Latest News

• Region: North Sea
• Date: Jan, 2022

Serica Energy, a British independent oil and gas exploration and production company with a portfolio of exploration, development and production assets, has indicated its intention to pursue a well intervention campaign in the years to come.

In its recently published Corporate Update presentation for the year ended 31 December 2021, the company made the announcement alongside its intention to continue with its programme of through-cycle investment in its diversified portfolio of assets; drilling for the North Eigg exploration well in the summer of 2022; and its plans to grow cash balances to offer increasing options for futher investment, acquisition and distributions.

In the statement, the company wrote, “Plans are also in place for a well intervention campaign to take place in 2022 to improve the production potential of several Bruce and Keith wells during subsequent years.”

Bruce and Keith are two assets off the coast of the Orkney Islands. Together with Rhum, they provide a significant contribution to the UK gas demands and are estimated to contain net 2P reserves of 50.9 mmboe as of 01.01.21, of which more than 80% is gas.

• Region: Middle East
• Topics: Integrity
• Date: Jan, 2022

ReLineWL, the expandable technology designed to unlock greater commercial value by maximising production from existing wells, has been successfully deployed in the Middle East for the first time by developers Coretrax.

The global well integrity and production optimisation leader’s ReLineWL is a one-trip, wireline deployed straddle system to address common well integrity issues.

It is proven to deliver a 700% greater flow area when compared to traditional straddles, securing safety and sustainability benefits by reducing the number of onsite personnel required to complete the work.

Introduced in the Middle East for the first time, ReLineWL was deployed to support a major Saudi operator when water ingress on a producing well led to decreased oil recovery. Two ReLineWL 28ft straddles were deployed on e-line, enabling the operator to isolate several perforation intervals to shut off water production zones.

Compared to traditional tools, the ReLineWL’s outer diameter (OD) allowed the system to pass through restrictions before they were expanded and set at almost 7,000ft. The tool delivered a large post-expansion inner diameter, providing maximum production conduit to surface over conventional options.

The well was successfully brought back online with a 31% reduction in water production and additional oil production of 1,400bbls/day. With the requirement for surface water management also reduced the application also significantly reduced the operator’s carbon footprint.

John Fraser, Chief Executive Officer of Coretrax, commented, “The Middle East is a key growth area for Coretrax and the first deployment of our ReLineWL in the region is a significant milestone for the business as we continue to enhance our technology portfolio to support the most complex well integrity challenges. As operators remain focused on maximising recovery efficiently and sustainably, our expandable technology is ideally placed to support this demand.”

Available in various CRA materials, the tool can be configured to smart completion products such as autonomous inflow devices (AICDs) to enhance production by selectively eliminating gas and water production and provide a comprehensive workover solution.

The RelineWL has a high expansion ratio of 75% and is designed for stackability creating a longer, integrated straddle to be deployed, without losing ID. This also allows operators to gain access below if well intervention is required at a later date.

“The ReLineWL already has a proven track record in North America and I’m excited to see this successfully deployed in the Middle East for the first time. As we head into 2022, we already have a healthy pipeline of projects in the region and look forward to working closely with our customers to transform current well performance and deliver greater operational efficiencies,” Fraser continued.

• Region: North Sea
• Topics: Decommissioning
• Date: Jan, 2022

Petrogas E&P Netherlands B.V. (a part of Petrogas E&P LLC) has awarded Heerema an integrated engineering, preparation, removal, and disposal (EPRD) decommissioning contract for multiple North Sea oil platforms.

The work involves removing the Haven, Hoorn, Helm, and Helder platforms from Block Q1 of the Dutch sector in the southern North Sea.

Nick Dancer, Petrogas E&P Netherlands’ General Manager, remarked, “We are proud to have reached the 40th year of production with these assets, but the time has come to remove the platforms. This contract demonstrates Petrogas’ commitment to the safe and timely removal of our facilities and we are very pleased to have signed this contract with Heerema, whom we believe is the ideal partner for this project with their commitment to sustainability and circularity.”

The platforms have been important contributors to the Dutch oil and gas industry over the last 40 years, with the Helm platform being the first to produce oil on the Dutch continental shelf for the Dutch market. Their removal, which will take place over several years, is the final stage in a key part of the Netherlands' energy history.

