ExxonMobil announced that it has begun operations of a new unit at its Antwerp refinery in Belgium to convert heavy, higher-sulfur residual oils into high-value transportation fuels such as marine gasoil and diesel. The Antwerp refinery is one of the most modern and energy-efficient of its kind. Since being put into operation in 1953, the refinery…
Heerema Marine Contractors (HMC) has developed a globally unique, innovative way of lifting that will redefine the boundaries of lifting operations offshore. This ‘QUAD lifting’ was tested successfully on October 22, 2018 in the Gulf of Mexico. The QUAD lifting enables HMC to integrally install and/or remove oversized topsides or jackets. This revolutionary innovation is…
The OGA has issued its first Wells Insight report, following a period of two years collating and verifying well data, which provides a comprehensive insight into UKCS well stock and activity which will provide extremely valuable information for operators, service and technology providers. The report’s key messages emphasise the requirement to substantially increase new well…
Chinese President Xi Jinping has opened a new bridge between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland – the longest sea crossing in the world. The 34-mile (55km) bridge has been under construction for the past nine years, costs about £15bn and includes two artificial islands. Some 6.7km of the crossing runs through a tunnel underneath the…
US semiconductor giant Intel is to expand production capacity at its Leixlip campus to meet growing demand for its computer chips. In a letter seen by the Sunday Independent, Intel interim chief executive Bob Swan outlined to major global customers an extra $1bn of capital expenditure that it plans to spend in 2018, citing the…
Plastics and other petrochemical products will drive global oil demand to 2050, offsetting slower consumption of motor fuel, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reports indicates. Petrochemicals are set to account for more than a third of the growth in world oil demand to 2030, and nearly half the growth to 2050, adding nearly 7 million…
Energy company Total has announced a major gas discovery off Shetland. Initial tests at a site on the Glendronach prospect indicated there could be about one trillion cubic feet of gas which could be extracted. Total’s Arnaud Breuillac said the discovery could be commercialised by using the current Laggan-Tormore infrastructure. Total has a 60% stake…
Exxon Mobil plans to spend upwards of £500m on UK’s largest oil refinery Fawley Refinery, this is Exxons’ biggest investment in the UK sector for 30 years. The Fawley refinery on the south coast plans to add major new oil processing units, allowing the plant to produce higher volumes of high-quality diesel, in a move…
A new report from industry body Oil & Gas UK, Workforce stabilisation sets platform for Vision 2035, predicts that the overall number of people employed in the North Sea Oil & Gas industry will increase this year with direct, indirect and induced employment set to increase to 282,700, up from 280,000 in 2017. Total employment…
Life on board a North Sea oil platform can now be explored from the comfort of your sofa as the world’s first virtual tour of Cygnus, the largest single producing gas field in the North Sea Google Street View tour of an offshore installation has been launched by operator Neptune Energy and its partner Spirit Energy. It is…