Offshore articles from September 2003

Offshore archives from September 2003

Pipeline, LNG, CNG: getting gas to market.(Comment)
September 1, 2003... For the time being at least, the small island nation of Trinidad & Tobago has more gas than it knows what to do with. New finds confirm that there are further untapped reserves in different areas than earlier discoveries. And this is without...

Americas.(Global E&P)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Corridor Resources Inc. and Hydro-Quebec are partnering in exploration off eastern Canada. The companies have joined forces to evaluate the oil and gas potential of the Old Harry and Cape Ray prospects in the Laurentian Channel and will...

Middle East.(Global E&P)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... An underwater pipeline carried Egyptian gas to Jordan for the first time in July. The 16-km pipeline runs from Taba, Egypt, to Aqaba, Jordan. The line is expected to extend to northern Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, Turkey, and Europe. In...

Europe.(Global E&P)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The search continues off the Faroes, but disappointments are adding up. The latest was a deepwater wildcat drilled by Eni. The company drilled well 6004/17-1 in license 02 in 3,438 ft water depth in August. Additional wells are planned off the...

China.(Global E&P)
September 1, 2003... China has seen both new discoveries and new exploration commitments in the past few months. In mid June, China National Offshore Oil Corp. Ltd. signed a production sharing contract (PSC) with Kerr-McGee China Petroleum Ltd. for Bohai Bay....

Central Asia.(Global E&P)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Following the announcement of the Lukoil and Gazprom joint venture, TsentrKaspneftegas, a few months ago, Lukoil is moving forward with exploration. The company has identified the most promising sectors based on the results of seismic studies....

Africa.(Global E&P)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... ExxonMobil Corp. subsidiary Esso Exploration Angola Ltd. and Sonangol have made another deepwater oil discovery, the 14th oil find on Angola block 15. The discovery well, named Clochas-1, was drilled in 4,250 ft of water 240 mi northwest...

Asia-Pacific.(Global E&P)
September 1, 2003... * Indonesian gas has arrived in Singapore. The 470-km Grissik-Batam-Singapore pipeline, designed for a throughput capacity of 650 MMcf/d, has brought natural gas from Indonesia's Sumatra Island to Singapore. PT Perusahaan Gas Negara, the...

Contracts out for Enfield FPSO.(New Vessels, Rigs, Upgrades)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Woodside Energy Ltd. let the first major construction contract for the Enfield oil development off the North West Cape in Western Australia in early July. The company signed a contract for FPSO hull construction with South Korea's Samsung...

Standby vessel begins charter for Statoil.(New Vessels, Rigs, Upgrades)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Simon Mokster Shipping named the Stril Poseidon, its new standby vessel, at the Langsten Verft shipyard in western Norway in early July. The Stril Poseidon, which Simon Mokster describes as the world's most advanced standby vessel, began work...

Jumbo builds Jascon 5.(New Vessels, Rigs, Upgrades)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... On July 20, 2003, the 800-metric-ton Huisman revolving mast crane was loaded onto the MV Jumbo Challenger in Rotterdam to be shipped to Singapore, where it will be installed onboard the MV Jascon 5. The Jascon 5 is a self-propelled DP-3...

Cross Maritime made the Cross Mar-14 multi-purpose barge available for long- and short-term rental constracts in August.(New Vessels, Rigs, Upgrades)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Cross Maritime made the Cross Mar-14 multi-purpose barge available for long- and short-term rental constracts in August. The ABS-classed barge is 250 ft by 16 ft with a 4/6 point mooring systems and features a 300-ton crawler crane and...

Record admissions to UK sector.(Offshore Europe)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The UK Energy Ministry has just awarded 88 new exploration licenses to 62 companies under its 21st licensing round. Of these, a record 27 are new to the UK shelf. Fifty-three of the licenses are under the new Promote terms. Under the...

Statoil revives deepwater interest.(Offshore Europe)
September 1, 2003... Statoil was obliged to issue an early statement over its deepwater Ellida well, following Norwegian media speculation. The well, drilled by the West Navigator drillship in Norwegian Sea block 6405/7, found oil in Cretaceous sandstones. Statoil...

Skene bundle straightened out.(Offshore Europe)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Re-installation of the northern section of the Skene pipeline bundle in the UK North Sea has been completed without a hitch. This was not the case during the original tow-out to the field--a subsea development through the Beryl Alpha...

