Robotics: Autobots Transform in the Offshore Energy Sector
Robots and robotics have slowly been entering our lives, in various shapes and forms (and fictional characters), from self-driving household vacuum cleaners to highly automated manufacturing systems. Now they’re heading for the offshore world – in just as many shapes and forms.There could be a lot to gain from robotics, but platforms and offshore wind turbine structures are also very challenging places to put them on. For oil and gas, key drivers are around safety and cost . For the offshore wind sector, the sheer volume of structures being installed is driving a push for robotic systems to do inspection…
Opedal Tapped for Top Spot at Equinor
The Equinor Board of Directors appointed Anders Opedal as its new president and CEO starting November 2, 2020. Eldar Sætre will retire after six years as CEO and more than 40 years in the company.Opedal ascends to the top spot coming from the position as Executive Vice President Technology, Projects and Drilling. He joined Equinor as a petroleum engineer in 1997, spent many years in Drilling and Well and served as Chief Procurement Officer. In 2011, he was chosen to lead Equinor’s approximately NOK 300 billion project portfolio. He later served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer before taking the role as Senior Vice President and country manager Brazil.
UK Readies Carbon Storage Road-map
Heriot-Watt University researchers are to map out the UK’s best sites for carbon capture by studying the geology of depleted gas fields in the North Sea.The team led by Professor John Underhill will use data from industry regulator the Oil and Gas Authority's (OGA) National Data Repository (NDR), which was opened up to access for the first time in 2019.Professor John Underhill said: “The Southern North Sea faces three of some of the UK’s largest carbon emission areas: the industrial hubs of Teesside, Humberside and the Thames estuary.“It also has a number…
ORCA Hub Readies Drones for Offshore Energy
A consortium of five universities, including Heriot-Watt University, working with 35 industrial and innovation partners, has unveiled the latest results from its research collaboration.The largest academic center in the world for research into robotics technology for offshore energy infrastructure, the ORCA Hub’s aim is to advance robotics and Artificial Intelligence technologies for the inspection, repair, maintenance and certification of offshore energy platforms and assets.Creating solutions to some of the most challenging, hard to reach and hazardous real-world problems in the energy sector, ORCA Hub was launched in October 2017.
SPE Aberdeen awards student bursaries
Students at universities around Scotland have received a financial boost from the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Aberdeen Section as part of its 2018 bursary program. Each year, the bursaries are open to students studying oil and gas related subjects from the University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University, the University of Dundee, Heriot Watt University and the University of Strathclyde. More than 65 students, from undergraduate to PhD levels, applied for this year’s programme, with 20 awarded funding. A shortlist of students was selected and invited to attend an interview panel, which allowed judges to decide who the recipients of the top awards of £2500 would be.
OGIC Invests in New UK Projects
Setting out to help cut operational costs and improve efficiency in the oil and gas industry, the Oil & Gas Innovation Centre (OGIC) has invested more than £300,000 into three new projects. The first project will see Blue Gentoo work with the University of Aberdeen to develop an Intelligent Hydrate Tool (IHT). The tool will automatically control MonoEthylene Glycol (MEG) injection by monitoring hydrocarbon parameters – calculating both the MEG required and any subsequent injection adjustments in real time – without routine human intervention. The IHT will learn effective human and computer devised injection strategies for hydrate prevention…
Jenkins Joins Well-Safe
Well-Safe Solutions has appointed a director of well abandonment to its growing list of decommissioning experts, bringing the senior team to nine since launching this summer. Matt Jenkins has joined Well-Safe from Conoco where he led its UK P&A (plug and abandonment) Engineering and Strategy and was pivotal in the Southern North Sea Decommissioning project. As director of well abandonment at Well-Safe, Jenkins will lead the technical team to design safe and efficient well P&A operations for clients, ensuring the best possible solutions are implemented to mitigate risk. Well-Safe now employs over 22 people at its newly refurbished head-quarters at the Hill of Rubislaw in Aberdeen.
Heriot-Watt Sets Global Data Landscape for BP Statistical Review
The economics professor who leads the in-depth data collation process for BP’s annual Statistical Review of World Energy has welcomed the energy major’s latest findings as “clear evidence of a major transformation in the global energy landscape”. Professor Mark Schaffer, Director of the Center for Energy Economics and Policy (CEERP), at Heriot-Watt University, said, “The 2017 Review is clear evidence of the interesting interaction between short and long-term energy forces. It demonstrates further progress in long run transitions in international energy production, consumption and trade.
Industry Funding to Boost UK Offshore O&G Research
A major funding package for the Institute of Petroleum Engineering (IPE) at Heriot-Watt University will directly support research and training for the future of the industry in U.K. offshore waters. Heriot-Watt’s Chief Scientist, Professor John Underhill, has secured funding of £416,000 (approximately $537,000) from Verus Petroleum, an independent oil company active on the U.K. Continental Shelf (UKCS). The award will support a number of oil and gas related training and Applied Geoscience research activities in IPE including the NERC Center for Doctoral Training (CDT), the Ogilvie-Gordon 3D Audio-Visualization Center (OGAVC) and UKCS and Frontier Basins PhD research activities.
Total, Heriot-Watt University Sign Research Deal
Energy giant Total and Heriot-Watt University have signed five-year partnership agreement worth a minimum of GBP 2.5 million to boost research and education. Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visited the Edinburgh Campus of Heriot-Watt University yesterday (Thursday 20 April) to mark the signing of the deal between Total and the University’s Institute of Petroleum Engineering. The agreement was signed by Elisabeth Proust, managing director, Total E&P UK, and Dr Gillian Murray, deputy principal, Business and Enterprise, at Heriot-Watt University.
