Maersk have launched a new training facility in Kingswells, providing additional training opportunities to oil and gas workers in Aberdeen. Launched this week, the centre aims to complement the training facilities that already exist in the north-east, including the survival centre in Portlethen and the boat training facility in Stonehaven.
In today’s economic climate, using existing infrastructure to gain increased production whilst reducing the complexity and costs of operations has become paramount. The Wood Report recommends that the industry deploys existing technologies to full effect and that new technologies are developed to maximise recovery from the UKCS – a recommendation that is particularly relevant for Improved Oil Recovery (IOR) and Reservoir Management techniques. The industry has become adept at collecting and analysing large volumes of data to assess subsurface conditions, but these techniques typically require complex and expensive data acquisition - e.g. 4D seismic – in association with large scale model analysis. The complexity of these techniques means that results and interpretations on the performance of injection operations during IOR activities are often derived days, weeks or months after measurements have been collected from the field.
Statoil has signed a contract with Allseas for the installation of three platform topsides in the Johan Sverdrup field. The topsides will be installed for the drilling, processing and living quarter platforms. The drilling platform topsides will be installed in 2018, and the processing and living quarter topsides will follow in 2019.
Hungary’s MOL Group said yesterday it expects its UK North Sea business to become a “hub of know-how technology”.
Last year, a CHC helicopter made a remarkable journey. And a little over a month ago, it arrived in Europe’s oil capital. With an already established presence around the world, CHC operates from 11 international bases with 50 aircrafts frequently circling the skies.
Ashtead Technology is set to team up with Norwegian subsea equipment specialist Innova. The partnership will see the Aberdeen-headquartered subsea technology company provide customers with Innova products, including high specification hydraulic gear, fibre optic cards and data logging equipment.
Companies with technologies that can cut the cost of oil and gas production will be highlighted in a new showcase at the subsea industry’s leading event this year. In an effort to demonstrate how recent innovations can help operators and oil services firms reduce costs, Subsea Expo will provide a platform for organisations to introduce, discuss and demonstrate their latest innovations. Chaired by Dr Gordon Drummond, project director for the National Subsea Research Initiative (NSRI), the session will give a dozen companies ten minutes in the spotlight to outline their innovation and potential applications.
Subsea products and equipment manufacturer Ennsub has finished sealing work on a platform in Australia. The Aberdeen head-quartered firm worked on the design, manufacture, testing and installation and sealing systems for the Wheatstone Liquefied Natural Gas platform off the Australian coast.
Ecosse Subsea Systems (ESS) has finished a major project in Yorkshire for a northern European energy giant. ESS completed a boulder clearance and seabed preparation campaign for Dong Energy at the Westermost Rough wind farm, eight miles off Yorkshire coast.
Aberdeen energy service firm Hydro Group has invested £300,000 in a fancy new piece of kit to help it make tougher underwater cables for the oil and gas industry. The company said yesterday it had installed and commissioned an advanced armouring line at its Bridge of Don facility, becoming one of only a few UK businesses to have the technology. Hydro Group, which designs and manufactures cables and connectors for subsea and onshore use, said its custom-designed single and multi-layered steel armoured cables were able to withstand higher stresses in subsea and defence operations.
Cheniere and GE have entered a $1billion contract for the Sabine Pass LNG export terminal. The 20-year deal will see GE provide spare parts and planned inspections, maintenance services and technical support for the gas turbines and refrigerant compressors on the first four LNG trains currently under construction.
Drilling service provider Mermaid has landed a $50million contract in the Gulf of Thailand. The two-year deal will see the firm's dive support vessel provide subsea constrcution support for a major oil and gas operator in the area.
The drop in global oil prices has not dented the hiring intentions of businesses in Aberdeen, according to a jobs report. The city’s jobs market is still described as “very buoyant” in the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey despite oil prices tumbling since the summer. Brent crude fell to a five-year low of $66 at one stage yesterday amid fears of over-supply, with investment bank Morgan Stanley warning that prices could drop to as low as $43 a barrel next year.
SURF contractor Ceona has christened its flagship deepwater field vessels after successful sea trials. Ship building specialist Lloyd Werft delivered the Ceona Amazon to Bremerhaven, where it was christened. The device was built to perform in multiple pipelay and operational modes and features large storage capacity and heavy subsea construction.
TGS and Electromagnetic Geoservices (EMGS) have agreed to expand a recent $8million contract in the Barents Sea. The two will partner to acquire electromagnetic data over ten blocks in the Nordkapp and Tiddly areas. Stein Ove Isaksen, TGS senior vice president for Eastern Hemisphere, said: "TGS and EMGS are once again pleased to expand their cooperation in the Barents Sea.
The International Well Control Forum (IWCF) has launched a a certificate system aimed to combat fraud. The system includes increased security features to help combat faked qualifications such as holograms, serial numbers, watermarks and a QR code.
A £100m facility that could help the industry's employment needs is to be developed by the University of Aberdeen. The Energy Building will be built close to the Sir Duncan Rice Library on the corner of St Machar Roundabout and Bedford Road.
A specialist oil and gas service company in Aberdeen has launched technology to help prevent potentially disastrous power failures on offshore platforms OEM Diesel Products, which is based at the Kirkhill Industrial Estate in Dyce, says its “pioneering” engine cleaning system is designed to stop contaminated fuel causing major problems for energy companies. Managing director Barry Park said: “This revolutionary product comes at a time where the industry has a growing problem with fuel contamination.
Seabox will lead a Joint Industry Project (JIP) that will bring advanced subsea water treatment closer to full scale development. Carried out with Az ACG, Suncor, SIPCO and the support of the Research Council of Norway, the JIP will see Seabox complete a design of a subsea SWIT and membranes plant capable of producing quality water from surrounding water on the seabed. The firm will also identify technology components available on the market and suitable for use in the SWIT plant.
A new resource to meet the skills shortage within the oil and gas industry has been unveiled.
BP confirmed it is now operating the world’s first robotic coreflooding system in a bid to boost its enhanced oil recovery abilities. The firm also confirmed the new technology will now be fully deployed on the Clair Ridge project in the North Sea.
Aberdeen firm Coretrax has timed the launch of a new product for the oil and gas industry to coincide with its participation in the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference. Coretrax - named great small company winner at this year's Scottish Offshore Achievement Awards (OAA) - has invested £2million in its CX-IST (inflation support tool) cement placement technology.
Subsea demand is strong and getting stronger, with a backlog for orders at the highest level in more than four years for FMC Technologies.
A pipeline services specialist successfully isolated hydrocarbon pressure for 79 days while a gas valve upgrade project was carried out in the Gulf of Mexico. TD Williamson (TDW) was originally asked by a major oil company to isolate a 16-inch gas riser, which was connected to a major subsea gas pipeline network in order to replace a valve in 2012. However the network operator then asked for three additional valves to be installed, and a launcher extension was added to help facilitate inline inspection tool runs.
Marine-energy developers have been offered the chance to compete for a week of free testing – worth £38,000 ($61,000) – with what is said to be the world’s most sophisticated ocean simulator.