Offshore articles from December 2005

Offshore archives from December 2005

Award-winning publication.(deepwater drilling market forecast)
December 1, 2005... Recognition from your peers always carries the most significance. That's why we were particularly pleased when Offshore was announced as the Best of Show winner in the category of "Magazines: External--Print" at the Houston chapter of the...

Active rig fleet, November 2005.(GLOBAL DATA)(Illustration)
December 1, 2005... Active rig fleet, August 2005 Floaters Jackups US GoM 30 (0) 102 (0) Mex GoM 10 (-1) 28 (0) North Sea 39 (0) 32 (0) East Atlantic 2 (0) 2 (0) L. America ...

GoM drilling permits issued.(GLOBAL DATA)
December 1, 2005... GoM drilling permits issued Drilling permits April 82 May 94 June 94 July 71 Aug. 80 Sept. 17 Oct. 84 Source: US Minerals Management Service ...

In looking at subsea production wells being brought onstream in Australasia and Southeast Asia.(GLOBAL DATA)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... In looking at subsea production wells being brought onstream in Australasia and Southeast Asia, the figure shows the dramatic rise in the number of wells to be brought onstream in 2007--to a level expected to be maintained right through the...

Gulf of Mexico day rates.(GLOBAL DATA)(Illustration)
December 1, 2005... Gulf of Mexico day rates Month/Year Minimum Average Maximum Drillship Nov 2004 $103,000 $167,841 $205,000 Dec 2004 $103,000 $173,572 $205,000 Jan 2665 $105,000 $173,634 $205,000 Feb 2005 ...

BP Alaska Exploration Inc. is considering a "super rig" to drill potential record-breaking extended-reach wells to produce the Liberty oil field, located 5 mi off Alaska's northern coast.(Americas)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... BP Alaska Exploration Inc. is considering a "super rig" to drill potential record-breaking extended-reach wells to produce the Liberty oil field, located 5 mi off Alaska's northern coast. Liberty is in federal Outer Continental Shelf waters in...

Doris Engineering has received a contract valued at $38 million for work associated with the Moho Bilondo oil development project in Congolese waters offshore West Africa.(Africa)
December 1, 2005... Doris Engineering has received a contract valued at $38 million for work associated with the Moho Bilondo oil development project in Congolese waters offshore West Africa. The development is operated by Total E&P Congo 53.5%, together with...

The Republic of Togo's Minister of Mines, Energy and Water launched a bid round on Nov. 2, 2005, for petroleum permits in block B, a 4,000-sq km area in deep waters off the Togolese coastline.(Africa)
December 1, 2005... The Republic of Togo's Minister of Mines, Energy and Water launched a bid round on Nov. 2, 2005, for petroleum permits in block B, a 4,000-sq km area in deep waters off the Togolese coastline. Deadline for bids is May 1, 2006.

Timor-Leste's Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri assured global oil and gas investors in mid-November of his government's competitive and transparent legal and contractual regime for developing resources in the Timor Sea.(Asia-Pacific)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Timor-Leste's Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri assured global oil and gas investors in mid-November of his government's competitive and transparent legal and contractual regime for developing resources in the Timor Sea. Welcoming more than 70...

Anzon Australia Ltd. began production from the Basker field in offshore Gippsland basin.(Asia-Pacific)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Anzon Australia Ltd. began production from the Basker field in offshore Gippsland basin, Victoria. The Basker-2 well was opened up Nov. 14 and soon was flowing oil to surface via a subsea completion and 1.9 km flow line to the FPSO,...

Maureen in line for re-development.(OFFSHORE EUROPE)(oilfields resurrection)
December 1, 2005... A new North Sea independent, Fairfield Energy, has secured $200 million of investment funding. Much of it will be directed at resurrecting abandoned UK sector oilfields, partly in partnership with Apache. London-based Fairfield is led by...

Wintershall hits big time.(Wintershall Nederland B.V. production plans)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... First gas was due late last month from F16-A in the Dutch sector. The platform--operator Wintershall's largest to date--was built in 13 months, and supports 3,500 metric tons of topsides facilities, capable of producing and processing 6 MMcm/d...

