Guyana News

U.S. offshore vessel owner Seacor Marine  has acquired of three fast support vessels (FSVs) in exchange for the private placement of 603,872 shares of its common stock to domestic U.S. holders affiliated with the McCall family of Louisiana.The provider of global marine and support transportation services to offshore oil and natural gas and windfarm facilities worldwide has operated the acquired vessels for the past ten years under a revenue sharing pooling agreement along with four of its owned FSVs of similar specification.As part of the transaction, this pooling agreement was terminated.

Seismic research vessels hired by Exxon Mobil to explore for oil off Guyana's coast have not returned to the site of a December incident with Venezuela's navy, but they may in the future, Guyana's foreign minister said on Thursday.Guyana, with no history of oil production, has become the focus of intense interest since Exxon announced the discovery of over 5 billion barrels of oil and gas off its shores. That has reignited a century-old territorial dispute with neighboring Venezuela.

Norwegian seismic player Petroleum Geo-Services ASA (PGS) updated on changes of the contract for the 3D survey in South America announced November 14, 2018.The vessels Ramform Atlas and Ramform Tethys mobilized early December 2018 for this survey. The contract had an estimated total duration of approximately 13 vessel months and an estimated value in excess of $75 million, the marine geophysical company said.Due to unresolved issues affecting the survey, both vessels have been on paid standby from December 23…

Exxon Mobil Corp said on Wednesday its oil drilling and development activities offshore Guyana were unaffected despite neighboring Venezuela's navy stopping two seismic survey vessels the company had hired.The closest of 10 oil finds Exxon has made off Guyana's coast is 110 kilometers (68 miles) away from the northwest part of the Stabroek block, where the navy halted seismic data collection on Saturday, the company said. Each country's government says the incident took place in its territorial waters."Exploration and development drilling is continuing in the southeast area of the Stabroek Block," the company said in a statement. Exxon did not say whether the two vessels…

Venezuela's navy "intercepted" a ship exploring for oil on behalf of Exxon Mobil Corp in Guyanese waters over the weekend, Guyana's foreign ministry said in a statement, while neighboring Venezuela said the incident occurred within its territory.The latest incident in a century-old border dispute comes after a series of offshore oil discoveries have given Guyana the potential to become one of Latin America's largest producers. In OPEC member Venezuela, by contrast, crude output has tumbled to the lowest levels in nearly 70 years amid an economic crisis.The Ramform Tethys vessel…

The Venezuela's navy on Saturday "intercepted" a ship exploring for oil on behalf of Exxon Mobil Corp. in Guyanese waters, neighboring Guyana's foreign ministry said in a statement, in the latest incident in a century-old border dispute.A series of offshore oil discoveries in recent years have given Guyana the potential to become one of Latin America's largest producers. In OPEC member Venezuela, by contrast, crude output has tumbled to its lowest levels in nearly 70 years amid an economic crisis.The Ramform Tethys vessel, which belongs to Norwegian company Petroleum Geo-Services (PGS) and was conducting seismic survey work on behalf of Exxon…

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has officially handed over marine geospatial data to the Guyanese Government after a campaign of hydrographic surveying.Delegates from the UKHO presented the data to government officials at a special event to celebrate the completion of the survey. Two workshops were held to brief ministers and provide technical support for applications of the data, which will help Guyana support the development of its marine economy.The data, which was collected over a period of four months between 2016 and 2017…

International Maritime Organization (IMO) is supporting a training course aimed at female officials from maritime and port authorities entitled to encourage more women to join the maritime ranks in many aspect of the industry.Twenty-seven women from 18 developing countries are taking part in the two-week "Women in Port Management" course, hosted in Le Havre, France (12 – 23 November). The countries are Antigua & Barbuda, Bangladesh, Belize, Brazil, Cambodia, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica…

SBM Offshore signed a contract Wednesday for a second hull in its planned series of Fast4Ward floating production, storage and offloading units (FPSO) with Chinese shipyard Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding and Offshore Co., Ltd. (SWS).The order, which coincides with a keel laying ceremony for SBM's first Fast4Ward hull at the Shanghai shipyard, has been made before any engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the second hull. The Dutch company cited "continuing…

A naming ceremony was held for two custom tugs built by Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld for De Boer Remorquage SARL, a joint venture between Dutch Dredging and Iskes Towage and Salvage. The ceremony took place in the port of Cayenne in French Guyana.According to the shipbuilder, both vessels represent innovative solutions and one of them has additional modifications that enable it to undertake dredging and other associated activities.Present at the event where representatives from a number of French government agencies and the port authorities…

Guyana has put planned oil auctions on hold as the impoverished South American country works to establish a Department of Energy to oversee the energy boom, Minister of State Joseph Harmon said on Monday.Since 1999, Guyana has awarded a group led by Exxon Mobil Corp hundreds of oil blocks along Guyana's maritime borders with Venezuela and Suriname. Their finds are turning Guyana, a country with no history of oil production and relaxed energy regulation, into one of Latin America's hottest prospects for oil investments.Exxon…

Offshore oil driller Transocean Ltd said on Tuesday it would buy peer Ocean Rig UDW Inc in a $2.7 billion cash-and-stock deal, its second major acquisition this year as the company bets on a recovery in the offshore sector.The acquisition signals new optimism for offshore drillers, which were hit hard by the steep plunge in oil prices from 2014. Offshore projects, which are more costly than onshore work and take years to develop, became less attractive after oil prices fell to below $30 a barrel in 2016.Global crude prices have since recovered to above $70…

