Fugrohas beguna four-month marine site characterisationcampaignforSwedish energy groupVattenfallattwo majoroffshore wind development siteslocatedover 40kmoff the coast of Norfolk, UK. Theresulting Geo-datafromFugros geotechnical investigationswillfeed into the ground model forthe Norfolk Vanguard andNorfolk Boreas wind farms, which will have a total installed capacity of 3.6GW,enough to power more than 3.9million homes.

Fugro has mobilised the Fugro Scout to perform surveys and sampling on their latest site characterisation campaign for Vattenfall off the coast of Norfolk, UK

Working from its dynamically positioned (DP2)geotechnicaldrillshipFugro Scout, Fugro is performing surveys and samplingusingits proprietarySEACALFMk VDeepDrivecone penetration testing systemat both sites,and will carry outtestingbothin situ and at the companys world-class soilslaboratoriesinWallingford,UK,and Nootdorpin theNetherlands.Thesite characterisationworkis split across twoprojects:thefirstwillhelpVattenfalloptimisethewind turbinefoundationengineeringdesign;thesecondwillassistVattenfallinselectingthemost efficient cable route from the onshore substation to the turbines.

Rob Anderson, Project Director of Vattenfall UKs Norfolk Vanguard and Norfolk Boreas Projects,said:The Norfolk Vanguard and Norfolk Boreas projects are huge and complicated infrastructure projects requiring long-term planning and support from specialistservice providersduring their development and beyond.We are pleased to partner with Fugro on these important site investigationprojects,who we can rely on to providethe necessaryGeo-dataforthe next phase of engineering and procurement.

John ten Hoope, Fugros Marine Site Characterisation Directorfor Europe and Africa, said: Wehave beena trusted partner of Vattenfallin Europe formany years. These latestoffshore windcontracts havefurtherstrengthenedour workingrelationship, which is based not only on Fugro consistently delivering technical excellence but also on shared company valuesto create a safe and liveable world.

ClickheretowatchashortvideoofFugrosintegratedsolutionfordevelopingoffshorewind farms.

https://www.fugro.com/your-industry/power/offshore-wind

About Fugro

Fugro is the worlds leading Geo-data specialist, collecting and analysing comprehensive information about the Earth and the structures built upon it. Adopting an integrated approach that incorporates acquisition and analysis of Geo-data and related advice, Fugro provides solutions. With expertise in site characterisation and asset integrity, clients are supported in the safe, sustainable and efficient design, construction and operation of their assets throughout the full lifecycle.

Employing approximately9,500talented people in 61countries, Fugro serves clients around the globe, predominantly in the energy and infrastructure industries, both offshore and onshore. In 2019, revenue amounted to EUR1.6 billion. The company is listed on Euronext Amsterdam.

About Vattenfall

Vattenfall is a leading European energy company, which for morethan 100 years has electrified industries, supplied energy to peoples homes and modernised our way of living through innovation and cooperation. We now want to make fossil free living possible within one generation. Thats why we are driving the transition to a sustainable energy system through initiatives in renewable production and climate smart energy solutions for our customers. We employ approximately 20,000 people and have operations mainly in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, the UK and Finland. Vattenfall is owned by the Swedish state.

Vattenfall has been working in the UK for more than ten years, developing fossil free energy projects. We have grown our windbusiness from one project in 2008 to 11 today. We continue to grow in district heating and power networks, to make fossil free living possible within one generation.

Vattenfall is planning two offshore wind farms off the coast of Norfolk that could power more than 3.9 million UK homes. Norfolk Vanguard has been granted consent and Norfolk Boreas is in the examination phase, with a final consent decision expected in April 2021.

http://www.vattenfall.co.uk/vattenfallinnorfolk

(Visited 5 times, 5 visits today)

Read the original:

Fugro starts Vattenfall site investigations at two UK offshore wind farms - GISuser.com

An aerial view of an in-ocean salmon farm in Norway.

