Companies in the news

Expro has secured a new framework agreement with Statoil Petroleum AS on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). The agreement—for three years, with options to extend for three, two-year periods—will see Expro provide subsea services and well control systems. The firm will deliver its large-bore landing string assemblies for completions, as well as workover and intervention projects from both semisubmersibles and jackup rigs. The agreement reaffirms a long-standing relationship between the two companies.

Harkand has signed a new JV agreement with ESOPEG Lda in Angola, which is the company’s first strategic partnership in the country, and third in the region. The newly formed company, Harkand Angola Lda, is based in Luanda, and will focus on the development of local inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) capabilities and services. It will provide support and local content on both major capital development projects and maintenance to existing operations. It makes the full spectrum of Harkand’s services—ROV and diving, inspection, engineering, project management and survey—available to the Angolan market. Image: Harkand.

GE’s Distributed Power business has announced that Chinese drilling rig manufacturer, HongHua Group Ltd., has completed commissioning of the first three Waukesha mobileFLEX gas engines. The engines are powering a 5,000-m deep drilling rig for new shale gas projects near Deyang City in Sichuan Province, China. The first three units were commissioned in August 2015, as part of an on-site power demonstration project between subsidiary HongHua Electric and rig owner Sinopec. They are evaluating the use of the natural gas-fueled units as an alternative to diesel engines. The project is GE’s first deployment of its Waukesha mobileFLEX engines for a drilling application outside the U.S.

Wood Group is seeking expressions of interest from technology vendors to support a JIP that aims to reduce subsea equipment failures in Australia, and provide recommended practices for the subsea industry. The Subsea Equipment Australian Reliability (SEAR) JIP is a partnership supported by six operators, and led by Wood Group Kenny. The SEAR JIP is focused on collaboration and the sharing of knowledge, in an effort to improve subsea equipment design for Australia’s challenging offshore environment, while avoiding costly interventions. Operators are asking vendors to come forward with technology solutions to help address specific challenges faced in Australian waters.

Baker Hughes has become the first company to enroll in the new Regional Operational Integrity Program (ROIP) for the petroleum and natural gas industry. Additionally, the company is the first to receive Gold Recognition for its Gulf of Mexico Center of Excellence from the Wollam Petroleum Advisory Group (WPAG). Baker Hughes and WPAG helped develop and pilot the new program, which was implemented in late 2015. ROIP incorporates API Q2 standards and extends that specification’s purpose of driving consistency, risk mitigation and service quality beyond the facility, to the regional level.

Europa Oil & Gas has announced further details regarding Licensing Option 16/2 in the southern Porcupine basin, offshore Ireland. Europa was awarded 100% interest as part of Phase 1 of the 2015 Atlantic Ireland Licensing Round. Three new prospects have been mapped on 3D seismic, with gross, mean, un-risked prospective resources of 895 MMboe. Hugh Mackay, Europa’s CEO, said, “Clearly there is now a much better appreciation of the prospectivity of the basin by the global oil industry. However, to realize this potential, we need successful exploration drilling to take place in the basin.”

Prosafe has awarded a contract to HB Rentals for a project that will see the company provide an end-to-end solution for the design, engineering, manufacture, supply, installation, commissioning and routine maintenance of a customized temporary living quarter (TLQ) complex. The TLQ complex will be onboard Prosafe’s semisubmersible accommodation vessel, Safe Boreas, which is off the coast of Orkney, Scotland. The complex will accommodate 40 people, based on double-occupancy cabins with en-suite wet rooms. Upgrade work also will be carried out, including data cabling and installation of Hydrogen Sulphide gas detectors. 

Multi-discipline subsea engineering and training firm, Jee Ltd., has expanded its training portfolio to cover the growing decommissioning sector on the UK Continental Shelf. In April, the company will host two-hour workshops, giving instruction on decommissioning in the North Sea, in Aberdeen and London. The workshops will help attendees understand the activities associated with offshore decommissioning, and how to manage projects effectively. Additionally, the company has developed a two-day course, which delves deeper into the subject. The course will cover planning activities and considerations; well plugging and abandonment; approaches to decommissioning of structures and pipelines; and the associated onshore activities.

Lanner has been awarded a 12-month contract by a major U.S. LNG operator to supply its LNG Logistics Simulator. The customized software will enable the operator to model multiple scenarios for the expansion of its LNG export terminal in Louisiana. It will provide independent, evidence-based decision support to the company, to validate technical project assumptions and clarify the commercial and operational risks of the expansion. It also will help minimize financial loss by assessing the impact of investment in infrastructure and transportation.

Tracerco’s subsea pipeline innovation, Discovery, is now being used in the Australasia region, specifically at the company’s Western Australia facility in Perth. The OTC Spotlight on New Technology 2015 winner, and its complimentary technology, Explorer, are now readily available in the region. Basing the equipment in Perth allows it to be mobilized within a week, reacting quickly to customers’ needs, which is vital for operators experiencing flow assurance issues that could affect their ability to meet daily production targets.