ADNOC, SLB Deploy AI Platform to Manage Drilling Operations
ADNOC, in collaboration with SLB, has deployed its AI-enabled Real-Time Operations Center (RTOC) platform across its fleet of over 120 rigs, providing teams with a faster and more connected way to monitor, analyze and manage drilling operations across its onshore and offshore assets. The RTOC replaces multiple tools and reduces engineering effort by 30-40%, enabling engineers to support two to three times more rigs while maintaining effective oversight. Through automated dashboards and AI-powered performance insights…
Oil Rises as Uncertainty Clouds US-Iran Peace Talks
Oil prices rose on Tuesday as a diplomatic resolution to the U.S.-Iran conflict remained uncertain, while disruptions to oil flows through key shipping routes persisted.Front-month Brent futures LCOc1 rose $1.04, or 1.24%, to $84.81 a barrel by 0800 GMT after dropping 7% in the previous session to a three-week low.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 was up 30 cents, or 0.37%, at $80.64 a barrel after falling more than 5% in the previous session to its lowest in nearly a week.Prices had dropped after U.S.
Allseas Readies Overhauled Solitaire Pipelayer for Gulf Return
Dutch offshore contractor Allseas has completed one of the most extensive renewal and upgrade programs in the history of its pipelay vessel Solitaire, paving the way for the ship's return to commercial operations following 10 months of work in Rotterdam.The program modernized the vessel's propulsion, power generation, automation and hybrid power systems, while upgrading its double joint factory (DJF), a key component of Solitaire's pipelay operations for more than 25 years.The company said the upgraded DJF is designed to support a more automated and data-driven pipelay process…
Oil Eases After Topping $100, Still Set for Weekly Rise
Oil futures prices fell over 3% on Friday but are still set for hefty weekly gains because of concerns about disrupted energy flows in the Red Sea and fears of further escalation in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.Brent futures LCOc1 fell nearly $4, or 3.96%, to $96.70 a barrel at 0946 GMT, having settled above $100 in the previous session for the first time since May after Iran-aligned Houthis said they struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.The contract remained on course for a 9.7% advance this week.West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures CLc1 were down $3.15 or 3.42% at $89.04 a barrel…
ABL Gets Papua New Guinea FSO Job
ABL has been awarded a contract by Oil Search (PNG), a subsidiary of Santos, to provide marine warranty survey (MWS) services for Papua New Guinea's first offshore floating storage and offloading (FSO) facility.The work will support the supply, transportation, installation, pre-commissioning and commissioning of the FSO, which will be deployed at the Kumul Marine Terminal as part of the Kutubu Pipeline System.The FSO will provide storage and offloading for crude oil and condensate produced from multiple fields…
ECITB, GWO Launch Wind Turbine Maintenance Cross Skill Program
Following two successful pilots, the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), in partnership with the Global Wind Organisation (GWO) and Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, have officially launched the Wind Turbine Maintenance Technician Cross Skill Program to support worker transferability between oil and gas and wind operations and maintenance.The six-week program gives existing Instrument and Controls, Mechanical and Electrical Technicians the requisite…
Bordelon Marine Delivers Converted Intervention Vessel
Bordelon Marine has completed the conversion and redelivery of the MV Lilly Bordelon, a Stingray Series 260 Class DP-2 Ultra-Light Intervention Vessel (ULIV).Repurposed from an existing platform, the Lilly Bordelon has been transformed into a subsea intervention vessel designed to deliver solutions for offshore operations. The vessel features over 5,500 sq. ft. of clear deck space, a mezzanine deck supporting two work-class ROVs, with an integrated ROV control room.Equipped with a 60-ton active heave-compensated crane with over 3…
ADNOC’s XRG Expands Stake in Rio Grande LNG Project in Texas
ADNOC’s XRG has completed the acquisition of an additional equity interest in Trains 4 and 5 of the Rio Grande LNG project in Texas, increasing its participation across all five trains currently under construction at the liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility.The transaction increases XRG's overall participation in the NextDecade-operated project through the acquisition of an additional 7.6% equity interest in Trains 4 and 5 from an acquisition vehicle of Global Infrastructure Partners…
DOF Bags TotalEnergies Contract for FSO Replacement Project
DOF Group has secured a contract from TotalEnergies to provide subsea construction and mooring services for the floating storage and offloading (FSO) Unity Replacement Project.The contract covers engineering, transportation and installation of mooring systems, as well as subsea construction work, including the disconnection of the existing floating storage and offloading (FSO) unit and the connection of its replacement.Project management and engineering activities will begin immediately from DOF's offices in Aberdeen…
Organized Lightning: Understanding the Evolution of Marine Electrical Systems
How well do we really understand the electrical systems powering today’s vessels? Many of us realize how important electricity is to our modern world but may be a bit shaky on the specifics. The Welsh comedian Tommy Cooper once joked, "Electricity is a wonderful thing. Do you realize that if we didn't have electricity, we'd be watching television by candlelight?"For those who have worked on vessels for many years, the increasing complexity may be a sore point, especially for those who have been hands-on in their careers and been zapped a few times.
