Offshore articles from June 2009

Offshore archives from June 2009

Gulf of Mexico oil production forecast to reach record high.(COMMENT)
June 1, 2009... Gulf of Mexico oil production is forecast to increase substantially over the next few years, reaching as much as 1.9 MMb/d in 2013, according to US Minerals Management Service (MMS) estimates. That level--an MMS best-case scenario--would be...

Kaleidoscope to bring more subsalt to light.(COMMENT)
June 1, 2009... A project by Repsol YPF to take subsalt seismic imaging to a new level of sophistication may reveal significant new reserves in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere. The project, called Kaleidoscope, will use new generation seismic imaging...

HP/HT, cost savings drive global stim vessel market.(COMMENT)
June 1, 2009... Deep and high-pressure offshore well stimulation jobs remain the drivers for new stim vessel technology this year, as reflected in Offshore's annual vessel survey in this issue. The market in 2009 has adjusted from the boom during the previous...

Active rig fleet, May 2009.(GLOBAL DATA)
June 1, 2009... Active rig fleet, May 2009 Floaters Jackups US GoM 33 (0) 54(-5) Mex GoM 5 (0) 36(+1) North Sea 40(-2) 34(-1) East Atlantic 2 (0) 1(+1) L. America 50 (0) ...

GoM drilling permits issued.(GLOBAL DATA)
June 1, 2009... GoM drilling permits issued Drilling permits Oct. 57 Nov. 43 Dec. 45 Jan. 39 Feb. 37 Mar. 28 Apr. 33 Source: US Minerals Management Service Note: Table made from bar graph.

Worldwide day rates.(GLOBAL DATA)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Worldwide day rates Year/Month Minimum Average Maximum Drillship 2008 May $43,000 $277,530 $523,000 2008 June $43,000 $279,693 $523,000 2008 July $43,000 $292,290 $523,000 2008 Aug ...

StatoilHydro has discovered hydrocarbons in a deepwater play in the Flemish Pass basin offshore Newfoundland.(North America)
June 1, 2009... StatoilHydro has discovered hydrocarbons in a deepwater play in the Flemish Pass basin offshore Newfoundland. The well was drilled on the Mizzen prospect by the semisubmersible Henry Goodrich in exploration license 1049. StatoilHydro plans...

Jurong Shipyard has clinched a $247-million contract from Gander Drilling for a Moss Maritime DP-3 semisubmersible, with an option for a second rig.(North America)
June 1, 2009... Jurong Shipyard has clinched a $247-million contract from Gander Drilling for a Moss Maritime DP-3 semisubmersible, with an option for a second rig. The six-column hull, assembled at a yard in Russia, was due to arrive in Singapore in April to...

Total's run of deepwater drilling successes continues off Republic of Congo.(West Africa)
June 1, 2009... Total's run of deepwater drilling successes continues off Republic of Congo. Its Moho Nord Marine-4 well proved a 163-m (535-ft), high quality oil column in the Albian F structure, 4.4 km (2.7 mi) northwest of the Tertiary structure drilled...

Sonangol has formed a joint exploration partnership with Houston-based Cobalt International Energy.(West Africa)
June 1, 2009... Sonangol has formed a joint exploration partnership with Houston-based Cobalt International Energy. Under the terms of the agreement, Cobalt is designated operator of the consortium for deepwater blocks 9 and 21 off Angola. Drilling should...

National oil company Petrobras and Repsol have issued a declaration of commercial viability for their Piracuca light oil and gas discovery in the Santos basin.(Brazil)
June 1, 2009... National oil company Petrobras and Repsol have issued a declaration of commercial viability for their Piracuca light oil and gas discovery in the Santos basin. Hydrocarbons were encountered in reservoirs above the salt layer in the BM-S-7...

Petrofac Energy Developments has lifted first oil from the West Don field in the UK northern North Sea.(Northern Europe)
June 1, 2009... Petrofac Energy Developments has lifted first oil from the West Don field in the UK northern North Sea. Production, initially via an FPSO with tanker offloading, will eventually head to Lundin's Thistle platform through a subsea tieback. An...

