Technip Lands EPC Gig for Satah Full Field Development

- Technip Lands EPC Gig for Satah Full Field Development

Thursday, September 08, 2011
Technip

Technip, in consortium with NPCC, was awarded by ZADCO an engineering, procurement and construction lump sum contract, worth a total of approximately $500 million (Technip part of the contract: 35%), for the Satah Full Field Development project. This field is located 200 kilometers northwest of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The Satah Full Field Development project's objective is to maximize crude oil production and oil recovery by reducing the well heads' back pressure and introducing of gas injection and gas lift facilities.

The project scope involves offshore brownfield works to the existing well head platforms and production manifold platform, installation of infield pipelines, as well as modifications and installation of new facilities at the Onshore Satah plant at Zirku Island.

This project award is the recognition of our expertise in the growing brownfield projects market in the Middle-East, said Arturo Grimaldi, Senior Vice President of Technip in the Middle East. It also reflects the confidence of our client ZADCO in the strong consortium that we form with NPCC.

Technip's operating center in Abu Dhabi will execute the engineering and procurement activities while construction and installation activities for offshore works will be performed by NPCC. The Onshore construction activities will be carried out jointly by the consortium companies.

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Cobalt Names COO

- Cobalt Names COO

Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Cobalt International Energy Inc.

Cobalt announced that Van P. Whitfield has been promoted to the new position of Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Whitfield previously held the position of Executive Vice President, Operations and Development.

Joseph H. Bryant, Cobalt Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said, "Van has been an indispensable member of Cobalt's management team from the earliest days of the company, and I believe this new role will take advantage of the full range of his management talent and experience. Van's many years of senior management experience in worldwide operations will serve him well in his expanded role. As Cobalt executes its deepwater exploration program in two of the world's highest potential basins, the Board of Directors and I are very pleased that Van has accepted this position, and are confident that he will excel in this new role."

Mr. Whitfield joined Cobalt in May 2006. Mr. Whitfield has 37 years of experience leading oil and gas production operations and marketing activities in North America, the United Kingdom and Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Prior to joining Cobalt, Mr. Whitfield served in executive positions at CDX Gas LLC, BP Exploration (Angola) Limited, and was seconded to ExxonMobil Saudi Arabia (Southern Ghawar) Ltd in the position of Vice President, Power and Water. Mr. Whitfield has also held the positions of Senior Vice President of BP Global Power, President and General Manager of Amoco Netherlands BV and Production Manager of Amoco (U.K.) Exploration Company. In addition, he has held numerous operational and technical leadership positions in various Amoco Production Company locations throughout the globe. Mr. Whitfield has a Bachelor of Science Degree—Petroleum Engineering from Louisiana State University and is a graduate of the Executive Program at Stanford University.

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Brinx, Partners Complete Development Oil Well in Oklahoma

- Brinx, Partners Complete Development Oil Well in Oklahoma

Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Brinx Resources Ltd.

Brinx Resources and its partners have completed a new development oil well offsetting the highly successful 2008-3-5 well in southern Oklahoma. Completion of the new 2008-3-5A oil well took place on September 1, 2011.

The 2008-3-5A well immediately started flowing after it was perforated and began producing at a rate of 298 barrels of oil per day and an unmeasured quantity of natural gas. Since completion, the well has been producing at rates between 240 and 300 barrels of oil per day along with some natural gas. Electric log analysis indicates that several additional pay zones still exist above the completed section that will be tested at a later date.

The original 2008-3-5 well began production in May of 2009. As of June 1, 2011, that well had produced over 155,000 barrels of oil and 16.5 million cubic feet of natural gas from a single pay zone. The 2008-3-5 well continues to produce at a stabilized rate of over 100 barrels of oil per day. Engineers have estimated that the upper pay zones could contain over 180,000 additional barrels of oil to be recovered from the 2008-3-5A development well.

Brinx anticipates that it will take part in several additional development well drilling opportunities in Oklahoma in the near future. Also in Oklahoma, the Company expects to participate in a minimum of ten new exploration and development drill programs based on its recently completed 130 square mile 3-D seismic program.

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BP Announces North Sea Development

- BP Announces North Sea Development



Sep 6, 2011

BP (NYSE:BP) announced an agreement to invest up to $1.1 billion to progress a project to develop the Kinnoul reservoir in the central North Sea.

Kinnoul contains 45 million barrels of oil equivalent which will be connected to BP's Andrew platform and enable production to be extended to 2020 and beyond. Production from Kinnoul is forecast to peak at 45,000 barrels per day.

BP (NYSE:BP) has a potential upside of 54.2% based on a current price of $35.9 and an average consensus analyst price target of $55.37.

