Oil & Gas
Ready for drilling
Statoil and North Energy are prepared to drill for oil in the recently opened waters of the Barents Sea.
Director of the board of North Energy, Johan Petter Barlindhaug, says to NRK that the company is prepared to start exploration drilling in the previously controversial area in the Barents Sea. The area is now divided between Russia and Norway, and Barlindhaug hopes the agreement between the two countries soon will be finalized so they can start the exploration.
- The seismic activity can start in 2011, license awarding in 2012 and drilling in 2014, Barlindhaug says to NRK, the BarentsObserver reports.
Statoil is also eager to start exploring the new area in the high north. Statoil's head of the northern areas, Hege Marie Nordheim, says that Norway is in dire need of new prospective areas and confirms that Statoil is interested in the Norwegian- Russian waters.
- I believe we have the technology needed to operate in these Arctic conditions, however we must not do any safety short-cuts, says Barlindhaug to NRK.
Source: Oilinfo
Sounding for more CCS
Britain's Department for Energy and Climate Change has launched an informal consultation on further options for carbon capture and storage (CSS).
Through the DECC, the UK government is looking for responses from the energy industries about workable options for CCS demonstration projects and the related financing process.
The new consultation follows on from the previous government's plan announced last year to carry out four commercial scale CCS demonstration projects.
Now the government is looking to launch a selection process for up to three further CCS demonstration projects before the end of this year, with each one sized at between 300 and 500 MW of power station output.
This new market sounding process will last two months until 15 September.
Source: Offshore247
Norway in front
Subsea, drilling, mobile offshore drilling units and automation. Within these areas, Norway is the frontrunner compared to the global market. Why is this so?
In our last issue of PetroNews, we have covered four areas where the Norwegian offshore industry is world leading.
Several of the world leading subsea companies have their main office in Norway. One of the world's most advanced drilling research facility is located in Stavanger. 25 per cent of all mobile offshore units are based on Norwegian design, and Norwegian technology has been decisive for making the drill floor a safer work environment.
Source: Oilinfo
Gjøa on its way to the North Sea
Aker Solutions has completed building the semi-submersible platform by Aker Solutions for the Gjøa oil and gas field offshore Norway.
Gjøa is the world's first floating platform supplied with power from shore. This technology is expected to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 250.000 tons per year.
Gjøa is a semi-submersible platform, built for one of the largest ongoing field development projects in the North Sea. The platform will be connected to five subsea templates.
Statoil is the operator of the field, but GDF SUEZ will take over as operator when Gjøa starts to produce oil and gas, which will happen in the fourth quarter of this year.
In total, more than 500 Aker Solutions engineers from Norway and India have been mobilized to design the platform. During final assembly at Stord, peak manning reached 3.000 skilled operators.
Source: Oilinfo
Deep water drilling via tunnel
Norwegian engineering company North Energy has proposed plans for using tunnels when drilling for oil in near-shore areas. This would minimise the risk for pollution in vulnerable regions like Lofoten.
The company suggests that tunnels of up to 40km in length be drilled from shore to the oil or gas find. Here a large hall would be excavated, to make room for the drilling and production equipment. The oil and gas would then be piped to shore through the tunnel. The plan also calls for at least one more tunnel to be drilled, for security reasons and to handle a possible blow-out.
North Energy points to the fact that Norwegian companies have long experience in tunnel bulding under difficult conditions in several pasrts of the world, including Svalbard.
Norwegian environmental organisations have so far opposed opening the Lofoten and Vesterålen waters for exploration, since they are important spawning grounds for several vital fish stocks. Fishermen say there is no room for both drilling rigs and fishing vessels.
Others also point to the danger from an oil spill to nature, marine life and birds, and to the tourist industry, as seen from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
- The project is relalistic, but the cost would vary with diffirent rock quality, says North Energy CEO Erik Karlstrøm to the newspaper Aftenposten.
Source: Norway Post
Subsea 7 awarded pipeline contract for BP
Subsea 7 has been awarded a major pipeline bundle contract for BP in the North Sea. The value of the contract is approximately 135 million USD.
The contract involves work for BP's development project on Andrew Area in the UK sector. Subsea 7 will engineer, procure, fabricate, install and commission a 28 kilometer long pipeline bundle system consisting of production, gas lift and methanol pipelines.
