Industry News - Asian Oil & Gas Reports
May/June 2008Angel in its firmament
Clough Aker Joint Venture has laid claim to a new ‘world height record’ following successful installation of the topsides for the North West Shelf Venture’s Angel platform off Western Australia. Darius Snieckus reports.
Full steam ahead
Specialist engineering company Peter Brotherhood continues its winning ways, landing an order for the record-setting turbines on a West African FPSO within weeks of delivering the gensets for the first of Aker’s new ‘smart’ vessels due to go into service soon offshore India.
Product placement
Designing subsea risers and their associated hardware – components critical to the success of deepwater projects – requires highly skilled engineers. Now, the proliferation of risers has given one leading designer the opportunity to spin off an independent riser products company focused on supplying a complementary service to the industry. Terry Knott digs into the background with 2H Offshore.
Roar of the Asian tigers
In terms of total offshore capital expenditure through 2012, Infield Systems expects Asian spend to represent the second highest level after that of Africa. Dr Roger Knight and George Venturas investigate why some developments are requiring unprecedented levels of regional investment, not seen until now, to successfully bring them onstream.
Service Jack of all trades
When the North Sea market for a DP semisubmersible capable of single-lift topsides removal of up to 20,000t failed to catch light as quickly as hoped, Master Marine regrouped and set to work on a more versatile concept. As construction of a pair of ‘all-in-one’ Service Jack construction jackups gets under way for the company in Indonesia, Darius Snieckus speaks with managing director Per Johannson.
Subsea mooring systems – the quiet revolution
The past three years has seen a quiet revolution in subsea mooring systems for platforms and buoys, believes First Subsea’s Brian Green. Here, against a backcloth of growing demand to reduce the cost and complexity of pile and buoy installation, he discusses how ball and taper technology-based mooring systems are proving their worth in some of the most demanding deepwater environments.
Sumandak starter sets Seaway on new course
Seaway Heavy Lifting’s offshore workhorse Stanislav Yudin continues its globetrotting ways, the crane vessel having recently sailed further eastwards to complete its first Southeast Asian assignments. David Morgan reports.
What happened next?
It is always good to catch up. Andrew McBarnet offers some updates on some running stories in the E&P geoscience arena.
September/October 2006
Arc of triumph
It may not exactly trip off the tongue, but wide-azimuth is
definitely the big talking point in the marine seismic
acquisition business. Andrew McBarnet explains what the
excitement is all about.
Facing up to the new realities
For majors and large independents, the magic 100% reserves replacement figure can rarely
be accomplished through new discoveries alone but must include acquisitions and, more
recently, increased emphasis on significant improvement in reserves recovered. Rick von
Flatern spoke with the industry's three largest service companies in an effort to separate
marketing buzz from an emerging production strategy known as 'production optimization'.
How learning to say no turned PSN around
Since finalising a $280 million management buy-out from
Halliburton in March, Production Services Network -
formerly KBR's asset management and optimisation unit -
has been pushing ahead with a strategy aimed at
'transforming a successful business into a major
international player'. Darius Snieckus checks progress with
PSN chief Bob Keiller.
Moving story
For the onshore lifting of the Lun-A deck,
main topsides construction contractor
Samsung contracted heavy lift and
transportation specialist Fagioli PSC ...
PNG in bid to spike exploration
Papua New Guinea has entered the competitive world of petroleum concessions in a big
way, promoting extensive acreage in the nation's first licence bidding round, launched in
September by Sir Moi Avei, deputy prime minister and minister for petroleum and energy.
John Mueller was among the observers when the PNG roadshow made its inaugural
appearance, in Singapore on 13 September, before moving on Calgary, Houston, London
and, finally, Perth on 10 October.
Processing prototype lands in Lummut
The first working module of a plug-and-play type seabed
separation and processing system recently arrived in
Malaysia where it will be used to demonstrate the
AlphaPrime system's innovative technological features to
field operators in the region. David Morgan reports.
