP is the operator of the Volund field, around 220km west of Tananger in Rogaland county…

DEME orders heavy lift vessel from COSCO

Mar 02, 2017

Belgium marine contractor DEME has ordered a new, 300-tonne lifting capacity offshore transport and installation vessel, to be called Orion, from China's COSCO.  The vessel is set to be delivered in 2019 and will be deployed by DEME’s…

Operating in the margins

Mar 01, 2017

With more than 3 billion boe up for grabs, the race is on to find ways to unlock the remaining oil and gas in around 350 unsanctioned, and largely marginal, UK Continental Shelf discoveries. Emma Gordon reports on the latest developments…

Fixed platforms, shifting markets

Mar 01, 2017

Infield Systems’ Neda Djahansouzi gives a flavor of the forecasted fixed platform market in 2017-2021, while we let some figures speak for themselves. Sources: Infield Systems Over…

BP production on the rise

Feb 28, 2017

BP’s five-year plan has revealed the next wave of its competitive projects with potential new final investment decisions (FID), a list of several offshore projects set to come online this year, and eight projects that are currently under construction set for start-up in 2018-2021…

ESEA Submarine takes on FET ROV

Feb 28, 2017

Forum Energy Technologies has delivered a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to new Norwegian firm ESEA Submarine for offshore work, including inspection, survey and salvage work. ESEA Submarine was established during 2016 by Georg Stranden…

OGA seeks P&A pilot wells

Feb 23, 2017

The UK's Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has launched a search for operators to voluntarily participate in a multi-operator, well plug and abandonment (P&A) optimization program.  The objective of the pilot program is to demonstrate the cost…

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