Offshore articles from October 2008

Offshore archives from October 2008

Active rig fleet, September 2008.(GLOBAL DATA)
October 1, 2008... Active rig fleet, September 2008 Floaters Jackups US GoM 33 (-1) 77(+2) Mex GoM 5 (0) 33 (-1) North Sea 39 (-1) 33 (+1) East Atlantic 2 (0) 0 (0) L. America 42...

GoM drilling permits issued.(GLOBAL DATA)
October 1, 2008... GoM drilling permits issued Drilling permits Mar. 49 Apr. 47 May 68 June 47 July 70 Aug. 49 Sept. 25 Source: US Minerals Management Service Note: Table made from bar graph.

Worldwide day rates.(GLOBAL DATA)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Worldwide day rates Year/Month Minimum Average Maximum Drillship 2007 Sept $43,000 $248,872 $489,000 2007 Oct $43,000 $251,107 $489,000 2007 Nov $43,000 $251,271 $489,000 2007 Dec $43,000 ...

Production has begun from the Chesnut field, says Venture Production.(North Sea/Europe)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Production has begun from the Chesnut field, says Venture Production. The field is developed using the Sevan Hummingbird, the first cylindrical FPSO to be deployed in the North Sea. Chestnut has net recovemble...

Production has begun from the Wissey gas field in block 53/4D in the UK Southern Gas basin, according to Faroe Petroleum.(North Sea/Europe)
October 1, 2008... Production has begun from the Wissey gas field in block 53/4D in the UK Southern Gas basin, according to Faroe Petroleum. Initial flow rates are approximately 70 MMscf/d, or 11,600 boe. The Wissey gas field consists of a single well subsea...

OMV has made two discoveries in the North Sea.(North Sea/Europe)
October 1, 2008... OMV has made two discoveries in the North Sea. Exploration well 204/25a-8 on the Amos prospect, West of Shetlands, was completed in April 2008 as an oil discovery, according to OMV (UK). OMV believes the Amos prospect discovery has the...

The Laganskaya-1 exploration well in the northern Caspian Sea has been spudded, according to Lundin Petroleum.(Caspian Sea)
October 1, 2008... The Laganskaya-1 exploration well in the northern Caspian Sea has been spudded, according to Lundin Petroleum. The well, with a planned depth of 2,000 m (6,562 ft), targets Cretaceous and Jurassic sandstone reservoirs. The Laganskaya...

Noble Energy has announced flow test results from the Diega oil discovery in block I offshore Equatorial Guinea.(Africa)
October 1, 2008... Noble Energy has announced flow test results from the Diega oil discovery in block I offshore Equatorial Guinea. The Diega well encountered 38 ft (11.6 m) of net gas/condensate pay in the primary zone, as well as an additional 30 ft (9.1 m) of...

Afren has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Electricite de France (EDF) and Gasol to examine establishing a gas aggregation joint venture to identify and develop onshore and offshore stranded gas assets in certain West African countries.(Africa)
October 1, 2008... Afren has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Electricite de France (EDF) and Gasol to examine establishing a gas aggregation joint venture to identify and develop onshore and offshore stranded gas assets in certain West African...

Vaalco Energy has delayed spudding the Ebouri development well offshore Gabon, West Africa, due to rig availability, according to Pritchard Capital Partners LLC.(GLOBAL E & P)
October 1, 2008... Vaalco Energy has delayed spudding the Ebouri development well offshore Gabon, West Africa, due to rig availability, according to Pritchard Capital Partners LLC. The well is likely to be spudded in November instead of October, meaning first...

Platform B of Phase II of Peng Lai (PL) 19-3 is onstream ahead of schedule, according to CNOOC.(Asia)
October 1, 2008... Platform B of Phase II of Peng Lai (PL) 19-3 is onstream ahead of schedule, according to CNOOC. The development facilities in Phase II of PL 19-3 include tire wellhead platforms, a central processing facility, and ah FPSO with a designed...

The MA-D6 field in the Bay of Bengal has achieved first oil, says Aker Solutions.(Asia)
October 1, 2008... The MA-D6 field in the Bay of Bengal has achieved first oil, says Aker Solutions. Aker companies are responsible for the entire MA-D6 field development. Aker Solutions manufactured and delivered a complete subsea producfion system and...

Hess Corp. has discovered natural gas with the Nimblefoot-1 exploration well on Australia's Northwest Shelf.(Australia)
October 1, 2008... Hess Corp. has discovered natural gas with the Nimblefoot-1 exploration well on Australia's Northwest Shelf. The well encountered 93 ft (28 m) of net gas pay, the company says. Nimblefoot-1 is the third of four initial exploration wells...

