North Sea News


Statoil's Mariner B

Nov 15, 2016

In this video, Statoil shows its Mariner B floating storage unit (FSU) for the Mariner field on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). The Mariner field is on the East Shetland Platform of the UK North Sea, approximately 150km east of Shetland…

OGA issues new seismic contracts

Nov 15, 2016

The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has awarded four new contracts worth about US1.25 million (£1 million) to supply more than 10,000km of reprocessed proprietary 2D seismic data of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) as part of the UK Government funded seismic acquisition program…

Technip launches Deep Explorer DSV

Nov 15, 2016

Technip’s latest newbuild, the diving support vessel (DSV) Deep Explorer, has been officially named in Norway. The traditional naming ceremony was held at VARD’s Langsten shipyard.  Deep Explorer is a DP3 class DSV, purpose-designed and…

North Sea decom to grow in next 10 years

Nov 15, 2016

A new report forecasts a gradual but steady rise in offshore oil and gas decommissioning in the UK and Norway over the next 10 years, with activity growing from a market worth more than US$25 billion (£2 billion) in 2015.

 Decommissioning Insight 2016…

Lloyds Register acquires maintenance services firm

Nov 14, 2016

Engineering, technical and business services organization Lloyds Register has acquired RTAMO, a software-enabled consultancy based in Aberdeen which provides data-driven solutions designed to reduce maintenance costs for asset owners.  Murray Douglas…

Ithaca: Stella will be step-change

Nov 14, 2016

Start up on the Stella field will mark a step-change in operator Ithaca Energy's business, the firm said this morning.  First oil on the field, due at the end of this month, will see the firm's production more than double to 20-25,000 boe/d and unit operating costs drop to under US$20/boe…

All eyes on Verbier as Statoil confirms drilling

Nov 14, 2016

Statoil has confirmed to the Oil and Gas Authority that it will drill a well on the Verbier prospect in the North Sea, in summer 2017, according to partner Jersey Oil & Gas. Jersey says the prospect, which is in production license 2170…

Maersk inks Altus for intervention

Nov 14, 2016

North Sea intervention firm Altus Intervention has won a fixed term, five-year contract to provide well intervention services for Maersk Oil UK. Altus Intervention was awarded the contract for the provision of slickline services, coiled tubing services…

Solan concerns prompt production blip

Nov 14, 2016

Premier Oil's Solan field, west of Shetland, was shut-in over concerns about safety on the what was designed to be normally unmanned facility.  The Solan oilfield came onstream in April this year. The to be normally unmanned facility…

Aker BP starts Viper-Kobra production

Nov 10, 2016

Aker BP has started production from the Viper-Kobra development, a subsea tieback to the Alvheim floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel in the Norwegian North Sea. Viper-Kobra consists of two separate discoveries, containing 9 MMboe jointly…

Prosafe drops costs, extends contract

Nov 09, 2016

Repsol Sinopec Resources UK Ltd. (formerly Talisman Sinopec Energy UK) has exercised options to extend the charter of the Safe Boreas accomodation vessel by 44 days.  In mid-March 2016, the Safe Boreas started a 245-day firm operational period at Montrose A in the UK sector of the North Sea…

Shell uses James Fisher's platform-based ROV system

Nov 09, 2016

James Fisher Subsea (JF Subsea), a division of James Fisher Marine Services (JFMS), has reduced inspection downtime to 2% for Shell UK, through use of asset-based remotely operated vehicles (ABROVs) on oil platform inspection programs in the North Sea…

Bibby completes Shell contract, wins a second

Nov 09, 2016

Subsea services firm Bibby Offshore has completed one contract and has started a second for Shell on the major's Corrib gas field, offshore Ireland. The first contract, completed in June , saw Bibby Offshore’s construction support vessel…

Hurricane spuds Lincoln probe, aims for 250 MMbbl unrisked

Nov 09, 2016

UK-based basement explorer Hurricane Energy has spudded its latest well West of Shetland. The firm, which recently completed the successful Lancaster 7 appraisal spudded the Lincoln well on 8 November, the firm said. The Lincoln well…

OMV to sell subsidiary for US$1 billion

Nov 08, 2016

OMV has entered a deal to sell its UK subsidiary, OMV UK, to Siccar Point Energy for up to US$1 billion in a move that will see the Austrian company give up its stake in the Chevron-operated Rosebank deepwater project in the North Sea. Image from OMV…

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