Offshore News

U.S. Gulf of Mexico energy firms on Friday were lumbering back from hurricane disruptions as offshore oil and gas producers ramped up operations after halving the key energy region's output, ports reopened, and onshore terminals accepted oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers.Hurricane Francine shut in up to 42% of the region's offshore oil and 53% of its natural gas production. The storm missed Texas and came ashore in Louisiana late on Tuesday, causing flooding and power problems that affected onshore terminals and ports that withstood 100 mph (161 kph) winds.The port of New Orleans…

Fifteen crew members have been rescued from an offshore supply vessel (OSV) that went up in flames off the coast of South Africa.The fire reportedly broke out and grew out of control in the messroom aboard the Marshall Islands registered vessel AM Pride on Thursday, in an ocean area approximately 48.5 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay in South Africa's Western Cape province, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) said.The Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC)…

Dutch firm KOTUG has received an order from Rotterdam-based sand handling and transport specialist, ROS, for the delivery of a fully electric pusher tug, the E-Pusher.The E-Pusher, model M, will be deployed in combination with barges provided by Jansma Shipping to establish an emission-free sand transport chain between the Maasvlakte and Rotterdam.The fully electric E-Pusher, developed by KOTUG, is scheduled for completion in May 2025.The entire emission-free system - from transshipment…

Offshore drilling contractor Seadrill is looking to buy more assets or create a larger player by merging with peers, the company's CEO said on Wednesday.Norwegian-born billionaire John Fredriksen lost the control of the company, once the world's largest driller by market cap, to its creditors over two debt restructurings since 2014.Now a much leaner and smaller company, New York-listed Seadrill itself is looking to buy distressed assets or players with "distressed balance sheets"…

The U.S Coast Guard on Wednesday suspended operations at the offshore energy services hub Port Fourchon, Louisiana, as hurricane Francine bore down on the coast, according to a shipping advisory.The temporary closure of Port Fourchon, home to marine and equipment suppliers to offshore oil producers, follows the suspension of marine traffic at the deepwater Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), and the commercial ports of New Orleans, Cameron and Lake Charles on Tuesday, all essential to oil, LNG and agriculture exports.About a quarter of all oil and natural gas production in the U.S.

Van Oord’s new cable laying vessel (CLV) Calypso is gearing up for its debut at RWE’s 1.4 GW Sofia offshore wind farm in the UK.The inter-array cables have been loaded onto Calypso CLV at the Port of Blyth in the UK, ahead of its first job at RWE’s biggest offshore wind, according to Van Oord, which secured the contract for the installation of monopile foundations and cables back in 2021.Built by Vard, the vessel is 130 meters long and has a beam of 28 meters.The DP2 Calypso is equipped with a below-deck cable carousel and a second carousel on deck…

Norwegian lifting and handling specialist Seaonics has tested its Ocean Charger solution on an electric service operation vessel (SOV).High-voltage charging tests were conducted to charge the batteries on Rem Offshore’s diesel-electric hybrid construction SOV, REM Power, in port as well offshore from a charging point (cable reel, winch and control system) mounted on a wind turbine."At 10 years old, the turbine is one of the smallest offshore but the prototype proved it is possible to install the Ocean Charger on an existing turbine and charge an SOV from day one…

Energy facilities along the U.S. Gulf Coast have begun scaling back operations and evacuating some production sites as Tropical Storm Francine swept through the energy-rich region, and was poised to strengthen into a hurricane later Tuesday.Francine was advancing toward the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, set to become the fourth hurricane of the Atlantic season, which concludes on November 30. Francine could intensify into a Category 2 hurricane, ahead of its expected landfall along the Louisiana coast on Wednesday evening, the National Hurricane Center said.Offshore production in the U.S.

U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil and gas producers were evacuating staff and curbing drilling to prepare for Tropical Storm Francine on Monday as it churned through the energy region on a path to bring high winds and drenching rains to the U.S. mid-South.Francine is likely to bring life-threatening storm surge to the upper Texas and Louisiana coasts and hurricane-force winds to Southern Louisiana this week. Residents of Calcasieu Parish in Louisiana on Monday were supplied with sandbags and other materials to combat the expected storm surge…

The chief executive officer of Norwegian offshore vessel owner Eidesvik Offshore, Gitte Gard Talmo has resigned from his role to take up a new position in an international company abroad.Gitte Gard Talmo has been with the company for 22 years and has been CEO of Eidesvik Offshore since January 1, 2022.According to Eidsevik Offshore, Gitte Gard Talmo will continue in her position as CEO for the time being, while the board of the company will initiate a search for her replacement…

Esgian provides an update on new contract awards for Greatship, Transocean, Noble and Stena Drilling in its Week 36 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsGreatship has secured a contract with Cairn for its 350-ft Greatdrill Chetna jackup drilling rig in India. The contract is firm for six months at a dayrate of approximately $90,000, starting in late November or early December 2024.Transocean has secured a binding letter of award from Reliance Industries for its 6th generation 12…

Massachusetts and Rhode Island are moving ahead with three offshore wind projects totaling 2.9 gigawatts (GW), or enough electricity to power about 1.6 million homes, government officials announced on Friday.The project selections, following a joint solicitation in March for wind farms to be built off of New England's shores, move Massachusetts and Rhode Island closer to state renewable energy goals aimed at combating the effects of climate change."We are taking an important step towards energy independence…

Subsea7 in August announced it was awarded a "sizable" contract, worth between $50 million and $150 million, to perform engineering, procurement, construction, and offshore installation (EPCI) work in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.The company revealed on social media that the contract was awarded by Shell Offshore Inc., for its Vito waterflood project. Subsea7's work scope includes EPCI of a water injection flowline, hull piping, and associated subsea infrastructure for an enhanced…