Production of first oil in the pre-salt layer, in the Jubarte field, in the Campos basin is under way, according to Petrobras.(Latin America)
October 1, 2008... Production of first oil in the pre-salt layer, in the Jubarte field, in the Campos basin is under way, according to Petrobras. The first well's production potential is 18,000 b/d, the company says. Petrobras is developing the well to obtain...

BG Group has an oil discovery with the Iara well (1-BRSA-618-RJS) in the BM-S-11 concession in the pre-salt Santos basin.(Latin America)
October 1, 2008... BG Group has an oil discovery with the Iara well (1-BRSA-618-RJS) in the BM-S-11 concession in the pre-salt Santos basin. The exploration well discovered 26[degrees]-30[degrees] API gravity crude oil, the company says. The well discovered...

Eni has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) to explore and develop two areas offshore Venezuela.(Latin America)
October 1, 2008... Eni has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) to explore and develop two areas offshore Venezuela. The two areas, Blanquilla Est and Tortuga, are in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela,...

StatoilHydro sets recovery targets.(OFFSHORE EUROPE)
October 1, 2008... StatoilHydro has 55 pilot technology projects under way on the Norwegian shelf and more are planned next year. According to a presentation at ONS Stavanger by Margareth Ovrum, executive VP for Technology, over 75% of these programs are devoted...

FPSOs in UK comeback.(OFFSHORE EUROPE)
October 1, 2008... Hess has discovered oil on the Amos prospect, west of the Shetlands. Partner OMV (UK) confirmed that the well in block 204/25a, completed in April, was potentially commercial due to its proximity to BP's Schiehallion complex 4 km (2.49 mi) to...

PA tests Danish plays.(OFFSHORE EUROPE)
October 1, 2008... Sweden's PA Resources plans to raise its profile in the Danish North Sea. Subject to partner approval, it will acquire 27% interest from Shell in two Maersk-operated licenses, 9/06 and 9/95, south of the Harald field. PA says both licenses...

Serica to drill in Slyne basin.(OFFSHORE EUROPE)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Serica Energy is preparing for its first well as an operator offshore Ireland, using the semisubmersible GSF Arctic II. During spring 2009 the rig will drill either Bandon or Boyne, two of four I tcf prospects identified from seismic over...

Ike topples old platforms.(GULF OF MEXICO)
October 1, 2008... Hurricane Ike, the ninth named storm, fifth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season, has destroyed more of the Gulf of Mexico's old out-of-date infrastructure. Most of the damage to oil and gas infrastructure...

McMoRan contracts Rowan-Mississippi.(GULF OF MEXICO)
October 1, 2008... McMoRan Oil & Gas has awarded Rowan Companies a two-year, $160-million drilling contract for the new 240-C jackup Rowan-Mississippi. The rig will drill one or more ultra deep gas wells, including additional drilling on the Blackbeard prospect....

Roxar to supply subsea system for Cascade, Chinook.(GULF OF MEXICO)
October 1, 2008... Petrobras America has awarded a NOK 19.5 million ($4 million) contract to Roxar for the provision of integrated reservoir sensors and multiphase measurement systems for the Cascade and Chinook projects. The multiphase meter is designed for...

Semi delivered to ENSCO.(GULF OF MEXICO)
October 1, 2008... A subsidiary of Ensco International has taken delivery of ENSCO 8500, the first of the company's seven ultra deepwater semisubmersible rigs being built by Keppel FELS in Singapore. The rig was mobilizing to the GoM, where it will undergo...

Maersk, Chevron sign collaborative exploration agreement.(GULF OF MEXICO)
October 1, 2008... Maersk Oil Gulf of Mexico Three has signed a collaborative exploration agreement with Chevron USA for a multi-well package in the central Gulf. Under the agreement, a number of exploration wells will be drilled in the area over the next few...

Subsea 7 wins Droshky pipelines contract.(GULF OF MEXICO)
October 1, 2008... Marathon Oil has awarded Subsea 7 a $45 million subsea pipelines fabrication and installation contract. The supply agreement is part of Marathon's previously disclosed procurement activities related to long lead time items associated with...

Gjoa goes electric.(SUBSEA SYSTEMS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] StatoilHydro plans to make the Gjoa platform, expected onstream in 2010, the first floating production platform in the North Sea to get electricity from shore. A cable from a new power plant at Mongstad, north of...

