OGUK chief to open Aset academy

The chief executive of Oil and Gas UK, Malcolm Webb, will open the new Aset International Oil and Gas Training Full Article

Remaining North Sea oil ‘worth £1trillion’

Delegates at an oil and gas conference have been told the economy will be petroleum-driven for decades to come, with... Full Article

Shell signs up Wood for further two years

Wood Group, of Aberdeen, announced a £75million deal yesterday with oil giant Shell which will keep more than 350 people... Full Article

Consultant ‘on course for stellar year’

Oil and gas engineering consultant Optimus (Aberdeen) said yesterday it was on course for a stellar year after beating all... Full Article

Amec’s North Sea success to continue for years to come

International engineering and project-management company Amec said yesterday it expected its recent success in the North Sea to continue for... Full Article

Market comment: Engineering services in demand as sector remains buoyant

Amec’s full-year results were almost exactly in line with consensus stock market forecasts for revenue, operating profits and earnings per... Full Article

A good day for: Xodus Group

International energy consultant Xodus Group has created a new chief technology officer role to lead its integration of surface and... Full Article

Red Spider appoints agent to weave a web into west Africa

Oil and gas industry specialist technology firm Red Spider has appointed an agent in west Africa to support its expansion... Full Article

Skills the key to Aberdeen’s long-term future as oil and gas hub

Aberdeen’s future as a centre of the oil and gas industry in years to come will hinge on a long-term... Full Article

Row with Iran pumps up prices

Motorists are being warned of further pain at the pumps as simmering tensions between the west and Iran threaten to... Full Article

Year of activity to boost jobs, pay

The oil and gas industry will have an exciting year in 2012 despite economic woes around the world, according to... Full Article

Supply-chain exports up 280%

Overseas sales by Scottish oil and gas industry supply-chain firms have risen more than 280% in 10 years, a major... Full Article

WilHunter repaired but not yet operational

Drilling rig firm Awilco said yesterday that repair work had been completed on its rig the WilHunter, but that it... Full Article

Aker boosted by surge in North Sea demand

Oilfield engineering service group Aker Solutions said yesterday growing demand for subsea services in the North Sea had helped it... Full Article

Brodies appoints new oil and gas partner

Scottish law firm Brodies said yesterday it had appointed Sonia Love as an oil and gas partner at its Aberdeen... Full Article

Report sheds more light on decom market

A new Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) report sheds more light on the industry body’s expectations for the decommissioning market.... Full Article

SSE secures 10-year Shell gas-supply deal

Scottish utility SSE said yesterday it had signed a 10-year gas deal with Shell to secure supply for its UK... Full Article

Xcite gets Bentley wheels in motion

Aberdeen-based oil explorer Xcite said today it was hoping to float out the rig to be used to drill its... Full Article

Technip reports rise in North Sea subsea activity

French energy service giant Technip said today a rise in North Sea subsea activity had contributed to revenue growth across... Full Article

Macaw flies into Aberdeen

Oil and gas integrity-management consultant Macaw Engineering said yesterday it had opened an office in Aberdeen. The Newcastle firm said... Full Article

Talisman North Sea production falls short

Oil and gas independent Talisman Energy said today its North Sea production fell short of expectations last year. Despite a... Full Article

Cosalt better off private – says CEO

The chief executive of Cosalt said yesterday he wanted the company to return to private hands, but added he was... Full Article

Multimillion-pound win for Titan Torque

Aberdeen-based drilling equipment company Titan Torque Services has secured a multimillion-pound contract with international well-management firm AGR. The three-year deal,... Full Article

Senergy appoints new boss

Aberdeen-based energy service company Senergy said yesterday it had appointed Mike McEwan as vice-president of finance and information systems. Mr... Full Article

North Sea R&D outlay ‘on the rise’

Research and development (R&D) spending in the North Sea will increase in the near future, according to oil and gas... Full Article

Evolutionary move for Taqa and Fairfield

North Sea independent Fairfield Energy has signed-up Taqa Bratani to help it develop what has been described as one of... Full Article

ExxonMobil to drill west of Ireland

ExxonMobil plans to drill an exploration well on the Dunquin prospect offshore the west coast of Ireland in the second... Full Article

Kalvklumpen disappoints

Operator Det Norske’s exploration well on the Kalvklumpen prospect is to be abandoned after finding “good quality” reservoir rocks, but... Full Article

Weir makes £200m move for Aussie target

Scottish engineering firm Weir Group said yesterday it had made a £200million takeover approach for an Australian mining equipment company.... Full Article

