People, Companies & Products

Borr Drilling announces acquisition of Paragon Offshore

Borr Drilling has announced a binding tender agreement to offer to purchase all outstanding shares in Paragon Offshore. The acquisition is expected to close in March 2018.

Paragon has a fleet of 32 drilling units, including two modern units of the JU-2000E design, the Prospector 1 and Prospector 5, located in the North Sea. The acquisition also provides Borr with a base for growth in the North Sea. Paragon’s portfolio includes a semisubmersible, the MSS1, scheduled to go on a long-term contract for TAQA in the North Sea starting in March. The Prospector 1 and five of Paragon’s older jackups are working in the North Sea, India and Middle-East, with four additional jackups under contract or committed, including Prospector 5. In addition, there are 21 older uncontracted jackups stacked in different locations.

Following completion of the transaction, Borr will own 24 premium jackups built after 2000 and become the world’s largest premium jackup rig operator.

Halliburton receives API Q2 registration in Angola

Halliburton announced that its Angolan facilities – Luanda-SONILS base, which incorporates the Cabinda-Malembo base and Soyo-Kwanda base facilities – and all of the company’s product service lines in those locations have received the API Specification Q2 Registration. The facilities are the first in Angola to receive this registration, an advanced industry quality standard for oil and natural gas service companies.

Wood wins mega-project contract with Saudi Aramco

Wood has secured a new multimillion-dollar, five-year contract to support Saudi Aramco in the delivery of one of its mega-projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Engineering and project management services to develop the Marjan oil field in the state’s eastern province will be provided under the contract, effective immediately. The front-end engineering design, major increment and overall project management consultancy will be executed from Wood’s Reading, UK; Khobar, Saudi Arabia; and India offices.

Archer awarded work for Apache on Forties, Beryl

Apache has awarded a new three-year contract to Archer for the provision of platform drilling management services, which include operations and maintenance on the Forties and Beryl fields. In addition to the firm contract term, two additional two-year extension options are available. Archer has provided these services to Apache on the Forties and Beryl fields since 2004 and 2012, respectively.

Drillmec, GEOLOG ink deal to provide HOD service

Drillmec and GEOLOG have entered a global commercial agreement for joint business development and provision of Drillmec’s Heart of Drilling (HoD) service. HoD is a continuous circulation system that offers uninterrupted bottomhole pressure management during connections.

Aquaterra names Business Development Director

Aquaterra Energy has appointed Christian Berven as Business Development Director as it strengthens its Europe, Middle East and Africa operations by opening offices in Stavanger. Mr Berven joins the company following 10 years as Managing Director of Norwegian oil service company Toolserv. He has more than 22 years experience in the oil and gas industry and has worked across Europe, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

OSRL offers new offset installation equipment

Oil Spill Response has launched its Offset Installation Equipment (OIE). Designed for scenarios where direct vertical access to a wellhead is not viable, the OIE enables capping or related equipment to be installed at a safe distance from an incident. The OIE was developed in collaboration with the Subsea Well Intervention Project.

KCA Deutag Appoints New Senior VP for RDS

Albert Allan has joined KCA Deutag as Senior Vice President of RDS, its rig design and engineering subsidiary. Based in Aberdeen, Mr Allan will have responsibility for spearheading RDS’ activities worldwide. He will also become a member of KCA Deutag’s executive management team, reporting directly to CEO Norrie McKay.

EM&I Group announces Pat Lawless as new CEO

Pat Lawless has been appointed as CEO of EM&I Group. Mr Lawless has been a key member of the team for nearly five years through his role as COO. He takes over from Danny Constantinis, who heads up the board as Executive Chairman.

Shale Support opens new Louisiana rail terminal

Shale Support Holdings, a provider of frac-sands and logistical solutions to the oil and gas proppant market, has announced its newest exclusive terminal located in Gibsland, La. The terminal boasts 24/7 operations, a 100-car capacity, easy access to major highways, onsite space to store containerized sand boxes and room to add future storage capabilities.

