Gas Operations News

2024 marks 50 years of ship design work for Kongsberg Maritime. From setting the benchmark that set the standard for offshore supply vessels in the 1970s, to advanced anchor handlers that transformed the oil and gas industry, and a growing reference list in fishery and merchant ships, Kongsberg Maritime’s range of ship designs has continued to evolve over the past five decades.The early 1970s, at the dawn of the offshore oil and gas industry, saw the very first vessels, designed…

The specialized deepwater oil & gas and floating offshore wind segments will share many of the same stakeholders and supply chains, competing for increasingly scarce resources.To receive a full version of Inteletus analysis, click hereThe established floating production segment is forecast to experience continued growth through this decade, driving demand for, among other things, moorings, subsea systems, umbilicals, risers, flowlines and the large anchor handlers and subsea support vessels that will install and maintain the elements.At the same time…

A Chinese research vessel flanked by coast guard and nearly a dozen boats on Wednesday entered a gas block operated by Russian and Vietnamese state firms, two monitoring groups said, another potential flashpoint in the South China Sea.It follows a pattern of assertive moves of late by Beijing in its neighbors' exclusive economic zones (EEZ), as it presses its claim to sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, testing the United States and its allies at a time of heightened regional tension.Strong relations between Russia and China are a major factor supporting global stability…

Oil and gas company Neptune Energy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Norwegian low-carbon tech firm Horisont Energi to develop the Errai Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project in Norway.According to Neptune Energy, Errai could store 4-8 million tonnes of CO2 annually, with the potential to store more in later phases. The project includes an onshore terminal for intermediate CO2 storage, with the intention to permanently store the CO2 in an offshore reservoir.The onshore terminal would be capable of receiving CO2 from European and domestic customers…

Oil and gas company Repsol Sinopec Resources UK Limited said Monday that owners of  Golden Eagle, Piper, and Claymore fields, located in the North Sea northeast of Aberdeen, have executed new agreements reaffirming their commitment to export produced oil to the Flotta Terminal until the end of field life in the 2030s."This commitment to support the longevity of the terminal underpins a variety of growth opportunities in the wider area, including renewed drilling and several third party tie-backs.

Offshore vessel operator Bourbon Offshore Surf has won a tender for the supply and management of the crew and nautical activities of the deep-sea vessels owned by the French Department of Underwater Archaeological Research (DRASSM) Alfred Merlin and André Malraux."With the arrival in its fleet in 2021 of the Alfred Merlin, a 46-meter vessel that will carry out overseas missions, the DRASSM wanted to strengthen its presence by relying on a reputed professional of specialized vessels management…

What are the implications of the conflict in Cabo Delgado for maritime security in East Africa and the Mozambique Channel?Following the recent attacks on the coastal town of Palma in March-April by Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jamamah (ASWJ) insurgents in Mozambique’s troubled Cabo Delgado region, it is pertinent to assess the future trajectory of the conflict in the commercial maritime domain and the challenges it may pose to trade within the region. During the battle for Mocimboa da Praia…

This has certainly been an active year for offshore wind, both in the U.S. and globally. Looking at the U.S. in particular, the East Coast is certainly giving cause for real optimism with a clear pipeline of state procurement targets indicating 12 gigawatts installed by 2030 and 29.1 gigawatts total installed by 2035. That means around $55 to $87 billion of capex, which will support the growth of the significant domestic supply chain.Virginia saw the first installation of offshore wind turbines in federal waters this year with CVOW (Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind) 12 megawatt pilot project.

The oil and gas industry is witnessing wide-scale deployment of virtual reality (VR) technology across its value chain, according to GlobalData.According to the report, ‘Virtual Reality in Oil & Gas’, VR is finding its way into upstream, midstream and downstream sectors with applications in the simulation of new processes, analysis of project designs, reviewing of maintenance requirements and planning disaster responses.Ravindra Puranik, Oil and Gas Analyst at GlobalData, said: “Over time, this technology will transform oil and gas processes and workflows and help create new growth opportunities for organizations.”VR provides an interactive experience for oil and gas processes within a simulated environment and presents a superior alternative to images…

For Marine Technology Reporter's (MTR) 14th Annual "MTR100" - a look at 100 innovators and technologies in the subsea space - MTR editor-at-large Elaine Maslin reports on five companies and technologies that are worth the watch for the remainder of 2019 and beyond. For the full edition, see https://magazines.marinelink.com/nwm/MarineTechnology/201907/Blue Logic: Entering a new eraCompletely new modes of operation are entering the underwater domain for oil and gas operations and…

Turkey will launch a second drilling vessel on Thursday that will begin natural gas operations near Cyprus at the beginning of July, Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez was quoted as saying on Tuesday.Turkey and the internationally recognized Cypriot government have overlapping claims of jurisdiction for offshore oil and gas research in that part of the Mediterranean, an area thought to be rich in natural gas.Ankara already has a ship, called Fatih, in the region. Donmez was quoted as saying by state-owned Anadolu agency that the vessel was continuing to drill in a field to the west of Cyprus."Our second ship is about to be ready. We will send off our drill ship Yavuz on Thursday…

Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE) announced the inauguration of its multimodal facility (MMF) for oil and gas in Luanda, Angola.The facility, with its additional capabilities across multiple product lines, will deliver a suite of products and services across the oil and gas value chain. It will serve as a hub to support customers and projects in Angola and Southern Africa region, and will also serve customers on a global scale.The strategic location for this multipurpose facility puts BHGE in close proximity to serve important projects in the region. This will enable BHGE to provide faster response and mobilization to customer sites, and reduced product and service delivery costs based on economies of scale of a one-stop shop.

