Statoil is awaiting the arrival of two of its Cat J jackup rigs in the Norwegian North Sea, one destined for the Gullfaks field and the other for the Oseberg field. Category J drawing. Image from Statoil…
Statoil installed its first unmanned wellhead platform, the Oseberg H for its Oseberg Vestflanken 2 on the Norwegian Continental Shelf this summer. Oseberg Vestflanken 2 installation. Image from Statoil…
ASV Global has started phase 2 of a multi-phased project with Shell aiming to develop an unmanned seismic energy source vessel as part of their Rapid Autonomous Marine 4D (RAM4D) source concept. Upcoming trials for the project will include…
The topside and jacket for the Oseberg Vestflanken 2 unmanned wellhead platform set sail on 25 and 26 June respectively from Heerema Fabrication Group’s (HFG) Heerema Zwijndrecht yard in the Netherlands. The platform and jacket will be…
Kvaerner and Aker BP have signed a framework agreement that will see Kvaerner provide construction and hook-up of fixed offshore platforms, including topsides and steel jacket substructures. The first project of the deal is set to be the Valhall West Flank normally unmanned installation…
A new publication to help guide the growing use offshore of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) – also known as drones - has been published by Oil & Gas UK. The Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Operations Management Standards and Guidelines were developed by a work group set up by the trade body…
Valhall and Hod have passed 1 billion boe produced, more than three times what was expected at the opening of the field in 1982, Aker BP said. Image of Valhall, from Aker BP. Hod…
Unmanned autonomous systems and the internet of things are two phrases that are bandied about a lot. But, it’s not so often that they have come together and within the marine environment in a project involving offshore industry players – albeit those who also have a foot in the defense sector…
Premier Oil's Solan field, west of Shetland, was shut-in over concerns about safety on the what was designed to be normally unmanned facility. The Solan oilfield came onstream in April this year. The to be normally unmanned facility…
UK firm Automated Ships and Norway’s Kongsberg Maritime have signed a memorandum of understanding to build the world’s first unmanned and fully-automated vessel for offshore operations. In January 2017, Automated Ships will contract the Hrönn…
Unmanned facilities are being given serious consideration offshore Norway. Elaine Maslin reports. Percentage of unmanned platforms per North Sea sector. Unmanned distribution. Image from Ramboll…
An aversion to risk, the race to be second, impairs the oil and gas industry’s ability to innovate. Yet, the oil price slump, from mid-2014 to today, has been a “brutal wake-up call,” creating a realization that working smarter in a…
Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has given Statoil the green light to move forward with the development of its unmanned Oseberg Vestflanken 2 project that is expected to tap some 110 MMboe in the North Sea. Illustration…
Additive manufacturing and unmanned robotics have topped a list of key new technologies for the oil and gas industry. The two were identified as part of a survey of exhibitors at Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston by risk consultancy services group Lloyd’s Register…
Independent Oil and Gas (IOG) is planning to submit a field development plan for the southern North Sea Blythe field and nearby discoveries. The move is likely to involve a small unmanned platform, with pre-installed risers for future tie-back opportunities…