Koos-Jan van Brouwershaven, Heerema's CEO, commented, “Heerema is proud to be Petrogas E&P Netherlands' chosen contractor for this significant decommissioning project. Our team is looking forward to working closely with Petrogas to prepare and execute the safe and sustainable decommissioning of these platforms. Heerema has installed the majority of North Sea platforms, and we believe in the circularity of removing these structures, leaving the sea as we found it. This action aligns with our own sustainable and circular ambitions to reuse and recycle wherever possible.”

• Region: North Sea
• Date: Jan, 2022

TotalEnergies E&P Danmark has awarded Maersk Drilling a contract for well intervention services in the Danish North Sea.

Maersk will employ the high-efficiency jack-up rig Maersk Reacher to carry out the 21-month contract which is expected to commence in July 2022. The contract includes options to extend the duration by up to 27 additional months.

Maersk Reacher is a 350 ft, Gusto-engineered MSC CJ50 high-efficiency jack-up rig which was delivered in 2009. It is currently operating offshore Norway where it is scheduled to be replaced in a rig swap with Maersk Integrator end-February/early March 2022. Maersk Reacher will undergo a special periodic survey prior to commencing the contract with TotalEnergies.

Claus Bachmann, Head of North Sea Division in Maersk Drilling, commented, “We’re happy to build further on our long-standing collaboration with TotalEnergies by adding this long-term contract which means that two of our rigs will be working for TotalEnergies in Danish waters this year. Maersk Reacher will be available for the job after being released from its current work scope in Norway through the planned rig swap with Maersk Integrator.”

• Region: North Sea
• Topics: Decommissioning
• Date: Jan, 2022

DNO has awarded a decommissioning contract to Heerema Marine Contractors for the integrated engineering, preparation, removal, and disposal (EPRD) of the Ketch and Schooner platforms.

The Ketch and Schooner platforms are located in the southern North Sea in the UK sector and were installed by Heerema in the 1990s. Both platforms are tied-back to the Murdoch complex, which will also be removed by Heerema Marine Contractors.

The Ketch platform is located in a water depth of 54 metres, and the Schooner platform is located at 71 metres of water depth. After removal, both structures will be responsibly disposed of and will be reused or recycled up to 97%.

Michel Hendriks, Heerema’s Decommissioning Director, commented, “Heerema is proud to be the contractor of choice for the decommissioning of the Ketch and Schooner platforms. The EPRD award is the result of our ambition to remove offshore structures of all sizes in a safe and sustainable manner.

“We are especially pleased to contribute to the circularity of the project by being the installation and removal contractor, which is in line with our own sustainable circular ambitions.”

• Region: Australia
• Date: Jan, 2022

Using Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), Vallourec has recently produced two lifting plugs for Weatherford with meet its urgent operational demands.

When Weatherford approached Vallourec with an urgent request for a VAM TTR HW Riser Lifting Plug capable of 100T for a customer’s workover scope off the coast of Australia, Vallourec proposed a more economical and faster solution using Additive Manufacturing (AM) in order to meet the deadline.

The lifting plugs were re-designed with WAAM to include tailor-made non-standard diameters that were compatible with Weatherford’s existing equipment. The lifting plugs’ outside diameter (OD) was therefore increased by 15% as per the customer’s request. Leveraging WAAM’s flexibility, Vallourec was able to mitigate any weight increase by re-designing the component without impacting lifting performances.

The 3D-printed safety-critical components weighed 175kg each with a tailor-made diameter of 50cm and were designed for load carrying applications of around 100 metric tons.

These new lifting plugs were 3D-printed with the Vallourec WAAM robot located in Singapore, only a six-hour flight away from the end-customer. The safety-critical components were delivered in just under two months instead of the usual three to four months.

“We approached Vallourec with an urgent request for a lifting plug for a customer of ours operating in the Timor Sea. Their solution was to use WAAM, a more economical and quicker option to the traditional route”, explained Shane Ferguson, Project Manager for Weatherford. “They executed this on time and delivery was made well before operations commenced. We were extremely happy with the finished product and will look to Vallourec and this method for future requirements.”

