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Canyon News

20 Dec 2023

US Gulf of Mexico oil Auction is Largest Since 2015

© arsenypopel / Adobe Stock

A Biden administration auction of Gulf of Mexico drilling rights raised $382 million on Wednesday as oil companies claimed offshore acreage for what is set to be the last time until 2025.The auction total was the highest of any federal offshore oil and gas lease sale since 2015, according to a Reuters tally.Shell, Hess, Anadarko, BP, Chevron, Repsol and Equinor were among the 26 companies that participated in the sale.Anadarko had the auction's highest bid of more than $25 million for a block in the deepwater Mississippi Canyon area, according to an online broadcast of the sale by the U.S.

04 May 2023

American Cruise Lines Christens Two New Riverboats

(Photos: American Cruise Lines)

In a canyon at the Idaho border and alongside a bayou in Louisiana, two nearly identical cruise ships were just christened. American Cruise Lines announced the christening of sister ships American Jazz and American Serenade, two of the lines’ six new riverboats.“The two christenings, one in a desert canyon and one on the bayou, show the incredible breadth of river cruise options in the USA,” said Charles B. Robertson, President & CEO, American Cruise Lines. “They also show the growth of American Cruise Lines and the range of places that we explore.

03 Jan 2023

Volstad Orders NES Battery Pack for Subsea Construction Vessel

(Photo: Volstad Maritime)

Norway's Volstad Maritime has contracted HAV Group subsidiary Norwegian Electric Systems (NES) to deliver the battery package and associated control system for battery charging to one of its subsea construction vessels.Bergen-based NES will provide the equipment to the Deep Cygnus in connection with a forthcoming vessel upgrade to battery power notation before the vessel enters a new charter contract in early 2024.During the past six months, Volstad Maritime has also contracted NES to deliver similar battery packs and charging system to the Volantis…

08 Nov 2022

Freire Shipyard Floats MBARI's New Research Vessel

(Photo: Freire Shipyard)

The hull of MBARI’s new flagship research vessel has been floated out at Freire Shipyard in Spain.The new oceanographic vessel, David Packard, which entered the waters of the Vigo estuary for the first time last month, is scheduled for delivery in 2023 to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), a private, non-profit oceanographic research center in Moss Landing, Calif.“The RV David Packard will be the first state-of-the-art research vessel built not only in Spain…

08 Nov 2022

HAV's NES to Supply Battery Pack for Offshore Construction Vessel

Grand Canyon III - Credit: Manfred Sesemann/AdobeStock

Norwegian offshore vessel owner Volstad Maritime has contracted Norwegian Electric Systems AS (NES) to deliver the battery pack and associated control system for battery charging to the Grand Canyon III offshore construction vessel. “The demand for retrofitting battery power on board offshore vessels continues to grow as many shipowners, such as Volstad Maritime, are dedicated to reducing their carbon footprint. Lower operating expenditure through reduced fuel consumption is an additional…

21 Oct 2022

MBARI to Transfer Research Vessel to Florida Institute of Oceanography

MBARI’s Western Flyer will take on a new life as a sailing classroom for the Florida Institute of Oceanography. (Photo: MBARI)

MBARI revealed plans to grant its 25-year-old research vessel Western Flyer to the University of South Florida where the vessel will begin a new life as a sailing classroom for the university's Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO).“We’re thrilled the Western Flyer will be sailing on to an exciting new chapter at the Florida Institute of Oceanography,” said MBARI President and CEO Chris Scholin. “The ocean plays a vital role in sustaining life on Earth. With the Western Flyer…

17 Oct 2022

Nord Stream Breaches a Stark Reminder of Undersea Infrastructure Vulnerabilities

The gas leak at Nord Stream 2 in September seen from the Danish F-16 interceptor on Bornholm. Photo: Danish Defence

On the night of September 26, near the end of the calm season on the Baltic, a broiling kilometer-wide circle disturbed the face of the sea and a huge mass of methane erupted into the air. The gas formed a cloud that crossed Europe, in what’s considered the greatest single release of this potent greenhouse gas ever recorded.It was caused by four breaches of Russia’s Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, located in or near the territorial seas of Denmark and Sweden. Seismologists detected explosions at a depth of 70-90 meters on the seabed.

23 Aug 2022

Helix, Volstad Agree Long Term Charters for Construction Support Vessel Duo

Helix Robotics Solutions Limited, the U.K. Robotics division of Helix Energy Solutions Group, and the Norwegian shipowner Volstad Maritime have agreed on five-year charter extensions for both the Grand Canyon II and Grand Canyon III construction support vessels to continue working on projects across multiple energy sectors.The two vessels have been under long-term charter with Helix since 2015 and 2016, respectively. The extended charter for the Grand Canyon II runs from January 2023 through the end of 2027, while the extended charter for the Grand Canyon III runs from May 2023 through May 2028, with a further option to extend. Financial details were not disclosed.

