Category Archives: Offshore

This photograph shows turbines at the Borkum Riffgrund 2 wind farm, which Orsted owns 50% of.

CharlieChesvick | iStock Unreleased | Getty Images

Danish energy company Orsted wants to construct a large-scale offshore wind farm in the North Sea and link it to so-called "renewable" hydrogen production on the European mainland, with the project garnering support from several major industrial firms.

Under the proposals, which were outlined on Wednesday, Orsted would develop a 2 gigawatt (GW) offshore wind facility and 1 GW of electrolyzer capacity, with the company claiming its plans would result in "one of the world's largest renewable hydrogen plants to be linked to industrial demand."

The SeaH2Land development which is supported by companies including ArcelorMittal, Yara and Dow would also include 45 kilometers of hydrogen pipelines between Belgium and the Netherlands.

The electrolyzer part of the project to be built in two 500 megawatt phases would use electricity from the wind farm to produce hydrogen.

Among other things, partners involved in the development need to undertake a full feasibility study of SeaH2Land, while Orsted has yet to take a final investment decision. If all goes smoothly and the project gets the green light, however, both portions of the electrolyzer could be up and running by 2030.

"As the world looks to decarbonise, it's paramount that we act now to secure the long-term competitiveness of European industry in a green economy," Martin Neubert, Orsted's chief commercial officer, said in a statement.

Described by the International Energy Agency as a "versatile energy carrier," hydrogen has a diverse range of applications and can be produced in a number of ways.

One method includes using electrolysis, with an electric current splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen. If the electricity used in the process comes from a renewable source such as wind or solar then some describe it as "green" or "renewable" hydrogen.

The last few years have seen a number of businesses take an interest in projects connected to renewable hydrogen, while major economies such as the European Union have laid out plans to install at least 40 GW of renewable hydrogen electrolyzers by 2030.

In March, a major green hydrogen facility in Germany started operations. The "WindH2" project, as it's known, involves German steel giant Salzgitter, E.ON subsidiary Avacon and Linde, a firm specializing in engineering and industrial gases.

Elsewhere, a subsidiary of multinational building materials firm HeidelbergCement has worked with researchers from Swansea University to install and operate a green hydrogen demonstration unit at a site in the U.K.

The interest in hydrogen is not restricted to Europe. In a speech last November, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his country was proposing to launch what he described as "a comprehensive National Hydrogen Energy Mission."

Presenting the country's budget earlier this year, Nirmala Sitharaman, India's finance minister, referenced Modi's announcement, adding: "It is now proposed to launch a Hydrogen Energy Mission in 2021-22 for generating hydrogen from green power sources."

The planet's third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, India's attempt to embrace hydrogen and other renewable technologies it's targeting 450 GW of renewable capacity by 2030 would, if fully realized, represent a significant shift for the country.

Continued here:

Orsted to link a huge offshore wind farm to 'renewable' hydrogen production - CNBC

Offshore oil and gas drilling is set for a rebound this year following a major 2020 pullback when exploration and production companies deferred many activities due to the pandemic and the collapse in oil prices. Lower lifting and breakeven costs at the most prolific offshore oil regions off Brazil and Guyana are setting the stage for a rebound in offshore drilling in South America, which will be one of the main growth drivers of global offshore activity this year, analysts say.

Drilling and well services spending in Latin America is forecast to grow strongly, thanks to continued offshore activity in Brazil as Brazils state oil giant Petrobras focuses on the deepwater pre-salt basin. The promising Guyana basin will also see new wells drilled and discoveries developed, according to the latest World Drilling & Well Services Market Forecast 2021-2025 Q1 by Westwood Global Energy.

Global Offshore Spending To Grow From 2020 Lows

Although operators around the world remain cautious about capex, this years expenditure on drilling & well services (DWS)both offshore and onshoreis set to grow to US$156 billion, slightly up from last year. The higher spending will be the result of higher oil prices and forecasts of recovery in demand, Westwood Global Energy said.

The United States, China, and Russia will lead onshore drilling activities, while Brazil and Guyana will be the key drivers of offshore spending, the analysts said.

Rystad Energy also sees South AmericaBrazil and Guyana in particularas the main contributor to offshore drilling growth. Offshore activity is set for annual increases of around 10 percent in each of 2021 and 2022, the energy research firm said last week.