Chevron names Corporate VP of Strategic Planning

Chevron has named Bruce Niemeyer as Corporate Vice President of Strategic Planning, effective immediately. Mr Niemeyer was previously Vice President of Chevron’s Mid-Continent Business Unit. In his new role, Mr Niemeyer, will be responsible for setting the strategic direction for the company, allocating capital and other resources and determining operating unit performance measures and targets. He will report to Mark A. Nelson, Vice President of Midstream, Strategy & Policy.

Derrick, STEP Oiltools Awarded Contract for Njord A Shaker Upgrade

Derrick Equipment Company and STEP Oiltools have been awarded a contract to supply Dual Pool 626 VE shale shakers and a bespoke flow divider for the Statoil Njord A platform. This contract is part of a complete upgrade of the hull and topside of the platform, managed by Kværner. The scope of supply includes four Dual Pool 626 VE shakers that feature Derrick’s fluid centering and Pyramid screen technology for increased solids removal efficiency. The shakers will also include vapor extraction covers to protect personnel from oil mist and vapors emitted during the screening process. 

Deep Sea Mooring picks up Quadrant Energy contract

Deep Sea Mooring, a Vryhof company, has secured a contract with Quadrant Energy to provide turnkey pre-lay mooring solutions to the Transocean GSF Development Driller 1 semisubmersible offshore Australia. The contract will begin in March 2018.

New fluids management company established

Panther Fluids Management has been established to provide drilling fluids management services and general consulting services for drilling operators. It will focus on providing customized drilling fluid systems.

Products

Thermoplastic composite pipe qualified for oil and gas subsea operations

The Magma Global m-pipe, based on VICTREX PEEK thermoplastic composite, recently achieved the world’s first qualification for a subsea pipe product under DNVGL-RP-F119 for thermoplastic composite pipe. Magma m-pipe is a high-performance carbon fiber and VICTREX PEEK thermoplastic composite pipe manufactured using a fully automated robotic 3D laser print process. Following an extensive testing program, the product qualification covers m-pipe for dynamic surface to seabed applications.

Delta SubSea, Optime SubSea combine subsea services

Delta SubSea and Optime SubSea have entered into an agreement to provide combined service solutions to their clients’ deepwater control needs, including XT control for installation, interventions, testing, SCM diagnostics or other subsea XT test or controls applications. This will be supplied via their small and light deepwater Intervention Workover Control System (IWOC) for 3,000 m waters.

Electromagnetic well inspection system validated

TGT Oilfield Services has announced the validation of its electromagnetic EmPulse well inspection system in high chromium tubulars. In three Middle East deployments – one an operator-witnessed “yard test” and the other two in live wells – the system was demonstrated to quantitatively determine the individual tubular thickness of up to four concentric barriers, even when there are high amounts of chrome in the tubulars.

The increase in chrome and the resulting decrease in ferrous content causes electromagnetic (EM) signals to decay too quickly for traditional EM inspection systems. The new system combines ultra-fast sensor technology with time-domain measurement techniques to capture EM signals in a wide range of pipe materials, including those with high-chrome content.

Containment membrane for tank batteries introduced

Garland Energy Systems, a division of Postle Industries, has introduced a containment membrane designed for tank battery installations. The Fusion 50 tank battery provides a consistent and durable 50 mils thickness of PVC waterproofing, which can be installed in any temperature and humidity conditions.

GEODynamics introduces ISOLOC perforating systems

GEODynamics has introduced ISOLOC plug and abandonment, specialized-perforating systems for remedial cementing and circulation. ISOLOC perforating systems are used to establish communication between two or more strings of tubing or casing.

The systems improve cement plugging, squeeze and circulation operations with controlled damage to the secondary or tertiary string.

Gardner Denver introduces redline series packing

Gardner Denver has announced the launch of its Redline Series with Redline Packing. Packing is the critical seal system in the heart of the frac pump, creating a barrier between frac fluid and the environment.

Gardner Denver collaborated with customers throughout North America for more than a year to test Redline Packing, which has pumped more than 100 million lb of sand; demonstrated high performance in a high-pressure environment; reduced maintenance time by 50%; diminished nonproductive time; and improved fleet utilization and safety.