Explosive growth at Spex

Aberdeen-based explosives specialist Spex Services said yesterday it expected a strong performance this year after a jump in turnover. The... Full Article

Dong readies for deepwater drilling

Denmark’s Dong Energy is planning to drill a deepwater well north-west of Shetland in September this year. Papers submitted to... Full Article

Centrica ups stake in Fogelberg

Centrica’s Norwegian upstream business is to up its stake in its Fogelberg discovery after agreeing a £44million deal with oil... Full Article

Busy year in North Sea for Agora

Norwegian exploration firm Agora Oil and Gas said today it would be taking part in nine wells on the UK... Full Article

BG Group targets 1.4m barrels a day

BG Group said yesterday it was targeting 1.4million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd) globally by 2020 and the... Full Article

Subsea 2012 swelled by record crowds

Excitement around the booming subsea industry saw record crowds flock to this year’s Subsea 2012 conference and exhibition, held in... Full Article

Buy boosts Atkins in offshore marketplace

Design and engineering consultant WS Atkins said yesterday its energy business had been buoyant lately. The company boosted its Aberdeen... Full Article

Court supports offshore case

UK-based offshore workers employed across the globe have won the right to be protected by British employment law. In a... Full Article

Airlift for workers after Shell platform gas alert

The Shell platform at the centre of the UK’s biggest oil leak in a decade has been evacuated – after... Full Article

PM’s pledge for ‘vital’ industry

Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to deliver a “good” tax regime for the North Sea oil and gas industry.... Full Article

Bid to block Ross’s plan

Cosalt shareholders who oppose chairman David Ross’s plan to take the company private claim they are close to being able... Full Article

Awards honour industry’s best

Outstanding subsea firms and workers were recognised at an industry award dinner in Aberdeen last night. The Subsea UK event... Full Article

EPC Offshore geared up for major growth

Aberdeen project-management firm EPC Offshore said yesterday it hoped to grow significantly in 2012 after launching new services. The firm,... Full Article

Aberdeen consultant wins Iona deal

Aberdeen oil and gas consultant ADIL has won a £500,000 deal with Iona Energy to provide management support on the... Full Article

EEEGR innovation awards finalists revealed

Eight innovative ideas from a tidal-energy device to an offshore access system have made it through to the finals of... Full Article

Trend of ‘social dumping’ eroding work opportunities

Trade unions representing North Sea offshore workers vowed yesterday to tackle what they said could be a catastrophic trend in... Full Article

Stork picks up £10m inspection deal in Africa

Energy service firm Stork Technical Services said yesterday it had won a £10million contract offshore west Africa. Stork, which bought... Full Article

Subsea boom to stretch resources

Subsea firms in the north-east are going to face increasing competition for staff and rising costs as work ramps up... Full Article

Research: Scientists in plea for partners to take part in initiative

A group of scientists working on the development of cutting-edge sensor systems will put out a call for applicants for... Full Article

Deck-machinery specialist completes £4.2m contract

Aberdeenshire-based deck-machinery specialist Ace Winches said yesterday it had completed its largest export contract. The £4.2million winch package is for... Full Article

Reservoir adds US mudlogging firm to portfolio

International oilfield service company Reservoir Group, of Aberdeen, said yesterday it had made another US acquisition. It has added Oklahoma-based... Full Article

First graduate recruits join Bibby’s academy scheme

Aberdeen-based subsea installation contractor Bibby Offshore has welcomed the first graduates on to its graduate training academy scheme. Six graduates... Full Article

Deepwater Leiv Eiriksson picked for Norwegian work

The deepwater drilling rig Leiv Eiriksson has been picked to work offshore Norway from late 2012 or early 2013 under... Full Article

Premier – decision on Fyne by July

North Sea operator Premier Oil said today a decision on whether to commercially develop the Fyne area would be made... Full Article

Pipeline game-changer

DNV has developed a radical new concept, called X-Stream, that could dramatically reduce the cost of deep and ultra-deepwater gas... Full Article

Islay, Total’s £60m North Sea trace heating ‘laboratory’

All being well, Total’s Islay satellite development should be brought onstream in just a few weeks as a “daisy-chain” satellite... Full Article

Gordon believes we must exploit knowledge base

“It’s an exciting time. With growing emphasis on subsea-based production . . . currently around 40% (in the North Sea)... Full Article

Weather plagues 2012 campaign but results just keep on coming

A long-awaited weather window during November resulted in a higher level of well starts on the UK Continental Shelf than... Full Article

