UK Government bank will consider buying stakes in floating wind ports
UK ports face uncertainty when investing in floating wind - the UK Infrastructure Bank is looking at levers to help.
North Sea
“Chips once a week”: Offshore industry grapples with health and safety risk of weight gain
Offshore leaders are working to address health and safety risks as North Sea workers’ weight continues to grow.
Harbour Energy completes drilling at Tolmount East site
Harbour Energy (LON: HBR) has completed drilling of the Tolmount East project ahead of first gas expected later this year.
Dozens of Petrofac workers to strike on Ithaca assets after ‘clawback’ offer rejected
Around 85 Petrofac (LON: PFC) workers will strike for six days after rejecting a pay deal the union claimed would amount to a £6,000 pay cut.
AF Gruppen secures decom contract for North Sea platform
Norwegian company AF Gruppen (AFG) has secured a key decommissioning contract for a North Sea platform.
Serica Energy balances buoyant results with ‘wholly unwelcome’ windfall tax
Serica reported a large increase to pre-tax profits but lambasted the “burden” of the UK windfall tax on the wider industry.
Equinor’s Johan Castberg sees cost surge by nearly £1bn
Meanwhile Var Energi, a partner on Johan Castberg, has also seen costs surge on its Balder X project.
‘Financially untenable’: Drilling body warns renewables at risk amid North Sea rig exodus
A North Sea drilling industry body has warned the viability of UK renewables projects is at risk unless the UK government changes its policy towards windfall taxes and day rates.
Extinction Rebellion protesters target Labour headquarters
Climate change protesters from Extinction Rebellion (XR) poured fake oil and set off smoke grenades in a targeted protest at the headquarters of the Labour Party in London.
Shell pushes on with CCS in Southern North Sea transformation
It comes weeks after the firm received final bids for its SNS gas fields, and after exiting the Northern Endurance carbon capture and storage project.
UK government formally approves new North Sea oil project
The UK Government has formally approved the Affleck redevelopment - a new oil project in the North Sea.
Pair of North Sea divers sanctioned for fraud
HSE and the Police worked to strip the divers of their qualifications, both of whom worked for North Sea contractors.
Bid to create Aberdeen memorial statue for North Sea divers
Alan Herriot, who sculpted the Robert the Bruce statue in Aberdeen, will design the new memorial to North Sea divers.
Podcast: What’s holding up the North Sea’s £200bn prize? – with David Whitehouse
A “colossal” £200bn could be spent in the UK North Sea by 2030, but about half of that is in investment doldrums over political uncertainty.
Stepwise launches emissions reduction pilot with Serica Energy
Environmental services firm Stepwise has announced a pilot project with North Sea operator Serica Energy to reduce emissions from offshore oil and gas wells.
Hydrogen ‘bank’ could bring storage at scale to UK North Sea
Aberdeen University is working on a project where hydrogen could be “banked” in depleted oil and gas reservoirs in the UK North Sea.
Rystad: North Sea projects worth $14bn could be sanctioned by 2024, but windfall tax risk remains
All in all the research firm believes there is scope for companies to press the green button on 14 UK North Sea schemes in 2024 alone.
UK ‘completely uncompetitive’ for oil and gas investment, says EnQuest CEO
EnQuest (LON: ENQ) CEO Amjad Bseisu has warned that the UK is “completely uncompetitive” for upstream oil and gas investment.
Chris Cox and Curium Resources going after North Sea’s untapped discoveries
A “fundamental belief” that the UK should be developing its North Sea resources is the big driver behind Chris Cox’s new vehicle, Curium Resources.
Transforming UK energy security in the transition: Viaro Energy and the role of independent producers
With interests in more than 30 fields in the North Sea, Viaro Energy has quickly established itself as a household name on the UK Continental Shelf. Pursuing a strategy of targeted M&A opportunities, the company has consistently capitalised on unfavourable market conditions through continuous investments in both exploration and production assets, made more affordable by the accompanying economic downturn.
TotalEnergies weighs up West of Shetland FIDs
TotalEnergies is weighing up its projects for FID (final investment decision) in the West of Shetland, but the uncertain fiscal regime in the UK may have an impact.
TotalEnergies’ Payer talks skills, safety and diversification in North Sea
UK managing director Nicolas Payer on TotalEnergies' multi-energy plan for the region, and having 'no regrets' on sharing footage of the Storm Otto safety incident on Elgin-Franklin.
Offshore Europe 50: Innovation is in the north-east’s DNA
For the last fifty years, the North Sea energy industry has been synonymous with endeavour, innovation, and achievement.
‘OilyFans’: London agency pitches oil and gas hit campaign (Exclusive)
Following an ‘OilyFans’ billboard sting in July, Don’t Panic is pitching a multi-thousand-pound online hit campaign, complete with a stunt film and deepfakes of oil bosses.
Wave-powered oil fields? Mocean and Aker Solutions target UK pilot project
Aker Solutions and Mocean have signed an agreement which could see UK oil and gas fields powered by wave energy within two years.