Oil And Gas Exploration Activity News

Middle East Workboats 2011, the region’s leading event for workboat operators, builders and equipment suppliers returns to Abu Dhabi at a time when the maritime industry is rapidly accelerating in countries across the Gulf. Renewed growth across various important maritime and related sectors including harbour and escort tug business, support and servicing along with coastal construction, energy exploration and production and others underscores the importance of this event. A key opportunity in the sector is created by the ageing fleet of workboats in the region, with an estimated 40-50% of these more than 20 years old, requiring extensive capital investment in the months ahead in modernising and upgrading vessels.

Middle East Workboats 2011, the region’s main event for workboat operators, builders and equipment suppliers, returns to Abu Dhabi at a time when the maritime industry is rapidly accelerating in countries across the Gulf. exploration and production and others) underscores the importance of this event. A key opportunity in the sector is created by the aging fleet of workboats in the region, with an estimated 40-50% of these more than 20 years old, requiring extensive capital investment in the months ahead in modernizing and upgrading vessels. “The workboat sector is now once again firmly back in expansion mode, as evidenced by the interest this year’s Middle East Workboats has generated already…

The area directly south of Lafayette, La., is authentic bayou country, known for Cajun culture, excellent food, unique music and, for boat lovers, the crew/supply boat capital of the world. Four boat yards in this area build these multi-engine, all- aluminum, speedy vessels, almost exclusively. Each yard turns out up to six crew/supply boats a year. In fact, three of the shipyards are located within just a few miles from each other in the tiny hamlet of Loreauville, La., a town that seems to be made up mostly of aluminum welders. That, of course, is an exaggeration, but not by much. Not every vessel delivered from these shipyards goes to work supporting the search for oil and gas…

Northwest European offshore oil and gas exploration activity lags previous year levels by 37 percent with only 40 exploration wells started so far this year compared with 64 at this point in 1989, consultants Arthur Andersen said. They said in their weekly well report that appraisal activity too was down 44 percent on 1998, with 14 spuds, compared with 25 last year. "This is due mainly to the large decrease in appraisal spuds in the UK, where the number of wells drilled is down 65 percent on last year," Arthur Andersen said. In Denmark and the Netherlands, appraisal activity was actually up on last year while in Norway, it was only slightly lower. The number of active oil and gas rigs operating in all sectors of northwest Europe for the week ending Sept.