Rains hit India and Pakistan, evacuating thousands
Authorities warned of further heavy rains on Thursday after heavy rains flooded parts of India's western Gujarat state, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes and causing utility lines to be cut. At least 28 people were killed. Television images showed that the army has joined in on the relief effort as people wade through waist-high water which had partially submerged roads and vehicles. Prabhu Soni, a resident of the coastal city Jamnagar, said that there had been no electricity for two days. Disaster management officials reported that 28 people died since Sunday from drowning or rain-related causes.
US GoM Oil Production Off 32% from Storm
U.S. Gulf of Mexico producers have cut oil output by 32 percent and natural gas production by 13 percent as a result of the lingering effects of Hurricane Michael, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) said on Friday, citing reports from 27 companies.The reductions continued as oil and gas companies moved more workers back to production platforms that were evacuated earlier in the week. As of Friday morning, nine platforms were still unoccupied, BSEE said in a daily update, down from 89 platforms on Wednesday.It can take several days after a storm passes to inspect platforms…
Storm Shuts Nearly 40% of US GoM Oil Output
Nearly 40 percent of daily crude oil production was lost from offshore U.S. Gulf of Mexico wells on Tuesday due to platform evacuations and shut-ins ahead of Hurricane Michael.Since Monday, oil producers, including Anadarko Petroleum Corp, BHP Billiton, BP and Chevron Corp , have evacuated personnel from 75 platforms as the storm made its way through the central Gulf on the way to landfall on Wednesday on the Florida Panhandle.Companies turned off daily production of about 670,800 barrels of oil and 726 million cubic feet of natural gas by midday on Tuesday…
DONG, CWind Extend Crew Transfer Vessel Contract
CWind, a provider of services to the offshore wind industry, informs that DONG Energy, one of the key energy groups in Northern Europe, has granted CWind a two-year extension to its existing three-year Crew Transfer Vessel contract at the West of Duddon Sands Offshore Wind Farm in the Irish Sea. CWind, the offshore power focused business of Global Marine Group (GMG), will provide vessels for Operations & Maintenance (O&M) to the 108-turbine West of Duddon Sands site, including a summer campaign to ensure the site remains operating at peak performance throughout the busier summer months.
New Drill Ship Equipped with AHC Drilling Platform
Newly launched multipurpose drill ship FREJA integrates a high-performance active heave compensated drilling platform manufactured by MacArtney. The drilling setup on board the vessel has been designed to provide enhanced drilling conditions even in rough seas. A customized, motion-compensated working platform of 10 times seven meters is situated amidships. This means that the working deck remains stationary while the vessel follows the movements of the waves. The platform design includes a roll function compensating for the vessel rolls by +/- 7 degrees.
MOL Invests in Self-Elevating Platform Vessel Operator
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. today announced a plan to acquire a 5% share in Seajacks International Limited (Seajacks) Group, which owns and operates five Self-Elevating Platform vessels(*1), from Marubeni Corporation. This is a new offshore business for MOL, following FPSO(*2), FSRU (*3), shuttle tanker (*4), and subsea support vessel (*5). It is also the first step to move into the renewable energy business field through involvement in installation of offshore wind power generation systems, which is expanding in Europe and other areas around the world.
New Offshore Gangway Launched at ONS
The new Barge Master Gangway will be presented at the joint booth of Barge Master and Bosch Rexroth during the international offshore trade exhibition ONS (Offshore Northern Seas) in Stavanger. The next generation gangway, a result of cooperation between Bosch Rexroth and Barge Master, is designed for the safe and efficient transfer of personnel and cargo from ships to drilling and offshore production platforms, wind turbines and other ships. Barge Master specializes in the development and fabrication of motion compensating systems, such as cranes and multipurpose platforms, which are used on ships while offshore.
Total to Resume South African Offshore Drilling
French oil major Total is expected to resume drilling offshore South Africa in the second half of 2016, part of a broader campaign to explore in Africa, a senior official said on Wednesday. Total last year stopped drilling off the southern coast of South Africa after experiencing mechanical problems with its rig during high winds and rough seas in the Outeniqua Basin, about 175 km (109 miles) off the southern coast of South Africa. "Our plan is to drill next year but only if those conditions are met. I think it is better to think second half than first half…
Hurricane Patricia Threatens Mexico
Hurricane Patricia strengthened into one of the most powerful storms in history on Friday as it barreled toward Mexico's Pacific Coast, forcing resort hotels to evacuate tourists and residents to stockpile supplies. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the Category 5 storm was the strongest ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere, and the World Meteorological Organization compared it to 2013's Typhoon Haiyan, which killed thousands in the Philippines. It was expected to make landfall on Friday afternoon or early evening, the NHC added. Loudspeakers along the shore of the resort of Puerto Vallarta, popular with U.S.
