Mariners have become accustom to seeing ever more complex and sophisticated vessels launched in support of the petroleum exploration industry. A new level was set this year when the Norwegian yard Fjellstrand AS launched the multi-purpose offshore vessel Seabed Worker for Seabed AS of Begen Norway…
Transocean Ltd. (NYSE:RIG)announced that its ultra-deepwater semisubmersible rig Deepwater Horizon recently drilled the deepest oil and gas well ever while working for BP and its co-owners on the Tiber well in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Working with BP…
Ballast Nedam's heavy lift vessel Svanen left the port of Rotterdam last weekend. The Svanen has been commissioned by Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors to drive 56 steel piles for the foundations of the Belwind offshore wind farm off the coast of Zeebrugge (Belgium)…
According to an August 28 report from The Wall Street Journal, Alaska Governor Sean Parnell on August 28 praised a federal appeals court decision that he said will allow Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) to continue exploring for oil and gas in the Beaufort Sea.(Source: The Wall Street Journal)
Analysis of 19 target countries and 26 key onshore and offshore market sectors, ranging from land drilling equipment to offshore operations, has revealed that overall expenditure levels are expected to total $2t over the 2009-2013 period. These…
Keppel FELS Limited is on track to deliver Gold Star, the first of two DSS 38 deepwater rigs to Brazilian operator, Queiroz Galvão Óleo e Gás (QGOG) later this year. Progressing on time and within budget, Gold Star will be the first DSS…
According to an August 25 report from Reuters, a German wind power plant's new high-tech equipment is moving further offshore to capture higher winds for longer periods. The Alpha Ventus wind park started this month and operates 45 km off the German-Dutch coast…
Transocean Ltd. (NYSE:RIG) announced that a subsidiary of Noble Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NBL) has awarded a 455-day contract for the ultra-deepwater semisubmersible rig Sedco Express. Estimated contracted revenues related to the 455-day contract term are approximately $241m…
The Minerals Management Service (MMS) has approved a grant for $450,000 to the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources through the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP), to fund phases one and two of a project to document and conserve the heritage resources of the Mississippi gulf coast…
According to an August 24 report from Morning Star UK, the offshore industry's second-quarter results saw gloomy forecasts for jackups and midwater rigs. Negative customer expectations surrounding commodity prices and difficult well economics mean lower demand for offshore drilling…
StatoilHydro has begun production from the Tyrihans oil and gas field in the Norwegian Sea. The new field comprises Tyrihans South, an oil field with a gas cap, and Tyrihans North, a gas and condensate discovery with a thin oil zone. The recoverable…
On June 28, the Sevan Driller, first circular drilling rig prepared for drilling at a water depth of almost 4,200 m was named at COSCO Shipyard Group's Qidong Shipyard. A grand naming ceremony was held at the site to celebrate the completion…
SSP Offshore Inc. of Houston, TX has entered into an agreement with Dubai-based Global Process Systems Inc. (GPS) to form Global SSP, a 50/50 joint venture. The new JV, based in Singapore, will focus on commercializing the proprietary SSP platform…
Ziff Energy Group has completed the 7th edition of its Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Improving Field Performance (IFP) study, which evaluated pre-hurricane 2008 & 2007 operating costs for more than two dozen producing Deepwater assets. Participants included Deepwater operators…
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar appointed Liz Birnbaum, an attorney with two decades of federal government and private sector experience in energy and environmental policy, as Director of the Department’s Minerals Management Service. The appointment does not require Senate confirmation…