13 Jul 2022

One Million Gallons Collected from US' Longest Running Oil Spill

Research vessel at the Taylor Energy oil spill site offshore of Louisiana pre-containment. (Photo: NOAA)

Response crews have collected more than one million gallons of oil from a Gulf of Mexico spill that has been ongoing for nearly 20 years.The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and partner agencies have been working to contain oil that continues to leak from damaged wells in Mississippi Canyon Block 20 (MC-20), located 11 miles south of the Louisiana shoreline, after storm surge from Hurricane Ivan in 2004 triggered an underwater mudslide that toppled Taylor Energy's MC-20 platform. The active spill is the longest-running in U.S.

07 Feb 2022

BSEE Inspects Murphy Oil’s New King’s Quay Platform Ahead of First Oil

(Photo: BSEE)

U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) inspectors and engineers last week carried out an offshore regulatory pre-production inspection of Murphy Oil’s King’s Quay floating production system (FPS) platform. The facility, a semi-submersible FPS, is now currently moored in Green Canyon Block 433 in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, about 175 miles south of New Orleans.“The first offshore follow-up inspection is a very crucial time in the installation of a new production platform in the Gulf,” said BSEE Houma District production supervisor Micah Charpentier.

18 Jan 2022

U.S. Gulf of Mexico: 'Encouraging Result' at Winterfell-2 Offshore Well

Credit: Kosmos Energy

The drilling of Beacon Offshore Energy's Winterfell-2 appraisal well on Block 943 in the Green Canyon area of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico has been completed with the well showing encouraging results, Kosmos Energy, a partner in the project said Tuesday.The Winterfell-2 well, where Kosmos' working interest is ~16.4%, was drilled to evaluate the adjacent fault block to the northwest of the original Winterfell discovery and was designed to test two horizons that were oil bearing in the Winterfell-1 well…

11 Jan 2022

Dry Bulk: Heavy Rains Disrupt Shipping in Southeast Brazil

© Caio / Adobe Stock

Heavy rainfall in southeastern Brazil has prompted miners including Vale SA to suspend some operations, they said on Monday, after downpours caused deadly floods in the northeast and threatened to delay harvests in the midwest.Rainfall is expected to remain heavy this week in most of top mining state Minas Gerais, after runoff closed roads and railways.The rains may also have contributed to the dramatic collapse of a canyon rock face in the state on Saturday, killing 10 people visiting a waterfall on boats.In the northeastern state of Bahia…

18 Nov 2021

Chevron, Exxon Among Top Spenders at Biden Offshore Auction

Illustration - Credit: scandamerican/AdobeStock

U.S. oil majors Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp were among the top buyers at a federal auction of oil leases in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday that generated more than $190 million - the highest since 2019.The auction was a boon for federal coffers, but a potential setback for the climate policies of U.S. President Joe Biden, whose administration tried to suspend federal lease sales to fight global warming before a court forced them to proceed.The United States was also…

17 Nov 2021

Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale Pulls in $191.6 Million

© Troy V Smith / Adobe Stock

The Biden administration's auction of oil drilling rights in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico generated more than $190 million in high bids, bringing in more money for taxpayers than any government offshore lease sale since early 2019.The Department of Interior auction came days after the U.S. joined a global agreement that for the first time asked governments to accelerate emissions cuts by phasing down coal and fossil fuel subsidies.It was the first auction under President Joe Biden, whose administration paused drilling sales under a promise to end development on federal properties.

22 Sep 2021

King’s Quay Floating Production Unit Reaches Texas

Credit: Cosco Shipping

China's Cosco Shipping has earlier this month delivered the King’s Quay floating production unit to Ingleside, Texas, aboard its M/V Xiang An Kou semi-submersible heavy transportation vessel, after a long journey from South Korea.The 21,498mt platform, built by Hyundai Heavy Industries, will be used for Murphy Oil's offshore oil field developments around 175 miles south of New Orleans in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.The King’s Quay floating production unit is scheduled to go into service in 2022.