Fine start to geophysical year

The pace of activity on the geophysical survey and analysis front appears to be taking off with a number of... Full Article

Talisman contract catalyst to Craig investing £50million in new ships

North Star Shipping, a unit of Aberdeen’s Craig Group, has been awarded a major new long-term contract with Talisman Energy... Full Article

Risk to jobs as industry looks abroad for cheaper labour

The UK is among a growing number of countries where oil companies and their supply chain are trying to drive... Full Article

ITF maps out future subsea challenges focus to members

Aberdeen-headquartered ITF, the global oil and gas technology facilitator, has mapped out the subsea challenges that its membership of operator... Full Article

Voyager hull set for new lease of life

Diamond Offshore Drilling has contracted the Keppel AmFELS shipyard in Brownsville, Texas to construct a moored semisubmersible drilling rig for... Full Article

Industry ready to rise to frontier challenges

Thousands of UK and overseas delegates will be attending Europe’s largest subsea event in Aberdeen this week. Subsea 2012 —... Full Article

Taking the strain off the rig market

High levels of activity on the Norwegian and UK shelves has put a strain on the rig market but there... Full Article

Offshore Europe’s sister

One of the biggest energy events in Scandinavia – Offshore Northern Seas (ONS), the sister event to Offshore Europe –... Full Article

Atlantic Airways wins Statoil helicopter contract

Faroese national carrier, Atlantic Airways, has won a major tender with the Norwegian company, Statoil, to provide helicopter support services... Full Article

Norway offers 60 new exploration licences to firms

The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has offered 60 production licences in Norway's “Awards in Predefined Areas (APA) 2011... Full Article

Super-majors come out tops in performance for 2011

Six super-majors posted the best group performance in 2011, according to the PFC Energy 50 list. ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, BP,... Full Article

Oil industry pay bonanza

Pay in the upstream oil and gas industry increased sharply last year, averaging more than 6% globally and many expect... Full Article

Offshore Cuba drilling arouses anger in Florida

The Saipem semi-submersible drilling rig Scarabeo 9 has passed inspection by the US authorities and should have spudded its first... Full Article

Exxon Shale probes fail

ExxonMobil’s two shale wells drilled in Poland's Podlasie and Lublin Basins have failed to flow commercial volumes of gas.The two... Full Article

Tower set for Lake Albert

Tower Resources is about to start drilling its Mvule-1 exploration well on Uganda block EA5 at the northern end of... Full Article

KCA Deutag wins onshore EU drilling contract

Aberdeen-headquartered KCA Deutag has won a $multi-million contract with Central European Petroleum of Berlin for drilling onshore EU, initially in... Full Article

Bulgaria chops Chevron

The Bulgarian Ministry of Economy and Energy has cancelled an exploration permit awarded to Chevron in May 2011 that would... Full Article

Shell’s Nova Scotia return

Shell has decided to give exploration offshore deepwater Nova Scotia a try by successfully bidding four concessions. The company is... Full Article

Excellent results for Anadarko

Not content with announcing a gas success offshore Mozambique, Anadarko has reported that the Ntomme-2A appraisal well in the Deepwater... Full Article

Tullow’s Tano find offshore Ghana

Tullow Oil's Enyenra-3A appraisal well has confirmed an updip extension of the Enyenra light oil field on the Deepwater Tano... Full Article

Dagny development

Statoil and partners have decided they will develop the Dagny oil and gas discovery and the Eirin gasfield in the... Full Article

Noble returns to Leviathan field

Noble Energy has resumed drilling operations on its Leviathan-1 well offshore Israel in the Eastern Mediterranean Rachel Block after having... Full Article

ConocoPhillips hires Resolve for North Sea wells

ConocoPhillips has reached a deal with Maersk Drilling to charter the high specification jack-up drilling rig Maersk Resolve for work... Full Article

Afren scores off Nigeria

London-listed Oil junion Afren’s Okoro East exploration well, offshore southeast Nigeria has come up trumps having encountered 169m (549ft) true... Full Article

Massive Mozambique

Anadarko’s 7th well drilled offshore Mozambique has successfully appraised previous discoveries Lagosta and Camarao. The Lagosta-2 appraisal well, located about... Full Article

Black Sea high stakes

ExxonMobil has started drilling the Domino-1 deepwater exploration well in the Romanian sector of the Black Sea. The well is... Full Article

King Lear well

Statoil has started drilling its 100million barrels oil equivalent King Lear prospect on Norwegian North Sea block 2/4. According to... Full Article

