Well Operations News

The Rotra Futura Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) vessel has entered operations, with the transportation of wind turbine blades from Denmark to the United States.The project supply vessel, specifically designed to handle larger and heavier offshore wind turbine components, collected the 108-meter-long blades at the Port of Aalborg, Denmark, under the supervision of deugro Denmark’s wind experts.The vessel, delivered in late March 2025, was developed as part of the the partnership between Danish logistics specialist deugro…

Danish offshore wind installation firm Cadeler has received a notice of termination for its wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) from Ørsted which was booked for work for the now discontinued 2.4 GW Hornsea 4 offshore wind farm in United Kingdom.The long-term agreement for an A Class WTIV was first announce in April 8, 2024, under which Ørsted secured the vessel capacity from the first quarter of 2027 through the end of 2030.The vessel was supposed to be deployed at Ørsted’s Hornsea 4 offshore wind farm…

Danos Operations Services has been awarded a contract to provide production services for Beacon Offshore Energy’s new deepwater facility, the Shenandoah floating production system (FPS). The project will employ production operators, instrumentation and electrical technicians, mechanics, and offshore installation managers. Several employees began work on the platform in 2024.The Shenandoah facility is in the final stages of hook-up and is expected to begin producing oil later this summer.

The final inter-array cable has been installed at Îles d’Yeu and Noirmoutier (EMYN) offshore wind farm in France, being developed by Les Éoliennes en Mer Services.The 61st and final inter-array cable was installed on June 22 at the EMYN offshore wind farm, Louis Dreyfus TravOcean said on social media.The accomplishment paves the way for a transmission capacity of 512 MW.Geoquip Marine’s Geoquip Elena, converted into a Cable Laying Vessel (CLV) with a bespoke project-specific deck layout used in the operation…

DOF Group has signed multiple contracts for the Skandi Inventor subsea construction vessel (SCV) in the Atlantic region. The contract is for 100 days of firm work, with additional options available.The Skandi Inventor, a state-of-the-art DP3 construction vessel equipped with a 400-ton Active Heave Compensated (AHC) crane and a large working deck, has recently undergone significant upgrades. The vessel is now fitted with two brand new Work Class ROVs (WROVs) and a modern survey suite…

Norwegian offshore vessel operator Solstad Offshore has confirmed contracts for two of its construction support vessels (CSVs), which will be put to work in South America.The first contract is with Petrobras for the Normand Flower CSV, owned by Solstad Maritime.The contract, valued at $115 million excluding ROV services, was first announced in April 2025, and has now been formally approved and signed.It will begin in January 2026 with a has a duration of four years.The vessel will be on bareboat contracts from Solstad Maritime to Solstad Offshore…

Oil market participants have switched to dreading a shortage in fuel from focusing on impending oversupply in just two days this week.After Israel attacked Iran and Tehran pledged to retaliate, oil prices jumped as much as 13% to their highest since January as investors price in an increased probability of a major disruption in Middle East oil supplies.Part of the reason for the rapid spike is that spare capacity among OPEC and allies to pump more oil to offset any disruption is roughly equivalent to Iran's output…

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group Wärtsilä, has been contracted to supply a regasification module for Höegh Evi, which will be installed onboard the LNG carrier Hoegh Gandria to convert the vessel to a high-capacity floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU).When converted, the Hoegh Gandria will be deployed in the port of Sumed, Egypt.It will supply the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company with up to 1,000 mmscf/day of peak LNG regasification capacity, making…

Kongsberg Maritime has secured a contract to supply a comprehensive equipment package for four new offshore construction vessels (OCVs) to be built at Cosco Nantong for Norwegian offshore services provider Sea1 Offshore.Kongsberg Maritime and Sea1 Offshore will also collaborate on a study to accurately assess emissions reductions achieved with Kongsberg’s equipment.The equipment package includes K-Pos dynamic positioning systems, integrated control and navigation systems, battery hybrid DC electrical systems…

Retrofit specialist GLO Marine has secured hydraulic system upgrade job on Bluewater’s Haewene Brim floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit, following the successful delivery of the project’s first phase.The contract builds on the collaboration between GLO Marine and Bluewater in  Phase 1 of the FPSO upgrade program, where GLO Marine delivered the full feasibility and engineering scope, including detailed technical analysis, prototype validation, and a complete set of engineering deliverables.Aa part of the second phase…

Gibraltar-based ship repair and conversion yard Gibdock has completed the repair and renewal of TechnipFMC's Deep Blue, a deepwaer pipelay and subsea construction vessel.TechnipFMC relocated Deep Blue from the U.S. Gulf for the works, also redeploying the asset outside Europe following completion of works.A well-known participant in ultra-deepwater field developments, Deep Blue includes an array of reel-lay, J-lay, and flexi-lay technologies. Featuring twin 2,800 MT capacity reels…

Seatrium delivered the Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO), BW Opal, to BW Offshore."We would like to express our appreciation to BW Offshore for entrusting Seatrium with their projects over the years," said Marlin Khiew, EVP, Energy (Americas), Seatrium. "The successful completion and delivery of BW Opal marks our 18th FPSO for BW Offshore."Seatrium’s scope of work included installation and integration works of topside modules, deck equipment and the turret mooring system, as well as completion and commissioning support for BW Offshore.

