America’s oil boom sputtering back to life one rig at a time

The oil boom isn't dead after all. More »

U.S. Energy Department authorizes Dominion Cove Point LNG exports

The U.S. Energy Department has issued a final authorization for Dominion Cove Point LNG to export domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries that do not have a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the U.S. More »

Subsea 7 bags $300-million contract offshore Norway

Subsea 7 has been awarded a contract with a value of approximately $300 million for Wintershall Norge's Maria field development. The field is located in the Norwegian Sea at a water depth of approximately 300 m. More »

Gazprom Neft selecting technologies for development of hard-to-recover reserves

The first exploratory well has been drilled at Achinsk field (Tomsk Oblast, under development by Gazprom Neft subsidiary Gazpromneft-Vostok), part of a federal project to establish a regional testing ground to identify effective technologies for the development of hard-to-recover (tight) reserves. More »

Ichthys LNG project commences mooring installation

Mooring installation works have commenced at Ichthys field in the Browse basin, about 220 km offshore Western Australia, as part of the Inpex-operated Ichthys LNG project’s ongoing offshore installation campaign. More »

Transocean beats first-quarter profit estimates on cost cuts

Transocean Ltd.’s first-quarter earnings exceeded analysts’ estimates by 86% as the offshore rig owner named new leadership, scrapped vessels and cut costs to handle a drop in drilling demand. More »

U.S. Energy Department authorizes Dominion Cove Point LNG to export LNG

The U.S. Energy Department has issued a final authorization for Dominion Cove Point LNG to export domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries that do not have a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the U.S. More »

Subsea 7 bags $300-million EPCI contract offshore Norway

Subsea 7 has been awarded a contract with a value of approximately $300 million for the Maria field development by Wintershall Norge. The field is located in the Norwegian Sea at a water depth of approximately 300 m. More »

Plexus Holdings wins third order from Maersk Oil's Danish business unit

Plexus Holdings has secured an additional purchase order with Maersk Oil's Danish business unit to supply its wellhead system and mudline services for a well offshore in the Danish sector of the North Sea. More »

VGN Norge to drill two wells in Norwegian Sea

VNG Norge has received consent from the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) Norway to drill two exploration wells 6406/12-4 S and 6406/12-4 A in the Norwegian Sea. More »

Statoil to plug Kristin field well using 'Scarabeo 5'

Statoil has received consent from the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) Norway to use 'Scarabeo 5' for permanent plugging of well 6506/11-N-4 H on the Kristin field in the Norwegian Sea. More »

RINA Services acquires QIC Inc. to expand oil and gas services

RINA Services, a multi-national group based Italy has acquired QIC, Inc. by its U.S. subsidiary. More »

Third Energy to purchase Atlantic Petroleum’s interest in Pegasus Discovery

Third Energy Offshore Ltd. has signed a sale and purchase agreement with Atlantic Petroleum for Atlantic Petroleum’s interests in P1724 (UK Block 43/13b which contains the Pegasus West Gas Discovery), P1727 (UK Blocks 43/17b and 43/18b) and P2128 (Block 43/12). More »

More must be done to reduce major accidents, states DNV GL study

The new DNV GL study analyses current regulatory regimes, outlining possible future developments and DNV GL’s recommendations to reduce the risk of major accidents. More »

Energy Department authorizes Dominion Cove Point LNG to export LNG

The Energy Department has issued a final authorization for Dominion Cove Point LNG to export domestically produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) to countries that do not have a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the U.S. More »

California oil waste rules challenged as groundwater threat

(Bloomberg) -- California’s rules allowing oil extraction waste to be injected into the ground were challenged by environmental groups saying the practice threatens protected sources of drinking water as the state suffers through a record drought. More »

Oil drops from 5-month high on concern demand slow to accelerate

Crude oil fell from a five-month high on concern demand isn’t rising fast enough to erase a glut. More »

Gazprom, PetroVietnam to drill first deepwater well offshore Vietnam

Gazprom and PetroVietnam are to set drill the first deepwater well offshore Vietnam later this year, Moscow-based Gazprom said Wednesday. More »

Applus RTD completes latest INCOTEST project in Malaysia

Applus RTD is celebrating the successful completion of the latest advanced non-destructive testing (ANDT) project with its RTD INCOTEST technology, which provides a unique solution for unpiggable subsea pipelines. More »