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GE Bags Causeway Development Deal

- GE Bags Causeway Development Deal

Tuesday, September 06, 2011
GE O&G

Reinforcing its position as a leading supplier of subsea technology for North Sea oilfield projects, GE Oil & Gas announced at Offshore Europe 2011 that it will provide subsea production equipment to Valiant Causeway Ltd. for the development of the Causeway Field.

GE will supply two subsea production trees, one subsea water injection tree system, rental tooling and installation services for the project, located in the northern sector of the North Sea. The equipment will be manufactured at GE Oil & Gas facilities in Aberdeen, Scotland.

"We are committed to commence production in the second half of 2012, and installation of the subsea tree system is planned to begin in May of 2012," said Bryan Atchison, project manager of Valiant Causeway. "This is a very aggressive schedule and a close working relationship has been established between GE and Valiant to ensure that we are able to meet all of the project requirements."

The Causeway Field is being developed using subsea production technology with a tie-back to the existing North Cormorant Platform. The reservoir development strategy is to maintain production with the use of electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) and water injection. The Causeway Field will comprise one oil-producing well, one contingent oil-producing well and one water-injection well.

"This contract demonstrates GE's strong position and ability to provide reliable technology that is designed to facilitate the installation process," said Matt Corbin, regional leader—United Kingdom and continental Europe for GE Oil & Gas. "Our subsea tree systems are based on extensive field experience and feature well-proven interfaces with the power cables and dual ESPs to be installed in the wells."

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Ithaca Selects GE O&G for Stella Development

- Ithaca Selects GE O&G for Stella Development

Tuesday, September 06, 2011
GE O&G

GE O&G subsea systems and services have been selected by Ithaca Energy (UK) Ltd. for the Stella oil and gas field development project in the Central North Sea, GE reported Tuesday at Offshore Europe 2011.

Under a contract of $17 million, GE will supply an integrated package of "S" Series shallow water vertical tree (SVXT) systems, controls and SG1 wellheads to be installed using a jack-up rig.

Phase 1 for the Stella project will be four trees for the planned development wells with a possible additional tree for a further well in the area.

The SVXT systems are based upon GE Oil & Gas latest design of the shallow water structured product subsea tree system, smaller and lighter than any traditional shallow water tree system on the market. The SVXT system has been developed for ease of installation, minimal ROV dependency, reduction on weather influenced installation operations due to smart tools, higher load carrying capacities and increased pressure envelopes.

"Our ability to meet the engineering challenges of this project regarding temperature, riser analysis clarifications, pressure ratings and gas lift requirements was a key to receiving this contract," said Matt Corbin, regional leader—United Kingdom and continental Europe for GE Oil & Gas. "The agreement also builds on the good working relationship we established with Ithaca in a previous project."

The scope of the GE contract includes S Series SVXTs, SG1 drill-through wellhead systems and a full services support package comprising rental tools and manpower.

The equipment will be engineered and manufactured at GE's facilities in the United Kingdom with the equipment scheduled for shipment in the fourth quarter of 2012.

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BP Gets Govt OK for Kinnoull Field Development

- BP Gets Govt OK for Kinnoull Field Development

Tuesday, September 06, 2011
BP plc

On behalf of its co-venturers BP announced an agreement to invest up to £700 million to progress a project to develop the Kinnoull reservoir in the central North Sea.

Kinnoull is the largest of three reservoirs that are being developed as part of the Andrew Area developments project, and contains 45 million barrels of oil equivalent. The reservoir will be connected to BP's Andrew platform and enable production to be extended to 2020 and beyond.

Production from Kinnoull is forecast to peak at 45,000 barrels per day and be exported via the existing Forties pipeline system to Kinneil and the CATS pipeline system to Teesside.

Trevor Garlick, Regional President for BP's North Sea business said, "The Kinnoull project is a further demonstration of BP's vision to sustain a material and high quality business in the North Sea region. It is also a showcase for the outstanding subsea expertise that exists within the UK. At its peak the project will create employment for over 1,000 people in the UK."

Charles Hendry, Minister of state for Energy and Climate Change said, "I am pleased to see that BP is taking forward the development of the Kinnoull field. With around 90% of the development involving UK firms, this is a real big win for our domestic supply chain and shows that the thriving North Sea oil and gas sector continues to deliver economic benefit. I hope major global players continue to harness the expertise of UK companies as new developments come forward."

In order to access the new reservoir, the project will install a new subsea system and caisson onto the Andrew platform. The backbone of the subsea system will be 4 subsea bundles with a total length of 28 km - the longest bundle system in the world - which will carry the fluids to the Andrew platform for processing. The bundle system is being fabricated by Subsea 7 at its facility in Wick, Scotland.

