Offshore articles from March 2007

Offshore archives from March 2007

Seismic activity growth.(COMMENT)
March 1, 2007... The pace of activity in the offshore oil and gas exploration sector matches that of the petroleum industry in general. Operators are putting money to work in exploration, and that translates into an increase in business for the seismic...

Global data.(Statistical table)
March 1, 2007... Record high oil & gas project costs expected for 2007 The costs of major oil and gas production projects have risen more than 53% in the past two years, and no significant slowing is in sight, according to a new benchmark index developed by...

Four discoveries offshore Angola in January and February indicate the area.(Africa)
March 1, 2007... Four discoveries offshore Angola in January and February indicate the area is still one of the world's hottest deepwater plays. In late January, Chevron subsidiary Cabinda Gulf Oil Co. and partners had a significant oil discovery in...

Brazil has had a busy 1Q and is laying plans.(Americas)
March 1, 2007... Brazil has had a busy 1Q and is laying plans for an even busier schedule through 2010. To keep increasing production in the long term, Petrobras has been enhancing its exploratory portfolio and now has more than 100 local blocks in...

There have been several discoveries off Southeast Asia.(Asia-Pacific)
March 1, 2007... There have been several discoveries off Southeast Asia this year. Talisman Energy Inc. subsidiary Talisman (Vietnam 15-2/01) Ltd. found oil with the Hal Su Trang (HST) exploration well offshore Vietnam early in 1Q 2007. The HST well is...

Offshore Malaysia, Murphy Oil Corp. encountered significant natural gas.(Asia-Pacific)
March 1, 2007... Offshore Malaysia, Murphy Oil Corp. encountered significant natural gas pay with the Rotan #1 exploration well offshore Sabah. Rotan #1, drilled in 1,150 m (3,773 ft) water depth, reached a TD of 2,141m (7,024 ft) in block H. Rotan #1...

And the Gulf of Thailand has seen three new gas discoveries.(Asia-Pacific)
March 1, 2007... And the Gulf of Thailand has seen three new gas discoveries on PTTEP-operated blocks 15 and 16. The Ton Chan-1X and Ton Chan-2x wells are 5 km (3 mi) apart on block 16 of the Bongkot concession about 15 km (9 mi) southeast of the Bongkot...

Saudi Aramco has signed a contract with Belgium dredging contractor Jan De Nul to help develop the 900,000 b/d.(Middle East)
March 1, 2007... Saudi Aramco has signed a contract with Belgium dredging contractor Jan De Nul to help develop the 900,000 b/d Manifa offshore oil field. Jan De Nul will carry out dredging works in the Arabian Gulf before building several drilling islands...

Portugal could soon see more offshore exploration.(Mediterranean)
March 1, 2007... A group of contractors has signed three oil exploration, development, and production contracts with the Portuguese state. The three contracts give concession rights for the Gamba, Lavagante, and Santola offshore areas covering more than...

Exxon Mobil Corp. subsidiary ExxonMobil Libya Ltd. has signed an exploration and production-sharing agreement (EPSA) with Libya's National Oil Corp.(Mediterranean)
March 1, 2007... Exxon Mobil Corp. subsidiary ExxonMobil Libya Ltd. has signed an exploration and production-sharing agreement (EPSA) with Libya's National Oil Corp. to begin exploration in the offshore Sirte basin. The agreement includes four blocks in...

In fact, it looks as if a lot of Mediterranean acreage soon.(Mediterranean)
March 1, 2007... In fact, it looks as if a lot of Mediterranean acreage soon will be on the auction block. PGS, in cooperation with the Cyprus Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism, officially opened the first licensing round offshore Cyprus on...

There have been interesting developments in the Black.(Europe)
March 1, 2007... There have been interesting developments in the Black Sea in the last couple of months. For starters, Toreador Resources Corp. and its joint venture partners TPAO (the Turkish national off company) and Stratic Energy Corp. encountered 37 m...

