Statoil delivered its application for the 23rd licensing round on the Norwegian continental shelf to the Norwegian authorities. Map of the 23rd licensing round, from Statoil. It…
A total of 26 oil and gas companies applied for rights to explore acreage in the Norwegian and Barents Seas in Norway’s 23rd licensing round this week. This year’s licensing round comprises of 57 announced blocks or parts of blocks, of…
First oil at Shell’s Stones project in the Gulf of Mexico is on the horizon, as the Turritella floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO) set sail from Singapore this month. The Turritella…
Statoil is saying goodbye to Alaska exploration and has decided to exit its leases in the Chukchi Sea following recent results in nearby leases, in addition to finding the leases no longer competitive. Map of Alaskan leases Statoil is exiting…
Norwegian seismic technology firm Magseis has entered into an agreement with Shell Global Solutions International for the further joint development of a system to deploy Magseis’ MASS technology in ultra deepwater. The agreement regulates…
Even before the drastic drop in oil prices, deepwater extraction costs were under examination, as costs had nearly quadrupled in the past 10 years. The price collapse has created a greater urgency for rethinking how the industry does business…
UK-based ROV and trenching vehicle manufacturer Specialist Machine Developments (SMD) is to cut 80 jobs in the wake of its largest ever order being suspended due to Russian sanctions. Image from SMD Facebook…
Technip Oceania has awarded Civmec a fabrication contract for 17 subsea jumper spools and associated lifting equipment for Shell’s Prelude FLNG project. Civmec said it has gained valuable experience through the delivery of spools for…
Two seismic acquisition campaigns are due to start offshore Myanmar in coming weeks according to reports of a notice in state media from the country. UK-based BG Group and Australia’s Woodside Energy will both start 3D campaigns later this month using the Ramform Sovereign and Ramform Titan…
The numbers are staggering. At US$50/bbl, at least 20% of production in the North Sea is loss making, an industry event was told last week. And that is likely to be a conservative estimate. Faced with what has been called “a perfect storm” by many – high operating costs…
There is just over a week left to enter the 2016 Offshore Achievement Awards, which offers companies and individuals the opportunity to be recognized among some of the industry’s greatest success stories of the last 30 years. Entries for the 30th annual awards…
A team from diesel power specialist Royston has completed the engine overhaul on the Bluewater-owned Haewene Brim floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel. The facility has operated in the Pierce field in the UK sector of the North Sea since 1999…
The Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board received successful bids from Statoil Canada to invest nearly US$61.7 million (CAD $82 million) to explore two properties, which were part of the board's 2015 call for bids. 'We are thrilled…
Transocean has chosen to delay the operating and delivery contracts for two newbuild ultra-deepwater drillships by 12 months, the company announced on 26 October. Transcocean, working with its customer, Shell, and the shipyard, Daewoo…
The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has pushed back its deadline to make a decision on Shell’s US$70 billion bid for BG Group. The ACCC says the deadline, initially set to September 17, before being delayed until November 12…