Oil And Gas Majors News

As the world continues to scramble for renewable energy, floating offshore wind has emerged as a key capacity enabler in the coming decades. With no major commercial scale projects currently in operations, the segment is largely based on governments and developers ambitious project plans for the future. Nonetheless, this market segment can offer vast opportunities to the world of offshore support vessels in both near- and long-term prospects.In this piece, we will discuss the key opportunities and challenges related to offshore floating wind…

Unions at Shell Plc's Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) site off Australia have extended industrial action to Sept. 1 over a long-running pay dispute, the company said on Thursday. Shell shut down the 3.6-million-tonne-a-year site in July and told customers it would be unable to supply LNG cargoes for the duration of work stoppages approved by Australia's Fair Work Commission, or Protected Industrial Action (PIA). "We can confirm it's been renewed until Sept. 1," a Shell spokesperson said of the protected industrial action. The work stoppages began on June 10 and no cargoes have been shipped from the site in about five weeks, worsening a global LNG supply crunch amid the Ukraine conflict.

Workers on Shell Plc's Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility off Western Australia are set to begin 12 days of industrial action on Friday over a pay fight, a union alliance said on Thursday.Shell did not comment on what impact the mix of short work stoppages and bans on certain tasks, to run through June 21 might have on output at the 3.6 million-tonnes-a-year LNG facility."Shell recognizes the entitlement of all workers to exercise their rights, including the right to participate in industrial action," a Shell spokeswoman said in emailed comments.The action comes two months after Prelude resumed shipping LNG after a four-month shutdown due to a major power failure.The Offshore Alliance…

Hempel announced an ambitious strategy to double its revenue by 2025, with a focus on innovation, digitalization and sustainability. Michael Hansen, EVP & Chief Commercial Officer and Dorthe Scherling Nielsen, Head of Sustainability & Government Affairs discuss the path ahead.The year 2020 defined by COVID-19 presented historic challenges for many industries, and even companies such as Hempel – with a 105-year history – were not exempt. While the pandemic was (and continues to be for some) all consuming, it is far from the sole challenge for maritime companies today.

Global giants of the oil and gas industry – the so-called supermajors – are looking to sell assets that could fetch a total of $27.5 billion, according to Rystad Energy’s latest assessment.These companies are actively shedding mature assets on a massive scale in a bid to finance higher-yielding investments elsewhere, with the added benefit of pleasing shareholders who are calling for stricter capital discipline.“The expected transactions mean some of the majors are poised to exit certain regions, giving regional players and independents a chance to buy into key fields and help keep them profitable through production-life extensions and new developments…

European contractor Vinci Construction has been awarded  contract to build a 225,000 m3 liquefied natural gas (LNG) tank in Canada.The Joint Venture composed of Entrepose Contracting and Vinci Construction Grands Projets, said in a release that the contract, which covers the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the tank, is worth CAD $400 million (about US$306 million).“The strong co-operation between Entrepose Contracting and Vinci Construction Grands Projets has a unique track record of construction in harsh climates. We are proud to bring our proven LNG tank expertise to Canada,” said Gaël Cailleaux, Managing Director of Entrepose Contracting.“Together with Entrepose Contracting, we intend to establish the highest standards for safety and quality on site for this project.

The 1Q liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipping market declined from strong 4Q levels in line with historic seasonality, said Golar LNG, a LNG shipping company registered in Bermuda.LNG demand growth in China and other SE Asian countries was largely offset by declines in Japan and Korea due to a combination of a milder than expected winter and the re-start of several nuclear facilities. Chinese 1Q demand was up 20% up on 1Q 2018. During the quarter LNG prices reached 3-year lows, which eliminated inter-basin trading opportunities. At quarter end, LNG was trading at around 6% of Brent, well below energy parity. Atlantic basin cargoes from the US and Russia into Europe doubled by volume compared to 1Q 2018.

