Offshore Operator News

Technology group Wärtsilä has renewed and expanded its Lifecycle Agreement with Seagems, a Brazil-based offshore operator formerly known as Sapura, covering its fleet of offshore support vessels.The renewed agreement expands the scope of services and strengthens the strategic partnership between the companies, aiming to enhance vessel reliability and reduce carbon emissions.The new deal reflects broader trends in the maritime industry toward collaborative, long-term partnerships…

Offshore service vessels, along with workboats serving harbors and inland rivers, have embarked on an industry-wide voyage toward reduced emissions of greenhouse gasses. Professor Craig Philip, a faculty member with Vanderbilt University’s Center for Transportation and Operational Resilience (VECTOR) and former CEO of Ingram Barge Company, provides this context: “The Maritime Sector has long provided shippers with the most fuel-efficient and sustainable freight transport option…

Strategic Marine (S) Pte Ltd recently handed over Centus Ten to Malaysian Offshore operator Centus Marine Sdn Bhd, marking the third fast crew boat handed over by Strategic Marine to Centus in the last 12 months and the 10th vessel overall.Commenting on the vessel handover, Strategic Marine’s CEO Chan Eng Yew said, “Centus Marine’s continued relationship and support is a solid endorsement of our design, quality, our expertise and close partner-working with each of our customers, delivering above and beyond their expectations.

Chevron Marine Lubricants announced its low sulphated ash trunk piston engine oil Chevron HDAX 9700 has become the first lubricant to gain time-unrestricted approval for use with MAN Energy Solutions’ four-stroke engines running on either liquefied natural gas (LNG) or distillate fuels (with a sulphur content of up to 0.10%).Chevron said the first-of-its-kind approval offers simplicity for operators switching between the two fuels, meaning that they can use just one lubricant, rather than having to change lubricants after a fixed period operating on one fuel or the other.

Offshore lifting hoists and chains solutions provider William Hackett has published an industry report aiming to help minimize the risk of Hydrogen Embrittlement (HE) and Stress Induced Corrosion Cracking (SICC). The report includes guidance on material choices used in topside and subsea lifts.Ben Burgess, Director of William Hackett Lifting Products, said, “There is a real concern across industry regarding the impact of HE and SICC on chains and links used in lift and hoist projects across offshore environments.”Peer-reviewed by a number of organizations and authorities…

U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil companies shut around 82 percent of oil production on Monday and evacuated personnel bracing for the impact of two tropical storms Marco and Laura.From operator reports, the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said Monday that approximately 82.4 percent of oil production and 56.92 percent of the natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico had been shut-in. Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted as of 11:30 CDT Monday, personnel has been evacuated from a total of 281 production platforms…

Survitec Group, a manufacturer of marine safety and survival equipment, has restructured its offshore division to better serve customers with assets operating in the oil, gas and wind (renewable) energy sectors, it said.The reorganization of the business unit coincides with renewed activity in the offshore industry following the market downturn, together with Survitec’s overall strategy to hone its focus within key sectors.Ross Wilkinson, VP of U.K. and Scandinavia who leads Survitec Global Energy, said, “The offshore market is emerging from its recent low-point, while the offshore wind market has grown exponentially over the last decade."Ross added…

Offshore drilling contractor Rowan Companies plc announced Monday that its drillship Rowan Reliance has been awarded a contract in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico by Fieldwood Energy LLC.The contract is for a firm term of one year plus three 90-day options, and is expected to commence the first quarter of 2019. The R-Class ultra-deepwater Rowan Reliance is currently warm stacked offshore Louisiana in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.Tom Burke, Rowan's president and CEO, said, "We are excited to continue our long-standing relationship with Fieldwood, a premier offshore operator, and look forward to a successful, long-term partnership with this major player in the Gulf of Mexico."In addition, Cantium has extended its previously announced contract for the EXL III in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico by three months.

Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) has advised The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. (BTMU), Japan’s largest bank, as facility agent for a syndicate of international lenders comprising itself, Development Bank of Japan Inc. and Societe Generale on the $180m refinancing of two K-Line LNG vessels, Arctic Voyager and Arctic Discoverer which are time chartered to Statoil ASA, the world’s largest offshore operator.   The WFW Hong Kong Asset Finance team advising on the transaction was led by Partner and Office Head Madeline Leong, supported by Senior Associate Ryan Tan, Registered Foreign Lawyer Rueben Tan and Legal Assistant Sandrea Mar. London Finance Partner Rob McBride provided advice on the hedging elements of the financing.

UTEC has delivered a bespoke Virtual Asset Management tool to an offshore Operator in Eastern Canada to allow its team to remotely access its floating, production storage and offloading unit (FPSO) from their desktop. The field, located offshore approximately 350 kilometers southeast of Newfoundland and Labrador contains one of the largest FPSO vessels ever built. At approximately the size of three football fields laid end to end the FPSO is over 290 meters long, more than 40 meters wide and more than 18 stories high. UTEC’s iSite tool is a web-based system which provides the Operators supply chain with the ability to tour the FPSO with 360° visualization…

ABB said it has won an order from Korean shipbuilder Samsung Heavy Industries to equip two new 125,000 DWT shuttle tankers contracted to the world's largest offshore operator Statoil ASA. Ordered by petroleum and chemical tanker owner and operator AET and scheduled for delivery in 2019, the vessels will transport oil from the Statoil fields on the Norwegian and U.K. continental shelves to land-based terminals. The two twin-skeg specialist DP2 offshore loading shuttle tankers will feature a range of ABB’s power and automation solutions, including the power distribution system Onboard DC Grid.