Race for smartest field greets a new Champion
First oil earlier this year from Shell's Champion West phase
three development off Brunei could well be looked back on
as a watershed in the history of the digital oilfield. But,
given that 'smart' capabilities are soon to become far more
commonplace on the operator's major new greenfield
projects, it might equally end up a footnote. Darius Snieckus
discusses 'asset optimisation' culture with Shell
International's executive VP, technical, Matthias Bichsel.
Records set as Lun-A steps on the gas
The 21,800t floatover topsides deck for
the Lunskoye-A gas production
platform was successfully installed in
the Sea of Okhotsk, 15km northeast of
Sakhalin Island on 23 June, setting a new
record as the industry's heaviest floatover
deck installation ...
Reducing exploration risk the CSEM way
With exploration becoming increasingly challenging and
drilling costs soaring as wells become more and more
complex, the oil and gas industry is turning to the latest
innovative techniques in a bid to reduce the risks of drilling
non-commercial wells and to stretch exploration budgets to
test many more prospects than ever before ...
Regional gas demand puts pipelayers under pressure
Burgeoning Asian gas demand is set to fuel 'major growth' in the region's pipelay sector
over the next five years, but will the industry be up to the challenge, ask the authors of a
new report* published by London-based energy data analysts Infield Systems.
Schlumberger expands artificial lift facility
Oilfield services giant Schlumberger recently celebrated the
official opening of its substantially expanded artificial lift
product facility in Singapore. John Mueller reports.
July/August 2006
A statement of intent
The last month or so has seen Schlumberger make some big
decisions in the seismic department, some of them quite
expensive. Andrew McBarnet explains their significance.
Asian rig boom broadens
As the rush to secure
offshore drilling rigs and
floating production units
continues unabated,
shipyards in East Asia are
turning their attention to
this lucrative sector. John
Mueller reports.
Balancing the interests of producers and consumers
Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Bin Haji Ahmad Badawi, Saudi Aramco
president Abdallah S Jum'ah and Schlumberger chief executive Andrew Gould were
among the keynote speakers at the Asia Oil & Gas Conference held in Kuala Lumpur by
Petronas this June. The event offered an enlightening spectrum of industry insider
viewpoints, reviewed here by John Mueller.
Delivering the perfect formation fluid sample
With increasing water depths, sound decisions on how, when
or whether to complete high-risk wells have become ever more
critical to operators' economic health. In recent years, with
their constant refinement, wireline formation pressure testing
and sampling tools have become nearly indispensable in that
decision process. Rick von Flatern spoke with service providers
about how they plan to deliver the goods.
Fast forward to floatovers
Warming up for the upcoming extension of its activities into topside floatover work, J Ray
McDermott's newly modified Intermac 650 barge was deployed recently for the launch of
the largest jacket yet built in China. David Morgan reports.
News Update . . .
Asia Pacific oil and gas news and views at a glance ...
ONGC looks deep to increase resources
India's state energy company ONGC has been busy
setting out its deepwater stall of late as the country
strives to attract foreign investment to address the
growing energy gap for its one billion population.
Terry Knott rounds up the key points.
Piling in the deeps
The rental fleet of IHC Handling Systems
continues to expand, with global deepwater
demand for the company's specialist pile
handling systems on projects like Kikeh
forcing the pace.
Raising the marine operations standard
The marine department is another Woodside
service function whose remit is developing and
evolving in line with the company's burgeoning
domestic and international activities.
Rankin beds in for NWS hub role
If you're hoping for a spare bed on Woodside's 22-year old
North Rankin platform dream on. With platform drilling
currently under way, a raft of life extension and associated
field developments in the offing and its ongoing 'regional
hub' status now assured, all 145 of the platform's beds are
occupied and look set to stay that way for some years to
come. David Morgan reviews current activity and future plans
on the North West Shelf.
Santos expedites production with mobile Maleo unit
A standalone mobile offshore production unit is being prepared for duty on Australian
independent Santos' remote Maleo gas development in East Java. David Morgan reports.
The key to unlocking Kikeh
Kikeh, Malaysia's first deepwater development, will boast both the first spar platform
outside the Gulf of Mexico and the premier application of a tender assist drilling unit
(TADU) with a spar. John Mueller reviews the thinking behind this novel combination.