WAAM – and AM more widely – offers numerous benefits for the oil and gas industry, one of the most important being shorter, guaranteed lead times, which would make a huge difference to end users. WAAM also allows for greater freedom of shape – parts can be created to the exact size and specifications of each customer – as well as for printing of very large components. The ultimate benefit of this process is to allow companies to create a digital or virtual warehouse through which they can order spare parts as a printable file.

Thanks to WAAM, Vallourec is able to eliminate the traditional concerns regarding the unpredictability of material sourcing and minimum order quantity requirements, providing customers with solutions meeting their specific requirements any time.

“We look forward to making possible future projects such as this one, providing customers with the high quality they are used to from Vallourec with faster delivery times”, commented Jinwei Li, Asia Pacific Sales Manager at Vallourec.

• Region: All
• Date: Jan, 2022

FutureOn, a global software company specialising in the energy sector, has formed a strategic collaboration with Wood, a global consulting and engineering leader, to provide an enhanced service to its client base of global asset operators.

Wood’s expert technical services specialising in the early field development studies for subsea and ocean-based energy systems, will integrate with FutureOn’s unique field design applications, and proven API-centric collaboration platforms, resulting in significant efficiency gains across the design phase.

Having previously trialled FutureOn’s technology in 2019, the latest agreement will see Wood provide technical and integration services to operators using FutureOn’s software. In addition, the company will offer the software as part of its suite of technical services to new and existing customers across the world.

FutureOn’s open and collaborative approach to field design is based on data-rich 2D and 3D visualisations. The inclusion of metadata on assets and costs will enable reliable early-stage production and financial forecasts. It also provides a real-time visual blueprint of a field development allowing project teams and contractors to collaborate remotely, development of options at pace and a shared project workspace for timely delivery.

Wood and FutureOn are committed to supporting the world’s major asset operators’ efforts to build a sustainable economic recovery from their existing infrastructure, optimising asset performance and extending productive field life whilst accelerating the move towards net-zero. The agreement will support these initiatives by combining the power of FutureOn’s FieldTwin technology for the streamlined design of renewable energy systems with Wood’s Automated Design product for pipeline systems that address key aspects of the global net-zero challenge.

“FutureOn is one of the best software solutions companies in the energy sector, and we are delighted to collaborate and serve the dynamic needs of our global client base. Asset operators everywhere are recognising the need to completely transform their existing infrastructure as part of the shift towards a net-zero future. Together, Wood and FutureOn will harness its collective expertise to help them make it happen,” commented Matt Kirk, Senior Vice President, Specialist Engineering and Consulting at Wood.

Darrell Knight, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Partnerships, added, “The collaboration is the perfect fit as we place the same importance on bringing innovation to the fore to solve the most critical challenges, including the improved communication and increased collaboration necessary to achieve the shortest possible path to energy generation, the best returns over the life of any asset, and minimising the impact on the environment. We’re looking forward to building on this collaboration, and bringing this new, integrated solution to our customers to support their goals.”

• Region: North Sea
• Date: Jan, 2022

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway (PSA) has published the results of an audit of Equinor regarding the permanent plugging of wells on the Veslefrikk field.

The results have been published following the audit conducted on 30 September 2021 which was carried out in order to monitor that Equinor’s system for preparing, planning and executing the permanent plugging of wells on the Veslefrikk field complied with the regulatory requirements

In the audit, PSA examined how Equinor plans and follows up the verification well barriers the verification of well barriers; the use of new technology/methods/new materials; the assessment of risk and associated uncertainty; changes in operational sequencing; and the implementation of lessons learned from completed operations.

PSA concluded that no non-conformities and improvement points were identified allowing Equinor to move ahead.

• Region: All
• Date: Jan, 2022

Isaac Kenyon, SpatialEnergy Data Analyst at MapStand, spoke to Offshore Network regarding his company’s auspicious start when it launched just before the pandemic and how it has taken this adversity in its stride to help the oil and gas industry reap the benefits of data.