The most recent news from the Caspian is that Dragon Oil Plc. has finished drilling development wells LAM 21/117 and LAM 13/ 118.(Central Europe/Caspian)
March 1, 2007... The most recent news from the Caspian is that Dragon Oil Plc. has finished drilling development wells LAM 21/117 and LAM 13/ 118 in the Cheleken contract area offshore Turkmenistan. According to Dragon, the National Iranian Oil Co. jackup...

UK exploration up, but production slipping.(OFFSHORE EUROPE)
March 1, 2007... Britain's offshore licensing spree continues, with 104 companies securing acreage under the country's 24th licensing round. The 150 new licenses cover 246 blocks, both figures close to the records established in the 23rd round. Although BR...

Norway round also draws crowds.(OFFSHORE EUROPE)
March 1, 2007... Norway's Energy Ministry also has opened acreage under the country's 2006 pre-defined areas scheme (APA 2006). The 48 production licenses awarded are a record for a Norwegian round, and a further 10 could be issued following processing of work...

Sevan solution for Shelley.(OFFSHORE EUROPE)(Oilexco and Sevan Marine's contract)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Canadian independent Oilexco has chosen Sevan Marine's cylindrical hull floating production concept for its first UK North Sea standalone development. The proposed platform, already under construction at the Yantai Raffles shipyard in China,...

Appraisal drilling.(GULF OF MEXICO)
March 1, 2007... Operators are sizing up their deepwater discoveries this year with appraisal drilling. At print, appraisal wells had been spudded on Anadarko-operated Mission Deep in Green Canyon block 955 with Noble Amos Runner and on Claymore in Atwater...

Deepwater well tests imminent.(GULF OF MEXICO)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... At least two deepwater well tests are planned for this year. One is a flow test of the discovery at Kaskida in KC block 292, expected in the second half of this year. This discovery is estimated to be the bigger than the Jack field. Jack...

Lloyd's Register to class Helix Producer I.(GULF OF MEXICO)
March 1, 2007... Helix Energy Solutions has contracted Lloyd's Register North America Inc. to provide classification and regulatory consulting services for the company's ship-shaped floating production unit (FPU), Helix Producer I. The foreign-flagged FPU...

Petrobras hits milestone.(GULF OF MEXICO)
March 1, 2007... Petrobras has turned on the taps on its first deepwater project, as operator, outside of Brazil. The operator has brought online the first well on its 100%-owned Cottonwood field at 40 MMcf/d of gas. A second well was scheduled to start...

ATP plans Gomex expansion.(GULF OF MEXICO)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... ATP plans to tie back recently acquired properties to its 100% owned and operated ATP Innovator floating production unit on Gomez in Mississippi Canyon block 711. The company has acquired an interest in a package of properties, including a...

CERA study: rising cost diminishing returns.(GULF OF MEXICO)(Cambridge Energy Research Associates)
March 1, 2007... Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) says despite record high natural gas prices in recent years, fewer reserves are being added for every dollar of E&P activity. Furthermore, higher costs are undermining the economics of an increasing...

2006 reserve additions near 10-year high.(GULF OF MEXICO)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The year 2006 has been exceptional for exploration in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. While the success rate remained on par with recent years, early estimates suggest that total reserves discovered could be in the region of 1.5 Bboe, according...

Apache may slash E&D budget.(GULF OF MEXICO)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Apache projects its capital budget for North America this year will be down $600 million over its 2006 numbers, said Steven Farris, Apache president, CEO and COO, in the company's 4Q 2006 conference call. The company is reducing its budget...

Submerged turret scheduled for Montara off Australia.(SUBSEA/SURFACE SYSTEMS)(Advanced Production and Loading entere into agreement with Tanker Pacific Offshore Terminals Pte. Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Advanced Production and Loading has entered into a $40.million agreement with Tanker Pacific Offshore Terminals Pte. Ltd. to supply a submerged turret production system for the Montara oilfield offshore Australia. The STP system is...

