Yesterday’s or Tomorrow’s Offshore Energy: Which to Pick?
Looking back, it is easy to wonder if one could have done better by taking the other fork in the road. I grew up in Holland in a maritime family and am pretty sure I would have stuck with maritime there. In 1968, when I was 8 years old, my father left Holland America Line and joined the United States Salvage Association. At the same time, their main customer, the U.S. marine insurance industry, became heavily involved in the development of North Sea offshore oil and gas, and it resulted in an economic boom that made USSA’s Rotterdam office wildly profitable.
Wärtsilä to Optimize Performance for Songa Offshore Drill Rigs
The technology group Wärtsilä has signed a five-year technical management and services agreement with Songa Offshore for four Cat-D type semi-submersible drilling rigs operating in the North Sea. Through the partnership with Wärtsilä, Songa Offshore ensures optimal performance and maximum availability of the Wärtsilä engines and thrusters on board the drilling rigs, which operate in extremely harsh conditions. This is possible with real-time knowledge of the actual condition of the equipment, provided by Wärtsilä's digital offering.
The Changing Tides of Marine Operation
Ships have been sailing the seas for thousands of years, and with modern technological advances and innovation, the industry continues to improve and innovate. While in 1912 the Titanic hit an iceberg that it couldn’t detect, today, connected devices, modern radar, sonar, data and GPS equipment are able to show where obstacles lie and re-route any ship onto a safer path, whether it’s carrying holidaymakers, LNG or cargo. Just as connected devices are making headway on land, with computer chips in cars…
LNG America Taps Paitl for VP Marine Ops
LNG America welcomes Captain George “Joe” Paitl to position of VP Marine Operations and HSSE Compliance. Capt. Paitl is a retired US Coast Guard senior officer who most recently held the position of Commanding Officer and Captain of the Port, Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur, where he oversaw safety, security, law enforcement, and environmental regulatory compliance across a 39,000 square mile area spanning Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana; the Port Arthur unit includes the nation's busiest commercial military cargo port…
Kværner Yard to Upgrade H-6e Offshore Drill Rig
Norway's Kværner ASA informs that the H-6e drilling rig 'Transocean Barents' will arrive Kvaerner's facilities at Stord this week for a two month yard stay. The main purpose of the stay is the five year classification of the rig, as well as upgrade and modification work. When the rig arrives, it will first spend a couple of days in the fjord outside Kvaerner's Stord facility. Once quayside, the campaign is expected to last for approximately two months. After the inshore work, there will be a short period of sea trials in Klosterfjorden. The Transocean Barents is an Aker H-6e sixth generation dual activity dynamically-positioned semi-submersible drilling rig designed to operate in harsh environments and water depths up to 10 000 feet.
Offshore Drill-Rig 'Hercules Triumph' Arrives India
Logistics and marine services provider, GAC Sri Lanka, chartered three anchor-handling tug boats to off-land the 'Hercules Triumph' from heavy-lift vessel 'Target' at Trincomalee Anchorage, Sri Lanka, then arranged further towage over 700 NM miles to Kakinada, Indai arriving 8 days later. The rig is ready to start drilling operations for CAIRN Energy at the RAVVA offshore oil field. As part of its task to oversee the entire project, GAC Sri Lanka was also responsible for domestic air transfers of Hercules Offshore officials to and from the site.
Shell's Arctic Drilling Hiatus
Both of Shell's offshore drill rigs used during last year's oil exploration season to be transported to Asian shipyards for inspection and repair. The decision suggests the Kulluk and the Noble Discoverer -- Shell's only drilling rigs for the Arctic -- need major work and calls into further question whether Shell will be able to resume drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas this year. Two federal investigations are under way into Shell's Alaska operations, reports the 'Anchorage Daily News'. With both of its Arctic rigs in need of repair, Shell hasn't made any decision on drilling this year. It must have two rigs at the ready, with one serving as a backup to drill a relief well in case of a blowout.
