Baker Hughes Inc. issued the October 2014 international rotary drilling rig count today, showing a total of 1308 rigs operating worldwide in October 2014, outside of the US & Canada. International activity in October was down 15 rigs from the 1323 rigs drilling in September 2014…
Statoil’s final well in its 2013-2014 drilling campaign, wildcat well 7227/10-1, has come up dry and is permanently being plugged and abandoned, according to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD). Map from Statoil…
Atkins installed the subsea oil storage tank on the 40 million barrel Solan field west of Shetland, in the UK. Solan tank arrives on site. From Atkins. Fabricated at Dry Docks World Dubai…
The UK Government has announced that 134 licenses, covering 252 blocks, are being offered in the 28th offshore licensing round. Statoil, Total, Nexen, and EnQuest have the largest haul of operated licenses offered. A large number of smaller…
Andy Samuel, currently Managing Director of BG Group’s Exploration and Production in Europe, has been appointed as the inaugural CEO of the newly formed independent UK regulator, the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA). The UK government is…
BP is assessing a further phase development on its west of Shetland Clair field, which could see another new, large central processing facility built in the field. The move will seek widely spread areas of the estimated 7-8 billion barrel oil originally in place Clair field…
Statoil has decided to suspend two new rigs due to overcapacity in the rig portfolio. The semisubmersibles Transocean Spitsbergen and Songa Trym will be suspended through 2014, a period which might be extended. The Transocean Spitsbergen…
Testing, calibration and advisory services provider Exova Group has opened a new, purpose-built facility in Aberdeen in response to increasing demand for mission-critical testing in the oil and gas sector. Officially launched by Malcolm Webb…
Odfjell Drilling has taken delivery of Deepsea Aberdeen semisubmersible drilling rig from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in Korea. Deepsea Aberdeen, pictured, is a sixth generation ultra deepwater and harsh environment semisubmersible of enhanced GVA 7500 design…
BP awarded Emerson Process Management a US$40 million contract to be the main automation contractor for the Shah Deniz Stage 2 development project in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea. Upon the terms of the agreement, Emerson will…
RWE Dea Norge has started drilling the Atlas exploration well in production license 420 after approval from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD). Atlas, also known as well 35/9-12 S, is located in the North Sea approximately 45km off Norway…
Calgary-based Talisman Energy has said it may suffer writedowns on its UK North Sea assets in Q4 due to battling production efficiency and cost issues on its assets in the basin. In its third-quarter report, Talisman said its UK North…
Statoil aims to shed a further 15% on the capital cost for the Johan Castberg development, offshore Norway, before it can move forward, its project manager said. The up to 600MMboe Barents Sea Johan Castberg project has been delayed twice…
Obsolescence is not a new issue for the offshore energy industry, however, it remains an insidious creeping plague, which hides in the wake of new and changing technologies to take everyone by surprise around 10 years into the system life cycle…
Simon Frost explains the role of engineered composite repairs in late life asset management. A tubular brace, having suffered wall loss through external corrosion, was reinstated to its original…