North Sea News


SPE Aberdeen milestone

Jul 24, 2014

The Society of Petroleum Engineers' (SPE) Aberdeen section is making a milestone this year - it is the group's 40th anniversary - with a black tie dinner at top tier industry speakers from Shell, BP, Statoil, and Schlumberger.  The…

PLSV Sapura Diamante sea trials

Jul 23, 2014

Watch as pipelay support vessel Sapura Diamante undergoes trials in the North Sea. IHC Merwede's fully-integrated pipelay vessel, a first for the Dutch shipbuilder, was contracted by SapuraKencana and Seadrill Brazilian joint venture…

uHPHT tax consultation launched

Jul 23, 2014

The UK Government has launched a consultation into a proposed tax allowance to encourage investment in ultra-high-pressure, high-temperature (uHPHT) oil and gas fields in the UK North Sea. The allowance could reduce the tax on a portion of a company's profits from 62% to 30%…

Det norske spuds wildcat

Jul 23, 2014

Det norske oljeselskap has spudded exploration well 2/9–5 S in production license 494, in the Norwegian North Sea, targeting the Heimdalshø prospect using the Maersk Giant jackup rig.  The well spudded 21 July, said Fortis Petroleum, a partner on the project…

DONG Hejre jacket installation

Jul 22, 2014

DONG Energy released a video showing the installation of the Hejre jacket that occurred on 23 May 2014. DONG Energy has installed the jacket for the Hejre platform in the Danish sector of the North Sea, 292km north west of Esbjerg…

Intecsea wins Culzean subsea FEED

Jul 22, 2014

INTECSEA UK has been awarded a subsea front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract for Maersk Oil UK's US$4.7 billion Culzean ultra-high-pressure, high-temperature development in the North Sea.  The contract, which includes optional…

Lupus duster for Tullow

Jul 21, 2014

Tullow Oil Norge's Lupus well, in production licence (PL) 507, in the Norwegian North Sea, is to be plugged and abandoned after failing to find hydrocarbons. The well (31/10-1), which was 35km southeast of the Oseberg Sør Field and 110km west of the island of Sotra…

Det norske second quarter 2014 results

Jul 18, 2014

Det norske announced its 2Q 2014 financial results on 17 July. Among other financial highlights and activity, the company discussed its agreement to acquire Marathon Oil Norge for US$2.1 billion. Announced 2 June 2014, the transaction is expected to close 4Q 2014…

North Sea "wait and see" slows activity

Jul 18, 2014

High costs and regulatory and fiscal uncertainties could have caused a drop in exploration and deal activity on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), according to business advisory firm Deloitte.  The firm’s Petroleum Services Group…

Harkand secures Nexen UK contract

Jul 17, 2014

Subsea inspection, repair and maintenance and light construction firm Harkand has won Nexen Petroleum UK’s 2014 ROVSV inspection services work along with a longer term frame agreement. The inspection scope covers the Buzzard, Scott, Telford…

Pigging panel built for Goliat

Jul 17, 2014

UK-based Smith Flow Control (SFC) has designed a specialist pigging panel to be installed on a floating production, storage and offloading facility (FPSO) built for the use in the Goliat field, the first oilfield to be developed in the Barents Sea…

Kværner increases order book

Jul 16, 2014

Norway-based Kvaerner's Q2 earnings fell but the firm saw an increase in order intake and growth on existing projects, according to its latest results.  During the second quarter, Kvaerner completed three large offshore platform…

A heavy challenge

Jul 16, 2014

Drill floor operations on the Rowan Norway. Image from Xcite Energy.  Work on the Bentley heavy oil field in the North Sea showed the significance of experimental data when unconventional fluids are expected to be transported through pipelines…

£15m funding for new regulator

Jul 16, 2014

The UK Government is to contribute £15 million short-term funding over five years to help kickstart the establishment of a new arm’s length regulatory body, to be called the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA), based in Aberdeen, to oversee the oil and gas industry…

PD&MS sold to Inflexion

Jul 16, 2014

Equistone Partners Europe has exited Aberdeen-based PD&MS, a fast-growing specialist provider of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for the global oil and gas industry, in a secondary buyout to Inflexion. The mid-market private equity firm has achieved a 2…

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