In contrast to previous years, when the North American shale sector led production growth, we expect the onshore and offshore shelf in the Middle East and the deepwater market in South America to be the main drivers of growth going forward, said Daniel Holmedal, energy research analyst at Rystad Energy.

Related: U.S. Oil Rig Count Posts Double-Digit Gains As Oil Prices Rise Offshore investment is set for a rapid rebound this year, driven by deferred projects from 2020 and a resurgent Petrobras, Thom Payne, Head of Offshore at Westwood Global Energy, wrote in an analysis in February.

Low breakeven costs make Brazils pre-salt and Guyanas basin very attractive drilling opportunities, even if oil prices were at $40 per barrel.

Projects in Brazils pre-salt region have breakeven oil prices as low as $35 per barrel, Effuah Alleyne, Senior Analyst at GlobalData, said at the end of last year.

Guyanas ultra-deepwater projects in the frontier Guyana-Suriname Basin have breakeven oil prices as low as $23/bbl, with short-term production expected to grow 10-fold by 2024 from projects such as Liza Phase 2, Alleyne noted.

Guyana A Top Priority For Exxon

Exxons continued exploration and development on the Stabroek block offshore Guyana is set to drive offshore drilling in the country in the coming years.

Guyana is one of the top priorities in the U.S. supermajors strategy to focus on high-return and cash-generating projects that would allow it to grow its dividend through 2025.

90 percent of our upstream investments in resource additions, including in Guyana, Brazil and the U.S. Permian Basin, generate a 10 percent return at $35 per barrel or less, Exxons chairman and CEO Darren Woods said on the investor day last month.

Despite disappointing early 2021 drilling results, exploration activity in Guyana is on track to set an annual record of 16 wells, including on the Stabroek block, according to Rystad Energy.

Related: Recent SEC Decision Could Spark Investment In Big Oil

Exxon is also currently developing the Liza Phase 2 Project, designed to pump up to 220,000 bpd with a floating, production, storage, and offloading vessel (FPSO), with start-up expected in the middle of next year. Exxon has also recently made the final investment decision on the Payara oilfield offshore Guyana, expecting the project to yield up to 220,000 bpd of crude when commercial production begins in 2024.

Brazils Petrobras Focuses On The Prolific Pre-salt Basin

Petrobras is heavily divesting non-core assets onshore and offshore, as well as refinery operations, as it continues to cut its massive debt and bets big on boosting production and development in the very prolific and low-cost pre-salt basin.

Over the past five years, the share of the pre-salt region in the companys oil and gas production has jumped to 66 percent in 2020 from just 24 percent in 2015, Petrobras said earlier this year when it announced that its 2020 annual oil and gas production hit a record high. Production in the pre-salt basin totaled 1.86 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) in 2020 out of Petrobras total 2.84 million boed output last year.

Despite the crash in oil prices, Petrobras continued its strong cash flow generation, with free cash flow at US$10.4 billion for the first nine months of 2020, Fitch Ratings said in February, affirming its ratings on Petrobras.

The strong cash flow generation, even with collapsing oil prices the primary result of cost and capex reductions. Petrobras reported a material decline in lifting costs in 2020 to around US$5.10 per barrel of oil equivalent (boe) from approximately US$9.6/boe in 2019, Fitch said. The significant decrease in lifting costs was the result of cost reductions and the growing share of Petrobras pre-salt production, which has a lower lifting cost than legacy production, the rating agency noted.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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The 2 Nations Driving The Recovery In Offshore Oil - OilPrice.com

Offshore flow is lingering across the region Thursday, which means the warmer daytime highs will continue for the central coast.

Expect temperatures along the coast to range from the mid-to-upper 70s, while coastal and inland valleys will likely have another 80-degree day. One change in the forecast Thursday morning will be the return of mid-to-high level cloud cover. The clouds will mostly mix out by the afternoon, but there is a possibility they could linger towards the coast and over the valleys too.

Afternoon winds will primarily shift out of the northwest Thursday afternoon and be mild with wind speeds up to 10 miles per hour.

Onshore flow is set to gradually increase through the weekend, which means daytime highs will start to trend down. Most valley locations will make a return to the 60s and 70s through the start of next week with even cooler temperatures expected along the coast.