Deepwater plays show pay.(Gulf Of Mexico)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... BHP Billiton's Neptune-5 appraisal well in 6,215 ft of water in the Gulf of Mexico encountered 500 ft of net oil pay. The net column for this well on Atwater Valley block 574 is significantly larger than those recorded in the similar Miocene...

Apache buys Shell properties.(Gulf Of Mexico)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Shell Exploration & Production Co. has sold 26 shallow-water properties in the Gulf of Mexico. Apache Corp. bought the properties for $200 million, subject to preferential right elections. Apache's acquisition includes 26 fields covering 50...

Active EM headed for Gulf.(OHM Ltd.)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... OHM Ltd. said it received a multi-year contract from a major international oil company for services based on OHM's active electromagnetic (EM) sounding technique. Some of the work will occur in the deepwater GoM. OHM has mobilized one of its...

Wood gauges for Princess, Llano.(Gulf Of Mexico)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Shell Exploration and Production Co. (Sepco) has purchased from Wood Group Production Technology a dozen permanent downhole gauges for wells in the Princess field in Mississippi Canyon block 765 and Llano field in Garden Banks block 386 in the...

The Mattelhorn TLP and Na Kika host platform were both installed ealier this summer.(Gulf Of Mexico)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The Mattelhorn TLP and Na Kika host platform were both installed ealier this summer. Heerema Marine Constractors installed Total's Matthorn TLP in 2,850 ft of water on Mississippi Canyon block 243. Gulf Marine Fabricators in Corpus Christi...

Observing multi-phase flow.(Subsea/Surface Systems)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... To better study the nature of multi-phase flow, engineers at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas, have developed a probe to look inside a pipeline flowing under pressure. Andre Barajas, a senior research engineer with...

Repair of platform riser using Clock Spring.(Subsea/Surface Systems)
September 1, 2003... The Clock Spring composite repair system was selected for riser repair on a platform located offshore Colombia. The platform has been in service for more than 23 years. During a routine inspection of the riser, corrosion was found in two...

Weatherford tapped for Matterhorn.(Subsea/Surface Systems)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Weatherford International will install 13 chrome alloy and vacuum insulated production tubulars and accessories on Total's Matterhorn field. Matterhorn is located in the Gulf of Mexico on Mississippi Canyon block 243 in 2,816 ft of water. ...

J. Ray McDermott to install Shah Deniz pipelines.(Subsea/Surface Systems)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... A subsidiary of J. Ray McDermott has been awarded a pipelay contract by BP Shah Deniz Exploration Ltd. The contract is for the Stage 1 development of the Shah Deniz field in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea and is valued at over $80...

Sonsub's Innovator conquers loop.(Subsea/Surface Systems)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... During the recent wave of loop current incidents in the Gulf of Mexico, Sonsub's Innovator ROV systems were forced to cope with more than 3.5-knot conditions. The ROV, onboard the Discovery Spirit, was able to continue operations for its client...

Perforating system.(Drilling & Production)
September 1, 2003... A new state-of-the-art perforating system has been developed and used successfully on a job for Statoil, off the coast of northern Norway. Halliburton Energy Services used its G-ForceSM Precision Oriented Perforating System. The job...

Logging tractor.(Drilling & Production)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... A new production services tractor developed for seamless data acquisition while tractoring in horizontal sections of complex completions has been developed. Schlumberger Oilfield Services commercially released its new MaxTrac. In field...

New sliding sleeve.(Drilling & Production)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... A new completion component from Baker Oil Tools improves performance on frac pack and gravel pack operations by saving time and preventing fluid loss that can impair well productivity, the company says. The new tool, the CMP Defender sliding...

Oxidizer-based tool.(Drilling & Production)
September 1, 2003... The Expro International Group PLC recently provided stimulation services on a successful job for Unocal in the Gulf of Mexico. Unocal used the StimTube process to stimulate a previously zero production gas well back to a stable production level...

Rock history.(Geosciences)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The history of the Earth is locked in its sediments and in the distribution of rock properties that identify those sediments. It is a complex puzzle of interwoven forces: physical, chemical, magnetic, gravitational, structural, and biological....

Outsourcing.(Geosciences)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Outsourcing continues to be one of the key drivers of the oil industry since restructuring began in the late 1980s. Management has traded control of skill sets for reduced overhead expenses. Oil companies continue to jettison skill sets to...

New center.(Geosciences)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Schlumberger Information Solutions and Intel Corp. opened an Intel Energy Competency Center, the first in the US, located at SIS headquarters in Houston. The new facility provides an environment for evaluating the performance and cost benefits...