First 'all-electric' gas from K5F.(SUBSEA SYSTEMS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... On the topic of subsea electrical power, Total has first production from K5F on the Dutch continental shelf. K5F is the first ever project to use all electric subsea equipment activation. The development includes two subsea wells and a...

Mooring connector record set.(SUBSEA SYSTEMS)
October 1, 2008... First Subsea reports a new depth record of 8,637 ft (2,632 m) for ball and taper mooring connector application at Shell Oil Co.'s Perdido project in the Gulf of Mexico. Nine "ballgrab" connectors were installed on the taut-leg...

New C[O.sub.2] pipeline standards in study.(SUBSEA SYSTEMS)
October 1, 2008... In another first, DNV and industry partners are working on a standard for moving C[O.sub.2] via pipeline. DNV says current standards do not cover issues regarding dense, high-pressure C[O.sub.2] applications. The point of departure will be...

CSL gets first offshore Egypt project.(SUBSEA SYSTEMS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Burullus Gas Co. has awarded CSL a contract for subsea operations support at Simian field, 114 km (71 mi) off Idku, Egypt. The contract is valued at 750,000 [pounds sterling] ($1.37 million) and covers replacement of two glycol filtration...

Fugro, Devon investigate Brazilian deepwater metocean data.(SUBSEA SYSTEMS)
October 1, 2008... Devon Energy do Brasil Ltda, Fugro Brasil Ltd, and Fugro GEOS Inc. are investigating currents in deepwater 120 mi (193 km) offshore in block BM-BAR-03. The current data will support the derivation of design criteria for any future work. ...

Petrobras contracts FPSOs for Santos basin.(VESSELS, RIGS, & SURFACE SYSTEMS)
October 1, 2008... Petrobras has contracted 10 new FPSOs for the Santos basin pre-salt areas. The first two FPSOs will be chartered by Petrobras from third parties. They will be used in pilot development projects, the company says. Each unit's production...

Keppel AmFELS delivers Offshore Vigilant.(VESSELS, RIGS, & SURFACE SYSTEMS)
October 1, 2008... Keppel AmFELS has delivered Scorpion Offshore's fourth jackup drilling rig. Gazprom has chartered the new rig, Offshore Vigilant, for its maiden operations offshore Venezuela beginning next month. Offshore Vigilantis one of five LeTournean...

Pride International's Sea Explorer contracted for Brazil.(VESSELS, RIGS, & SURFACE SYSTEMS)
October 1, 2008... Pride International's semisubmersible rig Sea Explorer has a two-year, $244-million contract from OGX Petroleo e Gas Participacoes SA for work offshore Brazil. The contract is expected to begin in August 2009, following the completion of an...

PPL Shipyard wins contract for two jackups.(VESSELS, RIGS, & SURFACE SYSTEMS)
October 1, 2008... Egyptian Offshore Drilling Co. (EODC) has awarded PPL Shipyard a $425-million contract to construct two jackup rigs. The rigs will be built based on PPL Shipyard's proprietary design Pacific Class 375 mobile offshore drilling unit and...

Aban to use Deep Driller 7 offshore Thailand.(VESSELS, RIGS, & SURFACE SYSTEMS)
October 1, 2008... Aban Offshore has signed an $18-million contract for the deployment of the newbuild jackup Deep Driller 7 offshore Thailand. The contract is for a firm period of three months, extendable up to six months. Tracy Dulle * Houston

Maritime Industrial receives rig refurbishment contracts.(VESSELS, RIGS, & SURFACE SYSTEMS)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Maritime Industrial has been awarded rig refurbishment projects totaling more than $25 million. The refurbishment projects span a range of services from standard refurbishment to extend certification, to upgrading and testing. The...

Olympic Challenger gets first assignment following Hurricane Ike.(VESSELS, RIGS, & SURFACE SYSTEMS)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Global Industries' newbuild Olympic Challenger was sent out on assignment off the coast of Louisiana following Hurricane Ike, where the ROVs and a diving crew performed pipeline inspections before returning to do...

New Zealand operators face technical demands.(DRILLING & PRODUCTION)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In offshore circles, New Zealand never will be confused with the North Sea or Gulf of Mexico, and while the prospect of a giant discovery may be slimmer than that for the more celebrated offshore theaters, the tiny...

New era in deepwater multizone isolation.(DRILLING & PRODUCTION)
October 1, 2008... Weatherford International says its recently introduced 7-in. (18-cm) ERC expanded reservoir completion system is ideally suited for isolating the multiple zones intrinsic of many deepwater applications. The 7-in. ERC system, representing...