The partners in the Skanled pipeline project have suspended development studies due to increased commercial risk and uncertainty over future gas demand.(Northern Europe)
June 1, 2009... The partners in the Skanled pipeline project have suspended development studies due to increased commercial risk and uncertainty over future gas demand. The proposed scheme would have taken gas from Norwegian North Sea fields to new markets in...

Eni has secured environmental approval from Italy's government for its Guendalina gas development in the northern Adriatic Sea.(Mediterranean Sea)
June 1, 2009... Eni has secured environmental approval from Italy's government for its Guendalina gas development in the northern Adriatic Sea. The project calls for a single production platform with two wells. First gas is scheduled for end-2010. Close...

Repsol YPF has its first hydrocarbons discovery off Libya.(Mediterranean Sea)
June 1, 2009... Repsol YPF has its first hydrocarbons discovery off Libya. The well was drilled in 50 m (164 ft) of water in block NC202 in the Sirte basin, awarded to the company and its partners in 2003. Initial production tests yielded flows of 1,264 b/d of...

Noble Energy has completed testing of its Dalit gas discovery in the deepwater Michal license in the Levantine basin.(Mediterranean Sea)
June 1, 2009... Noble Energy has completed testing of its Dalit gas discovery in the deepwater Michal license in the Levantine basin. Equipment constraints limited tests to a 43-ft (13-m) section of the reservoir, which flowed at 33 MMcf/d. However,...

Petrobras and Turkish Petroleum Corp. (TPAO) have signed a farm-out accord concerning the deepwater drilling semisubmersible Leiv Eriksson.(Black Sea)
June 1, 2009... Petrobras and Turkish Petroleum Corp. (TPAO) have signed a farm-out accord concerning the deepwater drilling semisubmersible Leiv Eriksson. Petrobras has contracted the semi from Ocean Rig for three years' work in the Turkish sector, starting...

RAK Petroleum Oman has acquired Eagle Energy (Oman) from Heritage Oil.(Middle East)
June 1, 2009... RAK Petroleum Oman has acquired Eagle Energy (Oman) from Heritage Oil. Eagle holds a 10% interest in Omani block 8, which includes the offshore Bukha and West Bukha fields. The latter came on stream in February. Jeremy Beckman * Houston

Iranian Offshore Oil Co. (IOOC) claims that ONGC Videsh has discovered a large oil field in the Persian Gulf.(Middle East)
June 1, 2009... Iranian Offshore Oil Co. (IOOC) claims that ONGC Videsh has discovered a large oil field in the Persian Gulf. The Binaloud field in the Farsi block may hold reserves of 1 Bbbl of heavy crude. IOOC added that ONGC had committed to invest $3...

The first of two new wellhead platform topsides for the Qatargas 3 and 4 projects has been completed in Jebel Aft.(Middle East)
June 1, 2009... The first of two new wellhead platform topsides for the Qatargas 3 and 4 projects has been completed in Jebel Aft. The 2,200-metric ton (2,425-ton) topside was due to sail out to its offshore location for mating with a pre-installed jacket, and...

India has launched its latest exploration licensing round, NELP-VIII.(India)
June 1, 2009... India has launched its latest exploration licensing round, NELP-VIII. The acreage on offer covers a sedimentary area of 164,000 sq km (63,321 sq m), and includes 24 deepwater and 28 shallow water blocks in the western, eastern, and Andaman Sea...

Exxon Neftegas has contracted Aker Solutions to design, build and deliver a gravity base structure for the Sakhalin-1 project.(Asia-Pacific)
June 1, 2009... Exxon Neftegas has contracted Aker Solutions to design, build and deliver a gravity base structure for the Sakhalin-1 project. The $600 million consignment will support the drilling and production facilities for the offshore Arkutun-Dagi...