Statoil, Eni strengthen Barents Sea emergency response.(SUBSEA/SURFACE SYSTEMS)
March 1, 2007... Norwegian Cleans Seas Association for the Operating Companies recently released an oil spill response model for the Norwegian continental shelf that calls for boosting inter-municipal oil spill response expertise. The model spurred Statoil and...

Vincent project to get subsea systems.(SUBSEA/SURFACE SYSTEMS)
March 1, 2007... Woodside Energy Ltd. has contracted FMC Technologies to supply subsea systems for the Vincent project offshore Western Australia. The value of the contract is approximately $81 million. The initial scope for FMC includes supplying 11...

Wood Group lands two maintenance contracts.(SUBSEA/SURFACE SYSTEMS)(Talisman Energy Ltd. and Plexus Ocean Systems Ltd. contract with Wood Group Pressure Control)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Talisman Energy Ltd. (Talisman) and Plexus Ocean Systems Ltd. each has awarded Wood Group Pressure Control a contract for maintenance of wellheads and christmas trees in the North Sea. Talisman's contract covers all its North Sea...

Total awards Gotcha GoM scope.(SUBSEA/SURFACE SYSTEMS)
March 1, 2007... Total E&P USA Inc. has awarded a development pre-FEED contract for the deepwater Gotcha field to Intec Engineering. Work is scheduled for completion in April 2007. The contract is for the subsea scope to include flow assurance, subsea,...

AUV pipeline inspection sets record.(SUBSEA/SURFACE SYSTEMS)
March 1, 2007... Subsea 7 and SeeByte Ltd. set a record for the longest fully autonomous AUV inspection run during a pipeline inspection for BP EPTG using Subsea 7's Geosub AUV and SeeByte's SeeTrack Offshore system. The operations inspected more than 100...

SembCorp lands FPSO conversions.(VESSELS, RIGS, UPGRADES)
March 1, 2007... SembCorp Marine subsidiary Jurong Shipyard secured two FPSO conversion contracts worth $58 million from Tanker Pacific Offshore Terminals Pte. Ltd. at the end of 2006. The first contract involves the conversion of the 92,802 dwt tanker...

Yantai gets jackup order.(VESSELS, RIGS, UPGRADES)(Yantai Raffles Shipyard Ltd. completes contract with Remedial Cyprus Ltd. )(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Yantai Raffles Shipyard Ltd. finished 2006 with an order for a Super M2 general service jackup for Remedial Cyprus Ltd. under a contract that includes owner-furnished equipment. The Super M2 Friede & Goldman jackup is scheduled for delivery...

Keppel continues deliveries.(VESSELS, RIGS, UPGRADES)
March 1, 2007... In 4Q 2006, Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd. subsidiary Keppel FELS Ltd. delivered its first jackup drilling rig to Qatar's national drilling company, Gulf Drilling International Ltd., ahead of time. Built to Keppel's proprietary KFELS B...

Aker Yards expands.(VESSELS, RIGS, UPGRADES)
March 1, 2007... Aker Yards is taking a strategic position in the fast growing Asian market for offshore vessels by setting up a shipyard in Vietnam. The shipyard will be a joint venture between Aker Yards (70%) and Amanda Group (30%), headquartered in...

Prosafe lands gas FPSO contract.(VESSELS, RIGS, UPGRADES)
March 1, 2007... In 4Q 2006, Petrobras contracted Prosafe to supply and operate a gas FPSO that will work offshore Brazil. The firm period of the contract is nine years, followed by a maximum of six one-year options. Prosafe is responsible for engineering,...

Awilco gets jackup.(VESSELS, RIGS, UPGRADES)
March 1, 2007... At the end of last year, Awilco Offshore took delivery of its second ultra-premium jackup rig from the Keppel FELS Shipyard in Singapore. The WilCraft jackup is of the KFELS Mod V B-class, capable of drilling in water depths to 122 m (400...