Varuna Marine Services, a provider of maritime solutions, has launched of a product designed to support compliance with the FuelEU Maritime initiative at the SMM Hamburg 2024 event.Varuna Marine Services' FuelEU Maritime solution is integrated into its CyberSmart platform, offering features for optimized fuel management, real-time emissions monitoring, and advanced data analytics.The company’s flagship platform, CyberSmart, leverages AI and machine learning to streamline maritime operations…

President Joe Biden's administration on Thursday announced final approval of a wind project off the coast of Maryland, bringing the U.S. halfway to its goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of the clean energy technology by 2030.The project is the 10th approved by Biden's Interior Department. He has made offshore wind a cornerstone of his climate change agenda.The Maryland Offshore Wind Project, which is being developed by US Wind, could one day generate enough electricity to power 718,000 homes, Interior said in a statement.

U.S.-based offshore drilling contractor Noble Corporation on Wednesday announced it has completed its acquisition of peer Diamond Offshore Drilling. The merger creates the industry's largest fleet of 7th generation dual-BOP drillships and adds 4.8 rig years and approximately $2 billion to the Noble backlog, which now stands at $6.7 billion.Noble's board of directors has appointed Patrice Douglas from the Diamond board of directors to serve as a new director of Noble.Robert W.

Aize and SBM Offshore have entered a strategic five-year partnership aimed at integrating Aize software into vessels across SBM Offshore’s global fleet.The collaboration will encompass both the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) phases, enhancing efficiency and operational excellence.The implementation plan will be guided by the digital readiness of vessels and lead with the integration of Aize into vessels in production, closely followed by vessels in the EPC phase…

Ocean Infinity has received a Statement of Compliance (SOC) from DNV for its remotely supported vessel operations, marking industry's first such achievement.The approval from DNV, the world's leading classification society, establishes Ocean Infinity as the industry's first organization to reach the required standard of technology and operations for large vessels, and permits the beginning of onshoring marine related tasks and activities.The significance of this achievement was underscored at SMM in Hamburg…

The first 11 MW Siemens Gamesa offshore wind turbine, out of total 65 planned, has been installed at Ørsted’s 704 MW Revolution Wind offshore wind farm in the United States.Once in operation, Revolution Wind will have the capacity to generate 400 MW of clean power for Rhode Island and 304 MW for Connecticut, enough to power more than 350,000 homes and bring both states closer to reaching their climate targets.Meanwhile, offshore construction crews continue to make steady progress installing the foundations for the turbines…

Zelim, an Edinburgh based sea survival innovator, has unveiled the world's first unmanned/manned remotely controlled person-in-water rescue vessel.The vessel, dubbed GUARDIAN, is 8.4 meters long, 2.5 meters wide aluminium hulled Next Generation Fast Rescue Craft (FRC), presented to the international maritime industry for the first time at the SMM Trade Fair, which is taking place in Hamburg, Germany.Specifically designed for rapid deployment from a ship to recover both conscious and unconscious man-overboard casualties…

Norwegian offshore vessel operator DOF Group has secured a contract for subsea decommissioning services in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.The contract award includes project management, engineering, logistics support and execution of decommissioning activities utilizing Skandi Hercules vessel.The value of the contract has not been disclosed, but it is under $15 million, according to DOF.The offshore campaign will be conducted in Western Australian waters and is expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2024 for approximately 50 days.“This award secures further backlog for the APAC region a

Danish subsea cable and services firm NKT, in close collaboration with SSEN Transmission, has completed the turnkey project of connecting the Shetland Islands to the main grid in Scotland with the Shetland HVDC Link.The 320 kV HVDC interconnector is now a key contributor to the integration of renewable energy in Great Britain.Interconnected power grids are essential to the green transition and with the completion of the Shetland HVDC Link, 600 MW of renewable energy can now flow…

Esgian provides an update on plans for Petronas to return to the deep waters off Mexico in its Week 35 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsMalaysia's Velesto said Monday it has secured a Letter of Award for its 350-ft jackup Naga 3 from Vietnam-based Thang Long Joint Operating Company (TLJOC).Dolphin Drilling’s Letter of Intent (LoI) with an undisclosed operator in the UK for its 1,500-ft semisub Borgland Dolphin has lapsed and the rig is now available for new…

DOF Subsea (DOF) on Friday announced a contract extension and a contract award securing further backlog for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.A contract extension has been secured for dive support vessel Skandi Singapore with the vessel fully committed through Q4 2024 with further options available into Q1 2025.In addition, the latest contract secured for the region will utilise Skandi Singapore and see the vessel deployed off the Australian coast during Q1 2024. The contracted scope includes project management and engineering…

Seismic work at offshore gas fields shared by Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago is expected to start in the coming days, the Caribbean country's energy minister Stuart Young said on Friday on social media.Venezuela in July issued a 20-year license allowing the development of its side of the reservoir, the Cocuina field. The U.S. earlier this year also authorized the project, to be developed by Britain's BP and Trinidad's National Gas Company.The Cocuina and Manakin fields, whose Venezuelan portion belongs to the idled offshore gas project Plataforma Deltana…

GE Vernova on Friday said recent turbine blade failures at two offshore wind farms in the United States and the United Kingdom are unrelated.The statement comes as the company has been grappling with fallout from three separate blade accidents in four months.The most recent occurred on Aug. 22 at the Dogger Bank wind farm off the coast of Yorkshire in the North Sea, a little over a month after a blade fell apart at the Vineyard Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts and sent…

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone said on Friday it will buy a majority stake in an offshore support vessel operator for $185 million, expanding its fleet and diversifying beyond port operations.Astro Offshore, in which Adani Ports will buy an 80% stake, owns a fleet of 26 vessels including barges and workboats, counting miner NMDC and construction bellwether Larsen and Toubro as its customers."Astro will add... to our current fleet of 142 tugs and dredgers...

