Blog Archives
DeepOcean Pens Long Term Charter Deal for New OSCV
Norway’s DeepOcean has entered into a contract for long term charter of an offshore support and construction vessel (OSCV) from Rem Ship AS.
“DeepOcean is established as a leading subsea services and installation contractor in the North Sea. In order to maintain and strengthen our leading position in this market, we are currently investing in our fleet of owned and chartered vessels.” says DeepOcean AS President Mads Bardsen.
The new build is a MT6022 design, with length of 108 meters and 22 meters breadth. The vessel is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2014.
In addition to the new build, DeepOcean has already chartered the Rem Forza from Rem Ship AS. The vessel will be fitted with an AHC offshore crane and two work class ROVs and associated Launch and Recovery Systems.
DeepOcean Pens Long Term Charter Deal for New OSCV| Offshore Energy Today.
Cummins Westport Begins Developing New Gas Engine, Canada
Cummins Westport announced it has begun development on the ISB6.7 G, a mid-range 6.7 liter natural gas engine designed to meet the increasing demand for on-highway vehicles powered by lower cost, cleaner and increasingly abundant natural gas. As a leading supplier of natural gas engines, Cummins Westport Inc. continues to expand its product range to supply the growing demand for natural gas engines.
The ISB6.7 G engine will be based on the Cummins ISB6.7 diesel engine and will use Cummins Westport’s proven spark-ignited, stoichiometric cooled exhaust gas recirculation (SEGR) technology. Exhaust aftertreatment will be provided by a simple, maintenance-free three-way catalyst.
The engine will run on compressed natural gas (CNG), however, the natural gas may be stored on the vehicle in liquefied natural gas (LNG) state or as CNG. The ISB6.7 G is expected to be in production by 2015 and will be designed to meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulations in force at the time of launch.
“The addition of the ISB6.7 G will round out our family of high performance natural gas engines,” said Jim Arthurs, President of Cummins Westport. “It joins the 8.9-liter ISL G, with over 16,000 engines in service, and the 11.9-litre ISX12 G, which will start production in 2013, to give our customers a broad range of natural gas engines for on-highway applications.”
Cummins Westport Begins Developing New Gas Engine, Canada LNG World News.
Huisman Builds New Production Facility in Brazil
Huisman, specialist in lifting, drilling and subsea solutions, has announced its plans to build a new production facility in Brazil and recently initiated the land fill works. The new facility will be located alongside the river Itajai-Açu in the city of Navegantes in Santa Catarina state, a state in the southern part of Brazil bordering the Atlantic Ocean. This facility will be used for the manufacturing of construction equipment for the Brazilian offshore market.
The first investment phase includes over 15,000 square meter of production facilities. The next investment phase will include a 200m long quay side with an artificial bay to protect vessels from the seasonal river’s high currents. With the quayside in place, the Huisman do Brasil facility will be easily accessible for seagoing vessels, allowing for fast installation, commissioning and testing of the Huisman designed and built offshore construction equipment onboard. The new Huisman production facility is planned to be operational in the second half of 2013.
Subsea World News – Huisman Builds New Production Facility in Brazil.
Gulf of Mexico: Helix Energy Makes New Discovery
Helix Energy Solutions Group announced an oil discovery at the Danny II exploration well at the Bushwood Field located in Garden Banks Block 506, approximately 145 miles offshore from Galveston, Texas. The Danny II exploration well encountered more than 70 feet of high quality net pay.
Johnny Edwards, President of Energy Resource Technology GOM (ERT), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Helix, stated, “Preliminary data from down-hole test tools confirmed oil in the Danny II well with over 9,500 psi of bottom-hole pressure. Additional testing to determine the composition of the reservoir fluids is on-going. We will provide an update on Danny II after completion.”
The Danny II exploration well was drilled to a total depth of approximately 14,750 feet, in water depths of approximately 2,800 feet. The well is currently being completed and most likely will be developed via a subsea tie back system to the 70% owned and operated East Cameron Block 381 platform located approximately 31 miles to the north in 370 feet of water. First production from Danny II is expected in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Helix holds a 50% working interest in the exploration well jointly with Deep Gulf Energy LP (Operator) and Deep Gulf Energy II, LLC (both First Reserve Corporation and Quintana Capital backed entities), who own the other 50% working interest.
Helix Energy Solutions Group, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is an international offshore energy company that provides key life of field services to the energy market as well as to its own oil and gas business unit.