Installation of a 28 kilometer long electro-hydraulic control umbilical, tie-ins of integrated subsea towhead structures, field testing and pre-commissioning is also included in the work scope.
- We are extremely pleased to be awarded this major pipeline bundle project by BP, which builds upon our strong track record of successful bundle design, fabrication and installation, says Steph McNeill, Subsea 7's Vice President for the UK Region, in a press release.
Source: Oilinfo
Acergy to buy Subsea 7 in oil and gas engineering deal
Norway's Acergy has announced an acquisition that will create a major new oil and gas engineering firm.
The company will buy out rival Subsea 7, creating a company of 12,000 employees and worth $5.4bn (£3.6bn).
Acergy built what was the world's longest underwater gas pipeline in 2006, connecting the UK to Norwegian North Sea gasfields.
Markets took the news well, with Acergy shares up 11% in early Monday trading, while its target Subsea 7 was up 12%.
The buyout on the Oslo stock exchange will be an all-share offer, meaning that Acergy will not need to raise any cash to complete the deal.
The companies expect the deal to result in cost savings of at least $100m per year.
Source: BBC
Snøhvit made the impossible possible
"As the first production plant for LNG in Europe and in Arctic areas, Snøhvit has taken a new and central position for Statoil in the European gas supply picture," says chief executive Helge Lund.
”At the same time the plant at Melkøya is a great industrial adventure,” underlined Lund at an industrial seminar in Hammerfest on Friday. ”The plant at Melkøya is a great industrial adventure,” underlined Lund at an industrial seminar in Hammerfest on Friday. "With LNG deliveries from Snøhvit, Statoil on its side has added an important and strategic contribution to its gas value chain," continued Lund.
Snøhvit has a competitive position both in the European and the US gas market, thanks to its proximity to these markets compared with other LNG.
With regard to resources the Arctic areas offer large technological and environmental challenges. The solutions found for Snøhvit will provide opportunities in future projects such as Goliat, Sthokman, Alaska and new areas in the Barents Sea.
Source: Maritime and Energy
Active Service AS and Hydrasun Ltd establish exclusive co-operation
Active Service AS and UK company Hydrasun Ltd, both specialists in hoses and fitting solutions to the oil and gas industry, have formalised an agreement to work closely together in the Norwegian market. A trading association has existed between the organisations for years, but both companies recognised that with the establishment of a more formal relationship, a broader range of products, services and solutions could be offered adding real value to Norwegian customers operations.
Active Service's market leading position in Norway has been developed through the provision of a specialist hose & service capability which has included unrivalled speed of response, delivery of problem solving solutions, together with an efficient after sales repair & maintenance support service.
Similarly Hydrasun has developed its core fluid connector business over the last 35 years both in the UK and Internationally, but has also developed their customer focused service capabilities into other specialist areas such as Hose Integrity Management, Umbilical manufacture & associated support services whilst broadening its portfolio of innovative product solutions to include BOP Control Hoses, Fire Rated Hoses & Drilling Hoses.
Through Active Service's office and service centres, Norwegian customers will now be able to gain full access to the combined portfolio of solutions on offer from both companies, enabling real value in terms of improved technical integrity & reliability, operational up-time, Health, Safety & Environmental performance and overall cost efficiencies to be realised.
Source: Press Release
Companies target the energy sector
NOF Energy, the business development organisation for the oil, gas, nuclear and offshore wind sectors, has established a new relationship with Decom North Sea to promote opportunities in offshore oil and gas decommissioning.
Aberdeen-based Decom is a new organisation which works to help supply chain companies throughout the UK secure a proportion of the £30 billion decommissioning workload facing the North Sea in the future.
NOF Energy has committed to help Decom North Sea raise its profile in the UK, initially in the North East of England, which has a strong base of companies that currently have the potential to serve the decommissioning market.
In addition, the two organisations will share industry intelligence and encourage member collaboration.
George Rafferty, chief executive of NOF Energy, said: “We work closely with a number of development organisations in the energy sector who share the goal of securing a proportion of the market for the UK supply chain and for NOF Energy members.
"Decommissioning offers strong potential for the skills, products and innovation that exists within our membership and the relationship with Decom North Sea will help increase those opportunities."