Noble Corporation has contracted Kongsberg Maritime to deliver an advanced new real-time monitoring and advisory solution for the Noble Tom Madden drillship.The contract reflects a growing requirement for deep technology integration on drilling platforms and ships, where sharing vital data on board and ashore results in a state-of-the-art real-time monitoring and advisory solution that will provide significant benefits for operational safety while reducing non-productive time (NPT).The Gusto P10000 design Noble Tom Madden deepwater drillship will join Noble Corporation’s Noble Bob Douglas…

Harvey Gulf International Marine has confirmed that it is going global with the reflagging of both Offshore Supply and Fast Supply Vessels to facilitate work in Mexico.Harvey will open additional offices in Mexico through its affiliate, Harvey Gulf International Marine de Mexico S.A.P.I. de C.V. Harvey will also establish itself in Trinidad and Guyana by opening offices and redeploying shore base personnel and vessels to those areas.Harvey will certify vessels for operation under Mexican flags to ensure its customers can receive Harvey service levels for their expanding Mexico operations.

Saipem has been awarded contracts for the second phase of the ExxonMobil led Liza development offshore Guyana.These contracts, assigned by Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), an affiliate of ExxonMobil, as the project operator, are in addition to those awarded to Saipem in 2017 for Liza Phase 1.Following engineering and subject to requisite government approvals, project sanction from the joint venture and an authorization to proceed with the next phase, Saipem will then perform detailed engineering…

Exxon Mobil Corp and its partners now expect the large Stabroek oil block offshore Guyana to contain about 25 percent more recoverable resources than estimated, they said on Monday.Exxon and U.S.-based partner Hess Corp said more than 4 billion barrels of oil equivalent could be recovered from the Stabroek block, which is part of one of the biggest oil discoveries in the world in the last decade.The previous estimate was 3.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent, Exxon, the world's largest publicly traded oil producer, said.Besides Exxon and Hess, China's CNOOC is also part of the consortium that is interested in Guyana's Atlantic coast resources.Exxon said production from Stabroek could reach over 750…

The National Maritime Law Enforcement Academy (NMLEA), and its subsidiary International Maritime Law Enforcement Academy (IMLEA), announced a teaming agreement with AMES Maritime Security (AMES) of Kingston, Georgetown (Guyana) to provide international level maritime safety and security services. The cadre of professionals from within both organizations are recognized for their military, maritime, and security skills and competence, and their ability to provide training, exercise, education, assessment, consultation, and other services.

ExxonMobil and the Hess Corporation announced an eighth oil discovery offshore Guyana at the Longtail-1 well, creating the potential for additional resource development in the southeast area of the Stabroek Block. The companies said approximately 78 meters of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoir was encountered. The well was drilled to 5,504 meters depth in 1,940 meters of water by the Stena Carron drillship on May 25, 2018. The Longtail-1 well is located approximately 5 miles west of the Turbot-1 well and follows previous discoveries on the Stabroek Block at Liza…

The American Caribbean Maritime Foundation (ACMF) announced it received a contribution of $150,000 from Mr. and Mrs. Roland Malins-Smith. Mr. Malins-Smith, now retired, is founder of SeaFreight Line Ltd. which was acquired by Crowley in 2015.The ACMF funds scholarships and provides grants for classrooms and other facilities at the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU).Malins-Smith, born in Grenada, began his career in 1970 researching shipping and transportation issues for the then Caribbean Free Trade Area (Carifta) Secretariat based in Georgetown Guyana.

Exxon Mobil Corp said it has commenced development drilling in the first of three offshore Guyana projects, which could produce more than 500,000 barrels of oil per day. Development drilling began in May for the first of 17 wells planned for Liza Phase 1, the company said.So far, Exxon Mobil and its co-venturers have discovered more than 3.2 billion oil-equivalent barrels estimated recoverable resources on the 6.6 million acre Stabroek Block.Liam Mallon, president of ExxonMobil Development Company…

Total is determined to push ahead with its plans to drill for oil in the Amazon basin, it said on Friday as Greenpeace activists interrupted its annual general meeting in protest at the project.The French oil major wants to explore Brazil's Foz do Amazonas basin, but Brazil's environmental agency rejected its licence application on Tuesday for a fourth time.As the company's annual general meeting opened in Paris on Friday, four activists from Greenpeace descended by rope from the ceiling above the stage…

Pirate attacks around South American and Caribbean waters are growing, and violence is increasingly used during robberies committed on vessels at anchor, a report showed on Wednesday. The Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP) non-profit group recorded 71 incidents in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2017, a 163 percent increase over 2016. OBP said the majority of the attacks occurred in territorial waters, with around 59 percent of incidents involving robbery on yachts. Anchorages in Venezuela, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Colombia and St. Lucia were the regional hot spots during 2017, it said.

Renewed optimism is the theme for exploration in 2018, driven by higher oil prices and improving exploration performance. The cost of exploring has fallen more than 50% since 2013/14 and there are fewer companies competing for acreage, said a research report by Westwood Global Energy Group. It could be argued that there has not been a better time to be exploring in the last decade. The geology economic to explore increases considerably above $60/barrel and in the first quarter of 2018 the oil price averaged $67/barrel.