Global testing, mechanical and materials firm Exova launched its new laboratory at the ABZ business park in Aberdeen yesterday after a multi-million pound investment.
The facility, which provides weld-testing and training services to the oil and gas industry, will become the newly-listed firm’s North Sea hub.
The purpose-built testing facility connects a network of 11 specialist laboratories for the industry in the UK, the Netherlands and Italy.
Aberdeen-based training and consultancy firm ITB Competence Assurance has appointed a new assessor.
Michael Morrison will join the competency specialists with more than 20 years’ experience in the offshore oil and gas industry.
The Aberdeen-based organisation is one of a select band of OPITO approved competency and training specialists working with oil and gas clients worldwide.
Australian energy firm Santos has completed the first of three major gas processing hubs in its Queensland gas fields.
The hub is now fully operational, as commissioning of Santos GLNG’s two other major processing hubs continues.
It follows the delivery of first gas into the Santos GLNG (Gladstone Liquefied Natural Gas) pipeline last month.
Technip has entered a contract deal to supply its proprietary ethylene technology and process design package (PDP) for a grassroots cracker in a US-based petrochemical complex.
The technology will be used for the proposed ASCENT (Appalachian Shale Cracker Enterprise) complex, which is currently being evaluated by Odebrecht and Braskem in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
The offshore industry is due to be hit with a £200million bill over the next two decades to help pay for Aberdeen’s new North Sea regulator.
The UK Government confirmed yesterday that it plans to give itself new powers next summer to levy oil and gas firms in order to fund the body.
Ministers also revealed that the number of officials dedicated to overseeing the North Sea sector would rise from 59 at present to about 145 as the Oil and Gas Authority gets up and running in Aberdeen. The creation of the new regulator was recommended after a major review was held into the future of the offshore industry, led by the businessman Sir Ian Wood.
A pipeline services specialist successfully isolated hydrocarbon pressure for 79 days while a gas valve upgrade project was carried out in the Gulf of Mexico.
TD Williamson (TDW) was originally asked by a major oil company to isolate a 16-inch gas riser, which was connected to a major subsea gas pipeline network in order to replace a valve in 2012.
However the network operator then asked for three additional valves to be installed, and a launcher extension was added to help facilitate inline inspection tool runs.
Independent oil and gas company Iona Energy has made changes to its senior management team.
The company, which has a number of assets in the North Sea, announced four new appointments.
Robert Gair will join the team from Trinity Exploration and Production as chief financial officer and Kevin Holley has become its corporate controller.
Foster Wheeler's profits have slumped with the company’s income down by half in its third quarter results.
The company announced its income from operations was $25.4million, compared with $48.9million the same time last year.
Shares are currently sitting at an individual price of $0.25, compared to a cost of $0.50 during the third quarter of 2013.
Seven wells are currently active on the NCS . . . six exploration; one appraisal. Four are North Sea, two Norwegian Sea and one in the Barents.
There are nine active development/production wells utilising mobile units in the sector, all North Sea. There are 38 units on the NCS . . . six on E&A duties and nine on D&P drilling. In addition, eight fixed platform D&P wells were operating as October closed.
Of the remaining 23 MODUs, three are stacked in port, including the XL Enhanced 2, which is a new-build; the remaining 20 are either mobilising between drilling locations or working on in-field operations.
Takeover talks for Salamander Energy are still ongoing, after the board of Ophir Energy confirmed it has sent a letter outlining its vision for a potential deal.
Ophir Energy said it there is a “compelling strategic logic” for the two businesses to work together.
In a statement the company said a deal would create enhanced operating capability in both Africa and South East Africa.
At the time of writing this article, the Brent crude oil price benchmark had fallen to $85 from $115 in June on concerns of abundant global oil supply and weakening demand.
Goldman Sachs, the international investment bank, earlier in the week released a price prediction of $80 for 2015 having reduced this from $100 previously.
