It happened by chance, sort of
This month's Oil & Gas UK Next Generation conference in Aberdeen is expected to attract hundreds of young energy professionals from the full gamut of disciplines.
Oil & Gas
Facilitator launching postgrad talent hunt
The North Sea's Industry Technology Facilitator is launching a two-year talent hunt. The plan is to work with the North Sea and academia to build a pipeline of top-notch fresh faces into the energy sector by establishing industry-generated projects for use in postgraduate research .
S is for solar
THE sun has produced energy for billions of years. Solar energy is the sun's rays (solar radiation) that reach the Earth. Solar energy is free and its supplies are unlimited. Using solar energy produces no air or water pollution but does have some indirect impacts on the environment in the manufacture of technologies such as solar cells that convert that energy to electricity.
Harnessing waste heat from the parental taxi
SEEN the steam from a car exhaust during cold weather just after mum or dad start the parental taxi in the morning? That's water vapour condensing.
StatoilHydro hires clean, green machines
StatoilHydro has thrown down the gauntlet to other oil companies by making the largest ever commitment to environmentally responsible offshore support vessels.
Getting wrong vibes at work?
In recent years, we have seen a huge surge in compensation claims from people suffering the painful effects of hand-arm vibration exposure, often dating back many years.
Chevron’s Scots technology satellite already paying off
Eighteen months ago, Chevron set up an Aberdeen satellite to its technology company in Houston. Prediction was that staffing in Europe's energy capital would build to about 70 by now, and it has, with the prospect of growing to 120 - more than originally anticipated.
Fleet owners prepare to cash in big-time
IN 2007, there were two key events that will help set the future pace of lightweight subsea well intervention - and both involve the Aker brand.
Not just Norwegian game
TURNING to the wider subsea intervention scene, other companies continue to make progress, notably Island Offshore, whose latest interventional vessel, the 116m Island Wellserver, is scheduled for deployment with StatoilHydro, starting during the current quarter.
UK North Sea E&A drilling doubles on 2007
The first quarter of 2008 saw a doubling of E & A (exploration and appraisal) drilling levels compared with the same period for 2007, with 20 wells started and nine sidetrack legs initiated.
Timor treat for ENI
ITALIAN energy giant Eni has reported a new oil discovery in the Timor Sea in the jointly administered area held by Timor Leste and Australia. Eni said the exploration well, Kitan-1, was drilled in block JPDA06-105, some 500km off the Australian coast, to a total depth of 3,568m (11,707ft) and encountered a "significant" column of hydrocarbons.
Tullow Oil plans new Uganda campaign
TULLOW Oil plans to launch a new exploration drilling campaign on block 2 of its acreage in Uganda this month.
Premium delivery for Awilco
NORWEGIAN company Awilco Offshore has taken delivery of its fifth ultra-premium jack-up drilling rig from the PPL Shipyard in Singapore.
Tanzanian lucky strike for Aminex
AMINEX has found gas offshore Tanzania in the Nyuni/East Songo-Songo block with its Kiliwani North-1 (KN-1) exploration well. This is an offshore milestone for East Africa as there has been little drilling to date.
Barents Sea success with first well
STATOILHYDRO has struck oil and gas with the first well drilled on the Obesum prospect in the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea.
Success reported at Kita Marine
ADDAX Petroleum reports the successful appraisal of, and addition to, its Kita Marine discovery offshore Nigeria on block OML123. The KTM-6 well, drilled with Transocean's GSF High Island IX jack-up drilling rig, encountered an aggregate gross oil column of 52m (173ft) over four zones.
French energy major Total in deepwater Nigeria farm-in
TOTAL has signed an agreement with Nigerian company Conoil Producing to farm into deep offshore block OPL257 for a 40% interest, leaving Conoil as operator with a 50% interest, while another Nigerian company holds the remaining 10%.
Canadian first
STATOILHYDRO is to drill its first offshore prospect as operator in Canada during Q4 this year. The target is the Mizzen prospect (Flemish Pass Basin) off the east coast of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Transocean rig, Henry Goodrich, has been secured for the operation.
Total and Shell told to use it or lose it
IRAN has told Total and Shell that it will not extend the deadlines for completion of their South Pars development contracts beyond the present June, 2008, deadline.
Moscow tightens screw on TNK-BP
A TOTAL of 148 BP employees working for TNK-BP have been recalled from Russia due to problems with registration, the joint venture has said.
Brazil acreage
PERENCO has been granted five new exploration blocks offshore Brazil in the deepwater sector of the Espirito Santo Basin. The company will operate blocks ES-M-416, ES-M-418, ES-M-472, ES-M-529 and ES-M-531 with 50% interest in partnership with Brazilian companyOGX Petroleo e Gas.
May mooted for JDZ licensing
IT SEEMS that the long-awaited award of the last two blocks (5 and 6) in the licensing round for concessions in the Nigeria-Sao Tome and Principe Joint Development Zone (JDZ) will now be made in May, according to Patrice Trovoada, prime minister of Sao Tome. The round had been suspended 18 months ago.
Epi-V fund gets stuck into Norwegian Tarblaster outfit
UK PRIVATE equity fund Epi-V has taken an 18% stake in Tarblaster, a Norwegian company that specialises in technology designed to increase the efficiency of the oil recovery process for oil sands. The business was launched in 2006 by Olav Ellingsen, an entrepreneurial developer of innovative oil-recovery technologies. Epi-V's investment will enable Tarblaster to scale up its new technology and begin successfully commercialising it for the global oil sands market.
Chief executive makes his Mark
A RELATIVELY new player in the UK North Sea sector, Fairfield Energy, hosted a reception at the Marcliffe Hotel, Aberdeen.
Awards dinner gets the Bird
MORE than 400 people attended the 23rd Scottish offshore achievement awards dinner at the Mercure Ardoe House Hotel, near Aberdeen.