North Sea News


Claxton completes rigless removal of stuck BHA

Jul 07, 2014

Claxton Engineering Services Ltd., an Acteon company, has completed the first rigless removal of a stuck bottom hole assembly (BHA). The work was completed during a slot recovery operation using an innovative approach at Maersk’s Tyra East field in the Danish sector of the North Sea…

Xcite inks Aibel MOU

Jul 04, 2014

Xcite Energy has agreed a memorandum of understanding with Norway's Aibel, setting out the principles for executing the engineering, procurement and construction self installing platform for its UK North Sea Bentley heavy oil field. The platform…

Technip bags Edradour contract

Jul 04, 2014

Total E&P UK has picked Technip to perform work on the West of Shetland Edradour subsea development.  The development will form part of a new West of Shetland hub, taking in the Laggan-Tormore, Edradour, and Glenlivit fields, all…

Enegi looks to self-installing tower

Jul 03, 2014

UK-based exploration junior Enegi Oil says a self-installing floating tower (SIFT) would be the best development option for the central North Sea Phoenix discovery.  Enegi’s preference for a SIFT follows a work program by Azimuth Limited…

New West of Shetland hub emerging

Jul 03, 2014

A cost reduction program has meant Total has now decided to move forward with its West of Shetland Edradour subsea development, the French oil major said today.  Edradour, in Block 206/4a, in about 300m water depth, 75km northwest of the Shetlands…

Tullow spuds Lupus

Jul 02, 2014

Exploration drilling started on the Lupus oil prospect in production license 507 in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea yesterday. The well, 31/10-1, is about 35km south of the Oseberg field and is being drilled by the Borgland Dolphin semisubmersible drilling rig (pictured)…

Keppel lands Kraken and Shah Deniz jobs

Jul 01, 2014

Keppel Offshore & Marine subsidiaries Keppel Shipyard and Keppel Singmarine Pte have secured contracts worth a total of S$368 million for North Sea and Caspian Sea projects. Keppel Shipyard has won the contract for the conversion…

MOL Group adds to North Sea assets

Jun 30, 2014

Premier Oil has sold interest in six Central North Sea offshore licenses to Hungary’s MOL Group for US$130 million, the duo announced on 30 June 2014. The sale includes non-operated equity stakes in the Nexen-operated Scott (21.84%), Rochelle (15%) and Telford (1…

Det norske awarded permit

Jun 30, 2014

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Norwegian exploration and development company, Det norske oljeselskap ASA, a drilling permit for well 2/9-5 S. Well 2/9-5 S will be drilled from the Mærsk Giant jackup drilling facility at position 56°24’45…

UK suppliers nab Mariner contracts

Jun 28, 2014

Statoil (UK) has awarded two five-year contracts to two UK firms for the Mariner ultra-heavy oil field, in the East Shetland Platform in part-block 9/11a in the UK North Sea. Aker Solutions' Aberdeen operations will perform maintenance and modification services for the US$7 billion project…

Technip and DeepOcean awarded Statoil contract

Jun 27, 2014

Statoil announced it has awarded a joint venture contract to Technip and DeepOcean for Pipeline Repair System (PRS) Pool services. The contract was sent out on competitive tender by Statoil in December 2013 and will replace the existing one…

Success on fractured basement well

Jun 26, 2014

Fractured basement explorer Hurricane Energy has successfully completed the testing phase of its horizontal appraisal well in the Lancaster fractured basement oil discovery West of Shetland. The well will be suspended as a future producer…

FES inks Western Isles project

Jun 24, 2014

UK oil and gas engineering firm, FES International, has secured a US$2.5million contract to supply its automated Diverless Bend Stiffener Connector (DBSC) to NOV Flexibles, for use by Subsea 7 on the Western Isles Development (WID) project in the northern North Sea area…

West Africa gets some TLP

Jun 24, 2014

Deeper and more difficult reservoirs are demanding different concepts offshore West Africa, including tension leg platforms. Jérôme Iacovella and Pauline Beraud discuss the options.  The Moho Nord TLP design…

Archer's modular Topaz makes its North Sea debut

Jun 23, 2014

The Archer Topaz modular rig, as it will look installed on the Helmdal platform. Photo from Archer.  Archer’s new vertical drilling rig is due to debut in the Norwegian North Sea later this year…

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