13 Sep 2021

McDermott's Amazon Vessel to Install Pipelines at Shell's Whale Project

Credit: McDermott

Offshore installation firm McDermott said Monday that its upgraded Amazon vessel was coming to the Gulf of Mexico to support a subsea contract for the Whale Development in Alaminos Canyon.Oil major Shell in July reached a final investment decision for its Whale deepwater field development. Discovered in 2017, Whale will feature a semi-submersible production host in more than 8,600 feet (2621 meters) of water with 15 oil-producing wells.McDermott will provide engineering, procurement…

09 Sep 2021

US Gulf of Mexico Oil Production Losses Lead to Cargo Cancellations

© momentscatcher / Adobe Stock

U.S. oil offshore losses remained at 76% on Thursday after Hurricane Ida hit the Gulf of Mexico, according to government data, which prolonged outages and caused the first oil cargo shipment cancellations to buyers in Asia.Production should be disrupted for several more days amid lasting damages to transfer stations and offshore facilities used by different companies, analysts said, with impact to oil prices."It seems to be at least more than a week away until most of the shut-in Gulf of Mexico production is restored…

03 Sep 2021

Noble Corp. Sends Force Majeure Notice to Shell over Drillship Damaged in Storm

Offshore drilling contractor Noble Corporation has sent a force majeure notice to its client Shell over the Noble Globetrotter II drillship contract after the rig was damaged earlier this week in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico in severe weather during Hurricane Ida. The 2013-built ultra-deepwater drillship has a contract with Shell lasting until early September 2023 at a flexible day rate of at least $275,000.U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday that the drillship, located 80 nautical miles south, southeast of Grand Isle, La., in the Gulf of Mexico, had sustained damage and that a plan was being developed to bring the vessel into port for repairs.Around 140 crew members were on board when the storm hit, Reuters reported earlier this week, citing USCG petty officer Carlos Galarza said.Noble Corp.

08 Jun 2021

ABB to Equip MBARI’s New Research Vessel

RV David Packard. Image credit Glosten © 2021 MBARI

ABB said it will supply power integration technology to support operations on a new research vessel being built for the MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) at Freire Shipyard in Vigo, Spain.Earlier this year, MBARI, located in Moss Landing, Calif., announced construction of a new state-of-the-art research vessel designed by Seattle-based Glosten and named in honor of its founder, David Packard. The 50-meter vessel is scheduled to be delivered in 2023.R/V David Packard will feature a wide scope of ABB’s electric…

20 Apr 2021

Glosten to Design, Freire Shipyard to Build MBARI's New Research Vessel

Photo courtesy Glosten © 2021 MBARI

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) is embarking on a new chapter in its ocean research with the construction of a state-of-the-art ship, a vessel named in honor of MBARI’s founder, David Packard. The R/V David Packard will be capable of accommodating diverse expeditions in Monterey Bay and beyond to further the institute’s mission to explore and understand our changing ocean.It will measure 50 x 12.8 m with a 3.7 m draft, designed to  support a crew of 12, plus a science crew of 18.

23 Feb 2021

American Cruise Lines Adds Sixth Ship to Pacific Northwest

American Harmony (Photo: American Cruise Lines)

American Cruise Lines now has six ships in the Pacific Northwest for 2021, with four of them operating on the Columbia and Snake Rivers.One of the line’s riverboats American Harmony completed its recent journey from the East Coast to the Pacific Northwest via the Panama Canal. The newest addition to American’s Columbia River fleet comes at the same time that the line is preparing to introduce two more new riverboats to the Mississippi River.Upon arrival in Astoria, Ore., American Harmony joined modern series sister-ship American Song…

08 Feb 2021

VIDEO: BP's Argos Platform Sails Away from S. Korea

Credit: Boskalis

Oil major BP has informed that its Argos oil platform, built by Samsung Heavy Industry, has set sail from South Korea and is en route to Texas.The platform, which will be capable of producing up to 140,000 gross barrels of crude oil per day from up to 14 production wells, will be deployed in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico as part of the Mad Dog 2 development.As previously reported, the Argos platform weighing almost 70,000 tons was in January loaded on Boskalis' semi-submersible heavy transport vessel BOKA Vanguard preparation for the sailaway.Announcing the sailaway…

29 Jan 2021

Gallery: BP's Giant Argos Platform Loaded on BOKA Vanguard in South Korea

Credit: Boskalis

BP's giant Argos offshore platform, to be used for the Mad Dog 2 development in the Gulf of Mexico, was this week loaded on Boskalis' BOKA Vanguard vessel in South Korea and is preparing set sail for the U.S.According to Boskalis, the Dutch marine services contractor, the giant Argos floating production unit weighing nearly 70,000 tons was floated onto Boskalis' semi-submersible heavy transport vessel BOKA Vanguard on Tuesday."The vessel was submerged well over 29 meters to make this happen.

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