TotalEnergies signs long-term deal for SLB’s DrillPlan

TotalEnergies awarded SLB a 15-year contract to deploy DrillPlan well planning and engineering solutions across its global upstream portfolio. The solutions will allow the operator to integrate offset well data, trajectory designs, casing and completion inputs and planning assumptions so cross-functional teams can work from a common foundation. The move marks another step in the industry’s broader shift toward scalable, interoperable platforms.

Chevron announces leadership shuffle for 2027 

Chevron announced on 5 October that Mark Nelson will retain his current position as Vice Chairman but his concurrent role of Executive Vice President of Oil, Products & Gas will move to Eimear Bonner, who is currently CFO and will become President, Oil, Products & Gas. Jeff Gustavson, currently President of New Energies, will take over the CFO role, while Brent Gros, President of Offshore, will serve as President of New Energies. The changes are set to take effect 1 January 2027.

Aker BP names new executive team

Aker BP recently announced a new executive management team will take effect on 1 January 2027. It will be led by CEO Karl Johnny Hersvik and organized around the value chain from exploration to production:

• Petter Sørhaug – Find & Develop
• Tommy Sigmundstad – Build
• Lars Høier  – Produce
• Øystein Arvesen – Optimize
• Knut Sandvik – PDO Projects
• David Tønne – CFO
• Marit Blaasmo – Services
• Thomas Hoff-Hansen – Digital
• Paula Doyle – Strategic Innovation
• Rolf Nystein – Transformation.

Devon sells off Eagle Ford assets in $4.2 billion deal

Crescent Energy entered a definitive agreement to acquire Eagle Ford assets, including approximately 68 million boed of net production, from Devon Energy for $4.2 billion. Crescent said it expects to see approximately $140 million in annual synergies. The transaction marks Devon’s exit from the Eagle Ford.

Baker Hughes lands deals to support Venezuela rebuild

Baker Hughes announced the signing of two agreements to accelerate the revitalization of Venezuela’s energy infrastructure across the natural gas value chain and  to expand its energy production.

One agreement is a strategic alliance with state-run PDVSA, Lindsayca and Fulcrum LNG to expand the country’s natural gas infrastructure. The other is a memorandum of understanding with New Stratus Energy to support the development of future oil and gas prospects.

“A central objective of these partnerships is the development of an integrated gas value chain capable of transforming Venezuela’s substantial natural gas resources into reliable domestic supply and future export opportunities, including the potential to export the first LNG molecules produced in Venezuela,” Baker Hughes Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Simonelli said.

Superior grows with Welltec acquisition

Superior Energy Services entered an agreement to acquire Welltec, the Denmark-based provider of robotic wireline-conveyed well intervention and metal expandable packer technologies. Welltec’s intervention platform includes the Well Tractor technology, and its completions platform includes the MEP technologies for zonal isolation and well integrity.

New Saudi facility set up for API-certified manufacturing

Viking Completion Technology established an API-certified manufacturing, testing and service facility in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The new entity is a joint venture with Saudi-based Abdulrahman Algosaibi Holdings.

The facility is only one of two in Saudi Arabia that holds API Q1, API 14A, API 11D1, API 19AC and API 14L licenses, which are essential to locally manufacture products such as safety valves, packers and seal assemblies.

Nabors boosts stake in geothermal through Quaise

Nabors completed a $35 million equity investment in Quaise Energy, making Nabors the largest shareholder in the geothermal drilling technology company.

Quaise’s hybrid drilling platform combines conventional rotary drilling with millimeter-wave technology to reach deeper and hotter geothermal resources than conventional methods allow.

A Nabors PACE-B rig is now drilling at Quaise’s Project Obsidian in Oregon. It’s intended to become the first commercial deployment of a superhot enhanced geothermal system.

Vallourec wins deal to supply OCTG in Caspian

TotalEnergies awarded Vallourec a contract to supply oil country tubular goods (OCTG) and line pipe for the Absheron gas field in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea. Vallourec will supply premium pipe with VAM SLIJ-3 semi-flush connections, along with accessories and its dope-free CLEANWELL solution. The line pipe scope covers about 159 km of pipe with an anti-corrosion coating for onshore and offshore use.

Energy Holdings, Ventura Offshore set to merge

SED Energy Holdings and Ventura Offshore signed a letter of intent to combine the two companies. Energy Holdings will remain the listed parent company, and Ventura Offshore will continue as a dedicated deepwater drilling vertical alongside Energy Drilling and SeaBird Exploration, which also fall under the Energy Holdings portfolio. Ventura Offshore owns and operates the DS Carolina drillship and the SSV Victoria and SSV Catarina semis.

Weatherford contract extended in Norway 

Weatherford was awarded a two-year extension across several strategic agreements with Equinor to provide its integrated completions portfolio on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Weatherford was also selected as the primary provider of completion systems for the Statfjord and Oseberg licenses, significantly expanding its role in supporting Equinor’s offshore operations.

Lindley named Director of RRC Oil and Gas Division

The Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) named David Lindley as director of its Oil and Gas Division. The division oversees Texas’ oil and natural gas E&P activities and enforces compliance with commission rules designed to protect public safety and conserve natural resources.

PRODUCTS

CT control system offers real-time electrical control

SLB introduced the ExaCT electrical downhole coiled-tubing control system, an intervention platform that replaces pressure-dependent hydraulic actuation with real-time electrical control. The system combines electrical power, telemetry and downhole measurements to communicate with, actuate and verify downhole tools throughout an intervention. This gives operators continuous visibility and precision during coiled-tubing runs.

The platform supports multiple services in a single run, including logging, stimulation, isolation and shifting operations, reducing the need for repeat trips downhole. Continuous communication across the toolstring enables on-demand tool actuation in extended-reach and multilateral wells, and operators can adapt interventions in real time as downhole conditions change.

In one six-lateral well intervention, the system reduced intervention time by approximately 175 hours and allowed entry into each lateral in about 12 minutes, compared with six to eight hours using conventional hydraulic systems. The operation stimulated more than 21,000 ft of reservoir contact while cutting fluid consumption by more than 3,000 bbl.

Tuboscope introduces new line of niobium-based hardbanding material

NOV’s Tuboscope division recently launched a new niobium-based hardbanding, TCS-NeXT. This crack-free hardbanding provides casing and tool joint wear protection, is easy to apply and significantly lowers total cost of ownership. Ideal for both new applications and reapplication, it can also be applied over most other hardbanding materials, giving operators flexibility in the field.

Low-temperature application helps preserve internal coatings, such as TK-Drakon, while the ultra-low coefficient of friction minimizes casing wear and reduces torque and drag. The result is a hardbanding solution that improves drilling efficiency, reduces maintenance, extends asset life and lowers overall operating costs.

TSC enhances NDT capabilities with new FLUT line

Texas Steel Conversion (TSC) recently launched its Phased Array Full-Length Ultrasonic Inspection (FLUT) line, enhancing the company’s nondestructive testing (NDT) capabilities.

Traditional ultrasonic testing (UT) has long been a staple of tubular quality assurance, but phased array technology offers additional clarity and confidence. The technology utilizes multiple coordinated transducers to detect small flaws that conventional UT can miss. TSC’s system captures high-density data across the length of the tube, pinpointing longitudinal, transverse and oblique indications at multiple angles on the internal, mid-wall and external surfaces. It also maps wall thickness variations throughout the full body.

The line accommodates steel tubulars from 3.500 in. to 10.625 in. OD and lengths from 12 ft to 48 ft. Automated handling, adaptive centering and controlled rotational scanning ensures consistent coupling and uniform inspection coverage across all sizes.