The mobile wind power installation platform Hengtong Haiyue has been delivered to the Hengtong Group by Jiangsu Dajin Heavy Industry in China.The mobile platform is equipped with a 1,600t leg encircling full-circle slewing crane as well as a 4,000m2 deck with a variable load of over 8,500t, and is capable of installing 20MW offshore wind turbines.The DP2 vessel is also equipped with four truss pile legs and an automatic lifting system and a fully electric propulsion system. It…

The US Department of the Interior will hold an offshore wind energy lease sale off southern Oregon on October 15, 2024.The auction will be conducted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and could generate more than 3.1 gigawatts of renewable energy if fully developed, enough to power approximately one million homes.Lease Area P-OCS 0566 (Coos Bay) consists of 61,203 acres and is approximately 32 miles from shore. Lease Area P-OCS 0567 (Brookings) consists of 133,792 acres…

Oceaneering International, Inc. announced that its UK subsidiary, Oceaneering International Services Limited, has secured multiple contracts for decommissioning, inspection, subsea preparation, and installation support services in the U.K. sector of the North Sea. The contracts were awarded by multiple operators in the region and, when combined, total an estimated 65 days with options to extend the contract durations. These operations are expected to begin in August 2024 and will be supported utilizing the Island Offshore multiservice vessel (MSV) Island Frontier…

Senesco Marine recently held a launch and christening ceremony for WindServe Marine's new Jones-Act-compliant crew transfer vessel (CTV), WindServe Frontier.WindServe Marine, a sister company to the North Kingstown, R.I. shipbuilder—both part of the Reinauer Group—will operate the CTV to serve the emerging offshore wind industry on the U.S. East Coast.The BMT-designed aluminum catamaran is 29 meters long with a 9-meter beam and 1.7-meter draft. It is equipped with Volvo Penta D13 main engines (515kW at 2,300 RPM) and a Volvo Penta IPS 900 propulsion system.

The New Bedford Foss Marine Terminal (NBFMT) this month opened its first deepwater berth to accommodate vessels serving North America’s emerging offshore wind sector.This milestone, reached after two years of demolition and construction, marks a crucial step in Phase II of the terminal's development. The newly opened berth, designed specifically for offshore wind service vessels, features a 300-foot bulkhead and has been enhanced by extensive dredging. These upgrades are set to improve the terminal's functionality for both domestic and international vessels.Andrew Saunders…

Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) on Thursday announced it has renewed its training partnership agreement with RelyOn Nutec GoM (Gulf of Mexico).The partnership was formed in 2019 and over the past five years has provided specialized Global Wind Organization (GWO) Basic Safety Training (BST) to close to 1,000 course participants entering the offshore wind industry. The MMA is the first facility in the nation to offer all five modules of GWO Basic Safety Training for Offshore Wind: Working at Heights…

Mainstream Renewable Power, the pureplay global wind and solar company majority-owned by Aker Horizons, has announced that KF Wind, a 1,125MW floating offshore wind project being developed off the coast of Ulsan, South Korea, has secured the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approval from the Ministry of Environment for the totality of the two-phase project. The Award of the EIA is a key milestone for the development of the two-phase floating offshore wind project, advancing towards construction.The EIA comprises the first phase…

TotalEnergies has launched a pilot project consisting of a floating wind turbine to supply renewable power to the Culzean offshore platform in the UK North Sea.Culzean is a high-pressure, high-temperature gas condensate field located in Block 22/25a in the East Central Graben area.The 3MW floating wind turbine will be located 2km west of the Culzean platform, 220km off the eastern coast of Scotland. This turbine, expected to be fully operational by end 2025, will supply around 20% of Culzean’s power requirement…

On August 31, Ørsted will shut down its last coal-fired combined heat and power plant, Esbjerg Power Station, located in the Western part of Denmark.The yearly consumption of coal at Esbjerg Power Station has been approximately 500,000 tonnes, which is equivalent to approximately 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 (or the yearly emissions from approx. 600,000 fossil-fueled cars in the EU).Ørsted was once one of the most coal-intensive energy companies in Europe, but since 2006, the company…

Shanghai Electric earlier this month celebrated the combined naming and delivery of two service operation vessels (SOV) at ZPMC, Qidong base, China. The vessels are based on two different ship designs from Ulstein Design & Solutions AS and are the first purpose-designed vessels for the offshore wind industry in China.The Zhi Cheng 60 is an ULSTEIN SX197 design measuring 72.6m in length and 17.5m in beam. It can accommodate 60 people and has a deck area of 400 sqm.The Zhi Zhen 100 is based on the larger ULSTEIN SX195 design.

