Fuel-cell plane an aviation first
The first manned flights of a fuel cell-powered light aircraft have taken place in Spain. But the tiny plane is dramatically different from the passenger jets we're used to.
Oil & Gas
Latest purpose-built vessel marks new era for Fugro-Rovtech
FUGRO-ROVTECH Ltd christened its latest purpose-built construction support and intervention vessel in Bergen, Norway.
Riser-based ESPs offer low-cost output boost
Electric submersible pumps (ESPs) located in production riser pipes as opposed to deep underground in wellbores offers a cost-effective means of extending field life, says Centrilift.
Norwegians set new world record with 10km well
On April 8, StatoilHydro set a new world record by drilling and completing a well just short of 10km in length from a North Sea platform.
Shell offering South Uist stake
Fifteen exploration and appraisal wells were active in the UKCS, comprising six exploration and nine appraisal wells, at the time this was being written.
Super semi on tow to Europe
OSLO: Aker Solutions says its Aker H-6e drilling rig hull has sailed from the Drydocks Dubai yard on a 50-day voyage to the Aker Solutions yard at Stord, Norway.
New jack-up for North Sea
LONDON: Workfox has taken delivery of the new-build jack-up drilling rig, Seafox 7, under an exclusive management agreement with Seafox Contractors.
Ensco orders fifth $500m super-semi
HOUSTON: Ensco International has decided to build a fifth Ensco 8500 Series ultra-deepwater semi-submersible drilling rig at the Keppel FELS shipyard in Singapore at a cost of some $515million.
Cash in pipeline for Anthony Nolan
MEMBERS of the Aberdeen section of the Pipeline Industries Guild (PIG) and their guests enjoyed their 14th annual black-tie dinner at the city's Marcliffe Hotel.
Open day focus on new technology
MORE than 100 people were given an insight into a new hard-as-diamond product which could save the oil and gas industry millions of pounds a year.
Seadrill in massive $4.1billion Brazil win
SEADRILL of Norway has won an unconditional letter of award from Petrobras for contracts with a total revenue potential of about $4.1billion over 18 rig years for three new-build deepwater drilling rigs, the West Eminence, West Taurus and West Orion.
Britain still offers a bright future for investors
I AM absolutely convinced that the UK oil&gas market remains a key and exciting place to invest.
Nautronix scores bundle first with NASNet
Aberdeen company Nautronix has just delivered a NASNet acoustic positioning package to Wick in preparation for a pipeline bundle tow-out from Subsea 7's fabrication yard.
Danes taking on Aberdeen locals
Danbor, an offshore logistics subsidiary of AP Moller Maersk, is quietly establishing itself in Aberdeen next door to Maersk Oil's UK HQ at Altens Industrial Estate.
Gazprom and Rosneft get Russian shelf
The Shtokman Development Company, comprising Gazprom, Statoil Hydro and Total, is planning three development stages, each with subsea production complexes.
Shtokman sets Arctic challenge
A major decision about the surface facilities for the giant Barents Sea Shtokman development will be made this year.
M&A deals crash as banking crisis bites
Upstream oil & gas merger and acquisition (M & A) total transaction value in Europe slumped to just $171million in the first quarter of 2008 after more than doubling to $5.5billion in 2007, according to US analysts John S Herold.
US the land of opportunity if you go about it the right way
Ron Clark has become a "weel kent" face in the Houston oil & gas community and always turns up at the Post Oak Hilton when the Scottish group makes its annual pilgrimage to the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston.
CSL springboards set up for big push
Aberdeen-headquartered subsea project management and engineering company CSL has opened in London and is planning to set up satellites in Houston and Stavanger, most likely before the end of 2008.
Engell-Jensen takes on carbon brief at Maersk
Michael Engell-Jensen has left Aberdeen to take on a new, highly strategic role at Moller Maersk - to create a team of CO specialists reporting to Maersk Oil & Gas.
All-Energy renewables showcase comes to town- miss it at your peril
ALL-ENERGY kicks off on May 21. While the renewables community has certainly taken note and the show has, as a result, expanded into two halls, it is not so sure that the oil & gas community is paying as much attention as it should.
IPCC staging mega-review of renewables
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is to push ahead with a full assessment of renewable energy sources and climate change mitigation for completion in 2010.
Diary
May 5-8: Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, US. URL: www.otcnet.org/2008. Look out for details of the Munro's/Press and Journal travel packages shortly
A multi-cultural, global people company
"THINK global, act local" - that was the motto of Percy Barnevik, who once led the Swedish-Swiss engineering group, ABB.
It’s a North Sea icon, but what makes Wood Group tick?
Wood Group is an icon of the North Sea success story and an Aberdeen company that blazed a trail internationally, to boot, initially led by its founder and chairman, Sir Ian Wood and now CEO Allister Langlands.