Original post:

Offshore flow will bring continued warming ahead of a cooler weekend - KSBY San Luis Obispo News

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Global Offshore Oil and Gas Seismic Equipment and Acquisitions Market 2021-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The publisher has been monitoring the offshore oil and gas seismic equipment and acquisitions market and it is poised to grow by $1.65 billion during 2021-2025 progressing at a CAGR of 8% during the forecast period.

The report on offshore oil and gas seismic equipment and acquisitions market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors.

The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by the increasing investments in offshore upstream sector and growing demand for oil and natural gas.

The offshore oil and gas seismic equipment and acquisitions market analysis includes technology segment and geographical landscapes. This study identifies the rise in deepwater and ultra-deepwater E&P projects as one of the prime reasons driving the offshore oil and gas seismic equipment and acquisitions market growth during the next few years.

Companies Mentioned

The report on offshore oil and gas seismic equipment and acquisitions market covers the following areas:

The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to an analysis of the key vendors.

The publisher presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters such as profit, pricing, competition, and promotions. It presents various market facets by identifying the key industry influencers. The data presented is comprehensive, reliable, and a result of extensive research - both primary and secondary. The market research reports provide a complete competitive landscape and an in-depth vendor selection methodology and analysis using qualitative and quantitative research to forecast an accurate market growth.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive Summary

2. Market Landscape

3. Market Sizing

4. Five Forces Analysis

5. Market Segmentation by Technology

6. Customer landscape

7. Geographic Landscape

8. Vendor Landscape

9. Vendor Analysis

10. Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/u11k5o

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Outlook on the Offshore Oil and Gas Seismic Equipment and Acquisitions Global Market to 2025 - Growing Demand for Oil and Natural Gas is Driving the...

The central coast will continue to heat up Wednesday as high pressure and offshore flow bring warmer temperatures to the region.

Throughout the morning commute, skies will be clear and winds will be mild to moderate. As of 4:15 a.m., wind speeds near the north coast were clocking in from 25-35 miles per hour. Winds will shift out of the northeast throughout the afternoon and taper off slightly and be close to 20 mph.

Temperatures will be above average for most, if not all, the area. Inland valley communities will range from the mid-70s to the mid-80s, while coastal valleys will range from the upper 70s to mid-80s. The beaches will be warm as well with daytime highs expected to reach the mid-70s to low 80s.

For those with allergies, pollen levels will continue to be at a high-level Wednesday which may result in irritation for those who spend time outside.

Onshore flow is expected to make a return Thursday and bring cooler temperatures back to the forecast through the end of the weekend.

Originally posted here:

Offshore flow and high pressure will bring daytime highs up to the 80s across the central coast Wednesday - KSBY San Luis Obispo News

OSLO (Reuters) - Norway will press ahead with North Sea wind power this year, awarding its first development licences as it spurs the transition of its oil and gas industry and despite its already plentiful renewables supply.

FILE PHOTO: A view of the Johan Sverdrup oilfield in the North Sea, January 7, 2020. Carina Johansen/NTB Scanpix/via REUTERS

The government has earmarked two areas in the North Sea for up to 4.5 gigawatts of floating and bottom-fixed wind turbine capacity, just under half the current installed capacity in Britain, Europes offshore wind leader.

Norway does not actually need offshore wind farms for power - nearly all its electricity comes from renewables already - but instead sees the sector as a means of helping its vast oil and gas industry secure a new, low-carbon business model for the future.

Oslo will present details of the tender this spring as part of a white paper on the energy sector, and first wind farms could be in operation by the end of the decade.

Many details remain unclear but the process should follow oil and gas exploration procedures where typically seabed rent is not charged.

Norway, western Europes largest oil and gas producer, is examining how it can adapt its petroleum industry.

Norways Equinor and several other European oil firms including Total, BP and Shell have announced plans to massively scale up their renewable power portfolios, often focusing on offshore wind, as they seek to reduce reliance on oil to satisfy stakeholders and meet climate targets.

We believe that especially offshore resources offer all the prerequisites to succeed. We have the knowledge, the experience, we have a good track record from establishing and building advanced installation in tough conditions far out at sea, NOG oil lobby boss Anniken Hauglie told Reuters.