Pipelines ease Mittelplatte exports.
December 1, 2005... Mittelplatte, Germany's largest developed offshore oilfield, has been equipped for the first time with dedicated subsea pipelines. Previously, all production had to be shipped by barge the short distance to the northern (North Sea) coast to...

FSO likely first choice for GoM.(GULF OF MEXICO)(floating storage and offloading)
December 1, 2005... Some industry experts agree that the first ship-shaped floating facility employed in the Gulf of Mexico will be a floating storage and offloading (FSO) unit. Development scenarios using a floating production unit with oil export via FSO...

Chevron hands out Tahiti, Blind Faith awards.(GULF OF MEXICO)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Chevron has selected Mustang Engineering to perform engineering, procurement and project management support services for the Tahiti spar's topsides oil and gas processing facilities. The company previously completed the FEED studies for the...

Upcoming Subsea tieback conference focuses on delivering success.(SUBSEA/SURFACE SYSTEMS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... PennWell's annual Subsea Tieback Conference & Exhibition (SSTB) has become the premier event for one of the oil and gas industry's fastest growing segments. As energy demands drive exploration into deeper water, operators, field engineers and...

Subsea umbilical to integrate HV.(high voltage )
December 1, 2005... Industrial cable supplier Nexans has been awarded a $15-million contract by BP America Production Co. for the design and manufacture of the world's first subsea service umbilical that integrates a high voltage (HV) cable. The power-umbilical...

Aker Kvaerner, Sonsub join forces.(SUBSEA/SURFACE SYSTEMS)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The Aker Kvaerner company Aker Marine Contractors and Aberdeen-based Sonsub Ltd. have signed a three-year cooperation agreement to jointly seek project opportunities in the field of subsea construction and removal. The agreement will allow...

Subsea 7 makes ROV investment, contract awards.(SUBSEA/SURFACE SYSTEMS)
December 1, 2005... Subsea 7 has awarded contracts in the amount of $18 million for five advanced ROV systems to Hercules. Subsea 7's Integrated Remote Technologies (IRT) division will use the five systems to satisfy project commitments. The systems will be...

Building on experience.(VESSELS, RIGS, UPGRADES)
December 1, 2005... Norway-based Frontier Drilling ASA has launched plans to deliver its second DP FPSO to be named Seillean II. However, construction of the vessel is contingent upon the company securing a justifiable contract. Frontier drafted a concept for...

FPSOs for Far East.(Floating Production, Storage and Offloading)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Australia-based AED Oil Ltd. says it is in the process of investigating the use of the MT GerritaI as its early production unit on the Puffin field. The operator previously nominated the Crystal Sea FPSO for early production operations. But due...

Shell secures rigs.(drilling contract )
December 1, 2005... Transocean has entered into an agreement with an affiliate of Shell for the upgrade of one of its Sedco 700-series semisubmersible rigs. Under terms of the agreement, Shell has committed to a period of three years and can extend the contract by...

Rig bookings.(Anadarko drilling contract with Transocean)(Pride International contract)(BowLeven contract)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... * Anadarko awarded Transocean three-year contracts valued at approximately $985 million for the company's drillships Discoverer Spirit and Deepwater Millenium. The contracts are expected to begin in June 2007, immediately following the...

Hydrocarbon-absorbing packers.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Downhole packers that expand by absorbing hydrocarbons have allowed two offshore operators to produce from wells that would have not otherwise been feasible either technically or economically, according to the developer of the product. The...

Shell's application.(DRILLING & PRODUCTION)
December 1, 2005... Shell used the packer in the UK sector of the North Sea on its North Cormorant field in 2004. The challenge for the asset team to assure future production was to find ways to drill cheaper wells to exploit smaller pockets of reserves. The...

BP's application.(DRILLING & PRODUCTION)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... BP has also used the absorbing packers in its Andrew field in the North Sea. The challenge in the Andrew reservoir was an extensive water zone in the middle of the field. Plans were to drill two sidetrack wells and isolate the water zone from...

UK E&P on upward curve, but cost remain high.
December 1, 2005... There is little doubt that the oil price has helped to boost oil and gas activity in the UK North Sea. However, the more deep-seated reason behind the current upturn is the achievement of Pilot, the reforming partnership between the UK...

