The 'Obamatorium' – what Ron Neal, the co-founder and co-owner of Houston Energy calls the continuing de facto drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico – is only one component of the political risk that has arisen in what was once a thriving oil & gas activity center…
Barely recognizable from the Gulf of Mexico saturation diving company that emerged from a three-way merger back in 1969, Oceaneering is today in fully fledged dynamic growth mode. In the US, Russell McCulley looks at the company's plans to…
National Oilwell Varco is looking to establish a major foothold in the flexible pipe business with the acquisition of Danish manufacturer NKT Flexibles, a joint venture between NKT Holding and Subsea 7 since 1999.The $670 million deal, announced early February…
A rising tide of seismic demand has quite suddenly changed the conversation in the marine seismic community. Andrew McBarnet explains why.It’s amazing sometimes how quickly the clouds can clear. Just a month or two ago marine seismic companies were forecasting another flat year…
Representing a $2 million capital investment so far, the test, qualification & reliability (TQR) laboratory at Oceaneering Umbilical Solutions' Rosyth plant in Scotland boasts an unrivalled collection of cutting-edge umbilical testing and analysis equipment…
A new thinner-walled pipeline concept developed by DNV is claimed capable of significantly reducing the cost of a deep- and ultra-deepwater gas pipeline while still complying with the strictest safety and integrity regime. Meg Chesshyre reports…
There is growing interest in ‘cold based' operations which dispense completely with the gases, ignition sources, flames and hot work associated with welding for piping repair construction, modification and tie-in work, especially on ageing offshore infrastructure…
Trial runPerth-based subsea engineering and remote technology firm Velocious has rolled out a new ‘mock' ROV that the company says can be configured to any industry standard workclass ROV, including the six most widely used ROVs in subsea construction…
In his opinion piece in last month's edition of Offshore Engineer, consultant Ian Fitzsimmons questioned whether the UK Health & Safety Executive's Offshore Division was fit for purpose in a post-Macondo world. Here, Steve Walker, head of the HSE's Offshore Division…
Saipem's new pipelay giant Castorone, currently under construction at Keppel shipyard in Singapore, will replace the veteran Castoro Sei as the contractor's flagship vessel for laying large diameter pipelines and serving the growing deep- and ultra-deepwater markets…
FMC Technologies has signed a definitive agreement to acquire control and automation system solutions provider Control Systems International (CSI). Founded in 1968, CSI is headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas, and has operations in Irvine, California…
The mix of orders for all categories of drillings rigs continues, with Asia Pacific and Middle East shipyards and their overseas affiliates indicating a marked drift away from jackups and towards ever larger semisubmersibles and ultra-deepwater drillships…
A robust mergers & acquisitions market in the latter half of 2011, particularly in midstream, bodes well for deal making in 2012, according to Deloitte's Center for Energy Studies. But world events could throw a wrench into the M&A machine, as Russell McCulley reports…
Oil & gas companies today face a more complex and challenging risk environment than at perhaps any time in the industry’s history. And energy risks for both IOCs and NOCs will grow in size and inter-relatedness over the next several decades…
Now in its 43rd year, the Offshore Technology Conference returns to Houston’s Reliant Park 30 April-3 May. Almost as old as the offshore industry itself, the annual gathering has thrived throughout an E&P era marked by peaks, valleys, tremendous…