North Sea drilling figures show mixed picture
The number of new exploration and appraisal (E&A) wells in the UK North Sea during the first quarter of 2015 was double that of a year ago, new figures show.
Oil price slump sees 5,000 jobs cut
More firms have joined the list of companies laying off north-east workers as a result of the sharp slump in oil prices.
State Oil ups its stake in UK road fuel supply
State Oil, an importer and saupplier of automotive and industrial fuels, has today announced that it has successfully completed the acquisition of Harvest Energy and Harvest Energy Aviation.
Major milestone for North Sea Clair Ridge project
BP’s £4.5billion North Sea Clair Ridge project, which is expected to keep the UK producing oil beyond 2050, has taken a giant leap forward. Three huge topside modules have been installed on the “quarters and utilities” (QU) platform following their long journey from a shipyard in South Korea. They were safely lifted onto pre-installed jackets by the Heerema Thialf deepwater construction vessel.
Trap Oil in share price plunge after survival deal
Trap Oil saw hundreds of thousands of pounds wiped off its value yesterday as investors reacted poorly to a survival deal struck with the North Sea firm’s creditors.
New record for UK green power
A record 22.3% of UK electricity was generated by renewables such as wind, biomass and solar in the first three months of this year, figures show.
Hydro Group gets heavy with new pressure testing kit
Aberdeen firm Hydro Group can simulate the intense pressures of thousands of feet below sea level to test subsea cabling after a £250,000 investment in new equipment. The firm, which designs and manufactures cables and connectors for customers in the oil & gas, renewable-energy, defence and aerospace industries, said yesterday its new hydrostatic pressure tank could pressure test large cable assemblies and equipment up to 2,200psi, simulating depths of 5,000 feet below sea level.
New boss named for Nexen’s North Sea business
Oil and gas firm Nexen last night announced a change at the top for its UK North Sea arm, with Ray Riddoch taking over from Archie Kennedy as managing director on July 1.
Irish firm has high hopes for Newgrange prospect
Irish oil and has explorer Providence Resources has hailed its Newgrange frontier exploration licence as a "very attractive deep-water exploration proposition".
Mongolian oil exploration work can proceed
Petro Matad, the parent of a group of companies focused on oil exploration as well as future development and production in Mongolia, has announced condition-free status for a two-block farm-out deal.
Independent Oil and Gas secures vital funding
North Sea-focused energy company Independent Oil and Gas (IOG) said today it had raised a further £145,000 through a share placement, making it "adequately funded until September 4 - the deadline for a final loan repayment to investment firm Darwin Strategic.
Plexus announces launch date for Python subsea wellhead system
Aberdeen company Plexus Holdings will unveil its new subsea wellhead, developed in partnership with Python consortium partners, on September 8 during the city's Offshore Europe oil and gas show.
Oil ends the week with a fall after three days of gains
Crude oil fell about 2% today, the first decline after three days of gains, as worries over the Greek fiscal crisis, weaker oil products prices and pre-weekend profit-taking undercut the market.
Changes to offshore rotas must not compromise health and safety
The current challenges facing the oil and gas industry have led to numerous initiatives and proposals to both reduce cost and increase efficiency.
Shell’s blowout response tests hailed a success
Royal Dutch Shell has successfully used and tested emergency equipment meant to respond to a well blowout in the Arctic Ocean, US regulators said today.
Opinion: Cycling approach could help transform North Sea sector
There may not appear to be an obvious link between the prospects for North Sea oil and gas and the recent successes of British Cycling. But the innovative thinking which delivered Olympic gold medals and Tour de France victories could also benefit the UK’s energy industry.
Top bosses arrested in Petrobras corruption probe
The heads of two of Brazil’s largest conglomerates were detained by police as part of a widening corruption investigation at state oil company Petrobras.
First Minister urges Westminster to reconsider subsidies decision
Scotland's first minister has urged the UK Government to reconsider its decision to end subsidy payments for onshore windfarms a year early.
Oil and gas firms need more protection from supply-side failures, survey shows
Large oil and gas companies around the world are failing to take basic steps to protect themselves from the financial failure of their suppliers at a time of ruthless cost-cutting, a new survey shows.
Nearly 50 jobs go as Red7Marine crashes into administration
The Red7Marine group of companies has gone bust, with 47 jobs axed, professional services firm EY said today. Red7Marine Group and its subsidiaries, Red7Marine and Red7Marine Offshore, provide offshore oil and gas, marine renewables, maritime inland subsea engineering and marine engineering services.
Aberdeen know-how at the heart of big Texas event
The expertise of an Aberdeen global oil and gas consultancy is to be shared with a US audience as some of the industry’s vital challenges are tackled at a high-profile event. One of the founding directors of Maxoil Solutions has been confirmed as the co-chairman of a key Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) technical session during a period in which the company’s experience in maximising efficiency is in high demand.
New animation celebrates 50 years of UK North Sea industry
Oil & Gas UK (OGUK)’s annual conference, which focused on the next 40 years of the offshore industry and attracted more than 500 people, ended with the launch of an animation celebrating the sector’s achievements to date. The short infographic celebrates 50 years of exploration for oil and gas in the UK North Sea and the production that has been achieved over four decades.
Greenpeace urges Defra to move fast on fracking report
Environmental campaigners have called on the UK Government to swiftly make public the full version of a heavily redacted report into the impacts of fracking following a ruling by the Information Commissioner in their favour. The commissioner's office is insisting the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) publish in full.
Ewing gauges strength of feeling for windfarm subsidies decision
Scotland's energy minister, Fergus Ewing, has today met green-energy industry and other business leaders to discuss the UK Government’s decision to end onshore wind subsidies. The Department of Energy and Climate Change, announced yesterday its intention to close the renewables obligation for onshore wind from April 2016.
Opinion: Where next for UK and Scottish onshore wind power?
The announcement by Energy Secretary Amber Rudd to close the renewables obligation (RO) for onshore wind-power generation has undermined a central plank of UK energy policy. One of the key successes of the Labour and the late coalition government was to deploy large quantities of cheap and secure onshore wind-power generating capacity across the entire British isles.