Shell released this video outlining its safety efforts for Arctic exploration. The company received conditional approval for its exploration plan in the Chukchi Sea on 11 May 2015. Shell is planning to spend US$1 billion to explore the Arctic…
At this week’s Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, DNV GL revealed a study that analyzes current regulatory regimes, outlining possible future developments and DNV GL’s recommendations to reduce the risk of major accidents. Safety model…
Preventing corrosion is necessary to avoiding production failures. Leokadia Rucinski and Genesis’ Binder Singh provide details. Fig. 1: A collage of somewhat unusual corrosion phenomena, many of…
Statoil’s CEO Eldar Sætre made the case for simplicity, industrialization, and standardization as a way for the industry to get through the current downturn at IHS CERAWeek in Houston Tuesday afternoon. Sætre opened with a joke about the downturn saying…
Norway-based North Atlantic Drilling (NADL) and Russia's Rosneft recently agreed to extend the termination date of the 2014 framework agreement until May 31, 2017. The agreement states that either party can end the agreement, including any offshore drilling contracts…
In April, Gazprom reached a milestone for its Prirazlomnoye oil field as the Kirill Lavrov tanker delivered a new batch of ARCO Arctic oil to Europe during its sixth shipment. More than 2.9 MMbbl of oil has been extracted from the Prirazlomnoye oil field since production began…
The US Department of the Interior (DOI) is reviewing Shell's Arctic drilling plans, according to a recent Reuters report. On 31 March, DOI issued a record of decision affirming Shell’s Arctic leases from the Chukchi Sea OCS oil and gas lease sale 193 from 2008…
Northern Offshore is delaying the delivery of two of its high specification jackups due to the downturn of the drilling market. The West Navigator. From NADL. Northern was able to…
Statoil started the first stage of the Polarled installation project with the Solitaire pipelaying vessel connecting the pipeline in the Norwegian Sea to Nyhamma. Solitaire. From Allseas. The…
Russian oil exploration giant Rosneft sent a cancellation notice to North Atlantic Drilling Company Ltd. (NADL) to terminate its contract for the Energy Endeavor jackup. The Energy Endeavor. From Northern Offshore…
Dramatic changes may be affecting Norway’s oil and gas sector, but PSA director-general Anne Myhrvold makes it clear that savings must not affect continuous safety improvements. Myhrvold. From PSA Norway…
The US' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is planning increased 2015 Arctic nautical charting operations, updating charts based on surveys conducted a hundred years ago. The so-called Arctic marine corridor project will…
A new technology research program aimed at developing propulsion products specifically for operating in arctic conditions has been implemented with Wärtsilä and VTT, the Technical Research Centre of Finland, as the main contributors. The…
According to the United States Geological Survey, the area above the Arctic Circle holds approximately 90 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and an estimated 1,670 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of technically recoverable natural gas…
The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) released proposed regulations for exploratory drilling activities on the US Arctic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) concerning exploratory…