Statoil starts Skinfaks/ Rimfaks production.(DRILLING & PRODUCTION)
March 1, 2007... Production from Statoil's Skinfaks/Rimfaks project in the North Sea began on Jan. 27 with first oil coming from Rimfaks improved oil recovery (IOR). In addition to IOR at Rimfaks, the project also marks the start of Skinfaks field production....

Intelligent completion system.(DRILLING & PRODUCTION)
March 1, 2007... Anadarko Petroleum Corp. recently completed an intelligent well in 8,100 ft (2,469 m) of water in its Spiderman field of the Independence Subsea, a development in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, using Baker Oil Tools' InForce intelligent completion...

Roxar to supply downhole monitoring equipment.(DRILLING & PRODUCTION)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Roxar will supply 43 dual downhole gauge systems (Permanent Downhole Monitoring Systems) to a Middle Eastern operator. The downhole HM gauge, which transmits digitized pressure and temperature data to the surface, is scheduled for delivery by...

PathFinder provides LWD measurements.(DRILLING & PRODUCTION)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... PathFinder has provided LWD measurements as a wireline replacement service in a 7 1/2-in. borehole for Chevron in the Gulf of Mexico. PathFinder's slim density neutron standoff caliper service (SDNSC) was included as part of a 4 34-in. slim...

Particle drilling completes trial.(DRILLING & PRODUCTION)(Particle Drilling Technologies)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Houston-based Particle Drilling Technologies says it successfully drilled 36.58 m (120 ft) of hole with its particle impact drilling (PID) technique. As a result of the trial, the company won a one-year drilling contract with an undisclosed...

Interim East China Sea seismic data points toward Lishui gas play.(DRILLING & PRODUCTION)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Primeline Energy Holdings Inc. has completed acquisition of 3D seismic covering 550 [km.sup.2] (212 [mi.sup.2]) from block 25/34 in the East China Sea and has started processing the data after merging them with an existing 233 [km.sup.2] (90...

Falklands surveying continues.(DRILLING & PRODUCTION)
March 1, 2007... Offshore Hydrocarbon Mapping Plc. has begun a controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) survey over Falkland Oil and Gas Ltd. prospects. OHM will use its survey vessel CS Teneo, to acquire a series of CSEM lines over FOGUs 20 top prospects and...

Norwegian survey work likely to increase.(DRILLING & PRODUCTION)
March 1, 2007... Hydro, Pertra, Statoil, and Talisman Norge have contracted Fugro to conduct 3D seismic surveys offshore Norway this summer. The combined value of the contracts is more than $50 million, Fugro says. That was before the Norwegian oil ministry...

PGS charters SeaBird's Harrier Explorer.(DRILLING & PRODUCTION)
March 1, 2007... PGS has entered into a four-year time charter with SeaBird Exploration Ltd. for the Harrier Explorer as a fully equipped and operated source vessel. PGS has the option to use the vessel for 2D surveys by covering the cost of additional seismic...

JSX reports Thai data reprocessing results.(DRILLING & PRODUCTION)(JSX Energy hires Petro-Ventures International to interpret data)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... JSX Energy has received the results of CGGVeritas' reprocessing of seismic data from Mac Sot block L17 in Thailand. JSX has hired Petro-Ventures International to interpret the new data, and final results are expected in a few weeks. ...

Al-Khafji JV awards seismic work to Fugro.(DRILLING & PRODUCTION)
March 1, 2007... The Al-Khafhi Joint Operations has awarded high density 3D and regional 2D marine seismic data acquisition and processing to Fugro. Scheduled to start in April, Fugro will execute the $38 million contract using its seismic vessel Geo...