To accept the new Kinnoull production fluids, and to facilitate the production from the Lower Cretaceous reservoir below the Andrew reservoir, the Andrew platform will undergo major modifications including the addition of a 750 ton process module. Construction will be completed over 2 years, with the flotel Borgholm Dolphin on location throughout. The Andrew platform is expected to be shut down for 18 months during this campaign during which time operational work will also be undertaken to maintain the efficiency and integrity of the existing Andrew platform facilities.

The new facilities are scheduled to commence production in 2013.

BP owns 77.06%, with other interests as follows: Eni (16.67%); Summit (6.27%)


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Antrim Submits Development Plan for N. Sea Causeway Field

- Antrim Submits Development Plan for N. Sea Causeway Field

Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Antrim Energy Inc.

Antrim, a partner in the Causeway Field located in UKCS Block 211/22a South West Area and Block 211/23d (Antrim 35.5%), announced submission of the final Field Development Plan ("FDP") to the Department of Energy and Climate Change ("DECC") and that Board approval has been gained from partners to progress into the development phase. DECC approval of the Causeway FDP is anticipated during 2011.

The Causeway FDP includes a production well and a water injection well in the East and Far East fault panels and will utilize existing wells on the field drilled during the appraisal phase. The production well will be completed with dual electrical submersible pumps and first oil is anticipated in mid 2012. Hydrocarbons will be transported to and processed at the Cormorant North platform operated by TAQA Bratani Limited before being exported to the Sullom Voe terminal for sale. Antrim's reserves evaluator, McDaniel and Associates Consultants Ltd., estimate 8.9 million barrels of proved plus probable oil reserves (Antrim net 3.2 million barrels) from the East and Far East fault compartments (as of December 31, 2010). Development costs net to Antrim are estimated at $32 million, inclusive of $21.8 million associated with the previously announced sale of Antrim Causeway (N.I.) Limited (Aug. 9, 2011). Commitments are now in place for all long lead equipment and the operator has awarded a letter of intent for the main subsea installation contract to Technip UK Limited.

The Causeway development plan includes an option to develop the Central panel, which is still under review by the partners and not included in the above referenced reserves or costs.

Stephen Greer, CEO of Antrim, commented, "The submission of the FDP for Causeway marks a significant milestone for Antrim, demonstrating a clear and defined path to first oil production from the Company's UK North Sea properties."

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BOEMRE Unveils New Development, Permit Tools

- BOEMRE Unveils New Development, Permit Tools

Tuesday, August 30, 2011
BOEMRE

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) Director Michael R. Bromwich today announced that the bureau has developed and implemented several new tools to help offshore oil and gas operators improve their exploration and development plan and permit applications. These tools will allow offshore operators to better track their submissions and improve the quality and completeness of their applications, which will decrease processing delays.

“We continue to meet with operators individually and in large groups on a frequent basis. We take very seriously requests for additional information and additional clarity regarding our plan and permit review process. Recently, we have been asked to identify the most common errors and the most frequently-encountered reasons for plan and permit applications to be returned to operators,” said Director Bromwich. “Our goal is to reduce the amount of back and forth with plan and permit applications and to help the industry learn from the best practices that many operators have developed to submit successful applications. That will result in higher quality applications in the first instance and reduce the need for them to be returned to operators. We will continue to search for additional ways to improve our own processes and make them more efficient, without in any way modifying or relaxing the more stringent safety and environmental rules we have implemented over the past year.”

For a complete list of BOEMRE’s reforms to date, go to:
http://boemre.gov/ReorganizationRegulatoryReform.htm

With respect to permits, BOEMRE has added a new feature to its online application system (eWells), which allows authorized users to track the status of permit applications. This allows operators to follow where their application is in the processing system. This increases transparency and provides greater predictability for operators.

With respect to plans, BOEMRE has announced a new online resource to help operators improve the accuracy of their exploration plan (EP) and development operation coordination document (DOCD) submissions. The website offers fact sheets and documents to assist offshore operators in submitting complete applications, which will decrease processing delays. Guidance includes a fact sheet that offers information on how operators can submit stronger applications, frequently asked questions on the specific elements of a successful submission, and a new EP/DOCD checklist that can be used to ensure the inclusion of needed information in an operator’s application. The page is online at: http://www.gomr.boemre.gov/homepg/plans/index.html.

Today’s announcements were shared with more than 200 offshore industry personnel at a workshop held by BOEMRE in its Gulf of Mexico Regional office. The full-day workshop includes a discussion of common errors and omissions found in the submission of permit applications, and overviews and updates on sub-sea containment and the bureau’s well screening tool. One highlight will be an industry panel that will discuss proven methods and strategies for the completion of fully compliant permit applications focusing on the well screening tool, a critical aspect of the sub-sea containment requirements which is most often a cause of returned permit applications.