IODP.(Integrated Ocean Drilling Program)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Programs launched by the Joint Oceanographic Institution for Deep Earth Sampling's (Joides) have explored the world's oceans for 35 years and are preparing to take on new challenges. JOI is a consortium of eighteen US academic institutions that...

Digital overlay.(Technology)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Panoram Technologies unveiled the DIT-1, a Digital Imaging Table, which employs multi-projector imaging. The 65-in., 4.23-million pixel diagonal "light table" has near print quality resolution. It was developed for high-resolution stills,...

Wellsite reporting.(Technology)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Landmark Graphics released OpenWells, a software technology for wellsite operations reporting and analysis. The software is a fully integrated operations reporting and engineering data management tool for drilling and well services. "OpenWells...

Portable viz.(Technology)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Fakespace created a portable, cost efficient, large-scale visualization system called ROVR. The system ships in throe small containers and does not require tools for setup. The 6-ft by 8-ft rear projection system uses standard 2,000 lumen...

Gas burns bright on Trinidad's horizon: rigs move to the Mexican GoM.(Latin America)
September 1, 2003... A shift in E&P focus off Latin America has put Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico in the spotlight. Operators can't seem to go wrong off Trinidad, where nearly all of the news is good. And Pemex has kicked exploration in the Gulf of Mexico into...

Brazil, Mexico, Trinidad lead Latin America exploration.(Latin America)
September 1, 2003... There were 150 new exploratory oil and gas wells offshore Latin America during the 12 months from July 2002 through July 2003, with Brazil leading the way with 101, according to survey numbers provided by Ills Energy. Mexico was second with 35,...

Maximizing reservoir exposure, well productivity.(Wellbore Design)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The monobore design incorporates technical advances in well architecture that have led to a uniform well diameter and fullbore production delivery conduit. From the well-construction processes to the end-product, technologies and processes work...

Deck design for Gulf of Mexico lowers steel requirement.(Construction & Installation)
September 1, 2003... Following the industry focus to decrease the amount of steel necessary for floater hull fabrication, GVA Consultants has developed the Box-Top-Beam deck configuration for Gulf of Mexico applications. The approach in the US Gulf of Mexico...

Well intervention using rigless techniques: subsea wells sharpen focus on methods.(Well Intervention)
September 1, 2003... Rigless techniques for well intervention are wireline, coiled tubing (CT) and hydraulic workover (HWO) services that do not require the use of a conventional workover rig and have the capability of performing downhole applications in live...

Global storage networking requires standards: improving data sharing is critical.(Seismic Technology)
September 1, 2003... Initiatives by the data storage networking industry will soon help oil and gas companies to improve access to data across company networks. Advances in computer applications used by the oil and gas industry have reduced risk and improved...

Environmental drilling & completion fluids directory.(Directory)
September 1, 2003... The 2003 Environmental Drilling and Completions Fluids Directory appearing on the following pages is a listing of industry fluid manufacturers and their individual products. The directory is divided into 15 sections based on type of fluid. ...

New AI technique projects open hole data from cased hole logs.(Drilling Technology)
September 1, 2003... Open hole, wireline logs are an essential tool for evaluating subsurface hydrocarbon bearing strata and helping to reduce exploration risk. Open hole logging data is used in selecting perforation intervals, determining net pay in a well,...

Deepwater Corrosion Services.(People)
September 1, 2003... Deepwater Corrosion Services has named M. Edger Lewis executive vice president.

C&C Technologies Inc.(People)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... C&C Technologies Inc. has hired George L. Buhler as a positioning and navigation consultant. Buhler has 23 years of experience working for Amoco and BP's global business units on survey, geodetic, and cartographic issues. The company also has...

Sonsub Inc.(People)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Sonsub Inc. has appointed Massimo "Max" Ferraris as CEO and Saipem's manager of the Subsea Robotics business line. Additionally, Sonsub has appointed Robert Keith as president, Greg McCavanagh as COO, B.J. Reid as vice president or engineering,...

Cambridge Energy Research Associates.(People)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Cambridge Energy Research Associates has trained Peter Jackson director for oil industry activity. Based in London, Jackson will lead the company's research into oil and gas productive capacity outside North America.

Ocean Design Inc.(People)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Ocean Design Inc., a subsea fiber optic and electrical connectivity company, has appointed John Blattel as senior vice president of operations reporting to Mike Read, president and CEO. Graeme Leiper is the new vice president of Europe and...

El Paso Corp.(People)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... El Paso Corp. board of directors has elected Douglas L. Foshee, executive vice president and COO for Halliburton, to serve as president, CEO, and a director of the company, effective Sept. 2, 2003. Ronald L. Kuehn Jr., El Paso's CEO, will...

