2050: There’s 9,164 Days to Go
This week at MarineLink…A group of people met at the University of Alaska Fairbanks at the end of October to brainstorm a possible new economy for Alaska and a clean energy source for the world: geologic hydrogen.It’s not that new a concept. Villagers in Bourakébougou, Mali, found a source of geologic hydrogen while unplugging an old water well in 2011. Subsequent scientific research confirmed an extensive hydrogen field in the strata below, and it is now used to generate electricity for the village.Other natural hydrogen deposits have been found in Canada…
ExxonMobil Delivers Bio Marine Fuel Blend to Hapag-Lloyd
Hapag-Lloyd’s vessel Colorado Express has bunkered a B25 bio marine fuel blend comprised of ExxonMobil’s bio fuel, which is able to deliver an estimated 20.1% greenhouse gas well-to-wake reduction compared with conventional marine fuel formulations on an energy basis.ExxonMobil’s Premium HDME 50 fuel consists 0.10% sulphur Emission Control Area (ECA) fuel, and waste-based fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) derived from used cooking oil methyl ester (UCOME).The ‘drop-in’ blend met the requirements of ISO 8217:2017…
French Firm Secures Service Contract for Coral Sul FLNG Off Mozambique
GTT, the technology expert in membrane containment systems for the transport and storage of liquefied gases, has signed a service contract with Coral FLNG for Eni-operated Coral Sul FLNG unit.Under the agreement, GTT will provide technical support services to ensure the efficient operation and maintenance of the LNG storage tanks on board of the Coral Sul FLNG.These services include on-site and remote technical assistance, on-site testing, inspection, emergency assistance, engineering…
Esgian Week 41 Report: Operators in Norway Preparing for Drilling
Esgian highlights that operators in Norway are preparing new wells for Odfjell Drilling, COSL and Saipem semisubs in its Week 41 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsShelf Drilling has secured new contracts for its 350-ft jackups Shelf Drilling Achiever and Adriatic I offshore Nigeria.Drilling Activity and DiscoveriesThe Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet) has received an application from Aker BP for permission under the Pollution Act to drill the delineation well 25/1-14 Omega Alfa in the North Sea…
Singapore Tests Oil Spill Response Robot
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) led the 16th Joint Oil Spill Exercise (JOSE) on October 11 and tested new oil spill response technologies.Over 100 personnel from 18 agencies and companies participated in JOSE 2024, which included a table-top exercise and a seaward deployment exercise at the Western Anchorage, off Pasir Panjang Terminal.Terminal operators on Jurong Island and Pulau Bukom activated their emergency protocols and deployed craft to spray dispersants. Protective booms were also deployed.MPA also tested new technologies which could support oil spill response.
Exxon Secures Over 271,000 Acres in Texas Waters for Offshore CO2 Capture
ExxonMobil said on Thursday it has acquired state leases for over 271,000 acres in Texas state waters for an offshore carbon dioxide (CO2) capture operation.The lease with the Texas General Land Office follows Exxon's 2021 bid for federal land off the Texas coast for CO2 capture, and its emergence as a high bidder on 69 blocks in the shallow waters of the U.S.
Tanker Vessels Flock to Guyana as Oil Exports Soar 58%
“Year-to-date, Guyana’s oil exports have jumped to 598 thousand barrels per day (kbpd), a 58% year-on-year increase, adding to the growth achieved in previous years. Over the past three years, the average annual growth rate has hit 76%,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.ExxonMobil first started producing from the Liza field in the Starbroek Block in late 2019. Since then, the operation in the Liza field has been expanded and production in the Payara field added.
Esgian Week 39 Report: Petrobras Finalizes Roncador Tender
Esgian highlights several new contracts in its Week 39 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsMarket sources indicate that ADNOC has exercised an extension option for the 350-ft jackup drilling rig Aryabhatt 1 in Abu Dhabi.Petrobras has awarded two floating rig contracts to Constellation Oil Services for work at the Roncador field in the Campos Basin offshore Brazil. Valued at $1 billion, the two contracts will see Constellation 10,000-ft drillship Laguna Star and Hanwha Drilling 12,000-ft newbuild Tidal Action operate for Petrobras for around 2.5 years.