Facing incoming Tropical Storm Cindy, offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico have begun evacuating platforms and rigs as the storm moves north-westward toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. Data from offshore operator reports submitted to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) as of 11:30 CDT today indicate that personnel have been evacuated from a total of 40 production platforms, or 5.43 percent of the 737 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Personnel have been evacuated from one rig non-dynamically positioned (DP) rig…

Norwegian integrated energy player Statoil ASA intends to more than triple its oil and gas production in Brazil by 2030, reports Reuters. Statoil has also approved the Peregrino phase 2 development, which is expected to add 250 million barrels of reserves at a break-even price of below $45 a barrel, down from an original estimate of $70 a barrel. Statoil invested about $10 billion in Brazil and is currently the largest foreign offshore operator in the country. The company operates the Peregrino field in the Campos Basin offshore Brazil with a 60% stake. Notably, this is Statoil's biggest project in Brazil. The field's total production capacity is around 80…

Brian Salerno was sworn in as the Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) on August 26, 2013. He is responsible for promoting safety, protecting the environment and conserving resources through the vigorous regulatory oversight and enforcement of offshore operations on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. Prior to his appointment as Bureau Director, Salerno served as the U.S. Coast Guard’s Deputy Commandant for Operations where he was responsible for establishing and providing operational strategy…

Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico are evacuating platforms and rigs in the path of Tropical Depression No. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) said its Hurricane Response Team is activated and monitoring the operators’ activities, and will continue to work with offshore operators and other state and federal agencies until operations return to normal and the storm is no longer a threat to Gulf of Mexico oil and gas activities. Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted as of 11:30 a.m.

International law firm Ince & Co has announced that it has advised Fugro on a sale and lease back agreement with ICON Investments regarding two of its geotechnical drill ships Fugro Scout and Fugro Voyager. ICON financed the acquisition of the vessels by loan facilities from a syndicate of lending banks led by Coöperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Boerenleenbank B.A. Dutch stock exchange listed offshore operator Fugro is the world’s largest integrator of geotechnical, survey, subsea and geosciences services. Fugro is playing a key role in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the Southern Indian Ocean. They are a longstanding client of Ince & Co’s energy department.

ABS Group has announced the release of a new offshore Asset Integrity Management (AIM) service focused on driving operational reliability, efficiency and profitability for asset owners and operators. The AIM services are delivered by a newly dedicated offshore business division using a pragmatic Return on Investment (ROI) centric approach. The unique and proprietary AIM methodology and tools, which include specific offerings from strategic partner American Bureau of Shipping, provide companies with the possibility and resources to improve production uptime while simultaneously reducing OPEX costs. These AIM services and tools address Structural and Mechanical Integrity…

Petrobras’ Exploration and Production Director, Solange Guedes, received the OTC Distinguished Achievement Award for Companies, Organizations and Institutions, the highest recognition that an oil company can be given as an offshore operator. The awards ceremony took place during a dinner in Houston, USA, at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), the world’s largest event dedicated to the area of offshore oil exploration and production. Accepting the award on behalf of Petrobras, Guedes highlighted the importance of this recognition for the company’s technical staff and partnerships, as well as the roles performed by suppliers and the academic community.

As technology needs penetrate the growing offshore sector, Harvey Gulf will depend on Advanced Logistics’ software to support its expanding fleet deployments. When offshore heavyweight Harvey Gulf International Marine deployed Advanced Logistics’ marine management system, SAMM, and preventative maintenance module, Preventer, on its fleet of marine transportation vessels, it signaled a firm commitment from one of the fastest growing – and highly regarded – U.S.-flag marine operators to ramp up its IT profile. Louisiana-based Advanced Logistics LLC, a provider of offshore marine and logistics management software, caters largely to the oil & gas sectors.

MacGregor, part of Cargotec, has secured a contract from German shipyard Flensburger Schiffbau Gesellschaft (FSG) for the complete delivery of remotely operated vehicle (ROV) access doors and hatches for two well-intervention vessels (WIVs). The WIVs are destined for service with the Norwegian offshore operator, Siem Offshore. The order was booked into the second quarter 2014 order intake. "MacGregor has a strong position in the market to provide a broad spectrum of access equipment to the shipyards building these types of ships," says Stefan Wide, responsible for access equipment sales at MacGregor. The two 158m vessels require MacGregor cargo access equipment ranging from flush modular 'plug and play' deck hatches to heavy-duty ROV hangar doors.

T.D. Williamson (TDW) announced that it recently completed a comprehensive pipeline services program for a major offshore operator to assist with efforts to relieve increasing contact stress between a gas export riser and platform jacket offshore East Malaysia. Due to changes in seabed conditions, the platform jacket had moved, producing stress on the gas export riser attached to the platform jacket. The stress was most acute at the contact point between the bracings - or riser clamps - that anchor the riser to the platform structure.

BAE Systems today launched the first of four platform supply vessels it’s building for Jackson Offshore Operators, LLC. These vessels, which will support drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico, reflect BAE Systems’ continued growth in U.S. commercial shipbuilding and its support to the offshore oil and gas industry. The launch ceremony for the M/V Breeze included representatives from both companies. Lee Jackson, chairman and chief executive officer of Jackson Offshore Operators, initiated the launch and the vessel moved swiftly and safely into the St. John’s River.

Bureau Veritas has awarded certification to Statoil for meeting the Safety and Environmental Management Systems (SEMS) protocols developed by the Center for Offshore Safety (COS), an enhanced set of requirements in the offshore oil and gas industry. Statoil is the first organization to be issued a SEMS certificate by Bureau Veritas and is also the first offshore operator to successfully complete an independent assessment and demonstrate compliance with the offshore safety and environmental sustainability rule. The certification recognizes that Statoil Gulf of Mexico E&P’s management system meets industry and regulatory requirements for SEMS.