Vard has signed a contract for the design and construction of a second hybrid ocean energy construction vessel (OECV) for the Norwegian shipping group Island Offshore.In May, the companies signed a contract for one firm OECVs with an option for two sister vessels. This new contract confirms the first option.“We are happy to confirm this order, demonstrating our faith in the market outlook and our commitment to continue renewing our fleet. The vessel will further strengthen Island Offshore’s positioning in attractive market segments based on a fleet of versatile advanced offshore vessels…

Deliveries for exploration, development projects and operation of Equinor-operated fields and onshore facilities in Norway had a value of more than NOK 134 billion ($12.8 billion) in 2023, 94% of which were invoiced by Norwegian suppliers.The details were conveyed in a report prepared by Kunnskapsparken Bodø (KPB) which analyzed actual purchases of goods and services for Equinor-operated fields and onshore facilities, development projects and exploration activity from Hammerfest…

Fugro has completed the primary phase in its first vessel conversion to green methanol fuel.The Fugro Pioneer is ready to be equipped with methanol engines after successfully converting the main components on board.The now-completed vessel adjustments to the Fugro Pioneer allow two of its four original engines to be replaced by methanol engines, ensuring services can still be offered in regions where green methanol is not yet available. The delivery and installation of the methanol capable engines are expected in the second half of 2024.

Offshore supply services company Havila Shipping has recorded a profit before tax of NOK 4.0 million ($382,000) in Q2 2024, compared with NOK -5.4 million in Q2 2023.Deals made in the quarter include the agreement with Reach Subsea to extend the contract for the IMR vessel Havila Subsea. The existing contract was due to finish at the end of 2024, but the contract extension is for a firm period of three years, with two one-year options. The contract extension includes improved terms valid from June 1…

Singapore-based shipbuilder Strategic Marine announced it has delivered two 42-meter Fast Crew Boats (FCB) to ADNOC L&S, the global energy maritime logistics arm of UAE's ADNOC Group.The 42m FCBs are equipped with advanced technology such as gyro-stabilization to reduce vessel rolling motion and hybrid systems for carbon reduction and increased efficiency, the builder said. In addition, the newbuilds each feature an optimized hull design for enhanced speed and fuel efficiency…

KOTUG International B.V.won a contract for ENI Congo to deliver critical marine services for the Congo LNG project. This project, situated offshore the Republic of Congo, includes the Tango FLNG and the Excalibur Floating Storage Unit (FSU), with a second FLNG currently under construction.Under the terms of the contract, KOTUG will deploy three Rotortugs to support a range of operations, including mooring and unmooring of vessels, handling mooring equipment, providing stand-by services, transporting pilots, and offering antipollution, oilfield goods, and passenger transport services.

Norwegian-headquartered offshore vessel owner Østensjø Rederi has placed an order with Spanish shipbuilder Gondan for a new offshore support vessel (OSV).The 120-meter vessel was designed by Salt Ship Design of Norway and will be built at Gondan's facilities in Asturias, Spain, for scheduled delivery in the second half of 2027. Featuring a 23-meter beam and accommodations for up to 180 personnel in daylight cabins, the new vessel will be equipped to perform a wide range of offshore operations…

Eidesvik Offshore will refit its platform supply vessel (PSV) Viking Energy with an ammonia dual fuel engine, targeting 2026 as the year that the vessel will operate on ammonia for Equinor, effectively cutting GHG emissions by 70% or more.Viking Energy will switch to ammonia operations, in a move that should make it the world’s first in-service vessel to adopt the fuel as a primary energy source."This conversion is made possible by the support and investment from Equinor. We are very pleased to partner up with a client that share our ambitious climate targets…

Equinor plans to invest 60 billion-70 billion crowns ($5.7 billion-$6.7 billion) per year offshore Norway towards 2035 as it expects continuing strong demand for oil, it said on Monday.Norway is Europe's largest gas supplier and a major producer of oil, pumping some four million barrels of oil equivalent per day, but many of its largest offshore fields are in decline and there are currently no new developments scheduled for the 2030s.At the same time, oil and gas investments are expected to hit a record this year and stay at elevated levels in 2025, driven by ongoing field developments and ris

New Zealand said on Monday it would pass laws by the end of this year to reverse a ban on offshore oil and gas exploration, and take urgent steps to remove regulatory hurdles to import LNG amid energy shortages.The law would end the ban, in place since 2018, on exploration outside onshore Taranaki, an energy-rich region on the country's North Island as the right-of-centre government plans to lure investment to the country's oil and gas sector.Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said severe shortages over the last few weeks had led energy prices to spike to some of the highest levels among develop

GE Vernova's shares fell nearly 7% on Friday following a turbine-blade failure at an offshore wind farm in the UK, the latest in a string of incidents involving the power service firm's equipment.The incident was reported at the Dogger Bank A project, located more than 130 km off the northeast coast of England, according to a statement from the project authorities.GE Vernova said no injuries were reported and that it was investigating the blade failure, without giving details.The…

OMV (Norge) has successfully completed drilling of a deepwater exploration well in the Norwegian Sea with preliminary estimated total recoverable gas volumes of between 30 and 140 million barrels of oil equivalent (mn boe).The deepwater wildcat well 6605/6-1 S is located 300km west of the Norwegian mainland at a water depth of 1,064 meters. The gas discovery, in the Haydn/Monn exploration prospects of PL 1194, is approximately 65 kilometers from the existing infrastructure of…

Engineers at MIT have developed a comprehensive, physics-based model that accurately represents the airflow around rotors even under extreme conditions, such as when the blades are operating at high forces and speeds, or are angled in certain directions.The model could improve the way rotors are designed and how wind farms are laid out and operated. It was described in the journal Nature Communications in an open-access paper by MIT postdoc Jaime Liew, doctoral student Kirby Heck…

Louisiana-based Cheramie Marine's offshore support vessel (OSV) Mary Cheramie has been refitted with a pair of new Mitsubishi engines, power solutions provider Laborde Products announced.The vessel's two new Mitsubishi Tier 3 S12R engines, each delivering 1,260 HP at 1,600 RPM, replace the older Caterpillar 3512 engines.According to Laborde Products, the new engines' fully mechanical design simplifies maintenance and operation while enhancing reliability and reducing emissions.

