Petrofac has teamed up with Faroe Petroleum and Eni Hewett to establish a cost saving partnership across their UK operations in the Southern North Sea. The tripartite agreement is aimed at driving efficiencies and commercial synergies. Petrofac will share logistics across the Schooner, Hewett and Ketch gas fields to share logistics and accommodation services across the facilities.
The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) will struggle to revitalise exploration if the industry continues to haemorrhage jobs and skills, the RMT union warned yesterday. RMT also said the new regulator – launched earlier this year – could be hampered in its attempts to stimulate investment in the sector by firms undermining collective bargaining deals. And it urged the OGA to “get an early grip” on growing maintenance backlogs which threatened safety and the long-term future of North Sea production.
Oil major Chevron is reviewing up to 140 positions across its North Sea operations as it looks to streamline costs.
The year 2015 has been extremely tough for the oil and gas service and supply industry, its companies and people.
Statoil's flagship Hywind project could be replicated in regions such as the US and Japan, according to the company's head of asset management.
Talks between unions and COTA (Caterers Offshore Trade Association) will continue as both sides look to find a resolution and prevent a potential North Sea strike. RMT regional organiser Jake Molloy said discussions between representative from both unions and members of the industry body had been “constructive”. Both sides are currently locked in dispute after COTA said it would not be honouring the second year of a two-year pay deal.
Oil major Shell has been handed an improvement notice by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) after a gas leak earlier this year. The company launched an investigation in January this year after a suspected gas leak near to the Curlew FPSO(Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading) vessel in the North Sea. Shell has now been ordered to make improvements by the HSE following the incident.
A Nepalese Buddhist monk who raised thousands of pounds in the aftermath of the huge earthquake in his homeland this year has turned his attention to struggling former oil workers in the north-east. Venerable Sujan, who operates the Varaunya Meditation Centre in Aberdeen’s Constitution Street, said he had been so impressed with the generosity of people in the region that he wanted to help those affected by the offshore industry downturn. The Nepal earthquake killed more than 9,000 people and left more than 23,000 injured when it struck the country in April.
TWMA has been awarded two contract with Maersk Oil in the UK including on the Culzean development. The waste management and environmental services firm also involve continuation of provision of innovative technology across Maersk’s North Sea operations. The new work will also help create up to 20 new jobs.
Forum Subsea Rental has strengthened its senior management team with the promotion of one of its team to global business director. Nicki Nicholls will take up with new role where she will be responsible for managing and developing ambitious long-term growth plans for the company’s rental product lines.
The Scottish Government said new discoveries made by Apache in the UKCS could bring more investment, jobs and supply chain opportunities for the North Sea oil and gas industry. Last month the US explorer said it had made significant discoveries in the North Sea in both the Beryl and Forties field which could hold up to 70million barrels of oil equivalent. Apache also said two discoveries were made on two exploration wells in the Beryl area as well as further discovery 50 miles south of the company’s Forties field.
Lotus Exploration and Production has signed a deal with ExxonMobil for a stake in the Sleipner field in the Norwegian North Sea. The company said the deal includes a 15% share in Sleipner Ost, Sleipner Vest and Gunge oraz Loke gas and oil deposits.
Ithaca Energy is busy getting its finances in order as it zeroes in on first oil from its Greater Stella project.
Industry body Oil & Gas UK said the announcement by US oil explorer Apache of significant discoveries in the UKCS was proof of the value of continued investment in seismic technology.
North Sea helicopter operator Bristow has completed its first wave of headcount reductions as it looks to streamline costs. The company announced in July it would be cutting up to 130 positions – including 66 pilots – in jobs across the UK. Earlier this month, CHC said it had let 18 members of staff go amid a challenging market place with the global decline in oil price.
Statoil today blamed a backlog of work in a South Korean shipyard for a year-long start-up delay for its flagship Mariner project.
ASCO said it will divest the majority of the company's non oil and gas-related waste services following a strategic review.
Ineos has extended its interests in the North Sea after snapping up a further 25% stake in the Clipper South Gas Field from Fairfield Energy.
EnQuest has confirmed it has produced first oil from its Alma Galia development.
A vote on whether to strike has narrowly been avoided by members of RMT in a dispute over pay with COTA (Caterers Offshore Trade Association). Members of the union did vote in favour of action short of a strike in a separate ballot which closed today. It comes on the same day crunch talks were announced between the body and both Unite and RMT unions in a bid to prevent the first North Sea strike in a generation.
Oil giant BP reported a 40% drop in quarterly earnings after it was impacted by low crude prices, but still came in ahead of analysts’ forecasts. The firm’s underlying replacement cost profit for the third quarter was 1.819 billion US dollars (£1.185 billion), compared with 3.037 billion US dollars (£1.979 million) a year ago. However, the FTSE 100 Index was down 17.4 points to 6400.1, led lower by miners and uncertain prospects for global trade.
The result of a ballot by RMT members over strike action in a pay dispute with COTA (Catering Offshore Trade Association) is expected today. The union ballot results comes after Unite members voted last week on whether to strike after members of COTA went back on a pay increase which had been part of a two-year deal.
Oil major BP said oil from its Schiehallion field in the UKCS will bypass the Sullom Voe Terminal (SVT) when it comes on stream again next year. The company, which also announced its third quarter results today, said initial production would head to Roterrdam citing technical reasons for the decision. Now it has been confirmed there will be no return to the island in the longer term.
Crunch talks will take place between unions and COTA (Catering Offshore Trade Association) in a bid to prevent the first North Sea strike in more than a generation. The body, which represents six catering companies working in the UKCS, has been in dispute with staff after it said it would not be honouring the second year of a pay deal worth around 1.3%. The talks will be held next week. Earlier this month 54.2% of Unite members voted for strike action while 62.&% voted for action short of a strike.
Fred Olsen Energy (FOE) has cancelled a construction contract for a newbuild rig with Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea, as well as ending an agreement with Chevron in the UK North Sea. The company’s subsidiary, Bollsta Dolphin, said it had exercised its contractual termination right as a result of the rig’s delay.