We now need to use the time to build up new industries, new value chains, that will over time become the new legs for Norway to stand on, she said.

(Graphic: Norwegian offshore wind areas - )

The two sites - Utsira Nord, northwest of the oil industry capital Stavanger and Soerlige Nordsjoe II, bordering the Danish sector of the North Sea - both include deep water sections more suited to floating turbines.

Floating turbines are a less mature technology but widely seen as offering the greatest opportunity for Norwegian firms.

Equinor is developing one such pilot project, called Hywind Tampen, which will supply power to its Gullfaks oil platform.

Norway is seeking to cut greenhouse gas emissions produced by its offshore platforms, which tend to be powered by on-site gas turbines. Linking them to the power grid onshore is one option, and offshore wind turbines are another.

A lot of players want to position themselves in Norway, as it is a huge flagship project, said Vegard Wiik Vollset, vice-president renewable energy at consultancy Rystad Energy.

It has clear synergies for some of these companies given its potential for electrification of oil and gas fields on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

Like oil, Norway would export the offshore wind it produces. In 2020, hydro and onshore wind power accounted for more than 98% of Norways record high electricity production of 154.2 terawatt hours (TWh), generating net exports of 20.5 TWh, data from regulator NVE showed.

(Graphic: Norwegian power production 2020 - )

The way the market is looking now, we believe there will be a power surplus for a long time into the future, said Christian Rynning-Toennesen, CEO of top utility Statkraft.

Statkraft will participate in the offshore wind tender with Aker Offshore Wind, a company created by the Aker group, which previously focused mainly on oil and gas.

Non-EU Norway could also help to meet the European Unions goal of increasing offshore wind power capacity to 60 GW by 2030 from 12 GW currently.

If they want to achieve it, it needs to happen in the North Sea and if it happens in the North Sea, Norway should be a part of it, said Steffen Syvertsen, CEO of utility Agder Energi.

Agder Energi is also bidding in the upcoming offshore wind licensing round, teaming up with Vaargroenn (our green in Norwegian), a joint venture of private equity firm HitecVision, once solely focused on oil and gas, and Italian energy producer Eni.

Offshore wind in Norway remains unprofitable without subsidies, noted Sigbjoern Seland, chief analyst at StormGeo Nena Analysis, adding the technology needs to achieve continued sharp cost cuts, move the cost of grid connection away from developers and generally higher demand.

Based on current developments, this could happen in 5-8 years time, most likely in 10-15 years, Seland said.

Its not enough with one wind farm, you need a view of 3-4 wind farms of a certain size, said Daniel Willoch, a policy adviser at wind power lobby group NORWEA.

Others seemed confident of government support.

One thing we have seen across the world is that governments find their own way to support industrial development, said Aker Offshore Wind CEO Astrid Skarheim Onsum.

Norway had access to a vast toolbox of support mechanisms and a history of finding tailored solutions to support its industrial development, she added.

It reminds me a little of the time we discovered oil for the first time, Tina Bru, oil and energy minister, told a recent energy conference.

Editing by Gwladys Fouche and Jason Neely

Read more:

Norway readies first offshore wind tenders to spur oil industry transition - Reuters

Multinational corporations shifted $1 trillion in profits from the countries where their economic activity takes place to a small number of tax havens in 2016, depriving governments worldwide of more than $200 billion in tax revenues, a new study shows.

Researchers with the U.K.-based International Centre for Tax and Development found that multinationals headquartered in the United States and Bermuda used profit-shifting more aggressively, while lower-income countries suffered the most losses because of such practices.

The study was mainly based on corporate information released for the first time last year by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and only data from 2016 is available.

Its such a simple question: Where do [multinationals] pay taxes? And how much do they pay in low income countries? said Petr Jansk, an economist at Charles University, in Prague, and one of the authors of the study.

The main issue at stake is not that multinational corporations are benefiting from this tax avoidance scheme but that somebody is being harmed, Jansk said. Somebody is losing out because of this.

In 2017, the Paradise Papers investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists exposed the tax engineering of more than 100 multinational corporations, including Apple, Nike and Botox-maker Allergan. For instance, ICIJ documented how Apple found ways to keep tax rates ultra-low and accumulate a $252 billion mountain of cash offshore.

Jansk said that the new study shows that those are not isolated cases.