CNOOC will assume full responsibility for decommissioning of Lufeng field in the South China Sea.(Asia-Pacific)
June 1, 2009... CNOOC will assume full responsibility for decommissioning of Lufeng field in the South China Sea. Current operator StatoilHydro will cede control later this year after production has ceased. Lufeng, 250 km (155 mi) southeast of Hong Kong, was...

Marathon and Indonesia Kumawa Energy have won a production sharing contract for the Kumawa block offshore West Papua.(Asia-Pacific)
June 1, 2009... Marathon and Indonesia Kumawa Energy have won a production sharing contract for the Kumawa block offshore West Papua. The location is in the Semai region, around 180 mi (290 km) south of the newly commissioned Tanggnh LNG facilities. Water...

INPEX has contracted Amec for front-end engineering design for the Ichthys gas-condensate development in Australia's Browse basin.(Australasia)
June 1, 2009... INPEX has contracted Amec for front-end engineering design for the Ichthys gas-condensate development in Australia's Browse basin. The program drawn up by INPEX and partner Total comprises subsea gas gathering facilities; a floating process...

In the Timor Sea, the federal government has renewed Major Project Facilitation Status for two LNG/methanol extraction schemes proposed by MEO Australia.(Australasia)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the Timor Sea, the federal government has renewed Major Project Facilitation Status for two LNG/methanol extraction schemes proposed by MEO Australia. MEO plans to develop Tassie Shoal, an area of shallow water...

New Zealand's Kupe development should come on stream this summer, according to partner New Zealand Oil & Gas (NZOG).(Australasia)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... New Zealand's Kupe development should come on stream this summer, according to partner New Zealand Oil & Gas (NZOG). The offshore facilities and the onshore production station near Hawera are all in place, while two condensate storage tanks at...

Heavy guns drawn to frontier round.(OFFSHORE EUROPE)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Norway has opened frontier areas to exploration in its 20th licensing round. Thirty-four companies will participate in 21 production licenses covering a total of 79 blocks--51 in the Norwegian Sea and 28 in the Barents Sea. Awards in the...

Gas boost for Denmark.(OFFSHORE EUROPE)
June 1, 2009... Maersk has completed drilling of the Gita1X exploration well in the Danish North Sea. The well, drilled in 49 m (161 ft) of water 10 km (6.2 mi) south of the Harald field, encountered gas in Middle Jurassic sandstone layers. Gita...

Life extension scheme for Gullfaks.(OFFSHORE EUROPE)
June 1, 2009... StatoilHydro is looking to extend the production life of its Gullfaks South field in the Norwegian Sea. It has contracted Framo Engineering to implement subsea wet gas compression on the field, a satellite to the Gullfaks complex. ...

Tax changes favor complex fields.(OFFSHORE EUROPE)
June 1, 2009... Britain has introduced changes to its upstream fiscal regime which are designed to incentivize development of marginal and technically challenging fields. The government recognizes that the UK industry needs help in the face of rising costs and...

Marathon exits Kinsale.(OFFSHORE EUROPE)
June 1, 2009... PSE Ireland, a subsidiary of Petronas, has completed its acquisition of Marathon's interests in the Celtic Sea for $180 million. These include 100% of the Kinsale Head Area, including the producing Kinsale Head, SW Kinsale and Ballycotton gas...

The other Gulf of Mexico: Pemex sees potential in Mexican sector.(GULF OF MEXICO)
June 1, 2009... Pemex is accelerating its exploration and production strategy in the Mexican sector of the deepwater Gulf of Mexico with the objective of reversing Mexico's declining crude oil production, explains Carlos Morales Gil, general director of Pemex...

New mooring requirements improve MODU performance.(GULF OF MEXICO)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... New requirements for enhancing mooring of MODUs in the Gulf of Mexico are contributing to improved performance during hurricanes, according to Lars Herbst, MMS GoM regional director. In 2008, two rigs or 15% of the fleet in the GoM went adrift....

