Oil And Gas Operators News

A new report shows that deliveries to exploration, operation and modification of Equinor-operated fields and onshore plants in Norway exceeded 93 billion NOK in 2022, an increase of approximately 13% from the previous year.The report was presented at Equinor’s autumn conference by the company’s executive vice president for Exploration and Production Norway (EPN), Kjetil Hove, together with the five trade unions in Equinor: Industri Energi, SAFE, the Norwegian union of managers and executives (Lederne), NITO and Tekna.“Our activities create substantial national and local ripple effects.

Offshore drilling operator Valaris has extended its service agreement with Survitec, a provider of survival technology solutions, for another three years.The master service and supply contract, originally signed in 2016, covers the annual and five-year inspection, servicing, and maintenance of LSA, including lifeboats, davits, and fast rescue crafts across Valaris’ global fleet of 11 drill ships, 5 semi-submersibles and 36 jack-up rigs.Survitec said:"An extensive network of more…

The Biden administration late on Sunday approved a waiver of U.S. shipping rules to address Puerto Rico's urgent need for liquefied natural gas (LNG) after Hurricane Fiona. The Homeland Security Department (DHS) issued a waiver of the Jones Act, a century-old law that requires goods moved between U.S. ports to be carried by U.S.-flagged ships "to address Puerto Rico’s needs as recovery efforts from Hurricane Fiona continue," the department said. In late September, the DHS approved…

The Biden administration on Wednesday approved a waiver of U.S. shipping rules to address Puerto Rico’s immediate energy and other essential needs in the wake of a devastating hurricane.Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he approved "a temporary and targeted Jones Act Waiver" to ensure Puerto Ricans "have sufficient diesel to run generators needed for electricity and the functioning of critical facilities after Hurricane Fiona." The waiver will allow the use of often cheaper or more readily available foreign-flagged vessels.An estimated 349,000 homes and businesses remained without power in Puerto Rico on Wednesday after Hurricane Fiona hit Sept.

Dutch shipbuilder Damen is putting finishing touches on its "ground-breaking" Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 7011 vessel class – the Aqua Helix - with Ampelmann gangway recently installed and integrated with the ship’s systems, and the vessel undergoing the final stages of sea trials.Custom designed for the FCS 7011, the S-type motion-compensated gangway is a critical element in this next-generation fast crew supplier, Damen said.Engineered for a minimum weight and fully electrical operation…

The offshore oil and gas downturn has claimed three more victims.Dutch-based Vroon Offshore Services (VOS) will dispose of three out-of-work platform supply vessels (PSV) in an effort to "right-size" its fleet amid the prolonged industry slump, the offshore services firm announced Wednesday.The 2006- and 2007-built VOS Power, VOS Producer and VOS Prominence will be mobilized to a ship-recycling facility during the second half of this month to be dismantled in compliance with EU/national laws and all applicable international regulations and guidelines…

Norwegian oil and gas operators Wintershall DEA Norge and Equinor have signed a supply vessel sharing agreement.Under the agreement, the two companies will collaborate in supplying platforms close to Wintershall's Brage platform in the North Sea, which, will, according to Wintershall Dea Norge, substantially increase the efficiency of the company's logistics department in Norway.Brage platform's supply vessel Energy Swan will also provide services to the nearby Equinor's Statfjord A…

Ampelmann, a Dutch company providing crew transfer gangways to the offshore energy industry, has said it has achieved a milestone of one million safe personnel transfers in the Middle East.The company said Wednesday that the milestone, which it took nearly a decade to achieve, was achieved during a project with vessel owner Halul Offshore Services, a subsidiary on Milaha.The millionth transfer crew transfer was made via Ampelmann's A-type system, that has been operating on the Halul 43 vessel since the beginning of 2020…

Subsea services company Canyon Offshore said it has entered into an agreement with vessel owner Otto Candies for the charter of the Jones Act-compliant inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR) vessel Ross Candies.The charter will commence in July 2019 upon completion of a previously scheduled regulatory dry dock. Canyon, the robotics division of Helix Energy Solutions Group, said it expects the vessel to support IMR operations for clients operating in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.Jeremiah Hebert…

A Republican U.S. senator on Wednesday said President Donald Trump will not waive rules requiring that only U.S.-flagged ships move natural gas from American ports to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Northeast.The nearly 100-year-old Jones Act mandates the use of U.S.-flagged vessels to transport merchandise between U.S. coasts. Republican senators said the administration was seriously considering waiving the requirements for 10 years. Bloomberg News reported last week that Trump was leaning in favor of some kind of waiver.Senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, told reporters on a conference call that Trump told Republican lawmakers he would not support a waiver.

President Donald Trump is set to meet with Republican senators on Wednesday over a proposal to waive rules that only U.S.-flagged ships can move natural gas from American ports to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Northeast.The nearly 100-year-old Jones Act mandates the use of U.S.-flagged vessels to transport merchandise between U.S. coasts. Bloomberg News reported last week the administration was seriously considering waiving the requirements for some energy shipments and that Trump…

The provider of advanced surface coating technology Hardide Coatings has provided a coating solution for a new tool that will save oil and gas operators millions of pounds per year by extending weather windows for drilling operations.According to a press release from the manufacturer of coatings,  well construction specialist DeltaTek Global selected the Hardide CVD (chemical vapour deposition) tungsten carbide-based coating for the key component of its new ArticuLock tool.ArticuLock provides operators with longer weather windows to deploy subsea hardware and improve operational reliability by removing bending fatigue in subsea running tools and landing strings.The Hardide-T chemical vapour deposition (CVD) tungsten carbide-based coating was used on the key component of the tool…

Damen Shipyards Group has carried out tank testing of its 70-metre Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 7011. The tests were carried out at the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) with a 2.8-metre long model.Intended for long distance crew transfer operations, the Damen FCS 7011 will offer the offshore oil & gas industry a safe and cost-effective alternative to helicopter flights.In developing the FCS 7011, on-board comfort has been one of Damen’s central design parameters. Consequently, the company has executed a large number of simulations to investigate seakeeping characteristics.“We have used these simulations to see which hull form gives the optimum comfort levels,” explains Albert Rijkens, Damen Product Portfolio Manager Research.

