Aberdeen firm wins Faroese acreage
FAROE Petroleum, the Aberdeen-based oil and gas operator, is among five companies awarded exploration licences in the Faroese third licensing round.
Oil & Gas
North Sea oil firm could be sold
Canadian oil exploration firm Oilexco could be sold, it emerged yesterday.
Could multinational measures give green technology a boost next year?
Fears are growing over the outlook for the environmental technology sector in the face of the global economic slowdown, rising unemployment, and big falls in commodity prices.
Oil could drop to $25 a barrel
Oil prices are likely to keep falling until well into next year and could drop as low as $25 a barrel before recovering, according to a research report from US investment bank Merrill Lynch.
North and north-east dominate awards
NORTH-EAST and Highlands and Islands firms and projects have dominated this year's Green Energy Awards, which are organised by the green energy trade body Scottish Renewables, with winners announced last night in Edinburgh.
Website flooded with tributes to oil worker
Oil workers have flooded a website with tributes to a "gentle" north-east man who was kidnapped by armed militants in Nigeria.
Offshore platform tastes healthyliving success
A North Sea installation has been named as one of the healthiest places to eat in Scotland.
Highland hotel hailed for green credentials
A Highland hotel and an international oil service company were among the winners at the 2008 Vision in Business for the Environment of Scotland (Vibes) Awards, in Edinburgh last night.
North Sea operators agree deal with US giant Schlumberger
TWO UK North Sea oil and gas operators have linked up with US energy service giant Schlumberger to secure a well-stimulation and fracturing vessel to help them with new projects.
Double North Sea vessel deal for Trinity
GLOBAL onshore and offshore catering and hotel service company Trinity International has secured two major new deals with long-standing clients Stena Drilling and Bluewater in the North Sea.
Oil and gas rivals agree asset exchange in UK waters
BP and fellow British oil and gas operator BG Group have agreed a major swap of UK North Sea assets, with both companies saying the deal enhances their efficiency in core areas.
Renewable energy policy ‘in shreds’
THE government faced an accusation last night that Scotland's renewable energy policy was "in shreds".
Boss focusing on next stage
Company bosses are well used to being centre stage when it comes to business, but one prominent north-east entrepreneur is also in the spotlight as a pantomime dame this month.
TAQA spends £420m in North Sea deal
Abu Dhabi national energy company TAQA said yesterday that wholly owned subsidiary TAQA Bratani had completed its £420million acquisition of interests in seven oil fields from Shell UK and Esso Exploration and Production (UK).
IMechE wants £40m more for marine renewables
THE Institution for Mechanical Engineering (IMechE) wants a £40million fund set up to help enable the secure anchoring of marine renewables in Scottish waters.
Oil&gas companies face changed landscape as recession hits
In the latest Ernst & Young Scottish ITEM Club economic forecast, it is predicted that Scotland is entering its first services sector-led recession, with its weakest performance since the early-1980s.
Electro-Flow Controls 21 years old and in the best fettle ever
The offshore supply chain is peppered with lots of small companies that, at first glance, seem unremarkable. They quietly get on with their job and rarely, if ever, make the headlines. Moreover, they are invariably privately owned.
Stand out from the crowd
THE North Sea is a mature oil&gas basin and the supply chain serving it is equally mature. The marketplace, with one or two key exceptions such as drilling operators, is also very competitive.
Total ownership proving a boon
IN THE introduction, we said Electro-Flow Controls ranked among those companies that quietly go about their business and are self-financed. It turns out that, so far, this firm has kept away from takeovers too.
Mature drilling market is core
THE bulk of Electro-Flow's business comes from the mature drilling rigs market rather than new-builds. But Wheeler and Littlechild say the new-builds side is showing signs of taking off. A good example is the choke control systems contract for the Transocean Clear Leader II. Another is the design and build of BOP control systems for the Q4000 deepwater intervention/drilling semi-submersible built for Helix of Houston. As for retro-fits, while the American drilling companies are hugely important, so too is having Brazilian oil company Petrobras on board as an enthusiastic user/specifier of Electro-Flow systems.
How about a solid dose of hindsight conversion?
HOW many times do we wish we could convert hindsight into foresight? My hindsight is generally 20:20, and I am sure yours is, too. However, I can't help thinking that, in the current climate, we could do with a solid dose of hindsight conversion.
Young engineers score with energy sector at Peterhead showcase
It was all systems go for the network of Young Engineering and Science Clubs (YECS) in the north-east on November 25.
Biodiesel from fish waste – could this be one for Scotland?
SCIENTISTS in Finland and Vietnam are working on the idea of manufacturing biodiesel from fish waste, funded by the EU to the tune of 5million euros.
Harnessing bugs to boost the barrels has its limitations, say researchers
The results of a study that aims to identify the realistic potential for microbially enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) have just been published and point to rather mixed results - some good, but others poor.
Christmas fare not always what it seems
Christmas is a time for family and friends to get together and enjoy festive meals. It is also an opportunity for those offshore to briefly break their routine and celebrate. However, it's also a time when food poisoning can readily show its ugly face.