North Sea News


BW Athena to demobilize, seeks work

Jan 22, 2016

The BW Athena floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel is to be demobilized from the Athena field in the UK North Sea next month. The move, which had been expected, will the see BW Athena leave the field Athena and Anglia fields…

Statoil breaks its APA award record

Jan 19, 2016

In the awards in predefined areas (APA) round 2015, Statoil has been awarded interest in 24 licenses on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS), 13 of those as operator and 11 as partner, breaking the company’s 2005 record for number of licenses awarded…

Norwegian license round hailed success

Jan 19, 2016

Norway's latest awards in predefined areas (APA) license round has been hailed a success with some 56 exploration licenses being offered on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.  The APA rounds offer acreage in known areas on the shelf, rather than frontier acreage…

Suncor's latest North Sea well dry

Jan 18, 2016

Suncor Energy's latest exploration well close to to the Balder field has been classified as dry by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate. Exploration well 25/10-14 S was drilled on production license 571 near the Balder field offshore Norway…

JX Nippon to drill west of Sheltland

Jan 18, 2016

JX Nippon Exploration and Production has agreed a deal to use Odfjell Drilling's semisubmersible Deepsea Stavanger to drill an exploration well west of Shetland on the UK Continental Shelf. Contract duration is estimated to be between 60 and 75 days and expected commencement is Q2 2016…

Ballard takes IOGP exec role

Jan 15, 2016

The International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) has appointed Gordon Ballard to be its new Executive Director.  He starts today, succeeding Michael Engell-Jensen, who is retiring after five years. Gordon comes to IOGP after spending 30 years working with oilfield services company…

Urgency to safeguard subsea sector

Jan 13, 2016

Subsea UK today urged the industry to turn talk into action now to safeguard the future of the UK’s £9 billion subsea sector.  The call was issued as Subsea UK announced the final speaker line-up and program for its eleventh annual conference and exhibition…

BP to cut about 4000 jobs by 2017

Jan 12, 2016

UK oil giant BP plans to cut approximately 4000 jobs across its global upstream sector in the next two years to simplify its business, improve efficiency, and reduce costs. Image from BP. BP…

Greater Stella set back again

Jan 12, 2016

First production from the Greater Stella Area development in the UK North Sea has been set back once again.  Sail-away of the FPF-1 floating production facility is expected to be delayed by six-12 weeks due to slippage in completion of…

Offshore Achievement Awards finalists unveiled

Jan 12, 2016

The shortlist for the 2016 Offshore Achievement Awards, supported by OE, has been announced today. With approximately 100 entries received this year, a record since the awards were re-launched in 2011 by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Aberdeen Section…

Noreco to forfeit Huntington stake

Jan 12, 2016

Norwegian Energy Co. (Noreco) has been served a notice of default on the North Sea Huntington license. The notice comes after the firm failed to make payments as a joint operating partner in the license and not finding a buyer for its 20% stake in the field…

UK strike action averted

Jan 11, 2016

UK trade union Unite repeated a call for the industry to end its year-long imposition of cuts after members in the Offshore Contractors Association (OCA) agreement accepted improvements to their terms and conditions. Following a consultative ballot…

FPSO suffers mooring failure in storm

Jan 08, 2016

A floating production vessel working on CNR International Banff field has become the latest victim to bad weather in the UK.  The Teekay-owned Petrojarl Banff unit, based some 190km east of Aberdeen, saw two of its 10 achor lines 'lose tension' at around midnight on 3 January…

Not all gloom, says Hannon Westwood

Jan 08, 2016

A year on since the oil price collapse and the effects are making themselves felt across Northwest Europe, particularly in the UK and Norwegian sectors.   The count of exploration and appraisal well spuds in the UK is an all-time low…

CLNR in North Sea development search

Jan 07, 2016

UK-based underground coal gasification (UCG) firm Cluff Natural Resources (CLNR) is in the process of securing industry partners to fund and develop its North Sea work program. Map of CLNR's North Sea assets…

Current News

Venterra Company, CAPE Holland, Awarded Contract for Fengmiao Offshore Wind Farm

Bae Systems Launches Incubator Program to Propel Technologies Beyond Defense

DOF Group ASA Contract Award for Well Intervention Services in North America

Jacket Loadout Milestone Completed for BorWin6 Offshore HVDC Platform

Subscribe for OE Digital E‑News