An executive order issued by President Donald Trump on May 7th moved to open up federal waters to commercial fish farming (aquaculture). The area has previously been off-limits. The executive order intends to promote U.S. seafood production and create a hassle-free regulatory process for offshore aquaculture projects. While the aquaculture industry is celebrating, many conservationists and commercial fishers are not happy with the move.

Coastal waters in the U.S. are managed in zones under different authorities. The Submerged Lands Act of 1953 secured state control over waters from the coastline to three miles out to sea. Beyond that mark, waters are federally managed to 200 miles offshore. This federal zone is called the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). While nearshore aquaculture in the U.S. is regulated by states, there is currently no explicit authority in charge of permitting and regulating aquaculture in federal waters, which provides a significant stumbling block for anyone interested in starting up an offshore fish farm. The executive order designates the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the government agency lead on all aquaculture projects in the EEZ and also requires that all permitting decisions on new aquaculture projects be made within two years, significantly speeding up the process. An executive order is needed to establish priority amongst the many agencies that have authority in the offshore space, says Margaret Henderson, campaign manager for the aquaculture lobby group Stronger America Through Seafood.

Despite having the largest EEZ in the world, the U.S. currently has no commercial fish farms in any of it. NOAA fishery statistics indicate that approximately 90% of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported, however this estimate is debated by some that argue that it is far less given the fact that much of the fish caught in the U.S. is exported for processing, only to be sent back to be consumed. Regardless of the percentage, proponents argue that expanding U.S. offshore aquaculture will lower imports and stimulate domestic production.

After taking a beating in sales during the coronavirus pandemic, the seafood industry is still not where it once was. With at least 70% of seafood going to restaurants, the pandemic lockdowns have disproportionately affected sales for seafood suppliers. The executive order provides a way forward for aquaculture projects that have been stalled due to burdensome processes and restrictions. However some argue that by boosting aquaculture, wild fisheries would face even more competition.

Some argue that putting fish farms in our federal waters is short-sighted and ill-informed. Concerns over the spread of disease, antibiotic use, and escapes from fish farms are driving the backlash against the executive order. Another concern is the amount of fish waste that will be deposited in the ocean, which could cause algal blooms due to increased levels of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous. Although studies have been done to assess impact of potential offshore farms, scale is an important factor. Impacts seen at a large commercial scale may not be represented in the studies.

These concerns are nothing new, and are rooted in examples from history. However aquaculture has come a long way since its nascent years. Bryton Shang, CEO of tech startup Aquabyte, which uses machine learning to advance aquaculture sustainability, believes that the use of technology in aquaculture will eliminate many of these concerns. Using cameras mounted in fish pens, they can now count the sea lice on each individual fish to keep infestations under control. They also built fish facial recognition software which can determine individual fish size and growth to avoid overfeeding. Cameras can also be used to inspect for damage before there is a catastrophic breakdown leading to escapes. The technology is being used in offshore farms in Norway already.

While in-ocean aquaculture has seen many advancements in technology and infrastructure in recent years, accidents and mishaps still occur. Strong storms can break cages and lead to escapes. Escape of farmed fish is problematic because interbreeding of farmed and wild fish can diminish the fitness of wild species. Shang says that there are still challenges to offshore development; You need to be able to operate these farms without anyone there, which requires more automation, you need to also make sure that theyre managing pollution and parasites, which is where technology can help, but he is confident that the U.S., while late to the game of offshore aquaculture, can benefit from the advancements that have already been developed around the world to start strong.

The aquaculture industry is pushing hard for offshore production, saying that compared to other forms of protein, seafood is about as environmentally-friendly as it gets. Faced with an exploding population, advocates say we have to think about the inevitable: feeding more people with the same amount of space. Farming fish in greater volumes is one proposed solution, and doing so in our own waters makes economic sense. Environmentalists argue that we should not rush to bolster the industry without sound science to back up the claims that the environment will be protected. If the impact turns out to be worse than advertised there may be a big environmental price to pay.

View post:

The Pros And Cons Of Expanding United States Offshore Aquaculture In 2020 - Forbes

Swire Blue Ocean (SBO) has secured a contract with MHI Vestas for the transportation and installation of turbines at the Seagreen offshore wind project in Scotland.

