Exploration
Fugro launches new service Fugro has created Fugro Gravity & Magnetic Services (FGMS) to market its worldwide gravity and magnetic capabilities for oil and gas exploration and production. FGMS is the business development arm of Fugro Airborne Surveys, Fugro Ground Geophysics, and Fugro Robertson (marine) and will provide a full spectrum of potential field tools, including technologies such as FALCON airborne gravity gradiometry and Fugro-LCT Software.

Graphics enhanced
Seismic Micro-Technology (SMT) has announced a collaboration with NVIDIA Corp. to improve the performance of SMT Kingdom software using NVIDIA Quadro graphics cards. The integration of NVIDIA technology with SMT’s software will provide comprehensive new workflows that allow novice and experienced users to quickly and efficiently model the subsurface.

Nanosensors proposed
The Advanced Energy Consortium, a research consortium managed by the Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin’s Jackson School of Geosciences, has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to develop micro- and nanoscale technology for enhanced reservoir characterization and hydrocarbon detection in conventional oil and gas reservoirs with the ultimate goal of increasing hydrocarbon recovery from known fields. The consortium expects to fund US $6 million to $7 million in grants. The RFP and supporting documentation can be found at www.beg.utexas.edu/aec.

SCAN begins large project

SCAN Geophysical ASA has begun acquiring more than 5,175 miles (8,500 km) of 2-D data offshore Portugal for Petrobras International Braspetro B.V.-Portugal Branch on behalf of a consortium formed by Galp and Partex.

Ingrain’s new imaging system
Ingrain, a Houston-based rock physics company, will provide geoscientists insight into the base properties of reservoir rock samples with its recent acquisition of a revolutionary NanoXCT imaging device. The new imaging technology can reveal unprecedented, nano-scale three-dimensional resolution of reservoir rock’s pore structures.

ION acquires ARAM

ION Geophysical Corp. announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding shares of ARAM Systems Ltd., a Canadian-based provider of cable-based land seismic recording systems, and its affiliate company, Canadian Seismic Rentals Inc.
IHS acquires log assets

IHS Inc. announced the acquisition of the current inventory of digital log and raster image assets of Reservoir Visualization Inc., an exploration and reservoir management consultancy specializing in the creation of stratigraphic framework used in oil and gas prospecting. The US $4.1 million cash acquisition doubles the current IHS digital log inventory and significantly expands the company’s raster log inventory, creating the industry’s leading digital well log subscription program.

AGM provides BP with services

AGM Inc. has signed a Corporate Enterprise Agreement with BP Plc for AGM’s high-end 3-D geological interpretation and visualization technology and related services. The agreement provides for deployment of AGM’s flagship product, Recon, throughout BP worldwide. The multiyear contract also provides customized, enhanced training, delivered by AGM, to ensure the successful uptake and full usage of the technology.

Drilling

ExxonMobil has production started offshore Angola

ExxonMobil has started production from the Saxi and Batuque fields, which are part of its Kizomba C deepwater development offshore Angola. The two fields, combined with output from the Mondo field, which started production in January, will bring peak production from Kizomba C to 200,000 b/d by later this year, ExxonMobil said. Kizomba C has the capacity to produce about 600 million bbl of oil from the three fields, which lie in water depths of about 2,625 ft (800 m). The development includes 36 subsea wells feeding two floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels. The two vessels deployed on Kizomba C make a total of five floaters on Block 15, including Xikomba, Kizomba A, and Kizomba B. Block 15, which ExxonMobil operates, is expected to produce around 700,000 b/d when the Saxi and Batuque flows hit peak production.

Contracts extended for services offshore Norway

StatoilHydro has extended contracts worth US $460 million with Halliburton, M-I SWACO, and Schlumberger for cementing and fluid services offshore Norway. The two-year contract extension with Halliburton comprises fluid and cementing services on several installations, while the deal with M-I SWACO is for fluid services for a further two years. The extension with Schlumberger covers cementing services for two years. All of the agreements come into force on Sept. 1.
Production

Nexen to tie back Blackbird discovery in the North Sea

Nexen will tieback its Blackbird discovery in the UK North Sea to the Ettrick FPSO in a fast-track development project.
The well, drilled by the semisubmersible GSF Arctic IV in Block 20/2a, encountered 111 ft (34 m) of net pay in multiple zones a drill stem tested and flowed at an average restricted rate of 3,800 b/d of oil through a 34?64-in. choke. Nexen said analysis indicated high quality crude oil in good quality reservoir sands. The well has been suspended for use as a production well, while work progresses to fast track development as a subsea tie-back to the nearby Ettrick FPSO. Nexen is operator of the Blackbird well with a 79.73% working interest.

Perdido Spar moves into place

The Shell-operated Perdido Regional Development Spar has arrived in the ultra-deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico and is currently being secured to the seafloor in about 8,000 ft (2,440 m) of water. Once completed, the Perdido spar will be nearly as tall as the Eiffel Tower and weigh as much as 10,000 cars. It will be the deepest oil development in the world, the deepest drilling and production platform in the world, and have the deepest subsea well in the world. The facility is designed to produce 100,000 b/d of oil and 200 MMcf of gas.
Production from these fields — Great White, Silvertip and Tobago — will be transported via new and existing pipelines to US refineries.

General

Merger talks end

TGS-Nopec’s board has recommended the company terminate the planned merger with Wavefield Inseis and seek compensation of US $700 million. TGS said the management and board are now unanimously of the view that a friendly merger is no longer possible.
Contract signed
Wellstream International has signed a four-year framework agreement with Brazil’s Petrobras for the provision of flow lines and risers. The contract, which covers the procurement of standard 2.5-in. to 9.5-in. flow lines and risers is worth more than US $1.2 billion.

$ 45 million contract awarded

Subsea 7 has scooped a US $45 million contract from Marathon for the fabrication and installation of flow lines for the Droshky field development in the Gulf of Mexico. Subsea 7 will fabricate and install two 8-in. flow lines totaling 36 miles (58 km). Subsea 7’s full scope of work on the project includes project management, engineering, fabrication and installation services associated with the subsea infrastructure, including the flow lines, pipeline end terminations, and risers. The pipeline will be fabricated at the company’s new fabrication and spoolbase facility at Port Isabel, Texas.