The offshore and onshore reliability data project by Norwegian Petroleum Directorate(NPD), OREDA goes digital with new collaboration to improve accessibility and efficiency for oil and gas industry reliability data, said DNV GL.Vast amounts of offshore and onshore reliability data are to be made available through Veracity as OREDA provides access to their new and updated electronic version through the marketplace on DNV GL’s data platform.For almost 40 years now, the OREDA consortium formed by several oil and gas majors and supermajors with worldwide operations has been collecting and exchanging offshore and onshore reliability data, with the main aim of improving safety, increasing availability and reducing maintenance costs.

Perenco appointed Bibby Offshore to perform subsea integrity inspections and maintenance works on the Inde Joint pipeline, which runs to the Bacton Gas Terminal in the Southern North Sea. Completed in early July, the 15-day workscope saw Bibby Offshore install a total of 94 concrete mattresses over the pipeline to assist in preserving the remaining rock dump mounds. The second workscope, completed in late July, saw Endeavour Energy UK contract Bibby Offshore to carry out subsea tree inspections in the Renee and Rubie fields located in blocks 15/27 and 15/28 of the Central North Sea.

Gibraltar shipyard Gibdock said a surge in offshore vessel repair and maintenance work has included a special project for Norwegian offshore vessel owner and operator Solstad, to ensure that Normand Reach meets the hull cleanliness standards set by Australia’s National Biofouling Management Guidelines for commercial vessels. The 120.85-meter-long Solstad CSV entered the yard for a special wash and brush up on its way to Western Australia, where it has been reported as due to enter charter in the coming weeks to work in the Ichthys gas field development project.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has withdrawn an Obama-era proposal to modify a law that governs shipping, which would have revoked waivers that make it easier for oil and gas operators to skirt restrictions, according to an agency bulletin published Wednesday. For nearly 40 years the CBP has provided exemptions to the Jones Act, which mandates the use of U.S.-flagged vessels to transport merchandise between U.S. coasts. The exemptions have allowed oil and gas operators to use often cheaper, tax-free, or more readily available foreign flagged vessels. The CBP has weighed revoking these waivers after President Barack Obama's administration proposed to put them on the chopping block two days before President Donald Trump took office.

Damen Shipyards Group’s range of Liquefied Gas Carriers is a response to the changes seen in the maritime LNG market in recent years. The Dutch company’s designs meet a variety of capacity requirements, from 500 m3 to 7,500 m3. The maritime LNG market has long been faced with the conundrum around the subject of supply and demand. Ship owners have been reluctant to make the switch to LNG because of the lack of bunkering infrastructure. At the same time, development of bunker infrastructure has been slow to get off the ground due to the low demand from the market.

China LNG imports hit record in November, but set to beat that this month. China's state oil and gas majors are set to import record levels of liquefied natural gas (LNG) this month, betting on robust demand during the cold winter months and helping lift Asian prices to their highest in nearly two years. Trade flows data on Thomson Reuters Eikon shows 7.33 million cubic metres (mcm) of LNG, equivalent to 3.33 million tonnes, are heading to China for delivery this month. This includes 10 cargoes from Qatar, an unusually high number even for the world's largest LNG exporter. That would easily top the record 2.66 million tonnes that landed in November, up from 1.81 million a year ago, as a cold snap across the north of the country spurred demand.

Kevin Hawes has started at  Seattle-based maritime services company and consultancy The Maritime Group (TMG) International Ltd., as Business Development Manager and Senior Consultant. Based at TMG’s London office at Victoria Embankment, he brings a wealth of commercial experience gained since leaving the British Royal Navy as a Lieutenant Commander in 1993. His appointment comes as TMG continues to grow, including a new website and recent ISO 9001 quality accreditation. Hawes' maritime experience was developed from 17 years in the Royal Naval Submarine Service to…