These improvements in the permit and plan review process are consistent with other reforms in the process that have recently been implemented. In early June, BOEMRE announced specific improvements to the permit application and review process, including the publication of a permit application checklist to assist offshore oil and gas operators in submitting complete applications to drill. The bureau also implemented a requirement that BOEMRE personnel conduct completeness checks before beginning an in-depth, substantive review of the application. This allows staff to capture the major gaps in the submission early in the review process. In addition, we developed clear permit review priorities that will expedite our review. For more information, go to:
http://www.boemre.gov/ooc/press/2011/press0603.htm.

BOEMRE has approved 113 deepwater permits for 34 unique wells that require subsea containment since an applicant first successfully demonstrated containment capabilities in mid-February. There are currently 17 permits pending and 22 permits have been returned to the operator with requests for additional information, particularly information regarding containment. Additionally, BOEMRE has approved 45 permits for activities including water injection wells and procedures using surface blowout preventers. Only 1 of these permits is pending and 1 permit has been returned to the operator for additional information.

BOEMRE has also approved 69 new shallow water well permits have been issued since the implementation of new safety and environmental standards on June 8, 2010. Permits have averaged more than 7 per month since fall 2010, compared to an average of 8 permits per month in 2009. Just 13 of these permits are currently pending; with 10 having been returned to the operator for more information.

For more information on permit approvals, go to:
http://www.gomr.boemre.gov/homepg/offshore/safety/well_permits.html

For more information on plan approvals, go to:
http://www.gomr.boemre.gov/homepg/offshore/safety/well_plans.html

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TomCo Awards Development Contracts for Utah Holliday Block

- TomCo Awards Development Contracts for Utah Holliday Block

Tuesday, August 23, 2011
TomCo Energy plc

TomCo, the AIM listed company with oil shale assets in the State of Utah, USA, has awarded a number of key contracts intended to provide some of the baseline environmental and operational information necessary for the formulation of a comprehensive development plan for the Holliday Block. As previously reported, TomCo's Holliday Block asset contains 123 MM bbl of recoverable oil, classified by SRK Consultants as an Indicated Resource under the JORC Code. TomCo intends to produce oil from this large resource using the EcoShaleTM In-Capsule Process developed by Red Leaf Resources Inc.

The contracts awarded are as follows:

• An Engineering Service Agreement signed with Rocky Mountain Power Inc (RMP), the main electric supplier in the State of Utah, under which RMP will evaluate various alternative routes and options for the provision of high voltage line power to the Holliday Block site, with a target of approximately 27 months for the supply of the electricity to commence oil production.
• A Roads and Access Study, to be undertaken by Epic Engineering of Heber City, Utah. This project will evaluate the existing network of dirt roads in this part of the Uintah Basin, the projected loadings implied by the development of a 9,500 bopd EcoShaleTM facility at Holliday Block, and develop plans and recommendations for road development and/or upgrading for consideration by Uintah County authorities.
• A high-resolution airborne topographic survey of the TomCo lease, combined with a detailed ground survey co-ordinated by Epic Engineering, in order to further refine the geological model and up-grade the resource assessments for the lease.
• A Water Resources Inventory to be undertaken by Epic Engineering, to provide data on drainage patterns, storm water predictions, seeps, springs etc in the Holliday Block area. As well as providing necessary baseline data required for environmental studies and future development permit applications, this project will help determine any additional water supply requirements for the planned TomCo development.
• Norwest Corporation, a large mining engineering consultancy based in Canada and the USA, has been engaged to develop a detailed, and fully costed, Mine Plan for TomCo's Holliday Block development. Norwest have been working closely with Red Leaf Resources on the Mine Plan for the nearby Seep Ridge EcoShaleTM project, and will bring this experience to bear directly on the Holliday Block. The Mine Plan will be based on the detailed geological model developed by SRK Consultants from the Company's corehole drilling on the Block, and will be the principal input into the development of Feasibility Economics for the project.

The Company is also in the advanced stages of discussions with a number of Environmental Contractors on the initiation of baseline Soil and Vegetation, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources and Air Quality studies which will be required for a future development permit applications. Some of these studies are expected to begin in Q4 2011, while others will be done in the spring of 2012; further announcements will be made when specific contracts are awarded.

Stephen Komlosy, CEO of TomCo Energy, commented, "We are delighted to have engaged the services of Rocky Mountain Power, Epic Engineering and Norwest Corporation as consultancy partners in our Holliday Block development project, and we expect to see some real progress over the next several months. These are all companies with enormous experience in the Uintah Basin, and in the challenges presented by oil shale projects, and the projects being initiated are all necessary for the upgrading of project Resources to Reserves as we move towards development of our Holliday Block asset."