Deepest yet

Repsol has encountered oil in the deepest well drilled to date offshore Brazil, according to the Brazilian government's petroleum regulator... Full Article

Tullow signs licences

Exploration and production firm Tullow Oil said yesterday it had signed two production licences with the Ugandan government. The firm... Full Article

Aker signs offshore Ghana deal

Aker Solutions has signed a three-year frame agreement worth about £2.5million annually with Tullow Ghana to provide well intervention services... Full Article

Shell chief outlines plan for profit and growth

Shell chief executive Peter Voser outlined a new agenda for profitability and growth for the oil giant yesterday after posting... Full Article

Sparrows looking for new recruits to meet demand

Aberdeen-based oil service company Sparrows said yesterday it wanted to attract nearly 150 new recruits worldwide to meet increasing demand... Full Article

Big – but not the biggest player

The massive profits announced by European oil giant Shell are hard for the man in the street to visualise. However,... Full Article

Xodus chairman to oversee growth

International energy consultant Xodus Group said yesterday it had appointed its first executive chairman to oversee a period of rapid... Full Article

Shell: Not the best of years in the North Sea

Shell had a turbulent 12 months in the North Sea last year. In January, the company had to halt production... Full Article

Blue Fighter on long-term Apache contract

Apache has agreed a long-term contract for use of the newly-built platform supply vessel M/V Blue Fighter for work in... Full Article

Subsea 7 wins BP Clair Ridge contract

Around 100 jobs at a pipeline manufacturing plant in the Highlands have been secured after Subsea 7 picked up a... Full Article

Energy minister to open conference

NOF Energy’s March conference will be opened by energy minister Charles Hendry, the organisation has announced. The business development organisation... Full Article

Outgoing EEEGR boss reflects on time at helm

After 11 years at the head of the East of England Energy Group (EEEGR), founder John Best is standing down.... Full Article

Fears some UK pipelines may become redundant

Some oil and gas pipelines in the North Sea could become redundant if new reserves are not found and developed... Full Article

St Fergus terminal’s ‘twin towers’ toppled

Two gas-fired furnaces came crashing down yesterday in the final stages of decommissioning part of the St Fergus gas terminal... Full Article

Aberdeen firm takes parent’s name and reveals £25m win

Aberdeen energy service company RBG has from today become Stork Technical Services (RBG). The Granite City business also revealed it... Full Article

Ex-3i man to head up LDC operation

A former joint head of private-equity investor 3i’s oil, gas and power team in Aberdeen has a new job, it... Full Article

Bentley oil ‘five months away’

Oil explorer Xcite Energy said yesterday it planned to start production at the Bentley field in the North Sea within... Full Article

Area not as remote as it seems

Sparsely populated and lying at the northernmost point of mainland Scotland, Caithness can feel like an island but it is... Full Article

Aberdeen reports record tonnage

Aberdeen harbour’s key role in the north-east economy was highlighted yesterday in figures confirming record tonnage in 2011. The number... Full Article

Separation would weaken investment

The UK’s energy minister has said the country’s oil and gas industry would be more certain about health and safety... Full Article

Judge rules against major

A US federal judge said yesterday that energy service giant Halliburton was not liable for some pollution claims from the... Full Article

Glacier’s turnover climbs steeply

Glacier Energy Services said yesterday it expected to record turnover growth of 25% in the current year. The oil and... Full Article

North Sea blocks up for grabs

Nearly 3,000 blocks in the UK North Sea are to be offered out to oil and gas explorers today as... Full Article

Reservoir boosts revenue by over 60%

Aberdeen-based international oilfield service company Reservoir Group said yesterday its revenue increased by more than 60% last year. Reservoir, which... Full Article

Firms vying for top honours

The shortlist for the Offshore Achievement Awards has been announced today. The awards, re-launched in October by the Society of... Full Article

GE wins £830m of work

Energy firm GE Oil and Gas announced new projects worldwide yesterday totalling nearly £830million, including work on the Nexen Golden... Full Article

Webb lobbying EU over offshore safety

The head of Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) will be in Brussels today in an effort to persuade the EU... Full Article

Scots firm expects £100,000 boost from Ommica launch

Lux Assure, a Scottish research and development (R&D) company specialising in chemical monitoring technologies for the oil and gas industry,... Full Article

BP oil field closed by ‘hairline crack’

One of BP’s deep water fields west of Shetland has been shut down following the discovery of a “small” oil... Full Article

Crane giant looking to expand in Highlands

The UK’s largest heavy lift crane hire company, Weldex (International) Offshore, is in discussions to open a new base in... Full Article

