Ithaca predicts first oil from Greater Stella in 2016
Ithaca Energy said it expects to begin production from its North Sea Greater Stella field early next year.
North Sea
Petrofac hit with HSE notice after North Sea gas leak on Kittiwake platform
Petrofac has been issued an improvement notice after a gas leak went undetected on a North Sea platform. The incident is understood to have happened in March on the Kittiwake platform, which is located 160km from Aberdeen. It is understood a worker alerted staff to the leak 84 minutes after it had first begun and production was immediately halted.
ADIL nets £500,000 of contracts
Energy consultancy ADIL’s operations and improvements team has won contracts worth nearly £500,000 in the last quarter.
Permasense opens new Aberdeen office
Monitoring specialist Permasense has opened a new Aberdeen office, despite the recent market downturn.
Opinion: What do the OGA powers really mean for oil and gas firms?
The eagerly awaited Energy Bill was published on Friday, setting out the proposed new statutory powers anticipated by the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) Framework Document published in April of this year. The Bill sets out the details of the tools that the OGA will use to implement the MER UK Strategy, working in conjunction with other governmental departments and the oil and gas industry. Undoubtedly it is the new powers to be conferred on the OGA – rather than simply the transfer of existing powers from the Secretary of State – that will be of particular interest to those in the sector.
Poll: More than 90% of voters believe Budget did not do enough to support North Sea industry
More than 90% of readers who took part in an exclusive Energy Voice poll believe Chancellor George Osborne still has more to do in supporting the North Sea oil and gas industry. When asked the question ‘Did the Chancellor do enough to support the North Sea this Budget’ only 6% of voters agreed he had. However 93% of participants echoed sentiment from the sector that the Chancellor could have gone further.
Nordic Energy parts company with founding CEO
Nordic Energy has announced that founder and chief executive Rudolf Kleiber has left the company with immediate effect.
Energy Bill backs support for North Sea oil and gas with OGA powers
The role of the OGA (Oil and Gas Authority) has been strengthened with backing of the Government’s Energy Bill published today. Earlier this year it was announced the body would have a number of powers it would be able to enforce as part of its remit. The move has been made as part of the implementation of the Wood Review last year and the Oil and Gas Fiscal Review which helped to establish the OGA. Led by chief executive Andy Samuel, the government has handed the body a raft of powers.
Bob Keiller: Why I Give (and Get) the Best Career Advice from a Playlist
Many of us are old enough to remember buying vinyl albums. After you bought a new one, you would study every detail of the cover, and, then, you would play it repeatedly until you knew every track. Not only that, you knew the order of the tracks. I find good music inspirational. Some of you will already know that I write a weekly message on Core Values to my employees, and I always use a musical reference as a hook. So today, I want to share my playlist for leading in difficult times.
Video: Time-lapse shows creation of Gina Krog living quarters
This time-lapse footage shows the second module of the Gina Krog living quarter being lifted into place. It was built by Aluship in Poland and was placed onto the first module, which was built at Apply Leirvik in Norway.
Video: Statoil’s Gina Krog jacket installed
Statoil has installed the steel jacket for the Gina Krog platform in the Norwegian part of the North Sea. This stunning footage shows the jacket, which weighs more than 17,000 tonnes. Weighing more than twice the steel weight of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it has now been secured into the seabed.
IMF sees average oil price of $59 per barrel in 2015
A report from the IMF (International Monetary Fund) has found oil prices have rebounded more than expected, after falling by more than half a year ago. The findings were revealed in the latest World Economic Outlook which said the rise in the price of oil reflected higher demand and expectations that oil production growth in the US would slow faster than previously forecast. It predicted the average price of oil to be $59 per barrel over the year.
Chancellor ‘tinkered’ around edges to halt North Sea oil slump
George Osborne was under fire last night after failing to offer any new Budget incentives to address the slump in North Sea exploration.
Opinion: Budget leaves UK oil industry on the brink
Prior to the last general election, George Osborne would have scoffed at the possibility of being able to deliver the first Conservative budget in two decades.
Budget 2015: Poll – Did the Chancellor go far enough?
Budget 2015: More positive steps will be needed in future to support UKCS
The Chancellor's first all-Tory Budget delivered "no real surprises" for the North Sea oil and gas industry, according to a leading tax expert. Richard Britten joined the Energy Voice team at its offices to watch the Budget live in the newsroom. The Government reinforced its previous pledges to reduce the North Sea’s supplementary tax charge from 30% to 20%.
Budget 2015: Poll – How low should Osborne go?
Budget 2015: Industry reacts
Chancellor George Osborne insisted the government would deliver on its promise to reduce the North Sea's supplementary tax charge from 30% to 20%. He also announced a move to open up the remit for industry investments to qualify for allowances - a move aimed a fueling production.
The Budget – previous promises and what to expect
As Chancellor George Osborne gets ready to deliver the first Conservative budget in 18 years Energy Voice looks back at the North Sea tax changes delivered pre-election and what to expect today. In March, as the Liberal Dem and Conservative coalition geared up for the May vote, the Treasury introduced a raft of measures seen as long overdue by the North Sea oil and gas industry.
Opinion: North Sea could get caught in fallout from Iran nuclear deal
As intense negotiations continue in Vienna with the world's superpowers (Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US) Iran has still to conclude a deal that ensures absolute transparency on its nuclear plant activities that should prevent it acquiring nuclear weapons.
Exova extends with Maersk Oil
Testing and calibration specialist Exova has been awarded a contract to provide materials qualification testing for Maersk Oil.
Energy giant Technip to cut 6,000 jobs
French oil industry engineering and construction group Technip will cut 6,000 jobs and book a 650 million euro ($719 million) restructuring charge as it steps up cost-cutting.
Exceed zeroes in on $100million target
It’s about safe and cost effective delivery of projects from exploration through to decommissioning, providing well management and performance improvement related activities
Video: Oil worker winched onto North Sea helideck
Working in the North Sea can lead to all sorts of work challenges – as one engineer found out.
Tenaris win Statoil Mariner contract
Tenaris has netted a contract to work on Statoil’s massive Mariner project in the North Sea which will lead to the creation of up to 20 jobs in Aberdeen. The tubing and casing manufacturer will provide connections as well as associated services from its UK base in Aberdeen. Last month, Statoil awarded Baker Hughes a contract for production chemicals and services for the Mariner field.