Companies in the news

Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC) has completed two new shore base locations to house its well containment equipment available for use in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. This year marks the three-year anniversary of MWCC’s Interim Containment System (ICS) becoming available for use in the deepwater Gulf. To date, more than 150 permits have been approved, citing MWCC’s system. The interim system, previously housed on the Houston Ship Channel and in Port Fourchon, La., has been permanently moved to new shore base facilities in Theodore, Ala., and Ingleside, Texas (pictured), to accommodate the expanded system, which is expected to be available later this year.

Statoil’s oil sands production in Canada decreased slightly in 2013, while CO2 intensity rose, due to facility maintenance and the integration of pilot technologies to reduce long-term CO2 intensity. The company’s 2013 Oil Sands Report noted that production decreased from 16,000 bopd in 2012 to 15,000 bopd in 2013. Concurrently, CO2 intensity increased from 55.6 kg CO2/bbl to 69.7 kg CO2/bbl. The CO2 intensity in 2011 was 72.7 kg CO2/bbl. Statoil’s 2020 CO2 intensity reduction target of 25% remains firm.

Schlumberger has acquired Rock Deformation Research (RDR), a UK-based company specializing in geological software development and structural geology consultancy. By integrating with the Petrel E&P software platform and Studio E&P knowledge environment, RDR’s Structural and Fault Analysis module provides users with tools to reduce risk and quantify uncertainty, while Studio Advisor enables Petrel platform users in process standardization and competency development. Core software product development and consulting services will continue to be in Leeds, UK.

BP’s U.S. pipelines business was recognized last month for industry-leading safety and environmental performance in 2013 by API at its annual pipeline conference. Don Porter, who leads BP’s U.S. pipelines business, accepted API’s Occupational Safety and Environmental Performance awards in the large operator category on behalf of the company. BP earned both awards by logging the best worker safety and liquids handling performance statistics among all pipeline entrants last year.

CGG has signed an exclusive agreement with Baker Hughes for RoqSCAN technology. RoqSCAN is a real-time, fully portable, quantitative and automated rock properties and mineralogical analyzer. Developed by Robertson, a CGG company, and Carl Zeiss Microscopy Ltd., RoqSCAN delivers highly quantitative compositional and textural mineralogical data from drill cuttings or core pieces, revealing the mineralogical DNA of the reservoir. This evaluation service can be provided at the wellsite during drilling operations, or later in core stores, field offices and laboratories.

Late in third-quarter 2013, Global Tubing delivered a very large, highly engineered string of 27/8-in. CT, manufactured in one continuous length, to STEP Energy Services (Calgary). The tubing string was designed for utilization in the Western Canadian Sedimentary basin on multi-well, pad drilling sites. On Nov. 6, STEP claims to have performed the deepest 27/8 in. CT operation in North American history, reaching a depth of 20,578 ft.  The uniqwue tubing string, which is still in use, had an overall length of 21,327 ft, and weighed more than 130,000 lb.

A Chevron subsidiary, Unocal Myanmar Offshore Co., Ltd., has been granted exploration rights in a block offshore Myanmar, in the Rakhine basin. Block A5, which spans more than 2.6 million acres (10,600 sq km), is approximately 125 mi (200 km) northwest of Yangon. Unocal Myanmar Offshore Co., Ltd. will operate the block with a 99% interest. Royal Marine Engineering (RME), a Myanmar-based company, will hold the remaining 1% in the block.  

VAM USA LLC, a supplier of premium threaded connections, confirmed that it reached an agreement with the City of Youngstown, Ohio, to purchase and develop property for a new threading plant on Ohio Works Drive. The planned, 67,000-sq-ft, approximately $80-million facility will thread VAM connections on pipe produced at the adjacent Vallourec  Star plant, and destined for the North American shale plays.

Norris Production Solutions, a group of artificial lift and surface production companies, recently changed its name to Dover Artificial Lift. The change highlights the company’s singular focus on artificial lift and better reflects the various companies within the Dover Artificial Lift portfolio. Dover Artificial Lift is part of the Energy segment within Dover Corporation, a diversified global manufacturer with annual revenues of over $8 billion. 

Wood Group has acquired Sunstone Projects Ltd. of Calgary, for roughly $13.2 million. Sunstone is a pipeline consulting company providing engineering, procurement and construction management services to clients in the Canadian oil and gas industry. Sunstone generated sales of approximately $19 million in 2013, and employs approximately 70 people. Sunstone will be rebranded as Wood Group Mustang and will continue to be led by the existing management team.

Hicks Equity Partners (HEP), a private equity firm led by the Thomas O. Hicks family, announced that its portfolio company, Directional Rentals, Inc., has acquired Lafayette, La.-based Reamco, Inc., which manufactures, rents and refurbishes downhole drilling tools and related products. Directional Rentals, an oilfield services company, has also been renamed Drilling Tools International (DTI). According to the company, the new name more accurately reflects its mission of renting, manufacturing and selling drilling tools, used in bottomhole assemblies, to oilfield services companies, independent directional drillers and exploration companies.

SBP Holdings, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bishop Lifting Products, has completed the acquisition of Delta Rigging & Tools, headquartered in Houston. Bishop Lifting Products and Delta Rigging & Tools specialize in the fabrication and distribution of slings, wire rope and rigging products, crane and rigging inspection services, engineered solutions, and equipment rentals.   The combined company will go to market under the brands Bishop Lifting Products, Delta Rigging & Tools, Delta Rentals & Rigging, and Morgan City Rentals.

Antelope Oil Tool & Manufacturing Co., LLC, has acquired CTE Industries Ltd. Headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, CTE was founded in 2006, and is an independent manufacturer and supplier of oilfield cementation equipment.  Its products include float shoes, float collars, cement plugs and centralizers.  CTE also provides premium threading services and supplies steel products, such as mechanical tubing and coupling stock.

UK-based engineering group Houlder has launched a new venture to support clients headquartered in the U.S. Houlder Americas Inc. opened its San Felipe Plaza location earlier this year. The business group is employing local engineers to work alongside the small team that has relocated from the UK. The company provides wholly independent design and analysis, engineering and innovation, and project management services, varying from leading semisubmersible rig upgrades and vessel conversions, to supplying new deck equipment and handling systems.