Fostering the art of communication
A year ago, OPITO launched its highly successful Go Explore campaign designed to raise awareness of the oil&gas industry among young people with the aim of driving them to the oilandgas4u.com website.
Oil & Gas
Georgia on our minds
I have been in Georgia several times this year, working on a feasibility study of transporting gas from the Caspian Sea countries - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan - to European markets.
Master’s students show their mettle
An opportunity for industry it indeed was, and yet the turnout of oil&gas bosses to the first joint Energy Institute/Aberdeen and The Robert Gordon universities MSc projects seminar was dismal.
Industrial revolution behind unexpected ice-core results
COAL-BURNING, primarily in North America and Europe, contaminated the Arctic and potentially affected human health and ecosystems in and around Earth's polar regions a century ago, according to new research.
Fuel-cell ‘copters – whatever next?
German scientists say that, in future, it will be possible to use miniature, fuel-cell-powered robot helicopters to search for people trapped in damaged buildings, check out traffic or investigate contaminated terrain.
Maiden contract
Fugro Saltire enters Aberdeen to prepare for her maiden contract. This 111m ship, owned by E. Forland Shipowners and Fugro Rovtech, will provide offshore construction and subsea support. It is equipped with FCV 3000-class remotely operated vehicles
Chameleon’s-eye view of well bores proving a boon
Here at Energy we enjoy highlighting the development of new technologies, and it is always a struggle to create sufficient space for them.
Drugs, alcohol and oil&gas industry
As Aberdeen's leading occupational-health provider, Abermed carries out nearly 4,000 drug tests and more than 1,000 alcohol tests for various companies on an annual basis.
Joint venture
Odfjell Drilling of Norway and Metro Exploration (Th. Angellopoulos Group) have teamed up in a joint venture to own a pair of two ultra-deepwater drillships to be delivered from Hyundai Heavy Industries, South Korea, during Q1 and Q2 2011. The drillships are of Gusto design, and will be equipped for operations in water depths to 3,000m (10,000ft), but are designed to be upgraded for operations in waters as deep as 4,000m. Metro Exploration will retain 60% ownership in the vessels ordered earlier this year from HHI, and Odfjell Drilling will take a 40% stake and be responsible for the construction supervision, marketing and operation of the vessels.
Bounty find for Canadian Superior
CANADIAN Superior has notched up what it says is a significant gas discovery offshore Trinidad & Tobago with the drilling and production testing of its Bounty exploration well.
Iranians roll in barrels
NATIONAL Iranian has reported that four new oil&gas fields probed over the past two years have in-place reserves totalling 3.7billion barrels of oil and 52.97billion cu ft of gas.
StatoilHydro maps out NCS ambitions
NEW field projects and actions to increase oil&gas production are expected to add 600,000 barrels oil equivalent per day to StatoilHydro's production from the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) by 2015, according to Hege Marie Norheim, the group's head of reserves and business development on the NCS.
Firm has designs on new premises
THE MSP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, Mike Rumbles, was among the guests at an open day staged by expanding oil service firm NOV Elmar UK at its base at Westhill, near Aberdeen.
Hawaii all the way at barbecue
GRASS skirts, garlands and gaudy gear were the order of the day at a Hawaiian-theme barbecue staged by oil&gas consultancy Xodus for its staff at HQ in Aberdeen.
The not-so-hidden cost of lost knowledge
I have happily hosted many a lunch with senior executives from many industries and, not surprisingly, the conversation at some stage moves to people. And one of the concerns often expressed is about the potentially catastrophic effects of highly talented people having too much responsibility too soon.
Insurgency in Nigeria – and elsewhere
In late-June, 2008, gunmen from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) used powerboats to speed across more than 100km of open sea to attack Shell's giant Bonga oil production vessel off Nigeria.
The customer is always right
It's interesting, isn't it, that, as much as we tend to disapprove of supermarkets - tut-tutting when we read about their profits, shaking our heads at the allegations of how they treat their suppliers and despairing at how they put local shops out of business - we still can't quite bring ourselves to stop using them?
It’s selfishness and greed that rule – OK
JUST when some of the world's oil and gas hotspots were threatening to go up in flames a couple of weeks ago, lo and behold, the price of oil started to fall. Whatever the attractions of high prices to oil companies, the rest of us should breathe a small sigh of relief.
Time for ‘forensic management’
Year in, year out, time and again I have listened to North Sea leaders saying that safety is getting better and that skills issues really are being tackled. While listening politely, the sceptic in me says, "Ye-e-e-s, but watch what happens to such pledges if commodity prices head for the basement or, more particularly, sink in the quick sand of middle management".
Icelandic project steams ahead
StatoilHydro has joined an initiative that aims to tap ultra-deep geothermal energy sources in Iceland with a view to generating huge quantities of electricity sustainability. Success could deliver a tenfold increase in the amount of energy harvested from existing wells.
US embarks on fourth Arctic data collecting season using ships
WASHINGTON is sending an icebreaker into the Arctic to collect scientific data about the continental shelf and oceanic basins of its ice-bound seas. The US Coastguard cutter, Healy, has already embarked on the first of two cruises ordered by the US Extended Continental Shelf Task Force.
Seventh super-semi brings Ensco order book to $3.1bn
ENSCO International has placed yet another contract for an Ensco 8500 class ultra-deepwater semi-submersible drilling unit - the seventh in the series. The $560million order has been placed on spec with Keppel FELS in Singapore, with delivery expected during H2 2012.
Is rig rate resistance hotting up?
Rig day-rates may be about to peak as drilling contractors hit resistance from increasingly wary oil companies.
Norway launches major carbon capture research programme
Norway has committed to pouring more than £30million (NOK 300million) into a scientific research and development programme with the aim of generating more cost-effective technology for carbon capture.
Mould-breaking shared emergency response centre now coming of age
When Petrofac established its shared emergency response and crisis management business in Aberdeen during 2005, locating the facility downstairs from the Maritime Coastguard Agency at Blaikies Quay, the company was, in a sense, pushing at an open door, yet at the same time, it wasn't.