Sources say that Petrobras has obtained environmental licenses for Brazil's oil production to increase.
Three people familiar with the matter said that Brazil's state oil company Petrobras obtained environmental permits to expand production at two offshore fields and one vessel could start earlier than expected. Petrobras can now increase production at the Mero and Buzios oil fields. Buzios will benefit from the early launch of the FPSO vessel Almirante Tamandare (floating production, storage and offloading).
Pick your Poison: NOAA Study Finds Less Air Pollution brings more Hurricanes
A new study from NOAA finds that reducing air pollution in North America & Europe brings more hurricanes; increased pollution in Asia reduces tropical cyclonesA NOAA study published in the journal Science Advances about four decades of tropical cyclones reveals the surprising result that reducing particulate air pollution in Europe and North America…
CorPower Moves Foward with its Plan to Generate Energy from Waves
CorPower Ocean is set to move forward fast on its wave energy project in the Atlantic Ocean after securing a 10-year license in PortugalThe TUPEM license - awarded by the national Directorate-General for Natural Resources (DGRM) - provides a ‘Permit for the Private Use of the Maritime Space’ up to 12 miles off the coast of Aguçadoura in northern Portugal.CorPower…
NJ Governor Signs Offshore Wind Bill
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into legislation Bill, expanding the definition of a 'qualified offshore wind project'. This definition now includes an 'open access offshore wind transmission facility'.With the new legislation in place, developers seeking New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) approval as a qualified offshore wind project…
Offshore Wind: Decisions Needed Sooner, not Later
On September 26, the State University of New York Maritime College hosted a conference on the emerging east coast offshore wind industry. “Offshore Wind Power, Planning for America’s Ocean Energy” focused on four fundamental topics:• East Coast Wind Farm Overview – Status of the Industry.• Jobs and Supply Chain Technical Working Group.• Wind Farm Port Development.• Offshore Wind Maritime Operations.In some ways…
Brazil Federal Police Investigate Greek Ship in Connection with Oil Spill
Brazil's federal police on Friday announced a potential breakthrough in the investigation into the causes of a mysterious oil spill that has baffled authorities and Brazilians for about two months.Police said they were investigating a Greek-flagged ship allegedly responsible for the oil spill, which they claim may have occurred about 700 km (420 miles)…
Offshore Wind: a Freshening Breeze?
July brought news about offshore wind. There was something for everyone: optimism, disappointment, and construction, too.Finally, starting with Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project, a joint venture with Danish wind developer Orsted is underway. True, this is a small project – just two wind turbines to be installed 27 miles east of Virginia Beach.
July: Earth's Hottest Month Ever Recorded
According to the latest monthly climate report from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), July 2019 was hottest month on record for the planet and Polar sea ice melted to record lows.Much of the planet sweltered in unprecedented heat in July, as temperatures soared to new heights in the hottest month ever recorded. The record…
France to Test Floating Wind Turbines
The European Commission said on Monday it had authorized French subsidies to four offshore wind farm projects which are aimed at testing a new way of producing electricity from wind.The EU competition regulator said in a statement that the state aid was in line with EU rules as it was proportionate and could help develop a new type of technology to produce renewable energy.Three of the floating wind farms are in the Mediterranean S
SurfWEC to Tap Ocean Wave Power
New Jersey based marine engineering firm Martin & Ottaway together with industry partners, has formed a new company, SurfWEC LLC, that will develop Wave Energy Converters (WECs) using patented features that are expected to increase energy recovery rates by an order of magnitude over legacy WEC systems.The marine consultancy firm said in a press release…
NOIA Slams BOEM’s Denial of Offshore Seismic Permits
National Ocean Industries Association President Randall Luthi today issued the following statement on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s denial of seismic survey permits for the Atlantic OCS. “In yet another ‘black Friday’ announcement targeting the offshore oil and natural gas industry, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) blanket…
Op/Ed: A Nail in the Coffin for US Offshore Exploration
National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) president Randall Luthi issued a statement slamming the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) denial of seismic survey permits for the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). In yet another ‘Black Friday’ announcement targeting the offshore oil and natural gas industry, the BOEM blanket denial…
US Denies Atlantic Seismic G&G Permits
The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has denied six pending geophysical and geological (G&G) permit applications to conduct airgun seismic surveys in the Mid- and South Atlantic Planning Areas of the Atlantic Ocean. In announcing its decision BOEM cited a number of factors, including a diminished need for additional seismic survey information…
Obama's Arctic Ban and Aftermath
US President Barack Obama has permanently banned offshore oil and gas drilling in the "vast majority" of US-owned northern waters. Vowing that his successor won’t be able to reverse his actions, President Obama on Tuesday used executive authority to permanently ban new offshore drilling in federally owned waters off the Atlantic coast and in the Arctic Ocean.
NORDEN, Pinnacle Ink Wood Pellets Transport Deal
Dampskibsselskabet NORDEN A/S has entered into a 9-year contract for the transportation of wood pellets with Canada’s largest manufacturer of wood pellets, Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. According to the contract, NORDEN will transport a total of 3.5 million tons of wood pellets from 2018 from Vancouver and Prince Rupert in Western Canada to Europe.
Bibby Offshore wins Shell Contract
Bibby Offshore won a contract with Shell, due to commence in Q1 2017, that will see Bibby Offshore provide engineering and subsea construction activities in the Gannet G field in the Central North Sea. Bibby Offshore is contracted to use utilize its multipurpose dive support and offshore construction vessel - Bibby Polaris - and its integral 1000 ton basket carousel to lay flexible pipe systems in water depths of approximately 95m.
Obama Administration Bars New Oil, Gas Exploration off Alaska
The Obama administration on Friday blocked new exploration for oil and gas in Arctic waters, in a win for environmental groups that had fought development of the ecologically fragile region. The Department of the Interior released a 2017 to 2022 leasing plan that blocked drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off northern Alaska. It also limited petroleum development in the Cook Inlet off south-central Alaska.
NARL Refining to Layoff 130
NARL Refining notified employees Wednesday of plans to shed up to 130 jobs at its Come By Chance refinery in Newfoundland, Canada, the latest refiner along the Atlantic Coast to undergo painful belt-tightening amid weak margins. The cuts revive an uncomfortable question for the remaining refineries along the U.S. and Canadian Atlantic Coast: will they all survive the current market downturn?
Panama Canal: Bigger Ships, Bigger Paydays for Beans, Coal, Gas
Bigger ships could mean bigger paydays for commodity producers when the expanded Panama Canal opens this weekend as they can utilise larger vessels more frequently to tap into fast growing Asia-Pacific consumer markets. The Panama Canal Authority estimates that the enlarged waterway will cut sailing times between Atlantic Ocean ports and Asia by up to 16 days for ships that previously could not fit through.
Bibby Offshore Wins Shell Subsea Deal
Bibby Offshore, the leading subsea services provider to the oil and gas industry, has this year been awarded two contracts from Shell to provide inspection services on assets in the Corrib Natural Gas field in the North Atlantic Ocean. The first contract, completed in June this year, saw Bibby Offshore’s construction support vessel Olympic Ares -…
