TOPICS OF INTEREST
PROJECTS, FACILITIES & CONSTRUCTION
Drones Take Off in the Oil Field, but How High Will They Fly?
Unmanned aerial vehicles are creeping up on ubiquity in the oil and gas industry, but their potential still firmly outweighs the actuality. A panel at the 2019 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition took a close look at the benefits of drones and at the tethers still holding back their use.
Work Continues on Liza Unity FPSO
SBM Offshore began construction on the vessel following ExxonMobil’s sanction of the Liza Phase 2 development offshore Guyana in May. It is designed to produce 220,000 BOPD after it starts up in 2022.
TechnipFMC, DNV GL Partner on Digital Twin Integrity Benchmark
The service company and independent verifier are aiming to develop a methodology for qualifying the integrity of digital twins, which they say will help level the industry’s varying technical definitions of, and expectations towards, the technology.
Main Topsides Lifted Onto Leviathan Platform
One of the largest deepwater gas discoveries of the past decade moves closer to its expected startup at the end of the year, as 24,500 tonnes of topside units have been installed on the Leviathan platform offshore Israel. Operator Noble Energy expects to produce up to 1.2 Bcf/D from 4 subsea wells.
Equinor Installs Templates for Troll, Other North Sea Fields
After seeing a significant increase in the price level for subsea equipment, Equinor says it is realizing the ways in which standardized subsea templates help build financial competitiveness. The new standard allowed for the installation of 14 templates in one month.
Building the Energean Power FPSO
Upon completion, the FPSO will be the first permanently fiber rope-moored offshore facility in the Mediterranean, processing the reservoir fluids and export sales gas from the Karish and Tanin gas fields offshore Israel.
ALE Completes Record Lift for Total’s Egina FPSO
At nearly 3,000 tonnes, the company said its lift of an FPSO module was one of the heaviest land-based crane lifts ever performed. ALE was contracted to lift six modules for Total’s FPSO module integration project in Nigeria.
Neptune Begins Subsea Installation Work on Duva Field
The Neptune-operated project is on track to start drilling later this year, with first oil scheduled for the end of 2020. The Norwegian North Sea field is expected to produce 30,000 BOE/D at its peak.
Xodus Group To Acquire Green Light Environmental
The acquisition will add to the group’s offerings aimed at environmental impact assessments and project approvals.
McDermott Completes First Installation Campaign for R-Cluster Project Offshore India
Completion comes despite two cyclones disrupting the project area during installation, McDermott said.
Seawater Cooling System To Be Integrated on Newbuild Cable-Layer
Hydroniq will deliver a hull-integrated seawater cooling system for a cable-laying vessel the Norwegian shipbuilder Vard is designing and building for Prysmian Group.
Supply Vessel Collides With Equinor North Sea Platform
The company evacuated 276 people on board Statfjord A after the collision, which happened in connection with loading operations. No injuries were reported, and the total extent of the damage on the platform is being investigated.
Cheniere Makes FID on Sabine Pass Train 6, Signs Gas Deal With Apache for Corpus Christi Facility
Sabine Pass Train 6 gets the nod, Bechtel gets the go-ahead for construction. Apache Corp. signed a deal with Cheniere to supply natural gas produced from its Permian Basin Alpine High area to the Corpus Christi LNG facility
US Lifts Metal Tariffs on Canada, Mexico
The decision may alleviate some of the pressures oil and gas producers faced in the wake of their imposition last year. Canada and Mexico made up a combined 20% of US imports of oil country tubular goods in 2017.
Santos P'nyang Farm-In Advances PNG LNG Expansion
Santos signed a binding letter of intent to acquire a 14.3% interest in Petroleum Retention License 3, which contains the P’nyang natural gas field in Papua New Guinea.
BP and Partners Sanction $6-Billion Platform for Giant Deepwater ACG Field in Caspian
BP and partners have sanctioned the Azeri Central East project, the next stage of development of the giant Azeri-Chirag-Deepwater Gunashli oilfield complex in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea.
IPTC Awards Saudi Aramco’s Manifa Offshore Project
Megaprojects have come to define many of the world’s new resource projects but they are also a testament to the awesome engineering capabilities of the oil and gas industry. Find out who took home this year’s honors.
Johan Sverdrup Living-Quarters Topside Sails Away
Phase 1 of the development today marked the sail-away from Kværner’s yard of the 560-bed living-quarters topside, the largest of its kind in Norway.
