BASF and LetterOne have agreed to merge their oil and gas subsidiaries Wintershall and DEA, creating a joint venture the companies say would become one of Europe’s largest exploration and production firms. Under the agreement, BASF would hold 67% of the shares in the venture…
A new oil and gas technology accelerator has been created in Aberdeen, targeting 100 start-ups and 200 small to medium sized companies(SMEs). The accelerator, called TechX and set up by the public-funded The Oil & Gas Technology Centre…
SBM Offshore has been awarded a contract for the delivery of a turret mooring system for Statoil's US$5.9 billion Johan Castberg floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel. The Norwegian Barents Sea project will tap an…
Danish oil firm Maersk Oil has published a video with timelapse footage and interviews with key people, showing the main 2017 milestones in the UK North Sea Culzean development. The Culzean field - discovered in 2008 - is in the UK central North Sea…
Norway's latest offshore licensing round, focusing on the Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea, has drawn fewer than half the number of companies than its previous round attracted. Just 11 companies have applied for production licenses in the 24th licensing…
VNG Norge, part of German group VNG, has lined up a drilling for for work on the Fenja development in the Norwegian Sea. VNG Norge has issued a letter of intent (LOI) to North Atlantic Norway for the semisubmersible drilling rig West…
Norway's Statoil, with partners Eni (30%) and Petoro (20%), has submiited a plan for US$5.9 billion (NOK49 billion) development and operation for the Johan Castberg field in the Norwegian Barents Sea. The development cost is more than half of the original estimated cost for the project…
Swedish headquartered Lundin Petroleum has started drilling on the Hurri prospect in the southern Barents Sea, offshore Norway. Exploration well 7219/12-3, in PL533, is about 2 km southwest of the Filicudi oil discovery and south of the Statoil-operated Johan Castberg development…
UK-focused oil firm Egdon Resources has acquired 100% interest in UK North Sea Promote Licence P2304 (UKCS Block 41/24), containing part of the the Resolute gas discovery, through a deal with two other firms. Egdon acquired 50% in the…
A university in Scotland has launched a 'world-first' simulator for decommissioning activities in the UK North Sea and further afield. Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University (RGU) in collaboration with funding partners The Oil & Gas Technology Centre…
UK-based subsea services group Acteon has acquired Viking Seatech Group, following regulatory clearance. The move follows the sale of its Mirage Machines business to Actuant, a US corporation. Aberdeen-based Viking Seatech is a provider of marine services to the energy industry…
Norway's Aker BP has agreed to divest a 10% stake in the Valhall and Hod fields to new firm Pandion Energy. The move comes shortly after Aker BP acquired Hess Norge, which gave it 100% ownership in Valhall and Hod, and comes as Aker BP…
Subsea industry firm Subsea 7 has agreed to make an investment in Dutch themoplastic composite pipe (TCP) manufacturer Airborne Oil & Gas (AOG). Subsea 7 joins Shell, Chevron, Saudi Aramco and Evonik as shareholders in AOG. Manufactured out of a composite of fibers and polymers…
Dutch group Royal Boskalis Westminster has added two large diving support vessels (DSVs) to its fleet. Through an agreement with the bondholders of the two former Harkand vessels, Boskalis has acquired the DSV Atlantis for about US$60…
Contractor confidence in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) has risen with almost half being more confident about their prospects for the first time since 2013, according to an industry survey. The findings of the 27th Oil and Gas survey…