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HOUSTON — Energy and maritime support services company Bisso Marine has expanded its fleet with the purchase of a third pipelay barge. The former G/P 37 was purchased from Global Industries and will be renamed the L/B Warrior Chief.

“The L/B Warrior Chief adds depth and capacity to our experienced fleet, allowing us to provide an even greater level of quality and service,” said Bisso Marine President and CEO W.A. “Beau” Bisso IV. Read the rest of this entry »

HOUSTON — Low oil and gas prices and other economic uncertainties may put a slight damper on the amount of subsea installation activity planned or underway worldwide. At present, 317 subsea projects are known to be underway from now through 2013 and beyond, compared to 321 reported in October 2008.

However, according to a February report from analysts Infield, global spending on the subsea sector through 2013 is expected to exceed US$80 billion. This would be an increase over the US$46 billion spent on subsea equipment, drilling and completion over the previous five years.  Infield expects 3,222 trees to be installed over the next five years, with the biggest players being Petrobras, Shell, Total, Chevron, BP, ExxonMobil and StatoilHydro. Infield’s analysts anticipate the next two years will see a plateau of activity levels as constraints within the market are realized. Read the rest of this entry »

PORT ISABEL – Three oil companies are considering plans to launch offshore oil drilling operations from the Port Isabel-San Benito Navigation District, Port Director Bob Cornelison said Wednesday.

Cornelison said Hess, Shell and Statoil Hydro need trained workers to launch oil exploration operations from the port. Read the rest of this entry »

LONDON – Acergy announced today the award of a contract valued at approximately $190 million from MOBIL Producing Nigeria Unlimited, an affiliate of Exxon Mobil Corporation, for the revamp of three wellhead platforms offshore Nigeria in water depths of up to 35 metres. The contract includes an option, exercisable by MPN, for up to five further platforms.

Engineering and offshore work will commence immediately, using the Acergy Orion. Read the rest of this entry »

A father and son diving team from Liverpool believe they have uncovered the wreck of a gold-laden galleon intended for Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Veteran diver Joe McCormack, originally from Scotland Road, and son Kevin, are leading an ambitious project to excavate the seabed off Anglesey where it is believed the 18th-century vessel foundered.

The ship is thought to have been carrying gold from Louis XV of France to Bonnie Prince Charlie while he was hiding on the Scottish Islands after the failed Jacobite Rebellion of 1745/46.

Around 20 expert divers, technicians and TV crews will descend on the wreck site 50ft below the sea near Holyhead.

Former saturation diver Joe, 65, who now lives in Ormskirk, said the wreck was a “blessing for Anglesey”.

He said: “This will be a world-famous historical location if we find what we expect at this site and it could change our knowledge of this period.

“We do not know the name of the ship yet but we know from the ship’s manifest there were 852,000 Louis d’or gold coins in the cargo. We will get the ship’s name once we find the remainder of the ship’s bell and then know exactly what we have found.

“This is a lifetime dream for me, after more than 30 years of diving.

“This is of such historical importance, these were vessels that, if they had got through to their destination, could have changed the history of the UK.”

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Mike Baker loves a challenge, so despite winning a national motor-racing title, he has got his sights set even higher for next season.

The Picton businessman and race-car driver took out the 2008-09 New Zealand Bridgestone Porsche tier-two series title, raced over seven rounds in the North Island, and the NZ Porsche A-class championship.

But next season he is keen to step up to the faster and even more powerful tier-one division. Read the rest of this entry »

UK listed subsea services player Hallin Marine has been awarded a $5 million dollar contract extension with Singapore-based Swiber offshoot Kreuz.

The extension has been gained by Hallin’s Singapore-based manufacturing division, Hallin Manufacturing Services, and is for additional saturation diving equipment taken up by the offshore support company based in Singapore as options under its existing contract.

Hallin said the equipment is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter 2010.

www.upstreamonline.com

By Kristen Hays

DALLAS, TEXAS — Oil demand is still down while supply is robust, so those fundamentals don’t support the recent runup in crude prices to $60-plus from under $40 earlier this year, Exxon Mobil Corp. Chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson said Wednesday.

