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Statoil News

13 Jun 2022

CTO in Focus: Henrik Stiesdal, Wind Power Pioneer

Henrik - 1978: Stiesdal’s 1978 turbine was made with wooden blades and a control system, both of which he built from scratch. It was only retired in 1991 when the wood had rotted. Henrik: Henrik Stiesdal. Photo from Stiesdal A/S.

Wind power pioneer Henrik Stiesdal built his first wind turbine in 1978. It was one of Denmark’s first step towards becoming a wind energy powerhouse, with Stiesdal regularly at the helm. He’s now got wider climate initiatives in his sights, including industrializing floating offshore wind. He reflected with OE’s Elaine Maslin.By 2021, a total of 35 GW of offshore wind had been installed across the world. To meet global climate targets, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says that another 80 GW of it needs to be built per year by 2030.

19 Apr 2021

Equinor: Several Factors Behind Faulty Welds on Johan Castberg FPSO Hull

The Johan Castberg production vessel at Sembcorp Marine in Singapore. (Photo: Equinor ASA)

Norwegian oil and gas giant Equinor last year said that the delivery of an FPSO, being built for the Johan Castberg field development in the Barents Sea, would be delayed after the company discovered issues with the weld quality of the hull of the FPSO under construction in Singapore.In an update on Monday, Equinor said that, following the initial findings, an in-house investigation team from Equinor had studied the deviation in quality of welding and inspection of the Johan Castberg FPSO…

14 Jul 2022

Equinor's Johan Castberg FPSO Faces Delays as "Weld and Fatigue-analysis Errors" Found

Equinor 3D illustration, Produced by Render AS

Delivery of the FPSO destined for Equinor's Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea is expected to be delayed after the company found issues with the weld quality and fatigue calculations program.The FPSO hull was ordered by Equinor (then known as Statoil) back in 2017 from Singapore's Sembcorp Marine and it was at the time said that the construction of the hull was "the most time-critical delivery for the completion of the Johan Castberg project," first production from which…

13 Oct 2019

Solvberg Appointed NPD Director General

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has announced the appointment of Ingrid Solvberg as Director for the Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea, replacing Bente Nyland.According to a note from NPD, Sølvberg was appointed by the King in Council on 11 October. The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has not yet set the date for the transition.The director general position in the NPD is posted as a fixed term engagement of six years, with the option of an additional six-year period. Bente Nyland’s second term period will expire at the end of the year.She congratulates Ingrid Sølvberg on her new job saying: “This is one of the most exciting jobs in the petroleum activities. I’ve looked forward to going to work every single day.

13 Jun 2019

Book Review: Getting Down to It; 50 Years of Subsea Success in Norway

Co-author Arnfinn Nergaard.

The Norwegian Continental Shelf’s journey from the very first basic marinized subsea trees to today’s complex and sophisticated subsea processing equipment has been a rapid, at times turbulent, but always remarkable.There are many engineers who have seen through that journey, from the first exploration wells using Norwegian rigs in the mid-1970s to today. One has now written the history of subsea technology in Norway and this year’s Underwater Technology Conference (UTC) has been chosen for its launch…

07 Jun 2019

Vessel Strikes Statfjord A, Staff Evacuated

Statfjord A (Photo: IKM/Equinor)

Oil workers have been evacuated from the Statfjord A platform in the North Sea after it was struck by a platform supply vessel (PSV), Norwegian oil and gas company Equinor said on Friday.The platform was not producing when it was struck by the support vessel Sjøborg during loading operations at 1:55 a.m., and there were no injuries to the 276 people on the platform, Equinor said.The Statfjord A platform has been shut since the end of May for maintenance expected to last through July…

15 May 2019

Oil Spill at Statfjord

(Photo: Øyvind Hagen / Equinor)

An unspecified amount of oil was observed on the sea surface early Wednesday morning in connection with loading oil from buoy to shuttle tanker on the North Sea Statfjord field, Equinor announced.The loading operations were stopped when this was discovered, and the loading systems were shut down, the Norwegian energy company said.Efforts to map the extent of the oil observed on the sea surface are underway, Equinor added.Equinor said its emergency response organization has been mobilized…

17 Apr 2019

A New York State of Mind

New York Bight call areas.  "Call" is a short-hand term referring to calls for proposals or calls for interest in an area. (Image: BOEM)

“A new industry is being established in New York, with the primary stimulus being a state-driven procurement process.”New York State Public Service Commission (PSC), July 12, 2018.To a great extent, this PSC comment provides direct insight into the dynamics behind New York’s pace-setting moves to establish offshore wind. First, this new energy development is deliberate – not left to chance or laissez faire markets. Second, state officials are in control, from choosing a contractor to securing money for payment.

