Set in motion by the collapse of the financial markets, the credit crunch and the global recession, the oil&gas industry has suffered its share of setbacks in the past two years as falling commodity prices and the drop in economic activity created a dip in energy demand.
For the OTC issue, it seemed appropriate to look at the increasing challenge for the oil&gas industry of moving key employees between Houston and the UK.
Often, the tasks undertaken away from the public eye, with a low profile and little public recognition, are of huge value to an industry's operations - and data management in the UK oil&gas industry is one such case.
A decade ago, oil&gas production in the UK stood at 4.5million barrels oil equivalent per day. Last year, that figure was 2.5mmboed. The UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) is in decline, but the UK oil&gas industry is most certainly not.
Ischaemic heart disease (coronary artery disease) is a condition in which fatty deposits build up in the linings of the walls of the coronary arteries. This causes the artery to narrow and reduces the blood flow to the heart muscle.
Oil and gas prices are critical to the future development of the industry both in the North Sea and worldwide.
The energy sector in the Middle East and North Africa is presented with as many challenges as it is opportunities. Security risks, in particular, tend to receive the most news coverage and are often among the top concerns of energy professionals travelling to the region.
The first intake of students at exploHUB, a new Aberdeen University venture focused on the full-time training of geoscientists in the fundamentals of hydrocarbon exploration, start nine months of study in September.
TECHNICIANS are a key part of the backbone of the North Sea oil&gas industry. One such individual is Paul Cattanach, of TAQA Bratani.
IN AN electrifying first, American scientists have plugged into algae cells and harnessed a tiny electric current. They found it at the very source of energy production - photosynthesis, a plant's method of converting sunlight to chemical energy.
As the solar wind flows over natural obstructions on the moon, it may charge polar lunar craters to hundreds of volts, according to new calculations by Nasa's Lunar Science Institute team.
Maersk has taken delivery of the last in a series of three identical ultra-deepwater development semi-submersible drilling rigs constructed at Keppel FELS in Singapore.
THE Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has acquired seismic data in the areas off Lofoten, Vesteralen and Senja (Nordland VI and Troms II) that points to recoverable petroleum resources in the order of 1.3billion barrels oil equivalent. Based on the new knowledge and previously acquired data, the NPD has mapped the areas and estimated the resource potential.
THE UK sector is not the only part of the North West Europe Continental Shelf where Q1 drilling activity is behind the same period in 2009.
AKER Solutions has been hired by BP to provide subsurface consultancy services on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Under the three-year agreement, Aker Solutions' geo-business will deliver operational geology services from BP's onshore facility in Stavanger and wellsite geology services from BP's assets offshore Norway.
INTERNATIONAL engineering and project management company Amec has strengthened its Europe and West Africa management team based out of Aberdeen with two new senior appointments.
SWISS company Spectraseis, a provider of low-frequency seismic solutions to the upstream oil&gas industry, has reported that Malaysian state oil company Petronas has become the latest petroleum company to join the so-called Low Frequency Seismic Partnership (LFSP).
HALLIBURTON has snapped up well intervention, workover and firefighting legend Boots & Coots in a stock and cash transaction worth about $240million.
FMC Technologies has secured the $210million contract with Total for the manufacture and supply of subsea production equipment for the Laggan-Tormore subsea development West of Shetland.
IMPORTANT new oil finds have been declared on block 15 offshore Angola that clear the way to investment in a new production centre - the so-called Western Hub.
While the recovery may be slower than anticipated by some offshore leaders, it is happening, and 2011 has the makings of a decent year, according to a survey by Maxwell Drummond International.
OIL States MCS says it has successfully completed an underwater, remotely controlled, "fully castellated" cutting operation using one out of a series of eight new-build external cutting manipulators (ECM).
Flexible-pipe specialist flexlife is playing the lead role in a JIP (joint industry project) to carry out ground-breaking research that could help extend the future life span of flexible riser pipes.
Keppel Verolme and consortium partner French energy company AREVA have secured a $117.6million contract from Wetfeet Offshore to build a mobile offshore application barge (MOAB) for a new windfarm in German waters.
RELIANCE Industries, the largest private-sector company in India, is ploughing $1.7billion into the US shale-gas bonanza via a deal with American company Atlas Energy.
