Drilling & production

A renewable technology that generates heat from below the ground could produce a third of the UK’s renewable heat by 2020, a report from the Environment Agency has found.

Essar Group and ONGC Videsh have announced new investments in two African refineries.

Polarcus Ltd recently held a double naming ceremony for the modern, purpose built 3D seismic vessels Polarcus Nadia and Polarcus Naila. The ceremony, at the Drydocks World – Dubai shipyard in the United Arab Emirates, was attended by over 200 local and international guests.

This article provides an overview of the North African hydrocarbon industry, assesses its vital regions and considers a future of promise to coincide with the global economic recovery.

New research by energy analysts Douglas-Westwood predicts offshore operations and maintenance expenditure to total in excess of $330 billion over the next five years – with the largest share allocated to North America during that time.

Siemens Energy and Meridian Energy have signed an order for the supply of 28 SWT-2.3-101 wind turbines for the Te Uku wind power project near Hamilton, New Zealand.

West Africa has emerged as one of the hottest battlegrounds for the world’s major powers in their race to corner increasingly scarce oil and gas resources. Ng Weng Hoong details the major players vying for oil and gas resources in West Africa.

NASA has been applying space technology to a process that links the production of algae-based fuel with an inexpensive method of sewage treatment. This is done by growing algae in plastic containers filled with sewage floating in the ocean.

CIC Energy’s Mmamabula project could be the most significant economic milestone in Botswana’s development since the diamond mines opened. However, the project has had to cut back its potential by 50% and could face further uncertainty unless South Africa lets its power generator, Eskom, play a strong card soon.

Total has announced that its subsidiary, Total E&P Vietnam, and its partners on Block 15-1/05, have discovered oil in the Lac Da Nau prospect, located in the southern part of the block offshore Vietnam.

Westinghouse has now selected one of its largest shareholders as the lead contractor to build nuclear reactors in the UK. Originally, it was thought that Fluor would be awarded the contract.

BG Group and partners Petrobras and GALP have completed two drill stem tests on the Iracema well in the BM-S-11 appraisal area in the Santos Basin pre-salt, offshore Brazil. The well in-flow performance recorded during the tests was the highest achieved so far in BG Group's Santos Basin interests.

GE Oil & Gas powers the world’s first offshore gravity-based LNG terminal.

Petrobras has completed the drilling of extension exploratory well 3-MA-32A in the Marimbá field, Campos Basin. The amount of recoverable oil has been estimated at 25 million bbls, which will increase Marimbá field's recoverable volume by 27%.

Arch Coal has agreed to lease the 9600 acres of GNP’s coal resources in Otter Creek, southeastern Montana, US. It is reported that the agreement could encourage Gov. Brian Schweitzer to lease adjacent coal tracts owned by the state.