Failed offshore medicals surely food for thought
As the largest provider of offshore medicals for Oil & Gas UK, one of the most common reasons we at Abermed give for failing the examination is being overweight or obese.
Oil & Gas
Promising deepwater finds for BP and Eni
OFFSHORE Brazil may be the current star, but large new hydrocarbon finds have lately been reported on both sides of the Atlantic, in particular offshore Angola and, stretching the definition of Atlantic a bit, the US Gulf of Mexico.
NOAA’s ocean carbon quest
US AGENCY NOAA (National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration) and the National Science Foundation have commissioned the first comprehensive national study of how carbon-dioxide emissions absorbed into the oceans may be altering fisheries, marine mammals, coral reefs and other natural resources. The work will be carried out by the US National Academy of Sciences.
Joint venture wins Kashagan FEED contract
AKER Solutions, in joint venture with WorleyParsons and CB&I, has received a letter of intent to the value of $31million for the Kashagan Full Field Development FEED (front-end engineering and design) contract from Agip KCO, operator of the Kashagan consortium, Kazakhstan North Caspian Operation Company.
Stakeholders are put in the picture
INDUSTRY, government and community representatives were given an update on how Amec is faring at the annual external stakeholder event at Aberdeen's Marcliffe Hotel.
Bigger and better is cue for Solstad
IT WAS party time at the opening of larger and newly refurbished offices for Solstad Offshore (UK) at Salvesen Tower, Aberdeen.
Wave and tidal power strategy vital for Scotland
Scotland risks losing its position as the global leader in wave and tidal power unless steps are taken to put in place vital infrastructure, according to the head of a green-energy trade body
Dyas taking £40m slice of North Sea explorer’s assets
Ithaca Energy, a Canadian oil and gas explorer focused on the UK North Sea, has agreed a deal to sell 25.25% of all its assets to Dyas UK for £40million in cash.
Global banking crisis benefits China’s NOCs
Where this will take the country's energy strategy from here is unclear, but some observers believe China is unlikely to push too aggressively in other areas of possible controversy, such as the widely disputed Spratley Islands (Nansha islands, in Chinese) in the South China Sea, and the Diaoyu (Senkaku, in Japanese) islands, over which it contests ownership with Japan, in the East China Sea.
Centrica seeks £2.2bn to help fund nuclear stake
BRITISH Gas firm Centrica said yesterday it planned to tap shareholders for £2.2billion to fund the acquisition of a 25% stake in nuclear generator British Energy (BE).
OMV prepares to battle Tornado
OMV is seeking to reduce its exposure to risk at the Tornado prospect west of Shetland by farming out a large chunk of the licences which it straddles prior to drilling early next year.
Iran, Qatar and Russia setting up Opec clone
LONG talked about, the three biggest players in the global gas game are joining forces to create an Opec-style cartel. This, in turn, will drive up gas prices, especially in Europe.
Clough AMEC bags Barrow Island
AMEC'S Australian-based joint venture, Clough AMEC, has been awarded a contract by Chevron to provide engineering services for its oil production facilities at Barrow Island and Thevenard Island offshore Western Australia.
Flagship Iran field mired by delays
IRANIAN president Mahmud Ahmadinejad has inaugurated the South Pars phases 6, 7 and 8, and phases 9 and 10 are expected onstream within a few months, according to the Iranian News Agency.
Greater collaboration set to add value to the global industry
THE UK's Industry Technology Facilitator (ITF) hosted a pioneering global technology summit in Aberdeen that has set the wheels in motion for greater collaboration between the world's leading technology organisations.
Targeting deep offshore
LAST year, PetroChina announced its Jidong Nanpu discovery in Bohai Bay, which could be China's biggest oil find in 50 years, at an estimated 7billion barrels.
National energy security – what’s that?
Meanwhile, the NOCs have been investing heavily in expanding their refinery capacity away from a dependence on light sweet crude, the mainstay of domestic production, so as to take advantage of a wider range of resource investments around the globe.
Keep your people, warns Simmons
Leading energy banker Matt Simmons is warning upstream oil&gas against knee-jerk reactions, especially cutting back on investment and jobs - battening down the hatches.
‘Not required back’ offshore – take care
Oil & Gas UK recently announced its intention to publish new guidelines with respect to the somewhat contentious practice offshore colloquially known as "NRB", or "not required back".
Roller-coaster oil prices may suit Opec
I don't know where world oil prices will be when you read this, but as I write they have collapsed from a peak of $147 per barrel to $65.
Commonsense decision – at last
Last month's Government reshuffle included two significant changes that I have been advocating for a long time. Indeed, coming on top of the Damascene conversion to nuclear power, I am feeling a little bit like the prophet whose hour has come.
China – the global oil game-changer
China's oil majors are counting a bundle of mixed blessings this year as they seek to recover their confidence abroad after striking out on the acquisition trail in 2007.
Banking on a better future?
Three or four years ago, and prompted by some comments from a friend at one of the universities who had some very ungenerous things to say about the man, I sent an e-mail to Fred Goodwin.
It’s time to keep a cool head
Last week, as oil prices threatened to slide below $60, the Press and Journal understandably reported on the potential for damage to the UK's offshore industry - and rightly so. But it was presented in a balanced, responsible manner, without sensationalising the issue and avoiding words such as panic.
First of three Awilco biggies launched
Yantai Raffles has successfully loaded out the first of three semi-submersible drilling rigs under construction for Awilco Offshore.