RFID-activated cleanup tools.(DRILLING & PRODUCTION)
October 1, 2008... The industry's first circulating valve activated by radio frequency identification (RFID) technology for drilling and completion wellbore cleanup applications will undergo field trials later this year with commercial deployment envisioned in 1Q...

SCAN wins its largest-ever survey.(GEOSCIENCES)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SCAN Geophysical ASA won its largest ever seismic contract for $70 million to cover 3,300 sq km (1,274 sq mi) offshore Venezuela for Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA). This is the second award from PDVSA to SCAN...

PGS pushes multi-client 2D to forefront.(GEOSCIENCES)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Petroleum Geo-Services is increasing investment in multi-client 2D seismic data acquisition through this year. PGS says it is targeting less mature basins worldwide in offshore areas such as the Andaman Sea,...

TGS-NOPEC.(Company news)
October 1, 2008... TGS-NOPEC has a letter of intent with Bergen Oilfield Services for the recently converted 3D seismic vessel M/VBOS Arctic to begin this November and last one year. TGS says this will give it three 3D vessels under charter for all or part of...

Fugro GeoTeam.(Company news)
October 1, 2008... Fugro GeoTeam will conduct a 1,650 sq km (637 sq mi) 3D marine seismic survey offshore Guyana in the Georgetown prospecting license under contract to YPF Guyana Ltd. "Fugro's seismic vessel Geo Pacific will begin activities late this...

CGGVeritas.(Company news)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... CGGVeritas opened a UK Center of Excellence to combine its London and Crawley office capacities. New and upgraded facilities include a state-of-the-art visualization center, visual meeting rooms, and the latest in IT infrastructure The center...

ODIM.(Company news)
October 1, 2008... ODIM reports award of a NOK 65-million ($12-million) contract for a complete automated 3D seismic handling system for a new vessel. The purchaser was not released, but the system is to be delivered in 2009. Gene Kliewer * Houston

Wavefield Inseis ASA.(Company news)
October 1, 2008... Wavefield Inseis ASA says the high-capacity 3D vessel Geowave Endeavour was delivered on schedule from the Fosen Yard to begin its seven-year time charter for Volstad Maritime. The vessel was scheduled to complete the North Sea season for...

Fugro has created Fugro Gravity & Magnetic Services (FGMS).(Company news)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Fugro has created Fugro Gravity & Magnetic Services (FGMS). It becomes the business development arm of Fugro Airborne Surveys, Fugro Ground Geophysics, and Fugro Robertson (marine); and will provide a spectrum of tools including the FALCON...

Seismic Micro-Technology (SMT) is collaborating with NVIDIA Corp. to improve the performance of SMT Kingdom software using NVIDIA Quadro graphics cards.(Company news)
October 1, 2008... Seismic Micro-Technology (SMT) is collaborating with NVIDIA Corp. to improve the performance of SMT Kingdom software using NVIDIA Quadro graphics cards. The integration of NVIDIA technology with SMT's software is designed to allow novice...

Middle East to be world's largest offshore producer: gas shows fastest growth rate.(MIDDLE EAST)
October 1, 2008... As a firm that mainly supplies services to private equity houses and investment funds regarding the oilfield services sector, the geographic focus of Douglas-Westwood Ltd. is geared to where corporate investors see greatest potential. The...

Maritime Industrial Services makes Middle East history: first jackup built in region on schedule for delivery.(MIDDLE EAST)(Company overview)
October 1, 2008... The Middle East is a hot spot when it comes to proven oil and gas reserves, making it a "natural choice" for oil and gas fabrication specialists Maritime Industrial Services Co. Ltd. (MIS) to establish its business in the region. Based in the...

Controlled lateral displacement suppresses buckling in UAE pipeline crossings: major cost savings compared with expansion tools.(MIDDLE EAST)
October 1, 2008... For high-pressure, high-temperature pipeline systems design, the potential for global buckling must be considered and mitigated. Standard solutions cannot be adopted universally without due consideration to construction methods and costs. ...

Egypt veteran switches sights to gas-rich Nile Delta.(MIDDLE EAST)
October 1, 2008... Earlier this year, RWE Dea launched its first major gas field development project offshore Egypt. It followed the signature of a long-term gas sales agreement with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corp. (EGPC) to deliver gas to the Egyptian...