Related articles
- USA-GOM: Galapagos Production Rates Above Forecast (mb50.wordpress.com)
- GoM Lease Sale: Apache Expands Presence in Gulf of Mexico (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Express arrives offshore Israel for SURF work (mb50.wordpress.com)
- USA: Statoil Secures 26 New Leases in Gulf of Mexico (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Helix’s EXPRESS Commences Subsea Installation Work Offshore Israel [IMAGES] (gcaptain.com)
- PHOTOS: Express installing subsea manifolds ” Helix Currents (mb50.wordpress.com)
Noble’s New Drillship Enters Three-Year Contract in GoM
Noble Corporation announced that the Company has entered into a three-year term drilling contract with Anadarko Petroleum Corporation for the Noble Bob Douglas, one of Noble’s new ultra-deepwater drillships currently under construction at the Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. (HHI) shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea. The drillship, which is being constructed on a fixed price basis, is expected to be utilized for operations primarily in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
The Noble Bob Douglas is expected to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2013. The contract is expected to commence thereafter following mobilization to an initial operating location and client acceptance. Revenues to be generated over the three-year term are expected to total approximately $677 million. The contract also provides for an operating cost escalation provision.
The Noble Bob Douglas is one of four ultra-deepwater drillships being constructed for Noble by HHI. All four drillships are based on a Hyundai Gusto P10000 hull design, capable of operations in water depths of up to 12,000 feet and offering a variable deck load of 20,000 metric tons. The Noble Bob Douglas will be delivered fully equipped to operate in up to 10,000 feet of water while offering DP-3 station keeping, two complete six-ram BOP systems, multiple parallel activity features that improve overall well construction efficiencies and accommodations for up to 210 personnel. The rig will also be equipped with a 165-ton heave compensated construction crane to facilitate deployment of subsea production equipment, providing another level of efficiency during field development programs.
With the award of this contract for the Noble Bob Douglas, two of the Company’s four ultra-deepwater drillships under construction at HHI are now under contract. The remaining two uncontracted drillships are scheduled to be delivered from the shipyard in 2014.
Related articles
- Diamond Offshore Orders New Drillship in South Korea (mb50.wordpress.com)
- UK: Nautronix to Supply Acoustic Positioning System for Noble’s New Drillship (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Chevron Spends USD 1 Billion on Pacific Sharav Drillship Contract (USA) (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Norway: Seadrill Negotiating USD 1.16 bln Gig for West Polaris Drillship (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Maersk Bags Gulf of Mexico Contract for Its Under-Construction Drillship (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Pacific Santa Ana Drillship Arrives in U.S. Gulf of Mexico to Work for Chevron (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Strong Demand for UDW Drillships Spurs Seadrill to Order One More from SHI (South Korea) (mb50.wordpress.com)
Six New Leases for EPL in Central GoM Lease Sale (USA)
Energy Partners, Ltd., a U.S. based oil and gas exploration and production company announced was the high bidder on six leases at the Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 216/222 held yesterday in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The six high bid lease blocks cover a total of 27,148 acres on a net and gross basis and are all located in the shallow Gulf of Mexico Shelf within the Company’s core area of operations. EPL’s share of the high bids totals $7.0 million.
Gary C. Hanna, EPL’s President and Chief Executive Officer commented, “This lease sale was a long awaited one, and we are pleased that we were successful with high bids within our core areas and targeted region. Consistent with our acquisition and organic growth strategy, the leases contain oily prospects that enhance our existing portfolio and were identified with the aid of our regional study that kicked off earlier this year. The six leases include three leases within the Main Pass area, two within the West Delta area, and one adjacent to our South Timbalier 41 field.”
The Central Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sale attracted $1,704,500,995 in high bids for tracts on the U.S. outer continental shelf offshore Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Yesterday’s highest bid on a tract was $157,111,000 submitted by Statoil Gulf of Mexico LLC for Mississippi Canyon, Block 718.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said that the sale, was good news for American jobs, good news for the Gulf economy, and would bring additional domestic resources to market.
Related articles
- Republicans: Obama taking too much credit for Gulf lease sale (fuelfix.com)
- USA: API Upstream Director Calls for Expanded Five-Year Offshore Plan (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Maersk Bags Gulf of Mexico Contract for Its Under-Construction Drillship (mb50.wordpress.com)
- USA: Nexen’s Kakuna Well Fails to Impress (mb50.wordpress.com)
Fincantieri, NLI to Offer New Solutions to Offshore Industry (Norway)
The shipbuilding giant Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A. and NLI, a Norwegian total supplier to oil & gas business, announce today the signing of a collaboration agreement, supporting the aim to penetrating the Mobile Drilling Units construction market.
