Global wind market sets new record despite Euro-wobble
Despite Europe exceeding all expectations in 2012, GWEC expects policy disruptions to take a toll on future installations, writes Jeremy Cresswell.
China and US jostle for pole position, but Asia will continue to dominate
2012 was a record year for the US. However, despite renewal of the so-called Production Tax Credit for a further year, GWEC believes that "broader market conditions and politics" may impact the level of support available to renewables in the country in the short to medium term.
‘Donkey’ buoy key to 2billion barrels North Sea oil prize
A Scottish company has developed a low-cost, buoy-based autonomous oil production system that is to be deployed in the North Sea on former Hess-operated assets.
Development of online hydrates inhibitor monitoring system under way
Edinburgh-based flow assurance consultancy and lab services company Hydrafact has kicked off a joint industry project to develop an online hydrate inhibition monitoring system called Online HydraCHEK.
Chevron … time to wake up and talk!
Last month, one of the biggest stories for the UK North Sea was botched.
Seismic … BP’s window on the North Sea
Seismic data is one of the most powerful weapons in the upstream oil and gas industry’s arsenal. The higher the quality the greater the likelihood is that exploration targets can be assessed effectively before the drillbit turns and producing fields can be accurately managed, leading to superior recovery rates.
Booming American oil and gas industry a huge jobs generator
The oil industry is booming in North America where shale has become the biggest industrial success story of the decade despite mounting environmental concern about the heavy use of rock fracturing to release the prize.
New ship contracts push Noble Drilling’s back-log past $15bn
Plains Exploration & Production is hiring two of Noble Drilling's ultra-deepwater drillships on order in South Korea in contracts worth about $1.4billion.
National Hyperbaric Centre’s global expansion
The UK's National Hyperbaric Centre has launched new subsea-related courses in the Middle East and South Africa as part of the company's global expansion plans to meet growing demand from clients.
HEMS toughens up drilling hardware for East Africa hunt
The first consignment of new drilling hardware designed to combat abrasive drilling conditions in East Africa's emerging oil and gas sector has been shipped from Aberdeen for use in ongoing operations.
Russia’s Gazprom and Shell to mount Arctic push
Gazprom and Shell are joining forces to pursue oil and gas resources in the Russian Arctic, with the Anglo-Dutch company signed up to a 33.3% stake in its consort's Arctic exploration projects.
Israel joins global club in new era of self-sufficiency
Mid-March saw Israel join the global club of deepwater producers with first commercial production achieved from the Tamar gas field.
Tamar both flagship and source of discontent
The current and for some years driving force behind Israel's successful quest for energy is US independent Noble Energy which, coincidentally, is now pushing hard offshore the Falkland Islands via a farm-in arrangement with Falkland Oil & Gas and Edison.
Shipyards batting for Israel’s national interest
Among the companies visited by the UK delegation during the Israel pathfinder organised by the British Embassy was Israel Shipyards of Haifa.
Scots firm develops acoustics for drilling in challenging conditions
Sophisticated acoustic technology has been developed by Aberdeen company Nautronix for use in Arctic and other challenging conditions where a rig uses a surface blow-out preventer (BOP) and pre-positioned emergency well capping system.
Curious report forgets Scots used technology decades ago
What a curious document it is, the Commons energy and climate change committee’s report titled The Impact of Shale Gas on Energy Markets.
Total’s 52 days of North Sea hell
On March 25 last year, a North Sea catastrophe was narrowly avoided when a serious gas leak forced the shutdown of the Elgin/Franklin fields complex for the best part of 12 months.
Energy crisis? What energy crisis?
Britain has an energy crisis; make no mistake.
Gulf of Mexico bonanza for trio of deepwater exploration groups
In a remarkable run of luck, a clutch of petroleum companies prospecting for oil and gas in the deepwater portion of the US Gulf of Mexico have collectively struck big-time paydirt, with one discovery quite possibly holding up to 1billion barrels oil equivalent.
Dirk Schulze . . . steering Bentec to a global future
Drilling rig designer and builder Bentec marks its 125th anniversary late this year, a remarkable achievement for the Germany company, which is a unit of KCA Deutag of Aberdeen.
Uniconn set for rapid growth following key deals
A new name has emerged on to the oil services stage in Aberdeen following complex corporate engineering.
Optimus – helping energy firms to gain insight
Optimus, the Aberdeen-based oil and gas engineering consultancy business, is saving energy industry operators' and contractors' time and money thanks to its growing business improvement capability.
Petrofac wins milestone contract on $1.1bn Mexican subsea development
Petrofac's Engineering & Consulting Services business (ECS), in partnership with Doris Engineering of Houston (Doris), has been awarded a project management contract by Mexico's state operator Pemex.
Strathclyde’s Team Hydra wins BP’s Ultimate Field Trip challenge
Team Hydra is the winner of the Ultimate Field Trip 2013 competition, the UK's leading science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) talent discovery event.
Former Dounreay employee lands apprentice ROV job with Fugro
The first graduate to come through training at The Underwater Centre, Fort William, as a result of a Caithness Chamber of Commerce-led funding initiative has landed his first job in the offshore industry.