The United States is advancing plans for a second regional offshore wind energy auction in the Central Atlantic.On Wednesday, the Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced it will issue a Call for Information and Nominations for the Central Atlantic 2 sale. This call invites public input on potential commercial wind energy development in an area spanning 13,476,805 acres off the coasts of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.This second Central Atlantic Call is an early step in the leasing process.

Seas Geosciences announced  a multi-year agreement with Britoil Offshore Services (Britoil) to charter and convert the platform supply vessel (PSV) BOS Princess into a geotechnical drilling vessel that will be available to the market starting in January 2025.With its 80-meter length and close to 19-meter beam, the 2015-built BOS Princess will provide a stable platform for Seas’ geotechnical investigations, said Seas Geosciences President Paolo Casciotti.“This vessel is being specifically…

Britain's decision to issue dozens of new oil and gas exploration licences is being challenged in court by a marine conservation organization, which argues ministers unlawfully failed to consider the impact on marine life.Oceana UK is taking legal action over 31 licences issued under Britain's previous government in May this year as part of the North Sea Transition Authority's latest oil and gas licensing round.An exploration licence does not necessarily result in a producing field, though environmental groups argue that expansion of oil and gas production is inconsistent with the government's

According to the Norwegian Offshore Directorate's projected scenarios leading up to 2050, the difference between high and low production of oil and gas can amount to nearly an entire government pension fund.Norway still has extensive oil and gas resources on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). This can provide a basis for high levels of production, export and value creation for the broader society for many years to come, according to the new resource report. However, this potential future will not simply materialize on its own.

DeepOcean won a contract extension with Diavaz for the vessel, Arbol Grande. The vessel will work on Inspection Maintenance and Repair (IMR) services in Mexico for the next five years.Arbol Grande is a construction and subsea vessel, delivered in 2003 with specifications tailor made for the Mexican market. The vessel has been used as an accommodation and topside maintenance support vessel for several IMR contracts involving saturation- and air diving, as well as other light construction…

An arbitration panel that will decide a high-profile clash between Exxon Mobil and Chevron will delve into the secret value of Hess' oil riches in Guyana, people familiar with the matter said.Chevron last October offered to pay $53 billion for Hess, one of the two biggest deals in the largest wave of consolidation in the oil industry in decades. The asset most coveted by Chevron in the takeover is Hess’s stake in a Guyana field operated by top U.S. rival Exxon.Exxon and China's CNOOC  have challenged the deal…

James Fisher Fendercare said it completed the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) STS transfer off the coast of Southwold, UK, for an energy major.The operation was to support a gas-up / cool-down service for an LNG carrier coming out of dry dock in readiness for her next voyage. This specialized operation involves removing the inert gas from the vessel’s storage tanks by transferring LNG to slowly reduce their temperature, to -162C, so that the tanks are ready to safely load new cargo.

The cost to construct the United States' first domestically built wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV), Charybdis, has risen to $715 million, Dominion Energy revealed in its latest quarterly results, marking another snag for the fledgling U.S. offshore wind industry.The first-of-its-kind vessel — the only WTIV being built in the U.S. to comply with the Jones Act — was originally slated to cost about $500 million when U.S. power company Dominion ordered it from Brownsville, Texas shipbuilder Seatrium AmFELS (then Keppel AmFELS) in 2020.

Woodside and the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) have agreed to dismiss the ACF’s challenge to a primary environmental approval for Woodside’s Scarborough Energy Project.The Scarborough Energy Project has all primary environmental approvals in place and offshore work is progressing well. However, the Federal Court proceedings sought an injunction to stop offshore activities for the project.Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill welcomed the agreement to dismiss the case.“Litigation…

British startup DRIFT Energy has closed a seed funding round for making green energy at sea using hi-tech sailing vessels.Led by Octopus Ventures, one of the largest and most active venture capital investors in the UK and Europe, and with support from Blue Action Accelerator, the company has secured £4.65 million ($6 million), enabling it to realise its ambition to start vessel production next year.DRIFT Energy aims to deploy a fleet of high-performance sailing vessels that harness…

Esgian provides an update on new jack-up contracts in the North Sea and Nigeria in its Week 33 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsBorr Drilling 400-ft jackup Prospector 1 has secured a contract extension with ONE-Dyas for work offshore the UK and the Netherlands, scheduled to run from February to April 2025.Shelf Drilling 300-ft jackup Harvey H. Ward has received a notice of suspension from Saudi Aramco for up to one year.Shelf Drilling 350-ft jackup Shelf Drilling…

Bardex completed its phase of floating production system (FPS) for the Shenandoah project: delivering its Off Vessel Tensioning (OVT) BarLatch mooring system. When installed, the FPS will be located in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico at more than 1800 m water depth. This is the second FPS project in which Bardex partnered with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries to supply its patented OVT BarLatch system. The first was the King’s Quay FPS, also moored in the Gulf of Mexico, which marked the inaugural implementation of Bardex’s OVT method.

AUGUST 16, 2024 - Today, the first two China-built offshore wind power SOVs (Service Operation Vessels) ZHI ZHEN 100 and ZHI CHENG 60 was held in Qidong, China. The two SOVs were delivered by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. to Shanghai Electric Wind Power Group Co., Ltd., with Schulte Marine Concept (SMC) responsible for plan approval and vessels’ construction and commissioning supervision.“We are proud to have been part of this historic project," said Krzysztof Kozdron, Managing Director of SMC.

