Offshore Oil Fields News

The presidents of France and Brazil on Wednesday launched a submarine built in the South American country with French technology in a program that aims to build Brazil's first nuclear-powered submarine by the end of the decade.Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attended a ceremony in the Itaguai shipyard near Rio de Janeiro, launching the third diesel-powered submarine built in a $10 billion partnership.Brazil first lady Janja da Silva smashed a champagne…

Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has signed a "Strategic Collaboration Agreement" with Equinor, Norway's largest energy company, to strengthen its competitiveness in the offshore EPC business.According to SHI, the two companies have recognized that a longer-term and closer collaboration on the future project portfolio could be mutually beneficial for Equinor's future projects requiring "Asian Solutions" over the next five years and will form a Collaboration Board to share opinions on mid-to long-term business strategies and expand cooperation.Based in Norway…

Damage to oil production facilities in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico kept output largely halted on Sunday, a week after Hurricane Ida made landfall, according to offshore regulator the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).Energy companies have been coping with damaged platforms and onshore power outages and logistical issues, slowing efforts to restart production. Some 88% of crude oil output and 83% of natural gas production remained suspended.About 1.6 million barrels of crude oil remained offline, with only about 100,000 barrels added since Saturday.

A landmark lawsuit filed against Guyana's government, arguing that oil production fuels climate change, could bolster legal action as court cases involving energy companies and state authorities surge, according to lawyers and environmentalists.The constitutional claim - the first of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean - asserts that oil exploration and production led by U.S. oil major ExxonMobil off the South American country's coast is unconstitutional, said the case's lead lawyer Melinda Janki.Filed by two Guyanese citizens in late May before the tiny nation's constitutional court, the lawsuit centers on the duty of the state to protect the environment for present and future generations…

Brazilian national oil company Petrobras has hired AqualisBraemar to perform DP acceptance and annual trials for their DP shuttle tanker fleet operating in Brazil over the next three years.Under the contract, AqualisBraemar will carry out trials to verify the integrity and capabilities of the station-keeping equipment for Petrobras’ shuttle tanker fleet.Shuttle tankers transport crude oil from offshore oil fields to terminals, refineries or bigger tankers where subsea pipelines are not feasible.AqualisBraemar…

Norwegian offshore vessel operator Siem Offshore has tapped Finnish maritime technology firm Wärtsilä to help it cut emissions and fuel consumption aboard two well intervention vessels.The two vessels, the Siem Helix 1 and Siem Helix 2, each operate with eight Wärtsilä 32 engines. The ships are operating in Brazil’s offshore oil fields.According to Wärtsilä, the 5-year agreement will ensure the optimal maintenance required to reduce the vessels’ fuel consumption and emissions…

International  exploration & production (E&P) are struggling to make money from offshore investments made during the latest investment upturn, according to a new study by Rystad Energy.Rystad Energy has evaluated all offshore oil fields sanctioned since 2010 and ranked them by estimated value per barrel of oil (boe) under various oil price scenarios. The return on investment (RoI) figures were not up to the mark.The sanctioning activity was record-high during the strong investment cycle from 2010 to 2014, when energy companies reached final investment decisions on offshore oil fields collectively representing close to 40 billion boe of total resources…

Damen recently delivered a pair of FCS 3307 high-spec patrol vessels to be operated by Homeland Integrated Offshore Services (Homeland IOS Ltd) in Nigeria, and now the boats are being prepared for their assignments. The boats will be deployed in the Gulf of Guinea to protect and support the offshore assets of Homeland’s clients which include many international oil companies.Features of the 33-m vessels include Damen’s trademark Axe Bow hull form that delivers excellent fuel economy and a top speed of 29 knots together with superb maneuverability and excellent seakeeping.