Peru to Open Bidding This Year on LPG Pipeline
Peru will likely open bidding late this year on the rights to build a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) pipeline to help prevent supply crunches that have prompted the import of 292,000 barrels of the fuel, its government said on Wednesday. The proposed pipeline will transport LPG from a processing plant in the coastal town of Pisco to Lima, helping boost reserves in the capital, said deputy energy minister Raul Perez. The pipeline will cost about $250 million, according to Proinversion, the state agency tasked with public infrastructure auctions.
Bhagwan Dryden Delivers Dive Support Vessel Solution
Incat Crowther’s first-of-type Catamaran Dive Support Vessel, Bhagwan Dryden, has set a new standard for catamaran dive support vessels since its launch and delivery earlier this year. Operational feedback has been positive for the vessel, which has already received high praise for initial operations, including mooring inspection carried out by ROV and operations under four point mooring and DP in shallow, rough seas. Developed in conjunction with Bhagwan Marine, and built by Keppel, Bhagwan Dryden is the first catamaran dive support vessel (DSV) with such a high level of integrated dive systems.
Alfa Laval's Adaptive Fuel Line
Though fuel-saving practices like slow steaming are widespread, energy efficiency continues to be a pressing concern. Vessel fuel bills remain high – and will likely become even higher for those sailing in Emission Control Areas after January 2015. Catastrophic engine damage due to cat fines is also on the rise, along with safety worries related to multi-fuel operation. Yet in the face of these complex and interrelated issues, the Alfa Laval adaptive fuel line offers new levels of savings and protection. Fuel costs, emission legislation and cat fine difficulties are all deeply intertwined.
"Walking" Offshore Platform Wins Innovation Award
The innovative walking jack-up platform WaveWalker 1 was presented with the Product and Equipment Innovation Award at the prestigious Ground Engineering (GE) Awards ceremony in London earlier this week. WaveWalker 1, developed by Fugro and Van Oord, is an innovative, eight-legged 'walking' jack-up barge (self-elevating work platform - SEWP) designed especially for marine operations in rough seas, surf zones, beaches and other intertidal locations where operation of traditional SEWPs is uneconomic. As well as operating safely whilst elevated, its bi-directional movement allows it to move and relocate without floating.
The History of Offshore Energy
Offshore exploration is a history of man v. Prospecting for oil is a dynamic art. From a lake in Ohio, to piers off the California coast in the early 1900s, to the salt marshes of Louisiana in the 1930s, to the first “out-of-sight- of-land” tower in 1947 in the Gulf of Mexico, the modern offshore petroleum industry has inched its way over the last roughly 75 years from 100 ft. of water ever farther into the briny deep, where the biggest platform today, Shell’s Perdido spar, sits in 8,000 ft. of water. As a planet, we have two unquenchable thirsts – for water and for oil. Everybody knows oil and water don’t mix.
Second Damen Offshore Carrier Ordered
A charter agreement between expanding subsea contractor DeepOcean and Maersk Supply Service has triggered an order for a Damen Offshore Carrier DOC 8500 - the second order for this new ship design from Damen Shipyards Group. The DOC 8500 will extend DeepOcean’s capabilities in the larger cable laying end of the market, representing a new focus on Interconnector projects, in addition to oil and gas sector and renewables work. The specially-equipped vessel will be delivered from the Damen Galati yard in Romania. Owned and operated by Maersk Supply Service, the vessel will become the latest addition to the 60-plus strong Maersk offshore support vessel fleet.
Canadian Navy Oiler on Tow Following Engine Room Fire
The Canadian Navy Fleet Replenishment ship 'HMCS Protecteur' has been taken in tow in rough seas by the U.S. navy cruiser USS Chosin, after an engine fire left it drifting some 600 km from Pearl Harbor, reports CBC News. Citing Commodore Bob Auchterlonie, the commander of Canada's Pacific naval fleet, CBC reports that the USS Michael Murphy, is accompanying Protecteur as the ships make their way at five knots or less [9 km/h] toward Pearl Harbor, 630 km away. In addition the fleet ocean tug USNS Sioux is also on station near Protecteur should problems arise.
Large Diameter Synthetic Certified by Lloyd's
Samson, provider of performance cordage, and Endenburg BV, Samson’s Master Fabricating Distributor in Europe, has provided Seaway Heavy Lifting (SHL) with the first very large diameter synthetic rope slings certified by Lloyd’s for offshore installations. The two lifting systems, made from 144-mm diameter AmSteel-Blue, Samson’s rope made with 100% Dyneema high modulus polyethylene fiber, are currently assisting in the installation of 140 turbine foundation monopiles as a part of the North Sea’s Greater Gabbard project, the largest wind farm currently under construction.