Technip wins deepwater contracts.(GULF OF MEXICO)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Bluewater Industries has awarded Technip two lumpsum contracts for work on the Telemark and Clipper Corridor field developments in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Both contracts involve risers, umbilicals, towlines, and associated subsea...

Subsea water injection projects in development.(SUBSEA SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2009... ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS has awarded Technip a contract for the Ekofisk VA subsea water injection project on block 2/4 of the Norwegian continental shelf. Technip will install, tie-in, and commission the subsea hardware connecting existing...

Aker Solutions also has an EPC contract from Dong E&P Norge for a complete NOK 400 million ($61 million) subsea production system for Trym field some 300 km (186 mi) southwest of Kristiansand, Norway, in 65 m (213 ft) water depth.(SUBSEA SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2009... Aker Solutions also has an EPC contract from Dong E&P Norge for a complete NOK 400 million ($61 million) subsea production system for Trym field some 300 km (186 mi) southwest of Kristiansand, Norway, in 65 m (213 ft) water depth. Contract...

In the Gulf of Mexico, BHP Billiton Petroleum (GOM) Inc. has contracted Stress Subsea Inc. to design a subsea water injection system for Shenzi field in Green Canyon blocks 609-610, 653-654.(SUBSEA SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2009... In the Gulf of Mexico, BHP Billiton Petroleum (GOM) Inc. has contracted Stress Subsea Inc. to design a subsea water injection system for Shenzi field in Green Canyon blocks 609-610, 653-654. The Shenzi TLP is in 4,300 ft (1,311 m) of water. ...

New umbilical installation design unveiled.(SUBSEA SYSTEMS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... A simpler J-plate installation of a subsea umbilical using an ROV manipulated flying-lead-installation-running tool has won a patent for Deep Down Inc. Deep Down says the new technique eliminates the damage prone acme screw thread and collet...

Angola block 31 to use ELSA technology.(SUBSEA SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2009... BP plans to use Expro Landing String Assembly (ELSA) technology on its development work offshore Angola in block 31 on Plutao, Saturno, and Venus Matte. According to Expro, the system allows control of isolation valves which means there is...

Consortium to research ultra deepwater moorings, risers.(SUBSEA SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2009... Noble Denton is funding a three-year research program at the University of Cambridge into effective modeling of ultra deepwater mooring and riser developments, saying that water depths exceeding 1,500 m (4,921 ft) make integrated modeling of...

ABS adopts new requirements for FPSOs.(VESSELS, RIGS, & SURFACE SYSTEMS)(asset backed securities)
June 1, 2009... ABS has adopted new structural requirements for the evaluation of converted FPSOs. The criteria are contained in a revised version of the company's Guide for Building and Classing Floating Production Installations. ABS is taking a phased...

COSCO to convert MT Sunrise IV.(VESSELS, RIGS, & SURFACE SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2009... MODEC has awarded COSCO (Dalian) Shipyard a contract to convert the VLCC tanker MT Sunrise IV into an FPSO. The contract involves repair and conversion of the 18-year-old tanker into an FPSO including topside integration and commissioning....

Sevan construction program continues.(VESSELS, RIGS, & SURFACE SYSTEMS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Construction of the deepwater drilling unit Sevan Driller is on schedule, according to Sevan Marine. The rig was relocated from Cosco's Nantong Shipyard in China to the nearby Qidong Shipyard, where the derrick has been fully erected. Remaining...

Two Diamond Offshore rigs, Ocean Titan and Ocean America, have been delivered.(VESSELS, RIGS, & SURFACE SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Two Diamond Offshore rigs, Ocean Titan and Ocean America (pictured), have been delivered. The LeTourneau Class 64 jackup Ocean Titan entered Signal International's East Pascagoula, Mississippi, yard for...

Seven Pacific on schedule for 2010 delivery.(VESSELS, RIGS, & SURFACE SYSTEMS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The newbuild pipelay and construction vessel Seven Pacific is on schedule for delivery ha 4Q 2010. The vessel will be fitted with a 260-metric ton (287-ton) Vertical Lay System (VLS) tower. First steel was cut on March 16, and the first units...