A pair of new patrol vessels have been delivered to boost the security presence for offshore operations off the coast of Nigeria.The Netherlands based Damen Shipyards Group said on Tuesday it has handed over two Fast Crew Supplier (FCS) 3307 vessels configured as patrol boats to West African offshore services supplier Homeland Integrated Offshore Services Limited (HIOSL).The delivery of Guardian 9 and Guardian 10, just five months after the contracts were signed, adds to the existing…

Gulf Drilling International (GDI) has signed a three-year contract with North Oil Company (NOC) to provide drilling services through the drilling rig Dukhan for NOC’s extensive development programmes in Al Shaheen oil field.The Al Shaheen Oil Field is a production oil and gas field off the north east coast of Qatar in the Persian Gulf, 80 kilometres north of Doha.The subsidiary of Gulf International Services (GIS) said in a press release that the signing ceremony was attended by GDI’s Chief Executive officer William Ceppi and NOC’s Chief Executive Officer Jacques Azibert. Also in attendance were Mark Gibson, Chief Operation Officer, and Francis Bourcier Drilling Manager of NOC…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Mitsui & Co have participated in a long-term charter business  operated by MODEC for the purpose of providing a floating production, storage, and offloading system (FPSO) for use in the Area 1 block offshore Mexico and a loan agreement for the Project was entered into on April 12, 2019.Mitsui and MOL invested in Area1 Mexico MV34 B.V. ("MV34"), a Dutch company established by MODEC, which will engage in FPSO leasing, operations and maintenance services.In December 2018, MV34 concluded the charter agreement with Eni Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V. ("Eni Mexico"), the operator of Area 1 block and a subsidiary of Eni S.p.A.

As Oceanology International celebrates its 50th Anniversary, Marine Technology Reporter explores half a century of subsea technology development and discovery. Oceanology International Americas runs February 25-27, 2019 in San Diego.When Oceanology launched in 1969 in the seaside resort of Brighton the world was a very different place. For a start, Brighton was home to the mods and rockers, who would square off against each other on the town’s elegant seafront. The British currency included shillings and ha’ pennies and man had yet to step foot on the moon.More crucially…

Qatar Petroleum (QP) signed an agreement with Italy’s Eni SpA to acquire a 35% stake in three offshore oil Fields in Mexico.The agreement cover the Amoca, Mizton, and Tecoalli offshore oil fields, which lie in Area 1 in Mexico’s Campeche Bay, said a press statement from the Arab country's government-owned energy company.The agreement is subject to customary regulatory approvals by the government of Mexico. Following such approval, both Eni and Qatar Petroleum will jointly hold 100% interest in the Area 1 production sharing contract.Commenting on this agreement, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs, President & CEO of Qatar Petroleum…

ADNOC Logistics & Services (ADNOC L&S), a wholly-owned subsidiary of UAE's ADNOC, has signed an agreement with Japan's Inpex Corp to collaborate on LNG bunkering activities.Under the agreement, ADNOC L&S and Inpex will explore opportunities for LNG bunkering in the UAE as well as the potential to jointly expand LNG bunkering activities to cover other regions, including Southeast Asia, said a press release from the Abu Dhabi-based integrated shipping and logistics company.The use of LNG as a fuel on non-LNG carriers is expected to grow significantly as ship owners seek new compliance solutions to meet the 2020 IMO’s global sulfur cap.

Homeland Integrated Offshore Services Ltd (Homeland) of Lagos, Nigeria, has taken delivery of another Damen 3307 Patrol Vessel for operations in the offshore oil fields in the Gulf of Guinea. This takes the total delivered vessels/Guardians since the first arrived in early 2014 to four. Guardian 4 has joined its three sister ships in providing security services to the oil majors active in Nigeria’s territorial waters, together with additional support services including crew transfers and equipment deliveries.

Teekay Offshore said it has taken delivery of Beothuk Spirit, the first of three new shuttle tankers to serve East Coast Canada, built in Korea by Samsung Heavy Industries. Heritage Class sister vessels Norse Spirit and Dorset Spirit are scheduled for delivery in the first half of November 2017 and early-2018 respectively. The three Suezmax, DP2 shuttle tankers will provide crude transportation services to the Hibernia, Terra Nova, White Rose and Hebron offshore oil fields located in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador.

