Energy Service News

This week Esgian’s Week 50 Rig Analytics Market Roundup notes developments in the semisub sector including that Shell has decided to exercise its option on Stena Don in the North Sea but not on Deepsea Bollsta in Namibia. Meanwhile, a new contract for the Transocean Barents will see it operate in the Black Sea, and jackup Shelf Drilling Perseverance will move to Vietnam.ContractsShelf Drilling has secured a contract award for the 400ft Shelf Drilling Perseverance jackup rig with PetroVietnam Domestic Exploration Production Operating Company Limited (PVEP POC).

More shuttle tankers will be needed in the years ahead to keep pace with a projected rise in oil volumes needing transport, Rystad Energy said.Produced volumes requiring transport key shuttle tanker markets Brazil, Canada, Norway, the U.K. and Russia are expected to rise to 3.3 billion barrels per year before the end of the decade, jumping 35% from 2.5 billion in 2021, according to a recent report from the Norwegian analyst group.Apart from minor dips in total utilization across these countries in 2018 and 2021…

KOTUG International B.V. and Shift Clean Energy announced the formation of a partnership to use Shift’s new PwrSwäp clean energy service—which uses swappable batteries on a pay-as-you-go basis—on KOTUG’s E-Pusher vessels.The signing of the MoU coincides with COP26 in Glasgow, where reducing global greenhouse gases (GHGs) is at the top of the agenda. The combined services support the maritime industry in reaching this goal today, without requiring any upfront capital costs and at competitive rates, the partners said.Shift’s technologies provide a ready to market pay-as-you-go service.

More FPSO contracts were awarded in the second quarter of 2021 than during the whole of 2020, with Rystad Energy expecting FPSO awards to reach a total of 10 units in 2021. Rystad has also noted muted interest from suppliers for some recent FPSO tenders, citing a nearly full capacity with several suppliers unable to take on new projects.Further, Rystad sees another 10 FPSO orders in 2022, which will, according to the Norwegian energy intelligence group, create "a very healthy project line-up for contractors…

Heavyweight oilfield service providers like Saipem and Baker Hughes are moving past just oil and gas projects and embracing more renewable energy projects going forward.In 2014, non-upstream oil and gas activities accounted for 22% of revenues among service suppliers. This share grew to 27% in 2018.According to Rystad Energy, the trend to accelerate in the next decade.“If pure-play contractors within drilling, well services and seismic – which don’t have much to offer outside the upstream oil and gas industry – are removed from the equation, activities outside of upstream accounted for nearly 30% of last year’s revenues,” says Audun Martinsen…

UK-based offshore equipment rental company Hiretech Limited has appointed Keith Mackie  as Managing Director, with current Managing Director and company founder Andy Buchan taking on the newly created role of Chief Executive Officer.Mackie has held a number of senior roles within the engineering and energy service industries, most recently as Managing Director at Power Jacks Limited.Commenting on his new role,  Mackie said, “I am delighted to be joining Hiretech at such an exciting time. The customer focused growth delivered through integrity, technical strength and investment is within the DNA of Hiretech and I look forward to further developing the business.”Chief Executive Officer…

Glosten and C-Job Naval Architects announced a partnership as executives from the two firms met recently at Glosten’s newly opened East Coast office to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) defining the firms’ shared goals and objectives.“This is an important step in formalizing what has already been a fruitful relationship over the past several months,” said Glosten President Morgan Fanberg, PE. “It is encouraging to see the work we can accomplish together. We look forward…

The engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) firm serving the liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas (NG) industries, CHI Engineering Services is aquired by engineering consulting NV5 Global, Inc.CHI’s client base includes the majority of LNG facility owner/operators in the US. The acquisition will complement NV5’s rapidly growing power group in the West and drive the expansion of energy services nationwide.The $55 million acquisition is evaluated at approximately six times trailing EBITDA and will be made with a combination of cash and stock. The acquisition will be immediately accretive to NV5’s earnings.“NV5 has experienced a rapid increase in demand for our engineering, permitting, and construction services from our energy clients.