Company lands contract to improve oil workers’ safety

A small Aberdeen company has won a deal to improve safety for African oil workers. Specialist information systems company Collabro... Full Article

New director at EFC Group

EFC Group, an Aberdeen-based designer and manufacturer of instrumentation, monitoring, handling and control systems for the oil and gas industry,... Full Article

Expro strikes gold with Shell deal

Aberdeen-based international oilfield services company Expro has won two big European deals with oil giant Shell. Both contracts will be... Full Article

Longest pipeline bundle heads offshore

A major operation involving the last section of the longest pipeline bundle made was due to be launched off Caithness... Full Article

Chevron income falls

US oil super major Chevron yesterday reported lower quarterly earnings as rising spending on oil and gas projects and losses... Full Article

Talks over possible strikes

North Sea offshore workers have met union leaders to discuss potential strike action in the fight for paid holidays. Union... Full Article

Chairman accused of trying to buy Cosalt on the cheap

Some Cosalt shareholders have accused company chairman David Ross of trying to take ownership of the business at a discount... Full Article

ASCO in Far East expansion

International oil and gas logistics company ASCO has expanded its operations in the Asia-Pacific region by opening a new oil... Full Article

Cameron urged to fight Europe

Prime Minister David Cameron is on a collision course with the EU over its plans to seize regulatory control of... Full Article

Oil company moves its HQ

Oil firm Fairfield Energy is to relocate its headquarters from Dyce, in Aberdeen, to Arnhall Business Park at Westhill after... Full Article

Aubin eyes Brazilian market

Aubin, a north-east supplier of specialist chemicals to the energy industry, is targeting opportunities in Brazil. It announced yesterday a... Full Article

RBG’s safety record hailed

Aberdeen energy service company RBG has hailed its “outstanding” safety performance. The firm, which provides assessment, inspection and repair services... Full Article

Another big US deal for Weir

Scottish engineer Weir Group today announced its second large US acquisition in recent weeks. The company is buying Novatech, a... Full Article

Government reminded of oil and gas industry’s importance

A Tory MP has urged the UK Government not to forget the “enormous” economic importance of North Sea oil and... Full Article

Lerwick port on crest of a wave

Another busy year is in prospect at Lerwick harbour in Shetland following increased traffic across various sectors in 2011. Vessel... Full Article

EnQuest picks up a Kraken

Independent oil and gas firm EnQuest is to take over control of the North Sea Kraken discovery after agreeing to... Full Article

Delegates give subsea event international flavour

Europe’s largest subsea event, Subsea 2012, will feature a line-up of international delegates when it opens its doors on Wednesday,... Full Article

Ex-BP chief faces ‘lying’ accusations

Former BP boss Tony Hayward has reportedly been accused of lying in evidence to the US Congress after the Deepwater... Full Article

TWMA to focus on global growth

Aberdeen-based integrated drilling waste and environmental services company TWMA has named Rob O’Neill as sales director. He will be responsible... Full Article

Faroe wants to play FTSE

A growing portfolio and plans for its busiest drilling year yet have prompted a growth spurt at ambitious Aberdeen oil... Full Article

EnQuest picks up a Kraken

Independent oil and gas firm EnQuest is to take over control of the North Sea Kraken discovery after agreeing to... Full Article

Takeover proposal sends Ithaca shares soaring

Shares in North Sea oil and gas firm Ithaca Energy surged more than 27% today after it said it had... Full Article

Energy chiefs upbeat over prospects

Oil and gas industry bosses have forecast improved performances and higher levels of investment this year despite concerns over global... Full Article

Statoil takes stake in Cairn’s Baffin Bay block

Scottish oil explorer Cairn Energy said today it had signed up a partner for its offshore Greenland exploration. Norwegian oil... Full Article

Firm signs £3.2m deal

Aberdeen oil field services company Expro said yesterday it had won a £3.2million contract for work in the UK North... Full Article

BGF setting up office in Aberdeen

The north-east oil and gas industry is being targeted by a £2.5billion fund to help fast-growing small and medium businesses.... Full Article

Oil tax raid was unhelpful, says CBI chief

The UK Government’s controversial tax raid on the UK oil and gas industry was described as unwelcome and unhelpful at... Full Article

Statoil: Big gets bigger on Aldous

Scandinavian energy giant Statoil has this morning doubled its reserves estimate on the North Sea Aldous discovery to up to... Full Article

Forties owner expects £550m of investment this year

APACHE North Sea has said it expects to invest more than £550million in 2011, after reporting rising turnover and profits.... Full Article