Bisso expands construction fleet; salvages sunken rig.(VESSELS, RIGS, & SURFACE SYSTEMS)
June 1, 2009... Bisso Marine has expanded its fleet with the acquisition of the pipelay barge G/P 37 from Global Industries. The vessel will be renamed L/B Warrior Chief. The vessel, measuring 188 x 60 x 14 ft (57 x 18 x 4 m), is a conventional S-lay...

Rethinking the OCS debate.(DRILLING & PRODUCTION)(Outer Continental Shelf )
June 1, 2009... If the US seeks to bolster the long term sustainability of its energy supply, it should look to hydrocarbons in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), the leaders of some of the world's largest oil companies say. Delays in bringing ongoing...

Seismic survey activity.(GEOSCIENCES)
June 1, 2009... Some 5,300 km (3,293 mi) of marine 2D seismic, gravity, and magnetic data have been acquired and processed by TGS-NOPEC offshore Republic of Somaliland and is available to coincide with the ongoing licensing round. The surveys targeted the...

SeaBird Exploration Ltd. has a letter of intent for an approximately $3-million 2D survey off Mozambique of around 3,000 line km (1,864 mi).(GEOSCIENCES)
June 1, 2009... SeaBird Exploration Ltd. has a letter of intent for an approximately $3-million 2D survey off Mozambique of around 3,000 line km (1,864 mi). SeaBird says the survey will be acquired with the Munin Explorer and was scheduled to begin in April....

Northern Petroleum (UK) Ltd. has ongoing 2D seismic operations in six thrust belt licenses off Pantelleria Island, Sicily.(GEOSCIENCES)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Northern Petroleum (UK) Ltd. has ongoing 2D seismic operations in six thrust belt licenses off Pantelleria Island, Sicily. The project expects to acquire more than 2,500 km (1,553 mi) of data in a work program funded...

Honduras has granted Petroleum Geo-Services an exclusive 10-year contract to acquire multi-client data offshore.(GEOSCIENCES)
June 1, 2009... Honduras has granted Petroleum Geo-Services an exclusive 10-year contract to acquire multi-client data offshore. No seismic data had been acquired off the country since 1993 until the Falcon Explorer began work earlier this year on the Phase 1...

New technology reaches the field.(GEOSCIENCES)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... A new velocity model building and pre-stack depth migration processing program from dGB Earth Sciences and Geokinetics runs in OpendTect and has three plugins. The proprietary dGTB VMB plugin is for picking RMO velocities and pre-stack...

Roxar ASA has released Tempest 6.5, its latest version of an advanced reservoir simulation software suite.(GEOSCIENCES)
June 1, 2009... Roxar ASA has released Tempest 6.5, its latest version of an advanced reservoir simulation software suite. Tempest 6.5 comes with extended parallel processing capabilities and speed improvements in both serial and parallel simulation runs,...

Knowledge Reservoir has released its 2009 Deepwater Gulf of Mexico Reservoir KB.(GEOSCIENCES)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Knowledge Reservoir has released its 2009 Deepwater Gulf of Mexico Reservoir KB. This latest release has upgrades to the Web-based services and a new GIS interface. It covers all deepwater productive sands discovered constituting producing...

Gulf of Mexico oil production forecast to reach record high: deepwater projects, hurricane restarts driving increase.(GULF OF MEXICO)
June 1, 2009... Gulf of Mexico oil production is forecast to increase substantially over the next few years, possibly reaching 1.9 MMb/d in 2013 which would be a record high, according to Richie Baud, MMS deputy regional supervisor for the Office of Production...

Lower tertiary focal point of RPSEA R&D initiatives.(GULF OF MEXICO)
June 1, 2009... Ensuring operators receive, and pay, their fair share from offshore production is but one of a host of ultra deepwater research projects initiated under the auspices of a relatively new and largely unknown public-private partnership. The...