Ten tax havens received most of the companies profits, according to the ICTD research. Those include three European countries Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well as the Cayman Islands, Singapore, Bermuda and Puerto Rico.

While African countries appear to be the most vulnerable to profit-shifting, the study shows how multinationals tax avoidance schemes also deprive high-income countries, such as the U.S., Germany and France, of financial resources. The two European countries are estimated to lose at least one quarter of their profit base to profit shifting, it said.

Profit shifting is thus a phenomenon where the majority of countries lose, the researchers wrote in the report.

The ICTD team used data from the U.S. revenue service and country-level information that corporations in more than 50 OECD member countries have agreed to report.

The new rule requires companies with more than $850 million in revenues to report how much they pay in taxes in individual jurisdictions and where they book income. The initiative is part of a coordinated effort to tackle tax avoidance by corporations and assess its global economic impact.

However, Jansk said he was disappointed when he realized that only a few countries have actually collected and shared the information with the public. Some only provided aggregated data without providing details on multinationals tax payments and profit allocation at the country level.

In total, the OECD has released data on 4,000 multinationals headquartered in 26 jurisdictions and operating across more than 100 jurisdictions worldwide.

The researchers expect to have 2017 data in July.

In the meantime, they hope that policymakers will consider the new findings when discussing the introduction of a global minimum tax for multinationals. The initiative called the Paris climate accord of taxes by Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz has recently seen the support of U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

The OECD member countries are expected to reach agreement on the minimum tax reform by mid 2021.

Originally posted here:

Multinationals shifted $1 trillion offshore, stripping countries of billions in tax revenues, study says - ICIJ - ICIJ.org

The hydrogen hub would use power from an offshore wind field (Orsted)

By The Maritime Executive 03-31-2021 03:31:58

Orsted, the Danish energy company that has been aggressively pursuing offshore energy, announced new plans for one of the worlds largest renewable hydrogen plants. Know as SeaH2Land, the massive project envisions linking offshore wind power to create a hydrogen hub for the industrial cluster centered around the Dutch-Flemish North Sea Port.

The North Sea Port cluster is according to Orsted one of the largest production and demand centers of fossil hydrogen in Europe currently using 580,000 tons per year. Driven by decarbonization efforts, industrial demand in the cluster could grow to about one million tons by 2050, equivalent to roughly 10 GW of electrolysis. In addition to the broad industrial applications for hydrogen in the region, the North Sea Port, one of Europes largest shipping gateways, has the potential to become a large user of hydrogen as the marine fuel applications are developed.

The SeaH2Land project includes a renewable hydrogen production facility of 1 GW to be developed by Orsted by 2030. If realized, the electrolyzer, which would produce the renewable hydrogen, would have the potential to convert about 20 percent of the current hydrogen consumption in the region to renewable hydrogen.

Orsted proposes to connect the GW electrolyzer directly to a new 2 GW offshore wind farm in the North Sea. This will enable the large-scale supply of renewable electricity required for the production of renewable hydrogen and correlates with Dutch proposals to accelerate the roll-out of offshore wind projects to meet increasing electricity demand. The offshore wind farm could be built in one of the zones in the southern part of the Dutch exclusive economic zone that has already been designated for offshore wind development.

"The Dutch-Flemish North Sea Port covers one of the largest hydrogen clusters in Europe. As the world looks to decarbonize, it's paramount that we act now to secure the long-term competitiveness of European industry in a green economy, said Martin Neubert, Chief Commercial Officer and Deputy Group CEO, Orsted. The SeaH2Land project outlines a clear vision and roadmap for large-scale renewable hydrogen linked to new offshore wind capacity. With the right framework in place, the Netherlands and Belgium can leverage the nearly unlimited power of offshore wind to significantly advance renewable hydrogen as a true European industrial success story."

Map of the proposed regiional hydrogen network (Orsted)

To achieve the regional hydrogen hub, the SeaH2Land project also proposed to link the electrolyzer to a regional pipeline system connecting large-scale consumption and production in the cluster. Yara, in consortium with Orsted, and Zeeland Refinery have each announced plans for mid-size renewable hydrogen production at their sites, while Dow has been exporting hydrogen to Yara since 2018 through the world's first conversion of a gas pipeline into hydrogen. The pipeline network could also be extended further south to ArcelorMittal and further north, underneath the river Scheldt, to Zeeland Refinery. The cluster strategy also proposes to extend the 380 kV high-voltage network for the electrification needs of the industry south of the river Scheldt.