Seagreen will comprise 114 MHI Vestas V164-10 MW turbines located some 27 kilometers off the Angus coast.

SBO expects to commence the installation of the units in the second half of 2021.

Upon completion of Seagreen, offshore wind turbines installed by our vessels should be capable of meeting the energy needs of more than half of Scottish households; which is a great achievement for our company, said SBO CEO Mikkel Gleerup.

We could not have reached this phenomenal milestone without committed project partners such as MHI Vestas and SSE, companies that have demonstrated dedication to the expansion of offshore wind in Scotland.

SSE Renewables reachedthe final investment decision (FID)for Seagreen in early June, when it also announced that Total would take a 51% stake in the project.

The 1,075 MW wind farm is planned to be commissioned in 2024.

Read more:

Swire Blue Ocean to Install Seagreen Turbines - Offshore WIND

(Map courtesy Kinsale Energy)

Offshore staff

CORK, Ireland Petronas subsidiary PSE Kinsale Energy has shut down gas production from the Kinsale Head field offshore southern Ireland.

Marathon Oil discovered the field in 1971, 50 km (31 mi) from the Cork coast and in 90 m (295 ft) of water. The company commissioned two fixed steel platforms, Alpha and Bravo, for the development which came onstream in 1978.

Later the company tied in production from the satellite Ballycotton and Southwest Kinsale fields via subsea facilities, with Ramco Energy subsequently connecting gas from the Seven Heads field in 2003.

These represented Irelands sole source of indigenous gas until Shell developed the Corrib field offshore the Mayo coast of northwest Ireland (now operated by Vermillion Energy). Southwest Kinsale was redeveloped for offshore gas storage.

PSE Kinsale Energy expects decommissioning of the wells and removal of the platform structures to take several years to complete.

07/20/2020

See more here:

Gas production ceases from Kinsale fields offshore southern Ireland - Offshore Oil and Gas Magazine

Confirming receipt of the 10 July 2020 letter from UK HSE principal inspector of health and safety Trevor Johnson, IMCA said it raised concerns about recent incidents in the wind energy industry.

With companies starting to increase activity levels in some areas we believe this letter should act as a timely reminder for all our members to remain vigilant with regards to health and safety, said IMCA.

We are currently defining our approach to the HSEs request; however, the first step is sharing the letter with our members.

In the letter, the HSE noted that UK governments are moving into the next stages of their responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. As work activity increases and following a review of recent Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDORs) and data from the various industry bodies, I have concluded that in some sectors of the wind energy industry, improvements in health and safety performance have at best stalled if not reversed, said Mr Johnson.

In 2020, there have been a number of serious incidents both in the UK and elsewhere which could indicate that any reversal may continue. This would be unacceptable.

I know that your organisation and your members state your commitment to improve health and safety; however, there is a renewed need to ensure that all organisations and individuals provide the necessary leadership to ensure health and safety remains an industry priority.

HSE plans to restart proactive site inspections at offshore and onshore windfarms. These inspections will allow HSE to determine if the industry is Covid-19 compliant; performance was not compromised during the pandemic and arrangements to manage health and safety are provided, said Mr Johnson.

The HSE said that while it will continue to consider the holistic approach to health and safety, it will specifically consider a number of matters. These include ensuring work equipment subject to statutory inspection regimes is in a safe condition and arrangements are in place to ensure all inspections are now being carried out; and that arrangements are in place to ensure new entrants into the industry are provided with suitable information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure they work safely.

It also wants to ensure that during the period where social distancing measures are required and thereafter, suitable arrangements for monitoring and auditing performance are provided.

Mr Johnson said the HSE also wants to ensure that well publicised cost-reductions or other pressures do not lead to compromises in health and safety and in particular that work is planned to ensure that revised deadlines are realistically achievable in practice and do not lead to work being conducted in poor weather or dangerous environmental conditions.

Other focus areas include ensuring that emergency response arrangements are provided, fully and regularly tested with lessons learnt incorporated; that arrangements are in place to monitor factors including fatigue and personal circumstances to ensure individual well-being; and incidents, cases of ill-health, dangerous occurrences and safety observations are properly reported, investigated and where necessary, steps taken to prevent recurrence.