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SMS Appoints Group Business Development Manager

- SMS Appoints Group Business Development Manager

Thursday, August 18, 2011
Sand Monitoring Services Ltd.

SMS (Sand Monitoring Services Ltd.) announced the appointment of Frazer Barclay as Group Business Development Manager at its Aberdeen headquarters. This key appointment will be instrumental in continuing to grow the SMS brand by increasing its core business, global presence and services portfolio.

Frazer, an honors graduate in Geology and Applied Geology from the University of Glasgow, brings with him more than 12 years industry experience related to sub-surface geoscience consultancy and business development. Frazer started his career with Western Geophysical as a geophysicist followed by a move into quantative interpretation with the leading reservoir characterization company Odegaard. Odegaard was acquired by Schlumberger in 2006 and subsequent to this Frazer built a new local consulting group offering production engineering, reservoir engineering, geoscience and geomechanical engineering services. Frazer has worked in several key oil and gas locations including London, Aberdeen, Kuala Lumpur and Perth with his most recent role as Global Geomechanics Sales and Marketing Manager being located in the United Kingdom.

Andrew Kinsler, Field Services Manager for SMS, commented, "We are very pleased to welcome Frazer to SMS during a time of much expansion. His proven track record in sub-surface geoscience consultancy, business development and years of industry experience will prove vital to the SMS growth strategy for 2011/12."

Andrew concluded, "SMS has grown to offer best in class sand monitoring and management services to the oil and gas industry, and our staff are instrumental to this. By employing some of the best talent in Scotland, we are confident that we can continue to strive for improvement and we look forward to implementing Frazer’s specialist skills to do just that."

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Petronas Enters SFRSC for Balai Cluster Development Offshore Malaysia

- Petronas Enters SFRSC for Balai Cluster Development Offshore Malaysia

Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Roc Oil Co. Ltd.

Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) has entered into a Small Field Risk Service Contract ("SFRSC") for the pre-development and development of the Balai Cluster Fields, located offshore Sarawak, with a contractor group comprising Roc Oil Malaysia (Holdings) Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of ROC, Dialog D & P Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dialog Group Bhd ("DIALOG Group") and Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd ("Petronas Carigali"). Participating interests in the contractor group are ROC 48%, DIALOG Group 32% and Petronas Carigali 20%. ROC, Dialog and Petronas Carigali intend to form an incorporated joint venture company ("JVC") to manage the SFRSC.

Balai Cluster Fields

The Balai Cluster comprises a cluster of marginal oil and gas fields in the areas around the Balai and West Acis discoveries, which are located offshore Sarawak in water depths of approximately 60 meters.

Small Field Risk Service Contracts

A Risk Service Contract is a new petroleum arrangement Petronas is implementing in Malaysia. This model strikes a balance in sharing risks with fair returns for development and production of discovered marginal fields. In this arrangement, Petronas is the project owner while the contractor is the service provider. Upfront investment of the capital will be contributed by the contractors. The contractor group shall be compensated accordingly with reimbursement of costs plus a remuneration fee for services rendered. The remuneration fee is based on oil and gas production, as well as the contractor group meeting key performance indicators. Payment to contractors shall commence upon first production and be paid throughout the duration of the contract. The SFRSC contract duration is for 15 years.

Planned Activity

The Balai Cluster SFRSC has two distinct phases. The pre-development phase is scheduled to commence in 2H 2011 and is expected to take up to 18 months. Pre-development activities are planned to include geological and geophysical works, the drilling and testing of appraisal wells and the procurement of related facilities and equipment. The total cost of the pre-development phase is estimated to be between US $200-250 million.

ROC presently considers that future cashflows, the existing debt facility, as well as potential project financing through the JVC will adequately fund the capital costs associated with the pre-development phase for the Balai Cluster.

On the successful completion of the pre-development phase and agreement on the project viability of the fields, the contractor group will submit a field development plan for all or some of the fields and progress to the development phase. Production from all the fields in the cluster is planned to be online within 24 months from commencement of the development program. Development activities are planned to include the drilling of wells, the installation of platforms, topsides and pipelines, and the tie-in of the new facilities to existing Petronas Carigali infrastructure as appropriate. The total cost of the development phase is estimated to be between US $650–700 million.

Contractor Group Partners

DIALOG Group is one of Malaysia's leading integrated specialist technical services providers to the oil, gas and petrochemical industries. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, DIALOG Group has over 2,000 employees across offices and facilities located in 12 countries, and is listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia with current market capitalisation of approximately US $1.8 billion. The core services and activities provided by DIALOG Group range from upstream to downstream activities and encompass: logistic services for supply base and tank terminal operations; the provision of specialist products and services; the provision of plant maintenance and catalyst handling services; engineering, construction and fabrication; and ePayment technology and solutions.