Source: NEBusiness
Bridge goes for British black gold
The oil company Bridge Energy, originally Norwegian, has extended their license portfolio with a license in UK.
The Departement of Energy and Climate Change has awarded Bridge Energy the license 1738 in block 49/13 on the UK shelf. The license was initially applied for in the 25. licensing round.
The license includes the prospects Nebraska and Arizona, and the license is a promote license with an initial two year term.
Work programme for the well includes obtaining of as much as 300 square kilometers 3D-seismic data, and reprocessing of 100 square kilometers 3D-data.
Source: Oilinfo
Subsea UK grows
Subsea UK "more relevant than ever" as 12 new members come on-board.
Subsea UK has underlined its relevance in the industry with the announcement of 15 new member companies, including operator Silverstone Energy and Galathea Group.
The industry body, formed in 2004 with a handful of member companies to champion the rapidly-growing UK subsea sector, now represents over 30% of the UK 's subsea firms who between them employ over 25% of the 40,000 UK employees in the sector.
A fully self-sustaining organisation, Subsea UK now has well over 200 members spanning the entire subsea supply chain from operators to major contractors and manufacturers to small technology innovators.
Source: Offshore247
UK reviews oil spill response
Following on from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill after the blowout and loss of Transocean's Deepwater Horizon rig an energy industry leadership group in the UK North Sea has formed a new oil spill advisory group.
Oil and Gas UK says the new group has been formed to anticipate the outcome of investigations into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and it will be chaired by Fairfield Energy chief executive Mark McAllister.
"In light of the recent Gulf of Mexico incident, it is only right that we take a fresh look at our practices in the UK for oil spill prevention and response," McAllister declared.
He points out that although there are already regulations in place which require the UK's offshore industry to have checks and oil spill contingency plans, a review of those procedures is now underway, through the new Oil Spill Prevention and Response Advisory Group (Osprag).
Source: Offshore247
Growing North Sea activity
Growing activity in the North Sea has been predicted by Norway's Prosafe Production in its first quarter results statement.
"Prosafe expects a good long-term demand for semi-submersible accommodation rigs, with growth in activity in the North Sea and in deepwater regions" Oslo-listed Prosafe stated today.
Prosafe reported operating revenue for the first quarter up to US $87.4 million from $81.6 m in in the first quarter last year.
Reviewing operations, Prosafe said its outlook for the UK and Norwegian sectors of the North Sea suggested more prospects for maintenance, upgrades and tie-in work in the coming years.
Source: Offshore247
There's plenty of life left in the North Sea
There is still plenty of life left in the UK North Sea according to a new report on drilling in the sector which suggests there were 28 successful wells which either appraised previous finds or found further technical reserves during 2009.
In response to the economic downturn, drilling activity dipped significantly in 2009 compared to 2008,” he said. "However, the increased success rate is testament to the improving expertise and technology being applied in the UK exploration and production industry to locate reserves on the UKCS, and we see this high quality technical success continuing."
Going forward, he predicts drilling levels to surge again, adding: "With approximately 240 known forecast wells currently in various stages of planning for the period 2009 to 2015, there is still a substantial exploration resource to be tapped in the North Sea."
Source: Offshore247
Statoil sees income surge
Statoil more than doubled it profit for the first quarter this year as it saw net income soar 181% to hit NKr 11.1 Bn (US $1.84 Bn).
"The 181% increase was mainly due to higher net operating income in International Exploration and Production, reduced losses on net financial items and a lower tax rate," the Norwegian oil major said.
Lower gas prices were the only disappointment in an otherwise satisfactory performance said chief executive Helge Lund.
"Our equity production has been high and oil prices have been rising. Despite weaknesses in the gas market our Natural Gas business has delivered solid results, as a consequence of high offtake from our customers and good trading performance," the Statoil chief declared.
And he went on with an upbeat view of the last three months: "Project activity is maintained at a high level, Lund said. “In the first quarter we have sanctioned six new projects. Among them are important field developments like Gudrun and Marulk on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and the Chirag Oil Project in Azerbaijan. These projects are underpinning our long term growth ambitions," he added.
Statoil's production was up 1% from last year to average 2,102 m boe/d while liquids prices averaged NKr 404 per barrel (US $71.90/bbl) and average gas prices were at NKr 1.64 per standard cubic metre - ($0.27 cents per scm).
