Managed pressure drilling methodologies evolved over the years to address operational and economic problems inherent to conventional circulating systems that are open to the atmosphere. Most recently, the advanced closed-loop technology has swept into deepwater operations to help reduce risk…
Planning and information are key to the successful realization of Petrobras’ ambitious plans to hoist pre-salt production levels from the current 100,000b/d to 1.08 million b/d inside ten years. Jennifer Pallanich listened in as José Formigli…
Rowan Companies is selling all its shares in manufacturing subsidiary LeTourneau Technologies to Joy Global in a $1.1 billion cash deal. Rowan acquired LeTourneau, which built the majority of Rowan's jackup rig fleet, in 1994. Rowan president…
With floating LNG facilities now widely acknowledged to be a key enabler for exploiting stranded gas reserves, Trelleborg Marine Systems' Simon Wilson offers some insights into the new design methodologies needed for integrated berthing and…
Offshore service companies have traditionally faced formidable supply chain, inventory, and logistics challenges as their work takes them to some of the world's most remote locations. Recent price pressures have added new complexity to the equation…
March's Japanese earthquake, tsunami and resulting nuclear contamination at the Fukushima power plant spawned a disaster that will be hard to remedy or forget. As usual the events have had a number of dimensions, mostly unfortunate for that country no matter how developed and prosperous it has been…
Three Alaskan Beaufort Sea developments – BP Exploration (Alaska)'s Northstar, Pioneer --Natural Resources' Oooguruk and now Eni Petroleum's Nikaitchuq – have helped establish baseline experience for future arctic frontier pipelines. As well as demonstrating technical strides…
High-modulus polyethylene ropes for deepwater mooring were first trialled 10 years ago, but despite promising early results subsequent problems with excessive creep stalled their application. A decade on, the situation has improved to the point…
Orders for newbuild floaters and jackups have surged to the highest level in years. But will tight shipyard capacity squeeze some drillers out of the market? Russell McCulley rounds up some opinions on the drilling business circa 2011, including a forecast of greater industry consolidation…
With wellbores drilled in ever deeper waters penetrating further into the earth and clients demanding improved performance from all parts of the drilling process, VAM Drilling has focused on two aspects of the drillstem it believes deliver on the reliability front…
A new report estimates flaring of unused gas wastes about 5% of the world's annual production while emitting 400 million metric tonnes of CO2 per year. GE's Flare Gas Reduction: Recent Global Trends and Policy Considerations report estimates…
Multi-client specialist TGS took the marine seismic business by surprise last month with the purchase of Stingray Geophysical, a UK-based start up company focusing on seismic-based permanent reservoir monitoring (PRM). Andrew McBarnet discusses what prompted the move…
Greene's Energy Group has opened an operational base in Singapore to serve the company's Asia Pacific region. The 140,000ft2 location includes offices, a warehouse and heavy equipment yard space, and will provide a regional base for all of Greene's business divisions…
The UK offshore industry recognised that a key component to achieving a reduction in offshore hazards and incidents was to improve basic safety training for all personnel. OE looks at the e-learning programme designed to achieve that goal and now ready for roll out internationally…
An important milestone in Apache's UK North Sea Bacchus field development was reached recently with installation of a 6.7km pipeline bundle. The job was overseen by Flexlife, whose operations director John Marsden here describes how it was planned and executed…