DSME Open Offshore Drill Simulator
Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) opens a drilling and well control simulation laboratory. The DSME R&D Institute has perfectly recreated a drill ship and semi-rig control room in the DSME Seoul office building. This drilling simulator development is the first in Korea and the laboratory is almost identical to the drilling control room on drill ships and semi-rigs. By using this simulator, people can experience lifelike drilling equipment control. There is a 3D display and guide system so people are able to experience a virtual tour of a semi-rig. Through the development of the simulator laboratory, DSME has established itself as an active player in the development of offshore plant equipment technology which was an area previously monopolized by U.S.
Korea's Daewoo Wins Offshore Drill Platform Order
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) wins US$1.94-billion order. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering says it has won a 2.2 trillion won ($1.94 billion) contract to build five fixed drilling platforms for an unnamed Africa-based firm. The South Korean shipbuilder said in a regulatory filing that the contract was expected to be completed by April, 2016. Source: Reuters
Offshore Drill Ships Start Work off Vietnam
Northern Offshore, Ltd. semi-submersibles Energy Driller and drillship Energy Searcher have commenced operations off Vietnam coast. The Energy Searcher went on dayrate under the contract with the Joint Operating Company Vietgazprom, a joint venture between Petrovietnam and Gazprom, ("VGP") for their drilling program offshore Vietnam on April 6, 2012. The duration is for a four-well program expected to last approximately 100 days per well. The estimated contract value is approximately US$72 million.
Chinese Shipyard COSCO Gets Order for Offshore Drill Rig
COSCO (Nantong) Shipyard Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of COSCO Shipyard Group Co. Ltd., has secured a contract with SEADRILL to construct a self erecting tender drilling rig T18 valued at USD 75 million, excluding owner furnished drilling equipment. The new drilling rig, T18, when completed, will be equipped with enhanced drilling capabilities allowing for higher drilling efficiency including the advantage of a light weight drilling equipment set. The rig is capable to drill at 6,500 feet and a drilling depth capacity of 20,000 feet. SEADRILL has now exercised the last of the options awarded by COSCO. SEADRILL was awarded altogether two options (over T17 and T18) in February 2011 when T15 and T16 were contracted. The option over T17 was exercised in April 2011, as announced on 13 April 2011.
Offshore Drill Ship Secured for East African Field
Pancontinental Oil & Gas announce that the Kenya L8 licence operator Apache Kenya Limited (Apache) has secured the use of the deepwater drilling ship Deepsea Metro 1 to drill the giant Mbawa Prospect. Apache is anticipating a spud date within Q3 2012, with the actual date depending on when the drilling rig is finished with its current operations. The well is expected to take some 45 to 60 days to complete to a planned total depth of 3,250m subsea in water depth of 860m, easily within the range of modern equipment.
Chinese Offshore Drill Equipment – CAT Chosen for Engines, Transmissions
Caterpillar is to provide engine and transmission packages to SJ Petroleum Machinery, Co., for its newest model fracturing truck. Founded in 1941, SJ Petroleum is one of China’s largest manufacturers of petroleum drilling and production equipment. Cat® will be supplying 3512C HD engines and TH55 transmission packages to serve as the power modules for the company’s Model 2500 fracturing trucks for well service applications. These fracturing rigs are the first produced by the Chinese OEM for the China market. The Cat 3512C HD petroleum engine for hydraulic fracturing, rated from 1678 bkW (2250 bhp) to 1864 bkW (2500 bhp) at 1900 rpm…
Coast Guard, BSEE: Repsol Rig Review Complete
Personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement completed a review of the mobile offshore drilling unit Scarabeo 9, Monday, off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago. The review followed an invitation from the vessel’s operator, Repsol. While aboard the Scarabeo 9, personnel reviewed vessel construction, drilling equipment, and safety systems – including lifesaving and firefighting equipment, emergency generators, dynamic positioning systems, machinery spaces, and the blowout preventer – in anticipation of its scheduled drilling operations in Cuba’s exclusive economic zone in the coming months. The review is consistent with U.S. efforts to minimize the possibility of a major oil spill, which would hurt U.S.