Source: Offshore247
Norwegian oil production 2 mill barrels a day
The average daily production on the Norwegian Continental Shelf in February was nearly 2 million barrels of oil, 300,000 barrels of Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) and 80,000 barrels of condensate.
So far this year the average daily production has been about 2.0 million barrels of oil and the total liquid production about 2.3 million barrels. Total production so far is about 42.3 million Sm3 o.e. This is 1.3 million Sm3 o.e. less than in the same period last year.
Preliminary production figures for March 2010 show an average daily production of about 1.916 million barrels of oil, 0.347 million barrels of NGL and condensate and a total of 10.5 billion Sm3 net gas production.
New agreement creates expectations
Norway's Statoil takes a positive view of the new agreement reached on Tuesday between Norway and Russia on the delimitation line in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean.
Statoil believes the agreement may open for the exploration for oil and gas in new areas.
- We know that finds have been made both on the Russian and Norwegian side of the delimination line. This creates expectations, says Statoil information director Ola Morten Aanestad.
However, he underlines that these are unsheltered waters, and a difficult region in which to carry out oil and gas production.
Source: The Norway Post
Coastal Administration Recommends The Port Of Kirkenes
In a recently published study, the Norwegian Coastal Administration concludes that the port of Kirkenes is the best choice in eastern Finnmark for base operations for the petroleum industry.
Source: BarentsObserver
The new Norwegian-Russian gas partnership
The delimitation of the Barents Sea will open up for an unprecedented Norwegian-Russian cooperation on gas field development.
Commenting on the deal announced yesterday, Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Riis-Johansen says the ground is now prepared for more activities and cooperation with Russia in the field of petroleum.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev yesterday announced a deal on the delineation of the 175,000 square kilometer big area in the Barents Sea. The area is believed to contain huge amounts of natural gas, possibly far more than the nearby Shtokman field.
The field Fedinsky High, which is expected to be of gigantic proportions, is located in the very centre of the area. An agreement on the sharing of these resources therefore needed to be found before the borderline was settled. With the deal announced yesterday, Norway and Russia have prepared the ground for enhanced cooperation and partnership on the regional hydrocarbons.
Both parts will significantly benefit from the deal. Investors will increasingly catch interest in the region, and the huge costs of developing the Shtokman field will be easier to justify considering the possibility to harmonize infrastructure solutions with other deposits, such as the Fedinsky High.
The Norwegian-Russian deal on the Barents Sea consequently also removes most of the doubts recently cast over the Shtokman field development.
No wonder, the Norwegian Oil Minister is ecstatic about the deal. "The agreement means that the strategic partnership in the petroleum sector can be materialized in a quite new and extensive manner", the minister says in a press release. He adds that the Norwegian side now will start planning how to proceed with "raising the knowledge level" about the petroleum potentials in the region.
Another 40 years for Ekofisk
The Ministry for Petroleum and Energy has approved the construction of new accommodation platform at Ekofisk.
The minister for petroleum and energy, Terje Riis-Johansen is delighted:
"I am happy to register that several major projects are planned in the Ekofisk area in the future. This paves the way for production from the Ekofisk area for another 40 years."
Source: Offshore247
Bridge Energy joins forces with the Brits
Bridge Energy AS and British Silverstone Energy Ltd have joined forces, and they now apply for a listing on Oslo Stock Exchange.
The two companies have signed an agreement which means that they both will be subsidiaries of the holding company Bridge Energy ASA.
The British company Silverstone Energy has twelve licenses on the British side of the North Sea, among others on Victoria. Bridge Energy has 13 exploration licenses on the Norwegian shelf, and they have participated in four exploration wells, three of these resulted in a find of hydrocarbons.
Source: Oilinfo
As much as 136,5 billion NOK (£15.2 billion) will be invested
Recent surveys from Statistics Norway (SSB) estimate that as much NOK 136,5 billion will be invested in Norwegian oil and gas activities in 2010.
Despite the impressive numbers, estimates are down NOK 1,9 billion from same-time estimates for 2009. SSB notes that it "indicates a stable 2009/2010 investement level".
