Nw Coast News

A Canadian company has loaded a test cargo of solid bitumen onto a vessel destined for a refinery in China, the latest effort by the energy industry to avoid congested export pipelines and find new ways to export more oil sands crude.Calgary, Alberta-based Melius Energy loaded 130 barrels of neat bitumen, similar in consistency to a hockey puck, onto a 20-foot shipping container in Edmonton, Alberta, and transported it by rail to the Port of Prince Rupert in northern British Columbia.

Scana Industrier ASA has through its subsidiary Scana Steel Stavanger, been awarded a new contract from Samsung Heavy Industry for delivery of steel casting intended for the Australian Ichthys project, representing a value of 36-million NOK. Including previously received orders from Samsung for the same project, the total value adds up to 93 MNOK. The project will commence activity immediately, and deliveries will complete by the end of 2013 and the contract includes approx. 60 casting components which are part of the mooring system for the Ichthys project. The Ichthys field off the NW coast of Australasia was named after the classical Greek word for “fish”.

Mermaid Marine Australia Limited (MMA) awarded offshore marine support contract for FPSO operations off NW coast of Australia. The vessel to service the contract, the Mermaid Cove is currently under construction in Singapore, and will commence operations in 2013 in the meantime, Mermaid Supporter will act as lead in vessel until the Mermaid Cove is delivered. The contract, with a value in excess of A$50 million is for an initial period of five years, with contract upside should the two additional one year options be exercised by the Company. The Mermaid Cove is a 53m DP2 Offshore Support Vessel (OSV) and a sister ship to the 53m Mermaid Strait and 50m Mermaid Sound.

Technip gets a large subsea installation contract by Shell Development (Australia) Pty Ltd for the Prelude Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) facility moored some 200 kilometers off the north west coast of Australia, in the Browse Basin, at a water depth of approximately 240 meters. Technip’s operating centers in Perth, Australia, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, will execute the contract, with engineering to commence immediately. Technip’s spoolbase in Orkanger, Norway, will be welding the flowline linepipe provided by Shell Development (Australia) Pty Ltd. Vessels from the Group’s fleet will be used for the offshore campaigns, including the Deep Energy and the Deep Orient.

Tuesday to meet the Vice-President of the European Commission, Loyola de Palacio, to discuss action contemplated to be taken in the aftermath of the Prestige accident off the NW coast of Spain in November 2002. which may be made regarding the Prestige incident. future would be assured.