Ultra deepwater semisubmersible market stays buoyant: first of seven Ensco newbuilds to start work in GoM.(GULF OF MEXICO)(Energy Service Company Inc.)
June 1, 2009... The market for ultra deepwater semisubmersible rigs is buoyant with worldwide exploration and field development awaiting the arrival of new units, says Mike Roth, director of Marketing & Contracts--Deepwater at Ensco Offshore Co. in an...

Hurricane damage lifts premiums on wells and installations: Ike fall-out shifts burden of risk onto operators.(GULF OF MEXICO)
June 1, 2009... In the wake of Hurricane Ike, estimates are that offshore energy losses in and around the Gulf of Mexico have cost the insurance market over 84 billion. As the 2009 hurricane season approaches, oil companies and their insurers are wresting to...

Seismic visualization supercomputer brings subsalt data into the light: complex algorithms require new generation of high-performance hardware.(GEOLOGY & GEOPHYSICS)
June 1, 2009... The Kaleidoscope Project is designed to use new generation seismic imaging algorithms on the next generation of high-performance computers. The goal is to make it possible to derive the best possible decisions from an ever growing volume of...

AVO, pore pressure reduce deepwater drilling risk: integrated method taught in PET program.(GEOLOGY & GEOPHYSICS)
June 1, 2009... This is a review of the geology in the Gulf of Mexico deepwater. It examines the principles behind amplitude versus offset (AVO) and pore pressure as taught within the Houston Community College North East Energy Institute (HCC-NE EI) Petroleum...

Advancements in slender well design.(DRILLING & COMPLETION)
June 1, 2009... Slimming down well geometry has been an elusive goal among operators to reduce construction costs for many years. The challenge has been to achieve the optimum size of pipe across the zone of interest while at the same time slimming down the...

New vessels deploy to West Africa, GoM: HP/HT, cost savings drive worldwide well stimulation market in 2009.(PRODUCTION OPERATIONS)
June 1, 2009... Deep and high pressure stim jobs remain the drivers for new stim vessel technology this year. Industry sources report that the market in 2009 has adjusted from the boom during the previous year, coinciding with a decline in oil prices that have...

2009 world survey of stimulation vessels.(PRODUCTION OPERATIONS)(Statistical table)
June 1, 2009... 2009 World survey of stimulation vessels Region of operation Photo # Baby Contractor and Gulf of of North West South vessel name Mexico ...

Monitoring and containing water production in Egypt's West Delta Deep subsea wells: consistent output critical to fulfill LNG commitments.(SUBSEA)
June 1, 2009... Low recovery rates from subsea wells are not acceptable. Use of water production profile monitoring systems allows Burullus Gas Co. to run each of its West Delta Deep wells in the Mediterranean off Egypt aggressively at the limit of its water...

Understanding performance of TRSSVs is important to cost-effective risk management.(SUBSEA)(tubing retrievable subsurface safety valve)
June 1, 2009... Selecting the correct tubing retrievable subsurface safety valve (TRSSV) is important to bring risk to the lowest level possible. The TRSSV protects against explosions, blowouts, and other production mishaps. While some consider TRSSVs a...

Using vertical upset method to design for lateral buckling in HP/HT pipelines.(FLOWLINES & PIPELINE)
June 1, 2009... A strain-based design strategy for high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT) pipelines incorporates mitigation techniques such as a pipelay over vertical buckle triggers (sleepers). The pipeline is designed to buckle laterally on sleepers to...

Cylinder hoisting system sets standard for safety.(CRANES, HOISTS, & WINCHES)
June 1, 2009... Cylinder hoisting system technology has become a lot safer with the advent of the Cylinder Rig from National Oilwell Varco (NOV), which adds additional hoisting ropes to overcome the hazards of previous, single-rope designs. "The safety of...

OTC 2009 showcases new technology.(New tools and technology for the offshore industry)(Offshore Technology Conference )
June 1, 2009... A reluctant few who canceled their trip to this year's Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) due to worries over swine flu missed a strong showing of new services and equipment that underscores the industry's continuing demand for lower costs,...