Breaking down the total, SSB estimates that NOK 27,7 billion will be invested in field developments, with Skarv, Gjøa and Goliat making up the bulk of that sum, while field operations and production will see some NOK 72,5 billion invested. The latter is down NOK 0,6 billion from 2010 estimates made in Q4 2009. The Ekofisk, Troll and Valhall field will see the most of the NOK 72,5 billion total.
Source: Oilinfo
100 bn NOK to be invested on Nordland Shelf
Developing Norwegian Sea Luva and Gro fields offshore Nordland will trigger investments to the tune of 100bn NOK.
According to industry organization PetroArctic, operator Statoil is currently doing the math on the Luva development, but have previously stated they regard it economically viable. That means the industry could see a PDO (Plan for Development and Operation) submitted to the Norwegian authorities within two years, PetroArctic told NRK.
Should operator of the Gro field, Shell, also decide to go ahead with a development, the two developments would cause a 100bn NOK feeding frenzy for the oil supply industry, PetroArctic claims. However, Shell has not come far enough in its evaluation to put a price on a possible development.
There is, however, a cloud on the horizon: The market for natural gas. Should prices on natural gas continue to fall, it might take the economy out of the projects.
Source: Oilinfo
Lundin and Petrofac unites in UK
Swedish company Lundin and Petrofac has formed a joint venture called EnQuest, that will manage and operate the two company's oil and gas shares in UK.
Lundin Petroleum will own 55 percent of the new company, while Petrofac will control the remaining 45 percent.
EnQuest will apply for listing on London Stock Exhange, and a secondary listing on Nasdaq Stockholm.
The agreement will be complete during second quarter of 2010, and will be subject to the approval of the UK governments and Lundin Petroleum's shareholder.
Lundin reports of a revised proven and probable reserves to 177 million barrels of oil equivalents, down from 255,9 million boe following the spin-off of its UK assets.
Source: Oilinfo
100 bn NOK to be invested on Nordland Shelf
Developing Norwegian Sea Luva and Gro fields offshore Nordland will trigger investments to the tune of 100bn NOK.
According to industry organization PetroArctic, operator Statoil is currently doing the math on the Luva development, but have previously stated they regard it economically viable. That means the industry could see a PDO (Plan for Development and Operation) submitted to the Norwegian authorities within two years, PetroArctic told NRK.
Should operator of the Gro field, Shell, also decide to go ahead with a development, the two developments would cause a 100bn NOK feeding frenzy for the oil supply industry, PetroArctic claims. However, Shell has not come far enough in its evaluation to put a price on a possible development.
There is, however, a cloud on the horizon: The market for natural gas. Should prices on natural gas continue to fall, it might take the economy out of the projects.
The Luva field was discovered by BP in 1997, taken over by Statoil in 2006, and had the Snefrid and Haklang discoveries added, putting total reserve figures between 40 and 60 billion smc of natural gas. The field is situated in 1300 meters of water some 300km offshore Sandnessjøen and 500km from the nearest existing gas infrastructure (Nyhavna, the Ormen Lange onshore processing facilities.)
The Gro field lies in 1376 meters of water, some 150km West of Total's Victoria gas field, also on the Nordland Shelf. Reserve potential in the area is considerable, but further drilling is needed to put a firm estimate on the size of the discovery, which right now is believed to be between 10 and 100bn smc.
Source: Oilinfo
Half full, or half empty?
Norway has produced half of its oil and gas reserves, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) said.
The NPD today presented reserve figures for the Norwegian Shelf, updates as of 31 december 2009. The figures show that 5.3 billion standard cubic meters (scm) of oil equivalents have already been produced, leaving total remaining proven recoverable resources of 4.8 billion scm oil equivalents.
Meanwhile, estimated total recoverable resources are 8.1 billion scm o.e with an uncertainty range from 5.3 to 11.7 billion scm o.e., the NPD added.
According to the NPD, the resource estimates are based on reports submitted annually by the operating companies, combined with the directorate´s own evaluations for fields and discoveries and estimates of undiscovered resources.
In 2009, 28 new discoveries were made. Of this, 21 were in the North Sea, and 7 in the Norwegian Sea. The expected volume of the new discoveries is estimated at 62 million scm oil and 83 billion scm gas. This means that in 2009, only 64 per cent of the production the same year was replaced by reserves in new discoveries.
