North Sea News


Atkins inks Chevron Alba, Captain gig

Jan 18, 2017

Chevron North Sea awarded Atkins a three-year framework contract for structural integrity services across selected fixed and floating platforms in the UK North Sea. The contract covers assets including the Alba Northern platform and topsides…

Songa Encourage near Kristiansund for repairs

Jan 18, 2017

Songa Offshore's newbuild semisubmersible drilling rig Songa Encourage has been taken close to Kristiansund, Norway, for equipment overhaul and repair following a water ingreses into a pump room on 2 January.  The rig is expected to be back in operations early February 2017…

Statoil approved for Mim well near Norne

Jan 18, 2017

Statoil is set to drill its next well, on the Mim prospect, near the Norne field after being given the green light by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate. Statoil will use the Deepsea Bergen semisubmersible drilling rig to drill well 6507/3-12 in production license 159 B…

Schlumberger, Baker to provide Cat J services for Statoil

Jan 18, 2017

Baker Hughes and Schlumberger are to be awarded contracts for integrated drilling and well services on Statoil's two new Cat J jackup rigs, Askepott (translated as Cinderella) and Askeladden (a character from Norwegian folklore). The…

Modest recovery predicted for 2017, M&A and investment returning

Jan 18, 2017

Natural resources consultancy Wood Mackenzie says it expects a modest recovery to the oil and industry in 2017, underpinned by an improving oil price.  Growth opportunities, including frontier exploration, small project sanctions and increased M&A…

Cairn sees eventful 2017 at SNE, North Sea

Jan 17, 2017

Cairn Energy is moving to further explore Senegal, and working towards first oil in the North Sea this year, in what the company calls an eventful period.   The Kraken FPSO, from Cairn. “The…

Statoil sells 25% Hywind stake to Masdar

Jan 17, 2017

Statoil has agreed to divest 25% of its assets in Hywind Scotland pilot park, the world’s first floating wind farm, to Masdar. Hywind illustration, from Statoil. The wind farm offshore Peterhead in Aberdeenshire…

Total extends West Phoenix contract

Jan 17, 2017

North Atlantic Drilling has been awarded a one-well contract for the semi-submersible West Phoenix for work in the UK, West of Shetland. The contract is in direct continuation with the West Phoenix' existing contract and the total backlog is estimated to be $17 million…

Statoil lines up US$530 million in subsea projects

Jan 17, 2017

Statoil is set to move forward with more than half a billion dollar's worth of investment in the UK and Norwegian North Seas after getting the green light for its Utgard and Byrding projects. The move comes just as the firm is considering…

i3 plans Liberator development

Jan 16, 2017

The UK’s i3 Energy is planning to list on the stock market after acquiring the UK North Sea Liberator oil discovery, which it hopes to potentially bring to development this year. Liberator is immediately adjacent to the producing Blake field…

Aker BP eyes 250 MMboe in 2016-2020

Jan 16, 2017

Recently formed Norwegian operator Aker BP has set out an ambition to discover a net 250 MMboe in reserves in 2016–2020. At a capital markets day, the firm said it is planning four operated exploration wells and three partner-operated exploration wells in 2017…

IOG secures pipeline for SNS fields export

Jan 16, 2017

Independent Oil and Gas (IOG) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to acquire a currently disused pipeline in the southern North Sea and associated onshore reception facilities. The pipeline will provide the proposed export route for IOG's southern North Sea gas assets…

Hurricane spuds Halifax probe west of Shetland

Jan 16, 2017

UK independent fractured basement reservoir explorer Hurricane Energy has started drilling on its Halifax well west of Shetland on the UK Continental Shelf. The well, being drilled using the Transocean Spitsbergen semisubmersible drilling rig…

Premier cuts Catcher costs, plans Tolmount

Jan 12, 2017

Premier Oil's Catcher North Sea floating production project is on schedule for startup later this year with a 29% reduced capital budget compared to when it was sanctioned, at US$1.6 billion.   The Catcher area is expected to produce 96 MMboe…

Root of UK chopper incident found

Jan 11, 2017

A severely distressed tail rotor caused the Sikorsky S-92 helicopter to lose total control in the 28 December incident at Total’s West Franklin platform offshore the UK, according to the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). TRPCS…

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