07 Apr 2019

Global LNG Bunker Fuel Market to Reach $1.3bln by 2026

The global Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a bunker fuel market was valued around US$ 550 million in 2017, and is expected to register a CAGR of over 8.5%. The bunker fuel market revenue value is exprected to reach US$ 1,263.2 million in 2026.According to a market research report, based on the region the market is segmented into US, Europe, China, India, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Europe market is expected to dominate the global LNG as a bunker fuel market, and it accounts for largest market revenue over US$ 260 mn in 2017 as compared to that of markets in other regions.Dominance by Europe market is expected to continue over the forecast period with comparatively higher CAGR than that of other regions…

22 Jan 2019

Tanker Tech: TMC for Roncador Tankers

(Photo: Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers AS)

TMC Compressors of the Seas (TMC) has signed a contract to supply complete marine compressed air systems for two shuttle tankers that Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) is building for Norwegian tank operator Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers (KNOT).The two 153,000 DWT DP2 shuttle tankers will be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries at their shipyard in South Korea and delivered in 2020. Following delivery, the vessels will operate in Brazil, under a long-term charter with energy major Equinor ASA (formerly Statoil ASA).Under the contract…

06 Jan 2019

8.5% Growth Expected for LNG Bunkering Market by 2026

The global LNG as a bunker fuel market was valued around US$ 550 million in 2017, and is expected to register a CAGR of over 8.5%.The first five-year cumulative revenue (2017-2021) is projected to be USD 3.4 bn which is expected to increase significantly over the latter part of the five-year forecast period, said a research report by Marketresearch.LNG ships is expected to be the major application segment in the global LNG as a bunker fuel market. LNG fueled ships emit zero sulphur oxide emissions along with decline in carbon dioxide gas release by 25%, these are primary factors promoting the use of LNG as fuel in marine transport."LNG is used as a marine fuel and it offers various advantages for the ships. LNG as ship fuel will reduce sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions by 90% - 95%.

15 Dec 2018

BOEM "Blown Away" by Record U.S. Offshore Wind Auction

 A U.S. government auction for three wind leases off the coast of Massachusetts ended on Friday with record-setting bids totaling more than $400 million from European energy giants including Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Equinor ASA.. Photo: 
© benoitgrasser/AdobeStock

A U.S. government auction for three wind leases off the coast of Massachusetts ended on Friday with record-setting bids totaling more than $400 million from European energy giants including Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Equinor ASA.The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced the sale's three winners - Equinor Wind US LLC, Mayflower Wind Energy LLC, and Vineyard Wind LLC, at the conclusion of the two-day sale that attracted 11 bidders and lasted 32 rounds.Mayflower is a joint venture owned by Shell and EDP Renewables, a division of Portugal's EDP.

13 Dec 2018

Dudgeon Offshore Wind Bags $1.77B Refinancing

One of the world’s largest offshore wind projects, the 402-megawatt (MW) Dudgeon offshore wind farm in the U.K., announced the signing and pricing of privately placed notes for the refinancing of the project’s existing non-recourse project debt, with financial close expected next week. The original financing for Dudgeon was successfully closed in May 2016.The refinanced debt consists of approximately GBP1.27 billion ($1.77 billion) in fully-amortizing senior-term loans, comprising around GBP561 million in commercial debt and a GBP706 million private placement of senior secured notes, maturing in June 2032.Both tranches were oversubscribed, reflecting strong credit features and investor interest.

03 Dec 2018

Global LNG to be Major Part of Bunker Fuel Market

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) ships is expected to be the major application segment in the global LNG as a bunker fuel market.According to a market research report, LNG fueled ships emit zero sulphur oxide emissions along with decline in carbon dioxide gas release by 25%, these are primary factors promoting the use of LNG as fuel in marine transport.LNG is used as a marine fuel and it offers various advantages for the ships. LNG as ship fuel will reduce sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions by 90% - 95%, said marketresearch.Lower carbon content of LNG compared to conventional ship fuels enables a 20-25% reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

17 Sep 2018

The New York Bight – a Hydra of Difficult Issues

File Image: offshore wind operations (CREDIT: CWind)

The greening of America’s energy signature will not come without the usual discussions, regulatory oversight – and opposition from a raft of special interests.Amidst an atmosphere of possible resurgence in the domestic offshore oil energy, maritime stakeholders are also reminded that there is more than one kind of energy available for development off the four collective coasts of the United States. That process is underway in the Great Lakes; it has already happened off of New England.

