Scots firm emphatically solves pipeline internal coatings challenge
Gemini Corrosion Services has developed what is understood to be a ground-breaking coating process for the inside of pipework used by the oil and gas industry.
Oil & Gas
Vantage set to acquire ultra-vessel
Vantage Drilling has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the ultra-deepwater drillship Dragonquest from Valencia Drilling in a deal worth some $164million.
Perenco to drill on Tyne
French independent Perenco has outlined plans to increase production through its Tyne platform about 170km east-north-east of the Yorkshire coast by drilling a sidetrack from its Tyne T5 well.
Shell’s ONEgas investing in southern basin
Shell is to spend £500million in the southern North Sea in the next two years through its ONEgas business despite having been close to pulling out of the area, a conference in Norwich was told.
Optical world first from Woods Hole and Sonardyne collaboration
Sonardyne International has formed a new joint venture with the world-famous Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in the US to launch the world's first commercially available subsea optical communication system, BlueComm.
Caterpillar preferred supplier in vehicle efficiency launch
The Energy Technologies Institute's (ETI) £40million heavy-duty vehicle efficiency programme has been officially launched.
IceMAX to start work in . . . the Tropics
Shell has secured Stena Drilling's latest super-drillship for a five-year worldwide drilling contract.
Andarko has yet more success
Anadarko's first flow-test offshore Mozambique, a test of its Barquentine-2 well was highly successful, despite equipment-related restrictions aboard the drillship Deepwater Millennium.
Schlumberger’s latest snack
Schlumberger has reached a deal with Altor Fund II to acquire SPT Group - a privately-owned Norwegian software company specialising in dynamic modelling for the oil and gas industry.
Namibia tempts EAO&G
Eco Atlantic Oil & Gas sees huge opportunities offshore Namibia, having just received the results of an independent study that confirm the company's hunch about blocks 2213A and 2213B (Sharon block). The P50 best estimate is 7.79billion barrels of potential oil resources.
Subsea 7 new face
Eystein Eriksrud has been brought onto the Subsea 7 board, so returning the panel to its complement of nine directors. He is deputy CEO of the Siem Industries Group of Norway. He is a lawyer by discipline.
Top rig rates to soar past $600k per day
The chief financial officer at Norwegian company Seadrill has warned that the day-rate for ultra-deepwater drilling rigs chartered within the next 12 months will pass the $600,000 mark.
Cairn Energy to survey in Spain
Cairn Energy is making preparations to start a 1,500sq km 3D seismic survey over part of its recently awarded Gulf of Valencia permits in the Spanish sector of the Western Mediterranean Sea.
Noble Denton wins Shell framework
Noble Denton has secured a four-year enterprise framework agreement (EFA) to provide inspection services for Shell's extensive global portfolio of projects in select locations.
$40m seismic contract
Fugro Geoteam has signed a letter of award with the Canadian arm of Statoil to carry out a 3D seismic acquisition offshore Newfoundland at a cost of around $40million.
Deputy chairman
Royal Dutch Shell has appointed Hans Wijers as deputy chairman and senior independent director, effective May 23. He has been on the Shell board for some time, including as chairman of the remuneration committee.
Threat from Buenos Aires
Argentina's Foreign Ministry is planning legal action against all companies involved in oil exploration offshore the Falkland Islands, which Argentina terms the Islas Malvinas and claims as part of its territory.
Shell’s China shale gamble
Shell has teamed up with China National Petroleum Corporation in a trail-blazing production sharing contract (PSC) for shale gas exploitation on the Fushun-Yongchuan block in China's Sichuan Basin.
Farm out for Melrose
Melrose Resources has agreed to farm out a proportion of its equity in the Black Sea Muridava (Ex-27) block offshore Romania to Midia Resources, a subsidiary of UK-Canadian company Sterling Resources.
Multi-M in Modec deal
Marubeni, Mitsui and Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) are to invest in a long-term charter business operated by Modec to provide a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel (FPSO) for operation offshore Brazil in the Cernambi Sul presalt area of the Santos Basin.
Mystery Irish contract
Reservoir Exploration Technology (RXT) has been awarded a $26.7million contract for an ocean bottom cable (OBC) survey in the Atlantic off the west coast of Ireland.
Saudi Aramco has eye on Red Sea
Saudi Aramco is gearing up to drill its first deepwater exploration well in the Saudi sector of the Red Sea before the end of this year. This body of water is more than 2,000m deep in parts of the Saudi sector, and it has salt sequences up to 2,100m thick.
GSP rig Saturn prepares for North Sea move
Romanian company Grup Servicii Petroliere (GSP) has been awarded a contract by Wintershall Noordzee for offshore drilling services in the Dutch sector of the Southern North Sea.
First picture of gas escaping from Elgin
This is the first picture which shows the gas leak on Total's Elgin platform.
New boss at Senergy
Aberdeen-based energy-service company Senergy says it has appointed Alasdair Buchanan as chief operating officer.