Market for floaters looks set to boom
Production ships now dominate the global floating production scene and their market is set to boom to the tune of $34billion of investment over the period 2008 through 2012.
Oil & Gas
Piper Alpha: 20 years on and the laws on safety keep evolving
As the North Sea industry marks the 20-year anniversary of the Piper Alpha disaster, it seems fitting to take stock of the resultant changes, and in particular to note raised awareness of health and safety issues and ask whether all lessons may have been fully learned?
Government must step up to the plate
As part of Scottish Government's engagement with the business, I attended a recent meeting with Jim Mathers, Minister for Enterprise, Education and Tourism, and local business leaders, most notably from Oil & Gas UK, Talisman, Shell, Venture, Apache, Total and PSN.
Pity the tanker drivers’ strike wasn’t longer
The tanker drivers' strike was too short. Here was a genuine opportunity to give people a real taste of what life is going to be like in just a few short years if we continue to do nothing about liquid fuels, and we blew it.
Petrobras to order 12 new ultra-deepwater drilling rigs
PETROBRAS is ordering 12 new ultra-deepwater drilling rigs capable of operating in waters 2,400-3,000m of water.
So who’s the real donkey, Broon?
The price of donkeys in the Yozgat district of Central Turkey has increased sevenfold as local people are giving up the use of tractors because of rocketing fuel prices and substituting them with a centuries-old means of getting about.
Scots winning through in Venezuela
Just over a year ago, Venezuela's then minister for Europe, Rodrigo Chaves, visited Scotland and suggested to me that it would be appropriate to have a stronger direct link between our two nations.
Russians planning subsea drilling rig
GAZPROM is working with a former builder of Russian nuclear submarines to develop a subsea drilling system capable of drilling beneath the pack ice of Russia's Arctic.
Sevan scores $1.5billion double whammy in Brazil and India
Norwegian company Sevan Marine can press ahead with building two more of its innovative drilling rigs thanks to winning contracts worth more than $1.5billion - one with Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) of India, the other with Petrobras of Brazil.
E&A drilling storming ahead on UKCS
Halfway through 2008 and it is timely to make a comparison with 2007 activity levels. It turns out that UK exploration drilling has almost doubled compared with the same period last year - 15 spuds versus 29.
Think tank condemns wind out of hand
Wind energy "can only play a negligible role in plugging Britain's looming energy gap", according to the UK's Centre for Policy Studies.
Hydrogen corridor for north-east?
A "hydrogen corridor" is being planned by the Scottish Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Association for the road between Aberdeen and Peterhead. It would complement the Energetica economic development project that is in the early stages of being rolled out in the Scottish north-east.
Brothers set to share £100m following sale of oil service firm
Four brothers who founded a fast-growing oil service firm in the north-east less than seven years ago are to share nearly £100million following its sale yesterday.
Origin urges shareholders to resist BG offer
Australian company Origin Energy urged shareholders yesterday to reject BG Group's £6.7billion hostile takeover.
North Sea operator agrees £500m overdraft
CANADIAN oil and gas operator Oilexco said yesterday its Oilexco North Sea subsidiary had signed an agreement with the Royal Bank of Scotland to increase its credit line to about £500million.
Oil operators accused of risking safety in exploitation bid
Offshore oil operators were accused last night of deliberately delaying maintenance operations to produce as much oil as possible to exploit sky-high world prices.
Disappointed hauliers get no joy after major demonstration
Scottish haulage bosses left London last night "deeply disappointed" after the UK Government defied a demonstration against soaring fuel costs.
Module firm continues to invest in fleet
A NORTH-EAST supplier of offshore accommodation modules and containers for the international energy industry yesterday reported record growth in 2007.
Expro chief upbeat about firm’s future under private ownership
The Aberdonian chief executive of international oilfield service group Expro has predicted a "fantastic future" for the business under its new ownership.
Hunting kept strong by energy demand
INTERNATIONAL energy service company Hunting said yesterday that trading conditions continued to be robust and the board remained confident on the outlook for 2008.
Holyrood committee ‘misses the point’ over energy HQ loss
THE Holyrood committee which blamed civil servants for banning former deputy first minister Nicol Stephen from championing Aberdeen's case to host a £1billion energy institute was itself accused last night of "missing the point".
Venture making progress despite Chestnut production delay
Venture Production said yesterday it had continued to make solid progress in developing new assets in the first half of 2008 despite the delay of first oil from the Chestnut field.
Oil surges to $144 a barrel as tension mounts in Iran
The cost of oil surged to a new record near $144 a barrel yesterday as oil company bosses gathered in Madrid to discuss rocketing prices.
Piper Alpha disaster remembered
The minister who will lead the Piper Alpha commemorations said the pain of the disaster could be felt across an entire city.
MSP ‘gagged over energy institute’
Former deputy first minister Nicol Stephen was gagged by civil servants when he tried to secure a £1billion energy institute for Aberdeen, it can be revealed today.