Source: Oilinfo
120 Kilos Too Heavy
Fat oil workers are not allowed to go offshore. If you weigh over 120 kilos, and work in the oil and gas industry, you are in trouble. At least if the regional doctor in Rogaland, Norway, gets his way.
Source: Offshore 247
Production on the Shelf
Figures for the Norwegian continental shelf in December 2009 show an average production of 2,347,000 barrels per day. This comprised 1,998,000 barrels of oil, 274,000 barrels of natural gas liquids (NDL) and 75,000 barrels of condensate. A total of 21.6 million standard cubic metres of oil equivalents was produced in December, 1 million less than in December 2008.
Source: Aftenposten
Billion trade surplus for Norway
Norway is among the countries in the world with the highest trade surpluses. Only five countries can beat Norway's surplus of NOK 325 billion.
Saudi Arabia has the biggest trade surplus in the world, at NOK 1,331 billion, writes the Economist. China ranks second with a surplus of NOK 1,232 billion.
Norway's oil and gas exports are the reason for the giant surplus, and accounts for almost 60 percent of Norway's raw materials export last year, writes Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.
- The large trade surplus is due to Norway exporting oil and gas, and saving the money from these sales for the future. If we had a neutral trade balance, that would have meant that we used the money we make from oil and gas exports very quickly. That would have been very alarming, says Øystein Olsen, managing director of Statistics Norway.
Source: Oilinfo
Brits still rely on Norwegian gas
Ormen Lange is out of production, but only prudent Brits are freezing, says Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
Shell says that production had to be shut at Ormen Lange due to the weather conditions. The production has been down since the weekend, and the capacity at Kårsø has also been heavily reduced due to the extreme cold.
In Britain, things are running as normal regardless of the gas stoppage. The DECC says that the gas network is working as it should despite Ormen Lange being out of production.
- We are monitoring the situation, but the supply is currently working well. These things can happen, and we fully rely on Norwegian gas, says a DECC spokesperson.
Gassco confirms that they experience full trust to Norwegian gas supply.
- Norwegian gas is fully trusted, and we have a long history of regular deliverances, communication director Kjell Varlo Larsen in Gassco.
It is still uncertain when Ormen Lange will be back in full capacity, and Shell is currently working hard to get the production back on its feet.
Source: Oilinfo
Britain need to spend £200 Bn on energy
British energy regulator has suggested £200 Billion needs to be invested in new generation to provide the country with security of supply.
Far reaching energy market reforms are also urged by the regulator which has spent a year looking at the UK's energy market and options for the future in a programme called Project Discovery.
And one of its key findings following programme is that: "There is a need for unprecedented levels of investment to be sustained over many years in difficult financial conditions and against a background of increased risk and uncertainty," Ofgem says.
With the UK now heavily dependent on Norwegian offshore gas supplies and gas imports from elsewhere in Europe, the future looks bleak for domestic energy demand unless big investment decisions are taken now, the regulator warns.
Leaving the UK's existing energy market untouched is not an option Ofgem says, and it warns that action has to be taken now to avoid energy shortages and rising bills for consumers and industry in the future.
"The unprecedented combination of the global financial crisis, tough environmental targets, increasing gas import dependency and the closure of ageing power stations has combined to cast reasonable doubt over whether the current energy arrangements will deliver secure and sustainable energy supplies." Ofgem warns.
And the group's chief executive Alistair Buchanan stated today: "The overwhelming majority of responses to Ofgem's October consultation show that there is an increasing consensus that leaving the present system of market arrangements and other incentives unchanged is not an option."
Signalling the need for massive new investment, he continues: "Ofgem has therefore put forward a range of possible options to unlock the up to £200 billion of investment Britain may need. We are keen to work with Government to find the best way forward."
Five key reforms have been outlined by Ofgem to improve regulation of Britain's energy supplies and one of them suggests enhanced renewables obligations on energy generators, combined with tenders for renewable energy generation, with guaranteed returns for investors over perhaps 20 years. This alone could provide a further incentive for offshore wind farms.
Source: Offshore247
The end of 2009 saw Pipetech AS taking the first steps to a prosperous 2010.
Pipetech AS is an industrial pipe cleaning company using environmentally friendly clean water, aqua milling and aqua sonic techniques, based in Stavanger and Sandnesjøen, Norway.