Big company or small company, which will succeed in exploration? Majors focus on big-payoff potential.(GLOBAL FORECAST)
December 1, 2005... In studying exploration strategy and results, three clear groups of companies emerge, defined by their size and priorities. The largest operators are the major oil and gas companies, which are most concerned with materiality in exploration,...

Deepwater expenditures to reach $20 billion/yr by 2010.(GLOBAL FORECAST)
December 1, 2005... Deepwater oil and gas production is increasing rapidly and output is expected to more than double over the period to 2010. From 3 MMb/d in 2005, deepwater oil production will grow to over 6.7 MMb/d in 2010, while deepwater gas production...

New sidetrack drilling, DP production mode extend Lufeng life.
December 1, 2005... The Lufeng oil field operated by Statoil in the South China Sea reflects how innovative thinking and a willingness to try new technology can result in unanticipated profits. Lufeng was originally brought on stream by Statoil in December...

Sanha project to reduce flaring by 50%.
December 1, 2005... Chevron's Angolan subsidiary Cabinda Gulf Oil Co. Ltd. (CABGOC) and partners used an innovative development scheme to exploit reserves off the coast of Malongo, Cabinda. While the project showcases many industry firsts, it also serves the...

Basker-Manta JV brings innovative technology to Far East.(TOP 5 PROJECTS OF 2005)
December 1, 2005... The A$280-million dollar Basker-Manta project solicited a highly advanced, and very unique concept for field development. It incorporates subsea production tied back to an FPSO stationed in DP-mode, with export via towline to a disconnectable...

Sakhalin-1 technology conquers unique challenges.(TOP 5 PROJECTS OF 2005)
December 1, 2005... With production start-up in October 2005 in the first phase of the Sakhalin-1 project, operator Exxon Neftegas Ltd. (ENL) began tapping the rich oil and gas reservoirs of offshore eastern Russia. The Sakhalin-1 oil and gas resources were...

Addax uses fit-for-purpose technology, simplified layout to develop Okwori.(TOP 5 PROJECTS OF 2005)
December 1, 2005... Addax Petroleum used a phased development plan and specifically selected technology to develop the challenging Okwori field offshore Nigeria. Okwori, located in the southern part of OPL-90, 90 km south of Port Harcourt, presented significant...

Software allows visualization of downhole drilling hydraylics.(DRILLING & COMPLETION)
December 1, 2005... Visualization technology has evolved into an important geological and geophysical tool to view and interpret seismic data, 3D logs, geocellular models, grids, horizons, and well placements. A recently developed software system permits...

ESPs used to prolong reservoir depressurization.(electrical submersible pumps)
December 1, 2005... The installation of electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) to back-produce water from the reservoir in the Brent field in the Northern North Sea is extending the life of the field. ESPs have been deployed with some success to prolong reservoir...

Subsea separation to boost oil recovery on Tordis.(SUBSEA)
December 1, 2005... FMC Kongsberg Subsea is to supply the world's first full-scale subsea separation system, for use on the Tordis Field in the Norwegian North Sea. In October, operator Statoil sought approval from Norway's government for a two-stage development...

Providing all surface facilities for deepwater oil and gas production on lease or supply basis.(Corporate Profiles)
December 1, 2005... Following the divestment of its specialized shipbuilding activities in The Netherlands in early 2005, the Dutch public company IHC Caland N.V. was renamed SBM Offshore N.V. This name change now identifies the holding with the name under which...

Drag reducers improve throughput, cut costs.(PIPELINE & TRANSPORTATION)
December 1, 2005... Over the past 25 years, drag reducers (also called flow improvers) have evolved from the original "gel-like" products to suspension products. Flow improvers were initially limited to conventional applications in the pipeline industry. Offshore...

Delivering un-biased 'floating technology, engineering & construction' production solutions to the deepwater market.(Corporate Profiles)(FloaTEC, LLC)(Company Profile)
December 1, 2005... On September 9th, 2005, J. Ray McDermott, Inc and Keppel FELS LTD announced the formation of FloaTEC, LLC, a new joint venture company to pursue deepwater and ultra deepwater oil and gas development opportunities. Since then, the new company...

Access and maintenance lifts.(Swedish technology profiles)(Alimak AB)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Alimak specializes in rack and pinion-driven lifts for industrial locations and has more than 30 years' experience in offshore applications. The modular-built lifts are adaptable in size and capacity and do not need a machine room or lift...

