GORDON Schools technology teacher Graeme Mitchell escaped from the classroom for a few precious days in December to submerge himself in the world of subsea engineering and well operations with Helix in Aberdeen.
SO WHAT lies ahead for 2009? ITF's members have set six themed technology challenges for the year ahead and each will involve the facilitator staging a theme day in order to develop focus prior to issuing calls for project proposals.
External casing patches are as well known in the industry as a method of repair and recovery as they are for their weaknesses with their tensile and compression loads and longevity of the elastomer seals.
THE objective of this project, which was kicked off in September, 2008, is to build and field test a novel oil-in-water monitor based on miniature mass spectrometry technology.
After the festive period, it's easy to slip into the January blues, and spring may seem a long way off. Over Christmas, we may have been rather inactive, eaten too much, including offshore, and spent too much money (excluding offshore).
THE Aberdeen branch of the Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) enjoyed a bumper annual dinner, with 260 guests gathering in the city's Marcliffe Hotel.
CLIENTS of Lloyds Register EMEA in Aberdeen were treated to a musical feast at the firm's seasonal party in the city's art and music cafe, Musa.
CGGVERITAS unit Sercel is taking over UK firm Quest Geo Solutions in a cash deal. Sercel's parent says the acquisition continues to broaden Sercel's product offering and comes as a logical extension to the existing partnership between the two companies whereby Sercel distributes Quest navigation software, such as Triggerfish and Geometis.
RISK management services provider DNV is developing a standard methodology for characterising, selecting and qualifying proper sites for geological storage of CO2 - both offshore and onshore.
SCORPION Offshore reports that its fifth rig, the Offshore Intrepid, chartered by Odfjell, has received a letter of intent for operations in the Arabian Gulf starting Q2 this year and lasting for 42 months. The rig is completing at Keppel AmFELS in Brownsville, Texas, and is scheduled for delivery on January 24.
LEADING power and automation technology group ABB has successfully tested a new type of transformer that is a key component of power superhighways, or power links that can deliver vast amounts of electricity over very long distances.
NORWAY'S Aker Solutions has won the contract to supply Petrobras with the first set of subsea trees, including control systems and related equipment, for the pioneering deepwater pre-salt Tupi field development in the Espirito Santo Basin, offshore Brazil. The contract covers nine vertical subsea trees rated for 2,500m (8,200ft) water depth; subsea control systems; two complete tool sets, plus related accessories and spare parts.
NORWEGIAN trade body OLF predicts a "positive" outlook for the oil&gas industry - at least on its side of the North Sea divide.
DNV, along with five industry partners, is developing a specific safety standard that will include structural and functional design; fire and explosion protection; access, transfer and escape, and emergency power.
FMC Technologies, of Houston, is acquiring a massive chunk of Schilling Robotics in a deal worth $116million (£80million at current exchange rates), with a view to taking over the whole of the target company by 2014.
After reaching a record high of $147 in July, the price of North Sea Brent Blend plummeted to sub-$40 a few weeks ago, causing many industry players to reassess their cost structures and planned capital investments.
THE current oil-price slump is currently causing difficulties, but the market for equipment and services in the oil sands of Canada is large and set to grow even bigger once the cost of a barrel of crude gets back over $65.
A DANGEROUS incident involving the jack-up rig, Enhancer, in the closing weeks of 2008 has finally made the light of day.
A SUBSEA equipment upgrade by VetcoGray is expected to increase production from the Lobito Tomboco oilfield, offshore Angola, by 7,000-10,000 barrels per day.
NOF Energy celebrated the cream of the north/north-east of England's oil, gas and wider energy sectors at its annual awards event pre-Christmas. The categories and winners of the 2008 awards were:
Costs in the oil&gas industry continue to rocket, though IHS CERA says there are signs of moderation. The organisation's upstream index is up 9.2% over the past six months - 3.2% higher than for the prior six months.
The chairman of the 2009 Offshore Europe conference is promising an exciting programme with heavy emphasis on strategic issues, especially climate change and Big Oil, globalisation of the talent pool, operating models and breakthrough technologies.
A new company, R&A Investments, has quietly emerged on to the North Sea stage. Its founder, Richard Selwa, previously established the multifaceted oilfield SME, Vienco, and prior to that, was with engineering consultancy IGL.
Throughout the twists and turns of 2008 - and, let's face it, there have been many - the UK oil&gas industry has continually sought to secure a constructive partnership with the Government department responsible for energy.