Pipetech came to the North East of England to explore the potential for their service in the oil and gas, process and chemical industries abundant in the region. The aim of their visit was to look into setting up a small office to market their service directly from the UK. During Pipetech's time in the North East they viewed a number of potential properties and meet with many potential clients.
The NCC first took Pipetech to see the softlanding facilities available to Norwegian companies setting up in North East England. By adopting the softlanding business model Pipetech saw how to minimise business risk and reduces executive time in the Internationalisation process. Experience has shown that companies need to manage their resources carefully to grow. The processes in place in the North East of England are world class in helping Norwegian companies be successful and achieve a sustainable growth in the UK.
On Pipetech's visit to the North East they were able to meet with some of the regions key business players. With visits to Tees Vally Regeneration, Shepherd Offshore, Able UK and Pipetawse to name a few - Pipetech received an enthusiastic response for their offer. Local organisations such as NOF Energy, NEPIC and Tees Vally have 1000's of member companies in the oil and gas, process and chemical industry, the region is awash with dirty pipes that need cleaning and Pipetech has the technology to do it.
Golden age for Northern Norway
Northern Norway is facing a new golden age within petroleum activities, the opinion of previous head of Statoil Arve Johnsen.
"Northern Norway is about to enter an unusually interesting period, which is unprecedented in the region", Johnsen says to Norwegian paper Nordlys. "The petroleum activity will lift the knowledge and the industrial capacity in the region which is preparing for the exciting times to come". "Northern Norway could be the most interesting part of Norwegian petroleum activity during the next 50 years".
Petoro, which takes care of the state's direct involvement on the Norwegian Shelf has also been highlighting the future oil and gas possibilities in North Norway.
One of the biggest debates in Norway is whether or not to allow oil exploration in the northern regions of Lofoten and Vesterålen. "We think that the Norwegian industry has enough know-how and experience to operate in all parts of the Norwegian Shelf, including the area of Lofoten, Sveinung Sletten, VP of external affairs at Petoro, tells E24. "We think that if we want to negate the negative development in production levels on the Norwegian shelf, it's absolutely necessary to look for oil where we think it's possible to find new fields, including in the northern areas of the shelf, says Sletten.
The High North remains the Norwegian Government's most important strategic priority area. A record increase in funding of nearly £60 million (NOK 530 million) has therefore been proposed for a range of measures in the region next year.
Swedish-Swiss oil company Lundin Petroleum is also planning to invest NOK 1 billion in exploration in frontier areas in the Barents Sea next year. If they make any discoveries, they might be routed to StatoilHydro's Snøhvit field, which is Norway's biggest operational field in the Barents Sea.
Source: Oilinfo
Faroe granted licence in Norway
Aberdeen-based Faroe Petroleum has been awarded a new exploration licence in Norway.
The independent oil and gas explorer said significant hydrocarbon potential had been identified in the area.
Faroe said that Norway had a vast untapped oil and gas potential, and the company has built up a considerable portfolio to explore this.
The company said it was now considering applying for licences in the upcoming 21st Licensing Round in Norway.
Graham Stewart, chief executive of Faroe Petroleum, said: "As we continue with our scheduled, fully-funded drilling programme, we now look forward to five high impact wells in 2010, the first of which is expected to be the Fogelberg well in Norway next month."
Last autumn shares in the company jumped by more than a fifth after an exploration well near the Shetland Islands unearthed a substantial gas reservoir.
Source: BBC
Statoil dumps millions into Snorre field
Statoil are investing $870 million into the infrastructure associated with the Snorre oil and gas field to contribute to production goals in the North Sea.
Norwegian energy giant Statoil announced plans to dump millions of dollars into modifying the installations at Snorre. Torstein Hole, a senior vice president of exploration at Statoil, said the investments would secure development at the field "up until the year 2040."
The Snorre field in the North Sea was discovered in 1979. Production by Statoil began at the Snorre A and Snorre B platforms in 1992.
Statoil said its license partner at Snorre, Apply Sorco Co., was awarded another multimillion contract to replace the fire and gas alarm systems.
"We will get a completely revamped, modern system with a much improved coverage compared to the current one," said Hole. "This will make the platform's warning system more robust and will represent a big safety improvement."
The company said the upgrades at Snorre would be completed by 2012.