Nearly a quarter of U.S. refining capacity out; Motiva down for two weeks; Corpus Christi starts to reopen. Retail U.S. gasoline prices hit two-year highs and global shipping routes were scrambled as the nation's largest refiners remained shut on Friday, even as Harvey was losing strength. Major fuel pipelines feeding the U.S. Northeast and Midwest have been either closed or severely curtailed, prompting shortages in some areas and dramatic spikes in wholesale prices. The storm has roiled global fuel markets and tankers carrying millions of barrels of fuel have been rerouted to the Americas to avert shortages. European refining margins hit a two-year high on a surge in exports.

As the Central Ohio River Business Association (CORBA) pushes commerce on the Ohio River, stakeholders are beginning to take notice. On January 19, in an office tower overlooking the Ohio River, Eric Thomas convened the first meeting of 2017 for a business group working in the 13th largest port in the U.S.: the Ports of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky (PCNK). Thomas serves as the Executive Director of CORBA – the Central Ohio River Business Association. PCNK’s high rank is likely a surprise to many.

9th January 2017, Isle of Wight – Class-leading offshore energy service vessel (OESV) operator, Seacat Services, has invested heavily in its operational team and logistical support infrastructure, based on the Isle of Wight. Ahead of the major offshore wind construction phase beginning in April this year, the business has moved into a new purpose-designed headquarters in Cowes and continued to strengthen its support team. The investment represents a further commitment to supporting local industry on the Isle of Wight, in conjunction with successful regional training initiatives and an ongoing, highly productive six-year relationship with local boat builder South Boats IoW.

Edison Chouest Offshore locating shipbuilding operations, TopShip, LLC, in Gulfport, Miss. Gov. Phil Bryant and officials from Edison Chouest Offshore, an offshore energy service and supply company, officially announced today the company is locating shipbuilding operations at the Port of Gulfport in Gulfport, Miss. The project represents a $68 million corporate investment and will create 1,000 full-time jobs. Edison Chouest Offshore’s new Gulfport operations, TopShip, LLC, will be located at the Port of Gulfport’s new inland port on Seaway Road.

U.S. energy firms this week continued to cut the number of rigs drilling for oil to the lowest in nearly six years, data showed on Friday, suggesting drillers were preserving cash as they evaluate spending plans as crude prices hover near 12-year lows. Drillers removed one oil rig in the week ended Jan. 15, bringing the total rig count down to 515, the least since April 2010, oil services company Baker Hughes Inc said in its closely followed report. That is 851 fewer rigs from the 1,366 oil rigs operating in same week a year ago. It was a slowdown in the pace of reductions as drillers cut on average 18 rigs per week in 2015 for a total of 963 oil rigs for the year. Despite the slowdown, several energy firms were still waiting for higher prices before increasing their drilling activities.

WISTA UK, the Women in Shipping and Trade Association, isn't shy in hosting events that challenge its members to address the major issues affecting the shipping industry, and this was very much the case during the its most recent Forum. With the Paris hosting this week, The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference COP 21 meeting, the Forum looked at the part the maritime sector plays in the climate change agenda. The subject of Thursday’s debate (26 November) was the divisive emissions problem, with the panel exploring potential solutions to curtail shipping’s emissions. Three different, highly informative speakers set the scene and challenged the audience to look at the issues from a number of perspectives.

Enterprise Mariner Services, LLC (EMS) operates with the motto “Safe, Efficient, Reliable”. With the addition of their eighth Z-drive towboat and the fourth from Sneed Shipbuilding, the goal of maintaining that excellence is ever more assured. As with the previous three, the 87 by 34-foot Sebastian D, with an 11.5-foot molded depth, was built by Sneed Shipbuilding of Channelview Texas. This makes them well suited for working the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway where they routinely push two 30,000-barrel petroleum barges.

Seacat Services, has unveiled its first vessel capable of carrying up to 24 industrial personnel. Seacat Courageous, a 26m high speed catamaran launched in February this year, will be the first of the Seacat Services fleet to benefit from the ability to carry more than 12 persons on board who are not engaged in the operation of the vessel. Since the early beginnings of the offshore wind crew transfer industry, many operators of smaller high-speed craft have been bound to carrying 12 or fewer persons.

