Taking a look back on the year that was 2017, our OEdigital.com website's most popular stories pretty much tell everything you need to know. While the industry is still adjusting to the downturn, the bright spots are few, but significant…
Forties Pipeline System (FPS) operator Ineos says all restrictions on flow through the pipeline have now been lifted following mechanical completion of a repair to the onshore section of the major North Sea export trunkline. 'All restrictions…
Byron Energy has struck 190ft (58m) of net oil pay in the South Marsh Island Block 71 F-2 well in the Gulf of Mexico, exceeding initial expectations, partner Otto Energy reported today (27 December). Drilled and logged to 8615ft measured depth with Ensco jackup Ensco 68…
US offshore wind developer US Wind has awarded a contract to Oceaneering for high-resolution marine geophysical surveys in 2H 2018 for the Maryland Offshore Wind Project. The $2.5 billion Maryland project on the Maryland Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)…
Christmas came early for Premier Oil and its Catcher development partners. First oil was achieved from the field's FPSO today (23 December), according to FPSO owner and operator BW Offshore. BW Catcher FPSO…
Eni and partner BP have confirmed that production has started from the giant Zohr gas field offshore Egypt in the Mediterranean Sea. The deepwater field, with potential resources in excess of 30 Tcf of gas in place, started-up in less than two and a half years from the discovery…
UK-based remote operated vehicle operator ROVOP has increased its ROV fleet by 50% following aUS$74.93 (£56 million) funding boost. Blue Water Energy and BGF have jointly committed to the funding, which allowed ROVOP to buy an additional 24 ROVs…
Operator Aker BP has completed an acquisition of Hess Norge, which owns 10% stakes in the Norwegian North Sea Valhall and Hod fields, from Hess Corp for US$2 billion. At the same time, a deal by Aker BP to sell 10% interest in the…
Accurate monitoring of oil and gas production is an increasingly valuable tool for operators and surveillance engineers but, until recently, visibility of data has been almost exclusively available to on-site operators. For those involved in remote surveillance and decision support…
Audrey Leon takes a look through some of the industry’s biggest ongoing projects by capex in 2017. Five of the 10 biggest projects by capex were offshore projects in 2017, led by Inpex’s Ichthys LNG project offshore Australia. Ichthys…
Audrey Leon looks at some of 2017's 10 largest offshore discoveries. First published in the December 2017 OE. While exploration hasn’t been as hot as it used to be, the finds this year have been big and plentiful. Wood Mackenzie has provided the year’s 10 biggest finds by volume…
CATS Management, part of Antin Infrastructure Partners, is to buy Premier Oil's stake in the Esmond Transportation System (ETS) pipeline in the UK North Sea. The ETS pipeline was constructed in order to transport gas from Esmond…
Germany's Wintershall has started production from the Maria subsea tieback offshore Norway a year ahead of schedule and 20% under budget. The Maria field development cost about US$1.43 billion (NOK12 billion), $358.9 million below the original budget…
New North Sea-focused independent Spirit Energy, owned jointly by Centrica and Bayerngas Norge, has launched. Spirit Energy combined Centrica’s E&P business with Bayerngas Norge, under a deal announced in July this year. Spirit…
Eni now estimates Area 1 in Mexico’s Campeche Bay to contain between 1.4 to 2 billion boe – 90% of which is oil -- thanks to Eni’s successful Tecoalli-2 well and revision to the reservoir models for the Amoca and Mitzon fields. Mexico's…