North Sea News


North Sea workers vote for industrial action

Jul 13, 2016

A ballot by members of the unions Unite and RMT at engineering firm Wood Group working across Shell operated assets has seen a 'massive majority' supporting industrial action. In a joint statement, Unite and RMT said more than 50% of members voted in the ballot…

Wood Group inks Apache extension

Jul 13, 2016

Wood Group has been awarded an extension to its master service agreement (MSA) contract with Apache Corp. in the North Sea. Wood Group will continue to deliver subsea engineering and consultancy services, in support of Apache's routine operation and maintenance works…

NPD selling Troll area 3D seismic data

Jul 12, 2016

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is looking to sell 3D seismic data covering Block 31/5, as well as part of Block 31/4, southeast of Statoil’s Troll area that it acquired in September 2008 using the Ramform Challenger vessel. The seismic data…

Catcher FPSO project remains on track

Jul 12, 2016

Premier Oil's Catcher floating production project in the UK North Sea is on schedule to deliver first oil in 2H next year. The UK-based independent says further cost savings have been secured against the project estimates. Premier now forecasts capex to first oil of US$1…

Premier close to drilling on Bagpuss heavy oil prospect

Jul 12, 2016

UK independent Premier Oil is planning to spud the Bagpuss heavy oil prospect in the Moray Firth in the North Sea this month, later than initially expected.  Premier oil will use the Ocean Valiant semisubmersible drilling rig, which is…

GC Rieber inks wind farm charter

Jul 12, 2016

GC Rieber Shipping has agreed a time charter agreement with Senvion for the construction support vessel (CSV) Polar Queen for use on offshore wind farms. The contract is for a fixed period of seven months with options to extend by up to three months…

NPD grants Balder subsea startup

Jul 11, 2016

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted ExxonMobil consent to start-up the subsea facility for production well 25/11-E-29 AH on the Balder field, nearly one week after the supermajor gained approval from Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA)…

Repsol changes contracting structure, new contracts

Jul 11, 2016

Repsol Sinopec Resources UK Ltd. has award a number of new contracts for the provision of all maintenance and construction labour, engineering support services and fabric maintenance, covering its offshore assets and the terminal at Flotta…

FPF-1 bound for Stella in two weeks

Jul 11, 2016

Ithaca Energy's FPF-1 floating production facility is set to leave its yard in about two weeks and start first oil from the Greater Stella area in about three months from then.  UK-based independent Ithaca said modifications on the unit in the Remontowa Yard in Gdansk…

Chevron appoints new Europe MD

Jul 11, 2016

Chevron North Sea has appointed Greta Lydecker as managing director of Chevron Upstream Europe, based in Aberdeen, starting today. Lydecker succeeds Craig May, who was recently appointed to the role of vice president, Upstream Capability…

Faroe's Brasse adds pay

Jul 11, 2016

Faroe Petroleum has successfully side-tracked its appraisal well on the Brasse discovery in licence PL740 in the Norwegian North Sea. The side-track well (31/7-1A) was appraising the south-eastern part of the Brasse discovery. Results based on extensive coring…

BP gains Tambar extension

Jul 08, 2016

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate is giving BP approval to use the facility on the Tambar field in the North Sea until 1 January 2022. This coincides with the expiry of production licence 065. The lifetime was set at 15 years in the plan for development and operation (PDO)…

Petrofac takes on Hurricane well operations role

Jul 08, 2016

Petrofac has been appointed well operator by Hurricane Energy in a three-year contract to support wells located West of Shetland. Petrofac is the first outsourced well operator to manage a drilling campaign in the UK Continental Shelf…

Tullow fails at Rome

Jul 07, 2016

Tullow Oil Norge failed to find any hydrocarbons at the Rome prospect in the Central North Sea, and will now plug and abandon exploration well 16/5-6 in production licence PL776. The well was drilled to a total vertical depth of 2319m…

Norway strike action averted

Jul 07, 2016

The Norwegian Oil and Gas Association and the Norwegian Union of Energy Workers (Safe) reached agreement on the well service pay agreement during the evening of 6 July. Strike action has thereby been averted. “The mediation process was demanding…

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