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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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Offshore Oil News

18 Mar 2024

OMSA Announces New Board Members

(File photo: Bordelon Marine)

Industry trade group the Offshore Marine Service Association (OMSA) announced the addition of four CEOs to its board of directors.The new board members include Wes Bordelon, Chief Executive Officer, Bordelon Marine; Stacy Jo Stanley, Chief Executive Officer, Offshore Oil Services, Inc.; David Dantin, Chief Executive Officer, Odyssea Marine; and Lasse Petterson, Chief Executive Officer, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock."With the addition of these four executive leaders, OMSA pays homage to its roots while welcoming expanded opportunities in emerging energy frontiers…

15 Mar 2024

Ulstein Introduces New Subsea Vessel for Offshore Energy Market

Rendering of ULSTEIN SX232 vessel (Credit: Ulstein)

Norwegian shipbuilder and ship designer Ulstein has developed a new subsea vessel - ULSTEIN SX232 – designed to service the offshore wind market for floating and fixed installations as well as offshore oil and gas industry.Designed for walk-to-work operations in the offshore energy market, the ULSTEIN SX232 features an optimizes hull based on the ULSTEIN TWIN X-STERN design.The vessel is equipped with smart power and propulsion system developed to minimize energy consumption during DP operations and an integrated energy recovery system utilizing all the waste heat in the machinery systems…

10 Mar 2024

Norway Offers $193 Million Funding to Arctic Floating Wind Farm Project

© Marc Dyck / Adobe Stock

A floating offshore wind farm planned in Arctic waters on Friday received 2 billion Norwegian crowns ($193 million) in state funding, with Norway viewing the still costly technology as a key contributor for industry development and emission cuts.The GoliatVind project in the Barents Sea, consisting of five 15 megawatts turbines and seeking to supply power to the Arctic town of Hammerfest, beat out six other applicants in a tender by government agency Enova.Norway hopes that floating offshore wind will provide an industrial future for its offshore supply industry as well as a means of cutting e

01 Mar 2024

US Offshore Wind: Down but Not Out

© Eric Dale Creative / Adobe Stock

“The winds of change are blowing wild and free.” – Bob DylanIn the U.S. offshore wind industry, developments over recent months have placed an exclamation point on the word “wild”. Yes, the wind still blows “free”, but mounting challenges have proven that harnessing its power offshore is anything but. In fact, far from it, as rising materials costs, high interest rates, labor shortages and supply chain delays, among other issues, have delivered heavy blows to the commercial viability of several projects.

01 Mar 2024

Norway's Oil Industry Resumes Helicopter Flights After Deadly Crash

© Photofex / Adobe Stock

Norwegian oil companies resumed helicopter flights to offshore oil and gas fields on Friday following Wednesday's deadly crash off the country's west coast, operator Equinor and airports said on Friday.On Thursday helicopter traffic was halted to oil and gas platforms following the crash in which one person died and five were injured. Norway said it was considering grounding Sikorsky's S-92A aircraft model while investigating the accident."Based on dialogue with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)…

01 Mar 2024

Green(er) Rigs Put Stena Drilling at Forefront of O&G Decarb Push

Image courtesy Stena Drilling

As the offshore oil and gas industry transitions to more sustainable practices, drilling rig operators are faced with demands to implement greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement measures as part of their workload. Being the owner of the first ever drillship that secured DNV’s Abate(P) notation, Scotland-based offshore drilling contractor Stena Drilling discusses everything the company is doing to make its drill-ships ‘greener’.The first step to reducing its carbon footprint for Stena…

18 Feb 2024

Two Dead in Migrant Rescues off Libya

Source: MSF

More than 80 migrants were saved, but two died and three were missing following two sea rescue operations in the Mediterranean off the coast of Libya, the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity said on Sunday.MSF's vessel Geo Barents picked up over 60 people late on Saturday from a rubber dinghy in distress in international waters off Libya. It also recovered one body, and one of the migrants taken on board died shortly after the rescue.Another 19 people were picked up from a nearby abandoned Tunisian offshore oil platform, MSF said.