Yard construction moves ahead at full stream: Keppel order book increases by 46%.(GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS: ASIA PACIFIC)(Keppel Corporation Ltd.)
March 1, 2007... Shipyards around the world have been busy for more than two years trying to keep up with the increasing demand for rigs. Keppel Offshore & Marine has been among the busiest of the world's yards, and its order book at the end of last year...

MMHE gears up for deepwater: Malaysia gains ground as regional deepwater hub.(GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS: ASIA-PACIFIC)
March 1, 2007... The Malaysia Marine Heavy Engineering yard in Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia, is changing focus and making improvements to meet the region's growing deepwater needs. MMHE, formerly known as Malaysia Shipyard & Engineering Sdn. Bhd,...

Challenging deepwater with weighted fluid: delayed-crosslink, weighted fracturing fluid enables fracture stimulations.(DRILLING & COMPLETION)
March 1, 2007... As operators continue to gain momentum in deepwater and deep-shelf exploration and development in the Gulf of Mexico, each new extention extension of water and drilling depth creates new challenges to traditional drilling, completion, and...

First commercial monobore expandable liner installed: larger hole sizes drilled deeper.(DRILLING & COMPLETION)(monobore expandable liner extension system)
March 1, 2007... Installation of the first monobore expandable liner extension system (MELES) has proven the feasibility of solid expandable tubulars as an alternative to conventional, telescoping casing designs. MELES could enable drilling deeper wells with...

Are deepwater, hurricane-prone environments the next frontier for FPSOs? Disconnectable turret has advantages over DP.(PRODUCTION)(Floating Production Storage and Off-loading)
March 1, 2007... Moored in water depths ranging from 20 to 1,500 m (66-4,921 ft) across the entire spectrum of floating production environments, FPSOs may be offshore's most versatile production technology. Today, 30 years after the first FPSO installation,...

3D modeling improves deepwater umbilical design dependability: analysis, testing crucial to performance assurance.(SUBSEA)(DeepSea Engineering & Management)
March 1, 2007... A new approach to modeling umbilical behavior could help mitigate umbilical failure. This approach goes beyond the traditional cross-sectional analysis to encompass 3D lengths and to account for cross-sectional asymmetry. It improves confidence...

Multi-purpose vessel challenges arctic ice: Ice Maiden designed to be flexible.(CONSTRUCTION & INSTALLATION)
March 1, 2007... As oil and gas operations move into more hostile environments, support vessels for those environments are being developed to address specific operating challenges. In the case of the Ice Maiden, those specific conditions are as much as 1.2 m (4...

Ormen Lange pipelay surmounts steep slope of Storegga slide.(TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS)
March 1, 2007... The Ormen Lange gas field lies 120 Era (75 mi) northwest of Kristiansand on the west coast of the Norwegian mainland. The development route traverses water depths ranging from 250 to 1,200 m (820-3,937 ft), the most challenging section being...

Excelerate marks milestone in LNG transfer.(TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS)
March 1, 2007... Excelerate Energy has received the first LNG cargo at Teesport in Northern England, marking the first-ever dockside regasification port and second operational LNG facility in the UK. The Energy Bridge vessel, arriving at the GasPort, received...

New companies, new vessels come to market: increased demand, added technology boost growth.(GEOLOGY & GEOPHYSICS)(Company overview)
March 1, 2007... The pace of activity in the offshore oil and gas exploration sector is matching that of the petroleum industry in general. Operators are putting money to work in exploration, and that translates into an increase in business for the seismic...

New program tackles reverse time migration: seismic technology aims to improve complex structure imaging.(GEOLOGY & GEOPHYSICS)
March 1, 2007... A new program aims to advance seismic imaging by drawing on expertise around the globe. The program, according to Spain's Repsol YPF which spearheads the project, offers modeling, codes, and computational power integrated in a specialized...

Fourchon's fate rests on OCS legislation, deepwater growth: estimated $13 billion to Louisiana over next 30 years.(Port Fourchon Supplement)
March 1, 2007... Port Fourchon is up and running at full speed. More land is being offered for lease. New tenants are moving in. Tonnage throughput increased by 75% in 2006 to 38 million tons of cargo (over 95% is oil and gas related). And the port's leader and...

