Richard Foote investigates the role of marine biologists in offshore energy developments. With more than 92 percent of the UK's energy coming from fossil fuels, it is hardly surprising that the oil and gas industry is the biggest contributor to offshore construction activity. According to the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom's (MBA) annual […]
A raft of new legislation is requiring ship owners and operators to change to low sulphur fuels to reduce emissions. Lower sulphur fuels are less viscous than traditional cheaper, heavier fuels. Therefore, pumps and meters must be able to function accurately with lower lubrication and viscosity levels than with more viscous fuels. As a result, […]
Chapman Freeborn Airchartering Inc has completed a high-profile cargo charter from Nantes in France to New Orleans, USA, to deliver seven skimmer boats to help tackle the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Fort Lauderdale-based aircraft charter specialist arranged the flight of an Antonov AN-124 – one of the world’s largest cargo planes – […]
Interest in US shale gas reserves has prompted a flurry of mergers and acquisitions. Sean Ottewell reports. Independent energy research firm Wood Mackenzie’s latest corporate analysis highlights that upstream merger and acquisition (M&A) expenditure in US shale gas totalled US$21b (EUR16b) during the first half of 2010. This is equivalent to one third of global […]
With the world’s focus on events in the Gulf of Mexico, a trio of Norwegian innovations are helping in the clean-up campaign. Sean Ottewell reports. Sintef is the largest independent research organisation in Scandinavia and each year helps over 2000 companies in the region with their R&D activities. Now its oil-spill researchers are helping the […]
Operating companies are turning to advanced gas turbine technologies to boost efficiency and meet emissions regulations. Sean Ottewell reports. GE is shipping two Frame 6B gas turbines for one of the largest cogeneration facilities in Portugal, Galp Energia’s Matosinhos cogeneration plant near Porto. Replacing older oil-fired technology at the site, the gas turbines will increase […]
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Scientists have called for increased discussion of independent monitoring of deep-sea hydrocarbon industry activity with the aim of obtaining a better understanding of its ecological impact. The hydrocarbon industry is increasingly searching for hydrocarbon resources at much greater depths and developing drilling technology to exploit them. However, drilling the seafloor at great depths is technically […]
Oil and gas platforms could be serving as beneficial habitats for commercially important fish populations such as cod and haddock, a marine ecologist told a major conference in Aberdeen, UK. If adequate knowledge is to be gained from the existing offshore platforms, there may also be potential for man-made structures like offshore platforms and installations […]
The Gulf of Mexico’s oil and gas industry has shifted into top gear with decommissioning projects in the region at an all-time high. In 2010, the world’s most active decommissioning market was kick-started when new legislation mandated the removal of idle offshore infrastructure. In October 2010, the NTL mandate came into effect creating a huge […]