Wood Group completes engineering services for MWCC’s modular capture vessels

Wood Group Mustang has completed engineering services for the two Marine Well Containment Company vessels that can be deployed in the event of a deepwater well control incident in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. More »

iSURVEY celebrates contract awards for Singapore division

iSURVEY Group, a provider of survey and positioning services to the global oil and gas, telecommunications and offshore renewable energy sectors, has marked a positive start to 2015 with significant contract wins for its Singapore division. More »

There’s one part of the world where the oil industry is booming

As the oil industry tightens its belt after the worst price slump in a generation, the state-owned giants of the Middle East are taking the opposite tack. More »

Canadian Natural reports first quarterly loss in four years

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., the nation’s largest heavy-oil producer, reported its first quarterly loss in more than four years as record output failed to offset a collapse in crude prices. More »

Iran sees $75 oil amid plans for post-sanctions output boost

Iran, OPEC’s fifth-biggest producer, sees $70-$75/bbl as a suitable price for crude, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said, as markets show signs of a partial recovery from last year’s collapse. More »

EFC Group celebrates multi-million dollar Weatherford MPD contract wins

EFC Group has been awarded multiple multi-million dollar contracts by major oilfield services company, Weatherford, marking continued success in the US since the Group set up its Houston base in 1995. More »

Tracerco launches subsea flowline inspection technology

Tracerco, part of FTSE100 Johnson Matthey Plc, has launched an innovative new product that enables oil companies to quickly scan many kilometres of pipeline to detect the location of deposits causing flow assurance issues. More »

Applus completes latest INCOTEST project in Malaysia

Applus RTD is celebrating the successful completion of the latest advanced non-destructive testing (ANDT) project with its RTD INCOTEST technology which provides a unique solution for unpiggable subsea pipelines. More »

Cummins QSK Series drilling engines to meet tier 4 final using integrated SCR aftertreatment

Cummins Inc announced that the QSK Series engines for land-based drilling will meet the 2018 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 Final regulation using next-generation Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) aftertreatment. The Cummins Tier 4 Final drilling solution will meet or exceed the same uptime, reliability and durability that customers are currently experiencing with Tier 2 product. More »

BNSF oil-train crash sparks fire, evacuation in North Dakota

A BNSF Railway train carrying crude oil derailed in North Dakota, setting several tank cars on fire and prompting the evacuation of nearby residents, U.S. and local authorities said. More »

Baker Hughes introduces bi-directional digital reamer

Baker Hughes has announced the commercial release of its GaugePro Echo on-command digital reamer, the industry’s first bi-directional digital reaming tool. More »

MicroSeismic launches AlertArray seismicity monitoring network

MicroSeismic Inc. has released its newest technology, AlertArray, a real-time seismicity network which offers operators a single solution alternative to monitor seismicity during hydraulic fracturing and fluid injection operations. More »

Wintershall submits PDO for Maria discovery to NPD

The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) received Wintershall’s Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the Maria oil discovery on Tuesday. More »

Ensco wins three-year contracts for two jackups

Ensco plc has entered into a three-year contract with NDC for a new premium jackup, ENSCO 110. This newbuild rig is scheduled to commence operations later this month offshore United Arab Emirates at a rate of approximately $114,000 per day. More »

Halliburton opens new Indonesian HQ in Jakarta

Halliburton opened its new Indonesian headquarters in Jakarta with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 27. This facility serves as Halliburton’s headquarters for all of its business lines in Indonesia, which provide services to support customers’ activities in the country. More »

DNO doubles capacity at Kurdistan’s Tawke field

DNO ASA has doubled the capacity at its flagship Tawke field in the Kurdistan region of Iraq to 200,000 bopd. More »

Proserv delivers opening phase of record contract

Proserv has completed the first phase of one of its largest contracts yet, to provide subsea control systems for deepwater projects in Brazil. More »

Oxy names Vicki A. Hollub as next CEO

Occidental Petroleum Corp. announced Tuesday that its board of directors has approved a CEO succession plan and promoted Vicki A. Hollub to senior executive V.P. of Occidental and president – Oxy Oil and Gas, responsible for operations in the U.S., Middle East region and Latin America. More »