US-owned renewable energy company Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) announced that the Company's PB3 PowerBuoy deployed in the Adriatic Sea has produced more than one MegaWatt-hour (MWh) cumulative energy to date. The cost-effective ocean energy solutions provider said that the PowerBuoy has been deployed for six months, operating continuously and error-free while being controlled remotely from OPT’s NJ facility.George H. Kirby, OPT’s President and Chief Executive Officer said, “We are excited to announce this major power generation milestone for our PB3 PowerBuoy deployed in the Adriatic Sea. Since the contract began in March of last year…

Oklahoma-based Matrix Service Company has secured an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the Piedmont Natural Gas LNG  facility in North Carolina.The contract was awarded to Matrix’s subsidiary, Matrix Service Inc, to build its liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Robeson County, North Carolina.The facility will help Piedmont Natural Gas continue providing customers with a reliable supply of natural gas during peak usage days, when extremely low temperatures create a higher-than-normal demand for natural gas.The 1 billion-cubic-foot (Bcf) storage facility will cover approximately 60 acres of a 685- acre piece of Piedmont-owned property.

As maritime operators deal with challenging operating conditions, many are embracing digitalization as the most reliable way to lower operational costs and improve vessel efficiency.According to research conducted by Lloyds List Intelligence and Ovum, two-thirds of vessels use digitalization systems onboard. According to the executives surveyed, this is being driven by a desire to improve operating efficiency, with 88 percent already working toward that goal. As part of the process…

Russian maritime shipping company specializing in petroleum and LNG shipping Sovcomflot (SCF Group) has just celebrated the tenth anniversary of the start of LNG shipments from the Sakhalin-2 project.In March 2009, SCF’s LNG carrier Grand Aniva loaded the first shipment of Russian LNG produced at the Sakhalin-2 plant. As LNG production at Sakhalin-2 commenced, Russia became a full-fledged member of the club of LNG exporting nations, which at that point included just 15 countries.For a decade two of Sovcomflot’s LNG carriers, Grand Aniva and her sister ship Grand Elena, have been transporting LNG from Sakhalin-2 on a regular basis. Over this period…

The partnership between Damen Shipyards Group and Ampelmann to extend the benefits of motion-compensated gangway systems to fast crew supply vessels has reached a major landmark. At the end of March, the first Damen fast crew supply (FCS) vessel to be fitted with an Ampelmann L-type system began operations in the Gulf of Guinea. This marks a significant step forward in the move towards bringing the latest advances in safe and flexible marine access to a wider array of oil and gas operations. Damen and Ampelmann have together been promoting their integrated solutions combining Damen’s FCS range and Ampelmann’s systems and now, thanks to the vision of Nigerian offshore services company LATC Marine and its client ExxonMobil Nigeria, the first has entered service.

As in most if not all industries, the maritime sector experiences many more near-misses than actual casualties. And yet, information regarding near-misses is seldom shared outside the particular company or vessel/facility involved. This is a needless waste of valuable learning opportunities.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) established the first formal confidential near-miss reporting system in the federal government in 1975. The Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) was transferred in 1976 to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for collection of information…

Australia’s Energy World Corp(EWC) said it has received a permit from the Philippines' department of energy (DoE) to construct an LNG hub at Pagbilao Grande island in Quezon province.The energy company, which produces and sells power and natural gas primarily in the Asia Pacific region, said in a stock exchange annoucement that DoE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi on behalf of the department had issued Energy World Gas Operations Philippines, Inc. a permit to construct, own and operate an LNG import terminal and regasification facility on the Pagbilao Grande island.“The permit which was issued on 21 December 2018 forms an update to the original permit documentation and provides for a further construction period of 24 months from the permit issue date…

Ultra Petroleum informed that David Honeyfield has been appointed to serve as CFO of the gas producer with assets in Wyoming’s Green River Basin.A press release from the energy company engaged in domestic natural gas and oil exploration, development and production said that Honeyfield has over 25 years of experience in the energy and natural resources fields with a strong background in accounting and the corporate management of public oil and gas companies.Most recently, Honeyfield served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of PDC Energy, Inc. and Chief Financial Officer of Jonah Energy LLC. He has also served in various leadership roles including President and Chief Financial Officer of Intrepid Potash…

In an effort to address a recurring problem with faulty connectors in critical safety equipment, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) commissioned a National Academy of Engineering study on the matter in September 2016. After 18 months of study, the report entitled “High-Performance Bolting Technology for Offshore Oil and Natural Gas Operations” was published Friday. BSEE sponsored this study to leverage the resources of the National Materials and Manufacturing Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine with BSEE’s Emerging Technologies program as we work to mitigate risk of critical offshore connector equipment failures.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) this week announced the implementation of a new Risk-Based Inspection Program that employs a systematic framework to identify facilities and operations that exhibit a high-risk profile. The risk-based inspections supplement BSEE’s existing National Safety Inspection Program. The OCS Lands Act authorizes BSEE to conduct annual scheduled inspections and periodic unannounced inspections of all oil and gas operations. The new risk-based inspection protocol looks beyond compliance and assesses the integrity of critical safety systems on facilities and operations, those that have had multiple incidents of noncompliance or events and may need more attention.

Longitude Engineering reportedly has developed a cost effective decommissioning barge concept for the removal of small oil and gas platforms for the PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP), a subsidiary of the Thai state owned oil company. The aim was to develop a viable and cost-effective alternative to conventional ‘reverse installation’ through the use of heavy lift crane barges for the removal of the topsides and jackets. The focus being the removal of 90-100 of PTTEP’s minimum facilities platform assets in the Gulf of Thailand…