ADIL makes three senior appointments
ADIL has made a series of senior appointments.
Oil & Gas
Industry body issues blowout preventer guidelines
Industry body Oil & Gas UK has released the second issue of its guidelines on blowout preventer (BOP) operations for offshore wells on the UK Continental Shelf.
Northcote Energy team up with Springer Oil to buy Aminex
Northcote Energy has teamed up with Springer Oil and Gas to buy the US operation of Africa-focused oil and gas exploration and production company Aminex.
Wellhead fatigue assessments under investigation
A second phase of a joint industry project (JIP) has been launched to improve the way wellhead fatigue assessments are carried out in the oil and gas industry.
Norway oil unions break off wage talks raising risk of new walkout
Two of three Norwegian oil-worker unions broke off talks with employers over pensions, the issue that led to their longest strike two years ago, raising the risk of a new walkout. The unions, whose members account for less than half of the 7,615 workers covered by the negotiations, rejected the offer made by the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association, which represents companies such as Statoil ASA and Exxon Mobil Corp., the association said. Talks will now move to public mediation, where failure to reach a deal could lead to a strike.
Petrofac warns of falling profits
Petrofac warned its profits would be slashed by more than 10%.
YPF SA’s profits soar after Respol exit
YPF SA, Argentina’s largest company, said first-quarter profit gained 129% on higher oil and gas production.
Opinion: Industry can take its cue from the premier league
I have a confession to make. I’m not a huge football fan. But my 12-year-old daughter is a natural Mia Hamm on the field. At weekends you can usually find me on the pitch side lines with the rest of the parents, so I can’t help but be drawn in to the wider football chat.
Blaze Manufacturing moves to new HQ after landing £15million of contracts
A specialist north-east oil and gas industry fire safety protection company has relocated its headquarters to new premises at Laurencekirk after securing new contracts worth £15million.
First conference for industry body
Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) is to hold its first annual conference next month, just over seven years since the industry body was launched.
OTC 2014: Rovop strikes £17million deal with Californian firm
Subsea specialist Rovop struck a £17million deal to acquire five new remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) from a US manufacturer at this year’s OTC.
Opinion: ‘If we can’t convince the man on site we won’t convince a judge’
“In many ways, telling people what my job is about is straightforward”, the young safety engineer told me. “Process safety, when it comes down to it, is all about keeping the harmful stuff away from where it would do harm. However, explaining what that means I do on a day-to-day basis, that’s another matter entirely…..”
Oil industry risks $1.1trillion of investors’ cash, study says
Oil explorers like Exxon Mobil Corp. and OAO Rosneft risk wasting $1.1trillion of investors’ cash through 2025 on expensive, uneconomic projects from the Arctic and deep seas to tar sands, according to a study. That’s the sum the industry may spend on developments that need market prices of at least $95 a barrel to break even, the Carbon Tracker Initiative said. The money risks being wasted as the total amount of oil the world can afford to burn without warming the planet to unsafe levels is available from less costly deposits that are economical at $75 a barrel, according to its report.
Apache unloads its deepwater Gulf of Mexico projects
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold has acquired Apache’s stakes in its deepwater Gulf of Mexico projects for $1.4billion.
Chevron reaches settlement in long-standing Ecuador oil pits dispute
Chevron has reached a settlement agreement with a lobbying firm after fraudulent claims were brought against the corporation.
Poland’s biggest oil company continues major Canadian expansion
PKN Orlen SA, Poland’s biggest oil company, agreed to buy Birchill Exploration Ltd to double its crude production in Canada.
Tony Hayward appointed chairman of Glencore Xstrata
Former BP chief executive Tony Hayward has been appointed the chairman of Glencore Xstrata.
QPI acquires nearly half of Centrica’s Canadian shares
Qatar Petroleum International (QPI) will acquire nearly half of Centrica’s Canadian natural gas business.
Former Xodus Group founder to lead new decommissioning firm
Five oil and gas industry veterans have joined forces in a new business aimed at catching the incoming tide of North Sea decommissioning projects. Former Xodus Group co-founder Richard Heard will lead Strategic Decommissioning Consultants, which launched this week.
CAA: Deadline changes a ‘safety success story’
Regulators have backed down in a row over the introduction of new helicopter safety rules – and pledged that no offshore workers will lose their jobs for being overweight.
North Sea taxes not likely to rise in independent Scotland claims Chief Treasury Secretary
Chief Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander has admitted that North Sea taxes are already 'pretty high' and not likely to rise if Scotland becomes independent.
OEG Offshore forms joint venture in the Middle East
OEG Offshore and Unique Maritime Group have formed a joint venture targeted at the Middle East.
Rebels block oil shipments in eastern Libya
Rebels blocking oil shipments from eastern Libya threatened to occupy two ports just weeks after they restarted cargo loadings, jeopardizing a revival in shipments from the North African country.
Apache’s hydrocarbon finds highlight Egypt’s potential
Two recent hydrocarbon discoveries highlight the potential in Egypt’s Western Desert, according to Apache.
Industry leaders say safety is the real ‘winner’ in CAA rethink
New measures to improve helicopter safety for oil and gas workers have been brought forward. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says emergency breathing systems will now be compulsory 15 months earlier than originally planned. Helicopter operators will have to have the equipment in place from January 1, 2015 rather than April 1, 2016.