The trend toward putting more and more production equipment on the seabed – and in increasingly deeper waters – strongly challenges the offshore construction industry to continuously improve their ability to perform such activities in a safe and cost-effective manner…
Compact Azipod units promise the means of producing more efficient thrust for drilling vessels, saving fuel cost and cutting emissions. OE hears from developer ABB Marine.Bunker prices for the IFO380 grade fuel used by the majority of ships were on the rise at time of writing…
Flotel specialist Prosafe expects a good long-term demand for its accommodation rigs, with growth in activity in the North Sea from spring 2011 and in deepwater regions. Meg Chesshyre reviews recent developments at the world’s leading owner and operator of semisubmersible accommodation rigs…
Since Heerema Marine Contractors introduced its Incident & Injury Free initiative in 2008 for both its own personnel (offshore and onshore) and the subcontractors they work with, reactions from clients and contractors have been very positive and the results have been impressive…
With offshore maintenance costs soaring, Dutch firm Beele Engineering is anticipating keen interest in its ‘Rise’ extender frame which can be retrofitted onto cable and pipe transits on ships and platforms.--The system, which can be used for all A0-A60 multi-cable transits…
Zierikzee-based Noordhoek Offshore recently took delivery of its new diving support vessel, the DP2 Noordhoek Constructor, from the Niigata Yard in Japan. Specifically designed for diving operations in the harsh North Sea environment, the new…
Prosafe’s newest rival in the flotel market is Swedish company Floatel International, established by Bassoe Offshore and management in Gothenburg in late 2006 and run by an experienced management team comprising personnel from Consafe Offshore…
With the offshore umbilicals market emerging from its recent slumbers and power cable demand from both the oil & gas and wind energy sectors picking up strongly, further expansion of Nexans’ Halden facility in Norway could well follow the current…
Japan Drilling Company’s semisubmersible drilling rig Hakuryu-5 was recently upgraded with Exmar Offshore’s Deepdish pontoon sponson, an innovative combination of pontoon sponsons and integrated cross bracing designed to increase the capabilities and operating life of ageing rigs…
Mounted onboard the GDF Suez E&P Nederland chartered multi-purpose supply vessel REM Mermaid, Offshore Solutions BV’s offshore access system has notched up over 1000 operational connections without any lost time incidents. The OAS, a heave compensated…
Statoil on the wind energy learning curve...At an energy seminar in Bergen last month, Statoil said it would use its expertise in its commitment to offshore wind power. The Norwegian operator, which is gradually building up its wind energy portfolio…
firms . . .Remedial Offshore has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, allowing the company to continue to operate its facilities and offices in the ordinary course of business. Remedial will use the financing to increase working capital…
A set of international standards for a wide selection of vital oil & gas industry materials, equipment and offshore structures is emerging from the International Standards Organization (ISO). OE reviews some of the latest developments in this area…
Rotary steerable successBaker Hughes deployed its AutoTrak rotary steerable system to successfully drill four directional wells in the Gulf of Mexico’s South Timbalier area, including one well that reached total depth nearly five days ahead of schedule…
The importance of battery selection for demanding downhole electronics applications, in particular measurement-while-drilling tools, is discussed by Saft’s Wayne Pitt.As oil companies strive to reap the maximum potential from their prospects…