Marine shaft and bearing systems.(Swedish technology profiles)(The Cedervall group)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The Cedervall group designs, manufactures, supplies and repairs a wide range of seals and bearings. Cedervall stern-tube seals are known widely for their operating economy, technical reliability and service. The company's product range also...

Titanium heat exchangers.(Swedish technology profiles)(inductive components developed by Coiltech Inc)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Coiltech, a member of the Eco Group, specializes in heat exchangers for air and fluids. Recently, it has developed a new titanium system, in response to demands for more corrosion-resistant materials and longer life spans for heat exchangers....

Welding systems and consumables.(Swedish technology profiles)(ESAB AB)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
December 1, 2005... Esab's involvement with shipbuilding, and subsequently the offshore sector, goes back 100 years. The company develops welding and cutting solutions, with a local presence and technical support in most regional markets. Its specialties include...

Optimized turbine cleaning.(Swedish technology profiles)(about Gas Turbine Efficiency (GTE) and the products it develops)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Gas Turbine Efficiency (GTE) is a leader in gas turbine engine cleaning and related products. It supplies the offshore, marine, industrial, and aerospace sectors. Regardless of the application, all engines exhibit improved performance when...

Hydraulic drives.(Swedish technology profiles)
December 1, 2005... Hagglunds' hydraulic drive systems are engineered to perform under severe conditions and to provide reliable power to applications above or below the water line. The company's high torque, low speed motors have a low moment of inertia and can...

Hot isostatic pressing.(Swedish technology profiles)(Metso Powdermet)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Metso Powdermet has won several challenging contracts in recent years from the offshore sector. The company supplies near net shape products produced using the world's largest hot isostatic pressing facility, in Surahammar, Sweden. Main...

Stainless steel pipes.(Swedish technology profiles)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Outokumpu Stainless Tubular Products (OSTP) offers a comprehensive range of stainless steel pipes and fittings. The company produces over 90,000 tons of stainless tubes and pipes per year, a proportion of which are tailored to the severe...

Reliable mooring chains and accessories.(Swedish technology profiles)(Ramnas Bruk )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Ramnas Bruk specializes in offshore mooring chain--stud link and studless --which includes chafe chain and accessories. The company has been producing chain in Ramnas, Sweden since 1876, and has nearly 40 years' experience serving the offshore...

Spill-free handling.(Swedish technology profiles)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Todo has been manufacturing and supplying couplings and valves for the oil and chemical industries for over 30 years. Its most notable product is the Todo-Matic Dry Break coupling, designed for spill-free connection and disconnection where...

Offshore Asia Conference & exhibition 2006 Conference program.(Calendar)
December 1, 2005... Tuesday, 17 January 2006 17:00-18:30 WELCOME RECEPTION Wednesday, 18 January 2006 07:15-08:30 CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST 08:30-09:45 OPENING PLENARY SESSION WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION Eldon Ball--Petroleum Conferences...

New tools and technology for the offshore industry: offshore separator technology handles produced water.(EQUIPMENT & ENGINEERING)
December 1, 2005... Increasing legislation and regulations on discharge water purity standards for offshore producing platforms around the world has necessitated an examination of improved separation technologies. These new technologies must also fit within the...

Charles R. Williamson, executive vice president of Chevron Corp., has announced his retirement effective Dec. 1.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Charles R. Williamson, executive vice president of Chevron Corp., has announced his retirement effective Dec. 1. Williamson, who is also former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Unocal Corp. obtained a master's degree in...

Alliance Wood Group Engineering, a subsidiary of John Wood Group PLC has named Scott Leitko vice president of engineering, reporting to the executive vice president of Alliance.(People)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Alliance Wood Group Engineering, a subsidiary of John Wood Group PLC has named Scott Leitko vice president of engineering, reporting to the executive vice president of Alliance. Leitko brings more than 17 years of experience to this position,...

William T. Van Kleef has been elected to the Board of Directors of Noble Energy, Inc., bringing the number of directors to eight.(People)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... William T. Van Kleef has been elected to the Board of Directors of Noble Energy, Inc., bringing the number of directors to eight. Van Kleef, a certified public accountant, served in various financial and accounting positions with Dawson Oil...