Williams, CPPIB To Form $3.8-Billion Appalachia Midstream JV
The combination will operate and share ownership of midstream gas assets in the Utica and Marcellus Shale plays. CPPIB financially backs operator Encino Energy, which last year acquired Chesapeake Energy’s Utica assets.
US on Pace To Top Saudi’s Liquid Exports This Year
The shale revolution is leading the US into a unique position: a bigger exporter of crude and petroleum liquids than the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
BP Begins Gas Production From Phase 2 of West Nile Delta Project
Current production from the phase is 400 MMcf/D and expected to peak at 700 MMcf/D. A third phase also is slated to come on stream this year.
Facilities Piping Inspection: Is Direct Assessment Enough?
Tons of resources are devoted to assure the integrity of facility piping systems, but are the generally accepted methods of inspecting these systems the best way? Complex systems with above- and underground piping sections may require a combination of direct assessment and elements of an API code.
As Midstream Becomes Mainstream, Pipeline Integrity Grows in Importance
Pipeline approvals can be a polarizing topic and advocacy for their viability is crucial for companies. What technologies are being developed to help bolster pipeline integrity, and how is the industry working to assure the general public of their safety and reliability?
BHGE Releases Drone Service To Fight Methane Leaks
Drones will be just one of the tools that the service company uses in its drive toward net-zero carbon emissions.
Natural Gas Fuels Challenges
Engineering ways to deliver more gas to consumers presents both huge opportunities and lots of challenges. Hisham Saadawi, SPE technical director of production and facilities, offers some examples as part of JPT’s tech director report.
Kreuz, Seamec Mobilize Vessel for ONGC Offshore Project
As part of a 2-year deal, the Kreuz Glorious will help with the inspection of offshore jackets in the Arabian Sea. Kreuz will also provide personnel for project management and offshore construction.
For Download: The EPC Engineering Sequence Workflow
The EPC engineering workflow is synopsized as a one-page view.
US Steel Tariff Exclusion Process Leaves Trail of Confusion
Operators are increasing capital budgets in the wake of tariffs and quotas initiated by the US government on steel imports, and the product exclusion process has revealed a host of other issues. If the tariffs are here to stay, what does industry hope to see moving forward?
Aqualis Offshore Secures Deal for Total's Egina FPSO
The company will manage the position-keeping for the deepwater project offshore Nigeria, which is scheduled to start production later this year.
Trafigura Submits Permit for First US Deepwater Oil Port
If approved by the US Department of Transportation, the port facility would allow VLCCs and other tankers to directly load cargo, potentially removing a major hurdle for US crude oil exports.
Gas Flowing From Ichthys LNG Project
The long-awaited Ichthys LNG Project off Western Australia has finally started gas production. LNG liquefaction is expected in a few weeks.
Bureau Veritas Issues FSU, FSRU Conversion Guidelines
With interest in FSRUs and FSUs picking up, the conversion of LNG carriers offers a fast route to operational availability.
ExxonMobil Awards Second Liza FPSO Contract to SBM Offshore
Scheduled for startup in 2022, the FPSO is expected to produce up to 220,000 BOPD on the development offshore Guyana. Liza is one of eight discoveries ExxonMobil has made in area.
AUVs Surface as Next-Gen Data Gathering Platforms
As operators look for cost-efficient ways to address the challenges in facility maintenance and deepwater exploration, autonomous underwater vehicles are being developed for complex data gathering and advanced tasks.
McDermott Makes Headway With New Projects
The engineering and construction company announced that it had achieved a pair of milestones for BP’s Angelin and Pemex’s Abkatun-A2 platforms, both of which are scheduled for delivery within the next two fiscal quarters.
Construction Begins on Pipeline Connecting Finland and Estonia
The offshore gas pipeline will connect the gas markets of Finland and Estonia, enabling integration with the European Union’s common energy market
Hurricane Energy Begins Offshore Installation of Lancaster EPS
Logistical work is taking place in advance of subsea installation activities, which have the large UK North Sea field on track for first oil in 2019.
The Trump Steel Tariff: How Will It Affect Industry Operations?
How will a US steel tariff affect the oil and gas supply chain? Industry criticism points to a noticeable effect on construction expenditure and jobs, but where will the pain be most felt?
Canadian Firm Agrees to Acquire BiFab Yards
An agreement with DF Barnes is expected to provide financial security for the Scottish fabrication company, which had been on the verge of closure.
OGF Quiz: Project Execution Rules of Thumb
Want to do a quick test of your project execution skills? Try this 10-question quiz.