Battery Breakthrough: Mining Batteries, in a Microwave
Microwave-based method to upcycle old lithium-ion cathodesInstead of letting old lithium-ion batteries pile up as waste, Sandia National Laboratories researchers have developed a microwave-based process to recover and remake their cathodes, potentially turning spent batteries into a new domestic source of critical materials.Lithium-ion batteries power everything from phones and electric vehicles to grid-scale energy storage and earbuds, but their cathodes — the part of batteries denoted by a plus sign — are expensive to make and rely on minerals sourced from a limited number of countries…
GustoMSC Unveils New Jacking Technology for Offshore Wind Vessels
GustoMSC, NOV’s offshore design and engineering business, has developed a new asymmetrical rack-and-pinion technology designed to increase the jacking capacity of offshore wind installation vessels without increasing vessel size, weight or system complexity.The patent-pending asymmetrical rack-and-pinion (ASYM R&P) technology builds on the company’s existing rack-and-pinion jacking systems and is designed to improve load distribution within the existing system architecture, allowing…
Apollo’s Floating Wind Quick Connector Gets Closer to Commercial Rollout
Apollo has received an Approval in Principle (Level 2) from Bureau Veritas for its PALM Quick Connection System (QCS), a technology designed to simplify the connection and disconnection of dynamic cables from floating offshore wind turbines.The approval follows a 12-month full-scale front-end engineering and design (FEED) study funded by the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership and Wave Energy Scotland.Apollo said the certification confirms that the PALM QCS has been independently…
Export Curbs Should not Harm Australia's Biggest LNG-producing State
Western Australian premier Roger Cook said on Wednesday he had been "assured" by federal Resources Minister Madeleine King that a new government policy of reserving 20% of gas output for domestic use would not harm his state's large LNG industry."Maddie King is a very good friend of mine, she's my local member of parliament (and) we’ve talked at length about this and she is determined to make sure that it doesn’t have an adverse impact in terms of Western Australia’s established practice…
Liebherr Completes Offshore Crane Overhaul on ZITON’s Jack-Up Vessel
Crane specialist Liebherr has completed an extensive inspection and refurbishment of a BOS 35000 offshore crane aboard ZITON’s jack-up vessel Wind Enterprise during a 10-day service campaign in Denmark.The board offshore crane was installed on a 16-meter pedestal and will support offshore wind operations across Northern Europe, according to Liebherr.The company said the project, carried out at the Port of Esbjerg, included replacement of the complete power pack, hydraulic elements…
Shell Selects New Wave Offshore for Orca Project in Santos Basin
New Wave Offshore Energy has been selected by Shell to provide marine warranty survey services for the Orca project in Brazil’s pre-salt Santos Basin.The contract covers marine warranty and assurance services for the offshore development, which is estimated to contain recoverable resources of about 370 million barrels.New Wave Offshore’s scope includes vessel surveys, engineering review and oversight of transportation and installation operations across multiple project phases.The…
OPT Demos Autonomous Offshore Charging for Maritime Drones
Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) has demonstrated autonomous docking, charging and redeployment capabilities for its WAM-V autonomous surface vehicle as part of efforts to support longer-duration offshore operations.The company said the system enables the maritime drone to approach a dock, secure itself, recharge and return to operation without human intervention.OPT is preparing the technology for integration with its PowerBuoy platform to create offshore charging points capable…
ABS Signs Pact with Fleet Robotics on Maritime Robotics
The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Fleet Robotics have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on autonomous robotic systems for hull cleaning and inspection.The agreement, announced at Singapore Maritime Week, aims to support the deployment of robotic systems for vessel maintenance.“It is an honor to work alongside Fleet Robotics to advance autonomous robotic systems for the industry. This collaboration is about more than innovation, we are working to establish…
CoreMarine, Jumbo Offshore Collaborate on Argentina FLNG Installation & Hook-up Project
CoreMarine & Jumbo Offshore have announced the award of a significant contract to perform the transport and installation of the soft-yoke (SSY) mooring systems, and hook-up of both the Hilli Episeyo FLNG and MKII FLNG vessels, in Argentina’s Golfo San Matías. The award represents a milestone for both companies as well as a breakthrough project for Argentina’s gas sector as it ramps up in export capabilities.The contract has been awarded by Southern Energy S.A. (SESA), supported by an international consortium comprising Pan American Energy, YPF, Pampa Energía, Harbour Energy, and Golar LNG.
Van Oord Completes Low-Noise Monopile Installation
Van Oord has installed three monopile foundations using GBM Works' jetting solution in combination with CAPE’s vibro lifting tool for the first time at commercial scale, a milestone in silent offshore installation.Designed to reduce underwater noise and minimise impact on marine life, the method was deployed at Ecowende's Hollandse Kust West wind farm using Van Oord's new offshore wind installation vessel Boreas.GBM Works' VibroJet® technology combines vibrations with controlled water jets inside the monopile to fluidise the soil and reduce resistance.
Cyclone Disrupts Australia’s Biggest LNG Plants, Strains Global Market
A powerful tropical cyclone in Western Australia has disrupted production at the country’s two biggest liquefied natural gas plants run by Chevron and Woodside, exacerbating a global supply crunch caused by the conflict in the Middle East.Australia became the world’s second-largest LNG exporter after Qatar shut down production this month following damage to its facilities from Iranian strikes. Global LNG flows out of the Middle East have also been upended by Iran’s blockage of…
U.S., Israel Stike Iran: What's Next for Shipping
The diplomatic route in Iran is now exhausted, as last night the United States and Israel attacked Iran, sharply escalating security risks for commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf and adjacent waters, prompting immediate operational and insurance repercussions across the global maritime sector.According to Jakob Larsen, Chief Safety & Security Officer at BIMCO, the attacks “dramatically increase the security risk to ships operating in the Persian Gulf and adjacent waters,” particularly for vessels with business ties to U.S.
German Shipowner Buys Two Multi-Purpose Vessels
Germany’s Ernst Russ has acquired two multi-purpose vessels, MV Ronnie and MV Charlie, as part of its long-term fleet strategy to expand exposure to the project cargo segment and strengthen predictable earnings.The Hamburg-based shipowner said both vessels have been fixed on seven-year charters to dship Carriers, a globally operating European company specialized in project cargo, providing long-term employment and improved cash flow visibility.The vessels, scheduled for handover in the first quarter of 2026…