The weak dollar and market momentum could be contributing, but oil traders’ optimism is “just a bet on their part,” Tillerson he said after the company’s annual shareholder meeting.

“I think it’s too early to call this economy,” Tillerson said.

Light, sweet crude for July delivery rose $1 to settle at $63.45 a barrel today on the New York Mercantile Exchange–the highest close since November.

The shareholder meeting was more subdued than in previous years, with nary a protester in sight. Tillerson walked shareholders through the company’s performance last year, including its record-setting $45 billion annual profit.

Shareholders followed the board’s recommendation to reject 11 proposals, including repeat measures challenging Exxon Mobil’s commitment to renewable energy and to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Those environment-oriented proposals gained no ground over previous years.

However, a “say on pay” bid to allow shareholders to voice opinions on executive pay with a non-binding advisory vote inched a bit higher in the support column. It rose to 41.4 percent in favor, up slightly from 40.7 percent last year.

Patricia Daly, a nun with the Sisters of St. Dominic of Caldwell, N.J., has repeatedly sponsored a proposal that Exxon set goals to cut emissions from its products and operations and issue a report to investors on that plan by Sept. 30.

The Sisters pulled the same proposal from the agenda for Chevron’s annual meeting, held today in San Ramon, Calif., when the company agreed to track and report on the carbon content of its products.

Daly said Exxon Mobil has improved energy efficiency, which has helped its bottom line. But given climate change policy initiatives driven by the new administration and Congress, she said, “We’re not confident our company is ready for the financial impact.”

The proposal garnered support from 29 percent of the 4 billion shares voted, a dip from 30.9 percent in favor last year.

Another shareholder, Tracey Rembert, representing the Service Employees International Union, pushed a repeat proposal that Exxon adopt a policy on renewable energy research, development and sourcing and report its progress to investors next year. She urged the board and Tillerson to be clearer about the company’s interest in renewables.

“We need clarity on this, particularly now with policy unfolding,” she said. “If you’re not going to pursue it, just say so.”

Tillerson reiterated the company’s outlook–which mirrors energy use projections from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Paris-based International Energy Agency–that fossil fuels will provide the vast majority of energy through at least 2030.

Although renewables and alternatives are growing, their overall piece of the energy mix will remain small until they reach the massive scale at which fossil fuels are used.

“The challenge is scale, the rate of penetration and the deployment,” Tillerson said. “Our approach to alternative energy in the near term is alternative ways to consume, which is less damaging. We do it as a serious risk management program.”

Shareholders gave the renewables proposal 27.3 percent of votes cast, a slight dip from 27.5 percent in favor last year.

Of other proposals, a repeat bid to split the roles of chairman and CEO, which unlike last year’s proposal would have been binding, lost a quarter of its support. The non-binding proposal garnered 39.5 percent of votes cast last year and 29.5 percent today.

kristen.hays@chron.com

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Subsea 7 Inc has announced that it has been awarded an exclusive 3 year frame agreement contract with Nexen Petroleum U.K. Limited for subsea field development works on all its UK assets.

The contract includes involvement of Subsea 7 at the front end, in concept development and costing, provision of project management, design engineering, procurement, fabrication, right through to installation and commissioning, with the potential to provide inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) services in the future, one of a broad range of products available from Subsea 7’s Life-of-Field Services offering. The two companies will work closely together to ensure alignment and value creation throughout project lifecycles. Read the rest of this entry »

By Jane Mundy

Trail, BC — Tony was a commercial diver for 25 years until a year ago when he was diagnosed with bone necrosis (dysbaric osteonecrosis), a painful disease that is well known as a long term consequence of diving. To help manage the pain, his doctor first prescribed morphine then he started wearing the fentanyl patch. “I am scared to death of these fentanyl Duragesic patches,” says Tony.

“I was on slow-release morphine before getting the patch but I was so tired of taking pills that my doctor suggested I try the fentanyl,” says Tony. “I thought it would be a good alternative rather than swallowing so many pills three times a day. But in retrospect I would rather be on the pills—I had more energy and they are probably safer. Read the rest of this entry »