QatarEnergy Inaugurates LNG Vessel Rex Tillerson
QatarEnergy has inaugurated the Rex Tillerson vessel, marking the delivery of the first LNG vessel under its historic shipbuilding program.Rex Tillerson vessel was named after the former Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil as a tribute to his life-long accomplishments in the energy sector.The traditional naming ceremony was held at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in the Chinese city of Shanghai.“As the first ship in our new LNG fleet, the Rex Tillerson will undoubtedly play a significant…
Esgian Week 36 Report: New Contracts Awarded in India, Guyana and West Africa
Esgian provides an update on new contract awards for Greatship, Transocean, Noble and Stena Drilling in its Week 36 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsGreatship has secured a contract with Cairn for its 350-ft Greatdrill Chetna jackup drilling rig in India. The contract is firm for six months at a dayrate of approximately $90,000, starting in late November or early December 2024.Transocean has secured a binding letter of award from Reliance Industries for its 6th generation 12…
Power Outage Hits Port of Rotterdam; Issue Resolved
A power outage in the Rotterdam port area in the Netherlands briefly interrupted operations at one of Europe's biggest oil refineries on Tuesday, the plant's operator BP said.Electricity grid operator TenneT said the problem was solved shortly after 1000 GMT.
Plaquemines LNG Plant Nearing Test Mode Startup
A tanker full of liquefied natural gas (LNG) docked at Venture Global LNG's Plaquemines export plant in Louisiana, according to shipping data from LSEG on Friday, in what energy analysts said was a sign the plant could start up in test mode soon.The vessel named Qogir came from Norway full of LNG, according to LSEG data and energy analysts.LNG plants under construction, like Plaquemines, use super-cooled fuel to test and cool equipment in preparation for startup.After Plaquemines started pulling in small amounts of natural gas from U.S.
ExxonMobil Reports Near Miss During Crew Change Offshore Canada
ExxonMobil Canada Properties (EMCP) reported a near miss event occurred on August 7, 2024, during a gangway crew change between the survey vessel Amazon Conqueror and offshore supply vessel (OSV) Victory G off Canada's East Coast.Operations were halted when it was indicated that the gangway was approaching operating condition limits for safely transporting personnel. Subsequently, the gangway detached from the landing platform on the Victory G and was left suspended between the two vessels.There were no injuries to personnel during this incident…
Ardmore Shipping Makes Leadership Changes
Ardmore Shipping has announced a series of leadership changes and updates to its commercial organization following news of the upcoming retirement of Founder and CEO, Anthony Gurnee, and the appointment of Gernot Ruppelt and Bart Kelleher to CEO and President roles respectively.Effective September 16, 2024, Robert Gaina will join the Ardmore Senior Management Team (SMT) as Senior Vice President, Commercial, succeeding the current CCO, Gernot Ruppelt upon his advancement to CEO.
