News

The rig tapped to embark on Shell's Arctic drilling programme set sail for the Beaufort Sea this week, as the Anglo-Dutch supermajor moved a step closer to launching its exploration plan off Alaska. The Conical Drilling Unit Kulluk departed on its two-week journey from Dutch Harbour on Monday, but delays related to lingering sea ice and permitting issues have already forced Shell to scale back its plans for the year in the Arctic. Shell is now reportedly planning to drill just two wells this summer. At the forefront of the delays is the completion of a containment system in the case of Shell losing control of one of its wells.

Statoil is splashing out USD 1.45B on new installations to boost recovery at its Gullfaks South field in the Norwegian North Sea as part of its fast-track programme.

The operator plans to install two new subsea templates as well as drill six additional wells – four oil producers and two gas injectors - at the field with the aim of extracting another 65 million boe out of the mature reservoir.

Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering has secured a mammoth USD 1.94 billion contract to build five fixed drilling platforms that are likely to be destined for work off Africa, according to a report.

Norgren has developed a range of integrated pneumatic cylinders which combine valves, flow controls, cushioning and sensors in a single actuator package, claimed to cut air consumption and energy costs by up to 50%.

Moog and its propulsion engineers celebrated with NASA and the rest of the space community after the successful landing of the Mars Science Laboratory’s (MSL) Curiosity rover on August 5, 2012. Moog technology had an important part in ensuring that the “seven minutes of terror “ended in a smooth landing for Curiosity.

GF Piping Systems has introduced the new Metering Ball Valve Type 523, completing the company's 5 Series Generation of Ball Valves. The new series incorporates a number of unique features that include improved flow control, easy actuation, new scale and display, and large material range for application versatility.

 New Zealand Energy Corp. announce that the Company has commenced drilling of the Waitapu-1 well, the first of an anticipated eight wells to be drilled by year-end 2012.

PCL Industrial Construction Co. (PCL) and a Black & Veatch subsidiary said they were awarded a contract from Louisville Gas & Electric Co.

Severn Glocon Group has been contracted to supply severe service control valves to the Gorgon Project gas processing plant on Barrow Island, approximately 130km off the northwest coast of Australia.

The initial order was awarded to the Group in May 2010 and the first of the bespoke valves began shipping in mid-2011, in line with the modular construction programme.

Valve specialist Severn Glocon has boosted capacity for cryogenic testing at its Gloucester facilities, following a surge in orders for LNG megaprojects. The firm has invested in additional testing baths that can hold valves from ½” up to 36” ANSI 2500 rating and it now has 4000-litre storage facilities for liquid nitrogen.