I would be obliged if you could forward this letter to your members. If you or any of your members wish to discuss the content of this letter further than please contact me. I would ask you to respond, on behalf of your members by 3 August 2020 indicating the steps that will be taken to deliver health and safety improvements, said Mr Johnson.

Read more:

Health & Safety Executive raises concerns about offshore wind industry - Riviera Maritime Media

Aberdeen offshore rental firm Hiretech has announced it has acquired new equipment as part of a recent six figure investment in decommissioning equipment.

The 600,000 investment was encouraged following client feedback received by Hiretech.

It has resulted in the firm taking receipt of newly built subsea shears and hydraulic grabs.

Duncan Duthie, decommissioning and subsea business development manager, said: We were keen to pinpoint the correct target for our investment, and collaborated with our clients and the manufacturer to go back to first principles for the subsea shears.

We now have shears specifically designed for water depths of up to 10,000 feet with performance, ease of operation and maintenance a priority.

Hiretech, which offers equipment rental and personnel supply to the energy and marine industries, has not been unaffected by the effects of Covid-19 and the recent oil price volatility, its bosses said.

But the firm added that it believes the business environment has now stabilised.

Andy Buchan, Hiretech chief executive, said: Talking to our peers and clients, it is apparent that activity drops through the worst months of the pandemic of up to 70% from last year were not uncommon, although there are definitely encouraging signs of a bump off the bottom at the moment.

Like other businesses, we have had to resize, refocus and reinvigorate our team to meet the new challenges we face.

We see tremendous opportunities for SMEs in the new world.

See the original post:

Hiretech snaps up new offshore equipment as part of recent 600k investment - News for the Oil and Gas Sector - Energy Voice

Norwegian company Aker Solutions is spinning off its offshore wind and carbon capture businesses to shareholders and merging with Kvaerner to create an optimised supplier company.

Kjetel Digre has also been appointed chief executive of Aker Solutions, effective 1 August, to lead the combined company.

Digre joins from Aker BP, where he held the role of senior vice president of operations and asset development.

The spin off its wind and carbon capture businesses to Aker Solutionsshareholders will result in two separate companies expected to be admitted to trading on Merkur Market on the Oslo Stock Exchange.

Aker Solutions chairman Oyvind Eriksen said: Aker Solutions has developed technology and taken strong positions in markets for offshore wind and carbon capture, utilisation and storage.

However, it has become increasingly clear that these businesses represent value creation opportunities in a world transitioning to green solutions at accelerated speed and have more potential as stand-alone companies than as an integrated part of an oil service business.

Renewables and green technologies have entirely different value chains, customers, investor bases and sources of funding.

Capitalising and separating the offshore wind and CCUS business areas from Aker Solutions present a unique opportunity for growth and value creation.

Aker Solutions said it will be an alliance partner and preferred supplier to both companies to create revenue and customer value within the wind and CCUS markets.

Kvaerner and Aker Solutions have entered into a merger plan, whereby the two entities will join forces to create a new supplier company.

Aker Solutions and Kvaerner have agreed to merge the companies based on the principle of equal parties, with the new company called Aker Solutions.

The consolidation will take the form of a statutory merger whereby Aker Solutions will absorb Kvaerner in accordance with the Norwegian Public Limited Liability Companies Act.

Aker Solutions proposed new chairman Leif-Arne Langoy said: By combining the two companies and their complementary resources, we will be able to deliver a more complete offering to a global energy industry.

The combined company will do fabrication at own its facilities or in cooperation with partners around the world.

It will have about 15,000 employees in more than 50 locations in 25 countries around the world, including about 8000 employees in Norway.

Link:

Aker Solutions to spin off offshore wind unit - reNEWS

A coalition of former military officials is urging lawmakers to extend a ban on drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, arguing a lapse in the moratorium will hurt military preparedness.