Scottish Government identifies Dales Voe in Lerwick in Shetland  as “preferred site” for an "ultra deep water" decommissioning port after UK-wide feasibility study.Scotland’s supply chain could be set to win more large scale decommissioning projects, after Dales Voe in Shetland has been identified as the optimal location for an ultra-deep water port.The Lerwick location was selected following a UK-wide feasibility study, conducted by Ernst and Young, has as the optimal and most cost effective location for decommissioning work.The announcement has been made as key figures from oil and gas operators, service companies and other key stakeholders…

Harvey Gulf International Marine’s parent, HGIM Corp., has announced the appointment of a new Board of Directors to serve following the company’s emergence from Chapter 11 proceedings.The seven member Board includes two current members remaining on the Board and five new members, each with expertise in individual areas particularly suited to support the company’s operation and development and collectively, creating a leadership platform that will enable Harvey Gulf to adjust and thrive in an ever-changing market. Shane Guidry. Mr. Guidry remains the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer for HGIM Corp. Mr. Guidry is the third generation in his family to lead Harvey Gulf. Mr.

An engineering team from power specialist Royston has completed the overhaul of engines on a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, operated by Bluewater Services.Engineers undertook the 16,000-hour service on the Wartsila W6L46 diesel engines onboard the 252m, 103,000 DWT Samsung built Haewene Brim, as part of a comprehensive refurbishment and refit of critical fuel and power systems.The FPSO has been operating in the Shell’s Pierce field located in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea for the past five years.

Damen Verolme Rotterdam (DVR)  completed a refit project on the MPI Enterprise, a 120-metre, self-elevating, DP2, wind turbine installation vessel owned and operated by MPI Offshore, part of the Vroon Group. The works included the installation of spudcans on her four-legged jacking system, which can elevate the vessel at rate of one metre per minute in water depths up to 45 metres. Acquired by Damen Shipyards Group in June 2017, DVR is one of the largest refit and repair yards in Western Europe, capable of accommodating any seagoing vessel or floating offshore unit. Damen Shiprepair & Conversion has worked with MPI Offshore in the past.

A 50/50 joint venture (JV) between Maersk Drilling and Maersk Supply Service will provide decommissioning services to oil and gas operators. After decades of production, an increasing amount of offshore oil and gas fields are approaching the end of their economic life. In the North Sea alone, more than 400 fields are expected to cease production by 2026 at an estimated cost of $56 billion. Globally, more than 700 fields are expected to require decommissioning. The JV will initially offer bundled solutions for up to 80 percent of the oil field decommissioning process, including project management and work scopes such as plug and abandonment of wells, towage of floating units and removal of subsea infrastructure.

The global offshore support vessel (OSV) market is expected to grow from an estimated $20.06 billion in 2018 to $25.66 billion by 2023, according to a recent report published by MarketsandMarkets. Ongoing offshore activities across the U.S., China, Brazil and the North Sea will help the market to expand at a CAGR of 5.04 percent during the forecast period, according to the report. Offshore exploration and production investments in the Middle East and the Asia Pacific regions are also expected to play a role in the forecasted growth.

The U.S. government on Friday said it was temporarily waiving a law that limits the availability of cargoes on the U.S. coasts, a step that will ensure enough fuel reaches emergency responders during Hurricane Irma and in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. The Jones Act mandates the use of U.S.-flagged vessels to transport merchandise between U.S. coasts. The Department of Homeland Security waived the requirement for one week. This will allow oil and gas operators to use often cheaper, tax-free, or more readily available foreign-flagged vessels.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol said Friday it has received and is reviewing one request to waive the Jones Act due to the impact of Hurricane Harvey, which has shut down refineries and closed parts of a key pipeline.   The Jones Act mandates the use of U.S.-flagged vessels to transport merchandise between U.S. coasts. The CBP has occasionally allowed exemptions for oil and gas operators to use often cheaper, tax-free, or more readily available foreign flagged vessels. (Reporting By Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico have evacuated personnel from 98 production platforms, 13.3 percent of the region’s 737 manned platforms during Tropical Storm Harvey, according to this morning’s data submitted to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). BSEE said personnel have been evacuated from five of 10 non-dynamically positioned (DP) rigs currently operating in the Gulf. None of the Gulf’s 21 DP rigs have moved off location. Based on operator reports…

Oil companies evacuate workers as storm takes aim at Texas. Royal Dutch Shell, Anadarko Petroleum and Exxon Mobil announced they were curbing some oil and gas output on Wednesday at facilities in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of a storm expected to hit the Texas coast later this week. The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a hurricane watch Wednesday for much of the Texas coast, calling for slow-moving Tropical Depression Harvey to intensify as it nears landfall. Shell said it was evacuating all personnel from the roughly 100,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Perdido oil and gas production platform as a precaution. Anadarko said it had shut in production and was evacuating workers from its Boomvang, Gunnison, Lucius and Nansen platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.