Signal Wins Transocean Drillship Project
Signal International, Inc. announced it has been awarded a contract from Transocean UK Limited, to refurbish and upgrade the Deepwater Navigator drillship. The initial contract is valued at $32.4m. The work is slated to be performed at Signal’s shipyards in Pascagoula, Miss. and Mobile, Ala. The drillship will arrive the second week in October at Signal’s East Bank shipyard in Pascagoula where an extensive list of repairs and upgrades will be performed. Major items include living quarters enhancements and refurbishment; the fabrication and installation of a new helicopter deck; high and low pressure pipe system replacement; major equipment removals and repair, ventilation system enhancements, and the upgrade of electrical power, communication and control systems.
DNV Garners Additional USCG Authorization
Det Norske Veritas (DNV) is now cleared by the U.S. Coast Guard to administer the following certificates: SOLAS Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate; SOLAS Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate; and International Safety Management (ISM) Code (DOC and SMC). Additionally, DNV is collaborating with the Coast Guard on other statutory certificates the Coast Guard may delegate, such as: International Certificates of Fitness for Carrying Liquefied Gases and Hazardous Chemicals in Bulk; Mobile Offshore Drill Unit International Safety Certificate; and MARPOL International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate for Carrying Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk. Until late 1996, the U.S. Administration delegated only U.S. and International Tonnage certificates to Recognized Organizations.
ASRY Breaks a Record
The first six months of the year have been busy for ASRY with very high occupancy rates across all the docks, the outcome of the second quarter ASRY had its best set of results, which broke previous records for sales and repairs. There has been a high demand during the first half of the year for all the yards services, not only from the shipping industries, but also from the oil and gas sector. During the second quarter of the year there were 56 vessels booked along with 39 repairs completed. Sales revenues were up by 140% over the same period as last year. Contract values per vessel for repairs have also risen in line with these increases. The first six months of this year have seen a total of 103 contracts placed with ASRY.
Daewoo Wins $504m Contract to Build Drill Ship
According to the Asia Pulse, the Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine & Engineering Co., said it had won a 504m order to build an offshore drill ship. The deal, from a U.S. company, calls for Daewoo Shipbuilding to deliver the semi-submersible ship by February 2010. The South Korean company won a total of $4.3b worth of orders in 2006 to build offshore facilities such as platforms and rigs. For 2007, Daewoo Shipbuilding expects more than $3b in orders to build such facilities. Source: Business in Asia
Daewoo Wins $800m in Contracts
According to reports, Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine & Engineering Co., won $800min orders from several European companies to build three bulk carriers and one offshore drill ship. The deals require Daewoo Shipbuilding to deliver the vessels by June 2010, the company said. It did not identify the companies that made the orders. Daewoo Shipbuilding said it has received shipbuilding orders valued at $8.36 billion so far this year, achieving more than 80 per cent of this year's target of $11 billion. Source: Business in Asia Today
Daewoo wins $430m Contract to Build Drill Ship
Daewoo Shipbuilding Marine & Engineering Co., won a $430m order to build an offshore drill ship. The deal from Odfjell Invest Ltd. calls for Daewoo Shipbuilding to deliver the semi-submersible ship by June, 2010, the company said. Daewoo Shipbuilding said that the deal includes an option to build another drill ship. The company won a total of $4.3 billion worth of orders in 2006 to build offshore facilities such as platforms and rigs. For the year, Daewoo Shipbuilding expects more than $3 billion in orders to build such facilities. So far this year, Daewoo Shipbuilding has won $1.65 billion worth of orders to build ships and offshore facilities, about 15 percent of this year's target of $11 billion. Source: Yonhap
Repair Report: GMD Performs Evergreen Repair
This past November, the GMD Group performed emergency repairs to Evergreen's 46,411-gt containership M/V Ever Goods, when its rudder failed in one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world — midway between New York and New Jersey, underneath the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Rather than pay anywhere between five and six million dollars to tow the broken vessel to its homeport in Japan, the owners opted to call on GMD's Bayonne Drydock & Repair, which was conveniently located just a few miles from the bridge. Originally the plan called for the fabrication of a new rudder stock, but when GMD located a never-before used tailshaft with ABS certification papers in San Francisco, Calif. those plans were quick to change.