Oil analysts practice cautious capitulation as crude surprises

As oil prices climbed above $68 on Tuesday for the first time since December, analysts at some of the world’s biggest banks were holding onto views that this would be a bad year for crude--just not as terrible as they originally predicted. More »

U.S. seen joining biggest oil exporters if ban is lifted

The U.S. will become one of the world’s largest oil exporters if domestic production continues to surge and policy makers lift a four-decade ban that keeps most crude from leaving the country, a government-sponsored study shows. More »

Shell CEO visits China to win backing for $70 billion BG deal

The biggest obstacle to Royal Dutch Shell’s $70 billion offer for BG Group probably lies in China. More »

MicroSeismic launches AlertArray seismicity monitoring network to mitigate risk

MicroSeismic Inc. has released its newest technology, AlertArray, a real-time seismicity network which offers operators a single solution alternative to monitor seismicity during hydraulic fracturing and fluid injection operations. More »

OTC' 15: Weir Oil and Gas launches SPM QEM 3000 Frac Pump

Weir Oil and Gas has announced its latest innovation to increase customer efficiency and performance. The new SPM QEM 3000 is the industry’s first high-horse power frac pump designed for continuous-duty pressure pumping operation at 275,000 pound force rod load, all the time. More »

Baker Hughes introduces wireline service to deliver precise pressure data

Baker Hughes has commercially released its FTeX advanced formation pressure testing service, which uses downhole automation and real-time control of an intelligent packer and pump configuration to deliver critical formation data, including pressure profiles, fluid contact and mobility information-reliably, accurately and efficiently. More »

CGG, Air Control announce partnership for airborne geophysics in Kazakhstan

CGG and Air Control have signed an agreement to provide airborne geophysical survey services in Kazakhstan. More »

Lloyd’s Register Energy’s Technology Qualification aims to reduce risk and uncertainties in new technology across the energy sector

Lloyd's Register Energy has launched a new risk-based Technology Qualification Guidance Note which helps to minimise risks and uncertainty of novel designs, concepts or applications not covered by existing rules, industry codes or best practice. More »

Texas cities wouldn’t be able to ban oil drilling under bill

Texas cities would no longer be able to ban oil and gas companies from drilling inside municipal limits under a bill lawmakers sent to Governor Greg Abbott. More »

EIA: Crude by rail supplies 52% of East Coast refinery supply

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Monthly rail receipts of crude oil accounted for more than half (52%) of the crude oil supply to East Coast refineries in February. More »

EOG will resume major oil growth at ‘stable’ $65 oil price

EOG Resources, the biggest shale-oil producer, will resume major growth in output once crude prices are stable at $65/bbl. More »

Gauthiers’, Modex merger creates world’s third-largest offshore container fleet

LAFAYETTE, La. -- Gauthiers’ has acquired an equity share of Modex, an international manufacturer of DNV-certified offshore equipment. More »

Russia keys on condensates after sanctions hit Arctic oil

With Siberia’s aging oil fields slowly running dry, Russia is turning to a natural gas by-product to help maintain crude production and meet President Vladimir Putin’s target of 10 MMbopd. More »

U.S. oil rises above $60 for first time this year as glut fades

Oil rose above $60/bbl in New York for the first time since December, extending the biggest monthly advance since May 2009 on signs the U.S. supply glut is easing. More »

GE Oil and Gas releases remote collaboration software to improve asset reliability inspections

BILLERICA, Massachucetts -- GE Oil and Gas has announced the release of its InspectionWorks Connect software, a remote collaboration platform for the nondestructive testing (NDT) and inspection industry. More »

Ocean Marine Systems launched as new offshore company

UNITED KINGDOM -- A new innovative precision engineering company for the marine industry has launched as Ocean Marine Systems Limited. More »

Ceona awarded deepwater Gulf of Mexico contract with Bennu Oil and Gas

LONDON -- Ceona, a SURF contractor with heavy subsea construction capabilities, has been awarded a new deepwater contract with Houston-based Bennu Oil and Gas LLC in the Gulf of Mexico on their Mirage field. More »

Eni brings Angola's Kizomba project online

Eni has started production at the Kizomba Satellites Phase 2 project in the Block 15, offshore Angola, ahead of schedule. More »

OPEC says speculation played important role in oil’s decline

Oil supply and demand don’t fully justify the 60% drop in prices between June and January as speculation also played a role, according to OPEC. More »

