OCS Group Bags Commissioning Service Contract for Drillship DDD

- OCS Group Bags Commissioning Service Contract for Drillship DDD

Friday, July 22, 2011
The OCS Group

The OCS Group has signed a definitive agreement with COSCO Dalian to supervise and manage the commissioning of the drillship Dalian Developer (DDD).

The Dalian Developer is a 6th Generation ultra-deepwater drillship and will be the world's largest drillship. With a maximum drilling depth of 30,000 ft, the drillship is designed to drill in the water depths up to 10,000 ft. The vessel will be upgradeable for enhanced well intervention capabilities, extended well testing and early field production with 1 million barrels of crude oil storage capacity.

"We are very pleased that COSCO shipyard decided to work with our company for their first drillship project," said Mr. Mark Tranfield, Managing Director of the OCS Group. "This is the third commissioning service contract we have signed in China within two years and we are very keen to continue working for shipyards and other clients in China."

The OCS Group will be assisting COSCO shipyard in giving technical advice as well as developing the commissioning procedures, schedule and philosophy, coordination and communication of the commissioning activities with the shipyard, mechanical completions and handover of documentation. Throughout the DDD project, OCS will also provide its in-house project management software (CMS), Project-TracTM, in order to assist the shipyard in facilitating the commissioning process of the project including planning, scheduling, cost control, reporting, and quality management.

The contract with COSCO shipyard became effective on 20th June 2011 and the vessel is expected to be delivered to the buyer in the third quarter of 2012, according to COSCO Corporation (Singapore) Limited.

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Coastal Governors Form OCS Coalition

Coastal Governors Form OCS Coalition

Monday, May 02, 2011
Consumer Energy Alliance

Governors from four key coastal U.S. states announced Monday the formation of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Governors Coalition, a group whose goal will be to promote a constructive dialogue between the federal government and states when it comes to the responsible development of energy resources offshore.

The coalition's mission was described in an open letter of invitation to governors from other coastal states sent today by Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal, Texas governor Rick Perry, Mississippi governor Haley Barbour and Alaska governor Sean Parnell. The engagement was officially announced by Governor Barbour during a panel discussion organized by Consumer Energy Alliance at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston. Governor Barbour was joined by U.S. state officials from each of the participating states.

The letter explains the critical role that offshore oil and gas development has played in creating thousands of high-paying American jobs, and laments how federal decisions affecting the industry have been made with little consultation of state officials. The governors say the coalition will serve "as a mechanism to foster an appropriate dialogue between the coastal states and the Administration and ensure that future actions are done with adequate state input."

Consumer Energy Alliance president David Holt moderated the panel during which the announcement was made, and issued the following statement:

"Consumer Energy Alliance, representing both producers and consumers of energy, supports and applauds the collaboration of these four governors in promoting an open discussion about the benefits of producing American energy offshore, not only for their individual states, but for the entire nation and our economy. In a post-Macondo environment, these governors have seen the federal government significantly limit their ability to access critical domestic natural resources along the Outer Continental Shelf, subsequently denying their citizens and the entire nation reasonable energy prices and high-paying jobs in an unstable economy.

"By simply communicating effectively and more often, federal and state regulators can gain a better understanding of the benefits of safe offshore oil and gas exploration and production, and come to a consensus on how to make the most of American energy resources that will help improve domestic energy security, U.S. competitiveness and our economic well-being..Successful domestic oil and gas development will not only provide us with a more secure supply of energy, but it will also provide more opportunity for industries across all sectors of our economy."

Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, comprised of more than 160 affiliate members, including energy consumers and producers, and tens of thousands of consumer advocates, that supports the thoughtful utilization of energy resources to help ensure improved domestic and global energy security, stable prices for consumers and balanced energy policy for America.

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Begich Proposes Federal Coordinator for OCS

Begich Proposes Federal Coordinator for OCS

Monday, March 28, 2011
Alaska Journal of Commerce
by  Tim Bradner

Alaska U.S. Sen. Mark Begich told the Alaska Legislature he will introduce legislation establishing an Arctic outer continental shelf federal coordinator and creating a joint regional lease and permit processing office for Alaska's OCS region, modeled after the federal gas pipeline coordinator position.

The new federal coordinator would have authority to work across many agencies involved in permitting, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Interior Department.

The bill would be introduced soon, Begich spokeswoman Julie Hasquet said.

Begich spoke in Juneau in his annual address to the Legislature.

"The federal OCS coordinator would work with the state of Alaska and affected local governments to streamline development in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas, which hold such promise for future oil and gas development," Begich said.

He also urged serious discussion of which federal agency should have jurisdiction over air permitting.

Begich argued for federal air quality permit authority in the Arctic OCS region to be brought under the Department of the Interior, which now has jurisdiction over air permits in the Gulf of Mexico.

This would take away the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's current authority for air quality permits in the Arctic OCS.

An air quality permit for Shell's proposed exploration in the Beaufort Sea is now bogged down in appeals before the Environmental Review Board, an internal EPA appeals panel.

"We need to address the two different air permitting systems in the country. There are currently two processes and two different federal agencies overseeing air permits -- one for the Gulf of Mexico and one for everyone else -- including the Arctic," Begich said in his speech. "This makes no sense. It's not fair and it puts companies with projects in the Arctic at a competitive disadvantage. We need to level the playing field. It's time to move all air permitting under the Interior Department."

Shell reacted favorably to Begich's suggestions.

"The senator clearly understands the challenges facing responsible operators, like Shell, as well as the need for a regulatory process that is predictable and accountable," company spokesman Curtis Smith said in a statement. "A federal OCS regional coordinator for Alaska could go a long way in making that happen. Shell has already spent five years and over $50 million trying to secure an air permit for our drilling rig but with no success. The Senator's effort to align Arctic air permitting under the Department of Interior, as it is in the Gulf of Mexico, is one Shell supports."