Oil And Gas Production Facilities News

U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) inspectors and engineers last week carried out an offshore regulatory pre-production inspection of Murphy Oil’s King’s Quay floating production system (FPS) platform. The facility, a semi-submersible FPS, is now currently moored in Green Canyon Block 433 in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, about 175 miles south of New Orleans.“The first offshore follow-up inspection is a very crucial time in the installation of a new production platform in the Gulf,” said BSEE Houma District production supervisor Micah Charpentier.

More oil from a massive offshore spill landed on the southern California shore on Monday, with beaches closed and dead fish and birds washing up on shore as officials investigated whether a ship anchor striking a pipeline could have triggered the leak.Crews dressed in white coveralls and helmets raced against an approaching storm as they cleaned damage from 3,000 barrels (126,000 gallons) of oil that spilled into the Pacific Ocean in recent days from a pipeline connected to an…

The “new normal” is a phrase tossed around often in offshore energy circles today as those servicing and operating in the sector grapple with the harsh realities of the prolonged industry downturn. Operators, service companies and equipment suppliers have been forced to adjust to oil selling at prices well below the $100+ per barrel mark seen in years past. As of this writing, Brent oil was hovering around $62 per barrel, and analysts expect prices will remain in this range for some time into the future.On top of this…

Azerbaijani shipping company ASCO said that overhaul of the towing and supplying vessel Om, owned by its offshore fleet, has been completed.Repair work was carried out at the Bibi-Heybat Shipyard, said Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company.During the repair, the main and auxiliary engines of the vessel, pumps, pipelines, living quarters, sanitary facilities and a dining room were overhauled.In addition, two out-of-date 1LA4 280-4SA90-Z type air compressors have been replaced with modern MAS GA 75 type air compressors.During the dock repair, the underwater and above water parts of the vessel were cleaned and painted, bottom-outboard fittings…

SBM Offshore, the Netherlands-based maker of floating oil and gas production facilities, on Thursday said it expected $45 million in impairments in Brazil and the United States.In Brazil, SBM Offshore has decided to temporarily close the Brasa construction yard for "at least the coming two years" resulting in a net book value of zero and an impairment charge of around $20 million, it said in a trading update.Due to slowed activity in the floating production market, SBM Offshore said goodwill related to the acquisition of Houston-based subsidiaries has been impaired in full…

Major overhaul of the towing and supply vessel "Nercha" belonging to the Caspian Sea Oil Fleet of the “Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping” CJSC has been accomplished at the “Bibiheybat” Ship Repair Yard.During the repair works the ship's main and auxiliary engines, pumps and pipeline systems were repaired. Moreover, the cabins of the crew, sanitary junctions and dining rooms have been renewed.At the same time, by lifting ship to the dock, the works on the adjustment of propulsion-steering complex, repairing of bottom-outboard fittings and protective installations were performed.The replacement of the damaged areas on the hull’s draft and its surface, which constituted a hazard for the flotation, was carried out.

Kongsberg Digital launched their new digital twin - groundbreaking technology connects the digital and physical worlds to enable efficiency throughout the production lifecycle-  after a successful feasibility study with Equinor.The new twin is a virtual model of unmanned production facilities for oil and gas. Combined with Kongsberg’s Kognifai solution it becomes a collaborative arena allowing users onshore to explore planned or existing assets offshore.It delivers intimate understanding of operations, behavior, maintenance, costs, performance, and much more. Available on any digital device – from pads to desktops or VR glasses – the twin recreates all the characteristics of real assets in an advanced…

At BP's massive Thunder Horse oil platform in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, a dog-sized robot called Maggie uses magnetic tracks to creep along pipes connecting the giant oil facility to the sea floor. Before MaggHD, dubbed "Maggie" by BP, the dangerous inspection job was reserved for highly paid specialist technicians who did their jobs while rappelling along the platform. The energy industry has turned to robots and drones to cut costs and improve safety in some of the world's tougher working environments. Drones inspect gear high up on floating rigs.

Major overhaul of the towing and supply vessel "Andoga" belonging to the Caspian Sea Oil Fleet of the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company has been completed, said a press release. The main engines, main and reserve pumps, pipeline systems, power plants and control equipment, steering and auxiliary steering device were repaired. Two new diesel engines were installed, damaged parts of the hull and a wooden deck cover were replaced, and the lighting system was updated. Along with this, the repair work was also carried out in the living quarters of the working personnel, the sanitary facilities and the dining room. The living and service spaces of the crew, as well as the sanitary and living conditions created on the vessel, meet all standards.