Changes in ExxonMobil’s Top Deck
Tom Walters, president, ExxonMobil Production Company, has announced his intention to retire after more than 38 years of service. Neil Duffin, currently president of ExxonMobil Development Company, has been appointed by the Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) board of directors to be president of ExxonMobil Production Company and elected to be a vice president of the corporation. Liam Mallon, currently executive vice president of ExxonMobil Development Company, has been elected president of ExxonMobil Development Company by its board of directors. All changes are effective Jan.
Changes in Statoil’s Top Deck
Jannicke Nilsson has been appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO) in Statoil ASA. She takes over the role from Anders Opedal, who will lead the development of Statoil’s growing and increasingly important operations in Brazil as new country manager. Jannicke Nilsson will assume her new responsibilities on 1. December this year, Anders Opedal will assume his responsibilities 15 January 2017. Nilsson will report to President and CEO Eldar Sætre with her office location being Stavanger, while Opedal will report to Lars Christian Bacher, executive vice president Development & Production International. His office location will be Rio de Janeiro.
Milton to Replace Retiring Kelly, President, ExxonMobil
Alan Kelly, president of ExxonMobil Fuels, Lubricants & Specialties Marketing Company, has announced his intention to retire effective Aug. 1, 2016, after more than 34 years of service. It is anticipated that the board of directors of Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) will appoint Bryan Milton as president of ExxonMobil Fuels, Lubricants & Specialties Marketing Company and elect him as a vice president of the corporation. Milton is currently president, ExxonMobil Global Services Company. Kelly, 59, was appointed president, ExxonMobil Lubricants & Petroleum Specialties Company, and elected as a vice president of the corporation effective December 1, 2007.
San Leon Spuds Rawicz-15 Development Well
San Leon Energy, the AIM listed company focused on oil and gas exploration in Europe and North Africa, announces the spud of the Rawicz-15 well. The Rawicz-15 development well on the 742 km2 Rawicz Concession in Poland’s southern Permian Basin, was spud on 18th November 2015 using a rig from Poland’s Exalo Drilling. The well, which is operated and funded by Palomar Natural Resources (“PNR”), is expected to take 35 days to reach a total depth of around 1,600 meters, and will be followed by completion and a full well testing programme. Joel Price, who has reviewed this update…
San Leon Spuds Morocco Well
San Leon Energy, the AIM listed company focused on oil and gas exploration in Europe and North Africa, announces that the El Aaiun-4 well on the Tarfaya conventional licence, onshore Morocco, was spud today. The well is being drilled with Entrepose Drilling's Cabot 750 rig and is expected to take approximately 30 days to reach total depth (TD) of around 2000 metres below rotary table. The reservoir target is Tertiary channel sandstones, and the surface location is approximately 14 Km from a gas market (El Marsa OCP phosphate processing plant, near Foum el-Oued). San Leon is the operator of the Tarfaya licence and holds a 75% net operated interest.
EnerMech Shaping Future Engineers With IMechE Approval
Mechanical engineering group, EnerMech, has been accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) to mentor the next generation of chartered and incorporated engineers. The company’s EnerMech Academy has been sanctioned by IMechE to run a Monitored Professional Development Scheme (MPDS) which encourages the progression of young engineers. At the same time EnerMech’s Technical Director Phil Bentley, a Chartered Engineer for 16 years, has been awarded Fellowship status by the institution. Mr Bentley started off his engineering career on graduating from the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh…
San Leon Energy Operations Update
San Leon Energy plc the AIM listed company focused on oil and gas exploration in Europe and North Africa, provides an operational update across a number of its assets. The second well in the 3-well programme, Gierałtowice on the Bielsko-Biała concession in Karpaty, has now been completed and tested and is being plugged and abandoned. All planned targets were penetrated. Low gas rates were achieved but the thick sandstone primary target reservoir did not have a sufficient seal, and thinner sands associated with the expected coal beds were insufficient on their own to provide commercial rates during testing.
Rawicz-12 Well Spuds
San Leon Energy, the AIM listed company focused on oil and gas exploration in Europe and North Africa, announces the spud of the Rawicz-12 appraisal well yesterday on the 742 km2 Rawicz Concession in Poland’s southern Permian Basin. The well, which is operated by Palomar Natural Resources (“PNR”), is targeting the previously-discovered Rawicz gas accumulation in the Permian Rotliegendes sandstones. The well is estimated to take 45 days to reach a total depth of 1,900 meters and is being drilled by Poland’s Exalo Drilling. A full testing program is planned immediately after drilling and completion of the well, assuming positive results.
Heriot-Watt University Orders ASV C-Enduro
Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Campus, has confirmed the order of an ASV C-Enduro. The C-Enduro Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) will be used for research in persistent and long term autonomy with multiple remote and autonomous marine platforms. The vehicle’s primary application will be as a moving navigation and communication platform for AUV’s. Professor David Lane of Heriot-Watt said: “The vehicle will be available to students in the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Robotics and Autonomous Systems as a research facility. “The facility will train upward of 65 Innovation Ready PhD students in aspects of robot interaction, starting in the autumn of 2014” he continued.
Fastnet Appoints Will Holland as CFO
Fastnet Oil and Gas plc the E&P company focussed on exploration acreage in Africa and the Celtic Sea, announced appointment of Will Holland to the Board of Directors as Chief Financial Officer, with immediate effect. Will has over 20 years of experience in the oil and gas business, primarily gained in Africa and Europe. He started his career as a cementing and 'frac' engineer at Halliburton Energy Services before moving into business development roles based in Africa. After 2 years leading internal audit teams at Halliburton, he joined Macquarie Bank in London in 2007 where he originated, structured and managed equity and debt investments in small-cap E&P companies.