Cadeler took delivery of the fifth and newest addition to its fleet – Wind Peak, the first of seven newbuilds for which Cadeler currently has signed contracts. The P-class jack-up installation vessel was built at COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (COSCO) shipyard in Qidong, China, and was named in a ceremony at the shipyard.The P-class is designed to handle some of the largest wind turbine components in the offshore wind industry. Mikkel Gleerup, CEO of Cadeler, said: “To celebrate…

Subsea7 today announced the award of a sizeable contract in the US Gulf of Mexico worth between $50 million and $150 million.The scope of work includes engineering, procurement, construction, and offshore installation of a water injection flowline, hull piping and associated subsea infrastructure.Project management and engineering work will start immediately at Subsea7’s office in Houston, Texas, and offshore activity is expected to begin in 2026.The news follows the July award…

ExxonMobil Canada Properties (EMCP) reported a near miss event occurred on August 7, 2024, during a gangway crew change between the survey vessel Amazon Conqueror and offshore supply vessel (OSV) Victory G off Canada's East Coast.Operations were halted when it was indicated that the gangway was approaching operating condition limits for safely transporting personnel. Subsequently, the gangway detached from the landing platform on the Victory G and was left suspended between the two vessels.There were no injuries to personnel during this incident…

Petrobras has awarded contracts to Techdof, a joint venture between DOF Subsea and TechnipFMC, for two of its pipelay support vessel (PLSVs).Petrobras extended the existing contract for PLSV Skandi Açu to mid-2026. This extension will be followed by the new three-year contract ending mid-2029, DOF informed.Skandi Açu is designed to achieve a 650-tonne laying tension capacity, enabling the installation of large diameter flexible pipes in ultra deepwater environments, such as the Brazilian pre-salt.The vessel has been built by VARD in Romania and Norway.Also…

Seatrium has delivered its fourth jackup rig, Vali, to Borr Drilling from its Pioneer Yard in Singapore about a year ahead of its planned delivery next year.Vali is a KFELS Super B Class rig, specifically engineered to operate in water depths of up to 400 feet and capable of drilling to depths of up to 35,000 feet. The rig can also drill deep wells both vertically and horizontally. Its cantilever structure is designed with a maximum combined load of 3,700 kips and is equipped with an advanced…

Malaysia-based Icon Offshore Berhad has confirmed that two seafarers were killed and another badly wounded during an incident on board one of its platform supply vessels (PSV).The fatal incident involving Icon Offshore's Icon Amara occurred on August 2, 2024 at approximately 10:30 p.m. at the Sapar Alpha platform near Bintulu, Sarawak, the company said. According to local media reports, a violent explosion in the vessel's engine room left two mariners dead and another seriously injured.Authorities said the PSV's assistant engineer and an oiler were killed…

Norway's Equinor and U.S. power company Dominion were the winning bidders in a U.S. government offshore wind auction of two areas off the coasts of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, the U.S. Interior Department said on Wednesday.The offshore wind lease sale generated less than $93 million in winning bids, making it among the least lucrative of those held by the Biden administration.U.S. President Joe Biden has put the development of offshore wind at the forefront of his climate change agenda…

Offshore wind developer Corio Generation, a Macquarie Group company, and Brazilian shipyard and marine construction company Estaleiros do Brasil (EBR) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore how EBR’s facilities could support future offshore wind projects off Brazil’s south coast.Corio and EBR will look at how EBR’s existing infrastructure, located close to Rio Grande port in Brazil’s southern province of Rio Grande do Sul, could support the deployment of two offshore wind farms planned for the south of the country.These include Cassino Offshore Wind (1…

Fishing has been a lifeline for Alejandro Alcones for the past four decades, but he now fears his small boat may be replaced by a floating solar farm on the Philippines' largest lake.Alcones is part of a group of fishermen opposed to the government's plan to place solar panels atop Laguna de Bay, one of the country's biggest sources of freshwater fish, as it looks for renewable energy sources to meet growing demand for power."Laguna Lake gives life and income to fishermen like us who didn't finish school.

Vineyard Wind and GE Vernova on Tuesday said U.S. safety officials have allowed them to resume limited construction on an offshore wind farm off the Massachusetts coast where a turbine blade shattered last month.Vineyard Wind, owned by Avangrid AGR.N and Denmark's Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, was ordered to stop power production and construction after a blade broke apart on July 13 and sent pieces of fiberglass into the water that washed up on nearby beaches.In a joint statement…

Offshore personnel transfer company Windcat, part of CMB.TECH, has partnered with Anglo-Eastern for the technical and crewing management of the first out six ordered hydrogen-powered Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs).Windcat has ordered six Elevation Series CSOVs, to be built by Damen Shipyards, with the latest ordered placed in July 2024.Windcat already collaborated with Anglo-Eastern Technical Services (AETS), Anglo-Eastern's technical consulting arm, which was…

Swiss marine power company WinGD has teamed up with global shipping line CMA CGM to test its Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) technology for dual-fuel engines onboard one of CMA CGM’s vessels.The collaboration marks the first field test for the new dual-fuel engine technology and follows successful factory tests showing significant efficiency improvements with both diesel and LNG fuel.The CMA CGM project comprises a long-term, full-scale test to confirm operability and reliability.Onboard testing is expected to begin following the dry-docking of the vessel in September…

One of the world’s leading LNG project developers New Fortress Energy (NFE) has completed the first cargo load and sail operation from its floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit offshore Altamira in Mexico.The first cargo has been loaded onto the Energos Princess LNG carrier and will be delivered to NFE’s La Paz terminal.“We’re excited to begin supplying our customers with our own LNG – a significant milestone for our company and the world of LNG,” NFE said on social media.The operation follows the first production of LNG at its first 1.4 MTPA FLNG unit Fast LNG unit, FLNG 1, achieved on J

Dominion Energy has installed the 50th monopile foundation its the 2.6GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project located 33 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.The project is on schedule to hit the company's target of 70-100 monopiles set into the sea floor during the first of two installation seasons that run through the end of October.The monopile foundations, which are being staged at Portsmouth Marine Terminal, are single vertical, steel cylinders manufactured by EEW SPC.