Petronas Carigali is the wholly owned exploration and production subsidiary of Petronas, Malaysia's National Oil Company. Petronas Carigali has a successful track record of working with multinational corporations to explore, develop and produce oil and gas both in Malaysia and internationally.

CEO Comment

Commenting on the SFRSC award, ROC's Chief Executive Officer, Alan Linn, stated, "This is an encouraging first step in pursuing the Company's stated strategy to grow the business in South East Asia and represents another vote of confidence in ROC's abilities as an offshore operator of small and marginal fields.

"The award of the Small Field Risk Service Contract for the Balai Cluster is also a significant milestone for Petronas in pursuing its strategy of developing Malaysian marginal fields. ROC has worked productively with Petronas and DIALOG Group throughout the process leading to the SFRSC award and looks forward to building on these established relationships in the future.

"ROC's entry into Malaysia is an important achievement and meets one of the Company's key objectives for 2011: to capture value by delivering a new production or pre-development opportunity in South East Asia or Australia."

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Bristow Appoints North Sea Development Manager

- Bristow Appoints North Sea Development Manager

Monday, August 15, 2011
Bristow Helicopters Ltd.

Bristow has appointed David Laskowski to oversee its operations in the busy northern North Sea energy sector. Based in Aberdeen, Scotland, Laskowski will serve as Development Manager responsible for day-to-day management of up to 250,000 passenger movements annually through the Integrated Aviation Consortium (IAC) contract. He will play a key role in ensuring delivery of Bristow's Target Zero program to achieve zero accidents, complaints and downtime.

Laskowski's experience includes management roles in safety, commercial and helicopter operations. He began his aviation career in his native Louisiana, obtaining his pilot's licence while at university pursuing a Bachelors of Science degree in Professional Aviation and Aviation Management. He joined Bristow in 2001 as a Facilities and Special Projects Officer in the Gulf of Mexico. He served as Base Manager of Bristow's airfield at Patterson, Louisiana before becoming a Safety Case Manager, travelling to Bristow operations in Alaska, Aberdeen in Scotland, Trinidad and Mexico. Most recently he served as Regional Sales Manager for Bristow's North American Business Unit.

Fiona MacLeod, Commercial Manager – Europe, who previously held responsibility for the northern North Sea sector, will continue to oversee existing client activity in central North Sea and expand to the Baltic region.

Mike Imlach, Bristow's European Operations Director said, "David's appointment means that we now have an executive dedicated solely to the management and development of our Northern North Sea business and in the Shetland Basin.

"Not only will this enhance our service to our IAC partners; it also will allow us to grow our business in the expanding markets in Denmark and the Baltic regions."

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First Subsea Names Global Sales, Business Development Manager

- First Subsea Names Global Sales, Business Development Manager

Tuesday, August 09, 2011
First Subsea Ltd.

First Subsea has appointed John Shaw as global sales and business development manager. Formerly head of Engineered Products Group at Trelleborg Offshore, he will be responsible for developing First Subsea's innovative ball and taper connector business worldwide.

In addition to the Ballgrab range of subsea mooring connectors, ball and taper has been successfully used for pipeline recovery and decommissioning tools, ROV and diverless bend stiffener connectors for risers and umbilicals, pipeline repair, hose connectors, heavy lift and buoy mooring and retrieval applications.

A Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, Mr. Shaw is no stranger to the connector technology. At Trelleborg Offshore, he worked with First Subsea on the development of the diverless bend stiffener connector. "The simplicity of the ball and taper connection, and its powerful multi-point grip, makes it a very flexible solution to offshore connections in many demanding applications. My role will be to work with clients to develop existing and new applications for the ball and taper connector," he said.

First Subsea has successfully developed the ball and taper connector technology for drilling applications both onshore and offshore. One of this year's OTC Spotlight on Technology Awards included Canrig Drilling Technology's SureGrip Automated Casing Running Tool featuring the ball and taper gripping mechanism for handling drill piping.

"The ease of ball and taper connection makes it suitable for any application involving gripping, pulling and holding connections under load. John Shaw's experience will allow us to consolidate and improve our current product range, as well as developing opportunities for the connector in new markets," commented Brian Green, general manager, First Subsea Ltd.

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Range Successfully Drills First Development Well in Trinidad

- Range Successfully Drills First Development Well in Trinidad

Monday, August 08, 2011
Range Resources Ltd.

Range announced that in the two months since completing its Trinidad acquisition, the Company has successfully drilled its first development well on the Morne Diablo Block.

As part of the initial 21 well drilling program, the MD 247 well was drilled to a total depth of approximately 900 ft using the Company's own drilling rig and personnel. Despite the shallow depth, open hole logs indicate the presence of roughly 145 ft. of net oil pay in the shallow Forest Formation, an established producing horizon on the block. Casing is currently being run in the well in preparation for production testing next week.