Trap Oil plans North Sea production before 2012

North Sea exploration firm Trap Oil said today that it hoped to start producing in the region by the end... Full Article

Aker Solutions’ division in Norwegian move

OIL field engineering service firm Aker Solutions said yesterday it was expanding its Aberdeen process and pipeline business to Norway... Full Article

Bid for ban on all EU deep-water drilling set to fail

THE European Parliament is poised to reject calls for a moratorium on deep-water oil drilling following the Gulf of Mexico... Full Article

Energy site commended in parliament

A NEW oil and gas industry website launched by the Press and Journal has been commended in the Scottish Parliament.... Full Article

Oil and gas boom at Aberdeen harbour

CONTINUED growth in oil and gas -related work is driving forward business at Aberdeen Harbour, according to figures from the... Full Article

HiTrack lands contracts worth £500,000

ABERDEEN-BASED electrical-control specialist HiTrack said today it had won contracts worth a combined £500,000 in the past six months. The... Full Article

Maxoil looks to overseas expansion after Aberdeen growth

OIL and gas consultancy Maxoil Solutions said yesterday it was on course to boost turnover by nearly 70% to £5million... Full Article

Aim-listed energy firms ‘vulnerable to predators’

MARKET volatility and a resultant fall-off in share prices has left Aim-listed oil and gas firms vulnerable to takeover, according... Full Article

Uncertain future for foreign oil firms in Libya

IT IS still unclear what the future holds for foreign oil firms which had been operating in Libya. Many British... Full Article

Energy group on Norway mission

A UK ENERGY business-support organisation is leading a market visit to explore opportunities in the oil and gas and renewables... Full Article

Experienced directors join Xodus on growth journey

FAST expanding engineering consultant Xodus Group has made two senior appointments to support its strategy for further international growth. Nigel... Full Article

Cairn considering additional well in Arctic drilling campaign

Scottish oil explorer Cairn Energy said yesterday it was excited by the potential it saw in Greenland, despite not striking... Full Article

Brent slips back on Libya supply hopes

BRENT crude fell yesterday as investors anticipated a resumption of oil exports from Opec member Libya. ICE Brent crude for... Full Article

Shetland project brings boost to Petrofac’s north-east workforce

PETROFAC has seen the number of people it employs out of Aberdeen swell by 400 in just six months.... Full Article

Shell begins plans to remove oil from damaged pipeline

Planning on how to safely remove up to 660 tonnes of oil from the damaged pipeline in the Gannet field... Full Article

‘Room for improvement’ in UK oilspill-response setup

AN OFFSHORE safety group set up to review oilspill prevention and response practices in the UK after last year’s Gulf... Full Article

WoodMac dispels talk of oil and gas as ‘sunset industry’

RESEARCH consultant Wood Mackenzie (WoodMac) has dispelled talk that oil and gas is a “sunset industry”.... Full Article

Craig Group’s latest vessel takes to the waves

SHIPPING and energy service company Craig Group launched the first of a £35million fleet of four new emergency-response vessels in... Full Article

Craig’s latest vessel takes to the waves

SHIPPING and energy service company Craig Group launched the first of a £35million fleet of four new emergency-response vessels in... Full Article

ABB looks at cutting vessel power costs

Global power and automation technology group ABB said yesterday it had launched a marine-energy appraisal service to lower power consumption... Full Article

Ship crash blamed on technical snag

A technical glitch on board an £18.5million offshore vessel caused a three-ship collision at Aberdeen harbour, an accident report said... Full Article

Acteon defies slump in US gulf

ACTEON Group – a holding company for a global subsea service organisation with operations at locations including Aberdeen – has... Full Article

Rotech beats European target

GLOBAL subsea technology firm Rotech, of Aberdeen, said yesterday it had secured contracts worth more than £8million in Europe during... Full Article

Paradigm to present technology at show

NORTH-EAST firm Paradigm Flow Solutions said yesterday it had used new technology to increase production for an oil major in... Full Article

Centrica spuds well on Butch

CENTRICA Energy spudded an exploration well on the Butch prospect in the Norwegian North Sea yesterday using the Maersk Guardian... Full Article

Transocean in £879m bid for Norwegian drilling rival

GLOBAL offshore drilling giant Transocean has made a £879million bid for Aker Drilling, of Norway, in a move that would... Full Article

Bowleven starts drilling at Sapele-3

BOWLEVEN, the west Africa-focused oil and gas exploration group, said yesterday that drilling had started at its Sapele-3 well in... Full Article