Woodside to Buy Ammonia Project on US Gulf Coast for $2.35B
Australia’s Woodside Energy has signed an agreement with Dutch-based OCI Global to acquire its clean ammonia project for $2.35 billion, which is still under construction on the U.S. Gulf Coast in Texas.Woodside has entered into a binding agreement to acquire 100% of OCI Clean Ammonia Holding, and its lower carbon ammonia project in Beaumont, in a move that strengthens the company’s transition to green energy.The Project is under construction and targets production of first ammonia from 2025 and lower carbon ammonia from 2026…
Esgian Week 31 Report: Busy Week for Borr Drilling, Valaris, Transocean and Noble
Esgian provides an update on what has been a busy week in the offshore drilling market in its Week 31 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsBorr Drilling has confirmed new contracts for several of its 400-ft jackups, including work for the Arabia I in Brazil, Gunnlod in Malaysia, and Norve in Gabon. Borr stated that these new commitments cover a total 1,779 days and $332 million in contract revenue, including mobilisation and demobilisation.North Oil Company has…
Esgian Week 30 Report: New Deals for Valaris, Noble and Transocean
Esgian provides an update on new rig deals in its Week 30 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsValaris has been awarded a multi-year contract with Equinor Energy do Brasil, a subsidiary of Equinor, for the 12,000-ft drillship Valaris DS-17. The contract relates to work on Project Raia offshore Brazil.Noble Corporation has secured a one-well contract for 350-ft jackup Noble Resolve with Central European Petroleum (CEPetro) offshore Poland. The upcoming work will…
Esgian Week 29 Report: New Drilling Plans in Guyana and Norway
Esgian provides an update on new drilling plans in Guyana and Norway in its Week 29 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsADES has secured a 10-year contract extension for 250-ft jackup Admarine 657 offshore Saudi Arabia, commencing immediately upon the expiration of its current contract term with Saudi Aramco in the third quarter of 2024.Market sources indicate that Arabian Drilling 250-ft jackup ArabDrill 80 has secured a one-year extension with Al Khafji.Diamond Offshore has secured a contract with Beacon Offshore Energy subsidiary BOE Exploration & Production LLC for 12…
Esgian Week 27 Report: A Lull in Contracting
Esgian provides an update on the current lull in contracting in its Week 27 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsAban Offshore-owned 250-ft jackup Aban II has received a letter of award (LOA) from Oil India for an offshore work program in Andhra Pradesh, India.Shelf Drilling North Sea has secured a new 17-month contract for the 400-ft Shelf Drilling Winner (previously known as Noble Sam Turner) jackup rig with TotalEnergies EP Denmark.Drilling Activity and DiscoveriesThe…
Esgian Week 26 Report: Drilling Activity is High
Esgian provides an update on drilling activity in its Week 26 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsVentura Offshore has been granted exclusive marketing rights from Hanwha Drilling LLC for the newbuild 12,000-ft 7th generation drillship, Tidal Action, for an ongoing tender process in Brazil.Transocean has announced a 365-day contract extension for the 12,000-ft drillship Deepwater Asgard with an independent operator in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.Northern Ocean Ltd.-owned 7…
Esgian Week 21 Report: Tender Opportunities Emerging in Africa
Esgian provides an update on new commitments confirmed for Odfjell Drilling and Borr Drilling rigs and new tender opportunities emerging in Africa in its Week 21 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsEquinor has exercised an option to extend the use of Odfjell Drilling’s 10,000-ft Deepsea Aberdeen for a batch of eight wells on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. With this, Odfjell Drilling’s owned fleet of four semisubs has a firm backlog until at least mid-2026.Borr Drilling has confirmed new work for its 400-ft jackup Prospector 1 in the UK and the Netherlands…
Esgian Week 20 Report: Update on Saudi Suspensions
Esgian provides an update on Saudi suspensions in its Week 20 Rig Analytics Market Roundup.Report SummaryContractsDrilling contractor Arabian Drilling confirmed that the suspension of three contracts for its jackups with Saudi Aramco have yet to be finalised but are expected to take effect towards the end of the third quarter of 2024. CEO Ghassan Mirdad stated that the company is actively exploring opportunities to redeploy these rigs with other clients. Arabian Drilling announced…
Liza Unity is First FPSO to Earn ABS REMOTE-CON Notation
The ABS-classed Liza Unity has received the first REMOTE-CON notation for an floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) from ABS. The notation demonstrates the vessel’s alignment with remote-control functions and signifies that the design and construction of the offshore asset are assessed against and adhere to the ABS Requirements for Autonomous and Remote Control Functions.The Liza Unity is the second FPSO to be built for ExxonMobil Guyana’s Stabroek Block development and the first delivered under SBM Offshore’s Fast4Ward program.