Are OSVs Fit for Refit for Offshore Wind?
While it is generally agreed that the nascent offshore wind energy market in the U.S. will be a newbuild market, there is a repair and conversion possibility for some stacked OSVs.Though estimates on the pace of the offshore wind energy market in the U.S. vary widely, the direction is clear: offshore wind will be a huge marketplace for construction and support vessels to be deployed in U.S. waters over the next decade. The starting point for estimated vessel demand is the raft of projects along the U.S. East Coast, and to a lesser extent, in the Pacific waters, now in the pipeline.
Asian Shares, Oil Fall as US-China Trade Spat Escalates
Asian shares fell to a 2-1/2 week low on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump cranked up trade tensions by going ahead with tariffs on Chinese imports, prompting Beijing to immediately respond in kind.Fears of a global trade war added to pressure on oil prices, which extended Friday's big fall, while the dollar retreated from near 3-week highs against the safe haven yen.Spreadbetters suggested a subdued start for European shares, with FTSE futures off about 0.1 percent. U.S. E-Mini S&P futures stumbled 0.5 percent, suggesting a weaker start on…
Caterpillar says Wall St "too optimistic" on 2017 Profit Estimate
Caterpillar Inc, the world's largest construction and mining equipment maker, said analysts' earnings expectations for 2017 were "too optimistic" as oil prices continued to remained volatile. The company, however, said it was encouraged by the potential of a U.S. infrastructure bill, tax reforms, commodity prices and the recent announcement by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to curb production. Oil prices soared more than 10 pct on Wednesday as some of the world's largest producers agreed to curtail production for the first time since 2008 in a bid to support prices.
Protesters Arrested at North Dakota Pipeline as Decision Expected
About 40 people involved in protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline were arrested on Friday in rural North Dakota as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it would soon clarify its plans for the controversial project near sacred tribal lands. Army Corps of Engineers spokeswoman Amy Gaskill said it would issue a decision on its next steps within a few days, though it would perhaps not be a final decision. And it was unclear if the agency's next action would resolve the question of whether the line can be built as planned under Lake Oahe, where construction ceased in September.
Halliburton to Cut Pollution near Schools
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement valued at more than $400,000 with Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. for a fleet of diesel trucks that violated California’s Truck and Bus Regulation. The company will spend $180,600 on environmental projects to reduce air pollution at schools in the Los Angeles area, and $75,000 on air quality improvements in the San Joaquin Valley. It will also pay a $154,400 civil penalty and has taken measures to comply with the law. EPA made the announcement at Van Deene Avenue Elementary School near Torrance…
Stein Faces Probe Over N. Dakota Pipeline Protest
Authorities in North Dakota are investigating possible charges against U.S. Green Party presidential candidate for allegedly damaging equipment during protests on Tuesday over construction of an oil pipeline in the state. Jill Stein allegedly was part of a group protesting the building of the Dakota Access pipeline and spray painted construction equipment, Morton County Sheriff's Department said. Protesters also attached themselves to bulldozers and broke a fence, the department said. No arrests were made, Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier said in excerpts of a news conference posted to the department's Facebook page.
Caterpillar Could Shed 2,000 Belgium Jobs
Heavy machinery maker Caterpillar Inc said it could lay off about 2,000 employees at a plant in Belgium, as it considers shifting production to other facilities as part of a restructuring program announced last year. The company, which manufactures construction equipment at the plant in Gosselies, Belgium said it may shift the production to its facility at Grenoble, France and other locations outside of Europe. Caterpillar said in September 2015 that it will cut as many as 10,000 jobs through 2018 and also might close or consolidate more than 20 plants around the world as it grappled with the mining and energy downturn.
Fugro Acquires 'Fit for Nuclear' Status
A Fugro manufacturing centre that specialises in marine geotechnics has met Nuclear AMRC’s (Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre) exacting marque of supplier competence for nuclear contracts. The UK facility for over-water drilling and marine construction equipment gained Fit For Nuclear (F4N) status following rigorous assessment under the coveted supplier excellence scheme. Recognising ‘nuclear excellence engagement and success’, the award assesses and scores suppliers in six key areas: Strategy and Leadership, Design and Project Management, People Excellence, Process Excellence, Health and Safety, and Quality Management.
RSC Bio Solutions Expands Series of Biodegradable Lithium Complex Greases
RSC Bio Solutions exanded its EnviroLogic 800 series of biodegradable greases. The EnviroLogic 800 series are VGP compliant, biodegradable Lithium Complex greases designed to operate in severe outdoor environments and withstand corrosion. RSC Bio Solutions is introducing EnviroLogic 800 and EnviroLogic 801 greases to further compliment the already established EnviroLogic 802, allowing the company to offer solutions for additional applications when specifications call for NLGI grades #0 and #1. “We are very pleased that we can expand our grease offering to include #0 and #1 NLGI grades with the same environmental profile as our #2 NLGI grade EnviroLogic 802,” said Dr. Bernard C.
Carolina CAT Leads NC Solar Farm Project
Carolina CAT Power Systems, a provider of service, parts and sales of power generation equipment, is completing the final stages of construction for a new 10-acre solar farm in Shelby, N.C. Scheduled to open in late June 2015, the site will contain 9,828 panels and produce 3MW DC of electricity, enough to power approximately 250 homes, which will be procured by Duke Energy and added back to the North Carolina power grid. “We are thrilled to be a part of the renewable energy movement, especially when it’s in our own backyard,” said Edward Weisiger, Jr., CEO of Carolina CAT Power Systems, a CTE company.
