North Sea News


30th UKCS round opens, focuses on mature areas

Jul 25, 2017

The UK's Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has launched the 30th Offshore Licensing Round, with 813 blocks or part blocks on offer in mature areas of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), covering a total 114,426sq km.  Image from iStock…

Investment and new chairman, directors at Aquaterra

Jul 24, 2017

Offshore engineering firm Aquaterra Energy has secured a multi-million pound investment from EV Private Equity as the company gears up for service expansion and new technology launches. The deal is the first to be agreed following EV’s…

Schlumberger sees offshore FID activity

Jul 24, 2017

Oilfield giant schlumberger has revealed a slew of new contacts including a deal to supply equipment to the Leviathan field, offshore Israel, and to perform ocean bottom survey work on BP's Clair Ridge field, west of Shetland, UK.  The…

VIDEO: Maersk's Tyra field concept

Jul 21, 2017

Danish oil firm Maersk Oil has set out its concept for a full redevelopment of the Tyra field on the Danish Continental Shelf.

OGA releases data maps

Jul 21, 2017

As part of a three year contract with Lloyd’s Register (LR), the Oil & Gas Authority (OGA) has released their first set of Regional Geological maps and data sets, which cover the UK Central North Sea and Moray Firth. Henk Kombrink, Senior…

Maersk Culzean jackets installed

Jul 21, 2017

All three of Maersk Oil's Culzean high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) development jackets have been installed in the UK North Sea. Maersk says they were installed on time and on budget, about 145mi east of Aberdeen and is estimated to produce between 60…

Shell joins digital twin JIP

Jul 19, 2017

A Eurostars-funded joint industry project (JIP) led by Akselos and LICengineering has announced the signing of Royal Dutch Shell as the first operator to participate in the two-year digital twin initiative.  The JIP is focused on advancing…

Production efficiency guidelines launched

Jul 19, 2017

Industry guidelines designed to boost production efficiency in the UK Continental Shelf have been published by Oil & Gas UK. Between 2004-2012, the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) faced the significant challenge of a sustained decline in levels of production efficiency (PE)…

OGA releases more UKCS subsurface data

Jul 19, 2017

The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has released a tranche of UK Continental Shelf data in an effort to help revitalize exploration in the basin. The latest data release follows the publication of a suite of subsurface data packages in June…

IOG submits Blythe hub FDP

Jul 19, 2017

Independent Oil and Gas has submitted a field development plan (FDP) to the UK Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) for the Blythe Hub. The project comprises the Blythe and Elgood fields, which are 100% owned and operated by IOG, and are in the…

First Hywind turbine heads to Scotland

Jul 19, 2017

The first of five turbines for Statoil's Hywind Scotland pilot floating offshore wind park has left Stord, Norway, for its final destination, the Buchan Deep, 25km east of Peterhead in Scotland. Once operational, the Hywind Scotland pilot…

OneSubsea inks TAQA EPCIC for Otter

Jul 17, 2017

TAQA has awarded OneSubsea an engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning (EPCIC) contract for a subsea multiphase boosting system for the Otter field in the UK North Sea. Through the EPCIC contract, Schlumberger’s…

Aker BP targets PDO trio this year

Jul 14, 2017

Aker BP is preparing to submit plans for development and operation (PDO) for three of its projects by the end of 2017, and for the North of Alvheim and Askja-Krafla (NOAKA) project in 2018. Valhall Flank West…

IOG adds to SNS acreage

Jul 14, 2017

Independent Oil and Gas (IOG) has been awarded a license in the Oil and Gas Authority's 2016 Supplementary Offshore Oil and Gas Licensing Round. The license, comprising Block 48/25a, includes the western part of the Vulcan North West…

Aker BP to drill at Hyrokkin with Maersk Interceptor

Jul 13, 2017

Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) has given Aker BP consent to drill two wildcat wells in the North Sea at the Hyrokkin prospect. Aker BP consent to drill exploration wells 25/4-11 and 25/4-12, which is north of Alvheim. The…

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