Markets are spooked and bearish sentiment is plaguing the energy sector. Concerns are that the cost and operational challenges we have witnessed in 2014 in the UKCS, compounded with commodity price reductions, could spell a difficult time for investment and activity in our home market.
Irish explorer Falcon Oil and Gas has been awarded a shale gas exploration licence in South Africa’s Karoo Basin.
The company announced its application had been approved by the Petroleum Agency of South Africa (PASA).
In December 2012, the company announced it would be working exclusively with Chevron Business Development South Africa for a period of five years on jointly obtaining exploration licences.
Technip has been awarded an engineering and procurement contract by Sasol for eight furnaces at its ethane cracker and derivatives complex in Louisiana.
The award is for proprietary Ultra Selective Conversion (USC) furnaces which will be used at Lake Charles in the Southern state.
The company’s operating centre in Houston will execute the project.
Fairfield Energy has awarded a £4million contract to Can Group to provide asset integrity services on its North Sea Dunlin platform.
The Aberdeen-based Can has also announced international expansion.
The three-year contract with Fairfield Energy will be led by Engteq, the group’s integrity engineering division, that will provide services such as inspection management and data analysis, with Can’s operations division providing inspection execution and ancillary services on the pressure systems and structures.
The Aberdeen-based Can has also announced international expansion.
The three-year contract with Fairfield Energy will be led by Engteq, the group’s integrity engineering division, that will provide services such as inspection management and data analysis, with Can’s operations division providing inspection execution and ancillary services on the pressure systems and structures.
Businesses interested in offshore wind will have the chance to get involved in a technology innovation programme.
A seminar in Inverness will look at how companies in the Highlands and Islands can collaborate and tackle the high costs affecting the industry.
The organisers of the event are Energy North, the Carbon Trust and Scottish Development International.
Chevron's profits have risen for the third quarter income for the first time in three years.
The oil major credited refining costs as one of the key factors in boosting their revenue.
However the company did see a slight drop in its sales and operating revenues for the third quarter, pulling in $52billion, compared with $57billion last year.
The Press and Journal's energy editor Jeremy Creswell provides a preview of the latest features and analysis set to feature in the November edition of our sister publication, the Energy supplement.
A deal has been struck been struck at the China International Diving, Salvage and Offshore Summit for a new Cooperation Framework Agreement.
It was signed by the International Marine Contractors Association (ICMA), the Association of Diving Contractors International (ACDI), and the China Diving and Salvage Contractors Association (CDSA).
Following the announcement by Shell that production on the Brent Alpha and Bravo platforms will finally cease from November 1, Energy Voice takes a look back on its 40 year history in the North Sea.
Australian explorer Oilex has announced significant progress at its Cambay Field in India.
The company said the hydrocarbon liquid to gas ratio (LGR) found during flowback at the Cambay Field was an estimated 250% higher than expected.
During flowback it has been 100 bbls (oil barrels) of liquids per MMscfd (Million Standard Cubi Feet Per Day) of gas.
Centrica, the UKs biggest energy supplier, has announced its managing director of international downstream Chris Weston, will leave the company in December.
Mr Weston has been with company for the past 11 years, leading a number of businesses in both North America and the UK.
Oil and gas students have one final chance to enter into an industry wide competition and meet Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing and more than 150 senior representative from across the industry.
In the run up to skills week Opito has been engaging with people across the industry by giving them the chance to submit a photo with the caption #Iamoilandgas when posting a photo on Facebook or Twitter.
Philippe Sauquet has been appointed as the new president of refining and chemicals with Total, following Patrick Poyanne’s promotion to chief executive officer.
His appointment follows the death of Total boss Christophe de Margerie earlier this month in Russia.
Eni has announced its third quarter results alongside the discovery of up to one million barrels of oil in the Congo.
The company posted its third quarter results, which showed net profit of €1.71billion was down by 57% since the same time last year.