HOS Port positioned for deepwater support.(Port Fourchon Supplement)
March 1, 2007... Hornbeck Offshore Services moved into Port Fourchon in early 2006 to establish a service base for its new-build multi-purpose supply vessels (MPSVs), and named it--HOS Port. Two of the vessels in the program are scheduled to be delivered this...

Rowan's dock fit for multi-purpose, 24-hr operation.(Port Fourchon Supplement)(Rowan Drilling)
March 1, 2007... Rowan's dock in Port Fourchon sits on 35 acres of land on a 213-m (700-ft) wide slip in the northern expansion area. "The No. 1 reason why we are in Fourchon is its proximity to our customers on the OCS," say Derek Necaise and Dan Moore with...

InterMoor opens new storage and logistics base.(Port Fourchon Supplement)
March 1, 2007... InterMoor Inc. is building a new 22-acre facility and expanding its services at Port Fourchon. The new base is on lot 614 in Slip B. The new facility will include more than 111 m (1,200 ft) of bulkhead waterfront dock space, one...

International Offshore Services poised to capture emerging opportunities.(Port Fourchon Supplement)
March 1, 2007... International Offshore Services Llc (IOS) has launched a newbuild program to capture emerging opportunities in the decommissioning and pipelay market segments in the Gulf of Mexico. Formed in 2006, IOS through its three wholly-owned...

Welch wins topside commissioning for Neptune TLP.(Port Fourchon Supplement)
March 1, 2007... Welch Generator Rentals, based 30 minutes from Fourchon, has been awarded the topside commissioning contract for the BHP Billiton-operated Neptune TLP project. Welch will provide power generation and distribution for the TLFs topside...

LA1 highway project enters Phase 1.(Port Fourchon Supplement)
March 1, 2007... According to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD), James Construction Group Llc was the low bidder b for Phase 1A of the LA1 highway construction project. James bid $137,479,548 for construction of the elevated...

Seaport company listings: (sorted by industry).(Port Fourchon Supplement)(Directory)
March 1, 2007... Aviation Air Logistics aka Offshore Logistics 227 A. J. Estay Road Port Fourchon, LA 70357 Phone: (985) 396-2722 Fax: (985) 396-2733 ERA Helicopters, LLC 290 N.J. Theriot Road Port Fourchon, LA 70357 Phone:...

Sandvik Powdermet to pursue further avenues for hot isostatic processing.(SWEDEN)(Sandvik Materials Technology acquires Metso Powdermet )
March 1, 2007... The recent acquisition of Metso Powdermet by Sandvik Materials Technology brings together two established suppliers to the global offshore industry. The deal was announced in November and completed in December. In the previous fiscal year,...

Module fabricator consolidates in Mexican sector.(SWEDEN)
March 1, 2007... Late last year, Emtunga added new contracts from Pemex and MPF Corp. to its order book for offshore accommodation units. This work will help keep the Gothenburg-based yard busy well into 2008. The order from Pemex represents a follow-up to...

High sensitivity infrared camera expedites plant leak detection.(SWEDEN)
March 1, 2007... A FLIR Systems infrared camera for detecting gas leaks has attracted interest, with around 150 units sold since marketing started in the US in mid-2005 and in Europe last fall. Most of the FLIR ThermaCAM GasFindIR systems sold have gone to...

Hovercraft to speed offshore transfers for Brazil crews.(SWEDEN)(Hoverline International starts contract with Petrobras)
March 1, 2007... Hoverline International (HLI) is about to start its first contract to provide offshore crew transfer by hovercraft. The service will ferry personnel to and from offshore platforms from a Petrobras base in Aracaju in northeast Brazil. The...