Source: UPI
Statoil Chief Stresses Importance of Natural Gas
Major reductions in carbon emissions cannot be achieved in the short and medium term without a bigger commitment to gas, says Statoil's chief executive Helge Lund.
He arrived in Copenhagen today, 13 December, in connection with the UN climate summit to present his views on the contribution natural gas can make to a sustainable future.
Natural gas is an available, flexible and competitive energy bearer with a key part to play in finding a climate change solution, Lund told a meeting held by the International Gas Union.
Carbon emissions can be substantially reduced by replacing coal with natural gas, he said. Gas is also important for realising new energy forms, in part as a back-up for intermittent wind power.
Unlike the world's oil reserves, the volumes of proven gas are increasing and new technology is helping to make several unconventional resources profitable.
'Last but not least; natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel in terms of carbon dioxide emissions and particles and is the perfect bridge towards a low-carbon future,' Lund maintained.
Source: Oil Voice
Heerema Hartlepool secures Norwegian rig construction
British offshore fabricator Heerema Hartlepool has bagged a big deal to build platform topsides for the new Sheringham Shoal wind farm which is being developed by Norway's Statoil and Statkraft.
Two offshore electrical substation platforms are to be built by Heerema after winning the construction and load out contact from Areva T&D on behalf of Statoil and Statkraft.
The deal follows on from another Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract for a previous wind farm substation platform - the first in the UK - which was completed by Heerema and loaded out and installed in September, in partnership with associated company HFG Engineering.
Heerema's new deal will be executed with a design which involves a 1,000 tonne deck, and both topsides units are scheduled to sail out from the Heerema fabrication facility in September next year.
Source: Offshore247
Mech-Tool shows its 'can-do' ability
A CAN-DO attitude by a North-East engineering firm saw it significantly increase the value of a £1m contract.
Mech-Tool Engineering Limited, based in Whessoe Road, Darlington, was contracted by MAN Turbo to design and manufacture noise-reducing acoustic enclosures for four huge oil rig compressor units.
The stainless steel acoustic enclosures, capable of noise reductions of up to 45 decibels, were shipped ready for installation from Teessidedirectly to BP's North Sea platforms, in Norway's Valhall Oil Field.
The compressors and enclosures were to have been fitted together in Norway, but Mech- Tool's role on the project - initially only for the design and manufacture of enclosures and associated ventilation and gas detection systems - was expanded after difficulties elsewhere in the supply chain threatened to hamper the project.
The extra work was carried out at Mech-Tool's fabrication centre on the River Tees.
Frank Vout, divisional director of Mech-Tool's acoustic products division, said the additional fit-out and testing work increased the value of the contract to Mech- Tool, initially worth about £1m, by more than 30 per cent.
He said: “It enabled us to demonstrate our project management expertise, but it also provided a showcase for the deep-water quayside and fabrication facilities at the North Sea Supply Base, on the River Tees, and the logistical strengths of Teesside as a location for major engineering projects.
"Perhaps best of all, it was a perfect example of the ‘can-do' attitude that has earned North-East workers admirers around the world and which has been so vital to this company's recent success."
Mech-Tool, which specialises in explosion, fire and noise protection systems, is involved in a number of projects for the BP Valhall oil field.
The acoustic division is on course to contribute a third of Mech-Tool's projected turnover in 2009-10 of between £21m and £24m.
Thursday 3rd December 2009, Northern Echo
CSL strikes up Norway
Aberdeen-headquartered CSL has pledged to build a Norwegian offshore business from a new office base in Stavanger.
Offshore construction support provider CSL has taken up residence in Stavanger city centre and although there are only two employees at present the company says it is willing to expand.
"We will build up a Norwegian organisation, with Norwegian engineering, Norwegian management and a Norwegian business model," declared Rodrigo Rendon, business development manager for CSL.
Source: www.offshore247.com
UK-Norway "supergrid" agreement
Norway and the UK have started talks about developing a single electricity grid which could see the world's longest subsea cable installed allowing North Sea wind farms and petroleum installations to be linked up.
Electricity transmission system operators National Grid in Britain and Norway's Statnett have signed an agreement to study connecting up the Norwegian and UK power grids with a single high voltage direct current power cable with "nodes" to allow wind farms and offshore oil and gas platforms to hook into the system - reducing the need for offshore power generation on platforms.
Source: www.offshore247.com