McDermott, BHGE Appointed for Joint FEED Studies on Tortue/Ahmeyim Field
The two companies will collaborate to define the technology and equipment scope for an initial four-well development phase for BP’s major West African offshore gas project.
TechnipFMC Completes Kaombo Umbilicals Project
Completion of the umbilicals system marks another step toward startup for the Total-operated ultradeepwater development offshore Angola.
Aggressive Cost-Cutting: Is it Sustainable?
Onshore development is increasing production, while investors demand greater operational efficiencies. Operators and service companies are striving to strike the balance between fiscal discipline and growing their production. How low can costs go, and for how long?
Additive Manufacturing Makes Waves in Industry
Gas turbine blades and large-scale printing machines highlight new advancements in additive manufacturing that are likely to affect the supply chain in the not-so-distant future.
McDermott, CB&I To Combine in $6-Billion Deal
McDermott and CB&I will form a vertically integrated onshore-offshore construction and engineering services provider. Other deals include Jacobs Engineering Group acquiring CH2M and the expected close by year end of the Schlumberger and Weatherford OneStim JV.
Getting Ahead of the Curve—Front-End Loading HSE in Major Projects
A proactive approach with EPC contract bidders to front-end load HSE strategies will pay dividends. This paper discusses the HSE management strategy for the Lake Charles Liquefied Natural Gas project.
Stanford/EDF Launch Mobile Monitoring Challenge With ExxonMobil as a Tech Adviser
The Stanford University and Environmental Defense Fund launched a challenge for mobile methane leak monitoring technology. ExxonMobil will serve as a technical adviser.
Concept for Ice-Resistant Offshore Terminal for Arctic LNG Export
Cost and delivery of long-distance natural gas pipelines to a distant liquefaction facility at a warm-water port has become excessive, and environmental restraints have been increasing. An alternative is an offshore ice-resistant LNG port accommodating a new class of LNG transport vessels.
Benefits Outweigh Challenges of Boosting Water Infrastructure
Michael Dunkel, vice president for CH2M, believes water management for upstream will transform over the next few years. Effective water management is only possible with water infrastructure and there are many benefits for all the stakeholders to building the infrastructure.
Simple Rules in a Complex World
In this column, Howard Duhon examines different types of complexity theory.
Technip CEO: Industry Downturn Creates Opportunities for Innovation
Investment in digital technologies may increase project efficiency and reduce costs. However, Technip’s chief executive officer (CEO) said it is equally important to strengthen relationships with companies along the supply chain.
Field-Scale Testing Vital To Understanding Gas Hydrate Behavior
Replicating field conditions for flow assurance experiments at a reasonable cost often presents many challenges, particularly when it comes to designing an experiment with appropriately scaled geometry, an expert said.
GE CEO: Partnership With BP Among Highlights of Digital Initiatives
The oil and gas sector is an area primed for transformational development of its operations through new digital infrastructures, GE’s CEO said in an address to technological developers and company partners.
Studies Reveal Geological Faults, Stress Orientations in Texas, Oklahoma
Geophysicists from Stanford University have compiled a map of new maximum horizontal stress orientations in Texas and surrounding areas, potentially giving operators new information for avoiding seismic activity in their hydraulic fracturing operations.
Three Key Principles To Solving Operational Flow Issues
When the underlying cause of flow-related issues on offshore projects is unknown, an expert said an investigation of fluid flow behavior based on an understanding of the first principles of flow assurance is necessary.
Efficiency, Innovation Needed for Sustainability Initiatives
As governments around the world seek to lower energy consumption in the wake of the low oil price environment, the 2016 SPE President said the industry must be proactive in ramping up its sustainability efforts.
Full Life Cycle Approach Improves Water Management Economics
A look at a water management plan for developing shale assets in the Permian Basin encompassing the full life cycle of each field.
SPE Announces Realignment of Technical Disciplines
The SPE Board of Directors has realigned the Production & Operations and Projects, Facilities & Construction technical disciplines under one Technical Director.
Mooring Systems Reduce the Risk of Hurricane Damage to Offshore Drilling Units
How do mooring systems reduce risks of hurricane damage to mobile offshore drilling units?
Cold Finger Method Effective at Testing Paraffin Inhibitors
A presentation from the 2016 Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Technical Symposium examines a testing strategy to determine the effectiveness of paraffin inhibitors.
McDermott and Nakilat-Keppel Marine Enter 5-Year Agreement in Qatar
McDermott and Nakilat-Keppel Offshore Marine (N-KOM) agreed to an exclusive cooperation agreement for offshore engineering, procurement, construction, and installation projects within Qatari waters.
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