North Sea News


OGA adds 7 blocks to UKCS 30th round

Aug 04, 2017

The UK's Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has included seven additional blocks to the 30th Offshore Licensing Round that was announced in late-July.  Image from iStock. OGA said that…

New, full service P&A business launched

Aug 04, 2017

A new entrant to the North Sea decommissioning market has been launched, with backing from a group of well known industry leaders and goals to attract US$263 million (£200 million) in investment and create 400 new jobs. Well-Safe Solutions wants to offer a cost-effective…

Apache brings Callater online

Aug 04, 2017

Apache has brought its Callater North Sea subsea tieback on stream ahead of schedule. Discovered in 2015, Callater, a six-well slot bundle tieback to the Beryl Alpha facility.  It was among three fields, including Seagull and Corona…

Major HSE resource launched

Aug 03, 2017

The author of the report into the Piper Alpha disaster, 29 years ago, has today welcomed the launch of a new oil and gas resource to help prevent future offshore incidents. Encompassing the Future: Offshore Oil and Gas Operations is a multi-volume volume print and digital resource…

Centrica, Hydrawell ink P&A frame agreement

Aug 02, 2017

Centrica North Sea has awarded HydraWell a three-year frame contract to provide plug and abandonment (P&A) technology and services for the operator’s “A Fields” in the southern part of the North Sea.  Centrica has recently submitted a…

Expro lands 26-well Maersk abandonment work

Aug 02, 2017

Expro has been awarded a substantial contract from global oil and gas company Maersk Oil for subsea and well test services on two offshore units in the North Sea. The contract will extend the long-standing partnership between the two companies until 2020…

HALO to buy Tullow Dutch assets

Aug 01, 2017

Hague and London Oil (HALO) agreed to acquire assets in the Dutch North Sea from Tullow Netherlands. Map of Tullow Netherlands assets, from Tullow. The acquisition comprises of…

Simmons Edeco inks Maersk Oil deal

Aug 01, 2017

Maersk Oil awarded Simmons Edeco a contract to provide scheduled and unscheduled wellhead maintenance services for all Maersk Oil offshore wells in the Danish North Sea.   Simmons Edeco will also refurbish valves and wellhead maintenance equipment…

SMD takes up Port of Tyne facility

Aug 01, 2017

Subsea vehicle firm Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD) is relocating its servicing operations to the Port of Tyne’s Tyne Dock estate in South Shields (UK).  The Tyneside-based remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) specialist will keep its head office…

OilMac launches Dundee facility

Aug 01, 2017

Aberdeenshire-based Oilfield Machinery (OilMac) has started operations at the Port of Dundee, via a new facility on Prince Charles Wharf, which is currently being developed by Forth Ports at a cost of £10 million. OilMac, known for buying…

Marginal options for small pools

Aug 01, 2017

The UK North Sea’s extensive pile of marginal fields offer an attractive prize, if they can be economically unlocked. Steve Hamlen reports. UK marginal pools visualized. Image from the Oil & Gas Technology Centre…

Design once, build many

Aug 01, 2017

Rob Gill and Steve Henzell explain how WorleyParsons intends to make wellhead facilities production cheaper and faster with a design one, build many ethos. Images from WorleyParsons. The…

Centrica's Chestnut field gets a new lease of life

Aug 01, 2017

Marginal fields don’t always turn out to be that marginal, especially when you have efficient topsides and an ability to find hidden pockets in your reservoir. Elaine Maslin reports. Hummingbird Spirit…

Room for improvement

Aug 01, 2017

While UK North Sea production efficiency has made improvements since diving to a dire 60% in 2012, more can still be done, says Gordon Lawrence from Asset Performance Networks. Image from iStock…

North Sea honey bee

Aug 01, 2017

Finding a way to tap the North Sea’s estimated 3.4 billion of resources currently locked up in marginal pools has become a perennial problem. Elaine Maslin looks at a past solution and ideas for today outlined at an SUT Aberdeen event earlier this year…

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