MapStand was created when Founder, Francis Cram, identified a major gap in the market while working at a small E&P business situated in the southern North Sea. Cram realised that one of the biggest frustrations for his company (and many others like it) was that while there were a lot of data providers available, all were very expensive and that all the free open source data was not together in one place. For many organisations it was therefore a nightmare finding easily accessible and affordable data to support their operations. With a view to changing this, Cram founded MapStand in order to build a product that brings in open source data from all around the world and make it available in one place a range of companies can easily access and utilise it, without having to pay fortunes.

Kenyon explained, “Different data providers such as governments have different data portals and these are all separate. MapStand’s aim was to combine all of these into one place with no border dividers which makes life a lot easier, especially in regions such as the North Sea where there are a lot of different countries performing different types of activities.”

The MapStand Community online platform provides global data coverage and is free for anyone to sign up, view and explore data sets. The multi-layered search feature allows company asset summaries and country overviews for E&P, Renewable Energy and Infrastructure insights.

“We have a lot of people who are excited about the product and want to support it which they do so by providing feedback in areas where we might not necessarily have as much data. They offer data they have produced or can point us in the direction of where to obtain it. A lot is therefore crowd sourced and in some areas we also get a lot of relinquishment reports from certain government agencies etc which helps to map these areas and show potential explorations prospects and leads for users,” Kenyon stated.

Products serving the industry

Aside from the MapStand Community Platform the company also has two other main products which it has launched – the MapStand Hub and the MapStand Enterprise.

The Hub is a cloud-based web mapping area for clients which adds a lot more functionality such as collaborative real-time working within a online geospatial portal. “This is a geospatial workspace is where you can pull in data sets, manipulate them and create dashboards. You can drill down on data sets, filter attributes and more. Through the Enterprise subscription we are able to distribute our data layers into other companies’ software and through APIs people can tap into our data sets and bring our data into their own products,” said Kenyon.

The Newsfeed is a functionality of our app which may in the future turn into a product where users can get daily updated sources of company activity and announcements from the energy industry. Kenyon commented, “Platforms, infrastructure, etc in the database get tagged to the newsfeed and by clicking on these tags users will get taken to those objects on the map – allowing them to explore news in a different way.”

Supporting the energy transition

Kenyon explained that the products aid oil and gas companies by providing up to date information on dispute management and territorial claims which is especially important when it comes to licences. However, MapStands solutions have been particularly useful in supporting the industry’s fight against climate change – an issue which the company keeps close to its heart.

Kenyon noted, “A lot of oil and gas companies are looking to get involved in the energy transition and re-positioning to become energy integrated companies. For them, having the combination of renewable power data sets with oil and gas data sets is very useful. We can help to highlight opportunities around carbon capture storage, building windfarms to support activities, electrifying platforms, etc.”

Collaboration is key for driving this energy transition and indeed the company, Kenyon continued. He added, “We want to scale up our energy transition collaborative efforts. Being able to work together to share data will help everyone reach their climate goals quicker and everyone will have an equal playing field know where things are and who is doing what/where. People can go on MapStand looking for opportunities and may see that there are lots of different projects nearby they have never even heard of which they could get involved in. One of our main ambitions is to promote collaboration and transparency, especially around energy data.”

In for the long-haul

Launching just before the dawn of Covid-19 was unfortunate timing, however MapStand adapted well, re-considered their goals and now have an eye for expansion on the future. “Covid was hard-hitting on the oil and gas industry at the start and we pretty much launched straight into this. We had to scale back a bit on a lot of our ambitions but we have also pivoted and focused on the long-term to support the energy transition. In many ways the pandemic has helped drive this transition and we are looking to support this going forward. Our ambition now would be to scale up the data sets we provide.”

“We are also trying to improve our products for users and are constantly working on automation and making our processes a lot smoother. Finally, we want to continue to grow our community. The larger we grow in terms of cliental and the more people signed onto our platform app the better our data quality will be worldwide,” Kenyon concluded.

Find the latest update to MapStand here.

• Region: Europe
• Date: Dec, 2021

At UDT EU LIVE 2021, in London, the energy community gathered for some much-needed networking and knowledge sharing as it continues to work through one of the most tempestuous periods in living memory. At UDT LIVE 2021, in London, the energy community gathered for some much-needed networking and knowledge sharing as it continues to work through one of the most tempestuous periods in living memory. 

