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…
Drilling technology has improved by leaps and bounds in the past 20 years. Yet, Statoil’s drilling and well research manager says there’s room for a revolution when it comes to efficiency. Elaine Maslin reports. “I think there’s room and need for a revolution in offshore drilling…
Canada’s SNC-Lavalin has agreed to buy Jersey-based oil and gas services company Kentz Corporation in a deal valuing the Kentz at £1.2 billion (C$2.1 billion). SNC-Lavalin said the move was part of its strategy to become a global Tier-1 engineering and construction company…
UK-based exploration and production firm Ithaca Energy has agreed to buy non-operated stakes in three producing fields from Sumitomo Corporation. The deal, worth about US$170 million, will see Ithaca take a further 20% interest in the Shell-operated central North Sea Cook field…
Lundin Petroleum AB (Lundin Petroleum), through its wholly owned subsidiary Lundin Norway AS (Lundin Norway), is pleased to announce that drilling of appraisal well 16/4- 8 S on the Luno II discovery has started. The Luno II discovery…
Paul de Leeuw, a visiting Professor at Aberdeen Business School, has been appointed as the first director of Robert Gordon University’s International Institute for Oil and Gas. With extensive experience in the oil and gas industry Professor de Leeuw will take up his new role in July…
Updated 26 June The US House of Representatives passed bill HR6, the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act on 24 June, after debates held this week. The House Energy & Commerce (E&C) committee approved HR 6, authored and sponsored by Rep…
The nominees for the 2014 ONS Innovation Awards have been announced. According to ONS, whose 2014 theme is 'Changes,' the jury has evaluated all of the applications for the ONS Innovation Awards. The award will be presented in two different…
Maersk Oil UK has awarded Denmark's Ramboll Oil & Gas the detailed design for the Culzean wellhead jacket. The project will be Ramboll’s first major involvement in the Culzean field, and it also marks the largest substructure design by Ramboll for the North Sea…
Genesis Oil & Gas consultants has been awarded an upstream concept select study by BG Group, as operator of Blocks 1, 3, and 4, offshore Tanzania. Genesis' scope of work includes considering the upstream facilities required to develop large discoveries made in the three blocks…
Geoscience firm CGG and Russia's Sovcomflot have agreed to form a joint venture company dedicated to conducting high-end 3D marine seismic acquisition services with a focus on Arctic and sub-Arctic waters. The joint venture, to be called Arctic Geophysical Exploration (AGE)…
Ireland’s Government has launched the 2015 Atlantic Margin Oil and Gas Exploration Licensing Round and a new offshore oil and gas production taxation regime, including an increase in the top tax rate. The new round, which will close September 2015…
Two dry exploration well results have been announced offshore Norway. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate said the Statoil Petroleum operated wildcat well 7324/2-1, 'Apollo,' which was the first well in production licence (PL)615…
Figure 1: The Cygnus field is the sixth largest gas field in the southern North Sea and the largest to be discovered in the last 25 years within the southern North Sea gas basin.Image from GDF Suez. A…
IHC Merwede has introduced the world’s first four-tracked subsea trencher, specifically developed for shallow water operations and targeted towards cable burial in offshore wind farms. Read an in-depth feature here: Traq-ing underwater…