Canadian crude price strengthens as Enbridge fills new pipeline

Heavy Western Canadian Select crude’s discount to West Texas Intermediate shrank to the least since 2012 as a new pipeline started and production sites were shut for maintenance. More »

Gulf oil states need swift adjustment to lower prices, IMF says

The International Monetary Fund warned Middle Eastern oil exporters that their economies will pay a price if they don’t take rapid steps to scale back public spending amid the global oil-price slump. More »

ExxonMobil awards license to EON Reality for Immersive 3D Operator Training Simulator technology

ExxonMobil Research Qatar (EMRQ) has announced that ExxonMobil has awarded a global commercial license for Immersive 3D Operator Training Simulator technology to co-developer EON Reality Inc. More »

Cummins announces production of PowerCommand 3300 controller for drilling operations

Cummins Inc. has announced the production of the PowerCommand (PCC) 3300 Controller for drilling operations, offering greater drilling power module (DPM) efficiency. More »

Enteq introduces Twin Electro-Magnetic Telemetry System for MWD/LWD

Enteq Upstream PLC, a provider of systems and components for MWD and directional drilling, has introduced the new Twin Electro-Magnetic Telemetry System into its product portfolio. More »

Erin Energy Corp. brings Nigeria's Oyo field online

Erin Energy Corp. has commenced production from the Oyo-8 well located in OML 120, offshore Nigeria. More »

Total, Shell buy into Mid-Atlantic Current Hindcast (MACH) data set

BMT ARGOSS Ltd., the Met Office and Oceanweather Inc. have announced the launch of their joint Mid-Atlantic Current Hindcast (MACH) data set, resulting in two successful data sales to oil and gas majors, Shell International Petroleum Company Limited and Total S.A. More »

Erin Energy brings Nigeria's Oyo field online

Erin Energy has commenced production from the Oyo-8 well located in OML 120 offshore Nigeria. More »

Expro nets Statoil contract for Canada's Flemish Pass basin

Expro has secured a key contract offshore Canada with Statoil in the Flemish Pass basin. The initial four-year contract is valued at $45 million with options for two one-year extensions. More »

WPX Energy in $200 million-plus Marcellus deal

WPX Energy has signed an agreement to sell a package of Marcellus shale marketing contracts and release certain related firm transportation capacity to an undisclosed buyer for in excess of $200 million cash. More »

Total, Shell buy MACH data set

ARGOSS - MACHBMT ARGOSS Ltd., the Met Office and Oceanweather Inc. have launched their joint Mid-Atlantic Current Hindcast (MACH) data set, resulting in two successful data sales to oil and gas majors, Shell and Total. More »

Renowned oil trader sees rally as U.S. production falling

The meteoric rise in U.S. oil production has ended, easing a global glut and driving a rebound in crude prices from below $50/bbl, according to crude trader and hedge fund manager Andrew J. Hall. More »

Leadership reshuffle at China big oil clears path for reform

China confirmed the reshuffle of the leadership of its biggest oil companies, helping clear a path in a crucial area of the economy for President Xi Jinping as he plans his overhaul of the nation’s bloated state sector. More »

WorleyParsons cuts 2,000 jobs on falling oil prices

WorleyParsons Ltd., Australia’s largest oil services business, said second-half earnings will fall about 50% from the first half as it cuts 2,000 jobs and reduces work due to falling commodity prices. More »

Brazil minister supports regulatory relief for Petrobras

Brazil is considering lifting a requirement for its national oil company to operate all new projects in a deepwater region where exploration costs are some of the highest in the industry. More »

Repsol makes new gas discovery in Bolivia

Repsol has announced a new gas discovery in the Margarita-Huacaya block in Bolivia. More »

Expro secures contract with Statoil in Eastern Canada

Expro, has secured a key contract offshore Canada with Statoil in the Flemish Pass basin. The initial four-year contract is valued at $45 million with options for two one-year extensions. More »

Expro secures $200 million contract from Statoil in NCS

Expro has secured a significant Europe CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) contract, providing fully integrated well testing and fluid sampling services for Statoil in the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). More »

OTC '15: Annual dinner honors distinguished achievement award winners

HOUSTON – The 2015 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) will kick off on Sunday, May 3, with the Annual OTC Dinner to honor the recipients of this year’s Distinguished Achievement Awards. More »