It's hard to quantify accurately recovery rates on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). Estimates from the Department of Energy and Climate change put it at about 46%. Global estimates point to somewhere between 30-35%. However, the well known dictum…
Statoil has cut its average project cost per barrel from US$70/bbl to around $40/bbl, but the work has just started and the changes need to be permanent, even if prices increase, CEO Eldar Sætre said this morning. Speaking at the Subsea Valley conference in Oslo…
Zennor Petroleum’s subsidiary Zennor Pathway has spudded an appraisal well at its Finlaggan discovery in the Central North Sea. Well 21/5c-7, spudded on 5 April, is being drilled with Transocean Sedco 704 semisubmersible drilling rig…
Tullow Oil awarded subsea engineering and training firm Jee a contract to investigate the most appropriate options for decommissioning their Thames area assets in the North Sea. Awarded in February 2016, the contract relates to the decommissioning of the Horne…
The fact that exploration drilling activity is at a record lows in the UK North Sea is well recorded. It's easy to quantify and monitor. What is not so easy, is quantifying the number of already discovered fields which are currently sitting…
Maersk Oil may shut down production at Denmark’s largest gas field, should an economically viable solution for continued operations not be reached by this year. Platforms at Tyra East. Image from Maersk…
Aker Solutions' maintenance, modifications and operations (MMO) business in Norway will be the subcontractor of Kværner to provide engineering services for upgrading the semisubmersible platform at the Statoil-operated Njord A oilfield. The…
Wood Group has been awarded a two-year contract extending its service provision for TAQA in the North Sea. Under the contract, which has the option of three, one year extensions, Wood Group PSN will continue to deliver engineering, construction…
Mid-March, the UK Government made a headline grabbing announcement – taxes would be halved for the ailing North Sea industry. Chancellor George Osborne said he would cut a supplementary charge on operators (a tax in addition to corporation tax) from 20% to 10%…
Dutch offshore contractor Boskalis has been awarded a contract by Samsung Heavy Industries for the transportation of the three topside modules of the riser platform and the topside of the processing platform for the Johan Sverdrup project offshore Norway…
The North Sea is facing some tough challenges. Elaine Maslin spoke with Brenda Wyllie, who aims to confront those challenges as part of the industry’s new regulator, as well as chairman of the DEVEX conference. Brenda…
The lack of automation in the oil and gas industry is a puzzle to Brian Evans from Curtin University, Australia. Elaine Maslin learned how he hopes to redress the situation. Professor Brian Evans…
There’s a lot of doom and gloom in the North Sea as operators battle to make operating costs profitable. Yet, it’s not all bad on the UKCS. Meg Chesshyre reports. The Culzean facilities. Image from KBR…
If topsides asset integrity management is a bane, imagine looking after subsea assets. Elaine Maslin reports on the challenges associated with keeping up with both older equipment and newer, more complex equipment. A subsea field layout…
Expro is currently collecting real-time data to support production optimization from brownfield wells using a non-intrusive wellhead surveillance technology. John McKay, Expro, explains. ActiveSONAR…