Added Peter Landau, Range's Executive Director, "The successful drilling of the MD 247 well indicates that Range's aggressive program to increase production and cash flow in Trinidad is on track and the first pay zone size has exceeded expectations. As previously announced, we will be adding a second and third rig to the remaining 20 well 2011 drilling program in order to begin exploitation of deeper producing reservoirs. The MD 247 well is only the beginning for us in Trinidad, but represents an important milestone for Range as our first internationally operated well, drilled and completed by the Company's own operations team using our own equipment."

The Company looks forward to keeping our shareholders updated as our drilling program continues in Trinidad, Georgia, Texas, and Puntland, in what will be an exciting period for Range with wells being drilled on all four the Company's assets in the coming months.

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Norse Sets Sights on NY Shale Development

- Norse Sets Sights on NY Shale Development

Friday, August 05, 2011
Norse Energy Corp. ASA

Norse announced a reallocation of corporate resources to focus on Marcellus and Utica Shale development.

In anticipation that rules allowing the use of high volume hydraulic fracturing to develop natural gas resources in the state of New York will soon be in place, Norse Energy has elected to immediately suspend Herkimer drilling. This will preserve cash for potentially more profitable Marcellus and Utica Shale planning, permitting and development.

Subsequent to release of the draft SGEIS on July 8, 2011, Norse Energy filed its first application for a permit to drill a shale well in New York State using high volume hydraulic fracturing. The permit is expected to be issued when final SGEIS regulations are in place. This strategy transition is expected to facilitate rapid and efficient development of the Company's Marcellus and Utica Shale resources.

"With the SGEIS public comment period expected to begin soon, now is the right time to re-focus the company on the development of shale resources across our extensive acreage position in New York State," said Mark Dice, Chief Executive Officer.

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ExxonMobil, Pertamina Gain Ground in Banyu Urip Field Development

- ExxonMobil, Pertamina Gain Ground in Banyu Urip Field Development

Friday, August 05, 2011
ExxonMobil Corp.

ExxonMobil said that the development of the Indonesian Banyu Urip field in the Cepu block in East Java has achieved a major milestone with the award of the first of five engineering, procurement and construction contracts for work on major facilities at the development.

ExxonMobil's Mobil Cepu Ltd. (MCL) is operator of the Cepu block with 45 percent interest. The other co-venturers are Pertamina with 45 percent interest and four local government companies holding the remaining 10 percent interest.

"This is a major milestone in the development of the Banyu Urip field," said Neil Duffin, president of ExxonMobil Development Company. "Based on appraisal drilling, we've increased estimates of the recoverable resource under full development to 450 million barrels. This multibillion dollar project continues to benefit from the strengths of both Pertamina and ExxonMobil and provides the foundation for a strong partnership between the two companies, as well as with the local government companies."

Full field development is planned to produce 165,000 barrels of oil per day from facilities that include 49 wells on three well pads, a central processing facility, and a 60 mile (95 kilometer) pipeline to transfer the processed oil to a 1.7 million barrel floating storage and offloading (FSO) unit in the Java Sea. Tankers will load crude oil from the FSO for transport to domestic and world markets.

Construction is targeted to be completed in 36 months and the start-up of full field production is expected afterwards, pending regulatory approvals.

Early oil production on the Banyu Urip development commenced in 2009 from facilities with demonstrated capacity of greater than 20,000 barrels per day. Duffin said, "The excellent performance of the early production wells and facilities adds economic value to the overall project and is supportive of the Government of Indonesia's priorities to safely and effectively develop the Cepu Block oil and gas resources."

Affiliates and predecessor companies of ExxonMobil have operated in Indonesia for more than 100 years. ExxonMobil is actively working on exploration and development opportunities to increase its participation in Indonesia's oil and gas industry. The company supports long-term and sustainable community initiatives around its areas of operation. ExxonMobil's investment in Indonesia since 1968 is more than US $19 billion (190 trillion rupiahs).

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Double Eagle Petroleum Briefs 2011 Exploration, Development Plans

- Double Eagle Petroleum Briefs 2011 Exploration, Development Plans

Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Double Eagle Petroleum Co.

Double Eagle Petroleum announced an update to its 2011 drilling program and is providing guidance on its 2012 expected drilling programs. The Company's development program will be focusing on its two major development fields, the Atlantic Rim CBM and the Pinedale Anticline. The major exploration projects are the Niobrara oil shale target in the Atlantic Rim and the Main Fork Unit in north east Utah. Total estimated capital spending for 2011 projects will be approximately $30 million.