Offshore Middle East to see more rapid growth: OME conference addresses technology, business needs.(OME PREVIEW)(Conference news)
October 1, 2008... Offshore Middle East oil and gas exploration continues to expand at a rapid pace, as drilling activity in the region has doubled in the last five years, fueled by increasing global energy demand. The first annual Offshore Middle East...

Australian boom: DOT to address deepwater technology advances.(DOT PREVIEW)
October 1, 2008... The highly prospective nature of Australasia has increased its offshore exploration demand. This past May, the Australian minister for Resources and Energy awarded nine exploration permits representing a $425 million investment in Australia's...

Data-driven velocity model building--an application to Egypt Nile delta.(GEOLOGY & GEOPHYSICS)
October 1, 2008... A data-driven method to build a robust velocity model in the presence of thin discontinuous anhydrite in the Egypt Nile delta is based on estimating the anhydrite from a migrated optimized stack and building velocity model from seismic...

Cementing casing in deepwater a balancing act: water depth can make routine well construction a challenge.(DRILLING & COMPLETION)
October 1, 2008... Deepwaters challenge drilling operations both technically and logistically. Often there is a narrow margin between pore pressure and fracture pressure, so drilling fluids and cement slurries must maintain a critical balance to avoid taking a...

Swelling elastomers set to supersede cement in well completions: zonal isolation products can restore well integrity.(DRILLING & COMPLETION)
October 1, 2008... Cement has been used in the completion of wells in the oil and gas industry for decades. It is the established technology trusted by operators and service companies alike, but it has its drawbacks. Cementing is time-consuming, costly, and...

Well site internship program addresses oilfield supervision shortage: most candidates from outside the industry.(DRILLING & COMPLETION)
October 1, 2008... As the oil and gas industry enjoys a period of enormous growth, it also experiences a vast shortage of qualified workers to supervise drilling rigs. The traditional paradigm of recruiting new well site foremen is not effectively filling the...

Brazil's pre-salt discoveries a magnet for oil companies.(DRILLING & COMPLETION)(Cover story)
October 1, 2008... The massive pre-salt oil and gas discoveries by Brazil's state-owned company Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) acted as a powerful magnet to attract representatives of the international petroleum industry to the 2008 edition of the Rio Oil &...

Forging research investigates concerns over mooring component behavior: project aims to improve connector integrity.(FIELD DEVELOPMENT)
October 1, 2008... A mooring shackle failure reported earlier this year by the US Department of the Interior Minerals and Management Services (MMS), Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, highlighted faults in the heat treatment process during forging as a likely cause for...

Kikeh anchor piling adapted to confines of DP-2 monohull.(FIELD DEVELOPMENT)
October 1, 2008... In late 2007, Technip installed the driven-pile anchors for Murphy Oil's Kikeh spar platform in more than 1,300 m (4,265 ft) of water off eastern Malaysia. The installation was performed using a Menck MHU 500T hammer. According to Menck,...

In-situ anchor monitoring in real time.(FIELD DEVELOPMENT)
October 1, 2008... Vryhof is finalizing development of its Stevtrack anchor data acquisition system. The system is designed to monitor and to visualize the behavior of anchors during installation and to transmit the anchor's orientation and load data during...

Manufacturing technique improves accuracy of polyester rope deliveries.(FIELD DEVELOPMENT)
October 1, 2008... Parker Scanrope's response to requests from installation contractors for more accurate length measurement of its polyester mooring lines is to incorporate additional equipment into the manufacturing process. Rope produced using the new method...

Moving into the unknown: Petrobras to deploy proven technology in unproven Lower Tertiary trend.(PRODUCTION OPERATIONS)
October 1, 2008... Petrobras, the state-owned oil company of Brazil, is deploying proven technology plus its wealth of experience into the unproven Lower Tertiary trend in ultra deepwater US Gulf of Mexico. This trend, with an estimated recovery volume of...

FloatTEC's new ETLP designed to expedite time to first oil: Project Blue Ocean targets deep well developments.(PRODUCTION OPERATIONS)
October 1, 2008... In the international best seller "Blue Ocean Strategy," the authors describe "blue oceans" as unchartered territory. The strategy described in the book is not to outperform the competition in an existing industry, but to create new market space...

Dong E&P works out a number of FIDs.(PRODUCTION OPERATIONS)
October 1, 2008... DONG Exploration & Production is in the development phase with the Nini East project in Denmark and is working on the financial investment decision (FID) for yet another Danish field called Hejre, its president, Saren Gath Hansen, said in an...