07 Feb 2024

CBED Inks Full-Year Contract with Hughes Subsea for Wind Evolution SOV

Danish shipowner CBED has signed a contract with Hughes Subsea, a subsidiary of OEG Energy, for Wind Evolution’s first offshore project, just three weeks after acquiring the service operation vessel (SOV).With the new walk-to-work contract, CBED has secured full activity for Wind Evolution SOV until early first quarter of 2025, with two additional one-year options to extend the project contract.OEG Energy’s Hughes Subsea specializes in subsea services across the offshore oil and gas, renewable energy, and other sectors.CBED will take delivery of Wind Evolution end of March 2024.

19 Jan 2024

N-Sea Boosts Fleet with Aquarius-G Subsea Service Vessel

Aquarius G (Credit: N-Sea Group)

Subsea solutions provider N-Sea Group has entered into an agreement with Rederij Groen for long-term charter of the vessel Aquarius-G, an offshore support vessel (OSV) built in 2016.With the length of 68.04 meters, 14.95 meters beam and a draught of 5 meters, Aquarius-G is said to be a well-suited vessel to execute inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM), survey, UXO, and cable operations in the North Sea.With the long-term charter of the 4-WINDS in November 2023 and now the Aquarius-G…

08 Jan 2024

Strategic Marine’s Fast Crew Boats Enter Bruneian Market

(Credit: Strategic Marine)

Singapore's Strategic Marine has signed a shipbuilding contract with Bruneian Amarco for the delivery of its fast crew boats that will serve Bruneian offshore oil and gas sector.The collaboration marks a key milestone for both companies with the latest 4th Generation Fast Crew Boat (FCB) entering the Bruneian market for long term operations.The comprehensive shipbuilding contract encompasses the enabling of the vessel to be future ready for a gyro stabilizer, coupled with the option for the installation of a motion compensated gangway as future capabilities.In line with sustainable practices…

03 Jan 2024

Eastern Awarded Contract to Complete MPSV Builds for Hornbeck

(Image: Eastern Shipbuilding Group)

Panama City Fla. based Eastern Shipbuilding Group announced it has been awarded a contract to complete construction of two ultra high-spec 400 class multipurpose support vessels (MPSVs) for Hornbeck Offshore Services (HOS).The newbuilds were originally started by Gulf Island Shipyards in Houma, La. before Hornbeck terminated the contracts in 2018 over what it described as "performance issues". Gulf Island then sued Hornbeck, claiming the two shipyard construction contracts were wrongfully terminated.

29 Dec 2023

Esgian: New Contracts, Drilling Activities and Rig Moves Across the World

Borgland Dolphin drilling rig (Credit: Dolphin Drilling)

Esgian's last roundup of the year for the Week 52 puts spotlight on new developments for Dolphin Drilling semisub, Seadrill drillships, as well as Shell’s plans for Australia and ONGC’s new tender for jackups in India.ContractsDolphin Drilling has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with an undisclosed operator for the 1,500-ft semisubmersible Borgland Dolphin to undertake a 500-day drilling campaign in the UK. The drilling campaign is planned to begin directly after the firm part of the contract period with EnQuest, which was announced in late November 2023.

29 Dec 2023

Venezuela Slams Deployment of British Warship to Guyana

© Grafvision / Adobe Stock

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday said the deployment of a British warship to waters off the coast of Guyana breaches the "spirit" of an agreement reached between Venezuelan and Guyanese authorities.Guyana and Venezuela agreed earlier this month to avoid the use of force and avoid increasing tensions in the long border dispute over the oil-rich Essequibo territory.The 160,000-square-km (62,000-square-mile) Essequibo region is generally recognized as part of Guyana…

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.

20 Dec 2023

Top 10 Things to Watch in Offshore Wind in '24

Copyright Infi Studio/AdobeStock

Despite short-term obstacles driven by high inflation and interest rates coupled with supply chain issues, we maintain that the foundations supporting long-term offshore wind activity remain solid. As we prepare for the new year, let us look at 10 factors that will shape the offshore wind sector in 2024.1. A Continuously Dynamic Energy TrilemmaThe dynamic relationship of the three key drivers of affordable energy, energy security and energy transition was clearly evident in 2023 as energy affordability and security were generally more prominent themes than the transition.