Pace remains slow into second half of the year

UK CONTINENTAL Shelf (UKCS) drilling activity has increased by just one well in the last month. Nine mobile rigs –... Full Article

BP and Enquest tight-lipped on asset transfer report

ENERGY firms BP and EnQuest refused to comment yesterday on a report saying they were holding talks over the transfer... Full Article

Halt Shell projects in North Sea, says WWF

A LEADING environmental charity has called on the UK Government to restrict all Shell operations in the North Sea until... Full Article

Leak from oil pipeline halted but monitoring will continue

THE worst North Sea oil leak in over a decade has been halted – but last night officials were reluctant... Full Article

Work on operation to halt oil leak starts after pipeline begins to float

UNDERWATER work to halt the North Sea’s worst oil leak in a decade began last night after the ruptured pipe... Full Article

Decom outlines solutions to looming skill gap in sector

TAX breaks for professionals and more encouragement of young people into engineering could help to plug a looming shortage of... Full Article

Aker Solutions aiming to create 300 jobs in Aberdeen

OILFIELD engineering service group Aker Solutions has said it is to boost staff numbers in Aberdeen following a string of... Full Article

Outlook for North Sea industry remains fragile

THE outlook for the North Sea industry remains fragile, according to Oil and Gas UK. The industry body’s confidence index... Full Article

Shell boss says sorry over spill

THE Shell boss fighting to stop the worst North Sea oil spill in a decade has said sorry – and... Full Article

Ferguson says growth strategy paying off as profits buoyant

NORTH-EAST oil service firm Ferguson Group reported a jump in annual profits and turnover yesterday and said that it had... Full Article

Major completion win for specialist TCO

ABERDEEN-BASED TCO In-Well Technologies UK, a provider of well-completion equipment to the global oil and gas industry, has been awarded... Full Article

BP appoints new head of strategy

BP said yesterday its strategy team was to be taken over by investor-relations chief Fergus Macleod. The appointment was made... Full Article

FPSO transfer first for Offshore Solutions

OFFSHORE Solutions, a joint venture between Amec and Cofely Nederland, said yesterday it had completed a world first for transferring... Full Article

Rockhopper lifted by latest upgrade on Sea Lion find

FALKLANDS oil and gas explorer Rockhopper Exploration said yesterday its Sea Lion discovery was larger than thought after analysis on... Full Article

Swire appoints Rae as sales director

SWIRE Oilfield Services, a global provider of offshore cargo units and associated services, has appointed David Rae as sales director.... Full Article

Shell accused of playing down spill as estimate rises

ENERGY giant Shell was last night accused of attempting to play down the significance of its North Sea oil spill... Full Article

West Africa contract for TWMA

ENVIRONMENTAL waste management contractor TWMA has won its first offshore service contract in West Africa. The deal with AGR Petroleum... Full Article

Shell accused of secrecy over North Sea platform oil leak

OIL giant Shell was accused last night of being secretive about a North Sea oil spill. The company was criticised... Full Article

Rock Solid awarded fourth US project

ABERDEEN company Rock Solid Images (RSI), formerly Offshore Hydrocarbon Mapping, said yesterday that it had been awarded its fourth project... Full Article

Shell battling to stem oil leak

OFFSHORE giant Shell was battling an oil spill in the North Sea last night after a pipeline started leaking. The... Full Article

Multimillion-pound mini-submarine lost in Orkney waters

THE world’s largest offshore construction vessel, North Sea Giant, has lost a submarine worth millions of pounds off the coast... Full Article

Trump tilts at ‘turbine threat’

BILLIONAIRE Donald Trump claimed last night that Scotland’s coastline will be “forever ruined” if a £200million windfarm is built next... Full Article

UK oil industry ‘could cope with a Macondo’

AN offshore-safety group said yesterday that a test exercise had proved the UK oil and gas industry could cope with... Full Article

Platform shut down until end of month

Oil and gas major BP said yesterday that production at its North Sea Valhall platform was unlikely to resume until... Full Article

Approval for Reliance to sell assets to BP

Indian energy firm Reliance Industries said yesterday it had received government approval to sell stakes in some of its oil... Full Article

Rockhopper fuels hopes with latest Falklands find

UK oil and gas firm Rockhopper Exploration said yesterday that an oil discovery in the Falklands extended west of the... Full Article

Optimus set for record-breaking year

OIL and gas engineering consultancy Optimus (Aberdeen) has announced a surge in turnover. The company, which provides oil and gas... Full Article