Subsea processing/boosting choice for deep, ultra deep, harsh environment production: next big technology step requires larger installed base.(SUBSEA)
October 1, 2008... Subsea processing, separating, compressing, and pumping are on the leading edge of offshore production technology, especially for deep and ultra deepwater, and also harsh environments. The practice and art of placing such equipment subsea still...

Practical challenges of manufacturing a 2.5-MW subsea motor: five years without maintenance part of Tyrihans specifications.(SUBSEA)
October 1, 2008... StatoilHydro specified a 2.5-MW electric motor that would survive without maintenance for at least five years for its Tyrihans field subsea seawater injection pumping station. That challenge is being met with advancements in fluid-filled...

Brazil's offshore power needs driving umbilical, cable development.(SUBSEA)
October 1, 2008... Submarine cable technology and the ability to transport huge blocks of energy over very long distances have evolved significantly over the past few years. Now, the new discoveries in Brazil's Santos basin require solutions to produce oil and...

Wet insulation evolves to meet subsea flowline performance demands: as production moves deeper, new technologies emerge.(TRANSPORTATION & PIPELINE)
October 1, 2008... Wet insulation pipe use supplanted pipe-in-pipe insulation as the most used way to meet towline performance demands over the past five years. Glass microsphere technology has fostered development of towline insulation alternatives that reduce...

Deepwater means smaller valves, switches, control equipment.(Marine Technology)
October 1, 2008... Hydracon Co. Inc., provider of high-performance subsea valves. actuators, and switches capable of operating at depths to 10,000 ft (3,048 m), offers the latest technological advances within its family of more than 90 subsea product models, with...

New work-class ROV already seeing heavy duty applications around the world.(Marine Technology)
October 1, 2008... In only a few months following introduction of its latest heavy duty work-class ROV system--the Triton XLX--Perry Slingsby Systems has supplied a number of the units for deepwater offshore operations around the world. Combined, the supply...

Hydrographic surveys reveal detailed images of offshore industry wreckage.(Marine Technology)
October 1, 2008... It might surprise some companies engaged in the maritime industries to learn that many official nautical charts of US territorial waters have not been updated for 60 years or more. What's more, navigation specialists at the National Ocean and...

GVA steps up recruitment to take on new platform assignments.(SWEDEN)
October 1, 2008... Earlier this year, Gothenburg-based GVA, part of the KBR Group, revealed it had moved beyond its traditional domain of semisubmersible floaters into monohull projects, both drillships and FPSOs. But its ambitions go well beyond this to embrace...

Svenska targets Nigeria for short-term production boost.(SWEDEN)
October 1, 2008... Acquiring a package of assets from Occidental last year has strengthened Svenska Petroleum Exploration's position in West Africa. The company is also looking to drill the Dalders prospect in the Baltic Sea, which could turn Sweden into an...

Maritime surveillance system to support oil spill, rescue operations in Vietnamese waters.(SWEDEN)
October 1, 2008... Demand is growing for Swedish Space Corp.'s MSS 6000 maritime surveillance system. In addition to several orders already on the company's books, SSC announced a contract from a customer in Vietnam in July--its first delivery to a Far East...

Low-power communications headset is ATEX-approved.(SWEDEN)
October 1, 2008... Peltor's recently introduced Lite-Com Pro programmable wireless communication headsets are ATEX-approved for areas at risk from explosion. The Lite-Com Pro communications are voice-activated. External sounds are reduced to an acceptable...

Appro eyes bolt tightening improvements.(SWEDEN)
October 1, 2008... Appro, a supplier of fasteners to Sweden's energy sector, aims to increase its penetration in the offshore sector. The company exhibited at ONS in Stavanger in August, generating around 80 new leads, according to managing director Peter...

Pump provider branches out into condensate, produced water treatment.(SWEDEN)
October 1, 2008... Stockholm-based AxFlow has strengthened its hand as a supplier of pumping systems and fluid handling solutions to Europe's offshore market by becoming distributor for Bran+Luebbe (B+L) products in Norway. The AxFlow group was already the...

Mist eliminators adapted for cold weather.(SWEDEN)
October 1, 2008... Mist elimination specialist Munters recently delivered harsh-environment equipment for use on two new semisubmersible drilling rigs and also for the Kashagan development in the Caspian Sea. The specification for Kashagan was particularly...

Survey assesses C[O.sub.2] transportation routes.(SWEDEN)
October 1, 2008... In September, Matin Matteknik (MMT) began a survey of possible routes for subsea pipelines carrying carbon dioxide to storage sites in the Norwegian offshore sector. The work was expected to take about a month to complete, according to contract...