2011 Field Development

In 2011, the Company will be increasing its total net well count in the Catalina CBM Unit 25% by drilling approximately 14 gross (13 net) coal bed methane (CBM) wells in this unit to add to the existing 70 gross (51 net) CBM producing wells. Twelve of these wells are in an exploratory area and the Company will have a 100% working interest in these wells. The Company will have a 73% working interest in the two development wells in the existing unit participating area.

Anadarko will be drilling 25 exploration wells in the newly formed Spy Glass Unit which includes the Sun Dog and Doty Mountain participation areas. The exploration wells for 2011 were required by the Spy Glass Unit agreement. The Company will have no interest or costs associated with these wells, but the data obtained will be valuable in determining the nature and extent of the CBM field, which will aid future field development.

The approved Atlantic Rim Environmental Impact Study allows for a total 1,800 CBM wells and 200 conventional (non-coal bed methane) wells. Double Eagle, together with Anadarko Petroleum, are the operators of various units in the Atlantic Rim and as of June 30, 2011 a total of 400 CBM wells have been drilled (no conventional wells). Currently, the Company has 123 approved CBM drilling permits and Anadarko has approximately 30 approved CBM drilling permits for future drilling in the Atlantic Rim.

Also, Double Eagle will participate in the drilling of 16 (gross) new production wells in the Mesa Unit on the Pinedale Anticline, which is an increase of 10 (gross) wells from the initial estimate provided by the operator of the Mesa Units, QEP. The Company has an estimated 8.5% working interest in these planned wells.

2011 Exploration Projects

The Company also plans to drill one Niobrara Oil Shale well in which Double Eagle will have an estimated working interest of 93%. The Company initially planned two Niobrara exploratory wells but due to certain lease holders in the area not cooperating in drilling plans, the Company determined that the best location and opportunity to gain formation knowledge was to drill in a section which the Company controlled. The Company is awaiting final permit approval for this well.

The Company also is evaluating further development of the Main Fork Unit Project (formerly known as Christmas Meadows/Table Top Unit). The Company previously drilled the Table Top Unit #1 well in 2007. The Company is working with a major integrated oil and gas company that has option farm-in rights to advance further unit delineation, assist with costs related to seismic, environmental analysis and, if necessary, an exploratory well. Assuming the farm-in right is exercised; Double Eagle will have a 12%-16% working interest after payout.

Prior seismic data has been reprocessed and a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) survey has been conducted. Preliminary development well locations, pipelines and roads have been identified as part of a full field development environmental impact study being conducted by the USFS. In 2011, surveying and associated archeological and biological studies are being conducted along with a source test in preparation for a potential 2D seismic acquisition program in 2012.

2012 Development Projects

Looking ahead into 2012, the Company's initial plans are to continue development in our two main fields. In the Atlantic Rim, the Company plans to drill 14 new CBM production wells in the Catalina unit, 25 new CBM wells in the Anadarko operated Doty Mountain Unit and, depending upon the results of the initial test well, several Niobrara wells. In the Pinedale Anticline, the Company anticipates 16 new wells to be drilled in 2012. The Main Fork Project is expected to proceed as mentioned above.

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Xcite Submits Field Development Plan for Bentley Field

- Xcite Submits Field Development Plan for Bentley Field

Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Xcite Energy Ltd.

Xcite announced that the final draft of the Field Development Plan ("FDP") for the Bentley field has now been submitted to the Department of Energy and Climate Change ("DECC").

The FDP outlines the proposed development plan for the Bentley field, which addresses the first stage production program in detail and also references the second stage production program, which together encompasses the core area of the reservoir.

The Company will respond to any issues raised by DECC in the coming months, in expectation of achieving approval in due course.

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Lundin, Partners Submit Field Development Plan for Brynhild Field

- Lundin, Partners Submit Field Development Plan for Brynhild Field

Monday, August 01, 2011
Lundin Petroleum AB

Lundin as operator has, with its partners Noreco and Talisman, submitted a plan for development and operation (PDO) for the Brynhild field (formerly called Nemo) to the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. The Brynhild field is an oil field located in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. First production from the Brynhild field in PL148 is expected in late 2013.

The Brynhild field is located adjacent to the Norwegian – United Kingdom (UK) international border. The PDO includes three wells and pipelines/umbilical tied back to the existing Shell operated Pierce field infrastructure in the UK sector of the North Sea. Brynhild holds 22 million barrels of oil (MMbo) in gross proved and probable reserves with a forecast gross peak production of approximately 12,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd). The oil will be processed and stored on the Pierce floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel before offshore loading to shuttle tankers.

Lundin Petroleum has a 50 percent working interest in the Brynhild field. Talisman and Noreco hold a 30 percent and a 20 percent interest, respectively.

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