Making an impact
When energy company Petro-Canada made its North Sea debut by acquiring the assets of Veba Oil and Gas in 2002, the UK North Sea was just getting to grips with a new era.
Oil & Gas
Partnership to bid for offshore windfarms
Utilities ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall have agreed a partnership to make joint bids in the third round of offshore wind power development in the UK.
Ithaca completes Beatrice deal
CANADIAN oil and gas operator Ithaca Energy said yesterday it had completed the £10million leasing of the Beatrice oil field and Nigg oil terminal from Talisman Energy and had taken over operatorship.
Halliburton-owned PSL reports £21.7m loss
PSL Energy Services, the north-east firm acquired by US energy service giant Halliburton for £128million in 2007, has reported pre-tax losses of £21.7million for last year.
Innovative partnerships crucial to sector’s success
THE oil and gas industry needs to think "outside the box" to develop next-generation technology vital for the future of the sector, it has been claimed.
Leopard agrees forecourt lease deal
AN INVESTMENT company controlled by Alasdair Locke, the executive chairman of Abbot Group, and seven directors from two property-development firms, has agreed a deal to lease 45 petrol stations to Murco Petroleum.
Financial crisis could hit North Sea budgets
A director at Oil and Gas UK has said that lower oil prices and the impact of the credit crunch could hit North Sea capital investment next year.
Forties operator aims to grow UKCS output and reserves
Oil and gas operator Apache North Sea says it intends to be active in acquiring and exploring new acreage and pursuing new development opportunities.
Tide has to turn for power from sea
SCOTLAND is ideally placed to lead the way in marine renewables, a conference in Aberdeen was told yesterday.
Endeavour to play part in North Sea campaign
NORTH Sea focused oil and gas operator Endeavour International said yesterday it would participate in two strategic wells in the fourth quarter of this year.
BG upbeat on prospects for future output
Oil and gas operator BG Group said yesterday it had delivered another excellent result in the third quarter of 2008, and its outlook remained strong.
Oil firm needs funds for African projects
SCOTTISH oil and gas explorer Bowleven said yesterday it needed more cash to progress exploration and development programmes in west Africa.
Dominion expects Argon acquisition to lead to more jobs
Aberdeen-based oilfield service company Dominion Gas announced a £4million-plus acquisition yesterday, which is expected to lead to additional jobs.
North-east firms urged to join Mexico trip
NORTH-EAST companies are being encouraged to join a trade trip exploring oil and gas opportunities in the Gulf of Mexico area.
Reservoir boosts data-management arm with InfoAsset buy
North-east energy service firm Reservoir Group announced another acquisition yesterday.
Qserv actively recruiting to keep pace with rapid rate of expansion
North-east oil service company Qserv said yesterday it was on target to increase its worldwide workforce to 700 by the end of the decade.
Out of sight, out of mind, warns trust
Relaxation of the constraints that dictate where offshore windfarms can be built could cut £16billion from the overall cost of developing UK offshore wind, the Carbon Trust claims.
Living Drummond Lawson’s dream
Lewis Limited, of Aberdeen, is a subsea engineering company specialising in bespoke design-and-build and operation of riserless and lightweight subsea well-intervention equipment. That includes lightweight risers to surface for coiled-tubing intervention as well.
Energy an ever-changing landscape
The landscape in which companies execute major capital investment oil&gas projects has changed since the 1960s North Sea and Gulf of Mexico booms.
Getting to grips with graduates major challenge
It is encouraging to see this industry continuing to attract graduates. In recent years, we have enjoyed a strong pipeline of new talent fresh from university filtering through the doors of companies across the supply chain, from major operators to small niche technology firms.
Need for smarter regulation of UKCS
The UK oil&gas industry has a considerable challenge on its hands to maximise recovery of the nation's remaining 25billion barrels of oil&gas from beneath the seabed.
Do you recall the last time?
THE stock market is on a roller-coaster ride, and so are oil prices. We have moved very quickly from July's figure of $147 a barrel to about half that level. On September 29, oil fell by $10 in one day, but it is worthwhile to reflect that, back in 1995, the price of oil was $10 barrel.
The times they are a changin’ – again
Whether your credit is being crunched, squeezed or wiped out, there is no escaping the way the world is changing shape again.
Sterling’s East Breagh drilling high point for October
TEN exploration and appraisal wells are currently active on the UKCS, although that count is 11 if Caithness's Middle Jurassic Lybster appraisal on block 11/24 of the Inner Moray Firth is included, being drilled from an onshore location. But just two wells were spudded in October, both in the Northern North Sea - Total's well 8/15-2 on the Palaeocene Sailor prospect, which is imminently to re-spud, and Sterling's well 210/29a-4 on the Middle Jurassic Cladhan prospect.
Kidnap and ransom
When asking students on our hostile environments courses, "What is the biggest threat to your safety and security when operating in .........", this blank could be filled with "West Africa", "The Middle East" or "South America", among many other areas. But their answer, without fail, is "kidnap".