Chinese Firms Active While Ven's Factories Remain Idle
Five years after Chinese home appliance maker Haier agreed to build a $912 million factory in Venezuela, its washing machines and refrigerators are almost the only ones available in the country's department stores. Those appliances, however, are not made in Venezuela. They are instead imported from Haier factories in China and paid for through an oil-for-loans deal dating from 2007 under which China lends cash and is repaid in crude and fuel. The cost of leaving Haier's facility idle is primarily borne by Venezuela's socialist government, because its construction was bankrolled with $800 million borrowed from China.
Flooding, Ice Close AK North Slope Highway
Alaska's lone road to North Slope oilfield operations has been shut for days while emergency crews divert flood waters from an adjacent river and oil companies fly provisions to the Arctic region, state and company officials said on Thursday. The road closure, however, has not affected oil production on the North Slope. Starting on March 13, the Sagavanirktok River spilled onto a 15-mile stretch of the Dalton Highway south of Deadhorse where operations for three major oilfields are based. Crews were working to fend off highway flooding, state officials said.
Unmanned Wellhead Chosen for Oseberg Future Development
An unmanned wellhead platform has been chosen by Statoil and its license partners as the concept for the Oseberg Future development phase I project in the North Sea. The platform will be controlled from the Oseberg field center. The investment decision is expected next winter, Statoil said. Three various concept studies have been made for an unmanned wellhead platform. This platform has no living quarters, helicopter deck or lifeboats. Anders Opedal, senior vice president of projects in Statoil, said, “The alternative was to place the wells on the seabed, but the costs of subsea wells have been tripled during the last decade.
Statoil, Partners Choose Oseberg Unmanned Wellhead Platform Concept
Statoil and its licence partners have chosen an unmanned wellhead platform as the concept for the Oseberg Future development phase I project in the North Sea. The platform will be controlled from the Oseberg field center. The investment decision is expected next winter. Three various concept studies have been made for an unmanned wellhead platform. This platform has no living quarters, helicopter deck or lifeboats. “The alternative was to place the wells on the seabed, but the costs of subsea wells have been tripled during the last decade. We have therefore chosen a jacket-based unmanned wellhead platform that will reduce costs by several hundred million NOK…
McDermott, GE Launch io Oil & Gas Consulting
McDermott International, Inc. and GE Oil & Gas launched io oil and gas consulting, a new independent venture for front-end offshore field development. “The io holistic offering is an innovative approach that leverages the experience of two leading contractors, which can remove the inefficiencies and interfaces between the major components of field development that have historically increased risks, uncertainty and costs for oil and gas operators,” said David Dickson, President and Chief Executive Officer, McDermott. McDermott’s investment in io aligns with the company’s strategy to become more client-focused and responsive to operators’ challenges.
St Engineering's Land Systems Arm Inject Capital in Brazil
Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (ST Engineering) announced today that SDG Kinetics Pte. Ltd. (SDGK) and Autonomous Technology Pte Ltd (ATPL), wholly owned subsidiaries of its land systems arm, Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd (ST Kinetics), have injected BRL5,499,450 (approximately S$3.2m) and BRL550 (approximately S$318) respectively into the capital of LeeBoy Brazil Equipamentos De Construção Ltda. (LeeBoy Brazil), as working capital for LeeBoy Brazil’s operations in Brazil. This equity injection increases SDGK and ATPL’s total investment in LeeBoy Brazil to BRL28.5m (approximately S$15.7m).
Fire at Tatipaka-Lanco Pipeline of GAIL in K.G. Basin
A fire broke out early today along a natural gas pipeline of GAIL (India) Limited at Tatipaka in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. Fifteen casualties have happened and eighteen injured are being treated in four hospitals in the vicinity. The fire started at around 5:45 AM today along the Tatipaka – Lanco natural gas pipeline, approximately 50 metres from ONGC’s Tatipaka terminal and about 500 metres from the GAIL terminal. GAIL’s Crisis Management system was invoked immediately; about eight fire tenders were pressed into service and the fire was brought under control at around 7:00 AM. Preliminary reports suggest damage to a 1.5 metres length of the pipeline.
Exxon's $19 Bln PNG Plant could change country's fortune
ExxonMobil's $19 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Papua New Guinea, which is shipping its first cargo, is set to dramatically transform one of Asia-Pacific's most unstable countries, for better or for worse. The LNG venture, which is expected to produce more than 9 trillion cubic feet of gas over 30 years, is the largest private investment in the South Pacific nation's history. ExxonMobil is relying on projects like this one for much-needed production growth, while the Papua New Guinea government hopes it might double its $15 billion dollar economy, now slightly larger than Botswana's.
Huge Kuwait Refinery Project Contract for HHI
South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), says it has won a total US$ 3.4 billion Mina Abdullah (MAB-2) package for the Clean Fuel Project (CFP) for the Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) in a joint venture with Fluor Corporation and Daewoo Engineering & Construction. HHI explain that the joint venture will upgrade the daily oil refining capacity of the KNPC’s existing Mina Al Ahmadi and Mina Abdullah refinery plant from 736,000 barrels to 800,000 barrels, and will lower the sulfur content of petroleum products to 5%. Under the joint venture agreement, each party will equally take up 1/3 of the scope of work for the package on an EPC turn-key basis.
Arctic Energy Exploration Efforts Heat Up
Oil and gas—and also mining—are the drivers today propelling Arctic maritime operations and the construction of new vessels able to operate in extreme latitudes. While the gas and oil resources can be recovered in the Arctic or far north and shipped to markets by sea or pipeline, the cost of doing must be balanced upon the global market price for those commodities. Ships and marine structures able to operate in the harsh conditions of the extreme latitudes require special designs and construction techniques. Ships that will operate in or around ice, or could likely encounter ice, may require icebreaking ships or tugs to open channels.