The letter comes as Florida lawmakers are seeking to extend the moratorium, which expires in June 2022, as Congress grapples with the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a bill that sets military policy for the year.

The expansive area off Floridas Gulf coast has a long history of providing unconstrained access for military training and testing activities that are essential to our national security, the letter, signed by more than 80 people, states.

The letter argued the Gulf provides more uninterrupted surface and airspace than all other ranges in the lower 48 combined, calling the area an asset that simply cannot be replicated anywhere else.

Simply put, failure to extend the eastern Gulf moratorium poses a threat to Americas military preparedness and threatens our national defense goals," the letter adds.

Sen. Marco RubioMarco Antonio RubioRubio mistakenly tweets tribute to Lewis with picture of late Elijah Cummings GOP senators sound alarm as coronavirus surges in home states 'Everything about this is unprecedented': GOP grapples with its convention amid pandemic MORE (R-Fla.) has proposed an amendment to the NDAA that would extend the offshore drilling ban through 2032.

Another would require the secretary of Defense to sign off on all future lease sales in Floridas Gulf to assure the drilling wouldn't interfere with military operations a move Rubios team says will functionally block any drilling given the history of military opposition tothe practice in the area.

The fear for both Florida lawmakers and the military is another big oil spill like the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, a hit to Floridas ecosystem and its economy.

Military leaders said another months-long cleanup would also hurt training activities.

If our troops cannot practice in conditions found throughout the Gulf Range, they will be less prepared to defend our nation in a time of need, the letter states.

We cannot give up an inch of ground when it comes to the current moratorium," it says.

Read more:

Former military leaders push to extend ban on offshore drilling in Florida gulf | TheHill - The Hill

Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind and Stockton University have entered a sublease agreement for 180 square metres of commercial space, where the offshore wind developer will set up an Educational and Community Outreach Center to host informational events for the local community.

The premises are located on the Boardwalk and Roosevelt Avenues in the Stockton Atlantic City Residential Complex.

Atlantic Shores signed a ten-year lease, effective as of 15 July, with an option for two five-year extensions.

As we progress development of our first wind project, we know its important for the Atlantic City community to have access to us right where they live. We look forward to meeting and listening to residents, advocates and local organizations at this space and using it as a venue to offer educational lectures and labs, said Chris Hart, Managing Director of Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind.

Atlantic Shores is a 50:50 joint venture between EDF Renewables North America and Shell New Energies US LLC.

The special purpose companyholds development rightsfor an offshore wind zone located some 14 to 32 kilometres off the New Jersey coast, between Barnegat Light and Atlantic City, covering some 183,000 hectares.

Within the lease area, which has the potential toaccommodate 2.5 GW of installed offshore wind capacity, the developer plans to build multiple projects over the next decade.

Site investigation and characterisation surveys have been under way since May and will continue through the autumn and winter.

Excerpt from:

Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Rents Place from Stockton University - Offshore WIND

Fitch Ratings

International rating agency Fitch Ratings is very pessimistic about exploration-focused oilfield service (OFS) companies. The rating agency stated that the sector will face the largest demand decline as a result of oil and gas producers cutting their capex and operating expenditure. These developments will be the same for drillers. Both sectors are going to feel the negative impact of cuts in oil and gas producers capital programs, where exploration investment cuts are expected to be a reduction of 20%-30% in 2020 yoy.

Fitch reported also OFS companies serving projects with high full-cycle costs, such as deep-water offshore assets or shale basins, will also be affected. North America-focused Nabors (B-/Rating Watch Negative) and Precision Drilling (B+/Negative) are exposed to the volatile spending patterns of US shale producers.

OFS diversified companies, exposed to the entire life-cycle of a well, are more resilient. Fitch is reasonably positive about ADES International (B+/Stable), currently servicing customers in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, while Eurasia Drilling (BB+/Stable) is focused on Russia. Even that they both will be effected by OPEC+ production cuts, their overall performance will continue as their producing areas are lower-cost geographies.