China Rongsheng Heavy Industries (RSHI) has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with an undisclosed third party Chinese investor to sell its onshore shipbuilding and offshore engineering business. Both parties will further negotiate details of the deal, including the scope and list of related assets and liabilities, a stock filing of RSHI said. The MOU will remain in effect until 30 June and is likely to be extended by both parties. China Rongsheng, which is also involved in marine engine building, engineering machinery and energy exploration, has been struggling with a heavy debt burden amid a slowdown in China's economic growth.

A joint industry project on jacking system maintenance and inspection has resulted in a new DNV GL Recommended Practice. This provides guidance to ensure the correct and safe functioning of rack and pinion style jacking systems. The objective is to reduce the risk of gear failure, resulting in lower costs and higher availability throughout the asset’s life time. The consequences of jacking gear failure can be severe and, while the problem is acknowledged by the industry, the correct maintenance and inspection of the jacking systems have proven to be challenging due to the high turnover of people with specific knowledge on board, the evolving nature of the systems and the intermittent use of the systems.

Greene’s Energy Group (GEG), a  provider of integrated testing, rentals and specialty services, has named Gene Garber as Chief Integration Officer, announced Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Bob Vilyus. Based in Lafayette, La., Garber, who also maintains his position as Senior Vice President, will now also be responsible for the development and integration of operational programs, strategies and associated projects to achieve strategic business goals and operational objectives. Additionally…

Siemens plans to build a new, state-of-the-art wind turbine service training facility in Orlando, Florida. The demand for skilled wind service technicians is increasing as more wind projects come online in the Americas, thereby requiring long-term service and maintenance. Siemens is designing this new 40,000-square-foot center, which will be located close to the global headquarters of Siemens’ Energy Service division in Orlando, to be among the most advanced wind training facilities in the world. Siemens’ initial investment will be approximately $7 million and the company plans to create 50 new full-time jobs and host approximately 2,400 trainees annually from the U.S. and the Americas.

Adding to its fleet of 37 conventional and ASD vessels, Signet Maritime Corporation took ownership of its ninth newly constructed tractor tug in six years. Signet Arcturus , a 105’ x 38’ Z-Drive, designed by Robert Allan Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia was delivered by Patti Marine Enterprises of Pensacola, Florida on May 25, 2014. Signet Arcturus is powered by two Caterpillar model C175-16 main engines, each rated 3,417 BHP at 1,800 RPM. The engines are coupled to two Rolls-Royce US 255 CP azimuth thrusters via carbon fiber shafting…

Adding to its fleet of 37 conventional and ASD vessels, Signet Maritime Corporation took ownership of its ninth newly constructed tractor tug in six years. SIGNET ARCTURUS, a 105’ x 38’ Z-Drive, designed by Robert Allan Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia was delivered by Patti Marine Enterprises of Pensacola, Florida on May 25, 2014. SIGNET ARCTURUS is powered by two Caterpillar model C175-16 main engines, each rated 3417 BHP at 1800 RPM. The engines are coupled to two Rolls-Royce US 255 CP azimuth thrusters via carbon fiber shafting, providing thrust for ABS certified sustained bollard pull of 83.45 metric tonnes. All Caterpillar mains and John Deere 6068TFM76 generator engines aboard the vessel are U.S. EPA Tier 3 certified for reduced emissions. Joseph W.

Siemens and Cape Wind have signed a major contract for the construction of the United States' first utility-scale offshore wind farm situated off the Northeast coast, 20 kilometers offshore of Nantucket, at Horseshoe Shoal in the Nantucket Sound. Installation and commissioning is expected for 2016. Siemens says it will supply Cape Wind with its industry-leading 3.6-megawatt offshore wind turbines, an offshore Electric Service Platform (ESP) and a long-term service agreement. When fully built, Cape Wind will have a capacity of 468 megawatts. The company explains that offshore wind in the U.S.