Transocean Inc.(People)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Transocean Inc. has named Todd Kulp as vice president and treasurer of Transocean. Kulp joined Transocean in 2001, serving as assistant treasurer, corporate finance, until his promotion to vice president and treasurer. The company has also...

OPE Inc.(People)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... OPE Inc. has hired Roy Oelking as vice president of engineering and named Rick Haun as senior vice president. Oelking previously held the position of vice president of engineering for McDermott, and he brings 29 years of experience in managing...

BG Group.(People)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... BG Group has announced that Sir Richard Giordano, non-executive chairman, intends to retire, and that Sir Robert Wilson is his successor. Giordano will retire from the BG board at the end of 2003, having been chairman of BG since 1994. Wilson's...

Explore Enterprises.(People)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Explore Enterprises of Louisiana has added two oil and gas veterans as partners. Cheryl R. Collarini has been named vice president of engineering and Leon Hirsch will serve as vice president of land, Collarini and Hirsch join CEO William C....

Thales GeoSolutions (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. has formed a joint venture with Orogenic Holdings Sdn. Bhd., a Bumiputera company serving the petroleum industry in Malaysia.(Companies)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Thales GeoSolutions (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. has formed a joint venture with Orogenic Holdings Sdn. Bhd., a Bumiputera company serving the petroleum industry in Malaysia. The joint venture will trade under the name Orogenic Thales GeoSolutions Sdn....

ABB, a power and automation technology group.(Companies)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... ABB, a power and automation technology group, has won a two-year contract extension worth $34 million to continue providing Statoil of Norway with support, service, maintenance, spare parts, and modifications at all of its installations.

Bollinger Shipyards Inc. has delivered the 130-ft tug Jane A. Bouchard.(Companies)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Bollinger Shipyards Inc. has delivered the 130-ft tug Jane A. Bouchard and the 436-ft, 110,000 bbl class double-hull oil Barge B. No. 225 to Bouchard Coastwise Management Co.

Telenor Satellite Services has signed a contract with Fugro Survey Ltd. of Aberdeen for Sealink maritime high-speed data communications aboard three of the company's survey and research vessels.(Companies)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Telenor Satellite Services has signed a contract with Fugro Survey Ltd. of Aberdeen for Sealink maritime high-speed data communications aboard three of the company's survey and research vessels. Under the agreement, Telenor will provide Ku Bald...

Global subsea contractor Subsea 7 will sell diving support vessel Aquamarine to Bibby Line Ltd. Subsea 7.(Companies)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Global subsea contractor Subsea 7 will sell diving support vessel Aquamarine to Bibby Line Ltd. Subsea 7 will charter back the vessel for 150 days to fulfill ongoing contracts and is discussing further opportunities with Bibby.

Kvaerner Process Systems has relocated from Northampton to Aberdeen, now making the Granite City the home of all Aker Kvaerner companies in the UK.(Companies)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Kvaerner Process Systems has relocated from Northampton to Aberdeen, now making the Granite City the home of all Aker Kvaerner companies in the UK. All four divisions--Kvaerner Process Systems, Aker Kvaerner Offshore Partner Ltd., Kvaerner...

American Society of Mechanical Engineers.(Companies)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The American Society of Mechanical Engineers petroleum division hosted an interactive deepwater workshop at the Hilton London Metropole Hotel, Sept. 17 19. During "Deepwater: How Do We Get There for Less?" operators and service companies...

ChevronTexaco has created ChevronTexaco Energy Technology" Co.(Companies)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... ChevronTexaco has created ChevronTexaco Energy Technology" Co. The new company combines ChevronTexaco Exploration and Production Technology Co. and ChevronTexaco Energy Research and Technology Co. to supply upstream and downstream technologies...

Petro-Canada UK Ltd. has acquired a package of assets in one of its core areas in the UK North Sea from Shell UK Ltd. and Esso Exploration and Production UK Ltd.(Companies)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Petro-Canada UK Ltd. has acquired a package of assets in one of its core areas in the UK North Sea from Shell UK Ltd. and Esso Exploration and Production UK Ltd. Petro-Canada will acquire Shell's share in the Petro-Canada operated Guillemot...

Cameron Offshore Systems has awarded CorrOcean Inc. a $750,000 contract to provide high-accuracy digital subsea SenCorr sand erosion sensor systems.(Companies)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Cameron Offshore Systems has awarded CorrOcean Inc. a $750,000 contract to provide high-accuracy digital subsea SenCorr sand erosion sensor systems. The sensors will be deployed on the subsea trees for a major project offshore Nigeria in 4,000...

