North Sea News


Time for an intervention

Jul 01, 2017

Well intervention spending has been hit harder than other areas, but it is not due to a lack of opportunities. Elaine Maslin reports.  Island Offshore’s Island Frontier. Image from Island Offshore…

The future floats

Jul 01, 2017

Elaine Maslin surveys a variety of floating offshore wind projects due onstream in the near future. Statoil’s Hywind project.  Image from Statoil. This year, floating offshore…

Seeking P&A alternatives

Jul 01, 2017

Elaine Maslin surveys some of the plugging and abandonment solutions presented at Sintef’s Experimental P&A Research for the North Sea event in Trondheim, Norway. Alexandra Bech Gjørv Plugging…

Going where no coilhose has gone before

Jul 01, 2017

Marie Morkved shows how a desire to eschew ‘how we’ve always done it’ helped Maersk Oil take a different approach to well intervention – using coiled hose on its UK North Sea Balloch field. Coilhose…

Hurricane to raise $520 million for Lancaster

Jun 30, 2017

Fractured basement explorer Hurricane Energy is set to raise US$520 million to help it fund its Lancaster early production system (EPS), west of Shetland.  The cash would be through a $300 million in a share placing and a further $220 million in a convertible bond offering…

BP to exit offshore Angola block

Jun 29, 2017

BP has decided to exit its 50% interest in Block 24/11 offshore southern Angola after concluding that its 2014 Katambi gas discovery there is not commercial. Due to the exit from Block 24/11 and other exploration write-offs in Angola…

VIDEO: Heavy lift on floating wind farm turbines

Jun 29, 2017

Norwegian operator Statoil has released footage of the mating of its Hywind floating wind turbine towers, complete with nacelle and blades, with the spar-hull structures that will support them. The operation, carried out in a fjord, Norway…

Decom costs up, 35% cost reduction target set

Jun 29, 2017

A new cost estimate for decommissioning all oil and gas infrastructure on the UK Continental Shelf has been put at US$77.45 billion (£59.7 billion), an increase on previous estimates of US$68.79 (£53 billion).   But, the Oil and Gas Authority…

Cayley first oil completes MAR redevelopment trio in UK North Sea

Jun 28, 2017

First gas has been delivered on schedule from the Cayley field, the third and final new discovery to be brought on stream during the major redevelopment of the Montrose Area in the Central North Sea under operator Repsol Sinopec Resources UK…

End of a 50-year era for the A Fields

Jun 27, 2017

One of the North Sea’s oldest discoveries is set to be decommissioned as part of a multimillion-pound project. Centrica's Ann field, where the North Sea’s 10th exploration well was drilled more than 50 years ago, has been shut in and the subsea infrastructure will be removed…

Kraken comes on stream

Jun 26, 2017

First oil from the US$2.5 billion Kraken floating heavy oil development in the UK North Sea has been announced. The Kraken development, about 125km east of the Shetland Islands, off Scotland, is due to comprise a total 25 wells (14…

Kvaerner completes first Sverdrup jacket

Jun 23, 2017

Kvaerner has completed the Johan Sverdrup riser platform (RP), named Ægir, with delivery set for next month. Image from Kvaerner. The jacket is the first major structure for the Johan Sverdrup project to be completed…

Pandion takes Tullow's Cara stake

Jun 23, 2017

Pandion Energy has been pre-qualified as licensee on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) and received an approval for the acquisition of all licenses in Tullow Oil Norge’s existing portfolio including a 20% interest in PL 636 containing the Cara oil and gas discovery…

Drones, wells, inspection technology get $2 million boost

Jun 23, 2017

Drones, inspection technology and harsh weather drilling tools are to be supported through US$2.04 million (£1.6 million) in funding in the UK under a new technology development organization. The Oil & Gas Technology Centre (OGTC), set up with government funding…

Updated: Gjoa leak shuts down production

Jun 22, 2017

Engie E&P has found the cause of a gas leak that shut down production at the Gjøa field offshore Norway on Wednesday (21 June). Gjøa. Image from Engie. Engie identified the direct…

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