Murphy Oil’s Congo duster
Murphy Oil has failed to find hydrocarbons with an exploration well drilled on the Mer Profonde Nord block offshore the Republic of Congo.
Parcom snaps up GustoMSC
Struggling SBM Offshore has agreed to the sale and transfer of GustoMSC to Parcom Capital for about $185million as part of its divestment of non-core assets. SBM said the purchase price will be paid in cash at closing.
Durrant joins board
Greenergy has appointed Tony Durrant, finance director of Premier Oil since 2005, to its board as a non-executive director. He will chair the Greenergy audit and risk committee. The firm describes itself as a leading national provider of road fuel.
Ukraine orders two rigs for $1.4bn
Ukraine's national oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrainy has chosen Keppel Offshore & Marine to build two semi-submersible drilling rigs for Black Sea service at a contract price of around $1.4billion for the pair.
$1bn Visund South onstream
Statoil has successfully brought its $1billion, 67million barrels oil equivalent Visund South satellite development onstream.
Iran’s $30bn splurge in Gulf
The Iranian Offshore Oil Company (IOOC) has signed a deal to carry out a large oil exploration project costing $30billion in the Persian Gulf, the Mehr News Agency has claimed.
McKay steps up
BP has appointed Lamar McKay as chief executive of its upstream business, effective January 1. He will take up the position in London with effect from January 1, 2013. McKay was previously US upstream head and is already a member of BP's executive management team.
Sinopec pays $2.46bn for 100mn barrels
Chinese company Sinopec has struck a deal with Total to buy the equivalent of 100million barrels of West Africa crude for around $2.46billion.
Caspian – Europe gas pipeline nears
Azerbaijan has ratified an intergovernmental agreement with Turkey that should finally lead to the construction of a $7billion pipeline designed to carry Caspian Sea gas to the edge of Europe.
Centralisers work goes to Aquaterra
Aquaterra Energy has been contracted to design and install 260 centralisers for BP Azerbaijan in its latest development on the West Chirag field platform in the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) oilfields in the Azeri sector of the Caspian Sea.
Genel takes Moroccan stake
Genel Energy, which is led by disgraced BP former chief former Tony Hayward, has secured the majority interest and operatorship of a new offshore concession in the Moroccan sector of the Atlantic.
Alliance wins Timan-Pechora concessions
Russia's licensing agency Rosnedra has awarded five exploration licences in northern Russia's Timan-Pechora region to Alliance Oil.
Belfast yard secures Norwegian work
Harland & Wolff of Belfast has secured contracts with Kvaerner Verdal to manufacture pile sleeve clusters and flotation tanks for the Edvard Grieg production platform jacket and for the Martin Linge production platform . . . both Norwegian sector developments.
Prosafe orders another floatel
Jurong Shipyard in Singapore has received a $350million order from Prosafe for a second harsh environment semi-submersible accommodation rig. To be named Safe Zephyrus, it is to be delivered near yearend 2014.
Opito picks up Gall
Opito, has appointed Graham Gall as its new UK standards and approvals director to lead the development and delivery of safety and competence training standards throughout the industry. He is said to bring a wealth of experience to the table.
Fastnet secures Irish acreage
Fastnet Oil & Gas has been granted license options on five partial blocks offshore Ireland in the Northern Celtic Sea by the Irish authorities.
Eurocopter boss was reassuring
There are a lot of angry and even scared people working offshore whose lives are being seriously disrupted by the fact that 19 EC225 Super Puma helicopters will remain parked, mostly at Dyce Airport, until Eurocopter finds out precisely why two members of the class suffered serious and, on the face of it, identical failures.
Europe’s shale boom
Shale is booming, but not in Europe it seems. There's plenty of talk, not a lot of action, and what there has been has mostly so riled local populaces and NGOs that it has largely ground to a halt pending clarification, even legislation.
Be very wary indeed of Chinese NOCs
Asian national oil companies bent on taking control of Canadian oil and gas assets through acquisitions by CNOOC and Petronas are facing growing opposition to the deals.
Capitalising on that oyster . . . Global’s chairman Roy MacGregor reflects
Cromarty Firth entrepreneur Roy MacGregor is in an ebullient mood these days. His Global Energy Group is storming ahead, fuelled by an excellent and fast growing contracts book; successfully securing the famous Nigg fabrication yard a year ago; and sure in his mind that corporate succession is taken care of through sons Donald and Iain.
Energy Challenge Fund will boost industry recruitment and training
Around 700 newcomers to Scotland's energy industry could get access to essential training and skills as a result of a £2million Energy Challenge Fund, managed on behalf of the Scottish Government by Skills Development Scotland.
$65bn LNG mega-project proposed by Alaskan big three
Alaska's three largest operators have joined forces to propose a major Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project with the objective of offering supply North Slope natural gas to Asian markets.
Vexed question of hydraulic fracking
Shale gas is hot property. The world appears to be awash with the stuff though quite how large the resource is possibly anybody's guess. At best, current estimates are crude . . . no pun intended.
Harran flying high following relocation to new Aberdeen HQ
The £250,000 investment in Harran Limited's new Aberdeen headquarters is already paying multiple dividends and has created the space needed for further vigorous growth, both at home in the North Sea and overseas.
Transocean places $3billion drillship order
Transocean has been awarded 10-year contracts by Shell for four new-build dynamically-positioned ultra-deepwater drillships, with the first to be delivered in mid-2015.