Downhole-tool specialist bolsters management

SPECIALIST downhole-tool provider Peak Well Systems has announced two senior executive appointments. The company, previously Peak Well Services, said yesterday... Full Article

Places at Pilot Share Fair ‘in high demand’

ENERGY industry body Oil and Gas UK (OGUK) said yesterday it expected places at an annual event in the north-east... Full Article

Awards celebrating north energy talent

THE north’s leading organisation for energy and engineering businesses is launching awards to celebrate the sector. Energy North, formerly North... Full Article

Revellers have a ball and raise money in the process

AROUND 1,100 people gathered in Aberdeen at the weekend for one of the highlights of the Scottish social calendar –... Full Article

City firm branching out in bid to grow company

ABERDEEN energy service company Senergy said it aimed to create 100 jobs after launching a new business division. The firm... Full Article

Godwin ‘could start producing in 2012’

TALISMAN Energy could start production drilling on its Godwin oil field in the second quarter of next year. In an... Full Article

KCA Deutag considering buying new offshore vessels

Drilling contractor KCA Deutag said yesterday it was considering buying new offshore vessels after taking a step forward in its... Full Article

Transocean still hit by Macondo costs

TRANSOCEAN posted a 78% slump in second-quarter profits yesterday as rising rig usage struggled against increased costs. The global offshore... Full Article

Integration of Finnish buy ‘progressing well’

Design and engineering consultant WS Atkins said yesterday that the integration of the oil and gas business of Finnish company... Full Article

Deadline extended for UK oil industry awards

The deadline for the 2011 Oil and Gas UK Awards has been extended to Friday, August 12. The energy industry... Full Article

Endeavour makes progress on North Sea projects

OIL and gas explorer and producer Endeavour International said it had made substantive progress on its North Sea development projects... Full Article

Cairn upbeat over Arctic oil despite failure off Greenland

Scottish oil explorer Cairn Energy said yesterday it was still optimistic of finding oil off Greenland despite its first well... Full Article

Nautronix wins £4m orders for Noble drillships

ABERDEEN marine-technology company Nautronix has been awarded orders worth more than £4million for acoustic systems to be used on new... Full Article

Shell admits it was to blame for oil spills

OIL giant Shell has admitted liability for two “devastating” spills which hit a community in Nigeria, the UK lawyers who... Full Article

Xcite submits development plan for North Sea field

Aberdeen-based oil and gas explorer Xcite Energy submitted its development plan yesterday for its UK North Sea Bentley field to... Full Article

Atlantic gets approval to develop Blackbird

Faroe-based oil and gas explorer and producer Atlantic Petroleum has been given approval to develop the Blackbird field by the... Full Article

Scottish engineer boosted by record growth in oil and gas

Scottish engineering group Weir said yesterday it expected to beat its own year-end projections after record growth in its oil... Full Article

This year’s show the biggest yet

Next month’s Offshore Europe show is to be the largest in its history, according to organisers of the biennial Aberdeen... Full Article

Key appointment as Flexlife looks to North America

FLEXLIFE has appointed Stephen Burgdorf as vice-president of business development for North America, as part of a continuing global growth... Full Article

Further North Sea tax breaks urged

Oil and gas experts have called on the UK Government to introduce further tax breaks for North Sea operators to... Full Article

Boardroom change at Hunting

Energy service group Hunting said yesterday executive chairman Richard Hunting had become non-executive chairman with immediate effect. The firm, which... Full Article

Conference set to be big draw

A BIG turnout is expected for a North Sea decommissioning conference in Scotland later this year. The Offshore Decommissioning Conference... Full Article

Swire opens US HQ in Houston

ABERDEEN-BASED Swire Oilfield Services has officially opened its North America corporate office in Houston, Texas. It will house the region’s... Full Article

Energy giant put employees at risk from chemicals

The UK division of French energy giant Total has been told to shape up after it failed to adequately protect... Full Article

Energy firm lodges plans for modern offices at Westhill

FRENCH energy service giant Technip has lodged plans for a major transformation of its north-east offices. The group hopes to... Full Article

Security alert for oil rigs

OPERATORS of North Sea oil and gas facilities have been told to take a fresh look at their security measures... Full Article

Cornucopia of technologies tempt at Offshore Europe

OFFSHORE Europe 2011 is just around the corner, construction of the temporary show halls at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre... Full Article

BP pushing new boat out

LAST month, BP launched a West of Shetland project of huge strategic importance to the UK economy. The $4.8billion (£3billion)... Full Article