18 Dec 2023

MODEC and Toray Develop New FPSO Repair Technique

(Credit: Aastels / Adobe Stock)

MODEC and Toray Industries have jointly developed a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) patch technique for repairs on Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO), and Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) systems.FPSO and FSO repair services provided by MODEC, a general contractor specializing in engineering, construction, operation, and maintenance services of offshore oil and gas vessels, will utilize this CFRP patch technique for pitting corrosion repair from 2024.The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)…

15 Dec 2023

Achieving Digital Transformation in the Marine Industry

Image credit: Siemens

Like so many other industries in transportation, the marine industry is being challenged on multiple fronts—from a shortage of manpower and emerging digital technologies to sustainability requirements. In the face of these growing pressures, ship designers increasingly rely on digital transformation to stay competitive and deliver higher-quality products. Digital transformation offers many solutions across a ship’s lifecycle, from design and crew training to interconnectivity and automation…

11 Dec 2023

Yinson Aims to Curb FPSO Emissions with Carbon Capture

(Photo: Yinson)

Yinson is aiming to leverage advanced carbon capture technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its FPSO operations.The company announced its Yinson Production Offshore Pte Ltd arm has made a strategic investment in Ionada, developer of innovative carbon capture technology.According to Yinson, Ionada's technology has potential to support the offshore oil and gas industry's transition to low-carbon operations. Furthermore, the technology presents new business opportunities…

17 Nov 2023

MODEC Hits Milestone: First Steel Cut in China for Guyana-Bound FPSO Errea Wittu

Credit: MODEC (file image)

Japanese FPSO leasing firm MODEC said Thursday that the first steel-cutting ceremony for the Guyana-bound FPSO Errea Wittu had been held in China.MODEC secured its first order to supply an FPSO to Guyana in May 2023. The order came from an ExxonMobil-led consortium and is for the deployment of the FPSO to the giant Stabroek offshore block in Guyana, where Exxon already has three FPSOs in production, all three supplied by SBM Offshore.According to World Energy Reports, China's DSIC has the construction hull contract…

15 Nov 2023

PIRIOU Delivers Second OPV to Senegalese Armed Forces

PIRIOU President Vincent Faujour and El Hadji Omar Youm in front of a model of the Walo © PIRIOU

French shipyard PIRIOU has delivered a second offshore patrol vessel to the Senegalese Navy.The vessel is part of the OPV 58 S class vessel program. The contract, signed in November 2019, covered the acquisition of three offshore patrol vessels. After the Walo, delivered last June, and while the Cayor is being fitted out in Concarneau, the Niani is now flying the Senegalese flag ahead of schedule.Minister of the Armed Forces Omar Youm stated that “the acquisition of three offshore patrol vessels is an excellent demonstration of the significant investments made by the State of Senegal…

13 Nov 2023

N-Sea Charters Offshore Support Vessel from Rederij Groen

Credit: N-Sea Group

Subsea services firm N-Sea Group has agreed to charter Rederij Groen's Dutch-flagged vessel 4-WINDS, an offshore support vessel built in 2012. The 4-WINDS is 60.25 meters long, with a 14.95-meter beam and a draught of 5 meters.According to N-Sea Group, which offers survey, IRM & construction, subsea cable repair & installation, and UXO ID and disposal services, the 4-WINDS is the ideal vessel to execute survey and other subsea tasks in the North Sea. "With the long-term charter of the 4-WINDS N-Sea is strengthening its footprint and position in the subsea service industry…

01 Nov 2023

Brazilian Offshore Uptick Could Tighten US OSV Fleet

(File photo: Jackson Offshore Operators)

Increased activity in the Brazilian offshore oil and gas sector could help strengthen the market recovery for offshore supply vessels (OSV) in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.In early October, Brazilian state-owned oil company Petrobras issued requests for quotations (RFQ) for up to 20 OSVs ranging from 3,000 to over 4,500 deadweight tons to support upcoming drilling and production activities. The value of all of these potential long-term charters could approach $1 billion.While Petrobras typically prefers to use Brazilian-flagged vessels…

27 Oct 2023

U.S. Appeals Court Blocks Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Sale Expansion, Pending Appeal

Credit: donvictori0/AdobeStock

A U.S. appeals court on Thursday temporarily paused a federal judge's order last month that had required the Biden administration to expand a planned offshore oil and gas auction in the Gulf of Mexico by 6 million acres (2.4 million hectares).The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit stayed the September decision pending an appeal, according to a court document. Oral arguments are scheduled for Nov. 13 in New Orleans.The order was the latest in a legal fight over offshore drilling and federal protection of an endangered species of whale.

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