Oil major Shell has set out its plans for decommissioning the Brent field facilities in the UK North Sea, including leaving its foundations in place. The firm, which has already spent 10 years working on decommissioning the four platforms…
Subsea services firm Bibby Offshore has secured a contract with BP for the diving support vessel Bibby Topaz. The 15-day project, due to start next month, will see the vessel working on four BP operations across three of its North Sea assets…
Scientists at the University of Strathclyde have secured funding for a four-year project to study the ability of complex rock strata beneath the North Sea to trap carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) securely. Their findings will help to provide…
UK-based fractured basement explorer Hurricane Energy has spudded its 205/21a-7 Lancaster well, west of Shetland. The well is a pilot well, the first in a two-well program, designed to refine the Lancaster resource range, provide a second…
EnQuest’s Eagle oil discovery in the Greater Kittiwake area (GKA) in the North Sea is getting some heat from Dana Petroleum, after the company said that EnQuest did not have the authority to drill the well. Image from EnQuest…
Statoil's Gina Krog platform is getting closer to first oil after the modules for the facility's topside set sail from Korea on two heavy transport vessels, Statoil has said. The transport from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in Korea to the North Sea will take about 50 days…
ExxonMobil has received consent to use a new subsea well on the Balder field. ExxonMobil is the operator of the Balder field, in block 25/11 in the Norwegian North Sea, around 190km west of Stavanger. The Balder field belongs to production licence PL 001…
As of 4 July, the business formerly known as Talisman Sinopec Energy UK has been renamed as Repsol Sinopec Resources UK. This follows the acquisition, in 2015, by Repsol of the global assets of the former Talisman Energy, including a 51% stake in the UK North Sea joint venture with Sinopec…
The Industry Technology Facilitator (ITF) has launched a call for proposals to improve or offer alternative approaches to cement plugs which are currently deployed in plugging and abandonment (P&A) operations in wells. The invitation is open to qualified organizations…
UK independent EnQuest has confirmed a discovery on the Eagle exploration well in the Greater Kittiwake area in the North Sea. Assessment of the results is underway and preliminary analysis indicates Fulmar oil bearing reservoir was…
Former BP and Shell geologist Mike Shepherd says the North Sea demonstrates top in class oil recovery factors compared to the rest of the world, but could do better. BP’s Magnus platform.Photo from BP…
UK-based explorer Independent Oil and Gas (IOG) expects to take Transocean's Sedco 704 semisubmersible drilling rig on contract and start drilling an appraisal well on the Skipper oil discovery in the second half of July 2016. Skipper…
Statoil is suspending the use of another vessels this week, this time with Dolphin Drilling’s Bideford Dolphin mobile drilling facility. Dolphin Drilling, a subsidiary of Fred. Olsen Energy, received notice of suspension from Statoil for the rig…
Houston-based McDermott International will deliver the engineering, procurement, construction & installation (EPCI) work for Mexico’s Pemex Abkatún-A2 platform, which was involved in a deadly accident last year, in a US$454 million deal. McDermott…
The decision by 52% of the voters in the EU referendum last week to vote to leave the EU has had far-reaching impact across the globe. The oil and gas sector, bruised from nearly two years of low oil prices, is bracing itself for the fall out…