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) released a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) for Chukchi Sea Lease Sale 193, moving the DOI a step closer to resolving federal court concerns regarding the 2008 oil and gas leases offshore Alaska. The FSEIS updates the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) estimates of the full range of production levels from offshore oil fields that might be developed in the Chukchi Sea as well as the related potential environmental effects of the lease sale. “Alaska is a critical component of our nation’s energy portfolio, and the Chukchi Sea has substantial oil and gas potential, as well as sensitive marine and coastal resources that Alaska Native communities depend on for subsistence,” said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell.

Mikhail Ulyanov, an ice-breaking shuttle tanker (ice class – ARC6) belonging to OAO Sovcomflot (SCF Group), has been the subject of a Greenpeace protest, while at the Port of Rotterdam carrying a cargo of 67,000 tons of crude oil, loaded on the continental shelf of the Pechora Sea, Russia. “We are extremely disappointed that our vessel has been the subject of an irresponsible publicity stunt by Greenpeace, which occurred despite the measures taken by our ship and the port authorities, including the Coast Guard and the Marine Police.

Teekay Offshore will be the sole supplier and operator of shuttle tankers sfor East Coast Canada(ECC), says Teekay Corporation. On February 15, the keel laying ceremony for Teekay’s first shuttle tanker newbuilding for ECC took place at the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in Korea. This milestone marks the end of the block building period as well as the beginning of the next phase – to complete the newbuilding with all its systems. The shuttle tanker, the Beothuk Spirit, is expected to be delivered in August of 2017. This shuttle tanker is the first of three newbuildings to be provided for loading crude at Hibernia, Terra Nova, White Rose and Hebron offshore oil fields located in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador.

Over the next decade the maritime sector is likely to see one of the largest changes since sail gave way to steam. Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) are now being considered for various marine roles and the drivers for rapid development are significant. Unmanned or autonomous vessels have passed through the trial and evaluation stage and are now being adopted for civilian and military applications. The maritime sector now has the opportunity to shape technology developments from legislative and end-user standpoints.

Shuttle tankers are an alternative to subsea pipelines. Typically for large water depths. For harsh weather operation the use of shuttle tankers is a necessity. DNV GL has incorporated the latest findings related to their design, operation and safety in an updated shuttle tanker paper. Shuttle tankers transport crude oil from offshore oil fields to terminals where use of subsea pipelines are not feasible. Major deployment areas include the North Sea and the Brazilian offshore fields. The global fleet has been growing steadily for decades, comprising 88 ships by the end of 2016. Two owners, Teekay Corporation and Knutsen NYK, account for 62 per cent of the fleet, and 64 per cent of all shuttle tankers are DNV GL-classed.

Combined production of crude oil, gas and condensates in the United States is on course to a hit a record this year, passing the previous peak set in 1972. The rise in output has confounded the famous forecast made by Shell geologist M King Hubbert who predicted that U.S. oil and gas production would peak in the 1970s and then decline. Hubbert's prediction was contained in a paper entitled "Nuclear Energy and the Fossil Fuels," published in 1956, in which he argued the coming decline of oil and gas output would make the development of nuclear energy essential. Hubbert's prediction of peaking oil and gas production came to be known as "Hubbert's peak" and spawned the popular and influential theory known as "peak oil".

As some pre-salt plays begin production, a wide range of subsea infrastructure is being built, with O&G transportation pipeline grids being one of the vital downstream systems. Saipem has been recipient of the first major contracts to install deepwater pre-salt pipelines by national operator Petrobras. Claudio Paschoa, Maritime Reporter’s correspondent in Brazil brings us an in-depth look at Saipem’s vessels and projects in Brazil. Saipem’s pipelaying segment is part of a unified Business Unit Engineering & Construction, an entity with more than 30,000 employees from more than 100 nationalities, with more than 60 permanent establishments and numerous project execution centers worldwide, which has maintained yearly revenues exceeding $13 billion.