Oilfield activity in the Mediterranean region was disrupted by extreme political events last year across northern Africa. The ‘Arab Spring’ revolutions in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia, as well as the continuing conflict in Syria shut down most non-essential activity…
Andrew McBarnet assesses the state of the marine seismic business and where it is going in 2013.Rarely, if ever, can the marine seismic business have been so busy in so many places around the world. Demand for surveys is nearly at an almost all-time high…
Last month, Noble Energy, the Houston company that has played a vital role in drilling and confirming massive deepwater natural gas deposits (some of the largest in recent memory) in Israeli and Cypriot waters, announced a 30% sale of the Leviathan field to Australia's Woodside for about $2…
Like a Christmas present, what was widely rumored and anticipated following recent Israeli hydrocarbon discoveries, Houston’s Noble Energy announced in late December 2011 the results of its recent well in the Cypriot Economic Zone. It contains up to 9tcf of natural gas…
'There are 'suspicions' that [Gazprom] has prevented alternative sources of natural gas from and into European countries, applying inappropriate practices, exploiting its position as the dominant supplier of natural gas to Europe.'It took time but it eventually happened…
As the tension between Israel and Iran ratchets up, an interesting sub-text has developed over the role of Iran’s traditional backer, Russia. While many Western observers continue to raise the spectre of a ‘wider Middle East conflagration’, and one that could drag in Russia…
Offshore contractors have taken delivery of some pretty big pieces of floating hardware lately but the daddy of them all Allseas ultra-versatile platform installation/decommissioning and pipelay vessel Pieter Schelte won't be making its giant presence felt until early 2014…
'The scope of [NAM/Shell] well repair and maintenance work will see [Kraken] visit nearly 50 platforms.'Offshore oil & gas and wind power opportunities for England's eastern region were debated at the biggest ever conference staged by EEE…
Recent events in North Africa provide a stormy backcloth to the Offshore Mediterranean Conference (OMC) in Ravenna 23-25 March, but the region nonetheless remains a highly prospective one for the offshore sector especially with Noble beginning to unlock the treasures of the Levantine Basin…
Fracturing fluid additivesRelease of the new OpenFrac family of hydraulic fracturing fluid additive systems was announced by Schlumberger last month. The additive systems can be used for fracturing-stimulation treatments, including applications in challenging…
Statoil on the wind energy learning curve...At an energy seminar in Bergen last month, Statoil said it would use its expertise in its commitment to offshore wind power. The Norwegian operator, which is gradually building up its wind energy portfolio…