Offshore Workers to Strike at UK Continental Shelf
British union Unite on Friday said several Sparrows offshore services workers have voted to strike at dozens of platforms on the UK continental shelf including those of BP and Shell.Around 150 Sparrows workers across more than 20 oil and gas platforms have voted for strike in a dispute over pay, the union said in a press release.This comes after the union last week announced its Sparrows members working on BP’s Andrew, Clair, Clair Ridge, ETAP, Glen Lyon and Mungo installations backed strike action in a separate dispute over pay and conditions.The strike action will hit BP’s platforms from Mar
BP: First Oil Production at Clair Ridge
Energy giant BP has taken its first oil from the Clair Ridge mega-project in the U.K. North Sea in a “major milestone” that is the culmination of many years of work.Clair Ridge, the second phase of the development of the Clair Field, 75 kilometers west of Shetland, is one of the biggest developments in the history of the basin, requiring huge investments in new platforms and pipelines in harsh waters west of Shetland.Clair Ridge is BP’s sixth major project start-up in 2018 following seven last year, which are expected to increase the company’s production by 900K boe/day by 2021. It has an estimated seven billion barrels of hydrocarbons.According to a press release from the British multinational oil and gas company…
BP to Boost Stake in UK's 'Giant' Clair Field
BP announced that it has entered into agreements with ConocoPhillips that will significantly increase its holding in the Clair field, a core asset of BP’s North Sea business in the UK, while also selling its non-operating interest in the Kuparuk and satellite oilfields in Alaska. BP has entered into an agreement to purchase from ConocoPhillips a 16.5% interest in the BP-operated Clair field, west of Shetland in the UK, buying a ConocoPhillips subsidiary that will hold this interest in the field. As a result, BP will hold a 45.1% interest in Clair and ConocoPhillips will retain a 7.5% interest. Separately BP has entered into agreements…
Keppel FELS Delivers Accommodation Unit to Floatel
Keppel FELS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) has delivered Floatel Triumph, a fifth high-specification accommodation semisubmersible (semi), to Floatel International Ltd (Floatel). The semi, which is built to Keppel's proprietary SSAUTM5000NG design, will be chartered by Chevron Corporation for work in the Wheatstone field in Western Australia. Floatel Triumph is scheduled to arrive on location in mid-October 2016. Thereafter, it will work for INPEX Operations Australia in Ichthys Field, off Western Australia.
Lerwick Harbor sees Seasonal Boost
The opening of the offshore season in northern waters has seen specialist oil industry vessels return to Lerwick Harbor during April to support subsea development projects. This month has also brought the first cruise ship of the year to the Shetland port for what promises to be a record-breaking cruise season. Lerwick Port Authority Chief Executive, Sandra Laurenson, commented: “The positive signs are encouraging, after a fall in traffic during the first quarter. We expect the harbor to be busy servicing field developments west of Shetland through to September, albeit in a continuing depressed market. Our best-by-far cruise season yet – significantly up on last year – will run to October, with a high level of bookings already for 2017 and beyond.
Keppel to Deliver Semisub to Floatel
Keppel FELS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) is on track to deliver a fifth high-specification accommodation semisubmersible (semi) to Floatel International Ltd (Floatel) on time, on budget and with a perfect safety record. The semi, which is built to Keppel's proprietary SSAUTM 5000NG design, was named Floatel Triumph during a ceremony held earlier today. It will be chartered by INPEX Operations Australia for work in Ichthys Field, off Western Australia. Mr Wong Kok Seng, Managing Director of Keppel O&M (Offshore) and Keppel FELS, said, "We are pleased to deliver a fifth accommodation vessel to Floatel safely, on time and on budget.
BP's New Core Flood Robot EOR Techniques
BP announced today that it is now operating the world’s first robotic coreflooding system. The Core Flood Robot is the most recent addition to BP’s programme of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) research facilities. Coreflooding is one of the most important techniques used to identify and evaluate EOR technologies. It measures the effectiveness of water or gas injected into an oil-bearing rock sample to displace oil. This can be used to assess the potential for water flooding in an oil field. “The EOR technologies being developed by BP are vitally important to help increase global oil supplies,” said Ahmed Hashmi, BP’s head of upstream technology.
Durastic Supplies North Sea Oil Platform in Korea
Marine flooring manufacturer Durastic has supplied a range of its specialist products to Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea to help build a major new North Sea oil platform for BP. Durastic, which has sites in Liverpool, Jarrow and Southampton, U.K., has supplied underlay and floor coverings along with other material and fittings for the new BP Quad 204 platform being built in South Korea and also a platform for BP’s £4.5 billion Clair Ridge oilfield near the Shetland Islands.
Use a new EOR technology brings award for BP
In recognition of the breakthrough new enhanced oil recovery – or EOR – technology, BP has been presented with the Distinguished Achievement Award. The award was presented on 4 May, 2014 at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, Texas. This is the second time in four years that BP has won the award at this major annual gathering for oil and gas professionals. BP's plans to use the new enhanced oil recovery – or EOR – technology from day one of operations at the Clair Ridge field west of Shetland, UK have won BP this major industry award.Until now, emerging EOR techniques have typically been applied to older fields as the oil production rate falls and recovery of oil and gas becomes harder - and uneconomic.
BP to Outline Enhanced Oil Recovery
Euan Duncan, Discipline Lead Reservoir Engineer at BP, will address SPE Aberdeen’s members and the wider public on April 23, at a presentation covering how EOR works and the opportunities this technology presents when conditions are right. Duncan will discuss the BP North Sea EOR program and lessons learned from water-alternating gas projects in the Miller, Ula and Magnus fields. He will also give an update on current projects, including the Clair Ridge EOR scheme using LoSal EOR and polymer applications in the Schiehallion field, highlighting how these are being taken from the research stage to operational projects. Duncan said, “Applying new technology, such as EOR techniques, is challenging.
Keppel Contracted to Build Floatel Semi-submersible
Keppel and Floatel sign contract for a fourth accommodation semi at US$ 315-million. Keppel FELS Limited and Floatel International Ltd (Floatel) have finalised a contract for Keppel FELS to build a new generation harsh environment accommodation semisubmersible. With delivery in early 2015, the new semi will be built to the Floatel Superior design, a DSSTM 20NS design developed by GustoMSC and Keppel FELS' Deepwater Technology Group. Equipped with Dynamic Positioning (DP) 3 capability, it will meet the most stringent rules and regulations for worldwide operations including the Norwegian Sector.
BP Selects Offshore Automation Contractor of Choice
Emerson will be BP’s preferred supplier of integrated control and safety systems for five offshore fields in the U.K. continental shelf, including the new Clair Ridge platforms and the Quad 204 floating production, storage and offloading vessel. Emerson’s selection as contractor of choice builds on an earlier agreement in which the company was named a Main Automation Contractor for BP projects globally. By standardizing on a single contractor for its North Sea region, BP expects to gain significant benefits including efficient project execution, training, maintenance and support. Emerson will provide a wide range of services for control and safety systems, from front-end engineering and design to installation, testing and support.