PGS Production AS in the British sector of the North Sea, operator of the Ramform Banff FPSO, has awarded Stratos, a provider of remote communications solutions and services, a five-year contract to upgrade and enhance the vessel's telecommunications infrastructure.(Companies)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... PGS Production AS in the British sector of the North Sea, operator of the Ramform Banff FPSO, has awarded Stratos, a provider of remote communications solutions and services, a five-year contract to upgrade and enhance the vessel's...

Tenaris SA, provider of tubular technologies for the oil and gas industry, and materials specialist Sandvik Materials Technology.(Companies)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Tenaris SA, provider of tubular technologies for the oil and gas industry, and materials specialist Sandvik Materials Technology have concluded a strategic alliance under which Tenaris becomes the worldwide distributor for Sandvik's, stainless...

Double-E pumping stack.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Double-E Inc. has introduced the pumping stack, a new hybrid product that combines a blowout preventer, flow tee, stuffing box, and polished rod lubricator in one installed and serviced assembly. The four-tools-in-one combination offers a cost...

DuoFLO filter elements and housings.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... CUNO has introduced DuoFLO filter systems, designed for both new and retrofit bag filter systems. The filter system is an alternative to standard bag filters and was developed using CUNO's depth filtration experience. The filter media,...

Flo-Pak inflatable packer.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Baker Oil Tools' Flo-Pak inflatable packer is a multiple-set packer system designed to meet the challenges of production logging analysis in horizontal or deviated wellbores. The Flo-Pak can be set and reset on coiled or threaded tubing while...

Motor brakes.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Magna Shear electric motor brakes bring long life, low wear, and cushioned stops to the toughest marine applications, giving the deep six to repair and replacement frustrations, the company says. ABS-certified, the proprietary oil-shear designs...

Reservoir stimulation tool.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Expro International Group's StimTube is an oxidizer-based tool for reservoir stimulation that, when detonated, can generate large volumes of high-pressure gas--as much as 20,000 psi at the reservoir face. These high-pressure gas pulses are...

Oil-shear clutch/brakes.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Posidyne oil-shear clutch/brakes offer 24/7 reliability in cycling of heavy loads in mining, mineral processing, marine, and offshore drilling rigs in demanding conditions and applications. Posidyne clutch/brakes come in 11 models offering up...

Thermography camera.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... FLIR Systems' ThermaCAM E2 is a small infrared camera that can be used as a predictive maintenance tool in oil and gas production. Weighing 700 grams, the E2 fits into the palm of the hand or on a tool belt. It can show precise temperature...

Bilge water range separator.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Westfalia Separator Mineraloil Systems has hunched the WSD 18 high-speed centrifuge that separates oil from bilge water to 5 ppm. Bilge water regulations require oil content in effluent discharged at sea to be below 15 ppm, but some territorial...

New foam for offshore industry.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Foam technologist company Zotefoams has introduced PVDF, a tough, engineering thermoplastic that offers a balance of properties. It has a temperature tolerance from 160[degrees] C, UV and aging resistance, resistance to a wide range of...

RV-series actuators.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Shafer RV-series valve actuators from Emerson Process Management are made for quarter-turn applications on natural gas or liquid crude and products pipelines. The rotary vane design offers concentric mounting, reduced size, and balanced weight...

Multidensity speed mixer.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... Vortex Ventures multidensity speed mixer allows mixing on the fly. The flexible design provides optimum mixing capabilities, Vortex says. The mixer can mix barite to rapidly increase drilling fluid density, or it can dilute on the fly during...

Continuous water monitor.(New Products & Services)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... The TD-4100 XD is a rugged, continuous on-line oil in water monitor. The XD is designed for offshore oil production and other industries that require robust online hardware for severe duty and hazardous locations. The monitor is skid mounted...

Our history has something in store for your future: 50 years of trends tools and technology Offshore.
September 1, 2003... Offshore magazine celebtrates 50 years of continuos service to the offshore industry in 2004 and we have developed an outstanding line-up to celebrate this significant milestone. In addition to unique editorial coverage throughout the yar to...

New logistics era for oil patch.(Beyond The Horizon)
September 1, 2003... When energy companies strike an alliance allowing each to focus on its core competency, then team up with a global logistics supplier, improved efficiencies and reduced costs are typically expected. For example, one supplier provided parts...