Singapore-based Enterprize Energy and partner Renewable Energy Global Solutions (REGS), together with PetroVietnam consortium comprising Petroleum Equipment Assembly & Metal Structure (PVC-MS) and VietSovPetro (VSP), MHI-Vestas Offshore Wind (MVOW), and DNV GL signed a series of exclusive Agreements forming an alliance for multi-phased, utility-scale wind developments, offshore Southern Vietnam, including feasibility, environmental, development, financing planning through implementation. Ian Hatton, Enterprize Energy’s Chairman and Founder Director commented, “Vietnam’s impressive economic growth is driving a need for new energy resources. Government has a very clear determination to meet rising energy demand with substantive growth in the supply of low-carbon, renewable energy”.

Keppel Offshore & Marine Limited (Keppel O&M), through its wholly-owned subsidiary KS Investments Pte Ltd (KSI), has acquired a 27.77% stake (250,000,000 shares) in topside module fabricator Dyna-Mac Holdings Ltd (Dyna-Mac) via an equity placement. This follows Dyna-Mac's successful listing on the main board of Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX) today. KSI's total investment is S$87.5 million based on the invitation price of 35 cents per share. The equity placement, through its investment vehicle KSI, is part of a collaboration between Keppel Shipyard (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel O&M) and Dyna-Mac to jointly pursue the topside module business beyond Singapore's shores.

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) won an order to build a $240m semi-submersible heavy transportation vessel (SSHTV) from Dockwise. The vessel is specially designed to transport more than 110,000 tons of offshore oil and gas production facilities including FPSO (Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading) units. After completed, FPSO are usually transported by two or three tug boats from shipyards to operating sites, taking about months to mobilize on the sites. This super-heavy transportation vessel can halve the delivery time, helping move up the installation and commissioning time.

According to a June 13 report from MarketWatch, BP PLC said it was taking steps to implement a more permanent arrangement to capture the oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, as U.S. officials continued to demand more compensation for the spill. Equipment had been installed and put in place over the weekend as BP worked to put together a system with the flexibility to respond to adverse weather conditions, such as a hurricane, and a bigger storage capacity, BP said. In addition, Helix Energy Solutions Group Inc. said late on June 13 that one of its three offshore oil and gas production facilities was contracted by BP to process and offload crude oil and associated gas. (Source: MarketWatch)

A coalition of Native tribal governments, commercial fisherman and environmentalists has filed an administrative appeal to block a wastewater discharge permit for oil and gas operators in southern Alaska's Cook Inlet, Reuters reported. The appeal, filed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, challenges a general permit issued by the Environmental Protection Agency that allows established oil and gas production facilities to discharge wastes directly into the inlet's marine waters. The new permit, scheduled to go into effect on July 2, covers 16 offshore oil and gas platforms and three onshore facilities in Cook Inlet, said Dianne Soderlund, communications coordinator for EPA's Alaska oil and gas section.

Aspen Technology, Inc. announced that SBM Offshore has signed a multi-year license agreement to expand its use of AspenTech's engineering solutions. The new agreement provides access to applications including Aspen HYSYS and the Aspen HYSYS Upstream option which are key components of the integrated aspenONE for Oil & Gas solutions. SBM will use the applications to support the design and optimization of new and existing oil and gas production facilities. Earlier agreements were signed by several SBM Offshore Group companies - GustoMSC, SBM-Imodco and Single Buoy Moorings - in which they adopted Aspen HYSYS as their standard simulation platform.

While U.S. officials expect 90 percent of the Gulf oil and gas production facilities damaged by Hurricane Katrina to be back on line in less than a month, gas prices will most likely remain elevated for some time as the supply rebuilds, according to a UPI report. Four producing refineries accounting for approximately 5% of total capacity are expected to remain off line for several months, the Energy Department said. Supplies from the Gulf of Mexico provide 29 percent of U.S. domestic oil production and 21 percent of U.S. domestic gas production.

ST. LOUIS - The U.S. Coast Guard announced the formation of a Maritime Recovery and Restoration Task Force here to assist incident commanders engaged in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. The task force, headed by Rear Adm. Larry Hereth, will identify maritime issues affecting people, the environment, infrastructure and the economy. By working in concert with local, state and federal partners as well as maritime industry and other stakeholders, the task force will be able to identify those actions necessary for the short-term recovery and long-term restoration of the Maritime Transportation System (MTS). The task force uses a variety of measurements to quantify the short-term recovery rate for the MTS while also identifying actions needed for long-term restoration of the MTS.