Sandvik opens new service line.(SWEDEN)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Materials specialist Sandvik has opened a new control and chemical injection line service center at its warehouse in Houston. The scope of supply includes both seamless coiled and laser-welded tubes in stainless steel grades 316L and A825...

Reinforced rubber protects FPSO drains against wave impact, fire.(SWEDEN)
March 1, 2007... Petrobras has been monitoring the benefits of polymer-based fire-protection products devised by Trellebrog Offshore, part of the Trelleborg Engineered Systems group. Engineers from the Brazilian oil company recently visited the Trelleborg...

Sonic cleaning more effective in dislodging soot.(SWEDEN)
March 1, 2007... Sonic cleaning equipment from Kockum Sonics can simplify boiler maintenance, improve heat transfer efficiency, and deliver significant savings on FPSOs, shuttle tankers and other offshore vessels. According to the company's account manager...

Ballast water treatment meets guidelines.(SWEDEN)
March 1, 2007... Alfa Laval has introduced PureBallast, a chemical-free process designed to prevent involuntary transportation of invasive species in ballast water. The technique also complies with new IMO regulations due to take effect in 2009 to tackle this...

Speedier, more user-friendly shaft alignment.(SWEDEN)(Fixturlaser XA shaft alignment system )
March 1, 2007... The new Fixturlaser XA shaft alignment system has been well accepted by the petroleum industry. Users include Shell Offshore in Houston and Statoil's Snohvit LNG plant in Norway, and other sales to offshore customers are pending. The product...

Higher strength chain grade could suit deepwater floaters.(SWEDEN)
March 1, 2007... Chain manufacturer Ramnas is making progress in its efforts to establish a new anchor chain grade, designated Grade 5. Early this year, the company received draft specifications for comment from the ABS classification society. Norwegian...

Hilde Merete Aasheim has left Hydro's corporate management board to lead the merger integration team, which is planning the integration of the company's oil and gas activities with Statoil.(People)
March 1, 2007... Hilde Merete Aasheim has left Hydro's corporate management board to lead the merger integration team, which is planning the integration of the company's oil and gas activities with Statoil. Aasheim has been in charge of leadership and culture...

Technip.(People)
March 1, 2007... Technip has chosen Thierry Pilenko to succeed Daniel Valot as chairman and CEO. To ensure a smooth transition, and as proposed by Valot, Pilenko has been named deputy general manager of Technip as of Jan. 15, 2007.

Port Fourchon.(People)
March 1, 2007... The Port Fourchon board of commissioners has renewed Ted Falgout's contract as director for another three-year term through Dec. 31, 2009. During his term, Falgout will be responsible for preparing the commission for his successor. A...

Devon Energy Corp.(People)
March 1, 2007... Devon Energy Corp. has appointed Lyndon Taylor senior vice president and general counsel. Taylor assumed his new role Jan. 31, following the retirement of Duke Ligon, who had been with Devon for more than 10 years.

Wireline Engineering.(People)
March 1, 2007... Wireline Engineering has appointed Bill Petrie as a director responsible for strategic development. Petrie has led the repositioning of the company, reducing dependency on the UK market and diversifying its product base, the company says.

Steve Mermelstein will step down as president of Oil Air Hydraulics Inc. after four years of service.(People)
March 1, 2007... Steve Mermelstein will step down as president of Oil Air Hydraulics Inc. after four years of service. Mermelstein will remain at the company part time to handle strategic projects and special accounts. He will also perform some outside...

RBG Ltd.(People)(Ken Fiddes appointed)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... RBG Ltd. has appointed Ken Fiddes director of sales and marketing. Fiddes joined the company in early January 2007 and is taking the role previously held by Willie Rennie, who has moved to the position of director of energy services. Fiddes...

Mike McEvilly.(People)
March 1, 2007... Mike McEvilly has joined Helix Energy Solutions as its vice president of capital projects. In this position, McEvilly will lead Helix's capital projects department and will be responsible for executing key projects.