Senior figures and decision makers from operators, service companies, consultancies and more were in attendance, following on from UDT EU VIRTUAL which was held earlier in the year.

The key topics covered included change management, collaboration and partnerships, business change, environmental impact, data, and the energy transition. Unique presentations and panel discussions were held on each, as the energy community took the time to consider the most prominent issues impacting their business.

Highlights included:

Spirit Energy: Esther Diederen, Digital Transformation Lead, Spirit Energy, showcased her company’s digital transformation journey which, so far, has delivered 2x the cost of the initiative. From the start, the company identified that it was important to start small, and gained momentum in order to foster a sense of movement right from the start. By doing this, employees were able to see progress and benefits, and were more willing to participate. 

Diederen also touched upon lessons learned along the initiative including the importance of stakeholder management, the need to stick to the ambition and vision, team diversity is a key strength, delivering a mix of quick wins and foundational deliveries is imperative and the value of failing quick and knowing when to stop. While there were still some nuts that the company needed to crack, there had been notable changes to the way the company was working and this was beginning to reflect in the value saved. 

Kongsberg Digital: Stian Skjaevesland, Global Commercial Director – Digital Wells, Kongsberg Digital, explored how real-time data is collected and whether it could be collected with better quality and make more use of it; looked at how digital transformation efforts have started breaking down silos so that contextualised data is now available which adds a new layer of insight to the end-users of today and tomorrow; and showcased a used case where the company is using the contextualisation of data to reduce admin time and do real-time reporting for an operator that they work with.  

Imaged Reality: With the expensive nature of field trips to assess geology and travel restrictions still hampering movement, Claudia Ruiz-Graham, CEO of Imaged Reality, explained how virtual reality can be utilised for immerse learning to substitute for visits on-site. The company’s 3DGaia platform is a tool for the oil and gas industry to explore locations in a virtual format from the comfort of home with features including remote collaboration; direct outcrop interpretation; satellite imagery; integration with seismic images; well logs and more; interpretation tools; and the ability to add personal content.  

With the networking complete, attendees returned to their companies with fresh ideas and lessons learned in mind. UDT EU will return in December 2022 where it is certain that another year of dealing with Covid-19 and technological advances will provide fresh points of discussion for another exciting conference.

• Region: Asia Pacific
• Topics: Decommissioning
• Date: Dec, 2021

InterMoor has been awarded a key contract with Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production, Ltd. (Chevron) for the disconnection and removal of Single Point Mooring (SPM) Buoy 1 and 2 in the Gulf of Thailand.

InterMoor will provide project management, engineering, procurement, as well as offshore execution for the decommissioning of the floaters. The campaign is expected to commence once necessary endorsements are in place.

For the execution of the project, InterMoor will be utilising a variety of high spec vessels to carry out the decommissioning activities along with cutting tools and other auxiliary/associated equipment by Acteon product and service line brands, Claxton, Aquatic, Seatronics and UTEC.

InterMoor APAC General Manager Vin Bala commented, “While InterMoor continues to enhance our reputation as a major Transportation and Installation (T&I) service provider in the Asia Pacific region, one of our unique strengths has always been in the decommissioning of subsea assets. We are extremely honoured and proud to have been awarded this important project from Chevron and see this as a testament to our team’s capabilities and our long-standing tradition of safe, execution excellence in decommissioning work in the region.”

• Region: North Sea
• Topics: Decommissioning
• Date: Dec, 2021

After receiving a letter of intent for decommissioning work in Norway in March 2021, Aker Solutions has now formally signed a sizeable award with Heerema Marine Contractors for the decommissioning of the Heimdal and Veslefrikk fields.

The scope of the work includes the reception, dismantling and recycling of three offshore installations from the fields. The Heimdal and Veslefrikk platforms will be removed by Heerema Marine Contractors and transported to Aker Solutions' decommissioning facilities at Eldøyane in Stord, Norway. 

The infrastructures to be removed weigh approximately 68,000 metric tons in total. The objective is to recycle about 98% of the steel and materials.

Early engineering will begin directly for the Heimdal platforms and earliest start of offshore executions can be in 2024.