28 Aug 2018

Equinor Explores Floating Wind Turbines to Power N.Sea Oilfields

(Image: Equinor)

Norway's Equinor said on Tuesday it is considering whether to build a pioneering offshore wind farm with floating turbines to supply electricity to two North Sea oilfields as part of a strategy to curb greenhouse gas emissions.The project at the Gullfaks and Snorre oilfields would cost around 5 billion Norwegian crowns ($592 million) and could reduce Norway's emissions of carbon dioxide by more than 200,000 tonnes per year, Equinor said."This could be the first time an offshore wind farm is directly connected to oil and gas platforms," state-controlled Equinor said in a statement.

26 Jul 2018

Equinor Q2 Core Earnings Lag Forecasts

© Bo B. Randulff, Roar LIndefjeld / Equinor

Norwegian oil and gas firm Equinor said on Thursday second-quarter adjusted operating income rose from a year ago but missed forecasts due to higher maintenance costs at its Norwegian fields.The company formerly known as Statoil also said it was too early to follow peers, such as Shell and Total , with share buyback programmes as it had investment plans to fund."We did not feel it was natural in the second quarter (to launch buybacks) because we have big projects and increased working capital.

20 Jul 2018

Equinor Extends Prosafe Deal

Semi-submersible firm Prosafe said that it has been offered a month extension for the Safe Boreas charter contract at the Mariner project by operator Equinor."Equinor UK Limited (formerly Statoil (UK) Limited) has exercised the first of six one-month options to extend the charter of the Safe Boreas. The total value of the option is USD 6 million," said a press statement.In early August 2017, the Safe Boreas commenced a 13 month firm operational period at Mariner in the UK sector of the North Sea. The firm operational period will now continue through to early October 2018.Prosafe is a leading owner and operator of semi-submersible accommodation vessels.

18 Jul 2018

Petrobras Output in Campos Drops to Lowest Level in 17 Years

(File photo courtesy MODEC)

Oil production by Brazilian state-led Petroleo Brasileiro SA in the Campos basin fell 1.4 percent in June over the previous month to 1.042 million barrels a day, its lowest level since 2001, as mature fields decline, according to company data.Output has dropped 15.8 percent in 12 months due to the ageing of fields off-shore from Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo that account for almost half of the crude pumped by Petrobras.

10 Jul 2018

Hundreds of Oil Workers Strike in Norway

Photo: Harald Pettersen / © Equinor

Hundreds of workers on Norwegian offshore oil and gas rigs went on strike on Tuesday after rejecting a proposed wage deal, leading to the shutdown of one Shell-operated field and helping send Brent crude prices higher.One union said hundreds more workers would join the strike on Sunday if an agreement over union demands for a wage increase and pension rights was not reached.Royal Dutch Shell said that due to the strike it was temporarily closing production at its Knarr field, which has a daily output of 23…

08 Jul 2018

Equinor Acquires Energy Trader Danske Commodities

Norwegian oil and gas major Equinor, formerly Statoil, is acquiring the Danish energy trading company, Danske Commodities for EUR 400 million (USD 470 mln). "Equinor has reached agreement to buy 100% of the shares in Danish energy trading company Danske Commodities (DC) for EUR 400 million, with smaller contingent payments depending on DC’s performance over the next couple of years," said a press release from the company. This acquisition – of one of Europe’s largest short-term electricity traders – supports Equinor’s development towards becoming a broad energy company. DC is also active in short-term gas trading and provides energy market services. DC was founded in 2004 and is based in Aarhus, Denmark, with 284 employees.

06 Jul 2018

Subsea Robotics for Renewables

The Gwynt Y Mor wind farm. Photo from Rovco.

As the global fleet of offshore renewables fleet increases, ways to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency and safety of operations and maintenance work, using robotics and autonomous systems, will also grow. Elaine Maslin reports.Robotics and autonomous systems are moving into many areas of modern day life. It’s becoming harder to avoid them, from our phones to automotive systems and now offshore energy renewable projects.Both are seen as tools to do otherwise dull, dirty or dangerous work…

19 Jun 2018

MOL Acquires Stake in AKOFS of Norway

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL)  announced that MOL and Mitsui & Co have entered into a share purchase agreement to acquire shares in AKOFS Offshore AS, which is owned by Akastor ASA, Norway. After in-kind contribution of the company of owner and leasing the subsea support vessel, Skandi Santos, which MOL, Mitsui & Co., and AKOFS are jointly operating since November 2016, MOL's acquisition amount will be about JPY 8 billion. MOL's acquisition of shares in AKOFS means MOL will become more deeply involved in the operation and ship management of subsea support vessels, marking its full-scale move into this field. AKOFS currently operates three subsea support vessels.

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