This agreement includes the development of an innovative high quality drilling tower. For NLI the partnership is a milestone. In 1974 they delivered the first derrick to the Norwegian offshore industry. Most recently they have developed a drill tower solution new to the global market. With this Italian-Norwegian partnership NLI sees a great opportunity to reach out with their innovative solutions.
From now on the parties will include each other when approaching the market and present their projects to the various contractors and operators / oil companies.
The agreement follows the recent creation of the new Fincantieri Offshore Business Unit, dedicated to the commercialization and production of high valued offshore vessels such as Drill ships, Semisubmersibles Drilling Rigs, Pipe Layers, Construction Vessels and Non Standard Supply Vessels.
The Fincantieri Offshore value proposition is based on the offer of new generation turn-key vessels, tailor made to meet specific client requirements.
Mr. Sigve Barvik, Marketing Director of NLI commented: “We now have a yard, with financial power and world class know-how, which is prepared to support the potential of our drilling tower. Fincantieri’s European deep-water drilling initiative is unique and will allow to fully develop a drilling tower with superior performance, efficiency, eco friendliness, and safety for the personnel”.
Commenting on the agreement, Mr. Giuseppe Coronella, EVP Fincantieri Offshore Business Unit said: ”We are very motivated to start this joint development process with a company delivering quality drilling and topsides engineering solutions. this will strengthen the capability of the established Fincantieri’s drilling supply chain, the “Polo Offshore”.
Read more about NLI’s innovative “Northern Light” derrick.
Source: Fincantieri, NLI to Offer New Solutions to Offshore Industry (Norway)| Offshore Energy Today.
Related articles
- Norway: Lundin to Drill 12 Wells with Island Innovator Rig (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Statoil Charters Light Well Intervention Vessels to Increase Recovery (mb50.wordpress.com)
- STX OSV to Build Two OSCVs for Siem Offshore (Norway) (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Norway: STX OSV Strengthens Specialist Technology with New Acquisitions (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Odfjell Offshore Raising up to $500M to Develop Fleet (mb50.wordpress.com)
- Diamond Offshore Orders New Drillship in South Korea (mb50.wordpress.com)
UK: Nautronix to Supply Acoustic Positioning System for Noble’s New Drillship
Nautronix have secured another order for the supply of their NASDrill RS925 deepwater acoustic positioning system for Noble Corporation’s fourth new ultra-deepwater drillship. In 2011, Nautronix was awarded the contracts for supplying their NASDrill RS925 system for Noble’s first three new drill ships.
All new vessels will be constructed at Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, Korea and will be based on a Hyundai Gusto P10000 design. The rigs will have DP-3 station keeping abilities and the capacity to handle two complete BOP systems allowing for operation in water depths of up to 12,000 feet.
Mark Patterson, Nautronix CEO, commented “This order further strengthens our relationship with Noble Corporation and I believe that it demonstrates their confidence in our NASDrill RS925 system”.
NASDrill RS925 has been designed specifically to meet the requirements for a reliable, stable DP and position reference system for demanding offshore operations, in particular deepwater drilling vessels.
The system combines the two most accurate deepwater acoustic positioning technologies – Short Baseline (SBL) and Long Baseline (LBL) – to calculate multiple independent position solutions providing reliable, repeatable input to the vessel DP system; with SBL mode providing accuracies of 0.15% slant range and LBL mode providing accuracies up to 1m RMS independent of water depth.
The NASDrill RS925 system is supplied with all external interfacing to the Dynamic Positioning System for automatic station keeping and can be used as part of an integrated acoustically-aided INS positioning solution.
The system is also fully upgradable to use NASeBOP and NASNet® (Nautronix unique underwater GPS).
As with all Nautronix leading commercial acoustic systems, NASDrill RS925 utilises Nautronix proprietary ADS² (Acoustic Digital Spread Spectrum) broadband signalling technology which has been proven, with over ten years of successful subsea operations, to provide superior accuracy, repeatability and reliability for dynamic positioning of vessels during deepwater drilling operations.
Continents of the World
Mb50's "Liquid Mud" Rant 