Companies in the news

Statoil, Gassco and Exxon Mobil received consent from Norway’s Petroleum Safety Authority for manned underwater operations between Dec. 1, 2014, and Nov. 30, 2015. Statoil has signed framework agreements with Technip Norge AS and Subsea 7 Norway. The consent applies to manned underwater operations, down to 180 m, and convers both planned and undefined operational and project tasks, as well as emergency repairs. Technip will use the DSV Skandi Arctic and DSV Wellservicer vessels, and the light diving craft, LDC Technip Seahunter. Subsea 7 will employ four vessels—DSV Atlantic, DSV Seven Falcon, DSV Seven Pelican and LDC Seven Spray.

Occidental Petroleum Corporation completed the spin-off of its subsidiary, California Resources Corporation. The E&P company will focus on conventional and unconventional assets exclusively in California. The company produced the equivalent of 160,000 bopd in third-quarter 2014, up from 153,000 bopd a year earlier.

Wood Group has been awarded a multi-year contract by Exxon Mobil Exploration and Production Malaysia. Wood Group will deliver brownfield engineering, procurement and construction management services to support offshore operations in Malaysia. This is the first contract that Wood Group PSN has secured in the Malaysian market.

Novatek said that the first stage of Urengoyskoye field onshore Russia, in the SeverEnergia-developed Samburgskiy license area, has reached its full design capacity of approximately 7 Bcm of natural gas and 2.5 MMt of gas condensate per annum. Thirty production wells, including 18 horizontals, are in operation at the field. The wells target the Achimov deposits, which are characterized by relatively deep depths—approximately 3,700 m—and a high share of gas condensate in the hydrocarbon flow.

WPX Energy signed an agreement to sell its operations in northeastern Pennsylvania, and release certain firm transportation capacity to Southwestern Energy for approximately $300 million in cash. The sale includes physical operations covering approximately 46,700 net acres, producing roughly 50 MMcfd on 63 operated horizontal wells. The assets are located primarily in Susquehanna County. The transaction also includes the release of firm transportation capacity that WPX has under contract with Millennium Pipeline.

Cameron has been awarded a multi-year contract by Exxon Mobil Canada Properties for wellhead equipment and production trees for the Hebron project, a 52-well development located offshore Newfoundland. Cameron will supply large-bore, high-pressure equipment including wellheads, production trees and risers. The contract also includes installation and commissioning services. In conjunction with the contract, Cameron also will
build a service center in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

CNOOC signed PSCs with KUFPEC for three blocks in the Yinggehai basin of the South China Sea. CNOOC will operate these blocks, covering 20% of exploration costs, while KUFPEC will cover the remaining 80% working interest. Both parties will conduct 3D seismic surveys and drill exploration wells. Once entering the development phase, CNOOC has the right to participate in up to 70% of the working interests in any commercial discoveries.

Secorp opened a district office in Hobbs, New Mexico, serving the northern Permian basin. The new location will offer safety services, including rescue equipment and services, fall protection, emergency shower trailers, cooling trailers and training seminars. Tye Rorie will serve as district supervisor and be responsible for daily operations within the office.

McAda Fluids Heating Services and McAda Drilling Fluids have broken ground on a 10-acre facility in northern Colorado. The new facility will open in the spring of 2015 in Fort Lupton, and will serve the Niobrara shale and other Rocky Mountain regional activities. It will include a truck yard, maintenance shop, warehouse and office.

Marine Contracting moved the Cendor MOPU from Cendor field, offshore Malaysia, to Batam, Indonesia, for upgrade work, enroute to its eventual destination in Wassana field, in the Gulf of Thailand. The towing was carried out on behalf of the Cendor MOPU’s owner, Singapore-based Kris Energy, which recently purchased the vessel from Global Process Systems.

LM Handling provided handling expertise and equipment to support InterMoor in the mooring installation of an FPSO unit for China National Offshore Oil Corporation’s (CNOOC) operated Enping 24-2 oil field in the South China Sea. A 12-pile anchor mooring system, consisting of three clusters of four mooring lines, was installed.

FTS International acquired the wireline subsidiary of J-W Energy. The acquisition of J-W Wireline Company includes approximately 70 active wireline units, related operation locations, a manufacturing facility and a training facility. The combined FTSI wireline division will be led by J-W Wireline President Perry Harris.

Tendeka secured a four-year contract extension with Statoil for the supply of sand-face completion equipment for Troll field, as well as other fields under Statoil’s operation on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Tendeka will install up to 40,000 joints of sand screens fitted with autonomous inflow control devices, as well as zonal isolation packers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded Providence Photonics a Small Business Innovative Research Phase II grant, worth $300,000, for development of flare monitoring technology. The grant will enable Providence Photonics to develop technology needed to measure combustion efficiency, optimize flare operations, conserve resources, and reduce costs for industrial facilities. 

Shale-Inland Holdings opened a 185,000-ft² valve and automation center in Pasadena, Texas, and also completed its northwest Houston sales office. The facility in Pasadena will serve as the company’s valve and automation global operations center, and house the firm’s support teams.

Howco Group completed the acquisition of  Manchester, England-based CTL Engineering Ltd. Howco primarily serves the oilfield services sector, with operations in the U.S., Scotland, England, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Norway and Dubai. The acquisition of the CTL manufacturing business is part of Howco’s play to increase its presence in the upstream sector.

Ceona Offshore selected Emerging Markets Communications to provide on-board communications for the subsea construction vessel, Ceona Amazon. EMC delivered satellite connectivity services for the vessel’s main operations, including voice, and crew communications. The 570-mt, deepwater pipelaying vessel will be delivered in early 2015.

Statoil sold 5% of Gjøa field and 24.5% of Vega field in Norway to Wintershall. In addition, Wintershall is taking over Statoil’s shares in the Aasta Hansteen development project (24%), the Asterix discovery (19%), the Polarled pipeline project (13.2%), and four exploration licenses near Aasta Hansteen. The assets encompass reserves and resources of around 170 MMboe. Wintershall will also assume operatorship of Vega field. The value of the entire sale was $1.25 billion.