TGS has been given the green light by Mexico's Comisión Nacional de Hidrocarburos (CNH) to start acquiring multibeam, coring and geochemical analysis data over about 600,000sq km in Mexican waters. This project will cover the entire deepwater area of the offshore sector of Mexico…
Brazil’s National Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels agency (ANP) has announced the first 12 companies pre-approved for the country’s upcoming 13th bid round to be held on 7 October. The pre-approvals went to familiar companies such as supermajor Shell and France’s GDF Suez…
Designer mud is helping Total tap pressure depleted HPHT reservoirs in the UK North Sea. Elaine Maslin takes a look. The West Franklin well head platform installation last year. Photos from Total…
Communication is key, even offshore. Gregory Hale examines how wireless can improve operational efficiencies. A kenetic mesh network in action on and offshore oil and gas rig. Image from Rajant Corp…
Statoil’s Johan Sverdrup has received the official green light for phase one of its plan for development and operation (PDO) by the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. Johan Sverdrup field center…
Falklands and Mediterranean-focused explorer Rockhopper Exploration has taken a step forward in its plans to develop an offshore Italy oil field. The firm's Ombrina Mare field environmental impact assessment has been approved by Italy's…
Statoil’s largest steel jacket in its history is on its two-week, 1835 nm journey to the North Sea after setting sail from the Spanish Dragados yard on 10 August. Mariner steel jacket sails away…
The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced that its Western Gulf of Mexico (GoM) lease sale 246 held today (19 August) attracted US$22.7 million in bids. The BOEM and industry advocates say the sale reflects current market conditions…
Norwegian oil firm Statoil has marked a milestone on its giant Johan Sverdrup development offshore Norway - the installation of the project's 280-tonne pre-drilling template. Heerema Marine Contractors’ crane vessel Thialf completed the installation of the 32m-long…
BP has started a US$1 billion in its Eastern Trough Area Project (ETAP) in the North Sea as part of a platform renewal life extension project. The investment will see the facilities (pictured), which produce oil and gas from nine different reservoirs…
ION Geophysical Corp. announced the availability of fast-track pre-stack time migrated (PSTM) data from the first phase of its MexicoSPAN program. Currently being acquired, phase one encompasses more than 22,000km of deep-imaged two-dimensional (2D) seismic data…
The Transocean Polar Pioneer semisubmersible officially began Shell’s US$1 billion Arctic drilling program in the Chukchi Sea on 30 July. The Polar Pioneer. From Transocean. Drilling operations began at Shell’s Burger J prospect…
Petrobras has begun production at the Iracema Norte development, in the Lula field of the pre-salt Santos basin, just less than 30 days after the FPSO Cidade de Itaguaí arrived at the field, the Brazilian national confirmed on 31 July. Cidade de Itaguaí…
Production from the Gullfaks South (GSO) fast-track project for improved oil recovery in the North Sea started 27 July, increasing output from the Gullfaks area by around 65 MMboe. The project is part of Statoil’s fast-track portfolio…
The rewards on offer from subsea boosting technology were spelled out at the MCE Deepwater Development Conference in London this spring by Arne B. Olsen, sales director, pumps and subsea processing at OneSubsea. Meg Chesshyre reports. Gullfaks…