Companies in the News

Sparrows Group has secured a three-year crane management services contract from Chrysaor. The contract will see Sparrows operate and maintain seven cranes across the Armada, Everest and Lomond gas platforms, which lie about 145–155 mi east of Aberdeen, Scotland, on the UKCS. The scope of work includes the delivery of offshore crane operations and maintenance, the supply of rigging lofts and inspection services, and the onshore management of all crane maintenance plans and related engineering scopes. 

Halliburton, along with the government of Akwa Ibom, has opened Nigeria’s first oil and gas training center. The Akwa Ibom Oil and Gas Training and Research Center reportedly will offer courses in field development, drilling and completions engineering, well intervention solutions and digital technologies. The facility infrastructure was provided by the Akwa Ibom state government. However, the training curriculum, instructors, software, workstations and tools have been supplied by Halliburton Landmark. The center reportedly will support more than 3,000 students, annually. It also will offer more than 50 courses in oil and gas development.

Weir Oil & Gas has expanded its presence in the Permian basin with the construction of a new customer service center. The 92,000-ft² facility is expected to open for business by 2019. It will provide pressure pumping and pressure control testing facilities, as well as a central hub for field-service operations, office space, a shop area and a warehouse.

AFGlobal has acquired Amkin Technologies’ pressure pump technology and product line. The acquisition adds to the company’s budding pressure pumping portfolio, which includes a wide range of pressure pumping equipment and technology, such as customizable pumping solutions, blenders, hydration units and controls, and analytics. Additionally, it will allow AFGlobal to provide fluid and power ends in conjunction with its pressure pumping systems.

KrisEnergy has announced its final investment decision (FID) for the first phase of development at Apsara field. The first phase of development is said to include a single, unmanned, minimum-facility 24-slot wellhead platform, which will produce to a moored production barge. Oil will then be transferred via pipeline for storage to a permanently moored FSO vessel. The Apsara development lies in Block A, in the Gulf of Thailand, and is Cambodia’s first hydrocarbon development project. KrisEnergy holds a 95% working interest and is operator of the block. The General Department of State Property and Non Tax Revenue of the Ministry of Economy and Finance holds the remaining 5% on behalf of the Government of Cambodia.

Fugro has secured a sizeable survey contract from Pemex for operations offshore Mexico. The $10-million contract covers multi-site, high-resolution, geophysical and geotechnical surveys, as well as laboratory testing and geoconsulting services. Offshore operations reportedly will support design and installation of platforms, pipelines, jackup platforms
and deepwater facilities. 

Simmons Edeco has opened its first base of operations in Denmark. According to the company, the expansion was prompted by a recent wellhead maintenance services contract awarded in the Danish North Sea. The 6,000-m² facility, which is situated in the coastal town of Esbjerg, will help support the company’s customers in Scandinavia and Northern Europe.

Africa Oil Corp. (AOC) has announced a strategic partnership with Eco (Atlantic) Oil and Gas Ltd. for exploration in West Africa and Guyana. The investment agreement will see AOC acquire a 19.77% shareholding
in Eco through the purchase of 29.2 million common shares. The agreement will see both companies’ cooperation in the pursuit of new exploration projects. Eco’s portfolio includes four blocks in Namibia and one block in Guyana. The Namibia blocks reportedly are in an area of proven source rocks and large, seismically-demarcated stratigraphic traps. Moreover, the Guyana block is adjacent to ExxonMobil’s prolific Stabroek Block.

To help support its $20-billion spending program aimed at restoring production capacity over the next three years, Libya’s National Oil Corporation is opening a purchasing office in Houston, Texas. According to Chairman Mustafa Sanalla, the U.S. has proven itself an ally of the state of Libya, and it is “playing a vital role today protecting Libya’s oil industry against interruptions in supply.” With a procurement office in the heart of the U.S. oil industry, NOC says it hopes to increase production, improve security and ease the number of interruptions.

NEL has invested an additional £200,000 in the continued development of its Wet Gas Flow Testing Facility in Glasgow, Scotland. The laboratory reportedly is the UK’s only independent commercial facility that is capable of producing wet gas flows through the simultaneous use of water and oil. According to NEL, further investment in the lab’s equipment will reduce maintenance time, improve flowrates and optimize control of test points. 

Maersk Drilling has secured a contract with Nexen Petroleum UK Limited. The contract win followed a competitive tender for the drilling of three wells, as well as options for nine additional wells, at Buzzard field—the UK’s largest producing oil field. The contract covers the Buzzard Phase II Development Project, which is scheduled to begin in July 2018. It has been reported that the drilling campaign will be carried out by one of Maersk’s I-class jackup rigs.

SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions broke ground on its new laboratory in Tomball, Texas. The lab, which is expected to open by mid-2018, will allow the company to provide greater support to its customers. In addition to the research and development of specialty chemicals, the new facility will offer process innovation in oil and gas applications. It also will offer customized experimental simulation capabilities, as well as an advanced technical training center for engineers and scientists.

Well-Safe Solutions has chosen to establish its onshore marine base in the Port of Dundee—a rapidly growing hub for North Sea decommissioning. The well abandonment specialist has obtained two acres of quayside facilities, with access to 40,000 ft² of covered space. The Aberdeen-based company, which was formed just months ago, also has secured its first contract with TAQA for the provision of intervention management services for all its North Sea assets.