Veritas DGC Inc.(Vincent M. Thielen and Dennis S. Baldwin appointed)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Geophysical information and service provider Veritas DGC Inc. has appointed Vincent M. Thielen as vice president of business development and Dennis S. Baldwin as vice president, corporate controller. Thielen's prior positions within Veritas...

Hercules Offshore, Inc., a jackup drilling and liftboat contractor in the Gulf of Mexico, has appointed three new officers.(James Noe, Leslie Taylor, Johnny Vincent)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Hercules Offshore, Inc., a jackup drilling and liftboat contractor in the Gulf of Mexico, has appointed three new officers. James Noe is now VP--General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary; Leslie Taylor is VP--Human Resources, and...

Dominion Exploration and Production, Inc.(Alison B. Whiteley appointed)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Alison B. Whiteley has joined Dominion Exploration and Production, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Dominion, in the newly-created position of Managing Director, Planning and Engineering. She is responsible for the management and direction of...

Aveva, a leading provider of engineering design and lifecycle solutions, has secured a contract to provide J. Ray McDermott with a collaboration portal that provides easy access to key engineering data.(Companies)
December 1, 2005... Aveva, a leading provider of engineering design and lifecycle solutions, has secured a contract to provide J. Ray McDermott with a collaboration portal that provides easy access to key engineering data. The portal, built on Aveva's VNET...

Offshore drilling contractor Transocean Inc. has entered into agreements with an affiliate of Royal Dutch Petroleum (Shell) and Chevron Corp. for the upgrade of two of Transocean's Sedco 700-series semisubmersible rigs.(Companies)
December 1, 2005... Offshore drilling contractor Transocean Inc. has entered into agreements with an affiliate of Royal Dutch Petroleum (Shell) and Chevron Corp. for the upgrade of two of Transocean's Sedco 700-series semisubmersible rigs. Both Shell and Chevron...

Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc., a leading fabricator of offshore drilling and production platforms and other structures, has through its subsidiary Gulf Island LLC.(Companies)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc., a leading fabricator of offshore drilling and production platforms and other structures, has through its subsidiary Gulf Island LLC. executed a contract to fabricate the topsides for the Blind Faith platform in...

Tenaris has signed a global agreement with Schlumberger to provide tubular goods and services for projects managed by Schlumberger's Integrated Project management (IPM) service.(Companies)
December 1, 2005... Tenaris has signed a global agreement with Schlumberger to provide tubular goods and services for projects managed by Schlumberger's Integrated Project management (IPM) service. Under the agreement, Tenaris will supply high-grade tubular...

Performance Energy Services, LLC.(Companies)(facility opened)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Performance Energy Services, LLC, a specialty provider of pipe fabrication, structural fabrication and offshore hook-ups, has opened a new offshore hook-up and fabrication facility in Ingleside, Texas. The yard includes a 5,000-sq ft pipe shop,...

Subsea engineering consultancy company MCS has experienced significant growth in the GoM, where its services in the delivery of riser solutions for deepwater developments are in demand.(Companies)(Jeff Measamer appointed as business development manager)(Andy Westlake appointed in a senior engineering role)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Subsea engineering consultancy company MCS has experienced significant growth in the GoM, where its services in the delivery of riser solutions for deepwater developments are in demand. This growth has come mainly in the form of new contract...

Tesco Corp. has purchased the assets of Tong Specialty and Cheyenne Services.(Companies)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Tesco Corp. has purchased the assets of Tong Specialty and Cheyenne Services. Both companies provide a range of tubular running and related services offshore in the GoM, including equipment and personnel for installing tubing and casing such as...

Put risk and uncertainty to work for you.(BEYOND THE HORIZON)
December 1, 2005... If many of the important factors in your business are uncertain, if you use a lot of averages or "best estimates," and if you don't--or can't--quantify your risks, then this article could make you a lot of money. For example: You operate a...

Leading the world in deepwater E&P: new show dates 14-16 March 2006.(Preliminary Program)
December 1, 2005... OFFSHORE[TM] West Africa Conference & Exhibition 14-16 March 2006 * Abuja, Nigeria Sheraton Hotel OFFSHORE West Africa Leading the World in Deepwater E&P More Deepwater Growth Ahead West Africa dominates the...