Finland's Steerprop expanded its range of retractable thrusters with its biggest unit to date. Designed for offshore vessels and workboats that need high-performance station-keeping or thrust boost capabilities, the SP 45 R will be introduced on several offshore, renewables and special purpose vessels.Working with vessel operators and designers, Steerprop identified that the sealing and locking mechanisms are often a weak point for retractable designs. The R series minimizes downtime…

Helix Energy Solutions Group, a U.S. offshore oil, and gas well services company, has signed a multi-year deal with Shell to provide Well Intervention services in the Gulf of Mexico.Under the contract Helix will provide either the Q4000 or Q5000 riser-based semi-submersible well intervention vessel, a 10k or 15k Intervention Riser System (IRS), remotely operated vehicles, project management, and engineering services to cover operations from fully integrated well intervention to fully integrated plug and abandonment well services…

U.S.-based Helix Energy Solutions Group has secured an extension of its well intervention charter and services contracts with Brazil's Petrobras for the Siem Helix 2 well intervention vessel."The initial four-year contract for the Siem Helix 2 has been extended by one year at a reduced rate reflective of the current market. The Siem Helix 2 is now set to remain under contract with Petrobras until mid-December 2022 performing riser-based well intervention activities," Helix Energy Solutions said. The company did not provide details on the value of the contract.The Siem Helix 2 is a 2016-built well intervention vessel capable of performing a wide range of subsea services including production enhancement…

Oilfield services giant TechnipFMC plans to acquire the remaining 49% of shares in TIOS AS from Island Offshore.TIOS is an offshore well intervention joint venture formed in 2018 between TechnipFMC and Norwegian offshore vessel owner Island Offshore.TechnipFMC said Thursday the move would speed up the development of TechnipFMC’s integrated service model "focused on maximizing value to our clients."TIOS provides fully integrated Riserless Light Well Intervention (RLWI) services…

Indonesian oil & gas exploration and production company Conrad Petroleum has flowed dry gas from its Tambak-1 well located in the Duyung PSC in the West Natuna Basin, offshore Indonesia.The Tambak-1 well was designed to both appraise the Mako gas field and test the underlying Tambak exploration prospect. Coro Energy plc holds a 15% interest in this project.The drill stem test (DST) flowed dry gas from the intra-Muda sands at a rate of 11.4 MMcf/day on a 181/64-inch (2.8 inches) choke, maintaining a wellhead tubing pressure of 225psi. The DST of the Tambak-1 well was completed with cased hole perforations along with a 6-foot interval.The DST demonstrates that this completion method is viable…

Saudi Arabian national petroleum and natural gas company Saudi Aramco said that using renewable energy at unconventional well sites in Wa’ad Al-Shamal provides multiple benefits to the company."Not only is it a reliable and less expensive way to power the remote wells, but it also reduces carbon emissions and helps to save hydrocarbons for export by providing natural gas for the region’s power generation," Saudi Arabian Oil Company said.A new collaboration between the Power Systems Renewables Department (PRSD) and Unconventional Resources (UR) is not only saving costs while creating value, but is also reducing Saudi Aramco’s environmental…

TGS and Quantico Energy Solutions announced a technology collaboration to leverage their respective offerings in seismic data, AI-based well logs, and artificial intelligence (AI)-based seismic inversion.TGS is a provider of multi-client geoscience and engineering data for exploration & production (E&P) companies. Quantico is a AI company focused on subsurface solutions for E&P companies.The joint solution addresses the critical challenges in earth modeling workflows; specifically, insufficient seismic and log data, lengthy time until results, and difficulties mapping advanced geomechanical and petrophysical attributes.TGS will leverage its industry leading data library of seismic and well log data in the key regions of oil and gas activity across the world.

UK based Independent Oil & Gas (IOG) has confirmed that the Maersk Resilient rig spudded the Harvey appraisal well on 6 August 2019.The North Sea firm said in a press release that as previously indicated, completion of the well is expected to take approximately two months in the success case.According to the development and production company focused on becoming a substantial UK gas producer, Harvey is centrally located within IOG’s asset portfolio in UK Southern North Sea Blocks 48/23c, 48/24a, and 48/24b, close to the Thames Pipeline export route.The primary objective of the well is to confirm gas volumes which management estimate at 85/129/199 BCF Prospective Resources in the Low/Best/High case…

As many as six high impact wells are yet to be completed this year around Africa, after several consecutive low-activity years with only a few positive results.According to the energy research and business intelligence company Rystad Energy, these wells all target offshore acreages, with the majority planned in the Western African region.“Africa appears to be emerging from a long hibernation in terms of oil and gas exploration activities,” said Rystad Energy Upstream Research analyst Taiyab Zain Shariff.A steep drop in the number of exploration wells in 2015 fueled by budget cuts, failed projects, and poor market conditions has meant that exploration in the region has mostly been on pause and declining further until this year…

Weir Oil & Gas, a upstream provider of pressure pumping and pressure control equipment and services, today announced an updated, field-proven Unitized Lock-Ring (ULR) wellhead.The ULR wellhead features a standardized design for shale plays in the U.S. that accommodates 95 percent of casing configurations in either 11 inch or 13-5/8 inch nominal sizes, ensuring faster delivery and greater flexibility for operators.Weir’s newly designed wellhead features a ULR casing head housing that has been standardized to accommodate various casing sizes, eliminating the need to switch the housing and tools for differing wellsite requirements.The Weir Quick Connect (WQC) features API gasket sealing capabilities and facilitates BOP make-up in drilling operations…

The horizontal re-frac market within the US onshore scene has boomed in the recent years, with the number of horizontal re-frac jobs increasing every year over the last 10 years, said a report.According to Rystad Energy, the energy research and business intelligence company, in 2009, fewer than 10 wells were re-fracked, but in 2018 that number ballooned to more than 550 wells.New 2018 data is still preliminary amid some reporting delays for frac jobs in the fourth quarter of 2018. However Rystad Energy’s initial analysis reveals some interesting insights regarding the state of re-fracking.One key takeaway is that, despite an increase in the number of re-fracked wells…