Two crewmembers were medecaved on Sunday after being injured in a fire aboard a U.S.-registered liftboat in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard said.At approximately 7:53 p.m. Coast Guard District Eight watchstanders received a notification from the Laredo Offshore Services' liftboat Brazos that two men needed medical attention following a fire on board.The Coast Guard coordinated the launch of a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from Air Station New Orleans to conduct the medevac approximately 40 miles offshore from Marsh Island…

TotalEnergies has supplied its first B100 biofuel bunker in Singapore, marking an expansion in its low-carbon fuels offer in an effort to support the decarbonization goals of global shipping.On August 5, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels used an IMO Type II chemical bunker tanker, MAPLE, owned by Global Energy Group, to transfer 700 metric tons (mt) of the 100% Used Cooking Oil Methyl Ester (UCOME-based) biofuel to a pure car and truck carrier (PCTC), Glovis Cosmos, which is owned by Hyundai Glovis.The UCOME biodiesel supplied is a second-generation…

Esgian provides an update on the second round of jackup suspensions in Saudi Arabia in its Week 32 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsArabian Drilling has confirmed that Saudi Aramco has initiated discussions with the drilling contractor over the suspension of an additional leased offshore rig, following an initial round of contract suspensions that began earlier this year. Arabian Drilling has not stated which of its jackups is the target of the current suspension discussions.ADES does not expect new contract suspensions for its fleet by Saudi Aramco this year.

Vineyard Wind and GE Vernova on Friday released a plan outlining the steps to be followed after a turbine blade failure last month at the Vineyard Wind offshore project off the coast of Massachusetts, which left potentially dangerous debris on beaches on the island of Nantucket.Vineyard Wind, the first major U.S. offshore wind farm, was shut down by federal authorities after the turbine blade failure.The plan outlines the steps to be followed to recover the remainder of the blade on the turbine. It has been developed in consultation the U.S.

Ukraine's navy and military intelligence have attacked and damaged a former offshore gas platform used by Russian forces in the Black Sea, the navy spokesman said on Saturday."The occupiers used this location for GPS spoofing to make civilian navigation dangerous. We cannot allow this to happen," Dmytro Pletenchuk said on Facebook.He posted a video taken at night showing an explosion on an offshore platform and the ensuing fire. He said that a half a day before the attack, Russian forces had stationed equipment and military personnel on the platform."There were no civilians there.

U.S. activists opposed to offshore wind development are forming a national coalition aimed at fighting projects from California to New England, according to the effort's founder and two other organizations.The National Offshore-wind Opposition Alliance, or NOOA, aims to bring a national profile to what is currently a fractured movement of dozens of local groups, according to its president, Mandy Davis.Offshore wind is a nascent industry in the United States and a key pillar of U.S. President Joe Biden's plan to combat climate change.

Fratelli Cosulich Group has introduced Cosulich Logistics to unify its services under one global identity in a strategic move expected to streamline its operations across eight brands and 19 companies in 14 countries spanning three continents.With over 170 years of expertise in the shipping and logistics industries, Fratelli Cosulich has announced a significant transformation in its operations.According to the Italy-based group, all of its brands will now be commercially identified…

Norwegian offshore support vessel owner Havila Shipping has entered into contract with Peterson Den Helder for its platform supply vessel (PSV) Havila Borg.The contract, whose value was not disclosed, is for a firm period of two wells estimated to 200 days.It also includes optional periods for eight wells each estimated to 65 days.The start of operations is expected to be within two weeks, Havila Shipping said.Built in 2009, Havila Borg features Havyard 832 design. The PSV is 78.6 meters long, with the breadth of 17.6 meters and deck of 800 m2. It can accommodate 23 people.

Gasum and Equinor have launched a series of liquefied biomethane (bio-LNG) bunkering operations in Norway's Port of Dusavik, with bio-LNG being bunkered to Equinor’s chartered platform supply vessel Island Crusader.The first bio-LNG delivery was successfully carried out mid-July. Gasum will continue to supply Island Crusader with two to three truckloads of bio-LNG approximately every other week. Each truckload contains about 22 tons of bio-LNG.Both Gasum and Equinor are committed to ambitious sustainability goals to enable a cleaner energy future.

Nigeria's oil output has risen to between 1.6 million and 1.7 million barrels per day after the government beefed up security to curb crude theft, Chief of Naval Staff Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla said on Tuesday.Crude production in Nigeria, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), stood at 1.2 million barrels per day in February, Ogalla said. Oil major Shell has exited the country."We have stepped up surveillance and enforcement in the oil producing areas…

Early 2024 saw a group of financial deals that have implications, in a broad sense, for how offshore wind projects may be financed. While offshore wind projects might be thought of as being in the ‘utility finance’ basket, they are ultimately high-risk deals that might better suit the portfolios of ‘infrastructure investment’ which, in recent years, has taken a shift towards tolerating more uncertainty when it comes to cash flows.A 2022 article from consultants McKinsey, titled “Infrastructure investing will never be the same”…

Maritime solutions provider Wallem Group and China’s COSCO Shipping Seafarer Management Company have entered into strategic cooperation to enhance their collaboration in maritime industry.The partnership underscores both companies’ commitment to innovation and sustainability in the maritime industry, aiming to set new benchmarks in ship management and crew services. “We are honored to partner with COSCO Shipping Seafarer Management Company to work together towards common goals on green…

Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN), a joint venture owned by Fincantieri (51%) and Leonardo (49%), has received notification from the Italian Navy that it has exercised its option for the construction of the fourth next-generation offshore patrol vessel (OPV) and the related logistical support.The total value of the operation is about $255.7 million (€236 million).In the coming days, OSN will finalize sub-contracts by notifying the option exercise to Fincantieri and Leonardo, with…

Australia’s Woodside Energy has signed an agreement with Dutch-based OCI Global to acquire its clean ammonia project for $2.35 billion, which is still under construction on the U.S. Gulf Coast in Texas.Woodside has entered into a binding agreement to acquire 100% of OCI Clean Ammonia Holding, and its lower carbon ammonia project in Beaumont, in a move that strengthens the company’s transition to green energy.The Project is under construction and targets production of first ammonia from 2025 and lower carbon ammonia from 2026…

New Zealand's green credentials are at risk as the government rolls back environmental reforms in a bid to boost a flailing economy and fulfil promises made to its voters.Since taking power last year, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's center-right coalition announced it will reverse a ban on oil and gas exploration, push the pricing of agricultural emissions back five year and encourage more mining.This is part of a government shift in priorities towards increasing exports to support an economy that grew just 0.3% in the year to March 2024…

Esgian provides an update on what has been a busy week in the offshore drilling market in its Week 31 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsBorr Drilling has confirmed new contracts for several of its 400-ft jackups, including work for the Arabia I in Brazil, Gunnlod in Malaysia, and Norve in Gabon. Borr stated that these new commitments cover a total 1,779 days and $332 million in contract revenue, including mobilisation and demobilisation.North Oil Company has…

Norwegian shipbuilder Vard has signed a contract with Wind Energy Construction for the design and construction of a new energy construction vessel (ECV), securing also an option for one additional vessel.Wind Energy Construction is a Norwegian company partly owned by the founders and owners of Norwind Offshore. The most recent order marks the sixth vessel the owners of Norwind Offshore have contracted with Vard since October 2021. The five previous vessels were CSOVs.The parties…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has been awarded an approval in principle (AiP) by ClassNK for the design of a membrane LNG Carrier with Wind Challenger wind-assisted propulsion system.The AiP marks the world's first approval for an LNG carrier with a wind-assisted propulsion system, according to MOL, which developed the design of the system together with Hanwha Ocean.The LNG carrier that has obtained this AiP is capable of entering LNG terminals worldwide. It boasts cargo tank capacity of 174…

Germany-based cruise operator Phoenix Reisen has retrofitted its 205-meter, 835-passenger capacity ship MS Amera with ABB’s DC technology to improve the vessel’s efficiency and lower its emissions during port calls.The vessel is now equipped with ABB’s Onboard DC Grid power system platform and shore connection.Following commissioning and sea trials, Amera has become the first cruise ship retrofitted with Onboard DC Grid.The project involved the replacement of the vessel’s AC system with modern DC technology.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has decided to introduce the dynamic voyage optimization platform Wayfinder, developed by Sofar Ocean, to its operating vessels, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by improving fuel efficiency.Wayfinder provides the optimal speed and route for safe and efficient navigation to each ship daily.These recommendations leverage real-time weather forecasts based on information from Sofar's global network of ocean sensors, the ship's fuel efficiency calculated using a data-driven model…

The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on Monday announced the availability of its final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed wind project offshore Maryland.US Wind is seeking approval for its proposed Maryland offshore wind project, which includes three planned phases. Two of those phases, MarWin and Momentum Wind, have received offshore renewable energy certificates from the State of Maryland. If approved, this project could generate between 1,100 and 2,200 megawatts of energy for the Delmarva Peninsula, and power up to 770,000 homes.

Green Marine (UK)’s initiative looking to retrofit crew transfer vessels (CTV) with hydrogen, fuel cells and battery, with the aim to cut emissions while servicing offshore wind farms, has been granted Approval in Principle (AiP) by global classification society RINA.The first phase of Project Verdant, involving a preliminary design and feasibility study, has now been completed and deemed viable, opening the door to subsequent project phases seeking to execute design, engineering and sea trials.Led by Green Marine (UK)…

Esgian provides an update on new rig deals in its Week 30 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsValaris has been awarded a multi-year contract with Equinor Energy do Brasil, a subsidiary of Equinor, for the 12,000-ft drillship Valaris DS-17. The contract relates to work on Project Raia offshore Brazil.Noble Corporation has secured a one-well contract for 350-ft jackup Noble Resolve with Central European Petroleum (CEPetro) offshore Poland. The upcoming work will…

Baker Hughes cut its outlook for spending by oil producers on Friday, citing lower drilling activity by North American companies, joining other oilfield service companies in warning about softness in the region.However, the company raised its full-year revenue and profit estimates, banking on strong international growth and demand for gas equipment.Shares of the company, which beat analysts' estimates for second-quarter profit on Thursday, rose 4% to $36.99.Lukewarm demand and a wave of mergers have constrained producer budgets in North America…

Hornbeck Offshore said it has installed a dynamic positioning (DP) simulator that provides an interactive and immersive training experience for current and future mariners who serve in DP officer (DPO) roles.The Wärtsilä NaviTrainer Professional 6 Offshore Simulator (NT Pro 6) is designed to make training more efficient, cost effective and risk free via a ship-like environment that can subject mariners to realistic failure situations in a controlled atmosphere.The new NT Pro 6 at Hornbeck Offshore's headquarters office in Covington, La.