The current overall global downturn will be for an extended period of time, as the OFS market will experience a recovery lag of four to six quarters. Even if oil and gas prices will recover slowly, oil and gas producers, the main clients, will be very cautious about increasing exploration and drilling activity. Even if utilization rates for rigs and vessels will improve to 2019 levels in 2021, day rates and need for new builds will be lagging behind 1-1.5 years at the least.

At the same time, most offshore drillers will be faced very soon by a combination of threats. Most OFS and drilling companies have been stacking an increased amount of assets. The latter is seen as cost saving measure. Still they are facing lower revenues and cash flows the next coming years. This combination is maybe for some even very toxic.

Fitch warns that OFS companies with significant debt maturities up to 2022 will face refinancing challenges. A combination of low operation cash flow generation and lacking access to capital markets could lead to a potential shake out. Ongoing crisis measures in the sector is also not promising, as shedding workforce or closing production facilities by shipyards worldwide decreases flexibility to react to changing markets, and puts several blockades already in place in time of recovery. Sembcorp Marine or Noble Drilling are prime examples of the current crisis situation.

The offshore drilling market could even be facing another major threat, if the news coming out of India is right. In light of the India-China military and geopolitical rivalry, offshore drilling companies and shipyards are now in the crosshairs of the Indian officials.

Potential direct links between international drillers and the Chinese government could be a future threat to the sector. At least in India after that the Indian government has started an assessment of the position of Chinese government-linked investors in Dubai-based Shelf Drilling. The latter offshore driller holds almost 30 per cent market share in Indias shallow water oil drilling market, in terms of drilling rigs on charter.

The issue has come on the table due to the fact that the Indian government and its agencies have restricted, or even banned, the use of Chinese products and services in the country, following the recent flare-up along the border. Shell Drilling, listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, and a major largest pure-play jack-up oil drilling rig contractor, works in India mostly for state-owned ONGC Ltd, Indias biggest explorer of oil and gas.

News that China Merchants and Great Wall Ocean Strategy & Technology Fund (China Merchants), a $1-billion marine industry-focused fund sponsored by China Merchants Group (CMG), is the largest shareholder of Shelf Drilling with a 19.7 per cent stake, is a possible major security issue.

China Merchants is a $1 trillion diversified group fully owned by the Chinese state. The jack-up rigs were constructed at China Merchants Heavy Industries (CMHI), the worlds largest CJ jack-up drilling rig manufacturer. Shelf Drilling operates eight rigs in India of which seven are currently on contract with ONGC out of the 25 jack-up rigs chartered by ONGC. All seven are deployed in the hyper-sensitive Arabian Sea region. Several of these are located near Mumbai, the financial capital of India.

According to Indian government officials, the presence of the Chinese government in the strategic and sensitive offshore oil drilling sector has become a matter of concern. Since years, Chinese companies linked to the Beijing government are barred from bidding for Indian port construction and operation contracts mainly due to the sour political relations between the two sides. India is also discussing to classify exploration and drilling of oil and gas as a strategically sensitive sector (both economically and for national security), and accordingly provide protection and oversight by restricting participation in the sector to entities.

Taking the Indian developments to a more global power play, the Indian views could be taken over soon by others too. An emerging anti-China position in the EU and USA could result the coming months in a focus on Chinese maritime sector investments and the stranglehold some of these Chinese parties have. Offshore oil and gas projects are until now not regarded very sensitive, but looking at the current production regions and maritime position, an opposite position could be supported very soon.

If these issues are going to play a role, the OFS, and especially offshore rig markets, will be heading for a major restructuring. Blocking or restraining Chinese government interference and power play in oil and gas developments are likely to see some support in Washington, Brussels and India. Domestic support for the struggling maritime sectors in these regions is already available. For offshore vessel or jackup companies it looks to be time of reassessing their options. Better to be prepared than to be confronted by political and security facts without a warning.

For all non-Chinese parties in offshore drilling it will be a necessity to keep an eye on the Indian developments, while addressing other options. COVID already is a Black Swan of unknown importance. Threats from Chinese interference could be having major impact on the valuations of them all.

See the article here:

Betting on Offshore Oil and Gas could be Challenging, as Sector Hit by COVID and China Risks - FX Empire