Siemens Water Technologies reveals new walnut shell filter.(New tools and technology for the offshore industry)
June 1, 2009... Siemens Water Technologies has developed a new, compact walnut shell filter for offshore oil and gas applications. The proprietary filter design requires no moving equipment to perform backwashes, and greatly reduces the volume of backwash...

Sea Tel Cobham releases new antenna system.(New tools and technology for the offshore industry)
June 1, 2009... Sea Tel Cobham has released a new antenna system called DTV04 HD. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The DTV04 HD is a three-axis marine stabilized antenna system that is compatible with DIRECTV's Ka-Band satellites. It can deliver three Ku-Band...

MacGREGOR launches new fiber rope deepwater lifting system.(New tools and technology for the offshore industry)
June 1, 2009... MacGREGOR has developed an ultra deepwater lifting system using fiber rope technology. The new lifting system uses a side-mounted frame fixed onto a vessel. This allows the crane to lower a load to a depth of 1,000 m (3,281 ft), after...

High Pressure Equipment Co. develops new valve for 20,000 psi.(New tools and technology for the offshore industry)
June 1, 2009... High Pressure Equipment Co. has developed a new line of block and bleed needle valves delivering operation to 20,000 psi. These new needle valves are offered in both single and double block and bleed configurations. Both valve styles have Type...

Swagelok introduces medium-pressure ball valve.(New tools and technology for the offshore industry)
June 1, 2009... Swagelok says its FKB series medium-pressure ball valve provides a leak-tight seal for applications up to 15,000 psig (1,034 bar). The trunnion-style ball valve features Swagelok's patent-pending direct load design, which delivers a seal across...

Castrol installs DCV test rigs at UK technology center.(New tools and technology for the offshore industry)
June 1, 2009... Castrol Offshore has installed two high pressure directional control valve (DCV) test rigs at the Castrol Global Technology Centre in the UK. The hydraulic valves are typically used to control the main production gate valves on subsea...

Alloy Screen Works introduces new sand screen.(New tools and technology for the offshore industry)
June 1, 2009... Alloy Screen Works has introduced the ASW/CT Premium Screen, developed specifically for thru-tubing completion applications. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The product's new ASW/CT design involves the use of diffusion-bonded sintered-laminate...

Saudi Aramco.(People)
June 1, 2009... Saudi Aramco has appointed Khaled A. Al-Buraik as VP of Saudi Aramco affairs; Dawood M. Al-Dawood as VP of marketing, supply, and joint venture coordination; Zuhair A. Al-Hussain as VP of drilling and workover; Majid Y. Al-Mugla as VP of...

Occidental Petroleum.(People)
June 1, 2009... Occidental Petroleum has appointed Anita Powers as VP. Powers also has been named executive VP of worldwide exploration for Oxy Oil and Gas.

Mott MacDonald.(People)
June 1, 2009... Mott MacDonald has appointed Dr. Charles Ellin as MD of the company's global oil, gas, and petrochemicals business. Vinod Shah, Hisham Alami, Sam Mathew, Colin Gamblin, Kevin Anderson, and Azfar Shaukat have been promoted to become directors of...

Ensco International.(People)
June 1, 2009... Ensco International has appointed Sean O'Neill as VP of investor relations. He is responsible for investor relations, pubfic relations, corporate communications, and branding. O'Neill replaces Richard A. LeBlanc, who is retiring.

EV Offshore.(People)
June 1, 2009... EV Offshore has appointed Sandy Adarason and Glenn Crouch as international sales managers.

Shipbuilders Council of America.(People)
June 1, 2009... The Shipbuilders Council of America has appointed Herschel Vinyard as its new chair.

Mustang.(People)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mustang has appointed A.J. Cortez and John W. Dalton Sr. to the newly created positions of executive VP.

Baker Hughes.(People)
June 1, 2009... Baker Hughes has appointed Belgacem Chariag as VP and president-Eastern Hemisphere operations.