International accountant and shipping adviser Moore Stephens said today that companies in the offshore maritime sector need to keep a close watch on costs and manage their exposure to risk in the wake of the dramatic fall in oil prices. “It is remarkable how quickly the dramatic fall in oil prices has fed through to increasing levels of financial stress in the oil and gas services industry, where the sudden drop to around $50 a barrel is triggering cost-cutting across much of the sector…

The new Canadian Standard for LNG Production, Storage and Handling now includes and recognizes the membrane tank system as a possible technology for the land storage of LNG in Canada, reported Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT), a designer of membrane containment systems for the maritime transportation and LNG. The membrane containment system technology has been integrated into the newly published Canadian Standard CSA Z276 2015 edition. This request initiated originally from the LNG community to meet the challenges of LNG export projects in remote locations. Recent LNG export developments in British Columbia and other Canadian provinces sought solutions meeting the high standards of the LNG industry, but with advantages in schedule, cost and local work content.

SGX Mainboard-listed Swissco Holdings Limited, an integrated, international marine services provider, announced it has acquired its first liftboat for approximately $56 million. The self-propelled liftboat, which will be owned and managed by the group, is expected to be completed within two years and deployed in Southeast Asia. The contract, signed with a Southeast Asian shipyard, includes owner-supplied equipment. The liftboat will be able to operate in water depths of up to 70m and has accommodation for 120 offshore personnel.

GTT organized its first Seminar on GST membrane full integrity systems in its head office in Saint-Rémy-Lès-Chevreuse, France. During three days, from April 14-16, 2014, more than 40 delegates from EPCs, oil and gas majors, classification societies and engineering companies have attended presentations and site visits, to receive and update on the membrane full integrity technology dedicated to onshore storage. In the first two days, the presentations gave an insight of the latest design…

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) has opened its first office in Myanmar (formerly Burma) as part of its global expansion programme. Since Burma has opened up to foreign investment following recent political reform, WSS has made plans on how to offer its customers a direct service from inside the country. The company has concluded the time is right to play a role in shaping Myanmar’s ports, shipping and offshore service sectors. Myanmar is rich in natural resources and activity in the offshore and energy sector is growing rapidly.

Aberdeen-based Wireline Engineering said it is continuing its global expansion, with £1.9 million of new projects secured in key regions during the first half of 2013. The firm develops original wireline and well intervention technologies for the oil and gas industry worldwide. Key contracts have been secured in North America, Southeast Asia, West Africa and the Middle East, reflecting Wireline Engineering’s ambitions to continue extending its geographical footprint. Local partnerships have been confirmed in Nigeria and Indonesia and the Middle East. Recent orders from Angola, Indonesia, Iraq, Malaysia and Nigeria have reinforced the firm’s continued success worldwide and the opportunities for its innovative products and services.

Aberdeen-based subsea installation contractor Bibby Offshore has appointed Nicky Etherson as its new commercial director to help facilitate the company’s ambitious growth plans. Ms. Etherson joins the business with almost 20 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry, having previously held the position of head of contracts for Total E&P UK Limited. Here she was responsible for managing all aspects of the contracts function, supported by a team of 15 personnel, covering a range of services including; drilling, well control, subsea support, logistics and topside operations.

Recent severe storms in the U.K. North Sea have resulted in a number of floating production, storage and offloading vessels (FPSOs) being shut down in order to assess and repair the damage caused. Notwithstanding the possible safety implications for operations crew, oil and gas majors are facing weeks, if not months without a critical asset which in turn, is having a significant impact on future production. The design and operation of an FPSO in remote locations requires detailed information on the structural response of the vessel within the local environment offshore.

Royal Dutch Shell is committed to expansion in Russia, Chief Executive Ben van Beurden told Russian President Vladimir Putin at a meeting on Friday amid sanctions imposed on the country after its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region. Shell plans to expand Russia's only liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant with Russian partner Gazprom, he said at a meeting at Putin's residence. "We, of course, will pledge all the necessary administrative guidance and support," Putin said in response in a meeting that was later broadcast on national television.