Through the development of this network of links between the industrial locations with the electrolysis and offshore wind, landing it would be possible to create a true energy hub spanning both sides of the river and one of Europes largest industrial zones. They believe that this would create a unique regional ecosystem of hydrogen exchange with significant carbon reduction in the manufacturing processes of ammonia, chemicals, and steel and a significant contribution to the European Green Deal.

The major industrial companies in the region ArcelorMittal, Yara, Dow Benelux, and Zeeland Refinery, support the development of the required regional infrastructure. The partnership will now move forward and engage in dialogue with the regulatory authorities on the framework and policies needed to support the development of renewable hydrogen linked to large-scale offshore wind, the regional infrastructure, and conduct a full feasibility study of the project.

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Orsted Proposes Hydrogen Hub Combining Offshore Wind at North Sea Port - The Maritime Executive

Integrating mWave wave power technology with floating wind turbines is expected to result in shared cost reduction benefits of electrical infrastructure including export cable and grid as well as the platform.

(Courtesy Bobmora and TechnipFMC)

Offshore staff

LONDON, PARIS, and HOUSTON TechnipFMC and Bombora have formed a strategic partnership to develop a floating wind and wave power project.

The relationship brings together TechnipFMCs technologies and experience delivering integrated engineering, procurement, construction, and installation projects offshore with Bomboras patented multi-megawatt mWave technology that converts wave energy into electricity.

The partnership will initially focus on the InSPIRE (Integrated Semisubmersible Platform with Innovative Renewable Energy) project. With engineering work initiated in November 2020, the partnership is developing a hybrid system using Bomboras mWave technology. The hybrid system demonstrator will deliver 6 MW (2 MW wave and 4 MW of wind power), followed by Series 1 and Series 2 commercial platforms which are expected to deliver 12 and 18 MW, respectively.

According to Bombora, mWave features a series of air-filled rubber membrane covered concave cell modules positioned below the oceans surface transforming the submerged platform structure into productive real-estate, capturing maximum energy.

As waves pass over mWave, under-water pressure increases, causing each rubber membrane to compress sequentially, forcing air from inside the cells into a duct. Valves control a one-way air flow to the turbine directly spinning a generator converting this rotation into electricity. After passing through the turbine the air is recycled to re-inflate each membrane in a continuous sequence. The power generated by the system is transferred to the electrical grid via the same subsea cable used for the wind turbine.

The membranes can be fully deflated creating a sleep mode protecting mWave from storm damage, the company said.

04/01/2021

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Partnership to develop integrated floating offshore wind, wave platform - Offshore Oil and Gas Magazine

Maine Marine Patrol officials and local fishermen have made headway over the last week in clearing fishing gear from a 23-mile long path being surveyed for an offshore wind development project, state marine officials say.

The monthlong survey for the New England Aqua Ventus project began earlier this month, but the presence of fishing gear on the path was making it difficult for the vessel conducting a survey of the seafloor to do its work, according to a project spokesperson and Maine Department of Marine Resources officials.

Fishermen were asked to move their gear in advance of the survey, but given the contentious issue of wind development of the Gulf of Maine, some fishermen felt they shouldnt have to move their traps for a project that they feel threatens their livelihood.

Last week, the Maine Department of Marine Resources sent a notice to fishermen with gear still in the survey route asking that they voluntarily move their traps or else Marine Patrol officers would move the gear for them. The notice was sent after Marine Patrol identified about 240 lobster traps still within the survey route.

In the past week, Maine Marine Patrol officials have moved about 100 lobster traps from the path, according to Maine Department of Marine Resources spokesperson Jeff Nichols.

Fishermen themselves have also made a concerted effort to move gear out of the route but weather has made that challenging, he said.

The gear removal has resulted in a significant portion of the survey route being cleared, New England Aqua Ventus spokesperson Dave Wilby said.

While the survey was supposed to be wrapping up in early April, Wilby said an exact timeline for the rest of the survey is not yet known given the weather and gear-related delays the vessels have encountered.

See the original post:

Fishing gear removed from path of offshore wind project survey - Bangor Daily News